Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, March 09, 2022, Page 2, Image 2

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    Page 2
March 09, 2022
Black Focus Charter
School Supported
Wendy Weissman
KairosPDX, the public charter
school in north Portland started
by Black women to serve Black
and Brown kids, recently hon-
ored two individuals who have
helped shape the elementary
school community.
Betty Dorsey was recipient
of the 2022 KairosPDX Leader-
ship Award. An educator for the
past 50 years, Dorsey was born
in 1937 and raised in Beaumont,
Texas. Teaching always was a
part of her life, beginning at a
young age when she would teach
neighborhood children under a
tree in her grandmother’s yard.
One of the first Black people
to help integrate Lamar College,
now Lamar University, Dorsey
received her degrees in music
and education. Now retired, she
is remembered by the children
she taught and her reach has ex-
tended beyond the classroom to
park programs, churches and se-
nior centers, officials said.
Wendy Weissman is the re-
cipient of the 2022 KairosPDX
Ambassador Service Award. A
supporter of KairosPDX since
before the school was officially
established.
Weissman came to KairosP-
DX through Social Venture Part-
ners Portland and served as the
LeadPartner in that capacity.
She is also a long time volun-
teer with Friends of the Children
and NAYA, the Native Ameri-
can Youth and Family Center in
northeast Portland.
The
Week in Review
Precision Castparts Corp. has
agreed to pay $22.5 million to
settle a class-action lawsuit that
accused its metal casting facility
in southeast Portland of polluting
nearby homes with toxic metals.
Officials said $12.5 million in
payments will be made to neigh-
boring residents and their lawyers.
Black Landmarks Approved
Three Portland Black History
landmarks—Mt. Olivet Baptist
Church, Dean’s Beauty Salon
and Barber Shop, and the Gold-
en West Hotel—won approval to
the National Register of Historic
Places Friday. “These landmarks
are important to understand our
history and demonstrate the resil-
ience of Portland’s Black commu-
nity despite systemic racism and
government-sponsored clearance,
redevelopment,
disinvestment
and gentrification,” said U.S. Rep.
Earl Blumenauer.
Portland Bans Fireworks
Retired educator Betty Dorsey
is honored for her longtime
support for the KairosPDX
community, a public charter
school started by Black women
to serve Black and Brown kids.
Toxic Air Settlement
The Portland City Council last
week voted to ban the sale and
use of fireworks in the city, citing
rising temperatures, drought and
increased fire risk from climate
change. A fire at the Heidi Manor
apartments in northeast Portland
last July 4 was ignited after some-
one threw fireworks in a dump-
ster. Three people died.
Schools Ease Masking Rules
Portland Public Schools Fri-
day announced that beginning on
Monday, March 14, the district
will transition to optional masking
for all staff and students. This is
aligned with the new COVID-19
public health guidance released by
the Center for Disease Control &
Prevention along with state and
local health agencies.
Court Ends Cosby Case
The U.S. Supreme Court an-
nounced Monday that it would
not review Bill Cosby’s sexual
assault case, leaving him a free
man. He was released from pris-
on in June after the Pennsylva-
nia Supreme Court overturned
his 2018 sexual assault convic-
tion on the grounds that his due
process rights had been violated.
New Homeless Services Hub
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler
announced last week he would
create a new homeless service
hub within the city government,
streamlining the work of various
departments that interact with
people living outside, breaking
down barriers to housing.
Lunch Hour Homicide
The victim of a shooting ho-
micide that happened during the
lunch hour near North Williams
Avenue and Dawson Park on
Wednesday, March 1, was iden-
tified as 55-year-old Mark John-
son of Portland. Monday, Joseph
Banks, 50, was charged in the case
for 2nd degree murder.
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