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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 1998)
SEPT. 23, 1998 Page A4 (Ehr ^ortlanb ©bscruer : r ’ ✓ Ì ■ ; Editorial Articles Do Not Necessarily Reflect Or Represent The Views Of ■ M Wlje ^ o r tla n b (iDKseruer 1 ' ¡a e Attention Readers! Please take a minute to send us your comments. W e're always trying to a better paper and we can't do it without your help. Tell us what you like and what needs improvement... any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated^ W e take criticism well! Get your poss erful pens out N O W « ^ » ‘•dreM your letters to: Editor. Reader Respon s e , P,O. Bt» 31.37. Pprt l lBd. QR 972Q8. r (© b s e ru e r (U S P S 959-680) E sta b lish e d in 1970 C h arles W ash in g to n P u b lish e r <£ E d ito r M ark W ash in g to n D istsrib u tio n M a n a g e r G ary A n n T a y lo r B u s in e s s M a n a g e r L arry J. Jack so n , Sr. D irecto r o f O p era tio n lesh a W illiam s G ra p h ic D esig n L ap h ael K night G ra p h ic D esig n C o n trib u tin g W riters: P ro fesso r M cK in ley B urt, L ee Perlm an, Joy R am os 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, Oregon 97211 503-288-0033 • Fax 503-288-0015 Email: Pdxobserv@aol.com Deadline fo r all submitted materials: Articles:Friday, 5:00 pm Ads: Monday, 12.00ptn POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes To: Portland Observer, P.O. Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208. P e rio d ic a ls p o sta g e p a id a t P o rtla n d . O regon. S u b scrip tio n s: $ 6 0 .0 0 p e r y e a r T h e P o rtlan d O b se rv e r w elco m e s freelan ce su b m issio n s. M an u sc rip ts an d p h o to g ra p h s sh o u ld be clearly lab eled and w ill be returned i f a c c o m p a n ie d by a s e lf ad d ressed en v elo p e . All created d esig n d isp lay ad s b e c o m e th e so le p ro p erty o f th e n e w sp a p e r and can n o t be used in o th e r p u b lic a tio n s o r perso n al u sag e w ith o u t th e w ritten co n sen t o t the g e n e ra l m an ag e r, u n less th e clien t h as p u rch ased th e co m p o sitio n o t su ch ad. © 1996 T H E P O R T L A N D O B S E R V E R . A L L R IG H T S R E S E R V E D , R E P R O D U C T IO N IN W H O L E O R IN P A R T W IT H I’m led to understand that I have a n u m b ero fp eo p le pulling out bundles o f old letters - savoring the handw rit ten evidence o f true friendship. If true, m ight there com e about a return to those days o f "h u m an intim acy an d sociability’? W ill the net release it’s hold? I seriously doubt that to be in the n ear future. As prom ised last w eek, I refer to those 'M in u tes o f the Lead Pencil C lub’; Bill Hendersoned., Push cart Press, N Y . “The Internet is a channel for the curious. W ith a c lic k o fth e m ouse the D ead Sea Scrolls can be view ed the P resident’s health care plan w ill ap pear, and letters to editors o r to cyberzines can be w ritten.” "F o r a generation accustom ed to fast m usic, fast food, and quick re sults, the Internet is a perfect m atch- its easy, its fast, its fun, its free. It is also addictive and as dangerous as it is educational.” Y o u ’re ju s t so into th e c o n v e rs a tio n you d o n ’t w ant to get o ff and study.” M a n y s tu d e n ts “ h a v e g iv e n u p sch o o l activ ities, s tu d e n t g o v e rn - _________ m ent and sports,” (and stam p collecting?) Several readers have called to m y attention that the 9/2/98 edition o f the Portland O bserver has an em ploym ent ad bearing a very interesting relation to this series. A large, area em ployer lists very prom inently am ong the jo b re quirem ents “ ... as well as excellent w rit ten' and verbal com m unication skills.” Following right on, w e are told, “The com plete jo b posting, including addi- (SLïïitir of N ational U rban L eague I’m not talking about that event in Harlem lastweekend that was nexermeant to be anything more than a platform for the odious antics o f K hallid