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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 2003)
Commutai U» C uitin al Diversity C o in in u n i t y a I e n d a r City of Bridges The Eastside Bridge C lub teaches the fascinating and fun-filled gam e in a friendly environm ent at EasybridgeClass, from 7 to 9 p.m. T hursday, Sept. 11. C lasses are $5 including refreshm ents. 1435 N.E. 81" Ave. Call 503-252-1318. uww poitkindobscrvci tom August 27, 2003 School Gets THE BEAT Get In Shape Providence Health System s of fers W estside fitness classes at 4015 S.W. M ercantile Dr., Lake Oswego. Classes include step, ball and bar, cardio mix, cardio step, g e n tle -p a c e d fitn e s s , g ro u p strength training and Tai chi. For info call 503-574-6595 or visit www.providence.org'c lasses. Prostate Awareness Month Legacy Health System will screen for prostate cancer, the second leading cause o f cancer death among American men, from 8 a.m. to I p.m ., Sept. 20, at the L egacy C linic N ortheast M edical Plaza Building, 300 N. G raham St., Ste. 200. T h ere’s a $25 fee and ap pointm ents are required. T o re g - ister, call 503-335-3500. Students from Jefferson High are already fine-tuning their natural talents for rhythm and dance as p a rt o f the school's new drum line, a high- energy band. The Drum Line is a first step in rebuilding the school's music program. P hoto bv M ark W ashington / T he P ortland O bserver Meals on Wheels Benefit Patrons ofW idm erG asthaus, 929 N. R ussell, can enjoy a night out a n d h e lp fe e d P o r t l a n d ’s hom ebound seniors from 4 p.m . to close on Sept. 16. H a lf the proceeds on that day w ill benefit Loaves & Fishes C enters, the M eals-O n-W heels People. Wellness Within Reach W ellness W ithin R EA CH Walk will draw m ore than 500 people to the streets o f northeast Portland at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6. The African American Health C oali tion event encourages donations to support com m unity health ac tivities. Register for the w alk by sending a $15 check to 2800 N. Vancouver Ave, Ste. lOO.Formore information, call 503-413-1850. Jefferson rolls out high-energy drum line band N eighbors o f Jefferson High School are hearing the beat, beat, beat o f drum s as students in a Drum Line Band C am p practice M o n d ay a n d T h u rsd a y n ig h ts o n th e sch o o l’s football field in north Portland. Members o f this high-energy band are ex pected to commit to the hard work anti discipl ine that will lead to academic development. “To be part o f this exciting new athletic and m usical o p portunity at Jefferson, stu dents m ust m eet and m aintain all O regon School A ctivities A ssociation academ ic and c o n d u c t re q u ire m e n ts ,” said M a rsh a ll H askins, the sc h o o l’s athletic director. The drum I ine wil I com plem ent Jefferson's drill team -p ro v id in g another opportunity for p articipation in student activities. The “T he Jefferson D rum Line is the first ste in rebuilding Jefferson’s m usic program thi has been virtually elim inated due to budge c u ts o v e r re c e n t y e a rs ," said R o n n y H arrison, the D rum L in e’s director. M iddle school students in the Jeffersoi clu ster are encouraged to jo in the drum line S tu d e n ts w ho w an t m ore in fo rm atio r and m em b ers o f the co m m u n ity interestec in su p p o rtin g the Je ffe rso n D rum Line sh o u ld c o n ta c t R o n n y e H arriso n at 503- 312-0465. Hundreds to Join Hands Across The 1-5 Bridge Award-Winning Produce Labor Day event on 1-5 span celebrate addiction recovery The C ity G arden F air features hom egrow n to m ato es, b ean s squash, herbs and flow ers for ju d g in g and display from 8:30 а. m. to 2 p.m . on Saturday, Sept. б, at the South Park Blocks, across from Portland State U niversity. H undreds o f local residents will celebrate their freedom from alcohol and drug ad d ic tion on L abor Day w hen they jo in hands to span the Interstate 5 B ridge that links O r egon and W ashington. The second annual H ands A cross the Bridge event is set for 9:30 a.m . to 10:30 a.m. on M onday, Sept. I . T he cerem onies on both sides o f the C olum bia R iver are aim ed at prom oting the benefits o f substance abuse Bones and Brews The Bones and Brews festival on Sept. 6 and 7 m ay sound violent, but it’s really ju st about beer, barbeque, m usic and neighbor hood fun on Flanders Street be tween 13* and 14“1 Avenues. treatm ent. that treatm ent w orks, recovery is possible “A t this event, the strength and ex p eri and com m unities do heal. ence o f people in recov- _ --------------------------------------- B y jo in in g hands B , from addiction and , / and spanning the In