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[music] [music] [music] [Goldschmidt] And, uh, as far as I'm concerned, there isn't anything that's happened that I'll clip a clipping out of a newspaper and say, Hey Neil, you did it. Not one thing in this State that I put in a scrapbook and say it's over. [Swenson] Governor Neil Goldschmidt has made Oregon's economic recovery the cornerstone of his administration. But we'll hear from some local officials who say their communities are being left out of the Oregon Comeback. [music] [Gamble Booth] For some people, the word "paganism" conjures up images of boiling cauldrons and witches in black hats. But the people who practice these ancient rites say the old stereotypes are now outdated and inaccurate. Well tonight, we'll take an up-close look at these new Pagans. [Swenson] And if you thought motorcycle racing was strictly a sport for men, think again. Tonight, we'll meet an Oregon

woman who's making a name for herself in this high-speed competition. Good evening. I'm Jim Swenson. [Gamble Booth] Good evening. I'm Gwyneth Gamble Booth. Welcome to this edition of Front Street Weekly. [Swenson] For quite a while now, we've heard business leaders and politicians talking about the Oregon Comeback. It's a subject that can spark a wide range of opinions, especially when you ask people how well the Comeback is really coming along. Reporter Steve Labelle has been talking with Governor Neil Goldschmidt and other officials around the state to bring us tonight's report. [background sounds] [Labelle] Governor Neil Goldschmidt was elected on his promise to put Oregonians back to work, and expand the opportunities for future graduates. [Goldschmidt] We will tell our children that their learning is assured, and that work is available here at home in Oregon. [Labelle] The Goldschmidt economic rebuilding plan is better known as the Oregon Comeback.

It is based on a partnership between the State and private industry, and after a year, the Governor still remains optimistic. [Goldschmidt] There's a place for you to make a good living in Oregon. [Labelle] Large cities already see some benefits, but it is the smaller communities that feel as though they are not participating in the Comeback. How and where jobs will be created is worrisome to the officials in those towns. [official] I'm guardedly optimistic. I, uh, I want very much to believe that, uh, the Goldman, Goldschmidt administration can do everything it says it can, uh, and it talks a good story. [Labelle] Officials in many small towns still remain unconvinced: all that optimistic talk is just not good enough. [another official] Well, I hesitate to say, Oh, I'm getting a, we're getting a unfair shake, but I think though way it works, there's more concentration on the, on the already industrialized metro areas where you've got a freeway running

through and so on, and, and the resources are concentrated there. [background sounds] [Labelle] This is the Oregon Comeback, but it has not yet reached Klamath Falls, and people there have seen businesses close, and they are not about to sit around and wait. [official] We have come back, but I don't believe it's part of the Oregon Comeback program. I, I don't think the Oregon Comeback has affected Klamath County at this point. [Labelle] Things in small towns may not be going so well, but there are still plenty of healthy signs growing out of the Comeback. State Economist Ann Hanus analyzes the Oregon economy for the Legislature. [Hanus] If we look at the recession in 19, that, that occurred in 1980 to about 1983, we've now at least surpassed the number of jobs that we had back in 1979. And you can say we're in a true expansionary period right now. [Labelle] In a world of high tech and international trade, small Eastern Oregon towns have it extremely tough. They fear they will be forgotten by this Comeback.

[commentator] We in Eastern Oregon, I feel, need to feel like we're, we were partners in the State of Oregon, not something, uh, separating Oregon from Idaho. [Labelle, with Wrighten in the background] Dick [?Wrighten?], who heads the Comeback, concedes it will be some time before small towns see any benefits. [Wrighten] We can, we can assist, but it will not be on the same level of a Eugene and a Portland, and some of the other larger, uh, cities, but I think, percentage-wise, it can be. So I think it's a matter of commitment, and a matter of effort, and a matter of partnership. And, and we certainly have to uphold our share in this department. [Labelle] The smaller towns are not satisfied to always be at the end of the line. People in Klamath Falls won't sit around and hope that things are going to get better. For years, a local loan fund has been supplying venture capital to growing businesses. [commentator] And it's loaned out on the basis of, to provide capital investment that creates new jobs at the rate of 1 job for 10,000 dollars of loan. For the size of our community, the effort that we're able to put forth with the dollars that we have available, Klamath Falls's

