COMMUNITY
Page 12 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
July 6, 2020
Verdell Burdine Rutherford Park named after
prominent and beloved Black female leader
Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R)
announced in June that the former
Lynchview Park in east Portland has been
renamed Verdell Burdine Rutherford
Park. It is the first Portland park named
after a prominent and beloved Black
female leader. The park covers nearly 8
acres in the Centennial neighborhood near
S.E. 167th and Market Street, just west of
Patrick Lynch Elementary School.
Before his passing in January 2020,
former parks commissioner Nick Fish
directed a naming committee of nine
community members from the Centennial
neighborhood, the Rosewood Initiative,
and Patrick Lynch Elementary School to
recommend a new name. After reviewing
multiple options, the committee chose to
honor Verdell Burdine Rutherford.
Verdell
Burdine
(pronounced
bur-DYE-n) was born in Oklahoma in
1913. She moved with her family that
same year to Oregon, hoping to obtain
farmland under the Enlarged Homestead
Act of 1909. Upon arrival, however, they
learned that Black people were prohibited
from owning free land in Oregon.
In 1936, Verdell married Otto Ruther-
ford and settled in Portland. Together,
they were leaders of the Oregon chapter of
the NAACP, a national civil-rights
organization, and oversaw one of the
NAACP’s biggest victories — the passage
of the Public Accommodations Act of 1953,
which outlawed discrimination in public
places on the basis of race, religion, or
national origin.
Rutherford was also a historian of the
Black community in Portland. In 2011, a
decade after Verdell’s passing, her
daughter, Charlotte, gifted her historical
collection to Portland State University. It
remains accessible for academic research
and public use as desired by Verdell.
“Mom rightfully considered herself a
local historian,” said Charlotte. “She was
that and so very much more: a beautiful
woman with a kind heart and a wonderful
sense of humor; a very good cook,
especially her yeast rolls; and most
importantly to and for me, a loving,
supportive, and inspirational mother. She
was a hardworking volunteer and com-
munity activist who did not seek the
limelight, but she would have accepted
this honor humbly, knowing that this park
will provide a place for the community to
gather together.”
“I am honored to recognize Verdell
Burdine Rutherford’s role as a leader and
historian for the Black community by
selecting her name for the first Portland
park named after a Black woman,” said
Portland mayor Wheeler. “This renaming
is an important way to recognize her
contributions to Portland and to show that
Portland is learning from its racist past to
create a more equitable future.”
PP&R recently completed construction
on significant park improvements at the
park, thanks to funding from the 2014
ICONIC OREGONIAN HONORED. A park
in east Portland has been renamed Verdell Burdine
Rutherford Park, the first Portland park named after a
prominent and beloved Black female leader. Located
near S.E. 167th and Market Street, it covers nearly 8
acres. (Photo/Naim Hasan Photography, courtesy of
Portland Parks & Recreation)
Parks Replacement Bond and Parks
System Development Charges. Improve-
ments include a new playground, picnic
shelter, paved pathways, a Portland Loo
(expected to be open in Summer 2020),
public art, and a renovated grass soccer
field.
“This new park name and its
improvements create a more welcoming
and much-needed community space for the
Centennial neighborhood,” said PP&R
director Adena Long.
Due to the current COVID-19 situation,
there are restrictions and/or closures on
many sites. All PP&R playgrounds are
currently closed. All parks, natural areas,
and trails remain open. PP&R asks park
users to please follow all public health
guidelines and maintain six feet of social
distancing with others, including park
staff who are working. For updated infor-
mation on closures and cancellations, visit
<www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/COVID-
19>.
A community celebration at Verdell
Burdine Rutherford Park will be held at a
later date. To learn more, visit <www.
portlandoregon.gov/parks/73739>.
Red panda Mei Mei gives birth to a tiny cub at the Oregon Zoo
What’s cuter than a red panda? How about a baby red
panda? Fluffy four-year-old Mei Mei has given birth to a
cub at the Oregon Zoo.
The new arrival entered the world June 18 and weighs
about half a pound. Mom and baby are doing well in their
behind-the-scenes maternity den, according to zoo
animal-care staff.
“We’re very happy for Mei Mei, and it’s terrific to see her
taking such good care of her baby,” said animal curator
Amy Cutting, who oversees the zoo’s red panda area.
“There’s still a lot that could happen, so we’re being
cautious and giving her as much privacy as possible. So far
she seems to be doing just fine.”
Red panda cubs are born blind, their eyes opening after
a few weeks, and they typically don’t leave their maternity
den for a few months after birth. Animal-care staff are
taking a hands-off approach, monitoring Mei Mei and her
cub via a surveillance camera to make sure all is going
well.
“We’ll be watching closely,” Cutting said. “The first few
weeks are especially important. Our staff is dedicated to
giving Mei Mei everything she needs to be a successful
mom. So far, she’s doing great on her own, and the fact
that she’s successfully raised cubs in the past is
encouraging.”
Mei Mei and Moshu, the cub’s father, are no strangers to
the parenting game. The pair — who both came to Oregon
in 2019 on a recommendation for red pandas from the
Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums — also produced two cubs at the Nashville Zoo
in 2017.
