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¿The P o rtia n i tObecruvr
y p rtlanò
(Ulje
^ o r tla n ò
(Dhseruvr
USPS 959 680
Established 1970
STA FF
E
d it o r
P
C
in
h ie f
,
u b l is h e r
Charles H. Washington
E d
it o t
Larry J. Jackson, Sr.
B usiN E S S
M
a n a g e r
Gary Ann Taylor
A sst . P ublisher
Michael Leighton
C
opy
E
d it o r
Jo y R am os
C
r e a t iv e
D
ir e c t o r
Robert Parker
4 7 4 7 N E M a r t in L u th e r K in g,
Jr. B lvd .
P o rtla n d , O R 9 7 2 1 1
5 0 3 -2 8 8 -0 0 3 3
Fax 5 0 3 -2 8 8 -0 0 1 5
e-m ail
n e w s @ p o rtla n d o b s e rv e r.c o m
sdBcdpUon@portlanlobse(ver.com
Somebody’s Got to Say Something
Bv L .K , B.vsa
On M ay 16th, ruo days p rio r to
the o fficia l a n nouncem ent o f the
su p e rin ten d en t's resignation fr o m
P ortla n d P ublic Schools, 1 inter
view ed B en Canada. A s h e began
to repeatedly disp el so m e o f the
‘b a d p re ss ’ h e 's received a n d as he
a n sw ered the u n a sked questions,
there w ere three them es that cam e
to m in d that su m m ed up that inter
view: “P u ttin g The P u b lic in P u b
lic E ducation ", “W hat H a ve I D one
f o r You L a te ly “ a n d to borrow a
yo u th fu l expression fr o m kids to
day: "That Is So N o t Who I A m
We begin with: “That Is So N o t
Who I A m ”
P o r t l a n d O b s e r v e r : Y o u ’ve
lived in P o rtland now for th ree
years and m uch has been said about
the fact that you still do not ow n a
hom e here. W hat do you say to
those w ho feel this dem onstrates
that you nev er took root here; T hat
you n ever m ade Portland o r the
school district your hom e in the
m ost fundam ental w ay?
B en C a n a d a : Let m e ask you
this; w hat m akes a person a m em
ber o f the com m unity? Is it that
you go to church? Is it that you
participate in the arts? Y o u ’re out
and about tow n or that you w alk
through the co m m unity? Is it that
you give o f your tim e and from
your pocket w hen you see a need
a n d c a n h e lp ? I d o n ’t th in k
hom eow nership is a p rerequisite to
being part o f y o u r com m unity. I f I
had not m ade a co m m itm en t to
Portland public schools, I w o u ld n ’t
be doing the things that I do. I
w ould n ot b e pu ttin g in the hours
that I p u t in. I h av e m ad e a total
com m itm ent here and the fact that
I ju st h appen n ot to ow n a hom e
here is n ot som ething th at I am
happy or pro u d of. I d o n ’t like the
idea o f having to w rite tw o checks
a m o n th for a house note an d rent.
T h e re ’s n o tax w rite -o ff fo r rent. I
w ant the house. I w ant a garden. I
love to garden. I w an t to have m y
ow n sp ace to do that and th a t’s
w hy ev ery w eekend that I’m not
som ew here doing som ething, I ’m
out looking for a hom e.
Portland Observer: A nd w hat
are you looking for in a n eig h b o r
hood that you c a n ’t seem to find in
P ortlan d ?
Ben Canada: I like Portland. I
like O regon. I like the Pacific N o rth
w est. I like w ater and th e re’s w a
ter all-around. I like m ountains and
there are m ountains all-around. I
like this area N ow w ith regard to
the specifics o f the house itself, 1
found a house that I really w anted
but som ebody else beat m e to it.
A ctually, th a t's h appened to m e
tw ice. 1 like living in tow n. I like
being clo se to everything. I like
neighborhoods w ith sidew alks. I ’m
nostalgic for certain things, b ut I
also like certain conveniences that
Public Schools.
P ortland O b serv er: I know that
African Americans are not a mono
lithic people, but what would you like
to say to the Black Com m unity in
North and Northeast Portland regard
ing their children, and their concerns in
relation to the achievement gap?
Ben C a n a d a : I cam e here as
Superintendent o f schools for all
children. It b o th ered m e w h en I
looked at the data as a candidate, that
NorthNortheast Portland had some o f
the lowest performing schools and had
for years. So I made it a top priority
when I walked in the door. Go back
and check the tapes; check the w rit
ten docum ents. I said it w as a n um
ber one issue with me. I have not
deferred from that. T he ach iev e
ment gap has been the num ber one
issue and w e’re addressing it.
ity that the ch ild ren in N o rth /N o rth
east P ortland h av e n ot been g iven
the attention at the level they should.
W e ’ve focused on it and if they
THE LARGEST. MOST COMPLETE RETAIL FABRIC STORE IN THE WEST
MAY 22 th rou gh JUNE 5, 2001
M em orial Day, May 2 8th , 9-6p m
SALE
EXTENDED!
Portland Observer: How do you
L ydia K. Bass
m y w ife also w ants. So, w hen I
find a house it’ll b e the house that
she w ants. W ith the house I bought
in A tlanta. I signed the papers and
I n ev er even saw it. I b ought it
becau se m y w ife liked it, because
m y d aughters liked it. T hey spend
m o re tim e in the house than 1 ever
do. I spend 16 to 18 hours b asi
cally aw ay from hom e and there is
o n ly 24 hours in a day. So I have to
h av e a p lace w here they’re com
fortable as opposed to were 1 com e
in and occasionally visit.
