A *' » * « r .. rl Vol unie X X V Number 2 1 Committed to cultural diversity ÍHIje jjjnrtlattfr (íObseruer SECTION Music Features Washington, Klugli Friends o f the Zoo present legendary ja z z artists G rover W ashington and Earl K lugh in a K IN K True To The M usic “ L iv e ” concert June 9 at M etro W ashing­ ton Park Zoo. Proceeds benefit the Center fo r Species S urvival. For detai Is and ticket prices, ca ll the Friends o f the Zoo o ffice at 220-2493. The Walnut Park Retail Center brings new economic life and commerce to the intersection of northeast Killingsworth and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. A celebration will mark the opening at noon Saturday with music, food, art and dance. Self Defense For Women The Y W C A Fitness and Swim Cen­ ter, I I I ! S.W . 10th A ve., kicks o f f a w om en’ s self-defense class w ith tw o free demonstrations on June 6 and June 8 at 5:30 p.m. Participants w ill w ork on in­ creasing self-em pow erm ent, mastering physical strikin g and acquiring verbal and mental skills fo r s e lf defense. Golfing Fling Aids Shelter Golfers are invited to jo in the 7th A n­ nual G o lf Fling to benefit the Shelter/Do- mestic Violence Resource Center in Wash­ ington County. The nine-hole scramble w ill be held June 3 at Orenco Wood GolfCourse. African-American Ballet The N o rth w e st A fric a n -A m e ric a n B allet w ill perform open dress rehearsal June 2 at noon at the Intermediate Threatre on Southwest Broadw ay and Main. The event w ill give you a behind-the-scenes lo o k at what goes on before the curtain goes up on the b a lle t’ s spring concert. C o lo rfu l costumes and dances from d if­ ferent countries w ill take place in the setting o f a small A frica n village. Spirituality And Family Matters A parenting workshop entitled S p iri­ tuality: A fa m ily A ffa ir, fo r adults and children, 5 and older, w ill be held T hurs­ day, June 1 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at First United M ethodist Church at Southwest 18th and Jefferson. Sponsors include Lutheran F am ily Services, Ecumenical Clinton Advisor Visits Humboldt Security Lights Added To Area Homes ” P o rtla n d h o m e o w d e r K e lly H o lla n d lo o k s o n a s a v o lu n te e r fro m th e In te rn a tio n a l B ro th e rh o o d o f resident Clinton Domestic Policy Advisor Carol Rasco took a tour through the Boise and Humboldt neighborhoods last week to evaluate a pilot program that puts chronically unemployed people back to work. thanks to the volunteer effo rts by Portland area electricians. M a y o r Vera K atz introduced Rasco to the e ffo rt called “ It,” w hich puts resources in to targeted neighborhoods w ith the goal o f raising income levels. The N ational E lectrical Contractors A ssociation, O regon- C o lu m b ia chapter, and International B rotherhood o f E lectrical W orkers, local 48, recently installed m otion-sensor e xte rio r lig h t­ ing fo r 24 neighborhood homes - a ll at no cost to the home owners. “ We called this program the ' I t ’ project because is so new and so unique that we d id n ’t know what to ca ll it, but we knew it Grants from P acific Power and L ig h t and Portland General E le ctric were used by the com m unity service organization. Hous­ ing O u r Families, to purchase the lights. w o u ld be e ffective and that we wanted to do it,” said Katz. “ We started w ith a north/ The contractors and electricians provided these services as part o f the volunteer efforts o f the program Christm as in A p ril. The northeast Portland neighborhood because the poverty level and unem ploym ent in that area exceeds the region and th a t’ s unacceptable.” program is a nationw ide e ffo rt dedicated to p ro v id in g home repair and rehabilitations to low -incom e, e lderly and disabled home owners. Case w orkers in the program w ill go d oor-to-door, asking people what they can do The goal o f the program is to enable them to live in warm th, safety, independence and d ig n ity. It provides not o n ly needed P E le c tric a l W o rke rs, L o c a l 48, in s ta lls a m o tio n s e n s o r s e c u rity lig n tin g a t h e r ho m e . A group o f low -incom e homeowners in the Boise neighbor­ hood now have increased security w ith new o u td o o r lig h tin g to help them get back to being productive electrical w ork, but a com plete range o f