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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2003)
Committed to Cultural Diversity I www.portlandobserver.com May 21. 200 } I I Lai»-’ 07 lie ^ o rtla n ù (Observer C o in in u n i t y a I c n cl a r Justice and Peace March On Saturday, May 24 join those I outraged by the killing o f Kendra James at noon for a march and rally in her name at Alberta Park. The walk will end at the North Skidm ore Street 1-5 overpass where the May 5 shooting took place. For more information, call 503-287-7377. Ethos Sees Opportunity in Old Lodge Music education group wins bid for building, plans renovation by S eam P. N elson , T he P ortland O bserver Sabin Sidewalk Art Show and Sale O n S atu rd ay , Ju n e 7 at thel S tarb u ck s C o ffe e H ouse on Northeast 15th and Fremont, there will be a sidewalk show and sale kickoff to benefit the Sabin El ementary School art program. Stu dents will show off their talents by painting on easels, there will be student art for sale and a silent auction on selected pieces. Fol lowing the kickoff the sidewalk sale will continue throughout the | SECTION The Portland Public School Board unanimously approved the sale o f the former Mt. Hood Masonic Lodge across from Jefferson High School. Ethos Inc., a not-for-profit corpora tion that provides instrumental and vo- cal music instruction to children in the Portland area, will pay $320,000 forthe 1923 bui Iding, located at 5308 N. Com mercial. The grand structure with towering pillars has stands empty since a 1981 fire. Theft and vandalism in subsequent years did even more damage. Plans are to remodel the building to create 20 high-tech music classrooms, a 400-person theater, office spaces and dormitories to house music camp kids from around the state. “I think it’s a great opportunity for both Ethos and the school district,” said Ethos Executive Director, Charles Lewis. “The school district gets the money for teaching kids and we get a great build ing." The total price tag is estimated at $2.4 million, which Ethos will raise from pri vate donations. “We basically will take a couple o f months to do the architectural work,” Lewis said. “ We will start from scratch with the shell o f the building. Once we have the drawings completed we will start a seismic upgrade as part o f the rebuilding process.” Lewis called the seismic upgrade continued summer. yf on page B3 The dilapidated interior of the former Masonic Lodge across from Jefferson High School in north Portland. The non-profit music group Ethos, Inc. won a bid to purchase the building from the Portland School District. It plans a complete renovation of the historic structure. «au* Pet Photo Contest Court hears description of man who preyed on kids Animal enthusiasts can enter pic - 1 tures o f their favorite furry friends in the Oregon Humane Society’s annual photo contest. Winners will take home gift certificates to local camera stores and will have their images featured in the Hu man Society’s summer magazine and popular website. Awards will go to photos o f the top dog, cat, other animal, funniest animal and the best ph o to o fach ild andapet. Entries must be labeled on the | back with the subm itter’s name, address, telephone number and I the pet’s name. There is a $5 per household entry fee and all en tries should be sent or delivered to the Oregon Humane Society, 1067 N.E. Columbia Blvd., before | M onday, June 9 at 7 p.m. Write Around Portland Benefit The Liminal Theater at 403 NW I Fifth Ave. will host an Annual Facilitator Reading to benefit Write Around Portland on June 12 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will be wine, food, music, a raffle and | other revelry. Write Around Port land facilitators are the people who I volunteer to w ork behind the scenes to offer workshops that bring the pow er o f writing to people throughout the city. There will be a $ 10 suggested donation forthe reading. For more informa-1 tion, call 503-796-9224. SummerCamp at the Oregon Zoo Children four years o f age through | seventh grade can spend five ex citing days at the zoo learning I about various endangered spe cies. The camp, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 16 through Aug. 29, includes daily lunch breaks and instruction from the zoo’s most experienced animal keepers For more information o r| to register, call 503-220-2781. Radical Women Rummage Sale Come to the Bread and Roses I Former Trail Blazer Kenny Carr oversees part o f the construction at Jackson Hall on the Cascade Campus of Portland Community College In north Portland. Carr has his own construction business since retiring from the NBA. Former Blazer Frames College Hall Kenny Carr gets a piece of campus expansion business Former Portland Trail Blazer power forward, Kenny Carr, no longer runs the hardwood and dives for loose rebounds. Today, Carr runs his own construc tion business, Carr Construction, which was an integral part o f the Jackson Hall construction on the Cascade Campus in north Portland. C arr’s company recently worked on the structural steel framing and the join ing o f pre-fabricated slabs to expand and remodel the campus building. He said the work is a byproduct o f a profession he relishes. A long-time West Linn resident, Carr is no stranger to the public eye. After retiring from the NBA, he and his family put roots down in Oregon. He said he established the company after a friend gave him a taste o f the business. “It was nothing planned," explained Carr. “ I