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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 16, 1997)
ia P age B2 1007 • T up P orti and O bserver Where are ou r buffalo? Closure by P rof . M c K inley B crt W e find it necessary to reassure several readers that (here w ere some very progressive and forw ard-look ing A frican A m erican businessm en in the 1950 and I960 econom ic fer ment in Los A ngeles. T hey simply were outnum bered by an am bitious and narrow ly-focused m ajority who occupied and controlled center stage in the black com m unity (m ore later on the "progressive” ). C ertainly, this is not a bad situa tion in itself, since, typically, this is the econom ic engine w hich drives urban developm ent But, it is also the case that in the institutionalized ra cial structure o f A m erica the very same situation may give rise to a black power structure with some very unusual (and restrictive) powers. T oo often this group, as in Los A ngeles, has a relationship to the white establishm ent that is very sim i lar to the “advise and consent" role o f the U S. Senate in respect to the President. T o d ay ’s establishm ent may not be as brutally frank and direct as in the days when Booker T. W ashington fielded the inquiries preceding the appointm ent or prom otion of an A f rican A m erican to an im portant posi tion, "Is he/she a good, safe nigger (sic)?" H ow ever, the d a n c e ’ is much the same. I believe that I m ade an incisive and revealing assessm ent o f this prob lem in my M ay 1997 series ofarticles in T he Portland O bserver, "W ho should interpret A m erica’s N eigh borhoods " But, nevertheless, we m ust ask “how can there be a return o f the buffalo” - that is the logical and prosperous developm ent o f A frican A m erican resources-w hen we are constrained by the social and eco nom ic co n tro ls d escrib ed above? (Sheepherders?). In the April 2, 1997 edition o f The Portland O bserver, there appeared, to my delight, a very relevant article by Cathy G albraith. D irector o f the Bosco-M illigan Foundation: "N orth east Portland and Light R ail-U rban Renew al or R em o v al.” Particularly cogen t w as her o bservation that, " peo p le’s hom es and businesses should not be clinically exam ined as "under-developed real estate " My neighbor cam e over to q u es tion, "w hat have o u r usually effusive leaders and black spin-doctors had to say about this? I’ve neither seen nor heard anything at a l l I asked my senior citizen friend, "and exactly how m uch did you hear from this fraternity in opposition to th e " Model c itie s’ w ipe-out o f the black business com m unity-or to the later Em anuel H o s p ita l’s su p e r-a m b itio u s , but aborted plans for the rem aining real estate w hich w ould have been a natu ral extension (or rep lacem en t) o f the black business d istrict." T his question, o f course, was rhe torical and we w ent on to discuss contem porary im plicationsand m od els o f that ‘y u p p ie-o rien ted ’ ec o nom ic developm ent caper, high rises and all. The properties were acquired by ‘em inent d o m a in ’ fo ra fraction of their real econom ic value, and then left standing vacant for years, unpro- ducti ve in terms o f com m erce or taxes for the city-hut very productive in term s rats, vermin and drug pushers. L ooked like the w ar-torn areas o f Lebanon. In respect to the m ore “p ro g res siv e” A frican A m erican business people o f that frenetic area o f Los angeles econom ic activity, I p articu larly like tocite the sag ao f the “Spikes F am ily” w ho established the "M ecca M ortgage C om pany” in the 1920’s. T hrough the years this rem arkable group m ade many great co ntribu tions to the entire com m unity, fi nancing thousands o f hom es, p ro m oting plays and