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www.portlandobserver.tom
I'anuary 15. 2003
Driving Kids To Success
T he O regon H um an e S o ciety is
ex ten d in g its o u tre a c h effo rts
to area pet sto res th is m onth.
T o h elp the H um an e S o ciety
b rin g hom eless p e ts into the
com m unity, call 503-285-7722,
ex ten sio n 204.
Body Symptom Clinic
T h e N o rth e a s t M u ltic u ltu ra l
S e n io r C e n te r is p re se n tin g a
free clin ic w ith d o c to rs A m y
an d A m y M indell th a t w ill d is ­
c u ss issues o f illn ess, p ain and
v ary in g phy sical a b ilities. The
d o c to rs w ill e n c o u ra g e p a rtic i­
p an ts to share th e iro w n ex p eri­
e n ces to find in sig h t and create
com m unity wel lness. T he event
w ill be held F riday, Jan. 17 from
7 p.m . to 8 :3 0 p .m .
TriMet bus driver A. K Rucker takes
tim e to invest in kids while m aking
his stops. “ You have to stay with
them for the long term, ” he says.
Weatherization Workshop
C om e and learn how to save en­
ergy through material installation
behavioral changes and sim ple
m aintenance around yo u r home
Both hom eow ners and renters are
w elcom e to a w orkshop at the
C om m unity Energy Project, 422
N.E. A lberta St., on Saturday, Jan
18 from 10a.m. to 12 p.m. Qualified
participants receive free kit o f
m aterials worth S150. T o register,
call 503-284-6827.
Silver Jubilee
C o m e c e le b ra te 25 y e a rs o f
N e ig h b o rh o o d M ed iatio n ser
v ices and g iv e sp ecial recogni
tio n to O ffice o f N eig h b o rh o o d
In v o lv em en t e m p lo y ee E ddie
C o llin s fo r h is 25 y e a rs o f ser
v ice. T h e re w ill b e refresh
m en ts, a ce le b ra tio n pro g ram
m u sic an d sp ecial g u ests. V isi
tors can also ch eck o u t th e new
an d im p ro v e d K in g F a c ility
d u rin g this ev en t, sch ed u led
fo r T h u rsd ay , Jan. 23 from 5:30
p.m . to 8 p.m ., in the C om m unity
Court R oom at 4815 N .E. 7Ih A ve
photos by D avid P lechl /T he P ortland
by D avid P lechl
T he P ortland O bserver
A.K. R ucker cam e from a large fam ily, so
large in fact that his father em ployed an
unlikely brand o f discipline.
“A nyone that w as tw o years older than
you w as responsible for your behavior,” he
said. “ If you got in trouble, they w ere p u n ­
ished too.”
W hat R ucker and his siblings found out
w as that w hen y ou have to take care o f
so m eo n eelse you becom e m ore responsi ble
for yourself.
It’s a form ula he has used as a coach and
a co u n selo r to kids.
A s a bus d river for T riM et, he found an
em ployer and partn er in the business o f
turning kids around. His No. 75 bus has
becom e som ething o f a base o f operations.
As R ucker com es to a stop at Interstate
and Lom bard, he opens the d o o r to find a
young man standing alone. H e’s looking for
another bus, but R ucker recognizes him.
“ Y ou gone back to school y e t? ” R ucker
asks the young man.
"Y es sir I h av e,” he answ ers
Conference on
Black Affairs
O regon A ssem bly for B lack A f­
fairs w ill host the 2003 C all-T o
Action LeadershipC onference to
discuss legislative and executive
priorities o f O reg o n ’s A frican
A m erican com m unity and the
S tatcofO regon. O rganizers hope
to p repare a 2003 leg islativ e
agenda w ith strategies for im ple­
m entation. The conference will
be held Saturday, Janu ary 25 at
the Red Lion Hotel, in Salem from
8a.m. to6p.m . Registration is$50.
The student fee is $25.
Chinese New Year
Banquet
The C hinese N ew Y ear C ultural
F air is a co m m u n ity e v e n t to
w elco m e the Y ear o f th e S h eep
w ith a b an q u et an d a tra d itio n a l
d rag o n dance. T h e a n n u al c e l­
ebration will be held at the Legin
R estau ran t, 8001 S.E . D iv isio n
on S atu rd ay , Feb. 1, fro m 11
a m. to 6 p.m . and S u n d ay , Feb.
2, from 10 a.m . to 5 p.m .
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football gam es. The added support w as a
re lie f to parents trying to keep tabs on the
lives o f their children.
“W e figured the only w ay to keep them
o f f the streets w as to get them on the bus,”
R ucker said.
R ucker said First Step has curbed vandal­
ism and graffiti in and around the buses
because kids see them selves as a part o f a
com m unity they can care about.
