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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 2002)
Page A4 March 27, 2002 81 O pinion f l u r t l anft Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f (Elje | J o r t l a n h ( O b s e r v e r The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 1996 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART W ITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. 5 0 3 2 8 8 0 0 3 3 • FAX5 0 3 -2 8 8 0 0 1 5 • EMAIL: news@portlandobserver.com subscrlDtlon@Doniandobseiver.com ads@poniandobserver.com The Portland Observer—Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication—is a member of the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Repre sentative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association • Serving Portland and Vancouver. PCC Expansion Brings Opportunity to Community PCC Should Help Restore Albina Christian Ministry Goal to become a full-service campus has been a long time coming Church faces horrendous task of moving, renovating new site D r . M ildred O llee In November 2000, the citizens of the Portland Community College district passed PCC’s $144 mil lion bond measure that would, in part, greatly im prove the educational of ferings and facilities at the Cascade Campus, Its pas sage brings center stage the dream of a full-service campus for the residents o f north and northeast by since. In 1987, the PCC board o f directors declared that Cascade would become fully comprehensive - stu dents could obtain an associate’s degree with out the need for travel across the city to another site to complete a degree. In the last four years, the enrollm ent has ex ploded at Cascade Cam pus, growing by 55 per cent. In 2001, the campus Portland. In v o te r p re c in c ts served 17,000 full- and Dr. Mildred Ollee nearby the Cascade Cam part-time students. In fact, pus, approximately 74 per Frankly, change can be one science lab served 1,500 general biology stu cent approved the college’s difficult and challenging, plans to expand - by any dents last year. The cam for the neighborhood and pus sch ed u les classes count, a landslide. for the college. However, it nights and weekends, but The college, in partner is gratifying to learn that a still can’t meet the grow ship with the community, is moving ahead to bring number of the residents and ing need. The professional several businesses that have upgraded and new facili music and developmental ties to the aging Cascade worked with our relocation education programs hold Campus, more classrooms experts are very satisfied classes in portable trailers, and laboratories to serve with their new homes or barely meeting the city fire students. properties. V marshal’s code for over The goal to be a full- crowding. Campus expan service campus has been sion is sorely needed. New a long time coming. The dream began in 1969 facilities will allow the campus to enroll some with the Model Cities program when PCC 5,000 full-time-equivalent students, or more received money from HUD to purchase the than 20,000 full- and part-time students. former Cascade Bible College and open an The college has w orked closely with the educational center. In 1970,400 students en neighborhood, particularly the Hum boldt rolled. By next fall, the enrollment had doubled. continued on page 85 The campus has been steadily growing ever by B ishop S amuel M. O n o u r ow n, we opened negotiations with the property owners of I rving The Albina Christian Life Center, a cross-cultural church in a low-income area has been ministering at its location for more than 30 years serving street people, children, youth and elderly of all races. It has never been a high-budgeted church. When this ministry was disrupted by the threat of the Portland Community College’s eminent domain process 10 years ago, we wondered where we could relocate to continue this ministry and its purpose. We asked PCC to “find another location,” and we were told “We will relo cate you and you will be as well or better off than you are now.” Each time Avtrfound a Bishop Samuel Irving PCC made an offer on our property o f $500,000 which represented $42 per square foot - the very quote of an appraisal they promised not to negotiate from. We were very dissatisfied with the low appraisal and we knew our property was worth more, based on the comparative studies. \ location, mostly out o f the community, it was too ex pensive. We finally found an accommodative prop erty that can keep us in the community. It is located at 2149 N. Willamette Blvd. One look at this property by the college, and we were told it was larger than our current church, and perhaps the college could find another suitable property or build a church. Neither option was given credence. the Willamette Boulevard site. PCC asked to be per mitted to appraise our cur rent property for infor mation only and said it would not be a factor in the negotiations. The ap praisal came back at the lowest possible finding of $42 per square foot. Com parative studies had like properties going at an average of $72 - $76 per square foot. When final negotiations began, we requested of PCC not one dollar beyond what it would require to relocate us and restore the minis try, which was our only purpose for existence. PCC made an offer on our property of $500,000 which represented $42 per square foot - the very quote of an appraisal they promised not to negotiate from. We were very dis satisfied with the low appraisal and we knew our property was worth more, based on the comparative studies. We were told that we could accept the $500,000, or they could by continued on page B5 H. & B. Too NOW OPEN Oregon’s Oldest Licensed Pawnshop 4709 N.E. Martin Luther King Blvd. 2 blocks south of Alberta Weekdays til 6 p.m. - Saturdays til 4 p.m. Free Parking - State Controlled Rates - Se Habla Español www.hbloan.com Oregon Family Business for over 50 years Stop in at your earliest convenience A 1 1 L
