P age A4
J uly 19, 1995 • T he P ortland O bserver
Education On The Auction Block
by
D krwin B o yd ________
The U S. Supreme Court in a
recent decision let stand a ruling by
the 4th Circuit Court o f Appeals that
the University o f M aryland’s Ben­
jamin Banneker Scholarship Program
was unconstitutional because o f “re­
verse discrimination” .
The program awards 30 schol­
arships each year to high-achieving
blacks who have a B average and
score over a thousand on the S A T
These young scholars are he­
roes in a tune when African-Am eri­
cans are being caught in a continuous
cross fire o f character assassination,
as the media and the conservative
right continues its relentless assault
on the dignity and character o f an
entire people.
These courageous young peo­
ple are among the best our communi­
ty has to offer because o f their strength
o f character, determination, and per­
severance that has allowed them to
navigate through a social mine field
while keeping their eyes on the prize.
It’s also a very endearing testa­
ment to their loving and supportive
families, in a society that wishes to
portray black families as welfare re­
cipients and our young people as
teenage mothers, crim inals, and drug
dealers.
These courageous young peo­
ple refuse to be denied and in the
process charted a course for the stars.
Their reward for many years o f
hard w o rk -a four year all expense
paid scholarship to one o f the best
colleges in the country. And they
earned every bit o f it. For many o f
them, I ’m sure it was the only way
they could afford college Like ath­
letics were for me and many other
young black kids, these scholarships
were their only way out
But with the ruling by the Su­
preme Court, all the paths that lead to
college and that coveted degree are
beingclosed for African-Am ericans.
Experts say that rising tuition
and declining tuition grants for low
income students are freezing minor­
ity students out o f higher education
The access o f poor to higher
education fell dramatically across the
board in the 1980’ssaidGaryO rfield.
Professor o f Education at I larvard
University (The Oregonian, May 17,
1995).
This stark reality showsup in the
nations college graduation rate as
well. 23% o f all college graduates
are white, while only 13% are black.
And those numbers w ill contin-
ue the fall for African-Am ericans as
the current Republican controlled
congress continues the policy first
instituted by Ronald Reagan. And
that is to cut educational funding for
low income and minority families
while increasing funding for middle-
class (white) families.
The General Accounting Office
reports that only 5% o fal I education­
al scholarships are targeted for mi­
norities, which means that whites get
95% o f all educational scholarships.
But the recipien ts o f the B e n ­
ja m in Banneker S c h o la rsh ip s are
true sch o lars in e ve ry sense o f
the w ord. These b righ t young
people can com pete against a n y­
one in the w orld.
They represent what Affirm a­
tive Action is supposed to be about,
people who want to help themselves
A white journalist once wrote,
white people like the Cosby Show so
much because that 's the case, why is
this highly successful program for
high achieving blacks on the auction
block?
Because as one white man once
told me with a chuckle, “being black,
that’s a tough one.
Y o u ’re damned if you do, and
damned if you don’t” .
Too Tired Or Busy To Cook?
New Personal Chef Service Gives In-Home Dining A Fresh Appeal
What wou Idn ’t most people give
to have an extra 10 hours per week?
that’s just about the time that goes
into the average fam ily’s meal plan­
ning and preparation. Thinking about
what to have, driving to the store,
waiting at the checkout-often with
impatient and hungry children or in
the midst o f a too-crowded grocery
rush—it all adds up. Then o f course
there’s the actual food prep, cook­
ing, serving and finally, clean-up.
Dinner’s on me, a new personal
chef service operating in the greater
Portland area is making it happen
An initial consultation leads to the
creation o f a personalized menu, gro­
cery shopping and finally, meal prep­
aration right in the client’s home.
Tw o week's worth o f meals are pre­
pared, one o f which can be served
fresh on completion o f service.
Chef-owner Regan Johnson first
meets with her clients to create a
complete profi le o f their dietary needs
and preferences. From this a menu is
created, complete with five main dish­
es, which are supplicated for a total
o f 10 entrees, a none-entree option
offers clients one o f their entrees to
be served as a fresh, complete meal
including a side dish, salad, fresh
bread, etc. The possibilities for en­
trees is endless, ranging from a vari­
ety o f pasta dishes and unique soups
to sweet and savory stew combina­
tions A complete vegetarian menu is
also available.
