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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 8, 2015)
J u fl y 8 , 20 1 5 P a g e 5 H e a r t f e fl t Mfinorfity Entrepreneurs Rank Hfigh for Loans C au s e C ONTINUED FROM F RONT mon ey to p rop e r fly m a rk h fi s p fl a c e and h fi s fl eg a cy . Th ey s e a r ch ed an c e s t ry r e co rd s , and sough t ou t po t en t fi a fl r e fl a t fiv e s and d e s c end an t s who m figh t know any th fing abou t th e m an who b rok e so m any b a r r fi - e r s so flong ago . D fi s t an t r e fl a t fiv e s o f W a t e r fo rd w e r e found fin C an ad a bu t cou fld no t a t t end th e Jun e 26 d ed fi c a t fion o f th e n ew m a rk e r . Bu t M fi fl fl e r and h fi s s tud en t s w e r e ab fl e to fin t e r- rup t th e fi r summ e r s ch edu fl e s to jo fin o th e r fi r efigh t e r s and th e fi r f am fi fl fi e s to comm em- o r a t e W a t e r fo rd ’ s fl eg a cy . Don Po r th , a r e t fi r ed Po r t fl and fi r efigh t- e r who wo rk ed w fi th th e M ad fi son con t fin - g en cy and fi s v fi c e p r e s fid en t o f th e Lon e F fi r C em e t e ry Found a t fion , s a fid fi t w a s fin sp fi r fing w a t ch fing th e s tud en t s d fi s cov e r Po r t fl and h fi s to ry and wo rk w fi th flo c a fl h fi s- to r fi an s and m emo r fi a fl s e rv fi c e s to c r e a t e ch ang e . H e s a fid W a t e r fo rd w a s no t a flon e fin h fi s m a rk e r - fl e s s s t a t e and th a t a s f a r a s h e kn ew a t fl e a s t 17 Po r t fl and fi r efigh t e r g r av e s no flong e r h av e a m a rk e r . “ I ’v e fl e a rn ed th e m a rk e r s s fink fin to th e g round , d fi s app e a r , c rumb fl e up , and th e g round und e rn e a th th em g e t s so f t fin th e w fin t e r , ” s a fid Po r th abou t th e m fi s s fing h e ad s ton e s . “So I don ’ t th fink W a t e r fo rd fi s a flon e fin th a t and I don ’ t w an t to s fing fl e h fim ou t . M any fi r efigh t e r s h av e m fi s s fing m a rk e r s a t th fi s po fin t , and I don ’ t w an t to m ak e fi t a fl fl abou t on e guy , bu t fi t ’ s am a z- fing th a t th ey cou fld do so mu ch so qu fi ck - fly . Th e r e a r e m any o th e r s and I hop e w e c an a fl so sp end som e t fim e g e t t fing to fl e a rn abou t th em , th a t th fi s m figh t s e t a p r e c ed en t to do mo r e fo r th em a s w e fl fl and ju s t k e ep fin tou ch w fi th ou r own h fi s to ry . ” Ch and fl e r , th e h fi s to r fi an who b rough t W a t e r fo rd ’ s fl fi f e to th e s tud en t s ’ a t t en t fion , po fin t ed ou t th a t W a t e r fo rd h ad b e en th e son o f a f r e ed s fl av e f rom T enn e s s e e and a K en tu cky wom an who h ad , th rough som e fl ev e fl o f d fi ffi cu fl ty and a flo t o f t r av e fl , ev en - tu a fl fly end ed up fin Po r t fl and . “Mo s t p eop fl e don ’ t h av e th e fluxu ry o f know fing wh en th ey a r e m ak fing h fi s to ry , ” s a fid Ch and fl e r . “Th e s e h figh s choo fl s tu - d en t s d fid and th ey m ad e som e h fi s to ry o f th e fi r own . I am v e ry p roud o f th e wo rk th a t M r . M fi fl fl e r ’ s s tud en t s d fid . Th ey r e a fl fly fimp r e s s ed m e . ” Th e s tud en t s a fl so h av e fl e f t s e ed s o f mo r e so c fi a fl ch ang e fo r th e fi r up com fing y e a r ’ s c fl a s s . M fi fl fl e r s a fid h fi s s tud en t s w fi fl fl b e fo fl flow fing up on e f fo r t s