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14, 1997 • T he P ori la n d O bserver
Who should interpret America’s Neighborhoods?
BV P k
o h s m ik
. M
i
K i m Eli B i h i
It is all very well to say that such
inquiries should be made by those
most qualified to make such assess
ments But isn’t that quite like try
ing to justify the exploitation and
enslavement o f much o f mankind by
invoking that old expression o f Dar
win, “The Survival o f the Fittest”?
Thoughts like these arise when
you ge, rewarding responses from
articles like last weeks, “ How Do
You Measure Our Quality o f Life?"
C ertain ly , there was agreem ent
across the board that “The quality of
life (in a neighborhood) cannot be
extrapolated from the U.S. Census
or any marketing surveys. It lies in
the reality and goodness o f the
people.”
But inspired to move on to the
next step, detailing how these pro-
gressive citizens consistently are able
to maintain a decent and rewarding
way o f life in spite o f urban trauma
and duress, I found m yself reaching
for a meaningful context for ex
pressing neighborhood realities
as opposed to the standards and
models by which the establishment
demands we interpret our lives.
Most immediately, I am reminded
o f a situation at Portland State Uni
versity when a black female student
in a class o f mine approached me
with deep, wrenching sobs that would
have, moved the hardest heart-ex-
cept one. It seems that her sociology
professor, a man driven and pos
sessed by the inner-city three times—
demanding a spin that would enable
him to make the ethnic interpreta
tions he wished his book the point is
these circumstances are not uncom
mon across the land
So it was this week that I was
going to follow on that ’quality
assessment o f the neighborhood citi
zens with a definite analysis o f just
how so many are able to achieve
against the odds.
My approach was to be (and will
be) to develop an innovative model
which would indicate that those who
are aware realize that there are more
kinds o f “capital” and resources
available than the purely financial;
there is social capital, education capi
tal, and information capital, all o f
which can be put to productive use
right here in the neighborhoods.
Because o f spacial limitations,
we may have to begin this phase next
week.
That is not all bad for I would
further emphasize that there are two
fundamentally different approaches
to the analysis and assessment of
A m erica’s Urban environs
the
rural areas as well, but here we are
interested in the establishm ent’s
evaluation structure o f the so-called
ghettoes and boroughs. Let me be
gin by citing a book, “ Interesting
E n v iro n m e n ts"
by
R o b ert
Musgeraver. If ever you suspected
that there were two Americas, this
book will validate your judgement
Readers may remember my 4-
part series on "Light Rail" that got
attention beyond Portland. Some of
my research involved the Urban
Studies School o f the Massachusetts
Institute o f Technology and a corre
spondent there cited this book which
details the actual philosophical and
spiritual concepts that underwrote
the colonialization o f A m erica.
“Throughout the 15th and 16th cen
tury people believed that the time
had come to renew the Christian
World . America was to be the scene
where the church would complete
its work and Christ’s second coming
would occur.”
Neither the Indian, the buffalo, or
the harsh but profitable institution
o f African slavery was to be allowed
to impede the development o f this
{agrarian paradise with its theologi
cally informed economy and poli
tics” .
As George Washington wrote to
Lafayette about bringing in more
Europeans, “ Increase and multiply...
we have opened the fertile plains of
the Ohio to the poor, the needy and
the oppressed o f the earth, any one"( ?)
But already by the middle o f the
19th century men like the renowned
u rb a n o lo g is t, F re d e ric k Law
Olmstead who "... belonged to a
group o f liberal Protestant leaders
who were in the forefront of the
movement from formal religion to
secular doctrine...urban reform.
These were the new urban planners,
"the landscape no longer recalls God
through his creation".
The very unspiritual process of
Urban Renewal is close at hand, an
urban hierarchy is developing the
structure for control o f a powerless
metropolitan mass. “American na
ture is seen .. in the context o f ' Mani
fest Destiny’”, o f Europeans.
