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Yoga For All
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Reunion Watch
Former students and faculty of
Girls Polytechnic, James Mon­
roe and W ashington-M onroe
high schools have the 66lh an­
nual all-school dinner at 5 p.m.
Monday, April 12 at Our Lady of
Sorrow s School, 5239 S.E.
Woodstock Blvd. Tickets are
$15. For more information, call
503-236-6557.
Honor Political Women
The Oregon H istorical Society
presents a program honoring
th e a c c o m p lis h m e n ts o f
women in the historic 1970s
legislature (including M ayor
Vera Katz) in conjunction with
W o m e n ’s H isto ry M o n th .
C onversations are at the H is­
torical Society, 1200S.W .Park
Ave. from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thurs-
b day, March 18. For more infor­
mation, call 503-222-1741.
Trees Need Friends
Friends of Trees will plant trees
and sh ru b s in th e H o u g h /
Rosmere and Vancouver neigh­
borhoods on Saturday, March
6. If you want to be a help to your
community and environment,
call 503-284-T R E E or visit
www.friendsoftrees.org.
i / support President Bush in his effort to rid the world o f terror, hut I cun concerned that
Oregon has fa r more than its per capita share o f service men and women in Iraq and fa r
more than its share of casualties.
-PortlandresIdentBruceBroussardannouncInghiscandldacyforU.S.SenatefromOregon
Community Activist Runs for U.S. Senate
Bruce Broussard, long-time Portland businessman, community
activist and cable TV talk show host, announced Monday his
candidacy for the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate seat
currently held by Democrat Ron Wyden. His name will appear on the
ballot in the May 18 Republican Primary election.
“My wife, Norma, and I will visit every county in Oregon to learn
first hand what Oregonians’ priorities are," Broussard said. “It isn’t
just the Portland metropolitan area that has serious problems with
business, jobs and schools. It’s the whole state. In fact, smaller
counties and towns are having an even harder time.”
Broussard pledged to work closely with U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith,
R-Ore. “to make Oregon whole again."
Besides seniors issues, the econom y, jobs and education,
Broussard's said his priorities include veteran and military affairs,
especially as it relates to Oregon’s deployment of 50 percent of its
military Reserve and National Guard units.
“I support President Bush in his effort to rid the world of terror, but
I am concerned that Oregon has far more than its per capita share of
service men and women in Iraq and far more than its share of
casualties,” Broussard said.
As a Marine veteran o f 10 years, including service in Vietnam,
Broussard has an extensive military record, including three years of
service as a warrant officer in the Oregon Army National Guard.
He has worked for many Republican causes and candidates. He
Wellness
supports Bush’s Leave No Child Behind Act to better education for
The second annual Holladay
Park PlazaCommunity Wellness
Fair is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Friday, March 19 at 1300N.E. 16*
Ave. For more information, call
503-280-2221.
children. Other public service activities include work in environmen­
Stick Up for Seniors
Better People Founder Asks for Votes Resignation
Minority alliances
Opens
formed in race for
State Representative
House Seat
Elders in Action is sticking up
for seniors with a W eb Evalua­
tor Training from 9:30 a m. to
noon on Wednesday, March 31
at the PCC Southeast Center,
2305S.E. 82 Ave., Room 119and
an Ombudsman Training from
9:30 a.m. to 3:30p.m. March 29
through April 1. For more infor-
• mation, call 503-823-5269or visit
www.eldersaction.org.
Health For Everyone
The 6,b annual Health Fair featur­
ing “Health Issues that Affect
Everyone” is from 9:30 a.m. to
2:45 p.m. Saturday, March 13 at
the Ainsworth United Church of
Christ, 2941 N.E. Ainsworth
United Church of Christ. The
event is free, and lunch is pro­
vided. For more information, call
503-284-8767.
Government Contracting
A o n e -d a y c o n fe re n c e fo r
sm all, m in o rity , d isa d v a n ­
ta g e d an d w o m e n -o w n e d
b u sin esses to learn how to
participate in federal g o v ern ­
m ent c o n tra c tin g p ro sp ects
is held T h u rsd ay , M arch 18
from 7 :3 0 a .m . to 5:30 p.m . at
th e
D o u b le tr e e
H o te l-
Jantzen B each. T he session
is sp o n so re d by the U .S.
D ept. o f H ou sin g and U rban
D e v e lo p m e n t.
R e g is te r
o n lin e at w w w .h u d .g o v /
W ashington o r by phone at
1-877-741-3281.
tal small business, scholarship funds, the Portland City Club, senior
citizen advocacy and promotion of low-income housing.
