Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2011)
WWW . THESKANNER . COM M Ay 18, 2011 P ORTLAND & S EATTLE V OLUME XXXIII, N O . 29 25 CENTS i nsiDe Editorial: Bad Regulators page 4 Portland Peace Prize page 2 Real-World Finances C hallenging P eoPle to S haPe a B etter F uture n ow County’s Black Men Speak Up page 9 Backpack Drop Commissioner Loretta Smith reaches out to underserved residents by brian stimson Of The Skanner News PHOTO cOurTesy Of Jean LOOmis W hen it comes to budget decision making, there’s an old saying: The squeaky wheel gets the grease. And last week, when Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith held a meeting directed at African American males from the ages of 12 to 25, there were a lot of squeaky wheels. The meeting hall was packed. Drawing in many more – and older — men than intend- ed. “They felt they had something to say,” she told the Skanner news. And say they did. For more than two and a half hours both attendees and scheduled experts talked about many of the long- standing issues plaguing the Black commu- nity and what was needed of government, individuals, schools and the community to help solve the diverse range of problems. Many of the men were students, express- ing their frustrations with a school system that didn’t challenge them enough; students who were unaware of the health services provided free of charge; difficulty in finding mentors; frustration with classmates who didn’t anticipate their future, difficulty of landing a summer job, etc. For many expert panelists, there was no one or simple solution. Dr. Harold Briggs, Portland State University: “We don’t have skills for suc- cess embedded in education systems or spheres in life we frequent.” Dr. Daymond Glenn, George Fox University: “Everyone’s looking for a sim- plistic answer. If we just do this, our prob- lems will be solved, if we just do that, our problems will be solved. Let me tell you something, the problems plaguing our com- munity are complex. It’s going to take a lot of different answers to solve our problems.” Aldis Hodge, actor on “Leverage”: “You have to be willing to sacrifice, look at your- Local Delta Sigma Theta sorority member Jean Loomis was with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this last week when they dropped off school supplies, toys and treats during Operation Backpack Drop. “The opportunity to experience the Afghan culture and to show a different view of Americans to young children was a great way to spend Mother’s Day,” said Loomis, an administrative assistant here deployed from the Portland District Corps of Engineers. “I hope that by showing the young people we are concerned about their well being we made a lasting impact. I can’t think of a better way to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people than to help the children. The smiles and thanks we received were great Mother’s Day gifts.” Local Delta Helps Afghan Kids Operation Backpack Drop provides supplies, money for schools J ean Loomis assists the Army Corps of Engineers to give orphans school supplies Local Delta Sigma Theta sorority member Jean Loomis was with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this last week when they dropped off school supplies, toys and treats dur- ing Operation Backpack Drop. “The opportunity to experi- ence the Afghan culture and to show a different view of Americans to young children was a great way to spend Mother’s Day,” said Loomis, an administrative assistant here deployed from the Portland District Corps of Engineers. “I hope that by showing the young people we are concerned about their well being we made a lasting impact. I can’t think of a bet- ter way to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people than to help the children. The smiles and thanks we received were great Mother’s Day gifts.” Many of the donations came Aged 5 to 18, the children are all considered orphans from AED-N member’s home because their parents are districts, like Sharon Schwab from Waynesville, Ohio who either dead or disabled. Each of the 160 students is a senior electrical engineer that attend the all-boys Ostad technician over special proj- Khalil Ullah Khalili Orphans ects here with the Quality Branch and Education Center located in Assurance from the Kabul received a new back- deployed pack filled with pens, paper, Huntington, W. Va District pencils, notebooks, crayons, Corps of Engineers. “I sent out emails and post- erasers, rulers, sharpeners, toys, a puzzle and candy ed on Facebook that we were delivered by members of the looking for puzzle donations,” Afghanistan Engineer see backPacks on page 12 District-North. see fOrum on page 3 inDeX News .........2,3,9,10,12 Opinion ..................4,5 A & E ......................6,7 Food.......................8,9 Bids/Classifieds ........11 Army Will Review Medal of Honor Bid Will Black WWI hero finally receive America’s highest military award? by Helen silvis Of The Skanner News L ast weekend, Sen. Charles Schumer of New York sent a letter to Army Sec. John McHugh requesting America’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor, for WWI hero Sgt. Henry Lincoln Johnson. It was 93 years to the day after Johnson fought off a band of 20 enemy soldiers in the dead of night. A member of the famed 369th, the Harlem Hellfighters, Johnson fought on after his rifle jammed and despite his wounds, using his bolo knife, rifle butt and bare hands to save a comrade and repel the attack. PHOTO: Sgt. Johnson's son Tuskegee Airman Herman Johnson (right) accepting the Distinguished Service Cross for his father with Vietnam Veteran John Howe (left) “On this momentous occasion of the 93rd anniversary of the legendary Battle of Henry Johnson, I am deeply honored and humbled to recommend this brave and self- less hero of World War I for our nation’s highest award: the Medal of Honor,” writes Sen. Schumer in the letter. see meDaL on page 3