Portland Observer: Y ou m en
tioned your wife. W hy does she still
live in A tlanta?
Ben C a n a d a : I m arried m y first
grade sw eetheart, the best friend
that I have. S h e’s been w ith m e
w hen everyone else seem ed to be
trying to push aw ay; she’s always
been there. M atter o f fact m y wife
lives here now and she reads the
paper w ith m e every m orning as we
drink our coffee at the table to
gether. I’m going to spend w hatever
tim e I ca n w ith m y w ife. E ven
though she’s here, she w ould have
every right to com plain because she
n ev er sees me. Since I’ve been,
w ell, alm ost m arried to P ortland
connect to the black com m unity?
B en C a n a d a : I eat in N o rth /
Northeast Portland, I shop in N orth/
Northeast Portland, I get m y hair cut
in N orth/N ortheast Portland, I looked
for a hom e in N orth/N ortheast Port
land and I go to church in N orth/
N ortheast Portland. I am all over this
city and I w as like that before i even
officially got here. I w ould dare to
say that I have been to certain parts
o f our com m unity m ore than the
people w ho live there. I’ve been to
Bishop W ells’ C O G IC (C hurch o f
G od In Christ) church, Dr. T. A llen’s
B e th e l c h u r c h , R ev . B a ile y ’s
V ancouver A venue B aptist church
and Rev. W illiam s A M E (African
M ethodist E piscopal) church. I ’m
A.M .E. from birth, okay. So I m ade
that circuit but 1 also m ade the other
circuit. I d id n ’t com e here, and I
m ad e th at v ery clear, b ec au se I
knew that w as an issue w ith som e
people, as a black superintendent o f
schools. I cam e here as a’ Superin
tendent o f schools. N ow I ca n ’t get
aw ay from the reality that I am
black. I grew up in the segregated
South. I know w hat it m eans to be
discrim inated against. I also know
w hat it m eans to be den ied access
in term s o f supplies, m aterials and
equipm ent.
S o w h at w o u ld I sa y to th e
A frican-A m erican com m unity, the
B lack com m unity in N o rth /N o rth
east P ortland? I am w hat I am. I ’m
superintendent o f schools for all
children. I ’v e focused on the rea l
looked at it they w ould see that w e
have stay ed tru e to our prom ise
an d co m m itm en t that, that w as not
ac ce p ta b le.
3<&
Everything in the store*
M E M O R IA L D A Y SALE - M A Y 2 8 t h
“ B E S T B U Y S ’’ - S E L E C T E D H O M E D E C P R IN T S
_______________5 0 % P E E R E G U IA R P R IC E ______________
O u td o o r W a reh o u se
S ale Starts Sat., May 2 6 , 2 0 0 1
00
per yd.
OUTDOOR SALE OPEN DAILY 10-7pm
New Fabrics Added Weekly
M inim um Cut 1 yard. All
m erchandise as-is. All sales final.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUR STORE FOR “MANAGER’S SPECIALS”
’ Discounts du nul apph Io proiuush discounted or marked down ilems. 5 22. 0 1 thru 6/5 0 I
184
/
4
N
$7
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RETAIL HOI RS:
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STARK
STRE ET
____
g
£
M0S -FRI 9:0fam-V:(IUpin
«ATI RDAYMOam'OOpm
S IM M Y I0:00am.’ :00pm
1
WHOLESALE HOLRS:
CM
MOVFRI 9:00am*0:00pm
s ATI RIH1 9:00am-“ :00pm
si \|)AY 10:00am-'-00pm
A
RETAIL -WHOLESALE
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© 1996 THE PO R T LA N D O B
SERVER. 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
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The Portland Observer--Oregon’s
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A ssociation-Founded in 1885, and
The National Advertising Represen
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Fresh Grade A
Whole Fryers
Safeway Brand.
save up to 70< ib.
Available at
Safeway:
Visit Sdfeways
Web site at
I
M anor House
Beef Patties
Safeway Club Price
Frozen. Sold in 10-lb. box
only, $9.90 ea.
save up to $1.01 ib.
Safeway Club Price
Lays
Potato Chips
Red Ripe
Strawberries
12 25-oz. Assorted vaneties.
Limit 2.
l-lb. package
Grown in California.
SAVE up to $2.98 on 2
SAVE up to $1.00
www.safeway.com
PRICES EFFECTIVE MAY 2001
Sun ! Mon T Tue
fictive
1 Wed
Thur
23
24
Mm M
ay ,’î Ihm
25
26
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ay /9 ,’QOI
Urm « pom » »m ad are avadante at y<M tor* ’.«feway norm
No sates to > « *n 1 * « « ! x nswueop* saht -««d quanMes only
QuanMn of some
may be Mart and w t * r t « «vadati*.
Not respomiWP lor lypoqrapNral or ptrtonai errors W* -merve the ngtii
» corren al pnmed errors On Buy One Gar One Free both arm romt be
e lower Mm « ifwt bee : WOi Safeway Storm mr
Safeway Club Price
Now the savings are in the Card!
ALL LIMITS ARE PER
HOUSEHOLD PER DAY!