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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 1997)
Page A4 DEC. 17, 1997 îh v ÿlortlanb (íDbscruer Editorial Articles Do Not Necessarily Reflect Or Represent The Views O f (Eljc |Jo rtIan b ffibscruer Attention Readers! Plea»« take a minute to send us your comments. W e ’re always trying to give you a better paper and we can't do it without your help. T ell us what you like and what needs improvement... any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. We take criticism well! G et your powerful peus out N O W and address your letters to: Editor. Reader Response, p e e s p (© b s c r u e r (DSPS 959-68«) Established in 1970 Charles Washington Publisher & Editor Mark Washington Distsribution M anager Gary Ann Taylor Business M anager Larry J. Jackson, Sr. Director o f Operation Iesha Williams Graphic Design C ontributing Writers: Professor McKinley Burt, Lee Perlman, Neil Heilpern Joy Ramos 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, Oregon 97211 503-288-0033 • Fax 503-288-0015 Email: Pdxobserv@aol.com Deadline for all submitted materials: Articles:Friday, 5 :0 0 pm Ads: Monday, 12:00pm POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes To: Portland Observer, P.O. Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, Oregon. Subscriptions: $30.00 per year The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. M anu scripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property o f the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent ot the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad © 1996 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART W ITH OUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. The Portland O bserv er-O reg o n ’s Oldest Multicultural Publica- tio n -is a member of the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association • Serving Portland and Vancouver. S ubscribe to w ^ o r t i a n b < © b « « ru e r The Portland Observer can be sent directly to your home for only $30.00 per year Please fill out, enclose check or money order, and mail to: T he S ubscriptions P o rtla n d O b s e r v e r ; PO B ox 3137 P o r t l a n d , O reg o n 97208 N am e:___ ____________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________ — City, S tate:__ _____________________________________________ ___ Zip-Code: ____ _______________________________________________ T hank Y ou F or R eading T he P ortland O bserver better Tirf ~C'lic■ (SJ^itor Send your letters to the Editor to: Editor, PO Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208 To The Editor W hile th ere m ay be som e good re su lts from O reg o n land use law s and re g u la tio n s, O r e g o n ian s need to know th ere are som e very bad — and they need to be d e a lt w ith! The highly re stric tiv e “ farm d w e llin g ” ru le s a d o p te d by L C D C (the state L and C o n se r vatio n and D ev elo p m en t C o m m issio n ) are a g la rin g ex am p le. To q u alify for a farm d w e ll ing, the ru les req u ire the “ fu ture o c c u p a n t” o f the d w e llin g to have p ro d u ced $ 8 0 ,0 0 0 or m ore gross farm incom e in each o f tw o p reced in g years, or th ree o f the last five years. It d o e s n ’t m a tte r w h eth er the farm is 5 acres or a 100 acres or m ore. My w ife and I w ere lucky en ough to have a 2 00 acre farm w hich w as big eno u g h to p ro duce the req u ired $ 8 0 ,0 0 0 in the tw o y ears b efo re we a p p lied for a d w ellin g . W e are c a re e r fa rm e rs w ho w ant to m ove from an o th er farm a cro ss the v alley that o u r c h ild re n are tak in g over. Dear Editor: We ap p re c ia te y o u r h elp in g us to help O re g o n ’s youth. On b e h a lf o f the e n tire sta ff at Boys & G irls A id S o ciety of O reg o n , I w ould like to th an k you for y our recen t c o v e ra g e o f the w ork we do. We can not acco m p lish our g o als fo r c h ild re n w ith o u t the h elp o f the public. Y our in te re st in o u r pro g ram h elps us to reach the c itiz e n s o f o u r com m unity w ho care. For this we say thank you. The newsbrief you recently But, w hen we a p p lied for our d w e llin g , it w as den ied because the farm incom e was “p roduced” by a lessee — and the county in fo rm ed us that, if the lessee g o ta d w e llin g and m oved out, it w ould have to be rem oved. We c o u ld n ’t live in it. T o m ake th is situ a tio n even m ore o u trag eo u s, we could have g o tte n a d w e llin g w hen we b o u g h t the farm and we spent o v er $ 1 0 ,9 0 0 d rillin g a w ell, p ro v id in g u tilitie s and o th er im p ro v em en ts needed to live there b efo re the new rule w ent into effect. I sh o u ld a lso add th at we w anted to site the dw ellin g on a tw o acre area that is im p o ssib le to farm . So the d w e llin g d id n ’t take any land out o f farm in g , and my w ife and I need to live th ere to farm the land that can be farm ed. Y e t G o v e r n o r K itz h a b e r th re a te n e d to veto a le g isla tiv e bill to rem edy this situ a tio n . S in cerely, R ob ert M eyer L ebanon, OR ran was very helpful at gettin g the m e ssa g e o u t that sh e lte r hom es are n eeded fo r youth. T h is m essage re su lte d in in c re a se d a w a re n e ss and m any c a lls to our agency about sh e l ter p aren tin g . Again, we appreciate you and your organization for lending a hand in improving the lives of O regon's children. We look forward to work ing with you in the future. V ery sin c e re ly . Jo n ath an K ipp Shelter Care Counselor S h e lte r P arent R ecru iter t i r e s American Philosophy of Land and Space, Cont’d P.O, Box 3 1 37, Portla n d. OR ^ ¡ .I n r t la n b e c lion proclamation' (Document 222), "The Origin of Eminent Domain’, and the ‘National Geographic Index. And precisely means that by accu rately assessing