Volume XXVI, Number 4 SECTION B Jía rtía n h CObserüer NB Habitat In Need Of Homeowners ortland H abitat for Humanity is P Election Office Opens in need of homeowner applica­ tions. Interested parties must attend one of the informational m eeting held each first and third Tuesdays of the month. The m eetings are held a t the H abitat Home Building C enter located on the corner of Northeast 1 5 th and Killingsworth. The Multnomah County Elections Of­ fice, 1040 S.E. Morrison, will open Satur­ day for extra duty hours, from 8 a m. to I p.m., to assist voters in Tuesday’s election for U.S. Senator. Ballots must be received at the office by 8 p.m. Tuesday in order to be counted in the election. Meetings begin at 11 a m. on the first Tuesday and 7 p in. on the third Tuesday. There is a Spanish translator present during the third Tuesday meeting. Qualifications for home ownership as well as applications are available at these meet­ ings. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecu­ menical Christian organization that builds homes in partnership with low-income fam­ ilies. Habitat homes are built with volunteer labor and donated materials and are sold at no profit with a no-interest mortgage. Habitat families must invest 400 hours o f sweat equi­ ty to help build their home. founded in 1981, Portland Habitat for Humanity is the oldest affiliate on the west coast. This year Portland Habita, will cele­ brate placing their 100th person in a home. Saxophonist In Concert Tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson per­ forms the season’s final Family Jazz Con­ cert series o f the DePriest Project, on Saturday, Feb. 17 a, 7 p.m. at the Univer­ sity o f Portland. Albina Bank Hosts Reception Enjoy free refreshments and meet the officers from the new Albina Community Bank as it hosts a celebration on Friday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the bank’s tempo­ rary location at 1130 N.E. Alberta. The financial institution was created to help area residents take advantage ofeconomic opportunities in north and northeast Port­ land. The world o f the American I ndian is the newest exhibit at the Portland Children’s Museum, 3037 S.W. Second Ave. Visi­ tors are welcome to explore a longhouse, visit an intertribal pow-wow and see what it’s like to camp in a tipi. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays. Call 823- 2227 for more information. Friskies’ famous felines will steal the stage at the Friskies Oregon Cat Fanciers Show on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 3 and Feb. 4 at Memorial Coliseum. The show will also demonstrate howcats are trained. Elder Advocates Needed n orientation for all those inter­ A Living Legends Discovered Famous Felines To Strut Portland Habitat For Humanity representative Audrey L. Sanders ested in becoming volunteer ad­ vocates will begin February 13. Volunteer advocates are needed to serve as ombudsmen for residentsofnursing homes and adult foster care homes. The training will cover such areas as the aging process, communication skills, medication, problem­ solving skills and investigation. Certified Ombudsmen investigate com­ plaints and concerns o f the residents and then work with the facilities to make chang­ es. “ O m budsm en em p o w er re sid e n ts and provide a means to solve their prob­ lems,” says Gayleen Eldridge, chair o f the Recruitment and Screening committee. “I think that sometimes we forget about the elderly. But it is important to remember that they (the elderly) have the same rights, needs and wants that everybody else does.” Certified Ombudsmen spend six­ teen hours monthly on their ombudsman work. For information about the program or to learn how to get involved contact Kathy Walter at 1-800-522-2602. he American Diabetes Associa­ T D iabetes adv ersely affects one in four A frican A m ericans. C hurches throughout north and n o rth ­ east P ortland will p a rtic ip a te in the pu b ­ lic aw areness program . I he aw areness cam paign w ill include diab etes risk tests, referral serv ices to Gym Is Open For Midnight Basketball I fth e gym is open, they will come. ' BflH This is the philosophy behind the midnight basketball program sponsored by the North/ Inner Northeast YMCA. Each Friday night during its 8 week sessions, about 60 to 70 boys, gather to play basketball A bus tour o f Portland landmarks with from 7 p.m. to midnight. Teams I lunch at Dan & Louis Oyster Bar will be are divided into two age groups, held Saturday from 8:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. from 11 to 14 years old and from ^2" Transportation is provided from the Fred 15 to 18. Meyer Hollywood West store. Cost is “The purpose is to get kids off j , $35. Sharon Wood, author o f the Portland I the streets an^ give them a place -'li Bridge Book is the tour guide. Cal I Wood to go and have fun and just gang at 238-9842 for more information. out for the night,” said Steve Guy, Ö midnight basketball sports coor- ■ dinator. Activities are put into a positive ■ structure, with goals set for charac- E Recording artist Jim Brikman brings ter building, respect for others and Lfr J n his passion and magic with the piano to the respect foryourself, Guy explained. