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a 1 e tt it a r
State Fair
This y e a r’s O regon State Fair O pen
ing C erem onies, taking place at the fair
grounds M ain G ate in Sunnyview , will
feature everything from free adm ission
and free cam eras to local celebrities
landing in a helicopter. O pening cer
em onies w ill be on Thursday, A ugust
27th. The first 250 people in line will be
given free adm ission tickets and free
d isp o sa b le c am eras, to p h o to g rap h
O pening Day Cerem onies and our spe
cial guests.
Summer Jam
It’s back after 10 years. B.E.A.N.
Prom otions and G rassR oot News pre
sents the 1998 End O f Sum m er Jam and
Fam ily Picnic to be held on Labor Day
Septem ber 7th at Daw son Park from
NOON til 7 PM. This y e a r’s sum m er
jam will feature m any o f the a rea’s
Gospel, R&B groups, community speak
ers, gam es and m ore. Call 903-2471.
Police Ceremony
A partnership agreem ent was signed
betw een these neighborhood associa
tions, E astport Plaza, and E ast and
Southeast Precincts o f the Portland Po
lice Bureau. An opening cerem ony took
place on Saturday, A ugust 22nd. From
10 AM until N O O N , there was a free
im m unization clinic at the com m unity
contact office. The com m unity contact
office is located in the E astport Plaza
com plex at SE 82nd Ave., and SE C en
ter. Call 771-4667.
Japanese Tea Ceremony
The Japanese G arden Society o f O r
egon is pleased to announce a Public
Tea C erem ony on Saturday, Septem ber
19th. K ashin Tei Kai, the Japanese G ar
den T ea C erem ony group, invites you to
view the traditional Tea C erem ony at 1
PM and 2 PM in the Japanese G ard en ’s
Tea House. This event is free w ith ad
m ission into the Japanese Garden. Come
enjoy the art o f Tea and visit our gift
store. Call 223-9233.
Y-Fest Concert
G alore Paging (Portland) will be of
fering $50 per person packages for the
Y-Fest Old School Jam to take place
this Labor Day w eekend, Septem ber
6th at the Tacom a dom e presented by
G alore Paging (Tacom a) and Y -104.9
Radio.The Jam will feature Rose Royce,
B rick, C o n fu n c tio n , Je ssie P ow ell,
Lakeside and M ichael Cooper. For pack
age inform ation, call Joe Bean K eller at
2 8 8 -9 1 8 0 o r 9 0 3 -2 4 7 1 (v o ic e m a il
pager).
International Adoption
H olt International C h ild ren ’s Ser
vices, the c o u n try ’s oldest and largest
intercountry adoption agency, is look
ing for fam ilies interested in adopting a
child from overseas. H o lt’s E ugene of
fice will host a free A doption Inform a
tion M eeting in Portland on Saturday,
Septem ber 12th. The m eeting will be
from 10 AM to NOON at Providence St.
V incent H ospital 7 M edical C enter,
9205 SW Barnes Rd. Call 246-3236.
AUGUST 26, 199K
Committed to cultural diversity, http://www.portlandobserver.net
Volume X X V II, Number «SG
, -
,i-- s
B
N.E. C om m unity Protest
by
O scar J ohnson
ortheast community members
and City officials last week
pledged to work together in plan
ning a future "Beach Bash” party following
events which brought 35-40 police equipped
with riot gear and ‘less lethal’ shotguns to
clear about 400 young revelers from a North
east Portland Park.
On Aug. 16, after Police turned partygoers
away from Southeast Portland’s Sellwood
Park, they met in Irvington Park where a
basketball tournament was already under
way, only to be driven out by police later
that evening. Police also cordoned off sec
tions of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr.
N
“ H? are here today to
alert the community that
the police department
spent tax payers ’ money
on unnecessary' police
force in the Black
community', ”
Boulevard.
No injuries or arrests were reported but
the next night when demonstrations marched
on Police Chief, Charles Moose’s Northeast
Portland home 10 were arrested and one
protestor, Travis West, said he received a
minor injury from a beanbag shotgun.
