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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 1996)
I »• • • .J ' ’ • I - * r ' - ••*' • ■I m h m M m n m P age B2 J anuary 17, 1996 • T he P ortland O bserver Good Credit Builds Future Credit, computerized transac tions, and other movements towards advanced financ ial technologies are not as exotic as they once were. As the young adults o f this nation be gin to inevitably make their mark in our country’s economic system, they must awaken to a keen sense o f financial consciousness that will be in their best interest as well as the country’s. Good credit is be coming more and more important in recent days and w e’ll tell you why. Economic experts are generally predictingcreditcards and transac tion technologies eventually elimi nating the need for carrying around cash. People are depending on cred it, and credit alone, in doing their everyday financial transactions. Gone are the days when lugging a wallet, ripping at their unauthentic leather seams, was fashionable Today, it’s the shiny plastic with the raised gold-lettering that gets the attention. It’s modem, it’s con venient, and the rapid expansion o f this concept spells out the tone o f the technological future and the upcoming generation must be pre pared for it and not lost in the whirlwind o f it with a tarnished credit history. Credit allows us to fully employ our resources and puts property to «HUM F ile BY S abrina S akata use that would otherwise lie idle and abandoned. It gives possibility and potential to things normally unat tainable to the average person. This also occurs on a grand scale o f na tions. Africa. Asia, and South Amer ica by various institutions such as the International Bank for Reconstruc tion and Development. However, borrowing money and credit to fi nance overambitious development plans was also fundamental factor in leaving a large number o f nations with a the burden o f a heavy debt. In many cases, these debts would be come insupportable when interest rates went up and many country's commodity export prices took sharp declines. Thus, the economies suf fered Likewise, we must know our I limits. The banking population and their methods o f controlling plays a sig nificant role in the credit system, hereby controlling the economic destiny o f not only our nations, but the world. A fluctuation in credit affects the level o f prices. Where j credit may expand, money supply will increase, lending cause for ris en prices. The state o f personal and business activity within a country can any given moment be gauged from the condition o f the credit system, where expanding credit re flects a period o f business prosper ity and contracting credit reflects a decline in economic activity, other wise known as ‘depression’’. Some economists believe the credit infla tion just before the 1929 crisis was the principal cause o f the Depres sion itself. I here are many companies that are willing to give debtors a second (or tenth) chance. American Fair Credit Association issues ninety- eight percent o f their members un se c u re d V ISA card from BANKFIRST. However, you must gain AFCA membership status, be employ ed for the last three months | at nine-hundred dollars per month, and have had no “derogatory cred it” in the last six months. COALITION OF B U C K MEN SPONSOR HOUSING SESSION AT DISHMAN A Horneo wnership Opportunity Fo rum will he held Saturday, from 10am. to 11:30 am at Mall Dishman Community Center. 77 NE Knott - Room B. Refreshments will he provided. RSVP to 282-7744. The session is sponsored by: Coalition ot Black Men. Portland Housing Center, and Partners or Project Downpayment Education In The Next Millennium: Part II B y P rof . M c K inley lurt "Ask The Man Who Owns One”; that was a key phrase in the early advertising campaigns o f the Buick Company. And last week we high lighted a key executive from a local computer land” who was using just this approach in developing h is ’Hu man Resource Department’ — bring ing in performance-tested profession als with supporting data bases. He was a veteran of several community colleges. The selection o f this particular baby-boomer is an example of the interactive nature of the innovative profile I was bringing to education as early as 1971 (He was a student of mine at PSU) — and of where educa tors and-industry must be today and tomorrow, just to survive into the coming new century. At the time, the firms and public agencies in the Tri- County area with whom I structured both academic and placement for mats read like a Whos W ho’ of Oregon industry and prime movers. Our Beaverton executive, while still in my Urban Economics class on campus, also monitored’ several of the U.S. Forest Service workshops that I conducted around the North west Region for agency personnel and supervisory people. These uni versity-accredited’ sessions achieved very favorable recognition for their dual success in both the social and economic areas. Indeed, my stated design and the description in the school catalogue addressed govern mental and industry concern with compliance with civil rights and af firmative action laws - and being unique in the Oregon system, brought increased enrollment in the ‘on-cam pus' versions (State-County-city). The net result was an exponential increase in the interaction between diverse social and economic groups and, automatically, a process was developing where there was an ex panded recognition o f both worth and capabilities. Also a prospective workforce was provided first-hand direction to opportunities and rel evant strategies for career develop ment and the improvement of current economic status. There was seldom need for any heavy-handed direc tives, “you will hire or else!” In the Sunday Oregonian for Janu ary 7 (Business Section), there is a lead article by staff writer, Richard Read; “Learning To Compete: A tri partite approach involving govern ment, schools and business prepares Europe’s workforces." Obviously, the writer got my very focused atten tion with (he following quite relevant comments. “While Europe hammers its train ing systems into competitive eco nomic weapons, the U.S. still lacks a systematic mechanism for moving young people into the work force.... In the U.S., half of all high school graduates have not found a steady job by age 30, the American Federa tion o f Teachers found in a recent study .’’Previously, I havecommented on the growing number of high school dropouts; what