April 27.2011
a'lft P ortland (Observer
Page 7
Unique Garden Engages Communities of Color
c o n t i n u e d f r o m fron t
ers are anxious to promote health,
wellness, and cultural enrichment in
the African and African American
communities.
“Community members expressed
a strong desire to have increased
gardening space, affordable, cul­
turally relevant fruits and veg­
etables, and to engage in commu­
nity gardening as a means to de­
c rease so cial is o la tio n ,” said
Charlene McGee, one of the orga­
nizers of the Urban Harvest Garden
who also serves as board president
of the African American W omen’s
Coalition.
Work began on the once vacant
lot of 741 N. Beech St. and Albina
ik ö e flflM fl!
Real People, Real Advice
\ n advice column
known fo r reality
based subjects!
D ear D eanna!
I loaned money to my girlfriend’s
husband and now he won’t pay the
money back. I did this personal
favor without talking to my friend
first. He is now telling me to stop
harassing him or he’s going to ac­
cuse me of trying to sleep with him.
I ’ ve been sending him e-mails to call
along with text messages and I’ve
called his cell phone. I thought I was
doing the right thing by not men­
tioning the loan. How do I get my
money without jeopardizing my
friendship? -M iss CeeCee; A t­
lanta, GA
D ear CeeCee:
It’s to your advantage to go ahead
and write the money off unless
you’re willing to bring drama in your
life. Ifthere’s no promissory note or
paper trail indicating you loaned the
money and it would be paid back,
you’re stuck. You’re being black­
mailed and it’s going to get worse.
Tell your friend about the loan, stop
looking for payment and whatever
happens in their relationship is not
your fault because you chose to be
honest and have integrity.
D ear D eanna!
My mother stayed friends with my
wife after our divorce. My ex-wife
cheated on me, placed me in debt
and wrecked another m an’s family.
My mother is still holding on to her
because my wife was the daughter
she never had. I have no use for this
woman and wish my mother would
do the same. We are arguing more
and more and the family is starting
to divide. How do I make my mother
understand that she needs to let go
and move on? -StressedO ut; Pitts­
burgh, PA
Advertise in Thc Portland
Avenue in February. Owned for
over a decade by the local Urban
League, the space was first covered
with cardboard, dug up, re-soiled,
and prepped for spring planting.
This month, community members
gathered to resume hammering,
shoveling, and planting.
“We want to give people a
chance to garden, especially those
who wouldn't normally be able to,”
said Kyle Weismann-Yee, a com­
munication associate for the Urban
League. “On a tight-budget, it’s hard
to buy locally grown, organic foods
at the supermarket.”
The goal is to plant healthy, fresh
foods that are favorites to the local
African American and immigrant
African populations. The space
should provide sufficient room for
up to 30 families to plant and harvest
their produce.
On the recent planting day, vol­
unteers young and old dressed to
get dirty and shoveled dark, rich soil
atop raised garden beds and rows of
earth. Community elders helped
young ones drop seeds of baby
green lettuce, sweet onions, toma­
toes, collard greens, sweet pota­
toes, okra, leek, chard, and more.
“We want the community to uti­
lize this plot, especially African-
A m erican p eo p le, said Inger
McDowell, head of the diversity
and civic leadership program of
Urban League of Portland.
McDowell continued, “It is im­
p o rta n t that we m ake it
intergenerational, a common space
for youth and elders to build toward
something.”
Mapping out designs for the
garden, including a wooden fence
and a structure to hold six giant rain
barrels to collect water for irrigation,
was Ty Schwoeffermann, the Port­
land Urban League’s health equity
organizer, who learned to garden
from his Caribbean mother.
“She was around plants her whole
life, so she taught me a lot and had
us working in the garden,” he said.
Schwoeffermann also has experi­
ence from a former job at a molecular
biology lab in Eugene where he
learned the under workings of grow­
ing com.
Just as important as the passing
of cultural values and information
from one generation to the next, is
the principle of recycling and regen­
eration.
Volunteers tore apart recycled
crates donated by the Rebuilding
Center for the wooden planks that
would make the fence.
Though some funding was made
possible through the partnership of
the Urban League of Portland and
the African W omen’s Coalition,
most of the materials needed for the
project were donated or recycled.
The project received tools, tips,
and information about gardening
from the Urban Farm Store, shed
equipment from Northeast Tool
Shed, and bark dust from the city’s
forestry department.
D ear Stressed Out:
A divorce is like death and there
must be a grieving period before
moving on. Your m other had an
em otional attachm ent and fam ­
ily bond with your wife. It’strue
that spouses d o n ’t m arry the
family but your case is an excep­
tion. Your m other has forgiven
her for the pain and you should
talk to your m other and seek
healing. Ify o u r m other is happy
and no harm or disrespect is
com ing your way, leave it alone
and let things run its course.
D ear D eanna!