concerts and su p porting charities. A ccounting clients o f m ine (late 1950’s), they show ed me new spaper reports where, to publicize a concert in the 1930’s they had a black woman to parachute into an outdoor arena to begin the program . And it was the eldest brother, Richard B. Spikes, w hom I featured in my book, “Black Inventors o f A m erica” : Invented an A utom atic G ear shift in 1932 (Patent 1,889,814), a related transm ission the next year, and m uch else. T w o o f his granddaughters reside here in Portland. T his was but one o f the “progres siv e’ groups at the tim e, but, u nfortu nately as happens in many cities, they w ere greatly out num bered by the gate-keepers. T here will be m ore soon in a later series on “ M inority Econom ic D evelopm ent”-depending on read er’s responses These are c ru cial tim es and we need to be as alert and vigilant as ever. ENTERTAINMENT Ouitars & Sax Tour Peter W hite perform s At The Mt. Hood Jazz Festival on Sunday. A ugust 3, 1997. along W ith Rich ard Elliot. Rick Braun & Craig Chaquico. P eter’s latest album C aravan ol D re a m s, is c u r r e n tly #1 I on B illboard’s C ontem porary Jazz A l bum Chart Caravan of D ream s continues in the R&B vein o f his previous two d isc s ( 1 9 9 3 ’s P ro m e n a d e and I9 9 4 ’s R eflections). To better a c centuate the urban sensibilities his previous album s only hinted at. he chose to collaborate with veteran producer Paul Brow n, w hose street vibe with Boney Jam es has helped make the saxm an one o f rhythm and jazz’s prem iere perform ers And just when you think it can t get any better. Jam es tops it by featuring B a sia o n his latest single “Just A nother D ay” ...put it all to gether, and you have a street-sm art grove with a free-spirited breeze. Peter brings to the album and the stage a care-free, infectious energy. For more information please con tact VMG (310) 275-9697 Peter White lues Fest success Food Bank Free Summer Heritage School A lim ited num ber o f spots, for youngsters age II to 15, are still available in V ancouver’s free,eight- day S um m er H eritage School. The program is presented w eekdays, be tween July 14 and 23. from I to 4 p.m., at G rant H ouse, 1101 O fficers Row. their choice. T his Sum m er o f Service project is a partnership o f the C ultural D i vision o f the V ancouver-Clark Parks and R ecreation D epartm ent, the H um an Services C ouncil, the G rant H ouse Folk A rt C enter and W ash ington State U niversity. S um m er H eritage Schixil features field trips through V ancouver’s N a tional Historic Reserve, w hich in cludes Fort V ancouver N ational H is toric Site, O fficers Row, V ancouver B arracks and Pearson Field. Students will also w ork on a spe cial project on the historical topic of in traditional & contemporary jazz, blues, and much, much more! • K in g E le m e n ta r y S c h o o l. 4801 • (* * )R o o s e v e lt Idaho Street, noon - I pm S c h o o l. 2921 Falk. I lam -noon • V a n c o u v e r H o u s in g A u th o rity • F ru it V a lley E lem en ta ry S ch o o l. E le m e n t a r y S c h o o l . 8 1 0 0 N E 2 8 th S tre e t. I 1:20am- 12:20pm • H o u g h E lem en ta ry S c h o o l, 1900 D aniels. 12:45pm -1:45pm • W a sh in g to n E lem en ta ry S ch o o l. 2908 "S ” Street, noon-1 pm • ( ’ )I m a g e E le m e n ta r y S c h o o l. 4 4 0 0 N E 122nd A ve., 12:25pm- 1:25pm • ( ’ )M in n e h a h a E le m e n t a r y S c h o o l. 2 8 0 0 N E 5 4 th S tre e t. I 1:45am- 12:45pm • H a rn ey E lem en ta ry S ch ool .3 2 1 2 E ast E v erg reen B lvd., 12:20pm - Day camps entertain Day cam ps for preschool kids ages 2 - 1Z2 to 5-1/2 years are running at Marshall Center, I(X)9 E. M cLoughlin and Bagley Center, 4 1 (X) Plom ondon. Day cam ps operate from 9 a m to ntxin M onday through T