JULY 29,1998
Page A8
(TI k ÎJnrtlaub ©bweruer
''Family M a tte r s : 'The M ?ay I t
'W as TV . Cene Lus ion
B \ P rof . M c K i s m B i r i
“ I'm in the rruxxl tor love, simply
because I’m near you. Funny. but w Iren
yo u 're near me. I'm in the mood..."
W henever Robert McFerrin S r . the
taught the protocol tor locating and then
securing the permission o f an absentee
property owner to grade his vacant lot.
And y ou learned the techniques for scav
enging parts to build racers for the Soap
lead tenor in our high school choir sang
those or similar, soulful lyrics during
auditorium period, girls w ere known to
leap on stage from the low er balcony.
A mischievous student and later a
famed cixnedian. "Red Foxx'.also could
be tbund on that balcony , but the girls
w ere energized tor different reasons.
"R ed" as he already was known was
headed tor the nation’s night club circuit
;md television successes, while Robert
McFerrin Sr. became a star ot the New
Y olk Metropolitan opera. More talent
Box Derby. Negotiate!
A cooperative proprietor o f a comer
serv ice station often pmvided groups o f
neighborhixxt youths (if well behaved)
w ith space and some tools for their auto
motive projects. Others were known to
develop rather sophisticated shops in a
home garage, l ike local mechanical ge
nius Thomas (D on) M Rutherford w ho at
age 15 was converting gasoline-powered
from St. Louis.
A nd w ho isn't familiar w ith the vocal
magic ot Robert 'sson. Bobby M cFem n
- the acappella wizard w hose voice is an
'instrum ent' which has no bounds. At
will, he is a w oodw ind. a brass fanfare or
percussion, classic, pop, country, blues,
or conducts a symphony.
A nd that is"T he Way It Was", for the
laterlifeofsom eottheblack children I v c
described; follow ¡ngthelamplighterfrom
block toblock.tightingtbr extra booksto
read in grades 5 and 6, kid-sponsored-
and-tinanced inter-neighborhixxlbiev cle
races and sort ball (funded by collecting
rags, bottles and scrap metal).
Another societal imperativ ew asasort
o f 'technology transfer' between suc
ceeding generations o f youths. Skills,
wills and attitudes were handed down to
(inherited by) the next age group; from
howtorepairthe"New Departure Brakes"
on coaster bicycles, to setting up a sc ience
club in a basement or fantastic ju m p rope
routines.
O r if a new baseball diamond w as
needed in the neighborhood, you were
increasingly impoverished neigfibor-
hoodsandlifestyles-thefrillspa-tnim of
African Ameircan existence as it re-
mairetodayeflrctivesolutionsfortnday’s
problems could be derived from experi
ence. For me and youths in similar situ
ations, a w hole new world opened up
before amazed eyes-not virtual but real.
automobiles to diesel.
I he very same Don Rutherford I fea
tured here on February 25 ot Black His
tory Month; The Benson High School and
Univ ersity o f Oregon graduate. Profes
sional Engineer (P.E.) and designer ot the
critical engine controls for Howard
Hughes' famous giant flying b o at the
"Spruce Goose" (locally on display at
Evergreen Aviation Educational Center.
McMinville. Oregon). Will his schools
There were new kinds ot people, atti
tudes. places, sounds, challenges - and
ambitions.
A nd grandpa. E. Collins Scott, the
strong moral compass and scholar ot the
clan ‘still w as beside m e' (to this day ) -
through athousand dangers, while learn
ing a score o f crafts after dropping out o f
ev er honor him?
This, indeed, has been "The Way It
Was" and I believe it has been demon-
strata! that the remarkable serialization o f
the"Village",thatextendedfemilyofhome,
school and neighborhood, structured the
spiritual strength and humanity which sus-
tai tied black peoplethmugh all the parallel
ing horrors o f racism - from lynchings to
employment and housing discrimination.
Well, let us see i f that ubiquitous "Sup
per Table Input" can prevail in a not-
uncommon case. W hen my grandfather
died. Circa 1930. that classic middle class
family o f ours disintegrated-my mother
and I becoming a stand-alone unit', an
eight-year old child and an emotionally
distraught divorcee, not coping very well.
