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Volumn XXIII, Number 37
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Serving the community through cultural diversity.
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September 08. 1993
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Many of the vets lacked the proper identification to apply
for jobs, or needed legal assistance to clear up certain
matters before they could assimilate back into society.
J -
Celebrate
1 )ii'crsity
Volunteer Electricians Stand Down To Assist 600 Homeless Vets
v id e d a ll p ro je c t c o o rd in a tio n and
s u p e rv is io n .
These e le c tric a l services in ­
clu d e d p e rim e te r and inside lig h t­
in g fo r th e 4 8 te n ts, as w e ll as
w ir in g and h o o k-u p s fo r c o m p u t­
ers, fa x m a ch in e s, co p ie rs , and
m odem s w h ic h w ere used to h elp
hom eless vets access m e d ica l and
d e n ta l care, substance abuse reha­
b ilita tio n , co u n se lin g , le gal assis­
ta n c e , a n d jo b p la c e m e n t. T h e
p ro je c t w a s even eq u ip p e d w ith an
o n -s ite c o u rtro o m and ju d g e .
T h e event o ffe re d s u p p o rt ser­
vices fro m m a n y areas in c lu d in g
the E m p lo y m e n t D iv is io n , V e te r­
ans A s s o c ia tio n , H o u s in g & C o m ­
m u n ity S ervices D e p a rtm e n t, and
S o c ia l S e c u rity A d m in is tra tio n ,
am o n g o thers. T h is y e a r’ s event
assisted a p p ro x im a te ly 600 people;
la st y e a r 5 5 0 veterans attended.
“ W e w a n t to c o n trib u te o u r
tim e and e ffo rts to h e lp these v e te r­
ans w h o fo u g h t fo r o u r country',
and n o w d o n ’ t have a p la ce to sleep
o r e a t,” stated G a ry P rice , th ird -
g e n e ra tio n o w n e r o f F rib e rg E le c ­
tr ic , and a tw ic e -d e c o ra te d V ie t­
n am veteran. P rice w a s assisted b y
F rib e rg p ro je c t s u p e rv is o r J im
Johansen, a lso a V ie tn a m V e te ra n
d isa b le d d u rin g the w a r, and the
D ire c to r o f E le c tric a l O p e ra tio n s
fo r the H om eless V e te ra n s A s s o ­
c ia tio n .
T h e tw o m en have been c o o r­
d in a tin g a ll the e le c tric a l w o rk fo r
Mark McMurtrey, employment specialist with the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program, looks on as IBEW Local 48 electrician Jake Harding
installs wiring for Portland Stand Down 1993, an event that provides services for homeless vets.
E le c tric ia n s fro m the In te rn a -
w ir in g fo r th e T h ir d A n n u a l P o rt-
a t W e s t D e lta P a rk , across fro m
tio n a l B ro th e rh o o d o f E le c tric a l
W o rk e rs ( IB E W ) . L o c a l 4 8 , v o l-
la n d S ta n d D o w n , a th re e -d a y event
fo r hom eless veterans, w h ic h to o k
th e P o rtla n d In te rn a tio n a l R ace-
w a y in N o r th P o rtla n d ,
unteered th e ir tim e to in s ta ll the
p la ce A u g u s t 2 7 th th ro u g h the 2 9
F o r th e th ir d co n se cu tive year,
ii
Teenaged Student Spends Summer
Organizing Back To School Play Day
T o d a y’ s youth are often c r iti­
faced was fin d in g other teens and
cized fo r being selfish and uncaring.
adults w ho w ould be w illin g to vo lu n ­
teer tim e supervising activities fo r
children. B y ta k in g on the role o f a
H owever, th is is ce rta in ly not the case
w ith B rent Law rence, a sophomore at
Parkrose H ig h School, w ho is also
e n ro lle d in T h e P riva te In d u s try
C ouncil ’ s Summer T ra in in g and E du­
cation Program (STEP).