had friends in the business and got started in 1986.1 remember one o f our first jobs was Columbia Villa. I started as a general contractor but eventual ly moved into the specialty work o f sub-contract- ingin the early 1990s, which I like better." Carr said he is proud to see the eco nomic renaissance in north Portland area, punctuated with the bond construction at the Cascade Campus. “I ’ve been extensively involved with this area for 21 years and have seen it grow,” he said. “We have had a lot o f investment in the north Portland area and it's had a boom in construction lately, raising property values. It’s been great to have been a small part o f that.” The soft-spoken Carr says his top objective during construction is the safety o f his crews, which can grow to as many as 60 workers. Carr said that he plans three months ahead o f time to ensure he always has projects lined up for his crew. “We have very competent people,” Carr said. “So I want to secure future work to keep them going." This is the second construction project for Carr at PCC Cascade. The current job is part o f the college’s Minority, Women and Emerging Small Business effort. The program is aimed at spreading the college's subcontracting work to underrepresented workers and companies. (AP) — A M ultnom ah C ounty judge has refused to grant bail to the man accused o f raping and killing 14-year- old M elissa B ittler as she w alked to school from her n o rth east Portland home, Ladon A. S tephens, 34, faces 31 counts o f aggravated m urder, rape, sod omy and kidnapping in the Dec. 13, 2001, killing o f Bittler; the April 2002 sexual assault o f an acquaintance; and three sexual assaults o f teenage P ort land girls in 1997. His trial is set for A ugust. The first o f S tep h en s’ alleged rape victim s in 1997 — a Portland woman w ho was 15 at the tim e — attended T h u rsd ay ’s hearing. She sat near Tom and M ary B ittler, the parents o f M el issa, discovered dead in a neig h b o r’s back yard. They heard graphic and lengthy d e scriptions o f each o f the crim es and detailed descriptions o f DNA analysis that linked Stephens to each case. They also listened to the playing o f a frantic 9-1-1 call from another rape victim . She identified Stephens as her attacker on April 2 8 ,2002. He was arrested the next day. The state said Stephens routinely shaved all body hair, including his un derarm and pubic hair, to avoid leaving evidence at crim e scenes. All the alleged crim es occurred w hile Stephens w as on parole for the 1989 attem pted kidnappings o f young Port land girls. He was released from prison in Decem ber 1996. The state said Stephens duped his parole officer to avoid subm itting a DNA sam ple in the spring o f 2002, after B ittler’s death. He told the o fficer he could not obtain an oral sw ab o f his m outh because he had ju st visited the dentist, and his m outh w as sw ollen, D etective Paul W eatheroy testified. continued on page B6 Miracles Club to Host First Annual Community Affair Area residents invited to evening of food and music Club First Annual Community Affair is an all ages event that will feature a home-cooked dinner, entertainment by the Black Notes, tes timonials from club members and a mime group. “This is a way to show people how much fun we can have without alcohol and drugs," Get dressed to impress and come down to said event organizer Michael R Booker Miracles Club, Portland's premier clean and He added that most Miracles Club mem sober entertainment establishment at 4069 bers do not get the chance to dress up for a available to eat while you browse. NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., on Satur night on the town. For many people, going to All proceeds will benefit the ‘ Free-1 day, May 24 for an evening o f food and church in their Sunday's best is the only dom Socialist' newspaper. For music. chance they get to glow in fine attire. more information or to donate! Designed to introduce those who may not “It will give our members an opportunity to know about theclub's functions, the Miracles come out. dress nice and feel good about items, call 503-240-4462. Center, 819 N Killingsworth, on Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22 to check out tons o f pre owned stuff in prime condition Furniture, small appliances, retro- clothing, children's items and books will be priced to sell, and coffee and bake goods wi11 also be | Murder Suspect Denied Bail I I themselves,” Booker said. Invitations were sent to city officials and community members and all the public is invited to attend. Booker said he hopes the turnout is good because as economic times get worse, more and more people tum to addiction to help them through the days. Even those without chemical dependency problems are encouraged to attend because the evening may spark interest to spread the word to those who may need help. “Chances are. even if you don't have a problem, you know someone who does," Booker said. “Everybody has a son or daugh- ter, brother or sister grandparent or friend who needs some help." MiraclesClub features a host o f different 12-step programs, entertainment events, children’s activities and has a full-service snack bar opened most days during meeting hours. Those who need m ore inform ation on the club and those who would like to make a donation are encouraged to contact M ichael R. Booker at 503-267-3192 or send contributions in care o f Booker at the club at 4069 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Portland, OR 97211.