Portland roses in bloom
City residents have
’say’ on budget cuts
Spring sunshine brings tourists Io Rose City
Hearings give opportunity for comments
May is a splendid time to visit
Portland’s favorite tourist destina
tions. _
F rom Forest Park to The
Grotto, from Lake Oswego to the
Colum bia River, the city is ablaze
with bloom. Y ou’ll see some o f
the m ost outstanding public gar
dens in the Northwest as well as
hundreds o f well-tended residen
tial gardens.
D on’t forget the camera. Be
gin your sightseeing with a drive
through Portland’s finest residen
tial neighborhoods that sprawl
across the slopes west o f dow n
town. Handsome old homes with
mature landscaping perch on wind
ing streets that wrap around the
hillsides.
In addition to seeing masses
o f rhododendrons and azaleas,
y ou’ll have commanding views of
the city below, the W illam ette
River and snow -capped M ount
Hood to the east.
Once you get the overall pic
ture, focus on some o f the city’s
public parks. W ashington Park on
Southwest Canyon Drive is the
home o f the zoo (known for its
large breeding herd o f Asian el
ephants), W orld Forestry Center
and two o f the city’s finest public
floral displays — the International
Rose Test and Japanese gardens.
Rose Gardens
Dating to 1917, the Rose Test
Garden — with more than 10,000
plants spread out over four acres
o f terraced hillside — is one o f 23
All-America Rose Selection Test
ing Grounds. There are two smaller
gardens — one honoring the Rose
Festival’s Royal Rosarians, the
other containing roses o f particu
lar merit selected by the gardens.
Along Q ueen’s Walk are the names
o f annual Rose Festival queens
dating back to 1907, the first year
o f what has become the city’s big
gest annual event. This year’s dates
are May 29 to June 22. Directly
above the rose gardens is the Japa
nese Garden, a masterpiece o f tra
ditional Japanese landscaping.
Exquisite sculptures o f sand, rock
and water, plantings reflected in
still ponds, arched bridges and
pagodalike structures delight the
eye wherever you turn.
The garden is really five gar
dens in one; each has its own theme
and mood. There’s a flat garden, a
sand and stone garden, a strolling
pond garden replete with waterfalls
and pools, a natural garden, and a tea
garden with tile-roofed teahouse.
With the slightest breeze, the sound
ofwindbells accompanies your stroll.
At Hoyt Arboretum, which joins
Washington Park with Forest Park,
10 miles o f trails wind through the
175-acre preserve. Magnolias, flow
ering trees and native wildflowers
put on a show through June. At the
south end o f the arboretum is the
Vietnam Veter
ans Living M e
morial, where a
spiral walk leads
up a hill past a
b la c k g ra n ite
m o n u m e n t in
scribed with the
names o f those
who died or are
m issing in ac
tion.
C ry s ta l
Springs Rhodo
dendron Garden
on S o u th e a st
2 8 th A v e n u e ,
a c ro ss
from
Reed College, is
ra n k e d am ong
the finest in the
country. Within
the seven-acre
site are m ore
th an
2 ,5 0 0
rhododendrons,
both species and hybrids. Y ou’ 11 also
see firs, flowering cherries, Japanese
maples, magnolias and weeping dog
wood.
A bridge across the spring-fed
lake leads to the Island Garden, where
a cool-house building protects the
more delicate species. Y ou’re apt to
see recently hatched ducklings at the
waterside feeding stations.
Crystal Springs is a good place
to get some ideas for landscaping.
Take along a notebook to write down
the names o f those varieties whose
color and stature you like best.
Two other Portland area parks
are worth a look. Lilacs will be at
their best this month at Duniway
Park at Southwest Sixth and South
west Sheridan streets.
Peninsula Park
The six-acre sunken rose gar
den at Peninsula Park, at North Albina
Avenue and North Portland Boule
vard, is the city’s largest, with 14,000
bushes. Perched above the garden is
a V ic to ria n b a n d sta n d w ith
balustraded brick stairways.