repair w o rk from ro o fin g members o f the w o rk force. to painting to general clean up. K e ith Edwards serves as volunteer coordinator fo r the C hrist M inistries o f Oregon, Safehaven A fte r School program and other groups. For more inform ation, call 750-9651. Continued to page B5 Continued to page B5 Honoring Achievement At Annual Ball Kid’s Choir Auditions The Oregon Repertory Singers C h il­ dren’ s C hoir, a m u lti-cu ltu ra l, m u lti-e th ­ nic singing group is h olding its 1995-96 season auditions every Wednesday after­ noon at C olonial Heights Presbyterian Church, 2828 S.E. Stephens. C all M ary Ann K elley 246-8989 fo r inform ation. Volunteers Needed For Youth Hyalite, Inc. the B uffa lo Soldier Ret­ rospective Program using art, culture and the history o f A frican Americans to en­ hance self-esteem for urban boys is recruit­ ing members. Volunteers with upright, moral and motivating character are encouraged to contact the non-profit group at 220-8282. Medicare Overall Discussed U.S. Rep. Ron W yden, D-Ore. w ill discuss legislation that w ould overall the nation’ s M edicare system d u rin g a con­ stituent meeting, Saturday, June 3 at 10:30 a m. at K irkla n d U nion M anor, 3530 S.E. 84th. Wyden also hosts tow n meetings June 3 at 3:30 p.m. at C oncordia College, 2 8 1 1 N.E. Holman; and June 4 at 2 p.m. at A lin a C h ris tin a C la rk E d ito r ’s note : The P o rtla n d O bserver in tro d u c e d a g ro u p o f distin g uish e d y o u n g men o f P o rtla n d as C a va lie rs to an a n n u a l ball. N ow we are p leased to begin the in tro ­ d u ctio n o f 25 Debutantes, outsta n d in g yo u n g women o f o u r comm unity. Prospective Debutantes and Cavaliers w ill have taken part in m any com m unity a ctivitie s before they are honored during the annual ball by the organization Les Femmes. The activities include participation in an A fric a n A m erican conference at Western Oregon State C ollege, attending a lecture/ reading by M aya A ngelou, feeding the hun­ N ic o le L o v e B o w le s will feature a passage from the following poem: "You may write me down in history With y o u r bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I ’l l rise. Does my s ass in ess upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? Cause I walk like I ’ve got o il wells Pumping in my living room. ” Five Debutantes featured in this issue are Elisa Joy Bennett, N ic o le Love Bowles, A lin a C h ris tin a C la rk , M ie h e llä ’ Yvette Henderson and K atrina Denise Hopkins. g ry at Thanksgiving, ca ro lin g at Christmas, v is itin g nursing homes and other com m unity Bennett, a senior at Benson H igh School, is the daughter o f Jacqueline and W illia m services. Bennett. M any o f the activities are done under the leadership o f current Les Femmes President “ I b rin g many things to Les Femmes as a Debutante. The main th in g that I am, as a Debutante, is an example to others. I f the Les Femmes program was ever asked to in tro ­ duce a product o f their program , tom orrow or B e tty Thompson. In keeping with this year’s theme “And Still I Rise" each week preceding the ball K a trin a D e n is e H o p k in s E lis a J o y B e n n e tt 10 years from now, I w ould d e fin ite ly be a person they could choose and be proud of. As an A fric a n Am erican female now , I am a leader, smart, in te llig e n t and a w orker. Ten years from now, I w ill not o n ly be a ll o f the above but more. I w ill have graduated from a fo u r year college o r university. I w ill always hold m y head up high and remember that I am a phenomenal w om en,’ ” Bennett said. Bowles, a seniorat Benson H igh School, is the daughter o f D ene’ and W illie B o w le s’ “ W hat D o I B rin g To Les Femmes As A Debutante? “ I feel that by being involved w ith Les Femmes it w ill give me an o p p o rtu n ity to better m yself, and m y se lf esteem as a g ro w ­ ing young lady. I have been a perspective Debutante fo r more than a year and it has already given me a life tim e o f special expe­ riences. B y know ing m y expectations fo r being presented this spring it w ill give me the chance to show m y se lf and those around me M ie h e llä ' Y ve tte H e n d e rs o n how very w ille d powered, and s e lf con­ tro lle d I can be. I w ill brin g to Les Femmes my care and concerns and m y a b ility to Continued to page B5