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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 2000)
Committed to Cultural Diversity www.portlandobserver.com November 15, 2000 tüíje Jarliani» (©bseruer 0 111 111 11 l l 1 t o a I r n b a r Thanksgiving at Timberline C e le b ra te a h arvest seaso n trad itio n at the h isto ric T im b erlin e L odge on Mt. H ood. F east on turkey in the classic d in in g room overlo o k in g the O regon C ascad es a n d sn o w -co v ered ski slopes. R eserve y o u r seat now on this h oliday G ray L ine b us trip sp o n so red b y P o rt land P arks & R e c re a tio n ’s S en io r R ec reatio n program . T he bus d ep arts from the H o llyw ood S enior C e n te r on T h u rs d ay, N ov. 23, at 11 a m. and retu rn s at 6 :30 p.m . A ll exp enses in clu d ed in the $67 fee and all ages are w elcom e. C all 823-1328. Windows to Africa W indow s to A frica co rd ia lly invites y ou to atten d a “ S isterh o o d S atu rd ay ” th at w ill feature a fashion show , lu n cheon, netw o rk in g , and guest sp eak er E vangelist L aura A. H ow ard. T he event w ill be at M cM enam ins at K ennedy S chool in the “ M artha Jord an R o o m ,” located at 5736N E . 33rt. T ickets are $25. T ick ets on sale at D e stin y ’s Shoes and A ccessories, 6720 N E. M L K B lvd. C all 503/247-8298. A Benefit for Disabled Students P H A M E A c a d e m y ’s th ird annual W in ter G ala is set for F rid ay , D ec. 1 at the W orld T rade Center, 121 SW Salm on St. on P o rtla n d ’s beau tifu l riverfront. A silen t au c tio n and light b u ffe t run w ill run from 6 - 7 p .m ., w ith perfo rm an ces from 7 :3 0 - 9 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be ordered by calling 503/973-5815. Calling All Kids K ids C all, a m in istry o f N ew B e g in n ings C h ristian C enter, is a B ible Story H o tlin e p ac k ed full o f fun for kids o f all ages! E ach w eek K ids C all features an ex c itin g B ible S tory and a S cripture M em ory V erse. O ver 5,000 kids have ca lled K ids C all since its inception in Ju ne 1998! K ids C all is available 24/7 at 503/261 -9803. I f you w ould like to d is trib u te K ids C all card s, p le ase call 503/ 256-6050,ext. 223. No More Homeless Pets S o u th w e st W a s h in g to n ’s A n im a l W elfare G roups are jo in in g to g e th er on N ov. 18, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m . in the E ast R idge In d ustrial Park for a day d e d i cated to finding hom es for the orphaned an im als o f our area. A tw elv e hour A doptathon w here hom eless pets from m any d ifferen t o rg an izatio n s w ill be in on e place. F am ilies that are in terested can com e and adopt a new best friend. T he event is being held in th e E ast R idge B usiness Park, 9808 N E. 12 6 '\ S uite B. C all 3 60/571-0494 o r 360/750- 0847. Addictions and Corrections B ruce B roussard, p resid e n t o f the local ch a p te r o f N A A C P w ill be in te r v iew ing Savon L indsey, local a u th o r o f “T he S oul o f an A d d ict” on C hannel 11 o f C able A ccess on S unday, N ov. 11 from 4-5 p.m . This will be a panel discus sio n on the topic o f the C o rrec tio n s In stitu tio n . Oregon Peace Institute The O regon Peace Institute (O PI) will present “Paint and Play: An Introduction to Experimental Models forConflict Reso lution in M ulticultural S ettings" with Joanne O leksiak and Jill Tow nley on M o nday,N ov.27fro m 6:30-9p.m .atO P I, 1950 S W 6 ,h A ve., Room 121 in Portland. The w orkshop will introduce the Second Step curriculum and the Help Increase the Peace program. A donation o f $ 10 would be appreciated. Call 503/725-8192. Power Wheelchairs Available M iracle on W heels m akes available Pow er (Electric) W heelchairs to non-am bulatory Senior Citizens (65 years old & up) usually at no out-of-pocket expense if they qualify. No deposit required. This service may also be available to the perm a nently disabled o f any age. Please call 1- 800-749-8778 or visit our w eb site at www.durablemcdical.com for more infor mation on the details o f this program t City Planner ‘Roasted’ for 30-Year Career Michael Harrison was author of Albina Community Plan and most other neighborhood planning efforts B y L ee P erlmajy Michael Harrison, the “ father” o f the Albina C om m unity Plan and m ost other neighbor hoodplanning efforts, has traded in his trade mark B irkenstocks for slippers. The senior city planner retired last m onth after 27 years o f service - “ longer than a ballot m easure 11 sentence,” as land use law yer Stephen Janik said at a City Hall roast. “T here’s no one w ho has had the influ ence h e’s had on city P lanning over the last 30 years,” form er Planning Bureau director D avid K now les says.” D uring this time, H arrison has had a role in virtually every com m unity planning effort in Portland. In particular, he had charge o f the Central City Plan, Albina Community Plan and Outer South east C om m unity Plan, m ajor efforts that set zoning for all land and policies to guide public and private action in these areas. Local neighborhood plans, in these and other areas, provided m ore local policy direc tion and set the co m m u n ity ’s ow n goals for itself. In the case o f the A lbina Plan, covering 20 square m iles o f inner north and northeast Portland, the process w ent further still. It dealt w ith all aspects o f com m unity life, in cluding jo b and em ploym ent creation, his toric preservation, social services and recre ation. It created seven new historic design zones that to som e extent control how new developm ent will look. It set as goals the creation o f a new police precinct at the former W alnut Park Fred M eyer and the renovation o f K ennedy School for public use, both o f w hich later cam e to be. Ironically, the plan concluded that the hated N ortheast M artin Luther King Jr. Boulevard center m edian should be left as it is. However, it generated discussion that, ultimately, led to its redesign in several