A bdul Muhammad. Although some newspapercolumnists and politicians insist upon acting as if Muhammad has some significant follow ing in theblackcomm unity,there’snever been any evidence thattheoverw helming majority o f African Americans think so. There was none, again, in Harlem last Saturday. No, the march I ’m referring to-the real Million Youth March-is the one goingon in neighborhoods all overthecountry: the long-standing one in which black young sters, often against daunting odds, strive to do their best in school and strive to be o f service to their com m unities as they it reminds more o f us that the opening ot school is the equivalent o f new Y ear’s D ay for school age youngsters. It’s a season o f fresh beginnings and service groups, fraternities and sororities, and community organizations. Still oth ers com e by way o f a devoted family, or school teacher, or caring adult Howev er they come, the evidence that blackyouthcontinue to follow the welltrod new possibilities-a chance tor them to stepontoandm ove further along that path path to achievement is voluminous. Do we need to inspire more youth to follow that path? Y ou bet w e do. That is the point o f such leaders as the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Kwesi Mfume, o f the N AA CP, and the Rever end Joseph E. I xiwery, the former presi dent o f the Southern Christian Leader ship Conference m ade by their presence and their remarks at the Million Youth MovementgatheringinAtlantalastweek- that march. Som e o f them have come and are com ing through the National Urban League Incentives to Excel and end. O ne should not dismiss that event merely because it drew such a small number o f young people: from the first this kindofm arch faced serious logistical and organizational problems that its m od Succeed (N ULITES) youth program, now alm ost a decade old. Som e we els, the precedent-setting Million Man M arch in 1995 and the 1997 Million march toward adulthood. W e’ve seen wave after w ave after w aveofyoung African Americans make people. State after state is raising the standards for what our children must know and be able to do in order to get a high school diplom a Y e t the signs are that the achievement gap is widening again, pushing black children in urban school systems further and further behind academically. Fortunately, black parents are get ting the message. A recent survey by Public A genda show s that parents w ant public schools to concentrate on lifting the achievem ent levels o f their chil dren. B u t w e c a n n o t stop there. L et m e p u rp o se five p rin c ip le s th at p aren ts believe they can achieve. T h ird every childhas the right to take rigorous courses that challenge them to reach their fullest potential. Fourth, every child has the right to attendawell-run, well-equipped and well- maintained school whose primary mis sion is teaching and learning. Fifth, every child has the right to par ticipate in constructive after-school pro grams that can promote healthy develop ment and keep them out o f harm ’s way. These principles are the foundation o f theUibanLeague'scducatronal programs. More than 90 o f our affiliates across the country are participating in our third an nual national “Doing the Right Thing" celebration September 19 to honor ambi tious and accomplished and hope till young people in their communities. T hese youths, part o f the historical and contem porary m ovem ent o f A fri can A m ericans into the A m erican m ain stream , underscore that putting young people on the path to achievem ent pays huge dividends for all o f A m erican society. At The C enter O f Success OCTOBER EVENTS Sincerely, Tientan Sittenfeld OSPIRG Field Coordinator P u Mr. Rangel exactly what are you and the Black Caucus doing to assist the President in these hours of need? I have taken it upon m yself to write to each member of Congress (500+) telling them to keep President Clinton in office regardless o f Starr’s investigation. I would like forthe