On the date o f service, Johnson
arrives at the client’s home, fully
outfitted with groceries and cooking
equipment. There, she spends the
day preparing the selected entrees,
which are then labeled and stored in
the refrigerator or freezer along with
a complete list o f instructions and
suggested side dishes, the client need
only provide Johnson with a clear
working area and the space to store
the delicious food she prepares.
A graduate o f the California
Culinary Academy in San francisco.
Johnson has studied with many Eu­
ropean chefs. She says she likes to
translate that experience and philos­
ophy to her own lighter, healthier
version o f food preparation, using
less fat and more roasted vegetables.
Her portions are generous, giving
many clients the bonus o f tasty left­
overs.
When asked to describe a typi­
cal client, johnson said she serves a
broad range o f individuals. Her c li­
ents include busy parents, new moms,
professionals seeking respite from
the restaurant circuit and single folks
wanting a break from cooking for
one. Individuals with food allergies
or strict dietary restrictions also uti­
lize her service She said that gift
certificates are popular, especially
for new moms, post-op patients and
newlyweds, those wanting an alter­
native to take-out during especially
busy periods are also frequent cus­
tomers.
A s the working mother o f a
young daughter, John apprec iates the
need for quality time in the evening.
While precious, the evening hours
for many remain pressure-filled and
busy. Accordingly, one o f Johnson’s
primary objectives is to help her c li­
ents ease the al I too common end-of-
the-day madness. According to her
clients, Johnson’s services do make
a difference and most save money as
well.
Local artist and client Kathryn
Kramer-Waters said, “ I first used
Dinner’s on Me during an extraordi­
narily busy time when it seemed like
all my projects had the same dead­
line. With my husband and I both
working long hours it was tough to
get a healthy meal into our two kids,
let alone have the time to prepare it or
even to dine out. Our children, like
most, really need our full attention
after having been away from us all
day. Not only is the finishingtouch to
Regan’s dinners a breeze, but clean­
up is as well; often only one pot. It’s
nice to have a complex meal with
wonderful ingredients in our own
dining room. Her service makes this
possible and with little effort on our
part."
Dinners on Me offers busy peo­
ple an alternative to their sometimes
harried style o f dining and provides
an opportunity to reclaim your lost
evenings.
lfyo u would like more informa­
tion about Dinner’s on me, contact
Regan Johnson at 282-2625.
Local Residents Trained For jobs
Continued from front
▲
program are well qualified They may
have needed to brush-up on a few
skills, but mostly they just need an
opportunity,” Portis said.
The utility consortium launched
the program after a year o f planning.
Students attended classes part-
time, focusing on such areas as com­
munication, interviewing skills, test
taking (applications for many trades
positions must take an exam as part
of the interview process), work hab­
its and se lf esteem.
“These are the skills we find
best help a candidate convince a pro-
spective employer that they can han­
dle the job and should be hired,”
added Neena Kirsch, P G E human
resource specialist. “The fact that
these students have completed this
training also tells a prospective em­
ployer something about their work
ethnic and their initiative.”
The initial focus was to prepare
candidates for trades positions with­
in the utility companies, such as meter
readers, utility workers and garage
attendants.
“ There were two primary rea­
sons why I wanted our company to be
a partner in this program,” said
George Richardson, manager o f fed-
eral and local government and com­
munity relations for Northwest Nat­
ural Gas.
“ First, it gives us an opportunity
to help address the disproportionate­
ly high unemployment rate for resi­
dents o f inner north/northeast Port­
land. Second, the program is consis­
tent with our corporate goal o f in­
creasing diversity in the workplace.”
Richardson said.
C o m p a n y o f fic ia ls said the
su ccess o f the tra in in g w ill be
evaluated in co m in g m onths in
order to d ecide whether to repeat
it in other parts o f the u tilitie s ’
se rvice areas.