Broussard is of African-American and French Creole descent.
by M ichael L eighton
T he P ortland O bserver
A progressive Democrat is forming alli­
ances with African American leaders and
drawing on his experience in employment
and counseling services for past criminal
offenders to run for State Representative in
House District 43, representing north and
northeast Portland.
Chip Shields said his primary focus is
“standing up for the little guy" and that
includes women and minority populations.
Shields, 36, founded Better People five
years ago, a living-wage employment and
counseling organization on Northeast Mar­
tin Luther King Jr. Boulevard for people who
have been in trouble with the law.
He was a major backer of the successful
effort in 2002 to raise Oregon’s minimum
wage and last year supported local schools
and health services by pull ing together back­
ers o f the temporary Multnomah County
income tax to offset state budget cuts.
He said the pain of gentrification displac­
ing minority populations in his district can
photo by
Chip Shields, the founder and
executive director o f Better
People, a northeast Portland job
training and counseling service
for former inmates, is running
for State Representative in the
district he lives and works.
be helped by government promotion of
affordable housing, living wage jobs and
giving local minority residents a fair shot at
government jobs and contracts.
Shields said he entered his race for
State Representative only after asking
for the support of leaders in the district’s
large African-American and Latino com ­
munities. His endorsem ents include Sen.
M argaret Carter, who once held the house
seat, form er Rep. JoAnn Bowman and
business leader Carl Talton, all African
A m ericans; and Hispanic county com ­
m issioners Serena Cruz and M aria Rojo
de Steffrey.
As a progressive. Shields said he be­
lieves state government should eliminate
the tax kicker refund and create a rainy day
fund to pay for vital public services like
education and publ ic safety to offset down­
turns in the economy that lower tax rev­
enues.
He wants to reform corporate income
ta x e s to cut dow n on c o rp o ra tio n s
“scamming to pay only the $10 tax mini­
mum.”
Shields has played an activist role in
past efforts to repeal Measure 11, the law
strongly opposed by minority and low-
continued
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Inspiring Ensemble Coming to Portland
What's Fldo Thinking?
Leant about what goes through
your pooch's mind at Canine
101 through the Oregon Humane
Society, 1067 N.E. Columbia
Blvd. Classes is at 11 a.m. Satur­
days, March 6 and 20. Dona­
tions are $ 10. For more informa­
tion, call 503-285-7722
NAACP Meetings
The Portland B ranch o f the
N A A C P h o ld s e x e c u tiv e
com m ittee m eetin g s on the
se c o n d T h u rsd a y o f ea c h
m onth and the T h ursday b e ­
fore the fo u rth S aturday o f
each month. G eneral m em ber­
ship m eetings are held on the
f o u r th S a tu r d a y o f e a c h
month. For more inform ation,
call 503-284-7722.
M ark W ashington /T hf . P ortland O bserver
Community activist Bruce Broussard holds a press conference at the McCoy Academy on Northeast
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination to the U.S.
Senate from Oregon.
photo by V icky
L eland
A children's dance troop from Uganda inspires joy and hope for children orphaned by HIV and AIDS.
D e m o c ra tic S ta te R ep. D e b o ra h
Kafoury, representing north and north­
east Portland in the State Legislature,
resigned Friday after com plaints she was
no longer able to legally hold her House
D istrict 43 seat because she recently
m oved out o f the district.
Kafoury had planned to resign after the
May 18 primary election to give voters a
say in her replacement.
Now the local D em ocratic Party is
charged with forw arding a list o f possible
replacem ents to M ultnomah County com ­
m issions who could immediately fill the
10 months remaining on K afoury’s term.
Tw o candidates looking for that appoint­
ment are Chip Shields and Tina Kotek,
currently on the D em ocratic Prim ary
ballot.
W hitehead Freeman has filed for the
position in the Republican Primary and
would face the Democratic w inner in the
N ovem ber General Election.
Nike and White Bird proudly present the
Portland debut of Children of Uganda, an
ensemble of 20 children who have lost their
parents to AIDS.
The March 31 performance will benefit
Portland's Black United Fund, Cascade
AIDS Project, For Us Northwest, Harambee
Centre and the Urban League of Portland. In
connection with the performance. Portland
public schools are teaching students about
the African AIDS crisis and the positive
healing power of the arts.
The Tour of Light, as the Children of
Uganda tour is called, soothes and heals as
the cast of children, aged six to 18, play a
variety of handmade drums, harps, xylo­
phones and perform dances from a number
of countries, including Uganda, Rwanda.
Congo, Tanzania and Kenya.
The riveting show begins at 7:30 p.m. on
W ednesday, M arch 31 at the A rlene
Schnitzer Concert Hall. Tickets range from
$18to$40.
Tickets can be purchased at the Portland
Center for the Perf orming Arts box office and
at all Ticketmaster outlets, or by calling 503-
2244400.
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