I left a relationship twice and
each time I went back. After
each separation my boyfriend
prom ised he would change by
not drinking, not chasing women
and w ould h elp a ro u n d the
house. It took a m onth or so
before he went back to his old
ways. I feel the third time would
really be different because he’s
crying, offering to get saved and
b eg g in g rea lly hard. W hat
ground rules should I give him if
I go down this road again? —
M ichelle; Jackson, M S
D ear M ichelle:
Give him a map with directions to
alcoholics anonym ous, a Bible
to show him the way of life and
a phone num ber for a good coun­
selor. If this relationship is go­
ing to be successful, he needs to
work on his issues before trying
to be with you or anyone else.
After he makes the com m itm ent
to him self, you should support
him and re-build your friendship.
Only time will tell if h e ’s sincere
and if he sticks to the plan for a
while, it’s worth a shot.
Ask Deanna is written by Deanna
M. Write Ask Deanna! at the email
askdeannal@ yahoo.com or 264
S. LaCienega Blvd. Suite 1283
Beverly Hills. CA 90211. Website:
www, askdeanna. com
Observe!? 503-288-0033
Power Seat
jobs and other services,” he says.
“One size doesn’t fit all neighbor­
hoods.”
The Planning Commission has
been a respected sounding board
c o n t i n u e d f r o m front
haven't had as much development and regulator on land use decisions,
in the past, we want to preserve but appeals and even greater deci­
the other members have been there the businesses that are there and sion-making power rests with City
a long time.”
foster growth, and provide op­ Council, and sometimes the Council
Bom in North Dakota, Baugh’s portunities for people in those has pushed the point.
family moved to Oregon when he neighborhoods to become entre­
Recently the Com m ission rec­
was two, and lived in several cities. preneurs,” he said. “Downtown is om m ended that Portland Public
He graduated from Astoria High very im portant, but we also need Schools be required to go through
School and the University of Or­ healthy neighborhoods. There we complex land review processes to
egon, earning a degree in Political start with small businesses, which change grade levels at schools.
Science. He has lived in Portland are 80 percent o f all our busi­ M ayor Sam Adams took the un­
since 1991.
n e sse s.”
usual step o f ordering the Bureau
The Planning and Sustainability
Baugh brings credentials of his o f Planning and Sustainability to
Commission’s first assignment on own to the issue of equity. He was submit recom m endations more to
formulating the Portland Plan is “ex­ among those who called the Port­ the school district’s liking, effec­
tremely important,” Baugh says. land Development Commission to tively pulling an end run around
“W e’re planning for the next 25 task for failing to provide opportu­ the Planning Com mission.
years. There’s no need to go further nities for women and minority con­
Baugh says he is not bothered by
than the census to know that change tractors and construction workers. such treatment.
is coming. This city will look differ­
More recently, as a consultant,
“Council is the final authority,”
ent, and we have to plan for it. Our he was the principal author of a he says. “T hey’re elected, w e’re
neighborhoods will change whether diversity study which assessed the appointed. Clearly we want to bet
we want them to or not, but how do city’s performance in this area.
it right, but we understand it’s
we preserve opportunities for the
“In the overall scheme of things their right to say, ‘We think it
people who are there? It’s hard work PDC has done well,” Baugh says. could be done differently.’ We
and messy, and I don’t know one “They have the opportunity to do could do a better jo b of explaining
single tool to do it.”
more. Have they made progress? our decisions to Council, how we
Preliminary goals on the Portland Y es. Could they do more? There are got there. But w e’re not 100 per­
Plan include calls for economic pros­ opportunities.”
cent right.”
perity (both by businesses and in­
Baugh also has expertise to con­
In the Portland Plan, to make ev­
dividual households), a function­ tribute in the realm of transporta­ erything fit, Baugh says, “We need
ing education system, and healthy, tion; he formerly served as a City of to hear from a lot of people, includ­
connected neighborhoods.
Portland transportation planner, ing those who don't normally show
Over-riding all of the work is the and was project manager on the up for processes such as this, and
concept of equity.
redesign of Northeast Martin Luther make sure we listen to everyone and
The equity goal, Baugh says, King Jr. Boulevard.
consider their viewpoints. Hope­
does not just mean providing for the
“We need to figure out how fully, w e’ 11 come up with acomplex
poor or for disadvantaged minori­ people, wherever they live, get to answer.”
ties. It means that everyone has
access to opportunities necessary
to satisfy essential needs, advance
FACEBOOK/DOSAYSTUDIOCRHYSAW
their well-being and achieve their
PRESENTS:
full potential. Or, as Baugh says,
(UNDER 12 FREE)
How are we providing opportuni­
ties for growth for all of our resi­
dents?”
Equity also means ensuring that
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WITH
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all neighborhoods, regardless of I »
w-w-m
WRIGHT^
location or economic status, have
TAMARA WALKS*
(FIYA)
access to basic services.
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