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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 1993)
P age A4 Ou k * bi R 20, 1993 • T he P ortland O bserver PDC’s Rental Housing Rehabilitation Program Sets New Record The Portland Dev clopnicnt C om m ission (P D C ) announced that its Rental Housing Preservation Program (R H P ) has loaned $5 ' m illio n since July 1, 1993 tow ard repairing sub standard rental housing in the city and has run out o f funds T h is repre sents the repair o f 527 lental units for lo w -in co m e in d iv id u a ls W ith new fu n d in g expcctedin January. the Com m issioners approved a $71)0,000 in crease in a private lender agreement w ith Bank o f A m erica to pros ide a d d itio n a l reha b ilita tio n fin a n cing P D C H ousing D ire c to r N cylc H unter indicated this is the first tim e in the RHP program s history that such record levels were achieved so q u ickly. "W h a t this really means,’' said H unter, "is we have succeeded very early in the fiscal year in putting more than fiv e m illio n dollars to w ork in the com m unity ” In ad d ition to the private funding agreement through Bank o f Am erica. P o rtla n d ’s RHP program recciv es fed eral dollars through the Com m unity D evelopm ent B lock Grant Program adm inistered nationally by the B u reau o f H ousing and C om m unity Development. P D C 's Rental Housing Prescrv a- tio n Program offers low -interest loans to a cq u irc and rehabilitate m u lti-fa m - ily housing Since 19X1 the Rl IP pro- gram has succeeded in repairing over 4.000 units o f rental housing It is a requirement o f the RHP program that properties q u a lify in g for re h a b ilita tio n rem ain affordable to low-and mode rate-income households, flic RHP program combines low - i merest federal funds vv till funds from Bank o f A m erica (know n as a Priv ate L ender P articipation Agreement, or P LPA ) toy ic k la m o n th ly pay m entfor borrowers that is below current m ar ket rates PDC is currently involved in negotiations vv ilh Bank o f Am erica fo r a new PLPA agreement and sev eral other area banks have indicated an interest in jo in in g w ilh PDC in the sm aller projects to allow the federal dollars to be concentrated on larger, more complex projects The success of the K IIP program includes the following current m ajor reh ab ili tating projects: program Currently the RHP program m ar • ries publie/private dollars to achieve a 3-10-1 investment ratio. In other words, for every d o lla ro f public money used in an RHP project, three dollars o f private money is invested. This ratio helps preserve the use o f pre cious public dollars so they can be put to use on other projects. The RHP program ’ s use o f federal and priv ate dollars has left the program basically unaffected by P D C ’ s loss o f tax incre ment money. PDC tra d itio n a lly u tilizes loan d o lla rs fro m P L P A p ro g ra m on • • • • • • V illa de C la ra Vista (formerly the Galaxy Apartm ents) 178 units; PDC loan totals $2.5 million Dresden Apartm ents and San M arco Apartments 54 u n its ; P D C lo a n to ta ls $400,500 Colonial P ark Apartm ents 48 units; PDC loan totals $1.3 million Glisan Street Shelter 40 SRO units, 121 beds, PDC loan totals $407,000 C athedral P ark Apartm ents 40 u n its ; P D C lo a n to ta ls $ 189.9(H) G ra n d O aks T rio 145 u n its ; PDC loan to ta ls $901,350 M o rris o n P a rk A p a rtm e n ts 6 0 u n its ; P D C lo a n to ta ls $390,000 PDC is the C ity ’s agency fo r urban renewal, housing and economic development. T h ir d A n n u a l S o l i d a r i t y C o m m i t t e e W o rk -A -T h o n The Portland Central Am erica S o lid a rity Com m ittee (P C AS C ) and The Ben L in d e r C onstruction B ri gade w ill be hosting a W ork-a-T hon on Sunday, October 24, 1993, in H illsboro, Oregon T h is year, W ork-a-T hon p a rtic i pants w ill paint and repair play ground equipm ent a the M ig ra n t Head Start fa c ility