been pretty successful. [Labelle] Winters are long and hard in this part of Southern Oregon, but folks here like to brag about the quality of life and the room to enjoy it. But ever since the downturn in the timber industry and harder times for agriculture, business has been quiet on Main Street. City fathers are fighting to prevent Klamath Falls from becoming Oregon's Appalachia. [commentator] We have a plan called Operation Boot Strap online, ready to go, looking for funding to accomplish that right now. We put the money out and built. It's all designed. But the State won't hear about that one, they don't want to hear about that. [Labelle] That plan would use the resources of Oregon Institute of Technology to create a business incubator, sort of a way to nurture new manufacturing operations with seed money. But the local feeling has been the State prefers some other plan. The Governor counters that local plans count a lot in the Comeback. [Goldschmidt] The hardest thing about this is, people who have never talked to each other before across city and county boundaries are being forced to do it.

Late Governor Tom McCall, a strong environmentalist, gave Oregon an unfriendly image with the "Visit, but don't stay" philosophy. [commenator] We attended a plastics industry show in Chicago, and a wire and cable industry show in Atlanta. Uh, spent a week at each one, uh, on our own time, just trying to promote Klamath County. Uh, I got to tell you that the McCall syndrome is alive and well out there. Uh, We were literally laughed at for even coming. [Labelle] Many others agree: the Governor has to do more to change that image. [commentator] We need a strong response that says, I'm the Governor, and I'm going to stand between this environmental community and business, and make both these people come together at the table and solve problems. [Labelle] The Comeback is based on regional strategies: that's various communities pooling resources to come up with a common solution. What makes sense on a regional basis might not make sense in a small town like Klamath Falls: the regional plan pushed for tourism, while the city had been working for

manufacturing. [commentator] I'd say there were about 60 people at that, at that strategy session. 4 voted for tourism, and the rest voted for this industrial base strategy. [another commentator] We have people here who are trained to be labor in, industrial jobs. They've been getting good pay in mills and so on. These people are not ready to start changing sheets in motels. [Labelle] Klamath Falls has not been able to develop fully the amenities for a resort industry. The winters are tough on the recreation business, but the strategy calls for 400,000 dollars to be put into a birdwatching station. [commentator] I do shake my head. Uh, to me it, it's a tragic waste of money. [Labelle] Klamath Falls is not the only city going its own way: The Dalles pumped in 450,000 dollars to develop its port. [commentator] We've got one, uh, brand new, uh, industry that just opened in January on our port property. We've got, uh, one more that is within days of

signing a contract out there, and we've got, uh, 4 or 5 more on the hook. But that's stuff that we've been able to develop on our own without the assistance of the State. [Labelle] Estacada is only 20 miles from Portland. Its economy is held together by a lumber mill. But that town offers incentives to new businesses. [commentator] And I think if we're counting on anything, we'll be better off counting on what we do than what we hope the Governor might do. The Governor says some localities will just have to wait. But in the long run, with the regional strategies, the State will do a lot better. [Goldschmidt] There are no short cuts. I mean you, you've got to go in and invest this money, kind of on a grassroots basis, and high-quality people in a good public-private partnership that begins right, uh, on the front end. Uh, and I, we're going to have some announcements in the next, uh, uh, 6 months that I think are our message about how we're going to try to get there, because we, we are very serious about this. [Labelle] This is a new beginning for Oregon, and rebuilding the economy will take time, a long time. Already, it's starting to do a lot better.

[commentator] I think we're looking at a very solid year for Oregon in '88. And beyond '88 I think we, there are some questions regarding the willingness of Oregonians, uh, through their lawmakers, to decide, uh, some fundamental issues about what kind of an economic environment we want here. [Hanus] Probably in the next year, the State should grow at a pace, um, not quite as fast as what we did last year, but probably outpacing the U.S. [Swenson] Governor Goldschmidt says there's still a lot of work to be done to broaden the State's economic base, and he predicts it'll take about 10 years to bring Oregon back to where it should be. Currently, workers here earn about 1200 dollars per year less than the national average. Gwyneth? [Gamble Booth] Well, our next story is also on a subject that can generate a wide range of opinions. "Paganism" is a term that might seem outdated in the 1980s, but in fact a growing number of people are turning back to ancient religions in order to find spiritual awareness. Well, reporter Marilyn Deutsch tells us what's

behind this rise of neopaganism around the U.S. and here in the Northwest. [background sounds] [Deutsch] The West Hills of Portland. It is a cold December evening. [background sounds] [celebrant] Draw the circle, and close the sacred space. [Deutsch] 3 women have gathered to celebrate the Winter Solstice, the goddess, and their own spiritual powers. [background singing to foreground] [singing continues] Gabrielle, Alice Ann, [singing continues] and Deborah are Paganists. Deborah and Alice Ann also called themselves witches. Witchcraft is a branch of Paganism. [one of the 3] I give up those things that I no longer need. [Deutsch] And all 3 women are part of a small but intense neopagan religious revival springing up across America.

