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.