In a unique partnership between
the East Portland D is tric t C o a litio n
o f Neighborhoods and The P rivate
leader am ong his peers, B re n t has
been able to re cru it a num ber o f other
teens as volunteers fo r th is project In
addition, he has w orked w ith Shelley
Wade at the East P ortland D is tric t
C o a litio n o f Neighborhoods to orga­
nize a num ber o f donations in food
Industry C o u n c il’ s STEP Program ,
Lawrence, age 16, has spent his sum ­
m er o rg a n izin g a Back to School Play
Day fo r elementary school ch ild re n at
M ill Park Elem entary School. The
and prizes fo r the event.”
LawTence h im s e lf is very excited
about Back to School Play Day. “ 1
w ill be a great tim e fo r kids. T h e re ’ ll
(went is ta kin g place on Saturday,
obstacle courses, ca rnival games, a
bean bag toss, races, a free th ro w
Sept. 11, 1993. fro m 10am to 1pm.
“ W hen T h e P riv a te In d u s try
C ouncil o rig in a lly approached us w ith
be k ic k b a ll, tug-o-w ar. ju m p rope,
the p ossibility o f developing a w o rk
contest and draw ings I ’ m hoping
Play Day provides a safe and fu n way
fo r k id s to spend a d a y ,” said
experience site fo r a youth th is sum ­
mer, we felt th is w ould bean excellent
Lawrence.
C h ild re n w ho are enrolled in M ill
o p p o rtu n ity to devote some resources
to g iv in g ch ild re n a fun and u p liftin g
Park Elem entary School and in te r­
ested i n part icipati ng in Back to School
Play Day m ust contact M ill Park E l­
ementary School o r the East Portland
a ctivity to look forw a rd on th e ir re­
tu rn to school, and B rent has proven
tobe an invaluable asset to the project,’’
said Shelley Wade, O ffic e M anager
fo r the East P ortland D is tric t C o a li­
tio n o f Neighborhoods.
M eg K ilm e r, Law rence’ s Y outh
Advocate at The P rivate Industry
C ouncil, added “ We developed this
site so Brent w ould have an opportu­
nity to try som ething d iffe re n t than
clerical-ty pe w ork In p u ttin g together
Back T o School Play Day. B rent has
had to u tiliz e o rganizational skills,
and the project has called on his a b il-
to show leadership among his
One o f his cha’ lenges Brent
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— I. JB
D is tric t C o a litio n o f Neighborhoods
at 1917 S.E. 122nd. Portland. OR
97233 and re tu rn a p a rtic ip a tio n
w aiver by September 9th. A dults and
teens interested in volunteering to
PORTLAND OBSERVER
Office: (503) 288*0033
Fax #: (503) 288-0015
ii
productive em ploym ent.
The East Portland D is tric t C oali­
tio n is a n o n -p ro fit co a litio n o f neigh­
veterans w h o began th is p ro g ra m .
“ W e u s u a lly need a b o u t 250
m a n h o u rs to in s ta ll the w ir in g th a t
u p a ll the services, ra n the w ir in g to
the poles, a n d b u ilt the se rvice loads
th a t d is trib u te d p o w e r to the d iffe r ­
e n t te n ts.”
“ M a n y o f th e vets la cke d the
p ro p e r id e n tific a tio n to a p p ly fo r
jo b s , o r needed le gal assistance to
c lc a r u p c e rta in m a tte rs b e fo re th e y
c o u ld a s s im ila te b a c k in to s o c i­
e ty ,” sa id M a r k M c M u r tr e y , S ta n d
D o w n c o o rd in a to r and e m p lo ym e n t
sp e c ia lis t w ith th e D is a b le d V e te r­
ans O u tre a ch P ro g ra m , p a rt o f the
O re g o n E m p lo y m e n t D e p a rtm e n t.
“ S tand D o w n o ffe re d a ll these su p ­
p o rt services, as w e ll as a b a rb e r
shop, c lo th in g center, and fo o d and
shelter fo r the w e e ke nd .”
IB E W L o c a l 48 p ro v id e d th is
v o lu n te e r la b o r in c o o p e ra tio n w ith
the N a tio n a l E le c tric a l C o n tra c ­
to rs A s s o c ia tio n (N E C A ) and the
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M e tro E le c tric a l T ra in in g T ru s t.