New writings on pagans, witches, druids, and goddess-worshipers line the shelves of local bookstores. The respected National Public Radio reporter Margot Adler offered this 595-page tome on the subject. Adler, who claims to be a witch and a pagan herself, estimates that there are between 50 and 100,000 pagans in the U.S. today. Why any interest in this religion that most of us assume was long dead? Well, many modern-day pagans trace their interest in the ancient religion to two very Twentieth Century political movements: feminism and environmentalism. [pagan] I've always felt the sacredness of the earth and the sacredness of nature. [another pagan] Just getting in touch with the aspects of the earth and nature that we were in touch with in the Paleolithic and Neolith, Neolithic ages. [another pagan] We are a part of nature, we're not above it. Um, when I go out into the woods, I become a part of nature and I lose my identity. [celebrant?] And there will be a tree there that you know is waiting for you. And walk to the tree and greet it. [continues in the background] [Deutsch] In the pre-Christian world, pagans

contend, man was one with nature, honoring the changing of the seasons and the lunar cycles. Pagans, or neopagans, continue that tradition today. [pagan] New moons and full moons seem to be more intense times than otherwise. Uh, there's thought that you start things under the waxing moon and you finish things under the waning moon more appropriately, rather than trying to go in the opposite direction of that current. [Deutsch] Of course, that could have radical implications for modern society and modern industry, which run on their own time clocks. [background noise] [one of the 3] Alice Ann, thou art goddess. [Deutsch] What attracts some feminists to paganism and to witchcraft is the emphasis on the goddess, a female divinity. [singing] [singing continues] [pagan, with singing continuing in the background] In our religion, you have the goddess and you have the god, and it's just that in,

in all people, there are both aspects. You have both male and you have female. [singing continues] [another pagan, with singing in background continuing] Goddess is present in you and, and present in me. Um, goddess is present in a tree, and the spirit of that tree has a particularly, um, has a particular quality of treeness. But that's [goes to the background] [Deutsch] For pagans, all things are expressions of god and/or goddess. The goddess sometimes turns up in surprising places. So you see Portlandia as a goddess. [interviewee] Well, she is a form, uh, a civic monument that represents the spirit of Portland, and so, uh, for some of us, she is a form that we can use to focus our, uh, attention on the divinity and goddess spirit in Portland. [Deutsch] But she's just a statue. Why do you see her as a goddess? [interviewee] Well, any symbol is just a form.

[Deutsch] It is the goddess, sort of mother earth, creator of the natural world, that Alice Ann, Deborah, and Gabrielle call in during ritual. [one of the 3] Do you partake of your power as woman? [Deutsch] Here, in a reinterpretation of the Adam and Eve story, pagans accept the apple as knowledge and as a positive token of power, rather than a symbol of the end of Paradise. [one of the 3] I will claim my own power. [background sounds] [Deutsch] Instead of meeting in churches and synagogues for prayer, pagans and witches gather in circles or covens for ritual. What is it that you feel when you do ritual? [interviewee] Connected. [Deutsch] What does that mean? [interviewee] Connected with the time, the place. I feel connected with the whole world, the whole planet, and what's going on with everyone. [Deutsch] In her Southeast Portland apartment, Deborah converted a second bedroom into a ritual room. Today, the

ritual is a private one. Deborah, with smoke and fire and herbs, is creating an amulet, a good luck charm. But with this recipe comes some added ingredients. [Deborah] I charge you with air. I charge you with fire. [Deutsch] To understand pagans and witches, you must understand the belief in human will and personal power. [one of the 3?] I think it's given me a realization that I am not powerless, that, that in many ways, I can alter my surroundings. And the biggest way that I do that is in changing myself. [Deutsch] Which is why many pagans and witches say they can cast spells, can both heal and hex, though hexing is not all that popular. [one of the 3?] There's a rule in our religion: do what you will and harm none. You know, you find out that whatever you send out comes back to you 3 times. And also, I've seen that, found if you send out negative energy, it comes back like 10 times.

