match 7.2003 » J— t
L'm ; i i ;
ivi
4i m e w s
Elise Campbell, gri . abr
Real Estate Broker, Million Dollar Club
M any I rons in the F ire
Service is the Key.. ^
Mike Pina promotes positive space for queer youth
Sim ple!
by M ichael B u rd ick
503 - 307-1353
Call Today!
E
lectronic music throbs in the
background while young peo
ple come and go. Some read
or peck at computers; others
just hang out.
In Heaven, an Internet cafe at
421 S.W. 10th Ave., the stark white
walls, bare concrete tables and raw steel
light fixtures about the room evoke an
industrial feeling. This is no accident, as
owner Mike Pina is dedicated to urban
space and shaping it to cater to the
needs of residents.
He has spent his 2 1/2 years as a Port
lander busily effecting positive changes
here. As a member of the Burnside Tri
angle Advisory Group, he is working to
maintain the character of the Stark
Street neighborhood through the
inevitable changes progress will bring.
According to Pina, many profit-mind
ed landowners in the area already are
abandoning mom-and-pop queer business
es in favor of corporate shops & la the Pearl
District. He is distressed by this trend,
which has hindered some of his plans and
so far frustrated his attempts to create a
community center for queer youth.
“I don’t think people realize how
important BTAG is to the future of this
ncighhorhtxxl,” he says. He warns that
major changes are already in the works
and that the group is one of the few
ttxsls queer Portlanders can use to influ
ence the process.
Pina’s first visit to the Rose City five
years ago was accidental— he had missed Mike Pina has moved Heaven and earth to establish a
a connecting flight and needed to kill strong presence in the Burnside Triangle
some time. He quickly became fond of
Portland for its East Coast feel and unique char Street. He later moved to a space on Northeast
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard before settling
acter and moved here a couple of years later. He
in for good in the Stark Street neighborhood.
always had loved music and dancing into the
After a bit of wrangling, Pina managed to
wee hours, and though he appreciated the music
snatch the space two dcxirs down from Heaven,
scene here, he found it lacking in a few key ways.
which became its lounge. That hangout area
“I believed the creativity in presenting music
in the scene was lacking. 1 have traveled all over soon will be replaced by the Urban Attic and
the world and have had the fortunate experi Art Gallery, which will feature cool furniture
both for sale and for lounging on, art and danc
ence of seeing scenes where the gay music base
ing on Thursday and Friday nights.
was full of raw talent and it was prevalent in
Heaven itself already doubles as a gallery
straight and gay clubs.”
where the work of Portland artists is always on
So Pina started communicating with disc
jockeys and venues. He coordinated and pro display and has been a regular host to First
moted several successful events, including a spe Thursday exhibits. And if Pina gets his way, the
audio equipment store between Heaven and the
cial dance night at the House of Grooves (now
Urban Attic one day will be annexed so the
the “ 13th Floor” ) in the fall of 2000. There he
whole space can be interconnected.
operated a popular cart selling orange juice and
Pina’s diverse background includes stints as a
coffee to thirsty revelers, and the seeds of Heav
project manager and computer consultant in
en were sown.
addition to his success as a small-businessman
Pina stopped providing orange juice when he
learned it was especially popular for those trying and event promoter. Before that he was a gym
to maximize the effects of psychedelic drugs. “1 nast and a men’s gymnastics coach at Arizona
have never done a drug in my life, so I truly State University in Tempe, his alma mater. He
even coached U.S. Olympic gymnasts.
don’t understand the attraction,” he says.
Though he has been out to friends and
His feelings about drugs stem from his child
attending gay bars since his early 20s, Pifta fully
hood in Phoenix. “A staunch conservative
came out late in life because of pressure he felt
belief was instilled growing up in the projects
as an athlete and coach. “Being a coach for 20
and wanting to steer away from any examples
years and feeling the need to hide my gayness
that remind me of scenes of my past.”
caused me, once exiting the sport, to have a pas
Pina wants to set an example of how life can
sion to help youth learn to make good decisions
be enriched without drugs, though he does have
as opposed to bad and to help them understand
many acquaintances who partake. “ I do not
judge my friends’ use, as 1 feel the first and fore the power of choice, especially in regards to
being gay.” J D
most right of a human is free choice."
After coordinating and promoting more suc
M ic h a e l B u r d ic k is a recent graduate o f Reed
cessful events he opened Heaven in March 2001
College. H e can be reached at mike@rubbhcwus.com.
at Southeast Eighth Avenue and Morrison
V
Thanks Elise...“/ was thoroughly pleased with
Email: Elise@Realtor.com
the services 1 received from Elise. Her knowledge
and expertise gave me the trust and confidence /
needed in order to make such big and important
decisions. I felt supported and knowledgeable
during this process in what would normally have
felt like an overwhelming experience. ” - J u d y
Web: www.EliseCampbell.com
Office: 503-233-4363
Fax:
503-233-4413
b O n d C f..
^
r-rj
properties L0
e
Phone
5 0 3 274-9936
KAREN M. S WEIGERT, MD
O bôtetricô and Gynecology
P ax
503 274-2660
Q j M oa Á i
[jifittk, PC
1130 N.W. 22nd, Suite 320, Portland, OR 97210
YOUR WILLAMETTE VALLEY FAMILY
REAL ESTATE CONHECTIOM
b n p
*1 su p p o r t GALA c h o r u se s!
itfi5
Upcoming Concert:
Confluence
CLARK HOUSE. GRI
B ro k er
Saturday, March 8 Salem Unitarian (5090 Center St. NE ) 8pm
Sunday, March 9 Portland Com m unity Music Center
(3350 SE Francis) 4pm
%
(5 4 1 ) 7 5 8 -1 2 3 4 x 211
e-mail: clarkshouses@aol.com
f 'l o y á
Experienced Hair
I ty Ire.’
1575 MW 9th Street • Corvallis. OR 97330
ra
egon Camera
Everything Photographic
Care Services
We have a knowledgeable,
friendly staff helping you find
the right camera, binoculars,
or photographic accessories.
Haircuts
Starting at $23
Color
Starting at $30
Perms
Starting at $50
i*l3
WooJ*To«K BW J
(Located in Transformations Salon)
s o 3 / H * Í 3 - 3 4 ír 3
by Appointment
A ‘family’ owned and operated
business since 1 (>M~.
582 SW Adams Avenue
(541) 753-2653
Corvallis, OR 97333 www.oregoncamera.com
17