P age
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15, 1997 • T he P ortland O bserver
(Eljc ^Portlanh (Obseruer
Looking for someone?
Every day thousands ol people
ire searching for othei people Some
are adopted children looking for
birth mothers, others are looking
lor missing spouses, their ancestors
or missing friends. Many people
think these searches require expen­
sive private detectives or other pro­
fessionals. In most eases this is not
so Usually these deteelivesget their
information from the same public
records that you can use.
A new book by Robert L. Berko,
Executive Director of the non prol
it Consumer Eiducation Research
Center will help amateur searchers
m their quests for missing persons,
birth parents or information about
themselves that government bureaus
have in their files. The book. How
Io bind People With Information
From Public Recoids, is available
for $19.95 from Consumer Center.
19X0Springfield Ave , Maplewood.
NJ 07040 or by calling I 800-872
0121.
Many searches are as simple as
looking for the name in a database
containing all telephone records in
the United States. There are several
computer programs lor sale that con
tain this information If you don't
want to go to this expense. Mr.
Berko’s organization has a data
base of XO million records and can
do the search for you.
<)lher public records that youcan
use are marriage, death, divorce,
voter registration. Post Office. Mo
tot Vehicle. Selective Service mill
Ini \ and many more I lie book will
not only show you how to determine
whal records you need, but how and
where to gel these records.
Ilyoui problem is a missing spouse
who in arrears on child support, ev ­
ery state has a Child Support agency
that will do most ol the searching lor
you even if your spouse is in another
state. The book lists the address of
the Child Support office for every
stale.
For those searching their roots,
there are many sources ol informa­
tion. Foremost is the Family History
Centers which have literally millions
of different studies and histories of
f amily names ol those who are work­
ing on family histories for their own
family names Some ol these people
could be working on your family's
and could save you the search.
The national archives have records
of anyone who has had any contact
with the U S Government. This in­
cludes just about anyone who has
ever lived in the county. They have
Indian Records going way back and
even records o f black slaves owned
by Indians In addition they have
land records passenger lists, natu­
ralization rec ords, passports records,
and much more I lie address ol all
Regional Offices ol National Ai
chives are listed as well as their com
puter online address.
Increasing numbers of people are
looking for parents l or those search
mg parents who moved away, the
quest is usually not difficult For
adopted children looking lor birth
parents, the search is very dillieull
They have no name to start their
search because birth and hospital
records are changed to reflect the
name of the adoptive parents But
don’t lose hope of finding your birth
parents There are records that are
not changed and ways to find the
true facts behind the altered records.
In addition, there are several hun­
dred organizations that can and will
help you in your search These orga­
nizations provide advice and assis­
tance from people who have made
many successful searches lo locate
birth parents How to Find People
w ith Inform ation from Public-
Records includes the names and
addresses of these organizations as
well as tactics for making your search
successful.
Many people would like to know
whal is in the files kept by govern­
ment agencies such as the FBI I he
book contains all the rules that gov­
ern getting copies of documents
about yourself or any one else. A
check of FBI records, for instance,
will reveal everything they have
gathered about you. Il would be
wise to check their files before ap­
plying for a government job or any
activity or permit that requires an
investigation. Also included are lorm
letters for requesting information
and even forms lor appealing when
the agencies don't give you the in­
formation requested.
More information can be lound
on the W orld W ide h ttp ://
w w w .planel.net/cerc or I. mail
cerc(n'planei net.
An aid to locate vital records
Vital records are just that...vital.
We need access to them
In this age of bureaucratic docu­
mentation. everyone has need ol
copies of records ol birth, death,
marriage or divorce An applica­
tion for benefits from the Veterans
Administration 01 Social Security,
a passport or marriage license re­
quires not only the information in
the records but usually copies of
the records themselves.
All these records are stored per­
manently by municipalities, coun­
ties. states and the Ferlerai govern
ment. We all know this, but where
each document is kept frequently
unknown.
The Consumer Education Re­
search Center, a national non-prof­
it consumer group, found there was
little uniform ity on -where the
records were available and tbecosts.
In some stales, bulb records are
kept by the city and in others by the
county or state To further com pli­
cate matters, often older records
are held in different places than
current ones In addition, the ad ­
dresses where the records are kept
are changed quite often.
The consumer gr< nip ftiund many
people had difficulty in locating
the records they needed. Often, it
was necessary to make expensive
Art College classes
New spring term adult and youth |
Continuing Education classes wil
be starting soon at Pacific Northwest
C ollege of Art.
Classes run from six to 12 weeks :
beginning February w ith some class
es beginning in March and April.
Openings exist in the following
classes: Digital Imaging for Photog
raphers; Quark Immedia: Learning
the Basies; Basie Drawing 106; V i­
sual Elements 106. Advanced C o n ­
cepts in Drawing; G lassblow ing;
From Design to Digital Production;
and Architectural Rendering Water-
color.