hursday. Parents can sign up for two, threeor four d aysa week. C hildren must be toilet trained to participate. W eek ly th em es a r e a s follow s: • S essio n 5. July 2 1 to 24 Puppet Pals and P aper M achc • S e s s io n 6, July 28 to 3 1 Rainbow s, Ribbon and Rhym es • S essio n 7, Aug 4 to 7 Stam ps, R ocks and Stickers • S e ssio n 8. Aug. 11 to 14 K oolaid. C am ping and Kids Activities include arts and crafts; nature walks, water play, recycling activities, cixiking, dram a, music and sci ence experiments. Children should bring a lunch. Fees range according to how many days are chosen. Limited scholarships are available. Call Pattie Am ann, 696-8065 for details E le m e n t a r y (M eal O nly). 500 O m aha W ay, 11:45am- 12:45pm P a ren t P erm issio n Slip: Perm is sion slip must be com pleted the first day the child is in the program. Per mission slips can be obtained from Bagley Com m unity Center, or from the site leader at the playground site. ’ E lig ib ility F o rm s: M innehaha and Im age E lem entary School re quire an incom e eligibility form to be com pleted. ’ ’ H ea rin g Im p a ired : Roosevelt E lem entary School will have sign- skilled staff for hearing-im paired youth. 3301 Fruit V alley Road, lpm -2pm • P ete r S . O gd en Rail service, operated under con tract by Amtrak, w ill be available between Vancouver and Portland for the duration o f the 2 1 -day clo sure o f the northbound structure o f the Interstate bridge during its re pairs, beginning Sept. 16. Oregon and W ashington Depart ments o f Transportation approved the contracted service as part o f the project’s Traffic M anagement Plan. I I L« The V ancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation D epart ment has several children ’ s coed sports cam ps and classes scheduled in July. They include the following classes: S o c c e r clin ic: Learn soccer skills. Session I: ages 4- 5, from 9-10 a.m. Session II, ages 6-8, from 10:30- 11:30 a.m. both sessions take place on Saturdays, July I2-A ug. 9 (no class Aug. 2) M eet at the w est end of D avid D ouglas Park, or in M arshall C en ter gym in case o f rain. Fee is $15 ($13 for city resident). A ll sp o r ts y o u th cla ss: For ages 4- 7. Try a variety o f sports, learn the basics o fT -b all, soccer and basketball M eets Saturdays, July I2-A ug. 2, from 9 -1 0 a m. at Bagley C enter Fee is $15 ($13 for city resident). Y o u th b a sk e tb a ll cla ss: For ages 4-7. Learn basic skills, play gam es. M eets on Saturdays, July 12-Aug. 2, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Bagley C enter. Fee is $15 ($18 city resident). day, only. Amtrak will be using Amfleet cars, accom modating approximately 700 passengers per trip. Trips between the tw o cities are estimated to last between 20 and 30 minutes. Parking w ill be available near the Vancouver Amtrak station and on Fourth Plain, with shuttle service provided by C-Tran. In Portland, additional parking near U nion Station w ill also be avail able along with direct access to Tri- M et’s transit mall, downtown. The train w ill be offered free o f charge to commuters traveling be tween Vancouver and Portland dur ing the bridge repair project. From Vancouver, three morning trains w ill be offered to commute™ tr a v e lin g from the V a n c o u v e r Amtrak Station located on West 1 1th St., south to Portland’s Union Sta tion on N W 6th A venue, at 5:30, 6:45 and 8:00 a.m. Evening trains w ill leave Port land at 4:00, 5:15 a.m., returning at 4:30 and 5:45 p.m. all train service w ill be offered Monday through Fri- I : -.¿•je*. •• . A A A ’W l __ A presented by f f « îfflq u ity Group Inc., Realtors ■ ■ 9eor9e$ M ^ V * Kids learn sports basics Amtrak answers 1-5 bridge closure Added rail runs to ease bottleneck ere Jcttzliïsiival o f the Pacific Northwest... 