in H illsboro as w e ll as bu ild a garden space. M ig ra n t Head Start is a childcare center w h ich provides edu cation and social services fo r m igrant workers and their fam ilies P a rtici pants w ill be w eatherizing lo w -in come housing. The W ork-a-T hon, the th ird an nual, w ill raise funds to give support and hum anitarian aid to E l Salv ador and Nicaragua. The funds w ill also be used to aid w om ens’ groups in E l Salvador as they prepare fo r the most im portant election in the history o f El Salv ador w hich takes place in M arch, 1994. J o in in g the w o rk e rs w ill be M arian Isabela Morales, an electoral candidate in the election and the founder o f El S a lva d o r's M c lid a Anaya Montes W om en’ s M ovem ent (M A M ). She w ill be speaking on the critica l ro lco fw o m e n in El Salvador’s upcom ing election. Her lecture be gins at 5:30pin. M arian Isabela Morales founded M A M in July o f 1992 to respond to the need o f women as the country t rics to build economic and social justice. Today M A M has over 4,000 m em bers in El Salvador. The elections in El Salvador are the firs t to occur since peace accords were signed between the government o f E L Salvador and the Farabundo M a r ti N a tio n a l L ib e ra tio n F ro n t (F M L N ) in January, 1992. In the election, the people o f E l Salvador w i 11 be v otin g to clcct a new president, a new national assembly and new m unicipal governments. People w ish in g to participate in the W ork-a-T hon arc meeting at 9am at the Centro C ultural in Cornelius. T h c C c n tro C u llu ra lis lo c a te d a t 1110 N. A d a ir Street in Cornelius, Oregon. C ar poolers arc meeting at 7 :45am at the Liberty Tree Cofice House at 344 N .E . 2 8 th A v e n u e (n e a r N .E . Flanders) in Portland. T o v o lu n te e r fo r th e W o rk -a - T h o n and fo r m ore in fo r m a tio n , please c o n ta c t G race T a y lo r at (5 0 3 ) 2 3 6 -7 9 1 6 . F o r m ore i n f o r m a tio n , a b o u t th e B en L in d e r C o n s tru c tio n B rig a d e , please c a ll (5 0 3 ) 2 3 0 - 9 4 2 7 . Sisters In Support (SIS) Seeks Help From Community There is a disease w h ic h plagues our com m unity, its tentacles touch in g us in m any ways. The disease is the violence w hich is so pervasive throughout northeast Portland. Wc a ll hear it every day; it is ram pant and relentless. We feel vulnerable and helpless, and we fear for our children, who are affected the most. A ll o f us have felt the effects o f this disease in some way: As a rela tive, a neighbor, a church member or a co-worker. We, Sisters In Support (SIS), have coine together because we have been touched by the crisis in the life o f one o f our own, Jean Drew -our neighbor, our co-worker, our friend Jean’ s only son, Jomo. was ac cused, tried and convicted o f man slaughter, as a result o f an altercation earlier this year. H is plea was self- defense. A single parent, Jean has depleted her lim ite d resources in her valiant efforts to keep her son from going to prison She is going through “ — ” , in her words, phy sically , emo tionally and financially. W h ile wc a ll feel a sense o f per sonal loss for the other fam ily in volved, SIS is hosting this special luncheon to support Jean. Please jo in us Friday, October 22, from noon to 1:3()pmat thcO A M E /C ascade Plaza, 41.34 N. V a n c o u v e r (c o rn e r o f Skidm ore). O ur guest speaker. Rev. A lccna Boozer, p rin cip a l o f Jefferson Grass Roots Campaign Gains Momentum Local grass root efforts to gain a yes vote on B a llo t Measure 1 are co n tin u in g at fu ll speed, despite a M a rio n County ju d g e ’ s ru lin g that the measure is unconstitutional. Jane Ames, who is c o -ch a i/ o f Portland Citizens fo r Oregon Schools, said that Judge A b lin N o rb la d 's ru l in g was not a surprise. “ W c knew som ething like this m ig h t come up. but we fu lly expect it to be overturned by the Oregon Supreme C ourt," Ames said She