lu n e 3 0 . 2 0 0 4 5*ie ÏJortlanb © b srru rr Page AS Good in the Neighborhood African American Health Coalition members march to promote good health in the community at the Good in the Neighborhood parade Saturday on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard ■*' ♦ *■= »1 Soleful - - * •• w r tö ■ F.-i-rtl S tru tters Parade partici­ pant Michael Harper, a Royal Rosarian and former Trail Blazer, enjoyed himself at Good in the Neighborhood. V The dance group Sole ful Strutters strut soulfully down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the Good in the Neighborhood Parade. C o u n tr ie s o f A f r ic a Moors dominate former slave state by R on W eber T he P ortland O bserver millet, sorghum, root crops, dates inches ot rain tai Is per year, leaving and livestock. rich and lush vegetation along the Mauritania is considered a one- river banks. Here, lions and mon­ religion nation with more than 99 keys are plentiful. In contrast, very percent of the population listed as little plant and animal life is found in Muslim. Less than half of the male northern regions of the country. population and only one-quarter of Threequarters of Mauritania’s work­ women can read and write. The ing population are involved with country’s average life span is farming. Eighty percent of the coun­ less than 50 years old, with try lives in this southern region men living to the age of 47 along the Senegal River. . and women to 53. Black M auritanians were the MAURITANIA With just more than 2.5 first to gain formal education and T h is large million people, the popula­ many now hold jobs in teaching. northwestern na­ tion density is quite sur­ With Arabic and French as the tio n o f A fric a prising at only five people two main languages in the coun­ reaches all the way for every square mile. Al­ try, many citizens are bilingual. from the S ah ara though the average woman has 6 Although about one quarter of Desert to the Atlantic children, infant mortality rate is the population lives and works in Ocean. Just north of Senegal, this close to one 1 of 10. Also causing the cities, only a small percent­ area was once a hot spot for the a decline in population numbers is age are exposed to a m odern so­ slave trade. Slaves were brought to the fact that Mauritania, like so ciety and the am enities that go the coastal seaports by rival tribes many other African countries is with it. far inland and sold for whatever the plagued with early adult mortality On Nov. 28, 1960, M auritania market would bare. rates due to AIDS, Hepatitis, and gained its independence from Today, M auritania is mostly many other diseases. Africa is still France. W hile politics are often made up of moors. The moors are much behind Europe and America tribal matters. The Democratic and classified as white and black, al­ though these terms have little to do with color. Much of the white class is based on land ownership, money, and material possessions. Much of the poorer or “black" class is no­ madic and roams the countryside while living in tents. Mauritania residents whose skin color actually is black are a minority, making up about a third of the general popula­ tion. Large high-grade iron ore de­ posits near the town of F'derik have in many health care issues. Social Republic Parties are gain­ become an important mineral re­ Schooling is another problem ing ground. As the country is source in Mauritania with custom­ facing the nation. While the gov­ broken into 12 regions, much law ers in Britain, Germany and Italy. ernment provides free schooling and policy are settled at the re­ The income from the mines pro­ for children, only about half the gional level. Although Mauritania vides the government with a large kids actual ly attend, due to the large is somewhat behind in m odern­ portion of its revenue. Copper and number of nomadic tribes. Weather ism due to so much of the nation phosphate are two more natural in Mauritania is another interesting being nom adic, new er genera­ resources that help Mauritania fi­ fact. Due to the fact that almost the tions are becoming impatient with nancially. On the Atlantic coast, entire country lies within the Sa­ the old ways. Cell phones, auto­ commercial fishing brings much hara Desert, most of the nation sees mobiles, com puters and other hi- needed income to poor coastal less than five inches of rain a year tech luxury goods are beginning towns. While industry and com­ and is tortured under constant to appear in the streets and in merce make up some of the gross triple-digit temperatures. A small w ealthier homes. As Africa itself national product figures, agricul­ strip in the southern part o f is gradually accepting more m od­ ture reigns at almost 50 percent. MauritaniaparallelstheSenegal Val­ ernistic approaches and ideas, Common agricultural gtxxls include ley and River. Here, around 30 M auritania too will follow. Less than half o f the male population and only one-quarter o f women can read and write. The country's average life span is less than 50 years old, with men living to the age o f 47 and women to 53. First