Following a series of media reports which
sometimes disagreed with eyewitness ac
counts, tensions were quelled when offi
cials, including Reps. Jo Ann Bowman (D-
O R) and Margaret Carter (D-OR) as wel 1 as
N o rtheast P recinct C m dr., D errick
Foxworth, met with event organizers and
other community members.
Police said they were responding to
com plaints about the loud noise and con
gested traffic phoned in by local resi
dents and they were also concerned about
the threat o f violence follow ing a shoot
ing that took place last year at an event
hosted by the same event organizer,
Daniel Binns.
While some community members ex
pressed similar concerns as Irvington area
resident, Randall Dumas, that “police
needed to be there to keep the law,” most
youth at the event agree with his belief that,
“they didn’t need to have that many police
out there." Dumas is 71 years old and said
he has lived in his house at Northeast 7th
Tüeüäeven! was held at Portland Community College with Northeast Precinct Cmdr.,
Derrick Foxworth. Reps. Jo Ann
Bowman (D-OR) and Margaret Carter (D-OR).
and Monroe next to Irvington Park for 15
years.
“ I c o u ld n ’t understand it,” he said.
“They’ve been playing at this park for many
years and I’ve never had any problems.”
Echoing statements made by many youth,
Greg Hobrock, the owner o f Popeye's Fa
mous fried chicken restaurants, said when
problems arise near
his two stores on Martin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard it is usually not caused by local
youth.
“ I th in k i t ’s a sm all handful that
com es from Seattle that caused the pro b
lem s, th ey w ant to block the driv ew ay s,
hang aro u n d and d rin k . M ost o f th o se
c a rs o u t th e re had S e a ttle p la te s ,”
H obrock said. “ I d o n ’t have a problem
w ith the kids from around here. I know
th em . H a lf o f them h av e p ro b a b ly
w orked for m e.”
About an hour before marching on the
Northeast precinct, local youth picketing at
the comer o f Northeast Martin Luther King
Jr. Boulevard and Fargo said, although they
were unhappy the party was thwarted, they
were protesting against an excessive show of
police force, harassment and bias media cov
erage which portrayed the issue as gang re
lated.
“We are here today to alert the community
that the police department spent tax payers’
money on unnecessary police force in the
Black community,” said 25 year-old Herman
Owens echoing the sentiments o f other pro
testors. “Just because a group o f black men
get together doesn’t mean they are gang
members.”
Owens, who says he has no prior record,
was later arrested that evening with other
demonstrators. According to police, mace
and less lethal beanbag shotguns were used
to disperse the crowd.
Follow ing another community m eet
ing on A ug.20, protestors, community
m em bers, police and city officials ap
peared to make additional headway in
their earlier resolution to work together
but left key questions concerning gang
involvem ent and excensive police force
unanswered.
The Coalition of Black Men Stage the 7th
Annual Golf Tournament
Women’s Services
Clackam as W om en’s Services is cur
rently looking for volunteers to work
w ith adult and child survivors o f do
mestic and sexual violence in our shel
ter, on our hotline, on our Latina ser
vices program , and in our com m unity
support groups. O ur next training be
gins the last w eek o f Septem ber. Please
call D elina at 654-2807 for m ore infor
mation and a volunteer packet.
Theater in the Park
City Perform ing Arts, a program o f
Portland Parks and Recreation, is spon
soring a production o f “Neil Sim on’s
FOOLS: A Comic Fable” for six perfor
mances at Tabor Com m unity park, 5800
NE Ash in Portland. Perform ances will
be presented on the natural am phitheater
stage in the crater at the park on Satur
day, Septem ber 5 & 12 at 2 and 5 PM,
and Sunday, Septem ber 6 & 13 at 2 PM.
Members of "The Gents" and "Bridge
Builders" organization showed up in
force to support their 7th annual
fundraiser Golf Tournament.