[another one] We're just creating a sacred space in the space between the worlds. [goes to the background] [Deutsch] Strange talk? Maybe, but these folks live fairly ordinary lives. Alice Ann's a health counsellor, Deborah a paramedic, Gabrielle the mother of twin girls. James [?Spake?] works as a cook in an upscale Portland eatery. And then there's 65-year-old Nestor Parala, a retired schoolteacher. Parala came to paganism through scholarship, studying comparative religions. What does paganism say to you that Christianity does not? [Parala] I think the main thing that, um, it says, Here are the roots. Here's the beginning of, um, what was the original religion before, uh, historical accident, theology and so on, added on this whole cultural veneer that we call Christianity. [Deutsch] Whereas once the church converted pagans to Christianity, now a few Christians are converting back to paganism.

[pagan] Christianity has a lot of guilt to it, and really inhibited me and didn't let me grow or ask any questions. People are, like the priests held all the power over me and got [?] power over me. Whereas in paganism, um, I am the goddess and I have power over myself. [another] I was at one time a fundamentalist Christian, and I left the church because I felt like it was empty for me. The symbolism and the male Godhead, I felt that I couldn't relate to it. [commentator] That's, uh, a valid criticism that, uh, Christianity has failed to see the feminine side of God.[fades to background] [Deutsch] While mainstream religions have nothing to fear from the current pagan revival, clergymen, when asked do have their own perspectives on pagans and witches. [clergyman] Pagans and witches? [Deutsch] Yeah. What, I mean, how are they viewed? [clergyman] They're viewed as non-Christians, therefore to be prayed for and, uh, ministered to as, as best they can. [Deutsch] Do you

consider paganism and witchcraft religions? [clergyman] Um, I, I, I feel like I'm, uh, a little agnostic here. I, I don't think so. [another] Paganism has no morality associated with it whatsoever. Uh, it's simply a, the worship of power. I think it's very negative, because, uh, if religion has made any contribution to the world, it's done so in terms of ethical and moral teachings. [Deutsch] But most pagans and witches assert they use their power to good effect. [pagan] I try to cause balance in the world. When I send energy out into the world, I usually send it to a specific cause, like helping governments to communicate better. [background singing to foreground] [singing continues] [singing concludes]

[Deutsch] It is never easy to explain one's faith to nonbelievers. Most witches and pagans do not even try. Most of the witches and pagans you've met here tonight nervously joke about coming out of the broom closet. [singing] [Gamble Booth] This story is timely because tonight is a pagan holiday called Candlemas. That means "the feast of lights." If you're wondering where the term "pagan" came from, well, it used to mean "country dweller." Most folks who lived in remote, isolated areas were often the very last to be converted to Christianity. Jim? [Swenson] Well, our last story tonight is about motorcycle racing, a sport that used to be for men only. But now on the racetrack, women are crossing the sex barrier and the

finish line in larger numbers. Reporter Rod Minot tells us about the success of one Portland woman. [background sounds] [person] You remember Sammie Schwartz? [another person] What's that? [first person] Ever heard of Sammie Schwartz? [other person] Never have. [music] [Minot] Number 67 Sammy Schwartz isn't famous, at least not yet. But more folks are getting to know the name. You see, Sam's real name is Sally Mae Schwartz. [Sam] I don't even hear joke remarks about... "and a girl beat me." Even teasing to me, friends saying that. Nobody ever makes remarks like that. [Minot] Amid the grease, growl and guise of amateur motorbike racing, Sam is one of the few women Road Warriors now racing for just a couple of years. She's

beating male competitors consistently, placing second and third and taking trophies. [Sam] When you're out there, there's... You never get that kind of feeling in your day-to-day life at all. That's a real special feeling. It's real exhilarating. And it's an amazing high, really. [Minot] A petite 5 foot 3, 105 pounds, Sam races a bike twice her weight -- a bike that's also her own age, 25 years. She competes in a class known as 'Vintage,' which are older, remodeled bikes. [Sam] In your head you just go, go, go -- whew! -- take a deep breath. [Minot] And how she does go. The motorcycle may look something more like a bicycle with an engine strapped on it, but on the straightaway Sam can power up to 110 miles per hour. [Dale Archer] And Sam's incredible. I have seen very few riders with that much natural ability. She doesn't even know where the oil goes