There followed a gradual descent into
high school in the elev enth grade - never
to return! W ehad been prepared tom ind
the rich lode o f public and university
libraries in America, elementary school
is foundation.
As it w as with m y peers o f similar
situations across this country, I found no
th e sc o p e o f w o rk id e n tifie d b y th e
s e rv ic e s itin g p o lic y . I he g ro u p
w ill d e fin e th e is su e s an d d e sire d
o u tc o m e s fo r a p ro c e s s th a t b a l
a n c e s s e rv ic e n e e d s, leg al r e q u ire
m e n ts . a n d n e ig h b o rh o o d in te re sts
a n d c o n c e rn s in lo c a tin g c o m m u
n ity s e rv ic e s . A s te e rin g c o m m u
n ity o r ta s k fo rc e w ill lik e ly b e
a s s e m b le d in th e fall to im p le m e n t
re s tric tio n s in im p acted a re a s, o p
tio n s fo r fair sh a re sitin g p o licies,
b ro a d e n in g th e u se o f G o o d N e ig h
b o r a g re e m e n ts, and th e e ffe c tiv e
n e ss o f e x is tin g p o lic ie s and p ro
g ra m s d esig n ed to a d d re ss sitin g
related p ro b lem s. T h e w o rk g ro u p ’s
re c o m m e n d a tio n s fo r th e sc o p e of
w o rk to b e a d d re sse d w ill b e p re
w o rk g ro u p .
A m o n g th e issu es th e g ro u p w ill
c o n sid er fo rth e c o m m u n ity in v o lv e
m en t p ro cess a re co n c e rn s to r im -
provi ng co m m u n icatio n s, tren d s and
n eed s fo r so cial se rv ic e s, o u treach
an d e d u c a tio n , v o lu n ta ry fu n d in g
Kites and
balloons
should be
flown in open
areas away
from lines
difficulty passing the entrance exam to
Northw estern Law School (now Lewis
& Clark ). orto Los AngelesCitv College
nor to gaining certi fication to practice in
Federal Tax Court.
In the late 1940's and 1950’s it was
diffieulttoainvince Portland that youvverc
ahighschtxildrvipoutaixlasrxithem ghetto
“village' ’ had so prepared y o u -at a higher
Keep clear
of trees or
structures
close to
power lines
level titan many o f the teachers (even
today). Haidertoconvincearterl set up the
‘U nion Avenue Finance Company" for
whitecardealerson M LK’ whovveremy
accounting clients - 1948-1951.
My 1972 appointment to the faculty
ofPSU simply affinned ' our’ perception
ofthedisaster overtaking American edu
cation. In industry w e knew something
w as terribly w rong for w e often got
illiterates at the personnel dœ r-college
grads. See my "Perspectives” column
p.4; Teacher testing debacle.
Social Services Sting Policies Sought
In an e ffo rt to im p ro v e c o m m u
n ic a tio n a ro u n d th e sitin g o t a ran g e
o f so c ia l s e rv ic e s . C o m m is s io n e r
G re tc h e n M ille r K a fo u ry h as
c h a rg e d an in te rb u re a u w o rk g ro u p
w ith d e fin in g a s c o p e o f w o rk to r a
c o m m u n ity in v o lv e m e n t p ro c e s s
th a t w ill re s u lt in a p ro p o s e d so cial
Jack S Jill went up the hill
& played near poles and wires.
A line was down S Jack soon found
if touched he would EXPIRE.
se n te d to C ity C o u n c il in th e fall.
In a d d itio n , tw o n ew p o s itio n s
a re b e in g c re a te d to a ss ist w ith s it
in g issu e s. M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty 's
P u b lic A ffa irs O ffic e w ill d e v e lo p
a c e n tra l in fo rm a tio n c e n te r fo r
C o u n ty fa c ilitie s a n d p ro g ra m s s it
in g . A fa c ilita to r at th e O ffic e ot
N e ig h b o rh o o d In v o lv e m e n t s
N e ig h b o rh o o d M e d ia tio n C e n te r
w ill w o rk w ith c o m m u n ity m e m
b e rs , so c ia l s e rv ic e an d h o u s in g
p ro v id e rs , a n d c o n s u m e rs o f s e r
v ic e s to a d d re s s c o m m u n ity c o n
c e rn s , d e v e lo p G o o d N e ig h b o r
p la n s , an d p ro v id e b a sic in f o rm a
tio n o n s itin g issu e s.
