Committed to Cultural Diversity
n m nt u n i t u
a 1 e n h a r
www.portlandobservcr.com
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May 2, 2001
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University of Portland Students Build Bridges
Auction for Woodmont
School for Dyslexies
Tutoring Program Designed to Increase Opportunities for Young African American Males
“New Beginnings” is the theme o f the
dinner auction to benefit Woodmont School
for Dyslexics. The event will be held on May
11 at 7 p.m. at M cM enamin’s Edgefield
Manor, located at 2126 S.W. Halsey in
Troutdale. Auction will commence at 7 p.m.
Call 503/771-0002 fortickets.
Build-A-Bear Workshop
On Friday, May 4, the Build-A-Bear
W orkshop, the “high-tech, high-touch”
interactive retail store for kids o f all ages, is
opening its first store in Oregon at W ash
ington Square Mall. You will find “bear
guests” m aking their own custom ized
stuffed teddy bears and other animals.
“Green” Gifts for
Mother’s Day
Gear up for the gardening season and
find something special for a Mom you dig
at the Portland Farmers M arket’s annual
Garden Party on Saturday, May 12 from 8
a .m .'- 1 p.m., located downtown on the
South Park Blocks, between M arket and
M ontgomery Streets. For more informa
tion, call 503/241-0032.
Providence Health
Support G roups
The three Providence Health System
hospitals in P ortlan d - Providence Portland
Medical Center, Providence St. Vincent
Medical Center, and Providence Milwaukie
Hospital - host regular support group meet
ings for cancer patients and their families.
All support groups are free. For a schedule
and more information, call Cancer Counsel
ing Services at 503/216-2917,503/216-2280
or503/215-6015.
Legal and Financial Planning
A class on legal and financial planning
for families o f the frail and elderly or chroni
cally ill will be given at theG ood Samaritan
Hospital campus on Tuesday, May 8, from
1 :3 0 -4 p.m. Pre-registration is required by
calling 503/335-3500. The class will be taught
by Tim Nay, M S. W., J.D., an elderlaw attor
ney in Portland.
Chinese Art of Feng Shui
The principles o f the Chinese Ait o f Feng
Shui can help you achieve greater balance,
harmony and prosperity in your life. In this
seminar, learn the specific life aspects rep
resented in each area o f your home. The
workshop, “Feng Shui Room by Room” will
beheldonM ay 16,from6:30 -8p.m .at5758
S.W. 39,h Ave. To register, call 503/704-
7018.
Loaves & Fishes
Fundraiser
Loaves & Fishes, The Meals-On-Wheels
People, invites the community to dine at
M azzi’s on Tuesday, May 8 from 4 p.m. to
closing time. During this special evening,
M azzi’s will contribute half o f the proceeds
o f all sales to Loaves & Fishes. To place a
reservation, call Mazzi’s at 503/227-3382.
By J ohn F t rev
F or T he P ortland O bserver
Sarah Ireland and Piankhi Skia-lm hotep
are building bridges together.
Ireland, a U niversity o f Portland junior,
is w orking to becom e a teacher. Skia-
lm hotep, a Benson High School junior,
hopes to som eday study architectural draw
ing.
Both are helping the other to achieve
their goals.
Ireland tutors Skia-lm hotep w eekly in
The Bridge Builders, a program designed
to increase opportunities for young A fri
can-A m erican males. She is one o f 19
students at U o f P participating in the
program . He is am ong this y e a r’s 68 par
ticipating high school students.
The need for role m odels for young
A frican A m ericans males was at the heart
o f the start o f The Bridge Builders in 1996,
according to founder and executive direc
tor Kevin Fuller.
“It is a sad fact, but true, m any A frican-
A m ericans children are in trouble,” says
Fuller. “They are not achieving in the
classroom to the scholarly levels o f w hich
they are capable."
The Bridge Builders was also created to
strengthen the A frican-A m erican com m u
nity, by adm inistering A frican-centered
rites o f passage program s built on spiritu
ality, scholarship, entrepreneurship and
com m unity building. Students enter the
program m idw ay through their freshman
year and m ust go through an extensive
application process. They stay in the pro
gram until m idw ay through their senior
year. The young men visit area churches,
m eet with local executives, tour schools in
the W est and have days when they w ear
ties to school and eat lunch together.
The rites o f passage include college
adm issions tutoring and counseling, aca-
Sarah Ireland (left) of the University of Portland works with Benson High
School student Piankhi Skia-lmhotep as part of a program to increase
opportunities for young African-American males.
P hoto by M ary S croggins
Waterfront Set for Cinco de Mayo
Four Days of Fiesta to Lure
People of All Ages Downtown
T h e C in c o d e M ayo F iesta w ill invade
th e riv e rb a n k s o f P ortland fo r its 17,h
c o n se c u tiv e y e a r b eg in n in g T h u rsd a y
th ro u g h S unday.
G a te s at T om M cC all W aterfro n t Park
o p e n at 11 a.m . d aily and c lo se at 11 p.m .