S tated Je rry B ru c e , d isp a tch e r fo r
L o c a l 4 8 , “ W e fe e l very g o o d a b o u t
h e lp in g co o rd in a te p re p a ra tio n s fo r
th is w o rth w h ile event. M a n y o f o u r
e le c tric ia n s are veterans, and they
w a n t to d o so m e th in g to help o th e r
ve te ra n s.”
A d d e d M c M u r tr e y , “ T h e se
v o lu n te e rs re co g n ize the p lig h t o f
hom eless people w h o served th e ir
c o u n try and n o w need o u r h e lp to
im p ro v e them selves. S tand D o w n
b rin g s in necessary resources th a t
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these vets m ay o th e r w ise be u n ­
a ble to access. T h e event its e lf is
dependent u p o n o u r a b ility to a c­
cess e le c tro n ic re co rd s and in fo r ­
p ro je c t m a n a g e r fo r F rib e rg E le c ­
m a tio n fo r these vets, and to p ro ­
v id e th e m w ith a safe and secure
e n v iro n m e n t fo r a fe w days. W e
c o u ld n ’ t a c c o m p lis h any o f th is
tr ic , w h o has c o n trib u te d m a n y
h o u rs o f h is p e rsonal tim e o ve r the
w ith o u t the h e lp o f these v o lu n te e r
e le c tric ia n s and the a sso cia tion s
p a st three years. H e and his cre w
th a t s u p p o rt th e m .”
p ro v id e s a ll the p o w e r to the te n t
c ity ,” said S teve Johnston, o n -site
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borhood associations and com m unity
groups east o f 1-205 and w ith in the
Portland C ity lim its . It assists organi­
zations and in d iv id u a ls w ith citizen
p a rtic ip a tio n and com m unity crim e
prevention efforts.
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Low - Cost Tax
School Offered
Jackson H e w itt T ax Service w ill
o ffe r its basic tax course beginning in
September O ffered as a low-cost a l­
ternative to hig h -p rice d schools, tu­
itio n and supplies fo r the class w ill be
159.00.
A p ril G utierrez. General M a n ­
ager Jackson Hew itt T ax Service said
“ O u r prim ary goal is to o ffe r a lo w ­
cost school to the public w h ic h w ill
enable people to learn the necessary
requirem ents to be e lig ib le to become
a licensed tax preparer under Oregon
la w H ig h tu itio n costs in Oregon
have made other tax schools p ro h ib i­
tiv e ly expensive to many people.”
Jackson H e w itt T ax Service is
more in fo rm a tio n .
The P rivate Industry C ouncil is a
the n a tio n 's second largest income
tax preparation company w ith over
700 offices coast-to-coast. In addition
to the low-cost tax school, the com ­
pany also offers free tax return check­
p riv a te , n o n - p r o fit o rg a n iz a tio n
whose m ission is to promote in d i­
vid u a l self-sufficiency and a skilled
in g and audit assistance These ser­
vices are available to ev cry one even i f
Jackson H e w itt d id not prepare their
w orkforce by e lim in a tin g barriers to
tax return
supervise a ctivitie s may also contact
the East P ortland D is tric t C oalition
o f Neighborhoods at 256-0014 for
L o c a l 48 has p ro vid e d a ll the la b o r,
s u p p lie s , e q u ip m e n t, and w o rk
cre w s fo r the v o lu n te e r p ro je c t
F rib e rg E le c tric C o m p a n y p ro -
th e event since its in c e p tio n three
years ago. G a ry P ric e a lso served
on the o rig in a tin g c o m m itte e w ith
w o rk e d fo u r days in s ta llin g w ir in g
o n e le c tric a l p o le s d o n a te d and
p la n te d b y P o rtla n d G e n e ra l E le c ­
tr ic . “ O u r v o lu n te e r c re w h o o ke d
.
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Beautiful sunny weather brought thousands o f people to downtown Portland for the largest Urban Arts
Festival o f the year, Artquake 1993. Leticia Maldonado and her daughter Una Merced, Tony Stringer
and his nephew Bobby Jones work on an art project.
photo by veronica Green