Black Caucus and all other supporting members in Congress to have each of their constituency write letters to Congress doing the same. Let us not sit peacefully on the sideline and do nothing Notify all committees and organization members to do the same. I submitted my letters via e- w e’ll never break to them ,or to our a solid start Second, every child has the right to be taught by fully-qualified teachers who u sports cars immunity from speeding laws. Oregon’s congressional delegation should clean up these old and dirty power plants. Lobbyists or the coal and electric industries in Washington D.C. are waging a big money battle to protect dirty power, but all o f us, especially the 172,000 asthma sufferers in Oregon, need clean air now. . v o f achievem ent W e adults should also take it as an occasion to m ake som epledges about our children’s preparation land future that m u n ities follow . First, every child has the right to attend a pre-school program that gets theinoffto O r e g o n C o n v e n t io n C e n t e r Most people think of this time of year as a time to get out and enjoy the outdoors. However, here in Portland, there were three days during July and August when the air was unsafe to breathe due to ozone pollution. In addition, there were eight Clean Air Action days when smog advisories were issued. Going outside to work, exercise or play can damage lungs, and for the more than 172,000 thousand people in our state who suffer form asthma, air pollution can be deadly. A “lethal loophole” in the Clean Air Act exempts 559 o f America’s oldest and dirtiest powerplants from modem clean air standards. Portland General Electric Co.’s Boardman plant fails to meet these standards as do numerous PacifiCorp plants in Washington, Wyoming, and Utah. These plants are the source o f one-third o f the nation’s smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution, and one-third o f the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions, the primary source o f pollution that causes global warming. Exempting these dinosaur powgr plants from modem pollution standards is like giving the fastest ’ mail but the regular mail system can be used also. This President had been the most supporting o f Black issues since President Kennedy, so please throw him a life line to help keep him from sinking. ¡IH ■1 i sh o u ld in sist sc h o o ls in th eir c o m program o f our civil rights counterpart, the National Association forthe Advance ment o f Colored People, or through the vast network o f national and local social B. P rice , P resident _ _ jr Editor, «.*, j ’letters,’ m athem atics and astronom y. I have on m y study a facsim ile o f the fam ous “ R osetta Stone” , the transla tion o f w hich opened the eyes (and m inds) o f the w orld to the technical and cultural w onders o f an E gypt that an tedated the rest o f m an kind. in. Send your letters to the Editor to: Editor, PO Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208 MB“ national Thesarus. S peaking o f “ style m anuals", there are a n u m b e ro fth e se ' how-to- w n te-it’ guides on the m arket. The m ost popu lar and accepted is “T he C hicago M anual o f S tyle”, published by the U niversity o f C hicago Press. A vail- borhoods and in our schools. In that regard, then, the Million Youth M ovement will have served its purpose if T h a n k Y ou F or R eading T he P o r tlan d O bserver Many thanks, Beverly C. Sanders 1998,$69.95. O thers rem ind m e that Plato, the G reek p hilosopher credited the A fri cans (E gyptians) w ith the invention o f ® can A chievem ent M any have com e through the youth to a t y $ o r t i a « b (© bseruer X^ear Editor, reasonable goal o f their education, may him from searchengines like M agellan, Y ahoo and L ycos to tools like gram m ars, style m anuals and R oget’s Inter a m ultitude o f state agencies across the co u n try publish their ow n. A g ain , I am enjo y in g an excellent read er resp o n se, I do h ope its d e served. A g randparent