in the engine. She doesn't know what any of the stuff does, and I've watched her walk up to the bike and look at the shift lever and go "o.k. down for fast and up for slow." And everybody goes "God!" and she gets on the track and just whah, whah, whah, and she's gone. She becomes someone else entirely on that motorcycle. [Minot] So she's good. [Archer] She's very good. [Minot] On the day we followed Sam the biggest worry wasn't winning, it was rain. A downpour and Sam skips her first race. [Sam] ... go very fast. To me there's no point. And the bike doesn't run very well, goes 'flap, flap, flap..' [Laugh] 'Cause all the rain gets inside-- what, ?Wigley?? [Man] The motor. [Sam] The motor. That thing that makes the bike run. [Sam's boyfriend] ...closer down to where you live. [Minot] Later, Sam's boyfriend, who's also her coach, helps ready her for the race. [Minot] How is she usually before the race? [Sam's boyfriend] Real wound-up. [Sam] I'm nervous, my leg's shaking. I'm just worried about whether it's going to be slick out there right now, is the biggest part.

[Minot] It is slick. Another cloudburst. But this time Sam is caught in it. The track has turned dangerous and some pay the price. [Sam] I've been in quite a few races where they've been red flagged, which means that they have to get an ambulance on the field and [unclear] I mean he was, went right by it, seeing someone laying right there there and you just kind of look at him, and you just ... I don't know if that's sick or what, but ... you just keep going. [Minot] How do you feel right now? [Sam] I'm really cold and disappointed, really bad. 'Cause the bike felt like it's never run so good on that first ... but I didn't have a very good start. I don't know how that was, but [male voice.... second gear...]think [Sam] Was I? 'Cause I was in second gear I didn't get a very good start. [Mom] Did it scare you? [Minot] When she first started racing Sam kept word have a motorcycle mania a secret from her family. It still gives mom the jitters. [Mom] Well you know when you hold that little newborn baby girl in your arms the first time you're not really thinking "Oh honey, I hope you grow up to be a good motorcycle

racer." [Minot] Traditionally motorcycle road racing has been a male-dominated sport. But for those competing against Sam, it's guts not gender that counts. [Tony Rivelli] Tough. She's tough. [Minot] Is she really? [Rivelli] She always pushes me when I'm out there and she'll pass me a few times and it makes me ride harder. [Chris Kerbor] Her strengths are her light weight and the fact that to my knowledge she hasn't taken a spill yet and that usually tempers a person's bravery somewhat. [Minot] Off the tracks Sam runs a flower shop in northwest Portland. While motorcycling is just a hobby now, she says some day she wouldn't mind doing it professionally. [Sam] I wanna keep doing it and doing it 'cause I really love it. As long as [Sam] I enjoy it, I'm sure... [Commentator]With each race,Sam says her desire to win grows. On this day,.she places third overall in her class. [Sam] I went as fast as I can go. [Sam's boyfriend] C'mon, get off. There you go. Take a break, you deserve it. That's the best race you ever ran. Ran.

[Minot] But there's always another race, another shot at winning. For Sam Schwartz, there's little time to rest. [Swenson] Because of winter Sam hasn't been racing but she does plan to start up again in April. Last year by the way, she placed second overall in the statewide Vintage class competition. [Gamble Booth] Keep watching for her. Coming up next time on Front Street Weekly a problem that is threatening a growing number of families. This looks like a normal household scene until you realize that these children and their mother are doing all their washing in public restrooms because they have no home. Around the United States, more than half the homeless population is now comprised of families. We'll look at what's being done to help reverse this trend in the northwest. [Swenson] And we'll also look at the controversy involving state senator Bill Olson. After pleading guilty to sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl Olson has refused to give up his seat in the legislature. Because he is a fundamentalist Christian, that decision has caused sharp debate among local religious and political leaders.

[male voice] And I don't ... [unclear speaker: you know really we're better off] since anger is so much out there as I do just the plain frustration of not understanding why Bill can't see the handwriting on the wall, and get out, and let somebody else do the job that he can't do and won't do. [Gamble Booth] Thanks for joining us tonight. We'll see you next week on Front Street Weekly. Good night Good night.