Red pandas are considered an endangered species, with
RED PANDA CUB. Four-year-old red panda Mei Mei has given birth
to a cub (pictured) at the Oregon Zoo. (Photo/Nicole Nicassio-Hiskey,
courtesy of the Oregon Zoo)
populations declining by about 50% in the past 20 years.
While exact numbers are uncertain, some estimates
indicate as few as 2,500 may be left in the wild. In addition
to habitat loss and fragmentation, red pandas also face
threats from poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.
Though they share part of their name with giant
pandas, red pandas are in a class all by themselves: The
sharp-toothed, ring-tailed omnivores are the only
members of the Ailuridae family. Found in the montane
forests of the Himalayas and major mountain ranges of
southwestern China (Nepal, India, Bhutan, China, and
Myanmar), their striking red, white, and black fur
provides camouflage in the shadowed nooks of the trees
amongst reddish moss and white lichens.
To learn more about the red pandas at the Oregon Zoo,
visit <www.oregonzoo.org/discover/animals/red-panda>.
To view video, go to <https://youtu.be/MdVevczaPP4>.
The Oregon Zoo is planning to re-open soon. For more
information, call (503) 226-1561 or visit <www.
oregonzoo.org>.
Health science grads go from online to the frontline
As colleges transitioned to learning
online this spring in response to COVID-
19, this year’s healthcare graduates went
from learning during a world pandemic to
working the frontlines of one.
On March 1, governor Brown declared a
state of emergency in response to the new
coronavirus. She issued executive order
No. 20-09 on March 8, suspending higher
education in-person instruction through
April 28. Her subsequent order on April 7
extended remote operations and online
learning through June 13.
In the span of just 20 days, Clackamas
Community College (CCC) went from the
declaration of state of emergency to the
start of spring term, where instructors
were expected to teach online and
employees to work from home. This was a
monumental task for CCC, like all the
colleges across the state.
This was also a challenge for students
finishing their degrees in healthcare
fields, who typically need to complete
required clinical, laboratory, and other
in-person instruction for their degrees and
certificates. Most healthcare classes were
moved online spring term, but the
governor’s executive order had an
exemption for healthcare classes that
could not be conducted remotely if Oregon
Health Authority guidelines could be met.
To keep students on track to graduate,
CCC mailed lab kits to students and
created virtual simulations for classes
being offered online. For the classes held in
person, CCC had rigorous cleaning
procedures, daily temperature and health
checks, and required masks and physical
distancing. “My instructors never failed to
tell us, ‘Wash your hands’ and ‘PPE
(personal protection equipment) on,’”
Rosidee Wicke, a Happy Valley resident
and CCC graduate, said.
For dental student Anya Alexander of
Oregon City, navigating online classes was
not difficult. However, “not being able to go
into lab was a hard adjustment. Dental
assisting is such a hands-on career, so not
being able to physically touch instruments
and go through procedures made things
complicated. Our instructors did a terrific
job trying to make the drastic change in
our learning environment easier.”
Nursing student Bailey Funston of
Milwaukie was challenged to complete her
required 220 hours of working in a clinical
setting when COVID-19 hit. “With the
pandemic, clinical sites were not an option.
To make up these 220 hours, my nursing
class had to complete online virtual
nursing simulation and online case
studies,” she said. “Although this is not
ideal, I definitely feel that this clinical
work will help in studying for the NCLEX
[National Council Licensure Examina-
tion].”
Last month, colleges and universities in
Oregon were provided guidelines from the
Higher Education Coordinating Commis-
sion and the Oregon Health Authority for
returning to campus and in-person
instruction. CCC is currently working on
its plan to safely re-open the college and
return to the classroom in stages.
“Our priority is our career technical
education classes, particularly those in the
health sciences,” Cynthia Risan, dean of
technology, applied science, and public
services, said. “There is a demand for these
frontline healthcare professionals, who
are risking themselves every day to keep
the community safe.”
Clackamas
Community
College’s
nursing program has long been a sought-
after program for those aspiring to enter
the healthcare field. Nursing students at
CCC learn relevant and prevalent health
needs of the population, including health
promotion, chronic illness management,
care of the acutely ill, and end-of-life care.
“I knew that CCC’s nursing program
was one of the best programs in the state
and student passing rate for the NCLEX
was quite high,” Funston said. “Faculty
has done an amazing job with preparing us
to be frontline workers because they have
really [helped] meld our critical thinking,
problem solving, and nursing judgement.
All of these attributes are absolutely
necessary to properly care for patients.”
During her final term of nursing school
at CCC, Funston worked on-call as a
certified nursing assistant at Providence
Portland Medical Center. She primarily
worked in the surgical units but worked
one shift on a COVID-19-positive floor.
“This was my first time within this
environment, and it further solidified my
belief that I want to be a nurse and help
sick individuals in their most vulnerable
state,” she said.
Though some may not think of dentistry
as a necessity during a pandemic or that
dental workers are essential employees,
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