Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, March 01, 1995, Image 1

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    Volume X X V Number 9
Serving the community through cultural diversity
Join In Celebrating Our
Pilot Player
Strikes
Kasey Flicker makes two
three-point baskets as time
runs out and the University
o f Portland wins again!
Aviator Flies
With France
He was America s first black
aviator, but was not able to
fly with the stars and stripes.
See Sports, page A3.
See Black History, page B7.
A N N IV E R S A R Y
(Che
THE WEEK
March I, 1995
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C
Residents
BV250
No’ To Crime Proposals
REW
Cop Shooting Suspect
Surrenders
A man wanted in the shooting o f an
Oregon State police o fficer and police
explorer scout turned him self in on Sun­
day. Authorities said P hillip A llan Earley
w ill be charged with attempted murder
The officers were shot early Saturday
morning during a routine tra ffic stop on
northeast Prescott and 103rd Avenue
Family members said Earley was a mem­
ber o f the Posse Comitatus, a right-w ing
roup o f anti-government extremists.
Racists Given
Unwelcome Mat
Residents in Grants Pass and the sur
rounding area gathered in front o f the
Josephine County Courthouse Saturday
to tell white supremacists they are not
welcome in southern Oregon. Members o f
the Idaho-based Aryan Nations canceled
recruiting meetings in the wake o f protests
against them. There was no word on when
or i f they would make another attempt to
gain new members.
Democrats Endorse
Pool
Multnomah County S h e riff Candi­
date Vera Pool has been endorsed as “ the
most qual ified, most experienced and most
thoughtful candidate” in the upcoming
sh eriff’s election, according to the Demo­
cratic Party o f Multnomah County. Pool
was endorsed by 70 percent o f the party’s
endorsement committee.
Unemployment Up In
Oregon
Oregon’s unemployment rate rose to
5 percent in January, up slightly from 4.9
percent in December, w hile the national
unemployment rate rose unexpectedly to
5.7 percent during the period. Economists
said despite the figure, Oregon ’ s economy
was “ quite healthy.”
Clinton Opens War On
Congress
President Clinton is b uilding up the
jattle w ith Congress over the Republican-
led Contract W ith America. He called the
balanced-budget amendment a bad idea,
denounced the party’s attacks on affirm a­
tive action and said deep cuts in current
federal spending amounted to a war on
children.
Trees To North,
Northeast
Volunteers from Pacific Power C o.’s
Green Corps '95 are planting 300 trees in
inner north and northeast Portland. The
project is an effort to improve the environ­
ment, increase urban w ild life habitat and
ju ild pride in low-income neighborhoods.
It also involves local youth and neighbor­
hood associations. Friends o f Trees and
the C ity Forestry D ivision also helped
organize the plantings.
Barry Puts Employees
On Furlough
District o f Columbia workers were
given the day o ff Monday to save money
for the financially-troubled city. The fu r­
lough was the first o f 10 days o ff that are
part o f Mayor M arion B arry’s plan to
generate $70 m illion in savings this fiscal
year
EDITORIAL
A2
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crime and juvenile delinquency. Many said the proposals were racist. Testimony came from Lolenzo Poe (from top left) of the Multnomah County Community and Family
Services Division; a panel of other community members; Virgil Douglas and Anthony Washington, who are presenting enrolled in a corrections program at the McLaren
School for Boys; and Rep. Avel Gordly, D-Portland.
(Photos by Donn Thomas)
New NAACP Chair's Husband Dies
t is with profound regret the
National Association for the
Advancem ent of Colored
People (NAACP) announces the death
of Mr. W alter Edward W illiam s,
husband of NAACP Board Chairman
Mrs. M yrlie Evers-W illiam s. Mr.
Williams, who suffered from cancer,
died Wednesday morning, February
22, 1995, at his home in Oregon with
his wife by his side.
I
W alter Edward W illiam s was bom to
George Edward W illiam s and L ilia Harris
W illiam s on May 5 , 19 18 in Atlanta, GA. The
W illiam s fam ily moved to Los Angeles in
19 19 when M r. W illiam s was approximately
I yearold. Hegraduated from Jefferson High
School in Los Angeles. He went on to com­
plete two years at Los Angeles C ity College.
M r. W illiam s became employed at the
early age o f 12 years with his first jo b in a
wholesale produce market at twelve cents an
hour. A few years later, he moved on to work
in a foundry in Fontana, C alifornia It was
here that his w ork w ith c iv il rights was to take
shape The union, CIO, was a two-card union
- one for blacks and another for whites. (This
was prior to the merger o f the A F L and C IO .)