said that drafters o f the measure worked closely w ith the A t torney G eneral’ s office to make sure that it was constitutional “ There arc a few technical legal issues to be worked out, but th a t’ s not distracting us from the real issue hcrc- -and th a t’ s school funding fo r our c h ild re n ," Ames said “ We re m ov ing ahead as planned and educating voters about the im portance o f voting yes on Measure 1 in order to back up O regonians' stated com m itm ent to education.” A c c o rd in g to Aines, Portland C itizens from Oregon Schools has more than 20 events scheduled d u r ing the next tw o weeks, in clu d in g presentations at in -h o m e coffees, schools, youth care centers, neigh borhood fairs and scrv iccclubs. “ W ith the election draw ing near, we re p ic k ing up mom entum as more people see the positive im pact B a llo t Measure 1 w ill have,” she said “ T h e re is a s ilv e r lin in g to Judge N o rb la d ’ s r u lin g , ” A m es said “ Il w il l m ake people lo o k m ore c lo s e ly at the b a llo t tit le , and w c k n o w th a t the m ore people read e x a c tly w h a t M easure 1 is, the m ore yes vo le s vve h a v e ." Roosevelt H igh School held its first A n nual M ost Valuable Partner Awards D inner on Tuesday, October 19,19**3. T lu presentation was giv en to private sector businesses that are w o rkin g w ith schools in a business education partnership The speaker for the occasion vv as T im W Ferguson, Business W orld c o lu m n is t and m em ber e d ito ria l board. The W a ll Street Journal The Business Y outh Exchange is a private, n o n-profit organization a f filia te d w ith the Portland M e tro p o li tan Chamber o f Commerce whose goal is to assist at-risk youth in their successful com pletion o f high school and transition into the workforce. New Urban Bicycle School Begins With “FundRide” Parade & Prizes M a rk o ff Saturday October 30 fro m 2-5pm to grab your costume and your bike, and jo in the FundRide ’ 93 Pledge Parade at Sabin Elementary School, 4013 NE 18th (4 blocks N orth o f Fremont). A new bike tops the list o f prizes you could w in. Pick up your FundRide ’ 93 pledge sheets now at local bike shops and schools. T h is fa m ily event offers great food, music, bike games and races, safety and ob stacle courses, and other comm unity resource inform ation. The grand f i nale is a leisurely 5 m ile r parade and a scavenger hunt through the neigh borhood. Remember, the more pledges you make, the more you can w in ! A ll this fun supports start up costs fo r the C o m m u n ity C yclin g Center. The Center leaches urban youth how to fix bicycles donated from agencies fo r low cost sale to low - income residents. The Center also advocates cyclin g for transportation, health and fun. Volunteers arc needed now to make FundRide ’ 93 even belter! C all the Center’s message number a #727- 5480 or #771-9087. C o n ta c t: D ire c to r B ria n Lacy at (5 0 3 ) 7 2 7 -5 4 8 0 o r at the C o m m u n ity Cy c lin g C e n te r, B ox #163. 2600 N E M L K B lv d . P o rtla n d , O R , 97 2 1 2 . PORTLAND OBSERVER O ffice: (5 0 3 ) 2 8 8 -0 0 3 3 Fax #: (5 0 3 ) 2 8 8 -0 0 1 5 THE OREGON ASSOCIATION OE URBAN BANKERS Presents Its... Third Annual Awards Scholarship Banquet “Investing In O ur Community” Thursday, O ctober 21, 1993 S h en n an ig an ’s on the W illam ette 4575 N. Channel, Portland Tickets: $35 person in advance Keynote Speaker: Ray Leary Executive Vice President Self-Enhancement, Inc. Schedule for the evening: 6 to 7pm No H ost Reception 7 to 9pm D inner (Program to follow) Please join us in celebrating our accomplishments & presentation of our annual OAUB scholarships, l or ticket information, contact June Clarke, 340-5613. Environmental Services Recommends Caution For Recreational River Use Due to the most recent rain storms. Environm ental Services is advising the p ublic against some types o f recreational activ ity in the W illa m e tte R ive r and C olum