Volume X X V II, Number 24
Committed toeultural diversity.
June I I. 1997
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New «afe on MA.K
V_ki I í tt h a r
Swing toward a cure to
women’s cancers
Enjoy a great day of tournament golf
and a festive evening banquet while rais
ing funds to fight against cancer Player
slots are still available for the 6lh Annual
Portland City ol Hope Golf Invitational
and Auction on Monday, June 16 at the
Oregon Golf Club. For more information
about City of Hope, call the Seattle Na
tional Office at 800/934-9196.
Intro accounting class
A specially priced “Introduction to
Accounting Class" will be offered at the
Urban League of Portland this summer.
One goal of the college credit class is to
increase the number of African Ameri
cans and other minorities who enter the
accounting field. To register, contact
Christy Hauff at the Urban league at 503/
280-2635.
Jefferson High School's Wi Moto Nyoka will study
under the tutelage o f word-renown teachers,
directors and music coaches at the University of
the Arts in Philadelphia.
COLLEGE POUfID
Bike-A-Fair at Woodlawn
Area children can experience com
petitive cycling, learn about bike safety
and ride with community and cycling
celebrities during the Providence Health
System Bike-a-Fair, Sunday, June 22
from 9 a m. to 4 p.m. at Woodlawn Park
in northeast Portland.
Reception for
safety team
A public reception and awards cer
emony honoring the Multnomah County
Sheriff's office staff who have served on
the Safety Action Team will take place
Wednesday, June 18 from 5 p.m. to 7
p.m. at the Columbia Villa/Tamarac Com
munity Room, 8920 N. Woolsey.
Concert at Old Church
Michael Allen Harrison will be doing
a benefit concert for Northwest Medical
Teams on Sunday, June 22 at 2 p.m. at
the Old Church, 1422 S.W. 11th Av
enue. Tickets are $22 by calling Fastixx
at 224-8499.
Center hosts family event
Share your family stories and create a
family tree using special inks and papers
on Saturday from 11 a m. to 1:30 p.m. at
the Oregon History Center, 1200 S.W.
Park Ave. The exhibit Masters of Cer
emony: Traditional Artists and Life's
Passages allows visitors to contemplate
the important markets in their own lives
and at the same time celebrate Oregon's
cultural diversity.
'I'm in charge'
class offered
A When I'm in Charge class is being
offered at the American Red Cross, 3131
N. Vancouver Ave., Saturday, June 14
from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The two-
hour course, prepares children ages 8-
11, to respond to a variety of "home
alone" situations and includes role play
ing, a safety quiz and film, and activities
that stimulate critical things and discus
sion. For more information or to regis
ter, call 280-1440.
by
L ee P erlman
a nursing home near Albina Comer, and was attracted by a
he newest restauranteur on Northeast Martin
sign calling for proposals to run a cafe there She has worked
Luther King Jr. Boulevard d o esn ’t have in restaurants before, but this will be her first experience in
McDonald's in money or experience, but she running one. She hopes to attract customers from the build
hopes to make up the difference with hard work ing
and and from nearby businesses and homes.
good cooking.
She has already made a convert out of Peter Wilcox,
T
Assie Sebhatu last week opened the San Rafael Cafe at
415 N.E. San Rafael St., next two the Albina Community
Bank in the Albina Comer building. It is open from 6 a.m.
to 5 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The cafe offers sandwiches, beverages, homemade soups and
pastries, and some specialties from Sebhatu’s native Ethio
pia. She hopes to expand both the fare and the hours as she
goes along.
Sebhatu says she was discouraged by the political prob
lems and strife that have plagued her country in recent years
(“You can’t do anything there,” she says.) She moved to
Portland in 1988 on the advice o f a friend, together with
daughters Ruth, Tsion and Becky and sons Ben and Robel,
all of whom are now helping run the cafe. She lives and runs
cMenamins will show
case the restoration in
progress at Kennedy
School during an open house
party on June 28th from Noon to
5 pm.
M
McMenamins Kennedy School is
a
partnership
betw een
McMenamins, Inc., the City of Port
land and the surrounding neighbor
hoods and will open in October of
this year as a true neighborhood
community center. McMenamins
Kennedy School is located at 5736
NE 33rd Avenue, 2 blocks north of
Killingsworth.
The “Work In Progress” Party is
a one-time chance for the general
public to tour inside the building
and catch a glimpse of the “before” and “during” stages of
rejuvenation as well as see what some of the finished rooms
will look like, including the restaurant and pub, eight of the
35 B & B rooms and artwork in process. Visitors will be
entertained by live music from the Ron Steen Band and the
Crystal Ballroom Jesters. Pizzas by the slice and beverages
will be sold.
Information will be distributed about the accommoda
director of Portland Community Design, owner of the build
ing. “When we let it be known we were looking for a
restaurant operator we received some inquiries, but Assie
was the most persistent," he says. “My board originally
planned to have a ‘bake o ff between the top contenders, bu,
Assie was so far above everyone else in her thoroughness and
the quality of her work plan that we decided to have a taste
test for her alone. We expected just a few samples, but she
prepared a feast, and everything was wonderful: her curried
couscous, her soups, her tuna sandwiches, her oatmeal
cookies. By the time we were done the decision on who to rent
to was a no-brainer.”