miserable prognosis must there be for them? There doesn ’ t have to be. W hile 1 am aware that many Americans are enamored of the Eu ropean emphasis on vocational train ing (In Germany a teacher may deter mine whether a 9-year-old will pro ceed vocationally or toward a uni versity education. Possessed o f a fun damental conviction that, indeed, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” and very early on a high school dropout, I never imposed such restrictinents on my ow n career development, nor permitted any outside force or insti tution to do so. As we continue this report next week, we will examine experience- based procedures that can develop this into a general rule for success. "Read. Work And Do!” Accounting . Abto Finance Company, successful transfer from payroll department to elec tronic technology servicing in the huge self-contained city of a major aluminum plant, Designingawanl-winningcomputer/ communication projects three de cades ago. You and/or your kids can too — if not brain-washed! Cowboys, Steelers Set For Super Bowl Pittsburgh Will Try To End NFC Domination; Dallas Enters Big Game For Third Time In Four Years An A FC team that has never lost a S uper Bowl w ill try to end the N F C ’s re c e n t d o m in a tio n when the P ittsburgh S teelers and D allas C ow boys m eet on Jan. 28th at T em pe, A riz. The S teelers, w inners o f four S uper B ow ls in the 1970s, are back in the N ational F o o tb all L eag u e’s ultim ate gam e for the first tim e in 16 years. T h eir op ponent is the team o f the 90s, a C ow boys team that is in the S u per Bowl for the third tim e in four years. The NFC has won the last I I Super Bow ls, w ith the Los A n g e les R aiders the last A FC team to win in 1984. Tw o o f the NFC w ins w ere by the C ow boys, w ho defeated B uffalo each tim e. Super B ow ls have a re p u tatio n for lopsided scores. T w enty-one o f the previous 29 S uper B ow ls have been decided by 10 points or m ore. But tw o o f the best gam es involved the C ow boys and S teelers. The S teelers defeated Benson's Vernon Cropper drives in for the winning basket as Benson defeated Wilson. 71-70, in a pivotal game last week in the Portland Interscholastic League. (Photo By Michael G Halle) GRAND OPENING: NIKETOWN FIELD HOUSE The o ffic ia l grand o p en in g o f N IK E ’s first new, to p -o f-th e-lin e sp o rts and fitn ess re ta il sto re since 1993 is set for Friday, Ja n uary 19, 1996, during the Blaz- ers-S uns basketball gam e in P o rt land, O regon at the new Rose G arden arena It will be the hom e grow n O regon sports and fitness c o m p a n y ’s fourth store cu rren tly open in P ortland. T he N IK E T O W N F ield H ouse is a new venture for N IK E , its first-e v e r re ta il sto re inside a m ajor U nited States sp o rts a re na. T he sto re is d esig n ed a fte r a real field house that m ight be located near a court, rink o r field b efo re the days o f the great arenas - w here visito rs m ight find m em orabilia from past team s and locker, ball and tow el room s. The 2,000 sq u are-fo o t store w ill sp o t light ap p arel in N IK E ’s b a sk e t ball, w o m en’s T otal C o n d itio n ing, Organized Team Sports collec tions, as well as selections o f some of N IK E’s top men’s, w om en's and children's athletic footwear As part o f the opening events, on Wednes day, January 17. from 6-8 p.m . NIKE will host a special preview reception at the store for northeast Portland business and community leaders. On Friday, grand opening day, the NIKETOWN Field House will be open from 11 a m. - 12 midnight. At 5 p.m. Friday, before the Blazers- Suns game begins, the NIKE Hum mer will be outside the store, and the public is invited to shoot a basket to try and win tickets to the upcoming Blazers-Cavaliers game on January 21 After the game, Portland Trail Blazers Buck Williams, Chris Dudley and Gary Trent are scheduled to drop by and tour the store and greet shop pers. the C ow boys, 35-31, in S uper Bowl 13 and 2 1 - 17 in S uper Bowl 10. It w ill m ark the first th re e tim e m eeting in S uper Bowl h is tory. The only o th e r re m atch es in S uper Bowl history w ere M iam i against W ashington, B uffalo v e r sus D allas and C in cin n ati ag ain st San F rancisco. The C ow boys w ill m ake th eir record eighth Super Bowl a p p e a r ance. They are 4-3 in th e ir p re v i ous app earan ces. N o o th e r team has m ade m ore than five trips to the S uper Bow l. T he C o w b o y s d e fe a te d the G reen Bay P ackers, 38-27, in the N ational C o n feren ce title gam e Sunday after the S te e le rs edged the In d ian ap o lis C o lts, 20-16, in the A m erican C o n feren ce c h a m pionship gam e. T h e C o w b o y s u s e d th r e e touchdow n runs by E m m itt Sm ith and tw o scoring passes by T roy A ikm an to defeat the Packers. E rnie M ills to the C o lts ' one w ith 1:51 rem ain in g , se ttin g up the w inning score by Bam M orris. The key m atchup at Sun D ev ils S tadium w ill have Sm ith and the N F L ’s se c o n d -ran k ed ru sh in g o f f e n s e g o in g a g a in s t a S teeler team that led the league in ru sh in g defense. T he C o w b o y s and S te e le rs have not m et since the opening gam e o f the 1994 season. Sm ith rushed for 171 yards as the C o w boys c o a ste d to a 26-9 win in th e ir first gam e under new head coach Barry Sw itzer. The all-tim e series betw een the team s is tied 13-13. S w itz e r can jo in p re d e c e sso r J im m y J o h n s o n as th e o n ly c o a c h e s to win a S uper Bowl and a co lleg e national ch am p io n sh ip . S w itz e r led the U n iv e rsity o f O klahom a to three national titles. O ne L as V egas odd sm ak er has in sta lle d the C ow boys as 12 and a h a lf p o in t favorites. Grants Available Self Enhancement, Inc. has a limited amount of funds available for projects involving African American youth between the ages of 14- 17, within Multnomah County. Youth eligible for services through these funds should be medium-risk youth; not involved with the juvenile justice system or CSD. Projects should be one time events or activities or a series of distinct activities. Individuals, groups, social clubs, and other organizations are eligible for funding. Grants will range from $200-$2,000. Deadline for applications are February 1, 1996; April 1, 1996. For an application or further information, please contact Self Enhancement, Inc., 1730 N. Flint Avenue Portland, OR 97227, (503) 249-1721.