bia health. Com bined sewer overflow s do not ty pically present any serious en vironm ental concerns fo r fish and aquatic life . People w ho fis h should Slough I n Portland ‘ s sew cr system. sew age m ixes w ith storm ru n o ff in w hat is called a combined sewer sy stem W hen the combined sewer system receives too much storm runoff, it overflow s into the W illam ette R iver and C olum bia Slough. These com bined sewer overflows (CSOs) are contam inated w ith bacteria from untreated sewage. Env ironm ental Scrv ices is ad- j visin g the public to avoid the W il lam ette R iver and the C olum bia ! Slough fo r recreational a ctivitie s— wash th e ir hands fo llo w in g contact w ith the water. Fish are safe to eat as long as they are cooked to k ill bacte j such as water skiing or s w im m in g - in w hich water could be swallowed W h ile the health risks from com bined sewer ov erflow s are unknow n, these precautionary measures arc being taken to protect the p ublic ria. P o rtla n d is u n d e rta k in g an a m b itio u s 2 0 -y e a r p ro g ra m to im p ro v e the c i t y ’ s sew er system . U n til the p ro g ra m is c o m p le te , o v e rflo w s o f u n tre a te d sewage and s to rm w a te r w il l o c c u r d u r in g ra in sto rm s, a lth o u g h th e fr e quency o f o v e rflo w s and n u m b e r o f o u tfa lls w i l l d im in is h as th e p ro g ra m progresses. The Bureau o f E nvironm ental Serv ices prov ides city residents w ith w ater quality protection, sewage treatm ent, wastewater c o lle c tio n , sewer insta lla tio n , and solid waste collection, and oversees recycling services. I t J ust K eeps O n H elping United Way of the Columbia-Willamette 2 2 8 -9 1 3 1 H igh School, w i ll talk about the need fo r women to support each other in these d iffic u lt, try ing times. Cost is $ 15 per person. You may RSVP by c a llin g 284-6354 or 255- 5482. Please call early as sealing is lim ite d . I f you arc not able to attend but w ish to be i nvolvcd, you may send your donation pay able to: Account for Jean Drew, c/o Am erican Stale Bank. 2737 NE M L K Jr. B lvd., Portland, OR 97212. Jean needs our support, and wc should do what wc can to help her. W hat has happened to Jean’ s family could happen to any one o f us at any tim e. W c want to help each other when wc can, however wc arc able. 5 0 3 /2 8 1 -8 6 9 6 TROPICANA RESTAURANT Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Specializing in Barbeque Ribs & Beef j P urchase, repair an d rem o d el. O ne loan d o e s it all. You can Tues.-Thus, 10:00 AM -6:00 PM Fri. & Sat. 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM 3217 N Williams Avenue e v e n refin an ce an e x is tin g loan to add a room , a roof or do ju st a b o u t a n y th in g e ls e to m a k e your h o m e m ore cozy. V isit your n ea rest W a sh in g to n M utual F in an cial C enter or call 1-800-562-3565 and a sk a b o u t our A ffordable R ehab loan. It's Packwood Gains Support To Reduce Foreign Tariffs On U.S. Forest Products Exports Oregon Senator Bob Packwood forest products industry’ has been a gained wide-spread support for his consistent perform er for Oregon and efforts to e lim inate foreign C iri(Ts on the nation, in p arl.bccnuscofcxporls forest products He expressed disap That grow th simply cannot continue pointm ent that these barriers have i f U.S exporters face high lari ffs ov cr- not been elim inated in on-going in scas w hile their foreign competitors ternational trade negotiations The have u n lim ite d access to our mar- Most Valuable Partner Awards Dinner th e h o m e loan, h o m e im p r o v em e n t loan and repair loan rolled in to one. kets,” said Packwood The market access agreement announced at the Tokyo Economic S um m it last July successfully e lim i nated ta riffs for many products hut not wood and paper products T h a t 's D if f e r e n t. T h a t ’s W a s h in g t o n M u tu a l. FDIC Insured An Equal Housing Lender tai