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.