Committed to Cultural Diversity
C
o m m u n ity
a 1 e n d a r
OAMETradeshow
The Pacific Northwest’s larg­
est minority, women and emerg­
ing small business luncheon and
tradeshow will be held from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. May
8 at the Oregon Convention Cen­
ter. The Oregon Association o f
M in o rity
E n tre p re n e u rs
tradeshow will feature more than
160 small and large businesses,
state and federal government
agencies and business develop­
ment resources to help small and
m in o rity ow ned b u sin e sse s
grow.
Strawberry Shortcake
‘ Helps Women’s Shelters
N ew S e a s o n ’s M arket
, Concordia at 5320 N .E. 33rd Ave.
will sell strawberry shortcake
w ith D risco ll stra w b e rrie s,
Stonyfield ice cream and Organic
Valley Farms whipping cream for
$3.50onSaturday,M ay lOfrom
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to benefit local
w om en’s shelters and advocates
against domestic violence.
www.portlandobserver.com
May 07. 2003
Community Activist Wins McCoy Award
Portland volunteer
honored for lifetime
achievement
LeRoy Patton is the ninth winner o f the
Gladys McCoy Award for lifetime volunteer
achievement.
Patton has been engaged in volunteer
activism in the com m unity for 40 years. He
is cham pion o f citizen involve­
ment and em pow erm ent much
like G ladys M cCoy, the late
A frican A m erican leader and
M ultnom ah C ounty executive
for whom the aw ard is named.
Patton is the founding mem­
ber o f the F air H ousing C oun­
cil ofO regon, a long time mem­
ber o f the Poverty Advisory
C om m ittee to the Com m ission
LeRoy Patton
on C hildren and Fam ilies.
He has participated in sev­
eral volunteer opportunities,
boards and com munity im­
provement activities.
H is d ed icatio n to o rg an i­
za tio n s like the A m erican
C a n c e r S o c ie ty U rb a n
L eague, R etired T e a c h e r’s
A sso c iatio n , N A A C P, In­
te rn atio n al O rg an izatio n o f
H um an R ights A g en cies, N atio n al F air
H ousing A llian ce, N atio n al A sso c ia ­
tion o f H um an R ights W o rk ers, B u si­
ness N etw o rk in g In te rn a tio n a l G ro u p ,
C o alitio n for a L iv ab le F u tu re, Lead
A b atem en t C o m m ittee for th e C ity o f
P o rtla n d ’s W ater B u reau , Jo b C o rp s
A lum ni A sso c ia tio n , A m eric an Red
C ro ss and m any m ore, ex e m p lify his
d e e p -ro o te d v alu es and so lid d e d ic a ­
tion to his co m m u n ity .
Street Fair
Spectacular
Coming Soon
Mississippi Avenue
neighbors welcome
diversity celebration
Local musicians and artists, a best-ribs com
petition and many children's activities highlight
the second annual Boise-Eliot Multi-Cultural
Fair and Mississippi Avenue Street Fair, from
Tibetans will share their an­
Thursday, May 15 through Saturday, May 17
cient culture from noon to 5 p.m.
The fair will feature food, music, arts, games
on Saturday, May 10 at the Oaks
and other family-friendly events celebrating
Amusement Park, located at the
the neighborhood’s diversity and showcas­
east end ofthe Sellwood Bridge.
ing community businesses and organizations
The festival is free to the public
along North Mississippi Avenue from Fre
and will include Samtenling Ti­
mont to Skidmore streets.
betan monks from Nepal who
A best-ribs contest, community talent show,
will demonstrate the art o f sand
performance stages, tricycle race and hands-
mandata construction. The day
on artist demonstrations for kids highlight this
will be filled with Tibetan music
collaboration o f B oise-Eliot Elem entary
including rock violinist Aaron
School, neighbors and businesses.
Meyer with Bill Lamb at 1 p.m
Last year, more than 4,000 people attended the
and the Tibetan Children's Choir.
fair. It proved to be a major source o f pride for the
Traditional Tibetan food and arts
diverse and changing Boise neighborhood. Many
will be available for attendees to
long-time residents noted they had never seen so
enjoy. Form ore information,call
many people gathered on their main commercial
503-222-7172.
street for a community celebration.
Open-Air Market
The fair kicks o ff from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on
The Portland French School
Thursday,
May 15 at Boise-Eliot Elementary
in John’s Landing will hold its
School, 620 N Fremont, with food, artists dem­
’fifth annual Marche En Plein Air,
onstrations, community organization displays,
an open-air European style mar­
student performances and projects represent­
ket, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
ing a multitude o f world cultures.
Saturday, May 10 at 6318 S.W.