alcoholism -togetherw ill . te r s ta te B rid g e , w e s u p p o r t fro m their w ant to show that re friends, fam ily and co m covery from drug ad m unity m em bers - w ill diction and alcoholism counter so ciety ’s nega w orks," W edge added. tive stigm as attached to “ L a st y e a r ’s e v e n t addiction," said co-orga- - Louise Wedge of Portland's drew over 200 people n izer L ouise W edge o f Recovery Association Protect w hose lives have been Portland’s R ecovery A s touched by addiction sociation Project. “O n ________________ -----------* * recovery - and w e ex L abor D ay, o u r com m unities will stand to pect a larger turnout this y ear People in gether to build bridges o f understanding recovery, people supporting loved ones in Nose in the Books C lti Shanta Parker (left) and Olivia Magnano find pleasure in reading during a summ er school session for local kids. T he P ortland O bserver The sorry state o f Portland Public S chools is not new s to anybody. The d istrict has been cutting budgets for years, and faces an uncertain financial future. W hen funding w as cut for a sum m er school program last year, and a p opular sum m er school program at T ubm an M iddle School w as can celled because o f costs, one church m em ber and com m unity organizer got mad. T hen got o rg a nized. Jim A nderson o f St. A ndrew C hurch coordi nated a four-w eek-long sum m er school program for K ing E lem entary S c h o o l's fifth grade gradu ates that do not m eet state benchm arks in read I that recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism works. recovery and those praying for som eone w ho needs recovery are all w elcom e.” Event co-chair Patty Katz said greater investm ent in substance abuse recovery program s is needed in both states. “ B udget cuts have reduced the num ber o f beds in treatm ent facilities in W ashington and O regon, and citizens need to u n d er stand that these reductions affect all o f u s,” K atz said. “T reatm ent w orks, and our treat m ent program s create healthier fam ilies and a m ore productive w orkforce w hile low ering health care costs and reducing crim e rates.” In Portland, the event w ill open w ith a continued on page B4 One Backpack at a Time Local residents fill need when summer school is eliminated b y J aymee R . goal is to help kids develop their natural talents for m usic, rhythm and dance, and im prove school spirit at sporting events. M oreover, w ith its intergenerational in structors, drum line will provide m entors for students and help build a stronger com m u nity. The drum line will perform from the stands as donations are raised to purchase the light-w eight instrum ents necessary for the high-stepping form ations w hich are the hallm ark ofdrum lines. ing. “T here w ere no funds for kids that w ere be hind to go to sum m er school, so I w as angry about that and tried to get som e volu n teers,” said A nderson, a form er chairm an for the K ing N eigh borhood A ssociation. “ I w as overw helm ed by young people w anting to h elp .” A nderson gathered 20 high school students and six adults to act as m entors, instructing 16 soon-to-be sixth graders in reading, w riting and math. The su m m er school group practiced reading continued on page H6 k by J aymee R .C lti T he P ortland O bserver Som e local students will get a boost this fall when they receive backpacks stuffed with a y ear’s w orth o f school supplies. T o o ls for S chools, a nonprofit group led by Radio C ab driver D avid Y andell. connects area-businesses with local elem entary schools in need. B usinesses adopt a school, fund a y e a r’s w orth o f supplies and elect volunteers to fill and deliver those backpacks on the first day o f school. T h e pro ject is in it's seco n d year, w ith su p p o rt from b u sin e sse s such as R ad io C ab, M en to r G rap h ics, L o u isian a Pacific, N o rthw est N a tu ral G as, P acifico rp , the D am on S to u d a m ir e F o u n d a tio n , P ix e l W o rk s, C o m cast, N et and C larity IQ, R egents B lue C ross B lue Shield o f O re g o n and o th ers. T he project, also supported by Schoolhouse Supplies, will give5,100 kids the tools they need to start the school year w ithout w orrying about I Laura Oviaitt (left) and Lisa Backstran fill backpacks with supplies for Humboldt Elementary School students. pens and paper, crayons, rulers; 11 item s in each backpack. “W hen w e distributed at King, that w as the m ost pow erful day o f my life. I busted a tear," Y andell said. O fth e 11 schools selected, som e o f the north and northeast elem entary schools include H um boldt, B oise- Eliot, K ing. Jam es John, W oodlaw n and A pplegate. For m ore information, call 503-380- 8027. I