says that she located a source for ‘n e w ’ co p ies o f th e fa m e d “M cG uffey’sR e a d e rs’, 122 m illio n co p ies in circulation, 1836 to 1920. T he 7-vol set ( 1600pp) has been reissu e d , an d is so ld th ro u g h the “ M in d ’s E y e ” catalog for late fall, If you think you ’ ve missed the M illion S ubscriptions P ortland O bserver ; P O B ox 3137 P ortland , O regon 97208 É able at m ost bookstores, it is now in the 14th edition. A s you m ay know , other style m an u als are available. T he U.S. G overnm ent, the A ssociated Press and Youth March, put that out o f your mind There’s plenty o f time for you to join the N a m e :___________ _____________— ----------------------------- ------------------ A d d re ss:----------------------------- ----------------------------------------—— ------------- C ity , S ta te :---------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- Z ip-C ode: _______________ _____ ______ ___________________ __________ M tional preferred qualifications m ay be seen on our w e b site ... an on- line appl i- cation is also available at the w ebsite.” W e w onder if this “opportunity” is calling for any o f those students w ith the “plum m eting grades” . Just K id ding, this position asks foryears o f ex perience. H owever, ,n w ho know s w hen P m n i sso r the tide m ay turn in , f M l K IM I S favor o f a universal Bi « i literacy’? M illionsof s t u d e n ts , s e e in g em p lo y m en t as a W om an March, did n o t Rather, one should focus one’s atten tion on where the action is: in our neigh 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: i better ih e “ m inutes’ continue w ith hor rendous stories o f friends lost, skills ■ lost and o f grades that have p lu m m eted from 3.3 to 2.5. T he failing stu dent explained; “ I d id n ’t stop study ing, you ju s t like get addicted to it. inducted last spring into the new Thurgood M arshall Achievers Society, part ofour Cam paign for African Ameri by -H ugh A sso ciatio n • S erv in g P o rtlan d an d V an co u v er. T he v e s t T he R eal M illion Y outh M arch O U T P E R M IS S IO N IS P R O H IB IT E D . T h e P o rtlan d O b s e r v e r - O r e g o n 's O ld est M u lticu ltu ral P ublica- t i o n - i s a m e m b e r o f th e N atio n al N e w sp a p e r A s s o c ia tio n -F o u n d e d in 1885, and T h e N atio n al A d v ertisin g R ep resen tativ e A m alg am ated P u b lish ers, In c, N ew Y o rk . N Y an d T he W est C o ast B lack P u b lish ers S ubscribe e Life After Internet: H ie Lead Pencil Society in B y P rop . M c K in ley B urt (T h e ^ o r t l a n h e s J Date Event O ct. 3-5 A m erican Society o f Landscape A rchitects O ct. 8 A ttendance Est. E conom ic Im pact 3,000 $1,8 6 9 ,0 0 0 Spectrum ‘9 8 --N W Property M gm t. C onf. 650 $34 ,3 2 0 O ct. 8 M inority Enterprise D evelopm ent Week 600 $31 ,6 8 0 O ct. 9-11 N orthw est W om en’s Show 4,000 $211,200 O ct. 10-12 Pacific N W Software Q uality C onference 600 $37 3 ,8 0 0 O ct. 10-16 W estern Pulp and Paper 375 $19,800 O ct. 15-18 H om e Im provem ent and R em odeling Show 20,000 $1,0 5 6 ,0 0 0 O ct. 20 Bravo Trade Show 1,800 $95,040 O ct. 22 P ortland “Roast” Festival D inner 800 $4 2 ,2 4 0 O ct. 22-23 Assn, o f C hristian Schools In t’l 2,000 $1,2 4 6 ,0 0 0 O ct. 24-25 Franchise & Investm ent Expo. 2,000 $10 5 ,6 0 0 O ct. 25 C h u rch o f C hrist 1,800 $95 ,0 4 0 O ct. 26 W orldw ide D ream builders 1,000 $52,800 O ct. 26-28 Pacific N W PG A M erchandise Show 2,000 $1,2 7 2 ,0 0 0 O ct. 26-31 Apparel D esigner Z one 3,000 $15 8 ,4 0 0 O ct. 27 O regon Peacemakers 500 $26,400 O ct. 28 W orkers’ C om pensation Forum 500 $26,400 O ct. 28 O regon M etals S um m it 700 $36,960 O ct. 29 C olum bia W illam ette A H E C H ealth C areer D ay 700 $36,960 O ct. 30 - Nov. 1 C leansing Stream M inistries Sem inar 1,800 $95,040 O ct. 1 - Nov. 1 32 o th er events, m eetings and food functions 4,000 $211 ,2 0 0 Total Estimated Economic Benefit For The Region For October $7,095,880 |