From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 16, a
Corbett. The market will feature
community
talent show will take place at the Mis­
local farmers and artists who will
sissippi Rising Ballroom. 833 N Shaver, followedby
offer items for the home and gar­
outdoormovies and short ft 1ms by local ti Immakers
den including flowers, plants,
in the lot just north o f Shaver and Mississippi.
fresh produce, breads, wine and
A five-block stretch from Fremont to Skidmore
cheese. There will be refresh­
wi
1
1 be c losed to tra ffic to make way for the street
ments, live music and children’s
fairon
Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 7p.m.
activities as well as a book fair
The events include a best-rib contest at 2
and art col lection created by stu­
p.m., community garage sale, arts and crafts
dents at the French School. For
market, nonprofit displays, food vendors, a
more information, call 503-452
diverse
roster o f musical and artistic perfor­
4160.
mances, all-ages bingo, a treasure hunt and
Eclipse of the Moon
plenty o f children’s activities.
The Mount Hood Community
College Planetarium Sky Theater
will present “ In the Shadow o f
the Earth" on Saturday, May 10 J
and Sunday May 11 at 2 p.m. The
live,45-minuteshow will inform I
visitors about the May 15 lunar |
Tibetan Cultural
Festival Saturday
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Community volunteers Bob and Deborah Schwartz wear protective clothing to handle food safely at the Oregon Food
Bank in northeast Portland. The emergency food pantry finds it difficult to keep up with demand as Oregon has the
highest hunger rate in the nation.
Hunger Hits Food Bank
The O regon Food Bank is finding it
difficult to keep up w ith dem and as
Oregon has the highest hunger rate in
the nation.
The northeast Portland agency is the
hub o f a netw ork o f 317 food pantries
that distribute em ergency food boxes
to an estim ated 720,000 people who are
hungry in O regon and Clark County,
A ccording to the O regon C enter for
W ash.
Public Policy, the state is suffering from
Food Bank officials say the dem and more hunger because o f high housing
is up 10 percent from the previous year. costs, stagnated w ages and few er fam ­
The people m ost likely to need em er­ ily-w age jobs.
gency food are fam ilies and children.
The center reports that fam ily incom e
M ost adults who receive food assis­ for the poorest O regonians declined by
tance are w orking, retired or disabled.
6 percent over the last decade.
Vancouver’s Clark College Hires President
eclipse and provide tips on how
and where to observe the celes­
tial event. The Sky Theater is |
located at 26000 S.E. Stark in i
Gresham. Admission is $ 1. For
more information, call 5 0 3 -4 9 1 -1
7297.
Candidates Fair
New leader cited for
experience, inclusive style
individual who has accom plished his goals and brought
the Essex cam pus forw ard academ ically, in program
grow th and in its relationship with transfer institutions.
Branch has been at the M aryland cam pus since 1999,
a college that serves 10,000 credit students and 12,000
noncredit students. He has 10 years o f senior-level
adm inistrative experience and 13 years o f teaching
An African A m erican with extensive experience in
higher education w as nam ed the new president o f Clark
C ollege in V ancouver Friday.
On Tuesday, May 13 from 6 |
Dr. W ayne Branch, president o f C om m unity C ollege o f
p.m. to 9 p.m. the Jefferson High
Baltim ore, Essex Cam pus, w as unanim ously nam ed Clark
School PTA will host a school
C o lleg e's ch ief executive at a special m eeting o f the
board candidates' fair in the
school’s board o f trustees.
Jefferson cafeteria. Attendees |
Board m em bers described Branch as an outstanding
will have a chance to ask candi­
com
m unicator and experienced adm inistrator w hose style
dates what they’ll do forschools I
o
f
leadership
was very inclusive, w orking with all cam pus
in the Jefferson cluster. There
groups
on
m
ajor
decisions.
will be no speeches. For more
C
lark
Trustee
Rhona
Sen Hoss, w ho visited B ranch’s
information, call 503-641-6321.
experience at all levels o f higher education.
Branch served as vice president o f student affairs at
C om m unity C o lle g e o f Philadelphia from 19 9 4 -1999, as
dean o f student developm ent at N orthern V irginia C om ­
m unity College, A nnandale cam pus, from 1992-1994,
and w as the director for counseling and career services
at D utchess C om m unity C ollege in Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
from 1987 to 1992.
J
Branch was a teacher and counselor at U niversity o f
Pittsburgh from 1980 to 1982 and has held adjunct
faculty appointm ents at D uquesne U niversity, State
Online Adopt-a-Pet
current cam pus in M aryland, said he is a leader who
Those looking fora loving pet I em braces tradition w hile m oving ideas and strategic plan­
can now find it by logging on to
ning forward in a visionary way.
a new Oregon Humane Society
‘He gets things done and has earned m uch respect at his
w e b site
se rv ic e
at |
cam pus,” Hoss said.
www.oregonhumane.org.
The board found that Branch is a highly respected
i •
4
U niversity o f N ew York, D utchess C om m unity C ollege
and U niversity o f M aryland.
Dr. Wayne Branch
He earned his Ph D. in counselor education at the
U niversity o f Pittsburgh.
A
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