places. H arrison says the A lbina Plan and Eliot N eighborhood Plan w ere two o f the accom plishm ents he is m ost proud of. O f the A lbina Plan he says, “It w as a com plete com prehen sive plan - so far as I know , the only one o f its kind in the country. W e planned for all as pects o f life - and it was successful.” “ W hile the A lbina Plan and Central City Plan were citizen-driven, they required some one w ith technical expertise and ability to build consensus,” Know les says.The project was originally conceived by the North-North- e a st E co n o m ic D ev elo p m en t A llian ce. “M ichael was very open to our ideas,” the A lliance’s Sheila H olden says. “ W e agreed the plan had to be different from other plans, that it had to be dynam ic, that it couldn’t ju st sit on a shelf.” She adds, “He was one o f the best exam ples o f w hat a planner should be. W hen you think o f land use and zoning being rigid, he was very innovative. ’ In the case o f the A lbina Plan, he had to be. “ I put together the m ost com plex budget proposal ever,” he says. “T hen I was told to do it on two-thirds the budget and one-third the time, and to include neighborhood plans. “ He did so by em ploying interns new to the planning process. M any went on to becom e Portland city planners. One, Paul Scarlet, decided to com e to Portland from Toronto based on a phone call from Harrison. “He was very know ledgeable about Portland and very sincere,” Scarlet says. W hen he came here, “ He w as very fair. He gave you constructive criticism and advice. ” He also allowed flexible w orking hours that perm itted Scarlet to study for his m asters degree. Michael Harrison, a giant in the city's achievements in land use planning, with Mayor Vera Katz. P hoto by P aul S carlet A nother future planner was Susan Hartnett, volunteer leader o f the Eliot neighborhood p lanning effort. H arrison has “provided m entoring and guidance to m any people," she says. He also shepherded the rezoning o f the K ennedy School property, a key step in its conversion to a M cM enamins brew pub, the ater and bed and breakfast, through the plan ning process. Harrison later said the rezoning violated many rules about how such pro cesses should be carried out - and was the right thing to do in this case. M elissa Darby, a volunteer leader in the Kennedy School preservation effort, says, “No one else could have done w hat M ichael did for us.” H ow ever, he also has had his share o f critics. He S tory continued on P age B5 Humane Society Opens New Shelter Representatives o f the Oregon Humane Society celebrate during the grand opening to their new $8.3 million shelter at 1067 N.E. Columbia Blvd. The state-of-the- art building is the result o f seven years o f planning and the generosity o f over 7,000 contributors. 'Gotta Get a Head Band ’ Nets Support fo r Boys and Girls Club (P hoto by M ark W ashington /P ortland O bserver ) Area kids wore Blazers headbands and performed a shot bit o f the song ‘Can I get a Headband' Friday before judges Damon Stoudamire o f the Portland Trail Blazers {from left) and Virginia Henson o f the Blazers Boys and Girls Club. The special event commemorated the $10,000 donation to the club received from sales o f the song, produced during last season's playoffs by the Blazers and radio station Z100. Oregon Vote Good News for Portland Schools Canada praises voters for passing Measure 1, and defeating Measures 8, 9, 92, 95,& 98 Portland Public Schools received good news this week with the outcom es o f ballot m easures affecting schools. “ I am particularly pleased with the strong public support for Ballot M easure 1, stated PPS Superintendent Benjamin O. Canada, Ph.D. The m easure requires the legislature to appropriate funds for schools to meet the quality education goals o f O regon's Educational Act for the 21st Century. “ I am heartened by the m essage vot ers have given us,” said Canada. Voters defeated Ballot M easures 8 and 91, which could have had potentially d e v a sta tin g e ffe c ts on fu n d in g for schools.” “ It is clear to me that Oregonians are strong supporters o f their schools and I look forward to the challenge o f meeting the achievement goals that the State, our Board, our parents and our public have set for us,” Canada said. Portland Public Schools has spent the past 18 months working with parents and community representatives to develop a Strategic Plan. Its objectives are to en sure that by 2005,100 percent o f student s will show significant growth every year in academic learning, set ambitious learn ing goals and contribute to the com m u nity. Canada said the outcom e o f the elec tion will allow Port land Public Schools to continue moving forward on developing strategies to meet the district’s student achievement objectives. “We are pleased to see that O rego nians support these and similar efforts," said Canada. “The dollars the public en trusts with us will be well spent. We are working our hardest and we will con tinue to work our hardest - to make the best use o f public dol lars for the benefit o f children.” The School District also expressed pleasure with the defeat o f Ballot M ea sures 9, 92, 95, and 98, all measures affecting schools. “ I am pleased that as a district we can continue to support all children," stated i the superintendent. “The rejection o f Ballot Measure 9 will enable the district to continue to make progress in this initiative. I am also pleased with the defeat o f Ballot M ea sure 95,” he continued. “W hile the Dis trict will explore opportunities to com pensate em ployees based on perfor mance, this measure was not the solu tion.” Canada also supports the rights for em ployees to use payroll deductions to contribute to organizations. “ I am very encouraged with the voters support for schools and w elcom e the opportunity to continue developing and im plementing the strategies necessary to take our education system to a higher level o f excellence," concluded Canada.