GOODWILL HONORS EXECUTIVE
Michael M M iller o f Portland,
president o f Goodw ill Industries o f
the Colum bia-W illam ette, has re­
ceived national recognition for his
accomplishments in the charitable
organization.
M iller has received Goodw ill
Industry’s national 1995 Kenneth K .
K in g O u tstan din g M anagem ent
Award
He is credited with leading his
organization through a period o f re­
markable growth and expansion in
both financial and human-service
terms.
The Portland area organization
is widely respected throughout the
Michael M. Miller
Goodw ill Industries network as an
outstanding model ofdi versified and
financially independent vocational
rehabilitation providers.
M iller’s career at Good wi 11 spans
19 years. He became president o f the
Co lu m bia-W illam ette chapter in
1986 and has guided it to its current
position as a leader o f human servic­
es and as a fiscally-healthy organiza­
tion, G oodw ill officials said
Last year, the Portland Good­
w ill provided vocational services to
nearly 1,500 people with disabilities
and other special needs and placed
nearly 350 individuals in competi­
tive employment.
To Adverti.\c ht t i b e J J o v t l a i i b ( O h s r t w r
( nil 503-288-0033
I
H aving Fun Learning
It ’s sum m er, and teens ar
th in k in g o f fun and sun. But
when give n a chance to delay
their fan cie s for a tw o-w eek
m ath-science encounter, 40 high
school students accepted A lp h a
K ap p a A lp h a ( A K A ) ’s o ffer.
Nam ed w inners in A K A ’ s
first P IM S (P artn e rs in Math
and S cie n ce )C a m p com petition,
the students spent June 18-30,
at M ich igan State U n iv e rsity ,
East L a n sin g , im p ro v in g their
math and scien ce s k ills .
Features inclu ded a cce le r­
ated instruction, fie ld trips, per­
sonal e valu atio n s, in c lu d in g a
c o lle g e -le v e l placem en t test;
and o rientation to careers in
math, scien ce, and engin ee ring.
G rades and essay respo n s­
es were the p rim ary crite ria for
the n atio n al co m p e titio n de­
signed to encourage m in o rity
students to e xce l in math and
scien ce. M ich ig a n had the la rg ­
est num ber o f w in ners, w ith s ix ;
South C a ro lin a had fiv e ; G e o r­
g ia and Illin o is each had four;
F lo rid a , M isso u ri, and O k la h o ­
ma each had three; C a lifo rn ia ,
L o u isia n a , N ew Y o r k , and T e x ­
as each had two, and A rk a n sa s,
M a r y la n d , N o rth C a r o lin a ,-
O h io , and N ew Je rse y each had
one.
njoying their math and science explorations at the AKA PIMS
‘amp held recently at Michigan State University, East Lansing (top
»bottom) are John Birch, Homer, La; Christopher Moore, Little
ock, Ak; Tanesha Bledsoe, St. James, La; and Paul Tete Nii-
ryee, Arlington, Tx.
Operation Clean
Sweep Benefits
Youth, Community,
Tri-Met
T r i-M e t’ s O p eratio n C le an
Sweep, which provides summer jobs
for 18 youth between the ages o f 14-
18 is underway.
Youth are recruited from local
area high schools and youth referral
agencies for the eight week program.
They w ill pick up litter and remove
graffiti at bus stops, transit centers
and park & ride lots and assist with
othercommunity projects. This year,
the youth are working with Housing
Our Families for the restoration o f
five low-income/elderly homes in the
North Portland area. This project
w ill culminate with a Paint-A-Thon
scheduled for Aug. 12.
On Fridays, youth get the oppor­
tunity to develop their communica­
tion, leadership and team building
skills and increase their awareness of
career and scholastic opportunities
through college campus visits, a ca­
reer day and guest speakers.
According to Program Manager
Bobbi M cGee, Operation Clean
Sweep in its fourth year and has built
partnerships with R E A C H Com mu­
nity Development, Inc ; Housing Our
Families, Boise Neighborhood A s­
sociation, Portland Public Schools
and the Business Youth Exchange.