The Grotto at Northeast 85th
Avenue and Sandy Boulevard is a
62-acre religious sanctuary in a tran
quil forested setting open to the pub
lic. Centerpiece is Our Lady’s Grotto,
carved in 1925
from basalt in a
1 10 -fo o t c lif f
wall.
A bove the
altar is a white
marble replica of
M ic h e la n g e lo ’s
Pieta. An eleva
tor takes you to
the top o f the bluff
for g re a t p a n
o ra m ic view s.
F lo w e r-lin e d
p a th w a y s lead
th ro u g h
the
wooded grounds
p a st re fle c tin g
ponds and more
than a hundred
sta tu e s
and
sh rin e s. R ose
b e d s fro n t the
handsome sand
stone monastery
b u ilt in 1936.
Guided tours o f the grounds are avail
able on request.
We like to stay in downtown
Portland because it’s a pedestrian-
friendly area with a wide variety of
activities. This time o f year, the
Willamette River, which borders the
area on the east, is a lively place.
Tom McCall W aterfront Park, a
grassy expanse that stretches for two
miles along the river, is a magnet for
walkers, joggers, strollers and in
line skaters all day long. Dragon
boats are practicing for the big races
that attract about 10,000 people and
70 teams and are a highlight of next
m onth’s Rose Festival. The 40-foot
boats are built in Taiwan.
Fred Meyer grows with acquisition
G eneral m erchandise retailer
Fred M eyer Inc says it expects its
proposed $720 million acquisition
o f Sm ith’s Food & Drug Centers In
will earn between $3.12 and $3.14
per share in 1998.
Fred Meyer chief administra
tive officer Ken Thrasher, also said
the company will realize the m ajor
ity o f the $65 million in savings it
anticipates from the deal during 1998.
“We expect about $40 million
in operational savings next year,” he
said. The savings will come mostly
from the consolidation o f adm inis
trative operations, he added.
P o rtlan d -b ased Fred M eyer,
which sells food, jew elry, clothing
and other items, said Monday it would
buy superm arket chain Sm ith's in a
stock deal that values Sm ith’s shares
at about $44 each and gives the com
bined com pany 265 stores in 11
states.
Fred Meyer said it will exchange
1.5 shares o f its common stock for
each Sm ith’s share in the deal. It also
said it would acquire about $ 1.3 bil
lion in Sm ith’s debt, bringing its to
tal debt after the deal to $ 1.5 billion,
according to Thrasher.
Fred Meyer expects to take an
annual $27.0 million pro forma pre
tax charge for about $1.0 billion of
Sm ith’s goodwill, Thrasher said.
He also said that after the deal,
Fred M eyer’s annual tax rate will
rise to between 42.0 and 42.5 percent
from its current level o f about 38.0
percent annually.
Robert Miller, Fred M eyer’s
chair man, said the company plans to
upgrade Sm ith’s non-food offering
after it completes the transaction.
He also said the company has no
immediate plans to close or change
the names o f any Sm ith’s stores.
Both companies will continue
to advertise separately in markets
where they overlap, said Ronald
Burkle, chief executive o f Sm ith’s
and chairman o f the new company
Those markets include Salt Lake City
and Idaho, he said
“Fred Meyer stores will con
tinue to run their ads, Sm ith’s will
run their ads,” Burkle said. “We re
ally don’t see any issues here.”
According to Burkle, the com
panies do not foresee any problems
obtaining regulatory approval for the
transaction, which is expected to
close in 90 days.
Both companies have said their
boards have already approved the
deal.
Arbitrage traders, however, said
that much could happen in 90 days to
thwart the transaction, such as the
em ergence o f a hig h er bid for
Sm ith’s.
That pessimism has sent Fred
M eyer’s shares down 3/8 in early
afternoon trading to 41-1/2.
Smith ’ s shares, meanwhile, were
up 2-5/8 at 42-5/8.