T h e fiesta ends at 9 p.m . on S unday.
T ick ets a re $6 for adults and $2 for
stu d en ts (ag es 6-12) and seniors (over
65). T h e C in co de M ayo Fiesta is an
o p p o rtu n ity for celebration and im m er
sion in th e cultu re o f M exico and M ex i
can -A m e rica n m usic, art, and d ancing,
and food.
A c ts w ill ra n g e fro m th e B a lle t
F o lcló rico G uadalajara to the N ew M exi-
The annual Crystal Springs Rhododen
dron Garden Mother’s Day W eekend Plant
Sale, Plant Show and celebration is sched
uled for Saturday and Sunday, May 12 and
13. The Garden is located at S.E. 28,h and
W oodstock Blvd., between Reed College
and the Eastmoreland GolfCourse.
YMCA Day Camp
The YMCA ofC olum bia - W illam ette
is currently holding open registration for
D ay Cam ps for youth entering 1“ - 8th
grades. W eekly cam ps begin June 18lh
and run through A ugust 31”. Program s
run from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and are con
veniently located at over 30 sites. For
E astside Cam p locations, contact 503/
287-4069. For W estside locations, call
503/641-3345,ext. 105.
WalkSport Walking
Program
i
can sin g er A ngel E spinoza, perform ing
w ith a M ariachi band. T he night o f Satur
day, M ay 5 th w ill feature a dance w ith
one o fN o rth w e st M e x ic o ’s m ost popular
ban d ensem bles, B anda La M ovida, pro
v id in g the dance m usic.
T h ere w ill be a L ow -R ider parade on
T h u rsday, M ay 3rd, dow ntow n at 11:30
S tory To C ontinue O n P age B7
New Affordable Homes Coming to St. Johns
M other’s Day W eekend
Plant Sale
Sign up today for WalkSport, Lloyd
C enter’s premier mall walking program!
W alkSport’s sponsor, New Balance is of
fering complimentary memberships for new
members that sign up before June 30. Get fit.
Get prizes. Get going! And sign up today!
Call Customer Service at 503/528-8515.
demic support, pairing with adult mentors,
opportunities for each participant to be a
big brother to an elem entary school stu
dent and leadership skill developm ent, all
o f which are provided by U niversity o f
Portland students.
Staci Magdlen, a secondary education
m ajor from Milwaukie, recalled a night
recently when one o f her students needed
to talk about a stabbing that had occurred
at his high school.
" It’s real life stuff,” Magdlen said. “The
mentoring program is a great idea.”
Graduates o f the program have gone on
to such schools as Harvard University,
Stanford University, Santa Clara Univer
sity, U niversity o f A labam a, Tuskegee
University, Oregon State University, U ni
versity ofO regon, as well as the University
o f Portland.
Eric Mashia, a junior at the University o f
Portland, completed the Bridge Builders
program three years ago and says he still is
reaping benefits.
“It was a great learning experience,”
M ashia said. “It helps African-American
males in many, m any ways socially and
academ ically.”
Drew Dukeshire, a junior at Benson and
standout on the school’s football and bas
ketball teams, said the program has given
him a good foundation, encouraging him
to get involved with a wide variety o f
com m unity service.
“It helps us set our mind on positive
things,” said D ukeshire, who plans to
study architectural drafting at Arizona State
University.
Troy Cam pbell, a junior at Grant High
School, also gives the program high marks.
“It teaches you a lot about responsibili
ties,” Cam pbell said. “It’s teaching us
about the future and how we can becom e
independent and successful.”
new housing d evelo p m en t for working fam ilies a n d individuals in the St. Johns neighborhood.
(P hoto by M ark W ashington /T ih P ortland O bserver .)
HOST Development, Inc. is building 100
homes priced from $114,950tolow$140,000sin
Charleston Place, a new neighborhood in the
historic St. Johns area o f north Portland.
Most individuals earning $25,OOOorfamilies
earning up to $53.000 may qualify for mort
gages in the housing development, in addition
to $5.000 in down payment assistance, reduced
property taxes and special loan programs.
Quali fied buyers can put down a little a s $ 1,500.
HOST, which stands for Home Ow nership a
Street at a Time, is a non-profit organization
dedicated to helping working families and indi
viduals become homeowners.
The new neighborhood is located off Co
lumbia Boulevard near Pier Park, Smith and
Bybee Lakes, and several other parks. The
entrance to the neighborhood is through two
acres of open space with large trees, and there
will be a community garden for residents to
enjoy. It is near grocery stores and other shop
ping and accessible to mass transit.
The homes are available in two-or three
bedroom models, with four interior floor plans
and 11 unique exteriors. Each home includes a
spacious kitchen with range, refrigerator and
dishwasher; living and dining area; an alarm
system, and plenty o f closet space. The homes
sit on 4,000 square foot lots, with fully land
scaped front yards, fenced backyards and a car
pad. with an optional garage
S tory C ontinues O n P age B7
V