A fter leaving employment with the foundry,
he worked as a welder at a shipyard in Los
Angeles, where the C IO was also a two-card
union. M r. W illiam s initiated a court action
and his complaint forced the C IO to discon­
tinue its two-card union policy, which result­
ed in blacks having the same benefits as
whites as union members.
M r. W illia m s le ft the L .A . shipyards
and m oved on to San Pedro, C a lifo rn ia
w here he again encountered the tw o -
card u nion p o lic y . M r. W illia m s , a de­
te rm in e d and c o m m itte d c iv il rig h ts
w o rk e r, again in s titu te d a c o u rt action
that ended w ith a “ cease and desist o r­
d e r” by the C ourt.
He continued to work on the docks in
various capacities. He retired in 1982 as an
overhead crane operator.
During this time, he was a member ofthe
International Longshoremans and Ware­
housemen's Union, Local 13. His work with
c iv il rights was based on employment injus­
tices which began during his teen years and
continued throughout his w orking years.
It was while w orking in the c iv il rights
arena that he met M yrlie.
In remembering her husband, Mrs. Evers-
W illiam s says that Walter was her very stron­
gest supporter, friend and mentor.
Although he was gravely and terminally
ill. he was insistent that she run fo r chairman­
ship of the N A A C P Board o f Directors.
He told her “ Not to worry. I w ill be here
when you return w ith your mission complet­
ed ' Mr. W illiam s was aware upon her return
that she had been victorious at the N AA C P
meeting.
"H e was m y balm in G ile a d , M y
Rock o f G ib ra lta r and the “ W in d Be­
neath M y W in g s .” “ He w ill be w ith me
a ll the way on th is new jo u rn e y ,” said
M rs. E v e rs -W illia m s
In addition to Mrs. Evers-W illiam s, he is
survived by one brother, George Francis
W illiam s; nine children, including Mrs.
Evers-W illiam s' three children, as well as
numerous grand and great grandchildren.
Public viewing was held Monday, Feb­
ruary 27, 1995,6-9 PM at the Angelus Funer­
al Home, 3875 South Crenshaw Blvd., Los
Angeles, CA 90008.
Funeral services were Tuesday, Feb­
ruary 28. 1995, 11:30 A M , at H olm an
U n ite d M e th o d is t C h u rc h , 3320 W.
Adam s B lv d ., Los A ngeles, C A 90018
Rev D r. Law son presided The eulog y
was d e live re d by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson.
In te rn m e nt is at the In g le w o o d Park
C em etary, In g le w o o d , C A .
M e m o ria l c o n trib u tio n s may be sent
to the: Walter Edward W illiam s N A A C P
Memorial Fund, c/o N AAC P; 260 Fifth A v ­
enue; 6th Floor; New York, N Y 10001.
Messages o f Condolence may be sent
to: Mrs. M yrlie Evers-W illiam s,c/o V. Cou­
pling; N A A C P National Headquarters; 4805
M t Hope Drive; Baltimore, M D 21215.
Cascade Business Office To Expand
n inner north Portland center
director and a Portland State U niversity busi­
for entrepreneurs and small
ness instructor.
businesses plans to expand
The center is operated by the PSU School
its services because of a $190,000
o f Business Adm inistration and is located in
grant by the Fred Meyer Memorial
the Cascade Plaza at 4 134 N. Vancouver
Trust.
Ave.
A
The Business Outreach Center w ill use
the monies over a three year period to hire
additional sta ff so that more businesses can
be served, according to Alan Zeiber, center
It c u rre n tly p ro v id e s free te c h n ic a l
assistance and n e tw o rk in g o p p o rtu n itie s
fo r about 35 area business men and w o m ­
en
Zeiber said the center w ill hire a fu ll­
time assistant and several more graduate
students to assist businesses.
“ We can do more o f the good work
we've started to do,” said Zeiber “ This pro­
gram has been readily accepted into the com­
munity since it started only a y ear ago We've
found that we're able to offer something not
already available."
Roger Ahlbrandt, dean ofthe PSU School
HOUSING
RELIGION
METRO
SPORTS
A6
A8
BI
A3
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o f Business Adm inistration, said w orking
with small businesses in the area is a high
priority for the college
“ I f we can increase the chances o f small
business success, we've provided a tremen­
dous service.” Ahlbrandt said “ We greatly
appreciate the support o f the Meyer Memo­
rial Trust.”
The trust was established by the late
Fred Mever
ENTERTAINMENT
CLASSIFIEDS
B3
B4
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