According to Thrasher, the com
panies will disclose in a forthcoming
proxy statement to Sm ith’s share
holders the value o f a break-up fee
should the deal not be completed.
Excursion boats ply the river.
Choose from lunch, brunch and
dinner cruises on the Portland Spirit
or a trip aboard one o f the Cascade
stemwheelers or the Rose.
The old stemwheeler Steamer
Portland, a steam-powered tugboat
tied up on the waterfront, houses an
interpretive center. The boat is part
o f the Oregon Maritime Center and
Museum situated across Naito Park
way (formerly Front Avenue) from
the steamer. On display at the cen
ter are several dozen intricately
detailed models o f paddlewheel
steamers, sailing ships and others.
Jet Boats
New this year are Willamette
Jetboat Excursions, two-hour trips
which will depart from the subma
rine dock at the Oregon Museum of
Science and Industry (O M SI)
across the river on the east bank.
Also departing from OMSI is
the open-air Samtrak Excursion
Train, which carries passengers
along the W illamette and through a
scenic w ildlife refuge Tuesday
through Sunday.
We have a new addition to our
favorite Portland restaurants
Paley’s Place at 1204 N.W. 21st
Ave. Paley is the talented husband-
and-wife team o f Kimberly and
Vitaly Paley.
This is an intimate place
just 32 guests enjoy their exquisite
cuisine at one time. Entrees in
clude confit o f duckling with
roasted sweet potato and warm fruit
chutney, roasted Alaskan halibut
with focaccia, sun-dried tomato and
organic basil salad, and hanger
steak with potato puree and green
peppercorn brandy sauce. Be pre
pared to be impressed. Prices range
from $ 14 to $ 19. A pre-theater din
n e r m enu a v a ila b le T u e sd a y
through Friday from 5:30 to 6:45
p.m. is $15. Reservations a must:
503-243-2403.
Speaking o f theater, Tygres
Heart Shakespeare C o.’s current
production o f “The Comedy of
Errors” is a winner. It’s playing
W ed n esd ay th ro u g h S u n d ay ,
through June 1, at the Dolores
W inningstad Theatre at the Port
land Center for the Performing Arts.
Tickets are $8 to $30.
E ditor’s note: See related story
on fron t page.
M ayor V era K atz and city
c o m m is s io n e r s a re p r o v id in g
c itiz e n s a fo ru m to o ffe r fe e d
back on the m a y o r’s p ro p o se d
budget.
C ity C o u n c il h e a rin g s on
T h u rsd ay at 7 p.m . at P o rtla n d
B u ild in g ,1 1 2 0 S.W . F ifth , and
S atu rd ay at 10 a.m . at the K ing
N e ig h b o r h o o d F a c ility , 4 8 1 5
N.F.. S ev en th , w ill give re sid e n ts
the o p p o rtu n ity to speak to the
en tire co u n cil.
K atz re le a se d her p ro p o se d
b u d g e t last w eek in re sp o n se to
the need for c u tb a c k s a fte r the
passag e o f the p ro p e rty tax lim
its im posed by B allot M easure47.
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“ In p u t is alw ay s c ru c ia l d u r
ing every phase o f a b u d g e t p ro
c e s s ,” K atz said.
“ We sp o n so re d c itiz e n fo
rum s e a rlie r th is y e a r and the
com m ents help ed give me a sense
o f d ire c tio n for this b u d g e t re v i
s io n ,” K atz a d d e d . “ I ’m now
lo o k in g fo rw a rd to hearin g the
q u e stio n s, o b se rv a tio n s or c o n
c e rn s re sid e n ts have a fte r seeing
the p ro p o sa l.”
The m a y o r’s new budget re p
resen ts a re q u ire d $30 m illion
re d u c tio n fo r the n e x t fiscal year.
Among the budget reductions are
a 7.3 percent cut to the police bureau,
a 9.3 percent cut to the fire bureau and
a 14.5 percent cut to Portland Parks
and Recreation.
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