Children and young adult classes
also include: Pattern and C olor for
ages 10 12; Experimental Painting,
ages 13-16; and Fantasy Drawing,
ages 13-16. Spring course catalogs |
and registration information are avail
able by calling the registration office
at (503) 226-0462.
i
long distance calls just to find out
where to write, what information was
required and how much money to
send. For that reason CERC has been
publishing a lunik entitled Where To
Write W orldwide For Vital Records
which contains a stale-by-state list­
ing of the addresses and telephone
numbers of the archive where each
record can be found, the cost of a
copy of the document and sample
form letters containing all the infor­
mational needed to get these and
other vital documents.
For these needing information
from foreign countries, the book eon
tains a list of government offices
where you can get help in locating
vital records kept in almost every
country. Even U S. citizens born
overseas, on a ship or aircraft can
locate the place where their records
are kept.
CERC found that many people
have used prev iouseditions lo locate
their family trees or roots. For those,
the book includes informational on
the Family History Library of the
Mormon Church. This library con­
tains over 200.(MM) volumes of fam­
ily history records anil a list of almost
a quarter-million people who are
w illing to share information to help
you find your family roots
Cl RC has |ust released an updat­
ed 1996 edition. To get a copy of
the useful book, send $8.97 (plus
$2 s&h) to Consumer Center-Doc­
uments, 19X0 Springfield Ave.m
Maplewood. NJ 07040 or call X(M)-
X72-O12I with credit card. More
information can be found on the
W orld
W ide
W eb
h ttp ://
www.planet.net/eerc
Robert L. Berko, executive di­
rector of CERC says that originally
the book was published to satisfy
the needs of persons applying for
various benefits but many others
have found it useful. He has re­
ceived letters from libraries, coro­
ners. law enforcement, social agen­
cies, credit grantors, collection
agencies, slock ownership tracers,
iaw yers. persons searching for
missing heirs, adoptees and those
interested in searching their family
roots. All these and others have
found use for a book that helps
them locale and prove the status of
individuals.
Many times documents can be
used to prove things other than what
they record. For instance, one wom­
an wrote to the group telling them
(hat a birth certificate for her child
proved her residence at that lime in
the United States and helped her
become eligible for legal residence
and citizenship
Childwatch:
Masquerades with Meaning
by Marian Wright Edelman
Halloween "Masquerade Disco”
may not sound like much os a learn­
ing experience hen you firs, hear
aboutit. But the Roots Activity Learn­
ing Center in Washington, D C., has
found a way to give children a fun­
filled Halloween alternative that is
one of the best ideas I've seen for
keeping children safe, connected to
loving adults, and proud of their her­
itage.
Sure, children still get candy and
costumes. But the African-center in­
dependent school has added its own
twist to tradition-instead of mon­
sters and evil spirits, children are
encouraged to dress up as their fa­
vorite black heroes and heroines. At
this year's annual Masquerade Dis­
co, some of the children showed that
their heroes and heroines are as like­
ly to be their teachers and parents as
Maya Angelou and Michael Jordan.
This is a night when children share
their talents with elders: They sing,
dance, and display their skills in
martial arts At the end of the night,
there’s a "parade of heroes", and the
children proudly march up to a m i­
crophone to tell a little about the
leaders they chose to emulate.
Seven year-old Alethea Bell was
dressed in a brown African-print
dress, tights, and sandals She wore
rouge on her cheeks anil her hair in a
bun "I decided to dress like my
teacher. Mrs | Virginia! Jones, be­
cause 1 love her so much,” Alethea
said Virginia Jones, who started
teaching at Roots a year after the
school opened in 1978, wore a smile
that covered her whole face. “1 was
really excited and really proud when
I found out Alethea chose me as the
one she would dress up like tonight,”
she said.
W alterColeman, 8, woreapolice-
m an'suniform , which included aeap
that was much too large. “I want lo be
an artist." W alter said, “but I like the
way my daddy dresses for work.”
Nimaako A!i, 5, wore a miniature
bus driver's uniform. "My m om 's a
Metrobus operator," she said, beam­
ing.
Then there was Gregory West, a
proud father, who stood against a
back wall, his chest poked out as his
eyes followed two young men around
the crowded room. “Those are my
children." he said pointing to an eight-
year-old named Quentin, who was
dressed in a white doctor’s coat, and
six-year-old named Harrison, decked
out in black suit and tie.
"I'm suppose to be George W ash­
ington Carver," Quentin said. "He
was a scientist who discovered many
important uses for the sweet potato
and the peanut."
"I'm Martin Luther King, Jr., '
Harrison cut in. “He was a good man.
but he was shot."
" File idea is lo offer an alternative
lo a holiday in which black is ugly
and evil, as in black cats and black,
witches,” said Bermda Thompson,
the principal and founder of Roots,
which caters to preschool children
through eighth-graders. “This is a
chance for our children to see our
ancestors as people who are to be
celebrated, not as something scary
and ghostly. T hat’s why the children
are dressed up as role models and
black leaders instead of horrible crea­
tures.”