Mahala, age 7
Treat all lines
on the ground
or overhead as
energized
Stay away from
substations or
anything marked
Danger: High
Voltage
Funding for Portland Light Rail
Projects approved in Senate committee
U .S. S e n a to rs R on W y d en and
G o rd o n S m ith h av e w on $ 2 6 .7 m il
lion in fu n d in g for th e ex p an sio n ot
P o rtla n d ’s ligh t rail sy stem . T h e
m o n ey is co n ta in e d in th e I ran sp o r-
tatio n A p p ro p ria tio n s bill for next
y ear, w hich w on co m m ittee approval
to d a y , and w h ich g iv es M etro flex
ibility to use th e fu n d in g c ith e r for
c o m p le tio n o f th e W estsid e p roject
o r final d esign and rig h t-o f-w ay a c
qu isitio n for the S o u th -N o rth project.
W in n in g suppo rt for light rail e x p a n
sion and im p ro v in g O re g o n 's tra n s
p o rtatio n fu n d in g w ere tw o o f the
s e v e n b ip a r tis a n p r i o r it ie s th a t
O r e g o n 's tw o sen ato rs laid o u t at the
b e g in n in g o f the 105th C o n g ress.
"A s th e m etro p o litan area co n tin
u es to g ro w , a vital m ass tran sit sy s
tem w ill b e a n im portant part o f m ain
ta in in g th e P o rtlan d a re a 's special
c h aracter,” said W y d en . “T h is new
inv estm en t in lig h t rail w ill h elp ease
traffic co n g estio n and im p ro v e air
q u ality th ro u g h o u t th e re g io n .”
"T h is new fu n d in g w ill p ro v id e
m uch need ed u p g rad es to both tra d i
tional and altern ativ e m o d es o f tra n s
p o rtatio n ,” said S m ith. " T h e se im
p ro v em en ts w ill help p reserv e the
high q u ality o f life for O reg o n ian s,
p ro v id e co m m u ters w ith m o re o p
tions, and k eep us at th e fo refro n t ot
in n o v atio n .”
In ad d itio n to the light rail a p p ro
p riatio n , th e bill also h elp s O reg o n
w ith fu n d in g fo rm u la in creases that
w ill h av e a tre m en d o u s effect state
w id e o n h ig h w ay , air, and m ass tra n
sit. T h e A irp o rt Im p ro v em en t P ro
gram (A IP ) fu n d in g fo rm u la, w h ich
p ro v id es g ran ts fo rcritical safety and
in frastru ctu re im p ro v em en ts at a ir
p o rts, assig n s $ 7 .2 m illio n fo r O r
eg o n n ex t y ear, u p from $ 5 .9 m illion
for th is year. O reg o n w ill receiv e
$ 2 6 0 m illio n fo r ro ad an d b rid g e
c o n stru c tio n th ro u g h th e F ed eral
h ig h w ay A d m in istratio n (F H A ), an
in crease from th e $ 2 2 8 m illio n a p
p ro p riate d last y ear. F u n d in g for
m ass tran sit p ro g ram s, su ch as bus
sy stem s and light rail, w ill be boo sted
from $23.3 m illion in O reg o n to $25.9
m illio n n ex t y e a r th ro u g h th e re
tio n (F T A ) fu n d in g form ula.
L ast y ear and e a rlie r th is year,
W y d en an d S m ith w o rk ed to g eth er
a r e s till p e o p le w illin g to tu rn
th e i r h a tr e d in to v io l e n c e ," s a id
S te v e G r o s s m a n , D N C N a tio n a l
C h a ir . " B u t a c c o r d in g to c u r r e n t
la w , th e i r d e p lo r a b le a c ti o n s m a y
n o t b e c o n s id e r e d a fe d e r a l c rim e .
