Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 1994)
M arch 30, 1994 • T he P ortland O bserver P age A ò The Police Precinct Building: Black Economic Eggs In One Basket? by J ames L. P osey \ / \ STRANGE MIXTURE OF HOPE, ANXIETY, SKEPT1- CISM, A P P R E C IA T IO N , FRUSTRATION AND ELATION PERMEATING THE ROOM AT BETHEL A.M.E. Church a few week ago. The occasion was a meeting o f northeast P o rtlan d residents and business people, prim arily African- Americans, gathered w ith city o fficials to discuss the tenant development plans fo r the highly-touted northeast police pre- cinct/retail development project. The project has come to sym bol ize the Katz adm inistration’s efforts to help revitalize northeast Portland. But the meeting, attended by M ayor Katz herself andchaired by a member o f the King Neighborhood Associa tion, could o nly be characterized as curious. It was such because there was an abiding sense that the project, a novel attempt at social engineering, represents a last chance fo r this com m unity to reclaim itself. Y e t one co u ld n ’ t help but sense an equal amount o f doubt about whether this project w ill really work. Aided by the best o f intentions, can a com m unity, so long besieged by all manner o f a ffliction s, heal itself? M ayor Katz continues to invest an extraordinary am ountof p olitical w ill in seeing that this project gets o ff the ground and at least gets a chance to become successful. But is it really enough? W hile p olitely respectful o f all the efforts, the participants in the m eeting questioned w hether this project w ill actually result in Black prosperity. A t one point, an animated d is cussion erupted about the anchor tenant’ s role in the project. Some questioned how a video store could best serve afunctional need in a com m unity where there is so much dys function. They argued that, out o f a ll the things Black folks really need, videos are way down on the list. O th ers questioned the wisdom o f prom ot ing an anchor tenant w hich has no Black ownership interest. There was an unmistakable sense o f desperation and frustration ex pressed by the com m unity advisory committee and city o fficia ls in their attempts to attract a suitable anchor tenant. A fte r subm itting to the hu m ilia tin g reality that no Blacks in this com m unity had the capacity or w ill- Rebecca Jones Named New Executive Director Of SE Family YMCA ingness to serve as an anchor, it got down to crunch time. In order to meet project deadlines, the next best thing was to find anyone who had the money and was w illin g and able to provide the jobs. There appeared to be less concern for how vested the business is in building Blackeconom ic capacity. But some arc saying, “ Hey, le t’ s get this thing going. D on’ t pour cold water on it before we have a chance to give it a try. A fter a ll, some Blacks w ill open businesses in the retail space.” W ell, I ’ m down for that; but I ’ ve seen too many w e ll intended projects come and go in this com m u nity w ith A frican Americans only vaguely receiving the benefits. It seems like every other nationality gets some play except Blacks. This is particu larly true when social workers o r bu reaucrats try to manage and promote economic projects based on the no another ghetto experim ent, charac terized by enough economic rope for A frican-A m ericans to hang them selves. On one hand, everyone seemed hopeful. But on the other, the ques tions are haunting. Is this the best we can do? Are we taking our tim e and doing it right? A re we m aking the same mistakes from the past? Is this project being designed to succeed? W hy wasn’ t a Black-owned franchise chosen to locate in this project? Has PDC done enough to foster A frican- American ownership? And, have we adequately addressed the reasons why Fred Meyer moved out in the first place? W hile these questions linger, there are signs that the precinct project is ju s t the firs t in a series o f plans intended to lift this com m unity out o f economic despair. M ayor Katz, and tion that having a bunch o f businesses really all o f the city commissioners, lumped together is enough to make it seems genuinely com m itted to doing the rig h t thing. But as a com m unity, work. Now don’ tblam e any o f us at this we must continue to ask the hard point for being a b it doubtful. W e just questions and insist that not a ll the want white folks to design and sup Black economic eggs be put in one port this deal for us as i f it were their basket. James Posey is a small business own and not look at it