July 31, 2002
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Committed to C u ltu ra l Diversity
(Trite ^ n rlla tth (Dhsi'rxu'r
SECTION
“Siiidtyiny iPo-tUand'a Catnmutiitieô”
out m u n i t y
a I c tt h a r
(C
National Night Out Picnic
N atio n al N ig h t O ut, the first T u e s
d a y in A u g u s t, is c e l e b r a t e d
th ro u g h o u t P o rtlan d and th e en tire
n atio n . It is a tim e fo r n eig h b o rs to
conXe to g e th e r - on fro n t p o rch e s, in
stre e ts o r p ark s - to get to know
ea ch o th e r b e tte r and b ec o m e m ore
ac tiv e in th e ir c o m m u n itie s to help
fig h t a g a in st crim e. A p icn ic w ill be
h eld on T u e sd a y , A ug. 6, fro m 6 - 9
p.m . at O regon P ark, on the co rn e r o f
N .E . 3 0 lh an d O reg o n St. C a ll V icki
S cherer at 503-963-8121.
Oregon Humane Society
T he O regon H um ane S ociety is h o st
ing an a d o p tio n o u tre a c h ev e n t to
b ring c o m p an io n pets w ho are ready
fo r a new h om e in to th e co m m u n ity .
S to p by at the C lac k am a s P etsM art
o n S un d ay , A ugust 4 ,9 4 5 0 S.E . 82nd
A ve., from 11 a . m . - 3 p.m . G o online
to w w w .o re g o n h u m a n e.o rg o r call
503-285-7722.
BlkeSummer
B ikeS um m er is a celebration o f b icy
c lin g , c o m m u n ity and c re a tiv ity - a
W o rld ’s F air o f bicycling. T h is year,
it w ill be h eld in P o rtla n d , w here
th o u sa n d s o f peo p le w ill p articip a te
in p ro -c y clin g ev en ts th ro u g h o u t
th e m onth o f A ugust. E v en ts w ill
in c lu d e p e rfo rm an ce s, rid e s, a film
fe stiv a l, ed u c atio n al w o rk sh o p s and
more. For m ore inform ation, go online
to w w w .b ik csu in m er.o rg .
Singles Retreat
T h e P ied m o n t C hu rch o f C h rist is
h o ld in g a S in g les R etreat on A ug. 3,
fro m 9 a m. - 4 :3 0 p.m . at 5338 N.
B o rth w ic k St. T he k ey n o te sp e ak e r
is M in iste r Ja co b s fro m P h o en ix ,
A rizona. O th er talks w ill be given by
m in iste rs and eld ers. C o st is $35 at
th e d o o r o r a d o n atio n can be given.
F o r m ore in fo rm a tio n , c a ll M in ister
M ichael V inton at 503-285-2956.
Neighborhood Walking Tour
Portland is well known for its walkable,
livable streets. P articipants can tour
the southeast area on Aug. 17, starting
at the C rossroads Plaza on S.E. 92nd
and Foster. T ake a w alk around the
L ents neighborhood th a t’s grow ing
and changing. Explore the m any new
developm ents and w alking am enities
in th e a r e a . G o o n lin e to
w w w . p o rtla n d tra n sp o rtatio n . org or
call 503-823-5266.
Local
Standout
Eyes
Harvard
Dyan Watson
is a former
graduate from
Jefferson High
School who is
marching
toward a
doctorate in
education.
Dyan Watson
promotes teaching
for people of color
by D avid P lechl
T he P ortland O bserver
W hen D yan W atson w as three years
old, she d id n ’t play house, or doctor, like
other kids, she played school.
“Ever since I can remember, I* ve wanted
to becom e a teacher,” says W atson, now
29 and on her w ay to the H arvard School
o f E ducation’s doctoral program this fall.
Statistically, W atson sho u ld n ’t have
m ade it.
She grew up poor in a single parent
household. She attended schools “people
had forgotten about.”
