News Release from: Portland Parks & Recreation
PORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION'S UNIVERSITY PARK COMMUNITY CENTER TO BE RENAMED FOR CHARLES JORDAN:
Posted: July 17th, 2012 8:56 AM
Photo/sound file: http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2012-07/1399/56114/Charles_Jordan_Parks_Director.jpg (Former PP&R Director Charles Jordan. Photo courtesy: Portland Parks & Recreation, Portland, OR)
Photo/sound file: http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2012-07/1399/56114/Charles_Jordan_Waterfront_Park.jpg (Former PP&R Director Charles Jordan. Photo courtesy: Portland Parks & Recreation, Portland, OR)
July 17, 2012
For Immediate Release
City to Honor a Portland Visionary with Community Celebration
(Portland, OR) -
Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) invites the public to celebrate the renaming of University Park Community Center in honor of Charles Jordan on July 22 at 3:30pm.
The Portland City Council voted unanimously on June 6 to rename the center for Jordan, the nationally-renowned former City Commissioner and PP&R Director.
"There will never be someone in the Parks family more deserving of this honor," says Portland Parks Commissioner Nick Fish. "Charles Jordan is a champion who's connected generations of children and families to their parks. One of his most memorable sayings is, 'We're more than fun and games' - reminding us all of the importance that recreation programs play in building good citizens and thriving communities."
University Park Community Center - soon to be the Charles Jordan Community Center - was originally made possible through the efforts of Charles Jordan. He won voter approval to turn the run-down building - which had been built to house shipyard workers in the former Vanport in the 1940s - into a thriving center for community life. Today, the center that will bear his name is one of the best and most-visited community centers in Portland.
"I draw great inspiration from this amazing man," says current PP&R Director Mike Abbaté. "I am humbled to follow in his footsteps."
WHAT: Charles Jordan Community Celebration
WHEN: Sunday, July 22, 3:30-6:30pm
WHERE: University Park Community Center (soon to be the Charles Jordan Community Center), 9009 N. Foss Ave, Portland, OR 97203
WHO: Free and open to all
Valued community sponsors include NIKE, Fred Meyer, Village Market, and Safeway.
The event will be followed by a free concert featuring Linda Hornbuckle in PP&R's neighboring McCoy Park.
Confirmed guests include Mayor Sam Adams and all four City Commissioners, former mayors Tom Potter, Vera Katz and Bud Clark, former Portland Parks & Recreation Director Zari Santner, State Senator Chip Fields and former State Senator Avel Gordly.
Family-friendly activities include PP&R's rock climbing wall, a nature scavenger hunt, games, and a kids' performance. Hot dogs, cupcakes and cold drinks will be served.
About Charles Jordan
Charles Jordan, former Portland City Commissioner and former Director of Portland Parks & Recreation, served this community for more than three decades.
After spending his early life in rural Texas, Jordan served as an officer in the U.S. Army. He received his B.S. from Gonzaga University in Education, Sociology, and Philosophy. In 2001, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Law degree by the University of Vermont.
Jordan spent 10 years as Portland's first African-American City Commissioner beginning in 1974. He then served 14 years as Director of Portland Parks & Recreation, retiring in 2003. Jordan literally changed Portland's landscape by overseeing 44 new parks and natural areas during his tenure.
Jordan was the force behind Portland landmarks such as Pioneer Courthouse Square, the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, Delta Park, Southwest Community Center, renovations to Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Matt Dishman Community Center, and many more public projects and successes.
As City Commissioner, Charles Jordan was noted for his innovative and unconventional approaches to problem solving. He developed the Community Juvenile Officer Program that put Portland Police officers in local schools to engage youth through positive interaction and activities. As Fire Commissioner, he developed an outreach training program to recruit people of color to the Fire Bureau.
On the national stage, Charles Jordan broadened the agenda of the environmental movement and land conservation to make it more inclusive. He is known for his groundbreaking approach to putting people - particularly people of color - at the heart of the American Conservation Movement.
"Charles is a spiritual person with a strong connection to his church, and he saw us all as being connected," says Michelle Harper, who worked with Jordan for years in several capacities. Portland's parks were where we could come together to build community and family."
More hallmarks of Jordan's tenure include popular PP&R programs such as Movies in the Park, as well as innumerable youth initiatives. Jordan gained public support for two large bond measures and a parks levy. Charles Jordan's leadership, commitment to Portland, and innovative policies have helped to ensure the city's high quality of life for generations to come.
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