Page A3
March 20, 2002
University Students
Unite Against Hate
Ex-offender Program Hires Job Specialist
Demian Lucas lends her expertise to northeast Portland’s Better People
Demian Lucas has made it her business
to know people.
As a former human resources executive
at both K VO Public Relations and the Port
land Fire Bureau, she learned how to match
people and jobs.
Now Lucas has taken on a new chal
lenge: matching the skills o f former offend
ers with the needs o f Portland area busi
nesses at Better People at 4310 N .E. Martin
Luther King Jr. Blvd.
“ I w anted to use the skills and con
tacts I ’ve attained in the business world
to make a difference in the lives o f people
who are m otivated to im prove them
selves,” Lucas said. “ Better people has
done that better than any program o f its
kind in the country.”
The organization has received na
tional recognition for its work in placing
and keeping form er offenders in living-
Documentary seeks solutions to
horrible crimes in our culture
The docum entary is a stir
ring and pow erful film that
seeks solutions to the horrible
hate crim es in our culture: the
vicious m urder o f gay college
student M atthew Shepard in
Laram ie, W yom ing; the drag
ging death o f A frican A m eri
can Jam es Byrd, Jr. in Texas
a n d th e C o lu m b in e H igh
School shootings.
Attendees will also have the
opportunity to hear film producer
Brent Scarpo explain how he
used multimedia to make an im
pact on the world and celebrate
the human spirit.
Judy Shepard, M atthew ’s
mother, will tell her story in per
son and describe her mission to
embrace the just causes her son
championed.
For more information contact
Mandy Ellertson at 503-614-7261
orm elletso@ pcc.edu.
Local student leaders want
the community to join them by
tak in g a stand and uniting
against hate during an anti-hate
ral ly and screening o f a powerfiil
film on hate crimes.
The W ednesday, A pril 3
events are scheduled to begin
with the rally at 6 p.m. at Pioneer
Courthouse Square, and con
tinue with a 7 p.m. screening o f
the award-winning documen
tary, “Journey to a Hate Free
M illen n iu m ” at the A rlene
SchnizterConcert Hall.
Sen. Margaret Carter, D-Port-
land, and president o f the Urban
League o f Portland, along with
Holocaust survivor Alice Kem
will provide welcoming andclos-
ing remarks.
Port land Community Col lege
and the Oregon Community Col
leges Association are hosting
the events.
w age jobs.
Better People combines morally grounded
therapy with li ving-wage job placement and
a one-year follow-up after starting the em
ployment to significantly lower the recidi
vism rates o f offenders who pass through
the program.
Since 1996, the agency has placed nearly
200 former offenders in full time jobs paying
an average o f $9.05 an hour plus benefits.
Most important to employers is that 76
percent o f those workers were still em
ployed six months later.
Lucas attended the University o f W ash
ington in Seattle and North Seattle Commu
nity College. She is a Girl Scout troop leader
who previously served on he Columbia
RiverGirl Scout Council's diversity action
plan committee.
For more information about Better People,
call directorChip Shieldsat 503-281 -2663.
Demian Lucas
Diabetes and Heart Disease Risks Studied at Kaiser
(AP) — Kaiser Permanente’s
Center for Health Research said it
will collaborate with Massachu
setts-based Interleukin Genetics
to study genetic differences
among people who have type two
Beaumont School
Celebrates 75 Years
Advertise
with diversity
Beaumont Middle School in northeast Portland is planning a reunion
diabetes.
The goal is to determine who is
most at risk o f developing cardio
vascular disease.
Jonathan Brown, the principal
investigator o f the study, said
À
t / W
3 at the school. C lassroom s will be adorned with photos, m em ora
bilia, m usic and artw ork dedicated to each decade that Beaumont
classmates and teachers for a trip down memory lane.
JJnvtÌanh
(Observer
All-Day Kindergarten & Grades 1-8
Active Before & After School Day Care
call
4226 SE Taylor, Portland
5 0 3 .2 8 8 .0 0 3 3
(Located in the Hawthorne District - 3 miles from down town)
Organizers say volunteers are especially needed to research and set
up the room displays as well as taking them down after the reunion.
For more information, contact Janis Lindholm or Jill Randall at
î l St. Stephen School
Enroll xjour child for St Stephen's 94th pear now!
has been open.
Area residents are encouraged to reunite with your Beaumont
d
Your prayers are answered. You can afford private school.
(L lie
The celebration will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on May
j w
ing diabetic patients’ genetic risks
for heart disease.
The idea is to determine which
patients with diabetes would ben
efit most from early and aggres
sive preventive treatment.
in
this spring for students, staff and community members to celebrate its
75th year as a neighborhood school.
cardiovascular disease is the most
serious and costly complication
o f the diabetes.
Results o f the study will enable
Interleukin Genetics to develop
new diagnostic tools for assess-
Call 503 235-7040
or email:
ads@ jxrtlandobsener.coni
Beaumont School at 503-916-5610.
Culturally Diverse A ll Faiths Welcome Full Curriculum
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