Bernida said that Roots’ goal is to
develop the “leaders who will bring
about positive change for our peo­
ple," so the older children are given
the responsibility lot handling many
of the details o f the celebration. “We
do a lot of responsibility training,”
Bernida said. "The idea is to teach
them how to be in charge.”
Bernida and the Roots Activity
Learning Center have the right idea.
Not only have they provided a much
safer alternative to trick-or-treat at a
time when the streets ar becoming
increasingly dangerous, but they have
given us a good example of how
many community can convert nega­
tive messages into positive, cultural­
ly relevant ones. Just imagine how
many of ourchildren would benefit if
co m m u n ity c e n te rs, c h u rc h e s,
mosques, and schools all across
America would offer them fun and
enriching alternatives to the streets—
not just on Halloween, but on a reg­
ular basis.
Lincoln High
Wins State Title
on Constitution
and Bill of Rights
Discover the artist in you
The Portland Art Museum pre­
sents Museum Family Sunday Dis­
covering the Artist in You free to the
public. January 19. 1-5 p.m.
It is hosted by the Urban League
and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
The Portland Art Museum cele­
brates Martin Luther King Day at
Discovering the Artist in You, a
Museum Family Sunday in conjunc­
tion w ith the exhibition Discovering
Ellis Ruley
Children are invited to learn about
self taught African American artist,
Ellis Ruley. through hands on activ­
ities. Utilizing commonly found ma­
terials. children are encouraged to
discover the artist in themselves.
Activities will include creating a col­
lage of animals from fabric, using
latex house paint on posterboard and
window screens to create an outdoor
scene, and designing a tropical para­
dise with wallpaper.
Children and their families can
also enjoy a dynamic performance of
music and dance from the instructors
of the Jefferson Dancers and the
Cultural Recreation Band and Brass
Ensemble
Museum Family Sunday takesplace
in the North Wing of the Museum at
1119 SW Park Avenue. Admission is
free and includes entrance to the Dis­
covering Ellis Ruley exhibition.
Discovering the Artist in You is
sponsored by PaciCorp Foundation
Tri-Met, Odwalla and Costco. Sea­
son sponsors of Museum Family
Sunday are: Gordon Soundland and
Katherine Durant Endowment Fund,
The O regonian, Fox 49 KPDX,
KINK fin 102 and Cole & Weber.
Discovering Ellis Ruley is sponsored
by Ford Motor Company.
For more information about exhi­
bitions and programs, please call the
Portland Art Museum at (503) 226-
2811.
Credit Problems
□
Students from Lincoln High
School in Portland have once again
won the State Finals of the “We the
People...the Citizen and the Con­
stitution” Competition. The team
of thirty students will represent
Oregon at the National com peti­
tion. April 25-28, in W ashington,
DC
The students have studied for
months to prepare for their role as
“experts” testifying on constitu­
tional issues in a simulated con­
gressional hearing.
Need a Good Car?
You have a stable income. □ You have a down payment.
□ Your problems are behind you.
(Bankruptcy & collection problems - no problem)
Call (503) 235-7555
The JB
iDVANTAgE
iUTO
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A
Portland, OR 97214
910 East Burnside
In C e le b r a tio n o f M a r tin L u th e r K in g , Jr. D ay
th e P o r tla n d A r t M u se u m P re se n ts
Museum Family
Sunday
DON’T LET THE NAME FOOL YOU®
rent A nnreck
Discovering the Artist in You
THE SMART ALTERNATIVE®
A day of art and hands on
activities for the whole family!
OPEN EVERY DAY EXCEPT CHRISTMAS
January 19 1-5 pm
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
LOCAL PICK-UP AVAILABLE
291-9393
10004 S.W.
CANYON RD.
.J
Flits Ruley D*»4r«wiRtf
FREE
TO THE public !
A P M IM IO N TO T H I IM T IR I M U t i U M I * F R II ALL PAY FROM I O A M
R l P I T H I ( U < T O T H I M U S I U « A M D C IT A * F R H R I D I M O M I* T IC R IT FR O M
- J
DM.
T R I-M IT .
Dlnoverlni) the Artlit In You Is sponsored by
In conjunction with the
PadflCorp Foundation and TRI-MET.
special exhibition
Additional support is provided by Odwalla Costco and The Black United Fund of Oregon. Inc
DISCOVERING
Season sponsors of Museum Family Sunday are Cordon Sondland and Katherine
Durant Endowment Fund The Oregonian Fox 49 KPDX KINK fm l02 and Cole & Weber
Disioveriitg the Artist in You is hosted by the Urban League and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
and The Oregon Association of Colored Women s Clubs
Disiovering Ellis Ruley is sponsored by Ford Motor Company
ELLIS RULEY
1 2 1 9
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