1:20pm Lunches are provided at these sites: dance tor the weekend is estimated at more than 100,000, with tens of thousands of spectators overflowing the bow l in Waterfront Park to watch the July 4th fireworks. I lie Oregon Potters Association sold enough handmade pottery at the festival to earn $12,000 for Or egon Food Bank through theirEmpty Bowls project In only live years the project lias gleaned $50,000 and has already helped the food bank pur chase a truck. MT. HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE Summer Playground Program The V ancouver-C lark Parks and R ecreation S um m er P lay g ro u n d Program runs M onday through Fri day, from 10 a m. to 2 p in. at nine elem entary schools. The program features arts, m u sic, sports, and field trips designed around a w eekly them e for children from kindergarten to sixth grade. A one-tim e fee o f $3 helps buy sup plies for the sum m er, although no child will be denied participation if the family cannot afford the fee. Lunches are available to all chil dren attending the program and to others under the age o f 19. Children who are mem bers o f Rxxl stam p households or Aid to Fam ilies with Dependent Children (A F D C ) are au tomatically eligible for the free lunch. ger-relief agencies. Food Bank officials estimate that the Water front Blues Festival covers ap proximately five percent of its annual operating costs. Organizers had worried that cut ting the festival from five days in 1995 and 1996 to four days this years would heavily impact dona tions. Despite the change, cash do nations increased by $5,000 and the totals for food donations dropped by less than 10 percent. Total atten O regon Food Bank an hunger- relief agencies across O regon and C lark C ounty, W ashington are cel ebrating the Fourth o f July a few days late, as staff finish w eighing food and counting cash donations from the IOth A nnual M iller Genu ine Draft W aterfront B lues Festival. G ate d o n atio n s o f $ 16 0 .0 0 0 anil nearly 7 0 ,0 0 0 p o u n d s w ill en ab le O reg o n Food B ank to p ro v id e a p p ro x im ately one m illio n p o unds o f food to local and reg io n a l hun- * ™ featuring: G e o r g e Benson • DIZZY™: The M an & The Music, an all-star tribute to Dizzy Gillespie featuring Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis, Ignacio Berroa, Billy Childs, Paquito D'Rivera & John Lee • The Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman • KKJZ 'Smooth Jazz' All-Stars featuring Rick Braun, Brian Culbertson, Boney James & Peter W hite • Diane Schuur with Art Abrams Swing Machine • Bela Fleck & The Flecktones with special guest Paquito D'Rivera • McCoy Tyner • Earl Klugh • Jean Luc Ponty • Eddie Palmieri • The Heath Brothers featuring Jimmy, Percy, and Albert Heath • Diana Krall • Boney James • Kevin M ahogany • Randy Brecker & Denis DiBlasio • Billy Childs • Heads Up Superband featuring Kenny Blake, Joe McBride & G e r a ld V e a s le y ) V • and m u ch , m uch m o re ! y a s e p a r a te F r id a y N ig h t Blues e v e n t w ill p re s e n t B u d d y G u y , R o b e r t C r a y B a n d a n d P a u l D e L a y B a n d o n F rid a y , A u g u s t 1. FESTIVAL* OF Daily general admission tickets, as w e ll as a special 3 -D a y Pass fo r $ 6 0 , are available at all locations, including G l Joe's and Meier & Frank outlets, or by calling 503-224-4400 S p ir it r>l l i l t ’ X o r tliic e s t K A I II S P O R T L A N D I/o/f(?JízPc?/Z7 BOYD COFFEE COMPANY O call (5 0 3 ) 2 3 2 9 1 6 2 A*A V A fre r r K i .ri,t i fiî;s AmencanAtrlines JazzTimes • BEARD FRAME SHOP For furth er inform ation, 106.7 • COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR M U SIC lA N D / SAM GOODY RECORDS • PEPSI • P02W k kj z • ODWALLA • • SOKOL BLOSSER WINERY • TAZO TEA