T h is le g i s l a tu r e w ill p r o v id e f e d
e ra l p r o s e c u to r s th e to o ls th e y
n e e d to in v e s tig a te , p ro s e c u te , an d
, h o p e f u lly , p r e v e n t h a te c r i m e s .”
U n d e r c u r r e n t la w , f e d e r a l
p r o s e c u to r s m u s t p ro v e n o t o n ly
th a t th e c rim e s w e re r a c ia lly m o
tiv a te d . b u t th a t th e v ic tim s w e re
h a rm e d b e c a u s e th e y w e r e e n
g a g e d in s p e c if ic , f e d e r a lly p r o
te c te d a c tiv ity s u c h a s v o tin g .
T h is r e s tr ic tio n m a y m a k e fe d e ra l
p ro s e c u tio n in c a s e s s u c h a s th e
ra c ia lly m o tiv a te d m u r d e r o f
J a m e s B y rd , Jr. la s t m o n th e x
tr e m e ly d if f ic u l t, i f n o t im p o s
s ib le . T h e “ H a te C rim e s P r e v e n
tio n A ct o f 1 9 9 8 " e lim in a te s th is
r e s tr ic tio n .
“ T h is b ill w ill a llo w
fe d e ra l
utdoor electric safety is important to all of us —
on th e In term o d al S u rface T ra n sp o r
tatio n an d E fficien cy A ct (IS T E A ),
w h ich a u th o rizes th e tran sp o rtatio n
w o rk d escrib ed a b o v e; y e ste rd a y 's
especially this time of year when we’re outside
bill actu a lly allo c a te s th e m o n ey to
states to carry o u t th at w ork.
in Pacific Power’s Electric Safety Contest, we want to
C O N G R E S S S H O U L D P A S S T H E “H A T E
C R IM E S P R E V E N T IO N ACT OF 1 9 9 8 ”
T h e D e m o c ra tic N a tio n a l C o m
m itte e to d a y cal led u p o n C o n g re s s
to p a s s th e “ H a te C r im e s P r e v e n
tio n A c t o f 1 9 9 8 " (S .1 5 2 9 ,
K e n n e d y ). T h e b ip a r tis a n b ill w ill
p r o v id e a d d itio n a l fe d e ra l a u th o r
ity to p r o s e c u te h a te c r im e s b a se d
o n th e v i c t i m 's ra c e , c o lo r , n a
tio n a l o r i g i n , r e l ig i o n , g e n d e r ,
s e x u a l o r i e n ta t io n o r d is a b ility .
“ T h e re c e n t e v e n ts in J a s p e r ,
T e x a s h a v e s h o w n u s th a t th e r e
Dustin- age 11
w o rk ed F ederal Transit A d m in istra
p r o s e c u to r s to w o rk w ith s ta te a u
th o r it ie s a n d is n o t in te n d e d to
u n d e r m in e th e ir a u th o r ity in any
w a y . M a n y h a te g r o u p s h a v e in
te r s ta t e n e tw o r k s w h ic h m a k e it
h a r d e r fo r s ta te o f f ic ia ls to d eal
w ith th e m . T h is b ill r e c o g n iz e s
th e fe d e ra l ro le in p ro s e c u tin g and
p r e v e n tin g h a te c rim e s an d
s tr e n g th e n s th e h a n d s o f fe d e ra l
a u th o r it ie s ." s a id G o v e r n o r R oy
R o m e r, G e n e ra l C h a ir o f th e D N C .
“ F e d e ra l o f f ic ia ls n e e d in
c re a s e d a u th o rity to sto p th e sp read
o f h a te c rim e s . C o n g re s s c an g iv e
th e m th e to o ls th e y n e e d b y p a s s
in g th e ‘ H a te C rim e s P re v e n tio n
A ct o f 19 9 8 ' a n d w e s tro n g ly u rg e
th e m to d o s o ,” R o m e r sa id .
more. With the help of some of last year’s winners
make you aware of some of the potentially hazardous
situations you and your kids can get into while working
or playing outdoors.
For a free color-your-own
fun poster & glow-in-the-dark
magnet for kids, call
1-888-221-7070.
>
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