both the past and current urban traumas resulting from such phenomena as the two great war-driven northward migration of African Americans... we may better employ the parameters indicated by author Mugeraver than the discourses and edicts of the ‘Urban Planning Establishment: Certainly, he does not deny the importance and influence of such “planning gods” as the great land scape a rc h ite c t F red erick Law Olmstead (1822 - 1903): Olmstead quoted Lord Bacon in describing his plan for the Berkeley Campus, “God almighty first planted a garden... New Yorks Central Park exercises a refin ing influence upon even the most lawless.” Other prime movers are cited in a developing panorama of an urban American landscape, but we would turn you now to an acclaimed ac count of a man whose politics “char acterize many of the problems of — Purple m ountain majesties Above the fruited plan. M etro’s urban boundary c ity ’s “granny fla t” pain. ---- Last week we began and exam i nation of those American ideolo gies and philosophies that evolved into today’sdiscipline (imposition?) known as “Urban Planning.” Early on it was established that there was a great dichotomy: Between “a para dise given (Eden)” and “a negative wilderness to be overcome." With the aide of Light Rail, yet? And we recommended, “Inter preting E nvironm ents’, Robert Mugeraver (1995), as an excellent point of departure for this type of examination. Though those “early” views “are now concealed and forgotten...they still operate in our understanding of parks and wilder ness and in our attitudes to the use and development of land.” This probably means we will have to look beyond our ‘cultural incu bator’ of ‘Cowboys and indians’, ‘Powells’ Report on Arid Lands of W est’ (document .302), 'Homestead Act (Document 214); Emancipa- urban decline that plague us today.” This revealing and necessary addi tion to the library of anyone seriously interested in the field is “The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York”. Robert a Caro, Vintage 1975. As the most powerful Park Com missioner and City Planner in the nation's history he directed the con struction of billion of dollars in parks, play ground, highways, bridges, tun nels, and housing project - mostly his own concepts and designs. And with little political or social consul tation. His fiefdom reigned from the 1930’s to 1970. There is much here that can be related to by any sharp, if not san guine observer of the urban scene during these times - whether white or black. O f special interest to African Americans who would wonder what happened to that early “spiritual con cept” o f American land as a “para dise given”, are gages 509 to 514. A description is given of the mer ciless manipulation of access and enjoyment of such recreation facili ties primarily used by children. A not uncommon practice across America, the availability of playgrounds and swimming pools is a racially con trolled as other real estate by actual or defacto associations of realtors. Much to be learned here concerning unwritten urban social controls. A century o f northw ard African A m erican m igration to the large central cities brings blacks into a strange congruence with an urban "paradise given” , shaped by that pantheon o f planners, architects, essayists and sociologists who are revered by the urban planning es ta b lis h m e n t; L ew is M um ford, Frank Lloyd W right, “Am erican Bungalow D esigners." In a carefully - controlled pattern, blacks moved in where whiles moved out. An excellent detailed national picture is given by “African Ameri can Historic Places” ed. Beth L. Sav age 1994. An equally interesting an informative account is given by “Cor nerstones of Community: Buildings o f Portland’s African American His tory” , Cathy Galbraith, Project Co ordinator, The Bosco-Milligan Foun dation, 1995. C ont’d next week. W hen K ids P erform , T h ey Learn! Bv D r . L enora F ulani studios in midtown, led by a senior writer on a popular daytime show; a public speaking class taught by a day visit to Washington. D C ., during which the students made presenta tions to members of congress on is sues of concern to youth. All of these workshops are led by adult profes sionals who are supporters of the program and who volunteer their time. Many of these adults have told me how it has been developmental for them, too! A scene that was recently added to our development play was directed by one of our supporters, the owner of an advertising agency. This adver tising executive and members of his staff met with the young people to develop an advertising campaign for their Development School for Youth as a way to show them something of The Development School for Youth, a project I co-direct, em ploys a new performance-based edu cational approach that challenges the prevailing view of how young people learn. It is a rigorous three- month leadership training program for young adults between the ages of 16 and 22 that uses performance to enable them to make the transi tion from school-which is where they are now—to the world of work. The Development School for Youth is structured as a 12-act “play" in which the students, most of them in highschool, perform as leaders in a variety of “scenes." These are some of the scenes in which the Exchange, conducted by a retired managing director of Merrill Lynch; a visit to the ABC-TV television how the advertising business works. As part of creating the “campaign,” the young people were organized into a “focus group” where they came up with a slogan to describe the leader ship training program: School As It Should Be. In addition to such basic perfor mance requirements as being ready to go on-stage, on time and “in cos tume” for each scene, the students are expected to do the homework assignments based on the exercises in Let’s Develop!