Nike Factory Store Turns 20 continued from A3 inspire the kind of entrepreneur- ship, economic growth and access to resources that promotes a thriv­ ing community for residents and business owners." DeStefano said. As part of the anniversary cel­ ebration, University of Oregon head fix),ball coach Mike Bello,ti, along with former 1972-76 Portland Trail Blazer and the factory store’s firs, manager La Rue Martin and the store’s current manager Steven Shane helped host an open house for area neighbors. The celebration included food, entertainment and networking opportunities for com­ munity organizations. "Nike has been a key economic driver for this community, and they are to be congratulated no, only for doing business here for the las, 20 years, but for being one of the first area businesses to stand up and declare northeast Portland as a vi­ able community to do business in,” said Herndon, who led the Black United Front in the 1980s and served as a catalyst for encouraging busi­ nesses to locate in the community. “Northeast Portland has seen incredible change in the last two decades that simply could not have happened at the speed it did if it were no, for the significant commit­ ments made by Nike and others in the business community— both in Albina Bank Opens on Fremont p h o t o s us M a r k W a s h in g t o n / T hk P o r t l a n d O b s e r v e r terms of achieving economic re­ ward and providing community in­ vestment," Herndon said. When the Nike Portland Factory Store opened in 1984, it pledged to donate a portion of the store’s prof­ its to community-based non-profit organizations. To bring the store's 20-year investment in north and northeast Portland to a total of $1 million, Nike expanded its grant program this year to twenty $5,0(X) grants. The company has also re­ newed a commitment to donate $50,(XX) a year through 2007. Some of the recipients include Albina Head Start, Ethos, Inc., King School, Portland Youth Builders and Portland Habitat for Humanity. An array o f m usic and re ­ freshm ents se, the stage last Friday for the grand opening celeb ratio n o f A lbina C o m ­ munity B ank’s new Beaumont branch on 4020 N.E. Fremont. The m inority-ow ned bank aim s to fill the gap betw een b u s in e s s a n d r e s id e n tia l b a n k in g s e r v ic e s in th e neighborhood. A lbina C o m ­ m unity Bank was created to r e s to r e a n d e n c o u r a g e a stronger sense o f com m unity w ithin north and northeast n eig h b o rh o o d s. S tudents from Ethos Inc., a m ulticultural m usic cen ter based in north and northeast P ortland that provides m usic education to disadvantaged students, perform ed for the grand opening. S cheduled F lights TO Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino In Laughlin, Nevada x T -' ... From PORTLAND,OREGON • » ‘ ■' « To LAUGHLIN, NEVADA ’ • > Ml I ¿^rVERSïDç S s R B s o itf 1-866-228-2734 www.riversidereiort.com ’ ~ ■ ’'"‘fife ■ ’ ; 7 ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. CHANGE AN D CANCELLATION PENALTIES APPLY. PRICE INCUJOES ALL TAXES AN D FEES SCHEDULED AM SERVICE PROVIDED BY SUN COUNTRY AIRLINES. S C H E D U LE D AM I I / **A II classes are free of charge! African American Health Coalition, Inc. Presents for your health, Wellness Within. REACH Activity Calendar Aerobics Mallory Ave. Christian Church Pilates (Contact AAHC) Matt Dishman Mon, Wed, Fri, 6-7am, Pierce • 5:30-6:20pm, Granville • 6:30-7:30pm, Nickerson Tue, 8-9pm Low Impact Aerobics Daniel’s Memorial Church (Class courtesy of M itt Dishman) lue. 7:IS-8:l5pm . Granville Tue, Thu, 7-8am, Lois W ater Aerobics (Contact AAHC) Columbia Pool, Matt Dishman, Salvation Army St John’s Comunity Center Tue, 6:30-7:30pm African Dance Matt Dishman Walking Croup Peninsula Park Sat, 10-1 lam, Addo Sat 12:30pm, Woods Body Conditioning W ild Oats Market Tue, Thu, 6:30pm, Woods Sat, 9 :30-10:30am, Nickerson Weight Mgnt./Conditioning W hitaker Track Chicago Step Matt Dishman Tue, Thu, 9 - 1 Oam, Hasan Fri, 6:30pm, Kendrick Yoga Wild Oats Market Kickboxing Humboldt Elementary Tue, Thu, 7:30-8:30pm. O’Rourke Stretching/Body Sculpting Matt Dishman Tai Chi (Contact AAHC) ^ss¡^ __ Lloyd Ctr, I st FI. in front of Sears Tue, Thu, 6-7pm, Keller Columbia Pod. 7701 N Chautaqua Peninsula Park. 700 N Portland Daniel’s Memorial Church, 1234 NE Killmgsworth Humboldt Elementary, 4 91 S N Gantenbem Salvation Army. S32S N Williams St John’s Community Center, 8427 N. Central Malory Ave Oinsoan Church (Gym), 126 NF Alberta Matt Dishman. 77 NE Knott Whitaker Track, NE 42nd & Killmgsworth Wild Oats Market. 353S NE 15th “ Must be 18 or older to participate. Please contact AAHC before showing up to the first class and for more information at S03-413-1850 or kdempsey@aahc-portland.org. Please receive approval from your doctor before beginning exercise class. R a c ia l a n d E th n ic A p p ro a c h e s to C o m m u n ity H e a lth A Program oT the African Amarican Health Coalition, Inc Sponsoren by the Centers ftx Disease Control and Prevention (CDC| Contact AAHC at S 0 J -4 U -U 5 0 or visit our web site at w w w u h c -portland.org