This could be an Ethiopian “Big Night,” with a happy
ending, on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
tions, banquet and meeting rooms,
restaurant, theater and other features.
A grand opening date will be an
nounced. There is no admission charge
and all ages are welcome.
Since parking is limited visitors
are encouraged to take public trans
portation, carpool or arrive on foot
power. Tri-Met offers service to
Kennedy via # 10 (north/south) or #72
(east/west).
Kennedy School opened in 19 15 as
an elementary school It was closed
1975 but remained open as a tempo
rary location for Portland schools that
were undergoing renovation until
1980. This year, the McMenamin
brothers are restoring Kennedy School
into a vibrant neighborhood hub. Both
overnight guests and day visitors and neighbors will appre
ciate the extensive opportunities for fun, food and frolic.
When open, McMenamins Kennedy School will offer 35
Bed and Breakfast rooms with in-room baths, and phones, a
full-service restaurant and bar with outside seating in the
summer, movie theater, brewery, wine tasting bar, soaking
pool, gymnasium, community gardens, phenomenal art
work and history filling the hallways and rooms.
Nyoka selected as presidential merit
winner at Philadelphia arts school
i-Moto Nyoka, a 1 9 9 7 graduate of
Jefferson High School In north Portland,
has been selected as a Presidential
Merit Scholarship recipient at the University of
the Arts in Philadelphia.
W
The scholarship is in recognition of Nyoka’s aca
demic and artistic accomplishments.
In addition to being a 4.0 student at Jefferson, Nyoka
is one of the principal dancers with the Jefferson Danc
ers and a member of Northwest Children’s Theater.
She has studied at Alvin Ailey Dance Theater which
offered her a fellowship last summer.
Her early training was at the Oregon Ballet Theater
here in Portland. She is also a backup singer in La
Mayor Salsa, a well-known Latin salsa band, where she
sings in English and Spanish.
Professors at the University of Arts elect their new
students based on both their demonstrated artistic skills
and their academic performance reflected in their SAT
scores and grades.
The daughter of an African-American father and a
Mexican-Indian mother, Nyoka attributes her success
to defining, concentrating and staying focused on her
goals.
Nyoka says she will always be grateful for the strong
support from her parents and extended family and her
inspiring and dedicated teachers.
Open House
Zoo volunteers needed
Volunteers are needed to help build
special Washington Park Zoo events like
ZooBoo and ZooLights. No previous ex
perience with displays, wiring or electri
cal motors is necessary The technical
events staff at the zoo will train anyone
who is able to donate time on a regular
basis. For more information call Russell
Guinn at 220-2798
HIV test uses new
method
Speak to Your Brothers now uses
UraSure HIV testing devices at it's drop-
in testing night for gay and bisexual
men. This is a new needle-free, bloodless
way to take the test from trained, volun
teer counselors. For more information
call the HIV testing infoline at 223-
5907, extension 172.
SI B M IS SIO N S : ( o n iin iiiiils
( aleudar infoi m a rn ili « ili be g ii en
p r io r i» if dated tu o ueeks
before (lie e \cu t dale.
Juneteenth In The Park
A
free Juneteenth family celebration will take
A diverse range of local musical talent will perform at the
place from 3-8 pm on Thursday, June 19th at event, including Ronnye Harrison Concept Jazz band, gos
Alberta Park, NE Killingsworth and NE 21st pel harmonizers Isaiah and the hip hop sounds ofCool Nutz.
Avenue. The entire community Is invited to the event,
Ethnic food will be provided by local vendors. Information
which commemorates an Important day in African about other Urban League events in the parks this summer
American history. The celebration Is being organized will also be provided.
by the Urban League’s Urban Parks Program.
African American business vendors are encouraged to
Juneteenth has been called African American Indepen
dence Day. It commemorates June 19, 1865, when slaves in
Texas first learned that they were freed by the Emancipation
Proclamation. Because o f the distance of Texas from the
main theaters of the Civil War, this news reached Texas
slaves two years late. The long-awaited news was received
with great rejoicing and since then Texas has observed
Juneteenth as a statewide holiday. The celebration is also
observed in cities across the country.
“We hope that many African American families and the
community at large will join us to celebrate an important
moment in our history,” said Urban League President
Lawrence J. Dark. Community leaders including Metro
Councilor Ed Washington will offer their thoughts on
Juneteenth and its significance today.
exhibit at the event, so that the community can help strengthen
African American economic power. For exhibit informa
tion, contact Domonic Boswell at the Urban League, 280-
2614.
The event is organized by the Urban League’s Urban
Parks Program, which has a goal of involving North/North-
east residents in the creation, use and preservation of parks
and open spaces in their community. The program is made
possible by a grant from the Lila Wallace - Reader's Digest
Fund.
The I rban League of Portland is a non-profit, commu
nity-based human service economic and social justice agency
serving youth and families, students, job seekers, and seniors
in the metro area. The League is one of 115 local affiliates of
the National Urban League.
Ghana drummer addresses black studies
Obo Addy, a well-known expert drummer from
Gahna and Dr. Candice Goucher, professor in the
black studies department at Portland State
University will give a jo in t presentation Tuesday at
7:30 p.m. in the Vanport Room at the Smith
Center on the PSU campus. The presentation is
part o f a weeklong institute on the globalization of
western Europe.
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