d ifferen tly owner w ith a background in social because it is fo r us. W e want a sound w ork and com m unity activism. business project. This can’t be just Word Challenge Answers: CONTINUED FROM PAGE A4 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. f>. c o u rie r~ A : Special messenger, emissary or spy carrying im portant inform ation; as, “ The courier...had to leave before nig ht.” O ld French courier. v ig il- D : Period o f careful watching; lim e o f prayer during usual hours o f sleep; as, Lin coln kept his “ v ig il at the w indow .” Latin v ig ilia . n ig g lin g -C : Petty; fussy; irrita tin g ; requiring painstaking w ork; as, niggling money w orries, n iggling details. Related to Norwegian nigla. sedition -B : Insurrection, especially words or actions that incite rebellion against the government; as. He was fearful or being accused o f sedition.Latin seditio. e n fila d e -A ; Raking gunfire along the length o f a line o f troops; as. The Yankee enfilade created havoc among the outnumbered Confederate soldiers. O ld French e n file r (to thread on a string). b a le fu l-D : Menacing; ominous; destructive; as, a baleful glance. O ld 8. English bealoful. c h a r y -D : Cautious; wary; not givin g freely; as, The newspaper editor was chary o f giving credit. O ld English cearig (sorrow ful). p u rv e y o r-C : Supplier o f food or other provisions. L atin providre (to 9. provide). s u m m a rily —B: Prom ptly: w itho ut form ality or delay; as,“ A ll petitions 7. were dealt w ith sum m arily.” L atin summation. 10. secede-C : T o w ithdraw fo rm a lly from a fe deration, an alliance or the like as. The South could not secede from the Union w itho ut a c iv il war. Latin secedere (to go away). 11. Iic k s p ittle - D : Fawning, contem ptible; person; servile flatterer; as, The general “ assumed the lickspittle was trying to snatch back his command.” L ic k and spittle. 12. e n u m e ra tio n -A : Item ization; the act o f lis tin g , a d etailing; as, “ The clause appeared in the enumeration o f the powers o f congress.” Latin enumerare (to count out). 13. re c o n n o ite r-B : to survey or search out an enemy’ s position or situation; as, The general failed to reconnoiter. French reconnaître. 14. e n o rm ity -D : Great wickedness; outrageous act or crim e; as, The man d id n ’t grasp the enorm ity o f betraying his comrades in arms. Latin enormis (immense). 15. c e le rity - C : Swiftness, speed; as, Hcprocecded to the business at hand w ith great celerity. L atin ceieritas. Denise Amato - Galleries, Inc. Joyfully Presents Eric D. Salisbury April 7, (First Thursday) 6pm-9pm “E xpect T h e E xtrao rd inary ” ■ •• -M • ■ y Please Come To Meet This International Artist ..-yr 123A NW 2nd • Portland, OR • 223-9502 it, i ’ '**.. •. * • • *’*■ ' • At r S t Biased and Racial Crimes Against Our Children! Children, particularly children of color,are harassed on a daily basis in the Lloyd Center and other public places. We are organized and holding regular meetings to confront this practice. For membership/support/information, please call... 293-3373 Parents Organized To Stop Racial Harassment Of Children " C h r is t Is Risen, Go Tell It" Low Prices...Big Savings! Rebecca Jones Jeremiah W . Balscr, President/ CEO o f the Y M C A o f Colum bia- W illam ette announced recently that Rebecca W . Jones has been selected as the new Executive D irector o f the Southeast Fam ily Y M C A at the John R. Leach Center. Ms. Jones was the form er Southeast Y M C A Senior Pro gram D irector starting in that posi tion since 1992. Prior Y M C A experi ence includes w orking at the Salem Fam ily Y M C A as Aquatics D irector from 1988 to 1992. She began her career at the Y M C A as Aquatics D i rector in 1975 at the Southeast Fam ily YMCA. SAFEWAY Ì Prices effective March 30 through April 5 1994 at Safeway. Tender Bone-In Smoked Ham Town Hall A p ril 3 Prozac: The W onder Drug In o nly six years, Prozac has become the hottest psychiatric drug ever. For m illio n s o f amcricans, i t ’ s a wonder drug that relieves depression. But Prozac also is being used to im prove the p erson ality o f healthy p e o p le . Is th is d ru g b e in g ovcrprescribcd, and used as a miracle cure? or have we found a true “ magic p ill” ? Town Hall airs Sundays at 6 pm on KATU Channel 2. C all 231-4620 to attend one o f these programs. Tow n H all is open to the public but reservations arc required. E n j o y E x t r a S a v i n g s W it h T h e N e w ’I n - S t o r e ’ S a fe w a y S h o p p in g G u id e Available at your Safeway store.
