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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2010)
J S L 2 J L MAY 21. 2010 join us at Nostrana for Gay owned and operated meatball monday gnocchi thursday fish friday Sundays in italy farm fresh menus daily & nightly - Gourmet salad bar - 12 Different kinds of m eat • happy hour from 9PM nightly 1201 SW 12th Avenue between Jefferson end Main St. NIGHTLY FROM 6 T 0 10 5 0 3 -2 2 2 -0 0 0 2 NOSTRANA.COM TWinER.COM/NOSTRANAPDX 1401 SE MORRISON, PORTLAND ORE 503.234.2427 www.brazllgrillrestaurant.com M Saturdays FREE rapid HIV screenings 5-9pm PHOTOS COURTESY HACK ATHENS PHOTOGRAPHY / INACK.COM SPORTS DIG This! 28th Annual NAGVA Championships in Portland combine competition and culture B y RYAN J. PR A D O When the announcement hit the wire in summer 2009 that Portland would play host to one of the nations largest gay sports championships, eager players and spectators alike could almost hear the squeaks of sneak ers. Anticipation mounted for the set-ups, the cross-court spikes, the aural “thwap!” of congratulatory high fives. This Memorial Day weekend, the arrival o f the North American Gay Volleyball Associations 28th Annual National Championships will make those dreams a reality. Portland Gay Volleyball organizer and NAGVA Championship organizer Sean Walker has seen and heard the excitement swelling from tournament players, as well as from Portland’s LGBTQcommunity at large. And not just because the tournament—held at the Oregon Convention Center—will feature 118 teams from across the nation, Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico; or because there will be 24 courts in action simultane ously for bracket position; or even because this is the first time in nearly 10 years that the championships have been stationed on the West Coast. The community is excited about all that, too. But what the Portland NAGVA tourna ment has that no other past championships have is a consortium o f off-court events to supplement all that on-court competition— some o f it behind-the-scenes, but most o f it open to the public. “This is one o f the first tournaments that we’ve had where we’ve had these type o f events for the players,” explains Walker. “In the past, there really haven’t been a lot o f events going on geared toward the players. It was just based on playing at the facility and then kind o f go- \ V , I I A P ortlan d G ay V olleyb a ll is w e lc o m in g the North A m e rica n G a y V olleyball Association s 28th A n n u a l N ational C h a m p io n s h ip s this M em o ria l Day w e e k e n d The to u rn a m e n t will d ra w 118 teams from across the nation, C a n a d a Puerto Rico a n d M exico ‘We usually don't have that many local spectators, but it seems like we may have more people coming out from the [Portland] community. ... That’s going to be something new and different for us." - NAGVA VICE PRESIDENT ROB WARREN ing and doing your own thing at different bars or wherever you wanted to go. Instead, we’ve provided quite a few outlets for players to en joy themselves and meet other players.” NAGVA Vice President Rob Warren ac knowledges the unique approach to commu nity building that Portland organizers have taken with the championships, and hopes it will translate into more attendance during the actual tourney play. “We usually don’t have that many local spectators, but it seems like we may have more people coming out from the [Portland] community who aren’t involved in NAGVA, and who maybe have never seen a volleyball tournament,” says Warren. “That’s going to be something new and different for us.” New Location! Men’s Wellness Center 209 SW 4th Avenue, Portland (503) 445-7699 For other STD & H IV screening times and info about other events & services for guys into guys: www.MensWellnessCenter. ora www.LAW420.com Oregon Marijuana and Criminal Law Attorney and Counselor at Law DESIGNER GLASS • Entryways, Doors & Inclows • • Cabinet & Furniture Doors « • Shower, Bath & Spa Enclosures • • Walls, Dividers & Screens * Mirrors • S t a in e d G l a s s O v e r l a y (Portland) With special emphasis on Marijuana Criminal Charges & Medical Marijuana & all other drug crimes, including: • Methamphetamine • Cocaine & Heroin • MDMA (Ecstacy, X) 4 GHB • Steroids, Poppers, 4 Prescription Drugs Other Criminal Charges covered, including DUii, Prostitution, Theft and Assault. _____ 1214 SE 7th Ave. Portland. 97214 503.595.3684 sgodesignerglass.com Call and ask about Gift Certificates ph: 503.227,6000 fax: 503.227.4702 john@law420.com
