December 24, 2003_____________________________________ (£jjC ^Ortlatlh (0b»CrUer Page A7 Focus Magic Fingers One o f the preeminent electric bassists o f our time, Grammy award-winning Vic tor Wtxiten, includes Port land as a stop on his rare solo tour next month. As the bassist o f the w orld-acclaim ed roots-fu- sion quartet Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, W ooten has stretched the boundaries of his instrument, bringing it to new levels o f virtuosity in the styles o f hard-edged funk, jazz, R&B and rock. Wooten will perform a smoldering show in Portland Dance beat surgeon Victor at the Aladdin Theater on Wooten performs with his magical electric bass. Feb. 7. H ippos There's still time left to see 500,000 lights spark up animated hippos, crocodiles, condors and more at the Oregon Zoo 's holiday Zoolights. The lights will turn on during four final nights this week from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. CANNON'S RIB EXPRESS = z _ (FORMERLYCHUCK HINTON’S) Lawyer says Vendetta Behind Jackson Charges Prosecutor appears to have several hurdles to climb (A P)— Michael Jackson, facing charges that could send him to prison for years, is the victim o f a vendetta and is ready to fight to prove his innocence, his attorney said after the pop music star was charged with perform ing lewd acts on a child. D is tric t A tto rn e y T h o m as Sneddon, who tried to bring a sim i lar case against Jackson 10 years ago, filed seven counts o f m olest ing a child under the age o f 14 against Jackson on Thursday. The entertainer also was charged with two counts o f plying the boy with “an intoxicating agent" to make it easier to carry out the assaults. Filing the charges was a victory for Sneddon, w ho failed to build a T heentertainer’sattom ey, Mark G eragos, denounced the allega tions as driven by money and ven geance, and said Jackson, w ho is free on $3 million bail, Itxtk forward to resolving the matter in court. “A nybody else who knows any thing about the history o f these accu sers, anybody w ho know s anything about the history o f the investigators and the axes they have to grind know that these charges are not only categorically untrue, but they’re driven, driven by two things: money and revenge. And we will prove that,” G eragos said. Michael Jackson Sneddon appears to have sev eral hurdles to overcom e to win a case against Jackson in 1993 when conviction. a boy who made sim ilar allegations Persuading a jury to accept the refused to cooperate with authori ti mel i ne o f the al leged cri mes is one ties after reportedly receiving a o f the key ones. multimillion-dollarsettlement from Five o f the counts state that Jack- the pop star. son m olested the boy, a cancer This time, Sneddon says, he has victim the entertainer befriended, a cooperative witness w ho isn’t sometime between the approximate interested in a piece o f Jackson’s dates o f Feb. 7 and M arch 10. The fortune. other two counts, and the charges o f giving the boy an intoxicant, state that those crim es allegedly occurred between the approximate dates o f Feb. 20 and March 10. That means Jackson would have begun molesting the boy amid the swift and fervent criticism he re ceived after the Feb. 6 airing o f a docum entary in which he told of letting children sleep in his bed room and sometimes in his bed when they visited his Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County. Los Angeles County child wel fare officers began investigating Jackson’s relationship with the child on Feb. I4,prom ptedbyacom plaint to a county hot line from a school administrator who saw the show. The investigation, which ended Feb. 27, found there was no basis for molestation allegations afterthe boy, his mother and his siblings denied them. Russell Halpem, an attorney for the father, has said the boy's mother had a “Svengali-like ability" to make her children lie in testimony. i s i m n s m s i Tet Celebration Take in the Portland lights from the Stem w heeler for The V ietnam ese comm unity celebrates the year of GUIDE ► the monkey Christm as through Dec. 28. Admission ranges from $20 with a traditional festival Tet and Lion Dance What a View! to $65 for dinner, dancing and holiday brunches. For more information, visit www.stemwheeler.com or call 800-643-1354. Santa’s Late Find Santa at the Oregon Z oo’s holiday sim ulator ride for the holidays through Dec. 28. Call 503-226-15 6 1 or visit www.oregonzoo.org for more information. Jazzy Family Chris Brown, son of local jazz legend