The program receives support from
A T & T W ireless Com munication,
M cDonald’s and The Private Indus­
try Council.
Tri-M et is committed to provid­
ing the youth o f our community with
employment opportunities to learn
and apply quality work ethics and
leadership skills in a culturally di­
verse team environment.
Operation Clean Sweep is the
most visible o f Tri-M et’s youth em­
ployment programs. Last year, T ri-
Met hired more than 90 youths.
For The Young
At Heart
Attention all adventuresome sin­
gle seniors! The Oregon State Fair
invites you to be a participant in the
Dat ing Game for the Yo un g at Heart.
The event w ill take place at the Fair
T uesday, August 29, from 2 to 3 p.m.
on the Fountain Plaza Stage.
Based on the popular television
show o f years past called The Dating
Game, this fun event w ill feature two
separate panels o f contestants. Each
panel w ill consist o f one lucky bach­
elor presenting fascinating questions
to three different bachelorettes, who
w ill be concealed from his view.
The two winning couples w ill
receive wine and hors d ’ oeuvres,
compliments o f Willamette Valley
Vineyards, State Fair chair lift tick­
ets, flowers designed and contribut­
ed by Stayton Flowers and Gifts,
Lim o usin e Se rvice provided by
James Limousine, and dinner at the
Inn at Orchard Heights.
Interested, fun lovingdatersmay
get more information by calling the
Oregon State Fair Office at (503)
378-3247, extension 230 before July
21, 1995.
Representative Shibley
Opens Interim Office
97228. Her new interim phone num­
ber is 503-245-9601. Rep. Shibley
can also be reached at her internet
address: G Shibley@ aol.com .
Rep. Shibley has been a state
legislator for House District 12 since
1991, working as an advocate for
education, civ il rights, safe commu­
nities and sensible growth. The dis­
trict represents the heart o f Portland,
including parts o f southwest, down-
town, northwest and southeast Port­
land.
Rep. G ail Shibley (D-Portland)
has opened her interim legislative
office and hired new staff. Represen­
tative S h ib le y has hired T ra c i
Spillm an as her legislative assistant.
Ms. Spillman and has her legislative
assistant. Ms. Spillm an and has
worked in demcratic politics overthe
last several years, and worked for
Rep. Shibley during the 1991 Legis­
lative Session.
Rep. Shibley can be reached by
mail at P.O. Box 6805, Portland, O R
E L E C T R IC L IG H T W A V E P R E S E N T S
Mill
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a d iffe r «
COORDINATED BY THE VOLUNTEER CENTER
S unday A ugust 6, ms
SK RUN-9:00 am * SK and 2K W A L K -8 :« am
W aterfront P ark , P ortland , O regon
On August 6,1995, the third annual HUMAN RACE wiH take place at Waterfront Park! The
HUMAN RACE is a community fund-raising event for non-profit community service
organizations throughout Oregon. Presented by Electric Lightwave, In t and sponsored by
Willamette Week, The HUMAN RACE is coordinated by The Volunteer Center and is our area’s
only fund-raiser with a mission to benefit any tax-exempt community service organization
that wishes to raise funds It's a fun way to get involved and make a difference in your
community h's a terrific way to support the services and needs of
organizations who strive to support us!
This event is different than most other runs and walks because there's no one
beneficiary... you participate for the non-profit organization of your choice and
,
you (collect the pledge donations for that same non-profit.
WHETHER YOU WALK OR RUN, YOU’RE SURE TO HAVE A 6 0 0 0 THE, A W V W A l K
support *
v o w local community .
We ll have breakfast foods, music, entertainment and a raffle. Top pledge collec­
tors wiH win fabulous prizes including getaway packages from M t ftacM or VHage,
Skamanu ladoe, The Resort at the Mountain, a Romance Package from The Hotel
Vintage Plaza, and a $150 gift certificate from 6 1 joe's.
F or more information and a pledge sheet
call the V olunteer C enter at 222*1355
ELECTRIC
VO
____
LIGHTWAVE T k • V a I a a t a a r ( a a i a r
I