“ It’s my faith in G od that has brought
m e this far,” W atson says.
D espite financial and fam ily setbacks,
W atson graduated from Jefferson High
as valedictorian in 1991. She graduated
cum laude from W illam ette U niversity in
1995 and earned her m aster's degree the
next year, boasting a 3.98 G PA .
W atson has been teaching at Sunset
H igh School for the last 5 years. She is
credited w ith starting the first ev er A fri
can A m erican credited course there.
“T he opportunity to shape thousands
o f kids' lives is incredible. It is also daunt
ing and scary, but aw esom e,” W atson
explains, “T he notion that I will touch a
future leader ju st m akes m e feel good,”
she says, “and its fun.”
S he’s looking forw ard to absorbing
know ledge at the H arvard School o f E du
cation. w idely considered to be one o f the
best in the nation. T he program takes
m ost students 4-7 years to com plete.
“If it’s possible, I’d like to do it in
three,” W atson says.
photo by D avid
P lechi TT he P ort
land O bserver
The opportunity to shape
thousands of kids' lives is
incredible. It is also daunting
and scary, but awesome.
— D yan W atson
W hen she gets back from H arvard, she
w ants to be a professor o f Education at
P S U o r Lew is and Clark.
“I w ant to com e back to Portland and
w ork with people that want to becom e
teachers,” says W atson w ho lives in
northeast Portland. “I want to reach out to
the schools, talk to 6th graders, ask them
if th e y ’ve ev er considered teaching."
Right now , W atson sees “a crisis in
Junior Golf Nurtures Young Champions
Leisure Hour kids leam good sportsmanship and ditizenship
Portland Farmer’s Market
T h e N o rth w e st’s b est a rtisa n b ak
ers g ath er to c e le b ra te the b elo v ed
c ra ft o f b rea d b ak in g and local a rti
san food d u rin g the an n u a l S um m er
L o a f at P ortland F arm er’s M ark et on
S aturday, Aug. 3, from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
at P ortlan d S tate U n iv e rsity ’s South
P ark B locks. T ec h n iq u es and re c i
pes sh ared by the a r e a ’s ren o w n ed
b ak e rs are all p art o f th e fun. F or
m o re in fo rm a tio n , g o o n lin e to
w w w .portlandfarm erstnarket.org .
»ummer Jazz Concert
V free su m m er ja z z c o n c e rt w ill be
leld on S u n d ay , A ug. 18, fro m 3 - 5
j.m . at P atto n P ark, a d ja c e n t to the
n te rsta te F ire h o u se C u ltu ra l (Zen
er, 5340 N. In tersta te A ve. G uest
>erform ers are Ron S teen on dru m s,
) a n B alm er, b ass, S h irley N an ette,
rocals. O p en in g act w ill be the P ort-
and Com m unity C ollege’s Jazz Band.
Slue Lake Park
With golf bags in tow, young members of the Leisure Hour Golf Club march
during last month's ‘ Good in the Hood’ parade.
W ednesdays are sp ecial th is sum -
n e r a t M e tro ’s B lue L ake R egional
’ ark w hen N atu ra lly fo r K ids o ffers
<oung v isito rs lots o f th in g s to do.
Kids can learn how to m ake anim al
n a s k so n A ug. 7, from 10 - 11 a.m . at
he C latso p p icn ic sh e lte r. F or m ore
nform ation, call 503-797-1850. The
jark is betw een M arine Dr. and Sandy
91vd., o ff N .E. 223rd A ve.
B y J oy R amos
T he P i » rtland O bserver
W ith the influence o f Tiger W oods
dom inating the golf scene, interest in the
sport has exploded. Portland is nurturing
its ow n T iger w annabes through the Lei
sure Hour G olf Club in northeast Portland.
The long-tim e program has received
w ide acclaim for m entoring m inority
youths to be good sportsm en and citi
I
education.”
£
“T here is a lack o f role m odels," she
says, “at one tim e, it m eant som ething to
be a teacher. The profession attracted the
best and the brightest.”
