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Mat 29, 2002
‘STJtie ^ o rtla n h Observer
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6 Java Joint’ Brews More Than Coffee
National Trails Day Project
One hundred volunteers are needed
on National Trails Day, June 1, to
help maintain portions of the W ild
wood Trail in Portland’s Forest Park.
Volunteers are asked to wear sturdy
long pants, long sleeved shirts,
gloves, lunch and plenty of water.
Everyone is to meet at the Lower
M acleay F ield h o u se u nder the
Thurman Street Bridge at 9 a.m. Call
503-283-1300.
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Noon Time Rides
Portland noon time bicycle rides will
be held every Mondays and Thurs
day, between noon and 12:10 p.m.
They are fast rides with hills. To
participate, meet at the S.W. com er
of Pioneer Courthouse Square, be
tween Yamhill and Broadway. Call
Ray Thomas at 503-228-5222 with
questions or meet at start.
National Cancer
Survivors Day
The 7*h annual Cancer Survivors Day
Event that features Portland Taiko
Drummers, a puppet show, arts and
crafts and TV personality Kris
Eisenhauer will emcee the event. It
will be held on Sunday, June 2, from
2-4:30 p.m. at the W orld Forestry
Center.
Healing Lecture at PSU
Attend a free bioenergetics healing
lecture by Grandmaster Ou Wen Wei
of China. He will be speaking on
Friday, May 31 at Portland State
University’s Koin Onai House, 633
S.W. Montgomery. Lectures forstu-
dents and faculty are from 3 - 5 p.m.
and for the general public, 7 - 9 p.m.
Call 503-625-2614 or go online to
WWW,pangushengong.org.
Native American Storytelling
Storyteller Ed Edmo and flutist Isaac
Trimble present a delightful mixture
of the Native American oral tradition
and flute music. Also enjoy a stroll
along the W illamette river to learn
about the wildlife and landscape. It
will be held on Tuesday, June 4 at the
W ater Pollution Control Lab in St.
Johns, 6543 N. Burlington Ave., from
7-8:30p.m .C all 503-823-7863.
The stark reality o f prison life is evident in this medium security cel/block at the new Coffee Creek Correctional Institution in Wilsonville.
Coffee Creek prison opens with emphasis on helping women face challenges
by R on W eber
T he P ortland O bserver
W ith the opening of O regon’s newest
prison, state Department of Corrections
officials reaffirmed their mission of pro
moting public safety by holding both
female and male inmates accountable for
their actions.
But W ilsonville’s Coffee Creek Cor
rectional Facility, affectionately called
“the Java Joint,” is also trying to stand
out by having high expectations and ser
vices for prisoners in their care to reduce
the risk of future criminal behavior.
Many o f the state’s inmates are low
income Oregonians who need psycho
logical services. Treatment and medica
tions can be very costly.
W ithout support systems in place,
these often, poor minority clients end up
being housed in the state criminal system
in lieu of a mental health facility. The bleak
fact is that there is just no other place
besides jails or prisons to put them during
these economic hard times.
Single minority-moms are especially
hard hit. They’re faced with mounting
debt, the emotional stress of trying to
raise a family, and the loss of custody of
their children while incarcerated.
The Coffee Creek facility has programs
to help women inmates face these chal
lenges head on.
The prison offers a program for women
in community service, alcohol and drug
services, mental health services and En
glish as a Second Language classes.
C orrections staff are also in the plan
ning stages of a G irl Scout program for
inm ates and their children as well as an
Early Head Start Program for expectant
m others. About one child a m onth is
born to inm ates in Oregon w om en’s
prisons.
The prison allow s new m others who
are m inim um -security inm ates to visit
their children and their caretakers on a
regular basis w hile they are in Early
Head Start.
The program is designed to help incar
cerated moms become better parents and
put the child at a lower risk of abuse.
Corrections officials have high hopes
that the wide range of programs now-
offered will help women inmates transi
tion better into society upon release. The
process of focusing on the whole family,
the prison, and Early Head Start as a ieam,
offers maximum benefit to the mother and
her children.
Hike Northwest Portland
M azam as leads casual hikes e x
ploring the streets and trails o f
N orthw est Portland at 6 p.m. every
Tuesday and T hursday. This is a
great way to m eet other hikers,
plan a weekend trip or ju st to m ain
tain your fitness after work and see
some hidden parts o f Portland.
M eet at M azam as at 909 N.W . 19,h
Ave. Call 503-227-2345.
Oregon Lawyers
on Historical Cases
During the 1960’s, many Oregon law
yers left their practices and traveled
to the South to defend the rights of
African Americans at a critical time in
our nation’s history. Join the U.S.
District Court Historical Society for
a free panel discussion of the expe
riences of several of these lawyers
on May 30, from 4-6 p.m. at the 16'*’
Floor Ceremonial Court of the Fed
eral Courhouse, 1000S.W. Third Ave.
Shared dorm space and a center table for make up and personal care items
are found in a minimum security section at the state's new women's prison.
Health Forum Tackles Lead Poisoning
Help offered to eradicate hidden dangers in homes
A community forum to help local residents deal with
the hidden dangers of lead in their homes takes place
Thursday, May 30 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at King Elemen
tary School, 4906 N.E. 6’*' Ave.
The Lead Poisoning Prevention Coalition is sponsor
ing the event as the perfect opportunity for parents to
learn about childhood lead poisoning and have their
children screened immediately to find out if their blood
contains toxic lead.
Free home lead test kits will be given to participants,
and free on-site blood lead testing for all ages will be
available from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Raffle tickets for lead water
filters and other lead poisoning prevention materials will
also be available.
Residents are encouraged to bring the entire family,
with free food and childcare provided.
Lead poisoning causes permanent brain and organ
damage, possibly leading to learning disabilities, se
rious health problem s, and in severe cases, death.
U nfortunately, most children are exposed to lead
hazards in the home such as deteriorating lead-based
paint chips and dust, water, soil, and miscellaneous
household items.
For more information, call Janice Lewis at503 823-2354.
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An isolation cell in the ‘Java Joint s ' psychiatric ward with restraint strap
hooks at floor level.
Street Honors Minority Explorer
(A P) — One hundred and eleven years
after P ortland adopted an alp h ab etical
scheme for nam ing streets, the C ity Council
has cleared up just w ho Y ork Street honors.
By unanim ous vote o f the City C ouncil,
York Street is now nam ed for York — the
African American explorer and slave with a
single name who was a m em ber of the Lewis
and Clark Expedition.
Ron Craig, a Lake Oswego filmmaker who
is preparing a docum entary on Y o rk 's life,
says his subject deserves m ore recognition
than early historians gave him.
)
York started the trip as a servant o f W il
liam Clark. But during the course o f the 28-
month journey, m em bers accepted York as
an equal known for his hunting skills, physi
cal strength and practical jokes.
W hen the party voted on selecting a w in
tering site that became Fort Clatsop, Y ork’s
vote was counted with the rest.
York also cam ped for one night on the
W illam ette River below w hat is now the
U niversity o f Portland, thus becom ing the
first African A merican to visit the Portland
area.