Mel Brown, performs at the Blue Monk, 3314 SE Belmont, at 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Dec. 23. on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the O regon Convention Center, 777 N.E. MLK Blvd. Festivities, gam es and music are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a fundraising dance at 8 p.m. for a cost o f $25. For more information, call 503-7804)842. Ozzie's Birthday Join O regon Zoo staff for a third birthday party on Jan. 2 for Ozzie, the famous otter, who was conceived, bom and raised by his mother in captivity. Birthday party guests receive cupcakes. For more information, call 503-226-15 6 1 or visit www.oregonzoo.org. Sax Flies West Communal Art Talisman Gallery features a group show o f all o f its members withdi verse style, content and media from Jan. 2-25 with an opening at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 2. For more information, visit w w w .talism angallery.com . C harles G ayle, a New York jazz saxophone street performer, will have a rare W est C oast perform ance at Disjecta, 1 16 N.E. Russell St., on Jan. 10. Free. Arts Benefit Nationals Emergency The H arlem G lobetro tters w ill play the New York N ationals at the R ose G arden A rena at 7 p.m. S aturday, Jan. 24. T ickets start at $ 11 and can be purchased at the Rose G arden box office o r by cal I ing 503- 227-44IX). No Sissies! Bump In the Road Theatre presents "(Old Age A in’t) No Place For Sissies” from Jan. 23 through Feb. 7 at the Fine Arts Building at Concordia University, Northeast 27,b Avenue and Highland. A "pay what you will" perform ance is at 8 p.m. Jan. 22. O ther performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets range between $ 10 and $ 12. For reservations, call 50 3 -7 5 0 -1439. The Talisman Gallery presents “Foot Square," benefiting Habitat For Humanity, through Dec. 28. For more information, call 503-287-9529. Kwanzaa Gala Bridge Builders is holding its seventh annual Kwanzaa Gala and Initiates Ball at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27 at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $30. For more information, call 503-306-2960. All New Christmas Carol Catering & Take-Out O ur S pe c ialty : R eal H ickory S moked B ar -B-Q • Sandwiches • Salads • Chicken • Pork Ribs • Beef Ribs HOURS CATERING ALLEVENTS M onday T uesday Wed. & Thurs. F ri.& S at. Sunday Fish Sandwich — $8“ Fish Dinner - $11” 11:00-9:00 CLOSED 11:00-9:00 11:00- KMX) 11:00-8:00 FRIDAY & SATURDAY * * * N ew L oc /V uon * * * 5410 N.E. 3 3 rd 503-288-3836 MILLENNIUM M PROPERTIES FU LL SERVICE REALTY Terence Keller Broker/Realtor Direct: 503.704.1154 Office: 503.282.2551 314 NE 19th Avenue Portland, OR 97232 & MLS. gotkgo @ comcast.net www.ihomehunt.com Rm Ctfy F h m m q ££C Residential - Commercial Sales - Installation C arpet • C ountertop V inyl • C eramic T ile V ct • M armoleum C all “ B ill” fo r free estimate: 503-282-2729 WALKW122X31 » »5 ( X11# 150277 The Northwest C hildren's Theater and School presents the “All New Christm as Carol" at the Northwest NeighborhtxxJ Cultural Center, 1819 N.W. Everett St., through Dec. 24. Tickets are $20 for adults. For sh o w tim es and m ore in fo rm atio n , call 5 0 3 -2 2 2 -4 4 8 0 o r visit w ww.nwcts.org. Vroom! The Portland International Auto Show is from Feb. 5 through 8 for domestic and imports, concept and economy cars, at the Oregon Convention Center, 777 N.E. MLK Blvd. General admission is $8. For more information, call 800-322-4821. Trippin' through Town Take a trip through time to find the hottest poetry, hip-hop and soul influencing Portland W ednesdays at the Ohm. $7 cover. 3 1 N.W. First Ave. Wild Party Stack 'Em Up A dult L ego en th u siasts will love the 2004 B rickFest Expo at the O regon C onvention C enter. The ex h ib it will have them ed d isplays and m osaics from 11 a .m .to 4 p .m .F e h . 15 fo ra n ad m issio n o f $5 per person or$20 max per family. For more information, call 503-297-5090. Excite your child with a birthday party in the woods, meadow or near a pond, hosted by Portland Parks and Recreation staff. Themes include forest fairies, Indian legends. Lewis and Clark exploration, animal track ing, cam ouflage critters and more. Parties begin at $100 for 10 children, including gam es, activities and favors. For more information, call 503- 823-3601. t B oarding at _ „ W aterfro n t Parle December Cruises. Dinner Dance • Holiday Dinners Champagne Brunch STERMWHEELER COLUMBIA GORGE 1-800-643-1354 for reservations www.sternwheeler.com