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Ebony Fashions Delight Local Audience
Juneteenth Meeting
The Juneteenth Planning Committee will
be having a meeting this month on Tues­
day, April 30 at the State Farm Insurance
building, located at 6526 N.E. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Blvd., at 6:30 p.m. The
upcoming Juneteenth Celebration will
be from June 1 9 - 2 9 . Their theme this
year is “Family Reunion.” Volunteers are
needed for the event. Call W oody
Broadnax at 503-285-8898.
Friends of Trees
Friends of Trees will be training volun­
teers about how to care for recently
planted trees and how to coordinate tree
plantings in their neighborhoods. Their
first training session will be on May 4,
ffom 9a.m .- 12:30p.m. For more informa­
tion, call 282-8846, ext. 11 or go online to
www.fnendsoftrees.org.
Cinco de Mayo Celebration
On Sunday, May 5, McMenamins Grand
Lodge in Forest Grove is celebrating
Cinco de Mayo with traditional Mexican
dancing and music, children’s piñatas,
and food and beverage specials through­
out the property’s restaurants and small
bars. The event will be from 2 p.m. - 4
p.m., located at 3505 Pacific Ave. For
more information, call 503 -992-9533 or go
online to www.mcmenamins.com.
Freedom Socialist Party
i.
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In celebration of May Day, the interna­
tional workers’ holiday, a panel of three
socialist organizations will discuss how
workers, women and immigrants can stop
the U.S. -backed profit-driven grab for oil
and global power. The talk will be held on
Saturday, May 4 ,7 p.m. at the Bread and
Roses Center, 819 N. Killingsworth. Call
503-2404462.
Mallory Ave. Christian Church
Dr. Francis Cress Welsing, author of the
psychology book “The Isis Papers” will
be in Portland at the Mallory Ave. Chris­
tian Church, 126 N.E. Alberta, on May 18
at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Welsing will be speaking
on black mental health, black inferiority
concepts, the white supremacy system
and the color concept of God. To pur­
chase tickets, call Jerome or Schawna
Tanner at 503-288-5331 o r503-289-3490.
Portland area residents are dazzled by the sophisticated fashions of Ebony models.
by D avid P lechl
T he P ortland O bserver
Sassy and sophisticated. Demure and
tireless. Always fashionable. Always
assured.
The Ebony Fashion Fair made its 44th
appearance at the Oregon Convention
Center Friday.
The fair is regarded as the w orld’s
largest traveling fashion show and fea­
tures clothing from world-famous de­
signers Bob Mackie, Givenchy, Oscar de
la Renta and others.
The show has its roots in Chicago and
features 11 stunning women and two
handsome men.
Male model David Curtis has been
with the show for three years, but Friday
was his first time in Portland.
O f the job, he calls it “a lot of fun.”
The audience was quick to react
and show its appreciation o f the astute
m odels as they strutted, b ounced,
sw ung and spun to the tune o f the
a n n o u n c e r ’ s d a n c in g n a r r a tiv e ,
w hich d e sc rib e d the c lo th e s and
c h a ra c te r o f som eone who m ight just
w ear them.
Links, a Portland based chapter of a
national not-for-profit organization, has
P hoto by D avid P lf . chl /T he P ortland O bserver
brought the fair to the Rose City nearly
every year since 1957, the year the local
chapter was created.
Links provides scholarships for kids
in need and the fashion fair is its major
fundraiser, so they always hope for a
large crowd. Friday ’ s attendance was no
disappointment, yet a few seats were left
empty.
* The organization also supports the
work of churches, is involved with the
AIDS quilt, and heads the “Umbrella
Project” which provide^ support for
people living with HIV and AIDS.
Long -time Links member Clementine
“Clem” Guy was happy to be on hand for
the evening affair.
Clem, who has held every office in the
chapter, joined Yvonne Williams, as pub­
licity chair and co organizer of this year’s
event.
O f her long time friend, Yvonne says,
“Clem is Links.”
As Clem talked to other friends after
the show, she looks unforgettable in her
creamy white hat and matching coat, a
perfect contrast to her velvety black skin
and clear and focused eyes.