—the marvelous book by Dr. Fred Newman is our textbook. They also produce a pro fessional resume, and take part in a mock job interview. All 17 members of the Spring class were placed in paid summer internships. We are enormously proud of the rave re views our students received, with several of them being invited to come back next summer or offered perm anent part-tim e jobs after school. The current class consists of 14 young people, who will gradu ate on December 17. Like the first group of trainees, the class is very heterogeneous. It includes a Mus lim young woman, a 15-year-old from John Jay College (at 22 he is our elder statesman), several young people whose parents are recent immigrants from the Caribbean, and African American youngsters. In the Development School for Youth, young people are perform ing ahead of themselves, doing more than they are "scheduled” to do, stepping outside the fixed identi ties that keep them undereducated and unconnected to the world at large. Take a Stand Against Impaired Driving Support National 3D Prevention Month Last December, John Doe didn’t make it home for the holidays. He spent December 20 through January 12 in the intensive care unit of a local hospital. His family spent the holi days gathered around his bedside, waiting for some spark of recogni tion in his eyes, dreading that it might never come. He spent the better pari oftheyearin a rehabilitation lacility. He'll make home for the holidays this year, but now that he is in a wheelchair, he can’t walk or drive. All because an impaired driver chose to drive home from a holiday party. In the news business, we see tragic- scenarios like this, and worse, all too often. Because every day, thousands of people across our country decide to drive after they’ve been drinking. So, what can we do about it? Here’s what the Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon State Police and numerous transportation safety advocacy groups are doing. We are supporting: * National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month and this year's campaign, “Take a Stand Against Impaired D riving.” This year’s campaign emphasizes safe communities. Every part of the com m unity-businesses, citizen groups, health care providers, police agen cies, schools and governm ent-has a role to play in the fight against im paired driving. * National Lights On for life Day on Friday, December 19, when mo torists are asked to drive with their headlightsonallday to remind people about the impaired driving problem and in remembrance of those killed by impaired drivers. * Our local law enforcement agen cies as they participate in the N a tional Holiday Lifesaver Weekend. Friday, December 19, through Sun day, December 2 1. Law enforcement officers across the nation will step up enforcement efforts against impaired drivers and motorcyclists, speeders, aggressive drivers, and others who make the roads especially dangerous at this time of year. * Join with us for National Drunk and Drugged driving Prevention Month. Drive with your headlights on Friday, December 19 Designate a driver for holiday parties. Take the keys from a friend who’s had too much to drink. Arrange to store or haul home som eone’s motorcycle if the operator has been drinking. Sup port alcohol-free holiday events and encourage your local government and civic leaders to do the same. Partici pate in the Mothers Against Drunk Driving red-ribbon "Tie One On For Safety” campaign. And request a “Sober Solutions” recipe book of non-alcoholic beverages from your local AAA office. And above all, don’t drink and drive. This Land Mine Is Our Land It's a glorious week for nonvio lence and peace, thanks to Jody Wil liams, Robert Muller, Canada, and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. 125 nations signed a treaty banning the use or production of land mines, a treaty that the for eign policy establishment viewed as unimaginable only a year ago. We agree w ith UN S ecretary Kofi A nnan, who was quoted in the W ashington Post that this “ treaty is a landm ark step in the histo ry o f d isa rm a m e n t...a vic tory for the w eak and vulnerable o f the w orld." We congratulate those grassroots activists who and in record lime suc cessfully found common ground with most of the world. Unfortunately, that does not yet R A IN B O W PU $H C O A L IT IO N include the U S. however, is not on that list. America, home of the free and land of the brave, finds itself on two other-m ore sham eful-lists: (1) the list of the leading produc ers and exporters of anti-personnel land mines; and (2) the very short list of nations which have not yet signed this treaty, a list including such human rights “models" as Russia, China, Pakistan. Afghanistan & Turkey. We do applaud the Clinton/Gore Administration’s recent commitment of $80 million per year for mine clearance operations around the world. This funding is a necessary and valuable step towards ridding the world of its existing mines, which kill or injure a child every 2 hours, and it is good that the U S. will fund demining. We find it very sad, however, that a nation which President Jimmy C arter-a fellow Southern Democrat- tried to make synonymous with hu man rights, a country which stands as the last, best hope for democracy, says it is too scared of a starving North Korea to ban land mines. Many of the world’s leftover land mines are our land mines. Millions w ere-and are-born in the USA. We should be leading the world on this issue, not apologizing to the world for being too fearful to say yes to hope. Mr President, you can still sign this treaty Make it a birthday present to Jesus. Announce you will sign it next month, thereby marking the Martin Luther King Holiday celebra tions with meaning. After all, both the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and Dr. King are Nobel Peace Prize recipients. It would be a fitting gesture.
