SEPT. 23, 1998
Page A4
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Editorial Articles Do Not Necessarily
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Attention Readers!
Please take a minute to send us your comments. W e're always trying to
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to: Editor. Reader Respon s e ,
P,O. Bt» 31.37. Pprt l lBd. QR 972Q8.
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(© 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
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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
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