But that’s Clem. After all these years.
Always fashionable. Always assured.
Red Cross Training
The Oregon Trail Chapter of the Ameri­
can Red Cross will offer “When I’m in
Charge" at Alameda Community School
at 2732 N.E. Fremont in Portland. The
class will be held on April 29, from 6 p.m.
- 8:30 p.m. This 2.5 hour course is in­
tended to train children ages eight to
eleven-years-old how to respond to and
be safe in “home alone" situations. To
register, call 503-823-3180or go online to
www.redcross-Ddx.Qrg.
Humane Society Photo Contest
Do you have a favorite photo o f your
pet? The Oregon Humane Society is
looking for great pets for its Fuzzy, Furry,
and Feathered Friends photo contest.
The grand prize winner and their pet will
be featured in the Oregon Humane
Society ’ s summer magazine and website
and receive a $50 gift certificate to Pro
Photo Supply. To enter, call 503-285-
7722.
Domestic Violence Hotline
Are you interested in helping others gain
social service skills and working towards
social change? The Portland W omen’s
Crisis Line is seeking volunteer advo­
cates to staff its 24-hour domestic vio­
lence hotline, and provide legal and sexual
assault advocacy. Must be 18-years-old
orolder. Call 5034194352.
Earth Day Celebration
Portland is celebrating Earth Day with an
event called Procession o f the Species.
The parade is a way for many to connect
to the natural world using the media of
art, dance and music. Join the procession
on Sunday, April 28 by wearing a hand­
made costume o f an endangered species
or playing music to promote environ­
mental awareness. For more information,
call 5034524483.
Association to Highlight Minority Firms
OAME presents 14th annual entrepreneurship luncheon and trade show
The Oregon Association of Minority
Entrepreneurs is presenting its 14lb An­
nual Entrepreneurship Luncheon and
Trade Show May 2 at the Oregon Con­
vention Center. The luncheon this year
celebrates pioneering of the Asian Ameri­
can owned businesses and corporations.
Past conferences have celebrated His­
panic American, African American, Na­
tive American and European American
owned businesses.
Over 120 small and large businesses,
state and federal government agencies
and business development resources to
help small and minority owned busi­
n esses grow w ill be rep resen ted .
Tradeshow admission is free, and exhibi­
tor booth space is available.
Samuel Brooks, OAME founder, presi­
dent and chairman of the board, said
there are many reasons to attend the
trade show, including the face-to-face
meetings with potential business con­
tacts.
Junki Yoshida, president/CEO of
Yoshida Group, will be the keynote
speaker.
A business success by any standard,
Yoshida is an American success story
who also is an entertainer and exciting
speaker.
Despite facing bankruptcy twice,
Yoshida borrowed money from family
and based his families’ entire future on:
Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce.
His persistence and humor convinced
a large grocery store buyer to accept his
sauce. Wild and crazy in-store demon­
stration tactics worked to sell his sauce
to passing shoppers.
Today, Yoshida’s Food products are
sold throughout the world.
B rooks noted th at O A M E was
founded in 1987 to promote and develop
entrepreneurship and economic devel­
opment for ethnic minorities in Oregon
and Southwest W ashington. OAME has
grown to 600 members, representing 56
countries of origin.
Now housed in a 40,000 square foot
business campus with 30 tenants, meet­
ing space and staff facilities, OAME of­
fers businesses and entrepreneurs tech­
nical assistance, mentoring, access to
capital, administrative support, business
incubation and networking opportuni-
tifcs.
For registration and exhibit and lun­
cheon information and reservations, con­
tact OAME at 503-249-774 or visit their
w ebsiteatw w w .oam e.org.
MLK/Ainsworth
Safeway Remodel
on Track
Work has begun on a major remodel
o f the Safeway Food and Drug on
Northeast Martin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard and Ainsworth. Safeway
officials say the $5 million project
will transform the store into a new
Safeway, complete with the latest
decorations and 6,000 additional
square feet. Because the store is
vital to community residents, it will
remain open during construction,
scheduled for completion by late fall.
photo by M ark W ashington /T hf . P ort ­
land O bserver
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