to ch ang e th e n am e o f D e fl t a P a rk fin no r th Po r t fl and to V anpo r t P a rk , fin hono r o f th e A f r fi c an Am e r fi c an commun fi ty th a t ex fi s t ed fin th e a r e a p r fio r to a d fi s a s t rou s flood fin 1948 . On th e su c c e s s fu fl e f fo r t to hono r W a- t e r fo rd , M fi fl fl e r s a fid , h e w a s h appy fo r h fi s s tud en t s . “So m any p eop fl e h e flp ed u s . W e go t don a t fion s f rom th e R e t fi r ed F fi r efigh t e r s So c fi e ty and F r fi end s o f th e Lon e F fi r C em- e t e ry and a d fi s coun t on a h e ad s ton e , ” h e s a fid . “Th fi s fi s som e th fing w e a fl fl d fid to - g e th e r . ” Th e O r egon A s so c fi a t fion o f M fino r fi ty En t r ep r en eu r s w a s r e c en t fly r e cogn fi z ed by th e Sm a fl fl Bu s fin e s s Adm fin fi s t r a t fion a s th e No . 1 m fi c ro fl end e r o f th e W e s t e rn U .S . and No . 2 n a t fion a fl fly among 178 m fi- c ro fl end e r s fin th e coun t ry . OAME m fi c ro flo an s h e flp wom- en -own ed , m fino r fi ty -own ed and em e r g fing sm a fl fl bu s fin e s s e s fin O r egon and sou thw e s t W a sh fing ton to a c c e s s sho r t t e rm c ap fi t a fl th ey n e ed to b e com e su c c e s s fu fl . P r ev fiou s fly r ank ed a s th e No . 7 m fi c ro fl end e r fin 2013 , th e non -p rofi t o r g an fi z a - t fion adv an c ed to fi t s n ew po s fi t fion by fin - c r e a s fing th e vo flum e o f flo an s to qu a fl fifi ed bo r row e r s . “W e a r e p roud to b e r e cogn fi z ed fo r roo k s ou r con t finu ed su c c e s s and hop e to fu r - Sam B th e r th e suppo r t fo r MWESB s by ou r pub fl fi c and p r fiv a t e s e c to r p a r tn e r s , ” s a fid S am B rook s , th e found e r and ch a fi rm an o f OAME . OAME h a s b e en fin ex fi s t en c e fo r ov e r 28 y e a r s , h e flp fi ng p romo t e and d ev e flop m fino r fi ty en t r ep r en eu r sh fip and e conom fi c d ev e flopm en t fin th e Po r t fl and a r e a . OAME wo rk s fin p a r tn e r sh fip b e tw e en e thn fi c m fi- no r fi t fi e s , en t r ep r en eu r s , edu c a t fion , gov e rn- m en t and e s t ab fl fi sh ed co rpo r a t e bu s fin e s s e s . Th e SBA ’ s M fi c ro flo an p rog r am p ro- v fid e s flo an s o f up to $50 ,000 to h e flp sm a fl fl bu s fin e s s e s , w fi th OAME ’ s av e r ag e m fi c ro- flo an amoun t to $9 ,000 . Fo r any qu e s t fion s abou t th e OAME m fi c ro flo an p rog r am , v fi s fi t o am e .o r g o r c a fl fl M a t t Ru t t e r a t 503 -249 -7744 . S choo fl Bo a rd W e fl com e s N ew M emb e r s Fou r n ew d fi r e c to r s to th e Po r t fl and S choo fl Bo a rd o ffi c fi a fl fly took th e fi r s e a t s Mond ay ev en fing . Th ey won e fl e c t fion to th e s ev en m emb e r p an e fl fin M ay a f t e r th r e e fin cumb en t s s t epp ed down and an - o th e r flo s t a t figh t r a c e . Amy Kohn s t amm d e f e a t ed th r e e - t e rm fin cumb en t Bobb fi e R eg an , wh fi fl e n ew com e r s P au fl An thony , Ju fl fi e E sp a r z a B rown , and M fik e Ro s en won th e op en s e a t s . Th ey jo fin d fi r e c to r s S t ev e Bu e fl , T om Ko eh fl e r and P am Know fl e s . Ko eh fl e r w fi fl fl s e rv e a s bo a rd ch a fi r and Kohn s t amm a s v fi c e - ch a fi r . Th e n ew bo a rd m emb e r s w e r e swo rn fin by O r egon Sup r em e Cou r t Ch fi e f Ju s - t fi c e Thom a s B a flm e r .