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Thurs­ There are no eligibility require- day, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. ments and than mean participants |LE«« with troubles in school even get a j warm welcome. i “ Many o f the kids we have are not doing well in school,” Guy ! Jackson Browne brings his poetic and explained. “They can’t play on a elegant music to the city with a Monday, basketball team in school and we I Feb. 28 performance at 8 p.m. at the have some really good athletes.” -- -------- Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Tickets Midnight Basketball features c are on sale at Fred Meyer Fastixx loca­ certified referees and volunteer exPerie tions. coaches. Players are provided with game North- Northeast Light Rail A Piano Sensation Appears RN Jackson Browne Performs H SU B M ISSIO N S: Community Calendar information will be given priority if dated two weeks before the event date. Continued to page B6 cuss the potential im pact of light rail on north and north­ east Portland at the upcoming lun­ cheon forum of the North-Northeast Business Association. R: ™ The Clackamas W omens' Services of­ fice in Milwaukie is looking for volun­ teers to answer the crisis line, provide support to shelter residents and help with domestic violence support groups. Call Carol or Toni at 654-2807. neighbor-to-neighbor approach. It’s estimated that more than two million African Americans have diabetes, but half are unaware they have the disease. G iven this high im pact, the a sso c ia - rea business leaders will dis­ Tour Is Ready To Depart Crisis Line Help Sought d o cto rs, clin ics and sc re e n in g , p atien t tion will begin holding "Diabe­ follow -up and e d u c a tio n m aterials about tes Sundays” in Portland to bet­ d ia b e te s m anagem ent and c u rre n t tre a t­ ter inform the African American popula­ m ents. tion about the symptoms and dangers of The program shares valuable, possibly life diabetes. saving information about diabetes, using a Midnight basketball and gain a positive gram or whatever they can afford. For more information on contributions, participating or volunteering, call Guy at the YMCA’snorth/northeast office at 288-3355. jerseys. Guy said there’s a lot o f interest in expand­ ing the program for girls. “ We want to get bigger,” he said. “And we The proposed route for the Tri-Met mass transit project is expected to bring far-reaching and dramatic changes for the area, “Naturally, businesses along the pro­ posed route will be affected the most. However, even business not directly on the route could also be enormously impact­ ed," association officials said. Interested business owners and resi­ dents are invited to the forum to get an overview o f the economic development effects o f the light rail project. The panel o f presenters will include Metro Counselor Ed W ashington, Metro staff members and an official o f the Port­ land Office o f Transportation. The association is a group ofbusinesses dedicated to improving the business op­ portunities and creating jobs to enhance the quality o f life for the north-northeast community. The luncheon will be held Tuesday, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Best Western Rose Garden Inn, ION. Weidler. Those interested in attending can call the association office at 284-3093. King Remembered At Maranatha Blood Drive rea residents rolled up their A than just pirns,” said Heidi Patterson, Red sleeves to celebrate Dr. M artin Cross blood services director. “The drive’s Luther King Jr.’s message of primary goal is to increase community aware­ brotherhood and love for the communi- ness about the critical need for donors o f The 8th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Blood Drive, sponsored by the Maranatha Church in northeast Portland, generated 70 units of blood for the American Red Cross. “This drive’s success is measured in more color.” Patterson said the blood donations will help ensure an adequate regional blood sup­ ply and meet the special transfusion needs of Portland’s African American patients. African Americans currently make up about 7 percent o f Portland’s population, but less than I percent o f Red C ross’s regional blood donor base is black. Increased blood donations by people o f color are needed to reduce the risk o f regional shortages. All donations collected at the Jan 12 drive were screened for rare blood types, types occurring less than once in a thousand do­ nors. Certain rare blood types, such as U- negative and Duffy negative, are found only in the black community. African Americans with these blood types depend upon African American donors to meet their transfusion needs. In addition, 11 donors gave an extra two tablespoons of blood to join the National Marrow Donor Registry, a nationwide com ­ puterized list o f unrelated marrow donors. Currently, African Americans make up only about 7 percent o f the volunteers listed on the registry. The next Maranatha Church blood drive is scheduled April 4 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.