N ow adays, W atson says, “top notch”
teachers often opt out w ithin a couple
years for better paying professions.
D espite the u n fav o rab le num bers,
W atson also w ants to encourage more
ft
zens. T his very com m itm ent to youth
developm ent earned the club last month, a
two-year grant o f $40,(XX)fmm the Western
States G olf Association. The monies will be
used for transportation, lessons, green fees,
range balls and equipment.
Since its beginnings half a century
ago. the clu b w as started for the purpose
o f getting men and women together w ho
loved to play g o lf and bridge. It evolved
A
differently in 1943 by prom oting an inter
est in g o lf am ong m inority youths.
F ounder V ernon G askin, along with
his w ife, and J. C ullen Fentress, w ent on
to spearhead the W estern States G o lf
A ssoc., a group that has grow n co nsider
ably in size to 32 clubs w ith 1,600 m em
bers.
C urrently, the Leisure H our G o lf Club
in Portland has 65 ju n io r golfers betw een
the age o f 7 to 18-years-old and 20 m en
tors.
As part o f the program , ju n io r golfers
are im m ersed in classroom instruction,
clinics, on-course instruction with m en
tors, and com m unity service.
M any disciplines are required o f the
kids in the program to leam responsibil
ity, on and o ff the g o lf course; Even
parent involvem ent is expected.
Jaimee M ayfield, a 15-year-old Benson
High School student praised the club by
saying. “ I d id n ’t understand or know
anything about g o lf until I jo in ed this
program . I have grow n as an individual
and now have the know ledge to go even
further in life playing g o lf and being a
better person."
This year, the young golfers v olun
teered their tim e at several church sites,
dressed in black and white.
“O ur program has so m uch to offer to
our youths - not only to leam the gam e of
golf, but we also strive to develop the
w hole person w ith love, discipline and
continued
on page B3
people o f color to teach.
“W e have a huge shortage o f black
men in teaching,” she says.
W atson has also led effective div er
sity workshops in Gresham and Beaverton.
She thinks all teachers could stand to be
a little bit better at dealing with ethnicity.
“Y ou d o n ’t have to be black, to be good
with inner city kids.”
She touts an interactive approach to
teaching.
“T hey d o n ’t rem em ber w hat you tell
them but w hat you do.” W atson says.
W a tso n 's m erit scholarship covers
tuition and fees for a year, but is n o n
renewable. A fter the first year she' 11 have
to raise the m oney herself, or take out
loans.
The U rban C hurch o f Portland is ask
ing the com m unity to help out with the
$ 4 5 ,0 0 0 a y ea r tu itio n co st o f the
continued
on page B3
Firefighter’s Civil
Rights Claim Settled
(AP>— The city will pay $100,000 to
settle a civil rights claim by a black
firefighter who w as subjected to deroga
tory racial com m ents and demeaning
pornographic pranks while on the job.
The negotiated settlement with Rick
Fizer, 32, was reached in a mediation
session this month.
Fizer, who was out o f work on a stress-
related disability for six months while his
com plaints were investigated, is back on
the job.
“1 ’ m happy about being back, and I ’ m
pleased with the settlem ent," Fizer said
M onday. “Some m uch-needed changes
are being made."
The Portland Fire Bureau has hired an
outside consultant to assess the bureau ’ s
culture through a 100-question survey,
interviews, station visits and a review of
bureau policies. The consultants will re
port in September w hether changes in
bureau policies or training are needed.
A five-month bureau internal investi
gation into Fizer’s com plaints corrobo
rated allegations that Fizer was subjected
to racist com m ents about "cotton pick
ing in M ississippi," negative com m ents
about the north Portland neighborhoods
the firefighters served and pornographic
pranks.
Five Portland firefighters were d isci
plined last year for their actions. T w o —
including a battalion ch ief — were d e
moted, tw o w ere suspended w ithout
pay and the fifth received a letter o f
reprimand.