“W e d o n ’t save them all,” he said. “But
the ones we do have an im pact on, m akes a
Riders
Brace for
Change
Aslan Health Fair
On Saturday, Jan. 23 com e from
10 a.m . to 5 p.m . to the Asian
Fam ily C enter, located at 4424
N .E. G lisan St., for free health
screening services by profession­
als. A ch iro p ra c to r, m assag e
therapist, podiatristand acupunc­
turist am ongst other health care
professionals w ill be on hand to
give diabetes screening, blood
pressure, heart rate and choles­
terol checks, feet checks, and in­
form ation on drug, alcohol and
to b acco p rev en tio n , do m estic
violence prevention, breast an
cervical cancer awareness. Some­
one w ill also check for head lice.
“ Y o u ’ve got to invest in k ids,” R ucker
says. “Y ou have to stay w ith them for the
lo n g term .”
W ith the help o f T riM et, R ucker estab­
lished the First Step program during his time
off. It gives high school age kids a helping
hand as they m ade the transition into ‘the
real w o rld .’ T riM et has hired the kids to
clean up bus stops and shelters. T hey earn
m inim um w age and m anage each other in a
w orkplace environm ent.
T ri M et loaned him a bus so he could
drive the kids to Friday night high school
Right now we ’re just
looking at all the
options. I f anything,
service will get better.
PHOTOS BY
Othella Govan holds on aboard the No. 5-lnterstate Avenue bus as she and her
and friend Donzaile Streeter (left), make their way home. The bus line will go away
when MAX light rail on Interstate opens in 2004.
— M ary Fetsch, Director of
Communications fo rT rlM et
TriMet asks for feedback on
N/NE bus service options
k
by W yndf D yer
T he P ortland O bserver
Transit riders are bracing for change in north
and northeast Portland.
TriMet plans to redesign several bus routes
in the area as the transit agency prepares for next
year's opening o f a new light-rail line on Inter­
state Avenue.
Despite rumors that bus sen ice may decrease
in north and northeast Portland as a result oflight
rai I, only the No. 5-1 nterstatc bus from downtown
to Vancouverwill goaway, according to Tri Met
Communications Director Mary Fetsch.
“W e will take the service hours from the No.
5 and redistribute them to other frequent service
buses in the area," Fetsch said. “If anything,
service will get better.”
Plaas call for starting service earlier in the
morning and later at night on four buses that
currently serve north and northeast Portland
every 15 minutes, the No. 4 ,6 ,8 and 72 lines.
Those buses may be able to make even more
frequent stops during peak hours.
The No. 75 line, which serves Lombard Street
to Milwaukee, could also be upgraded into a
frequent service route.
“Right now w e're just looking at all the op­
tions,” Fetsch said.
The more pressing concern is how to keep
service to Vancouver. The No. 5-Interstate line
currently takes Tri Met riders across the Colum­
bia River from Jantzen Beach, bu, MAX I ight rail
will end at the Expo Center, on the other side o f
Hayden Island from Jantzen Beach.
Fetsc h said TriMet is playing with a couple o f
options.
One involves re-routing the No. 6-Martin
Luther King Jr. Boulcv aid bus down Lombard,
up Denver Avenue to Jantzen Beach and
Vancouver. In this case, MAX would serve
Hayden Meadows, the No. 8-15'*' Ave. bus
would serve North Vancouver Way, Northeast
Middlefield Road and Marine Drive, and then
west to the Ri vergate industrial area. A second
option is a short hop No. 5 bus that would run
between the MAX line at Delta Paik and
Vancouver.
TriMet is also looking at new options to serve
North Russell Street and Swan Island. There’s
thepossibilityofrunningtheNo.33-Frcmontbus
via Russell Street, crossingWilliams, Vancouver
and Interstate avenues, and then continuing
service downtown. The No. 85-Swan Island bus
would connect with the MAX Station on North
Prescott.
TriMet officials wanttransitndes to maketheir
views known. Open houses are planned for
Wednesday, Feb. 5 from6p.m. to8p.m. at the S t
John’sCommunity Center and Thursday, Feb. 6
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Kaiser Town Hall.
Members o f the community can also record
theiropinions by calling T riMet at503-962-5806.
MLK Peace
March Gains
Momentum
O rganizers o fa rally and m arch forpeace
scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 18 have added
4 0 org an izatio n s to th e list o f co-sponsors
and endorsers supporting a m obilization
against a w ar on Iraq.
“W e ’re w ell on o u r w ay to doubling the
num ber o f co m m u n ity organizations that
have jo in ed local efforts to stop this w ar,"
said C hris R oehm , a volunteer w orking on
the peace m arch.
The Portland chapter o f the N A A C P, the
N orthw est Tree Planters and Farm W orkers
U nion, and the E cum enical M inistries o f
O regon are am ong the organizations that
have added their voice to the call for peace.
“T he January 18th peace m arch will be
sending a strong and clear m essage o f op­
position to the Bush A dm inistration’s w ar
plans,” R oehm said.
S aturday’s m arch w as planned to fall
during the M artin L uther K ing Jr. holiday.
O rganizers say they w ill begin around 12:30
p.m . in the dow ntow n south park blocks for
m usic and com m unity netw orking.
“W e are urging people to com e early,”
R oehm said.
“King believed in a vision ofT h e Beloved
Com m unity, w here all sisters and brothers,
together with all creatures, share one common
planet in a spirit o f mutual respect," he said.
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