Committed to Cultural Diversity M etro ffl" JJortlani» (Obstruer September 8. 2004 Literature from the North Blacks from Canada share fiction, poetry, plays and songs See Focus, page B3 SECTION C o a ni l e ni n u d n it a y r AAH C Takes On Mental Orchid Show See hundreds of beautiful and unusual orchids at the Fall 2(X)4 Orchid Show and Sale from on Oct. 16 and 17 at the W ashing ton County Fair at the Main Ex hibit Hall at 873 N.E. 34 Ave. Admission is $3 for more infor mation, call 503-649-4118. Health Care Bento for REACH Enjoy a Bento meal and support REACH, an affordable housing program, for $5 at New Seasons Market Concordia location at 5320 N.E. 33 Ave, on Saturday, Sept. 11 and Sunday, Sept. 12, from 11 a.m .to5p.m . Paddle the Willamette C e le b ra te w ith W illam ette Ri verkeepers during the Portland Paddle canoe and kayak event from Willamette Park to the Ross Island to the East Bank Esplanade to the Portland Boathouse on Oct. 2 at 8:30 a.m. For more informa tion, call 503-223-6418. Benefit Show D avid’s Harp is a program offer ing opportunities for indepen dence and an improved quality of life for adults with mental ill ness with a benefit concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23 at Parkrose United Methodist Church, 11111 N.E. Knott. Tickets are $20 to the 12lh Avenue Hot Club quintet that plays blends o f ‘30s and '40s jazz. For more information, call 503-25 M 975. Rummage Sale and BBQ W alker Temple will host a rum mage sale and barbeque lun cheon on Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 5023 N. Michigan Ave. The community is encouraged to attend. For more information, call 503-287-7232. AIDS Walk 2004 Help save lives by participating in AIDSWalkO4 on Sunday, Sept. 26, presented by Nike. This 5k event starts at 8:30a.m. at Pioneer Courthouse Square and ends at the same location. Activities run through noon. For more informa tion, call 503-223-9255. Gallery of Visual Arts View art from talented local art ists o f all ages throughout the month o f September at the I nter- state Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340 N. Interstate Ave., from 9 a.m .-6 p.m., free. Alberta Farm Market Marketing healthy, affordable, high quality food, the Alberta Cooperati ve Grocery offers sea sonal produce from local grow ers, ready-to-eat food and weekly entertainment. Open from 10a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, located on 1500 N.E. Alberta St. For more infor mation,call 503-287-4333. Experience Cultural on Alberta Come to Alberta Street and dis cover a thriving urban com mu nity at the annual community faironSept. 18 foranoutpouring of street spirit, with a parade, music, food and a dazzling dis play of arts and crafts. Learn more at www.artonalberta.org. Get Fit, Stay Healthy! Sankofaa Health Institute offers a free diabetes support group from 6 to 7:30 p.m. every third Thursday at Alberta Simmons Plaza, 6707 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. For more informa tion, call 503-285-2484. Home Improvement The largest show if its kind on the W est Coast featuring the latest trends, the newest prod ucts and expert advice for re modeling, new construction and home improvement is coming to theCity of Roses Sept. 2 3 - 2 6 at the Oregon Convention Center. Visit www.remixlelshow.com for ticket information. B Portland Wellness Walk Grows Keith Dempsey (from left), Rose Pickett, Ayanna Stoudamire, Anita Noble, Dora Asana and Lou Radja are workers, volunteers and participants in the second annual African American Health Coalition Wellness Within REACH Walk, held Saturday at Dawson Park. The 4-mile walk drew more than 700 participants, according to early estimates, compared to 512 participants last year. Dignitaries including Portland mayoral and commissioner candidates Tom Potter and Nick Fish were in attendance and Charles Jordan was the grant marshal. M M M N M M M M I It’s now on Interstate but it’s still A insworth D rug by L ee P erlman T he P ortland O bserver The store with the familiar name is now located at 4027 N. Interstate Ave., but it's still Ainsworth Drug. Owner Ron Hatch kept the name when he moved his "institution" to the refurbished brick-front storefront in the Overlook neighborhood. Left behind was the com er at 3002 N.E. Ainsworth St., where the business had served nearby residents for more than 50 years. Hatch has kept the old name despite being pushed into a new location because o f rent increases. For one thing, he was thus able to avoid having to get a new phone number. Also, he points out, “Mr. Ainsworth was one of this city’s founders. This is not so much a street name as a city name." A Ithough the new spot is a few mi les from the old comer. Hatch says most o f his old customers have made the transition. Unlike the original location, the new spot has its own parking lot at North Mason Street. It also has easy access from the new MAX yellow line, and Hatch says some people do arrive that way. As to the new space, he says, “Everyone’s been uni formly impressed." He has picked up many new custom ers from the surrounding neighborhood. U nlike the old storefront on A insw orth, an isolated com m ercial building in a residential area. Interstate A venue is a com m ercial strip housing other businesses, including the landm ark Alibi nightclub across the street. “Yes, there are more businesses around us here, but a half-block to the east and west there’s a residential neigh borhood," Hatch says. “The people here have never had a drug store so close." Kaiser medical facilities, a few blocks to the south, doesn't add pharmacy business, because Kaiser has its own pharmacies for Kaiser patients, but Hatch offers other merchandise that can be expected to draw Kaiser people past his doors. Hatch also has a loyal African-American customer base that he expects to grow in the new location. The store's pay station allows customers to pay Pacific Power. Portland General Electric, cell phone, satellite dish, Comcast. Northwest Natural Gas, and current City of Portland water bills. He stocks mailing supplies - envelopes, tape, bubble wrap, pens, notebooks. And there are gifts - ceramics, personal hygene products, greeting cards, locally pro duced jellies and jam s, scented soaps, cracker jacks, choco lates realistic-looking cat dolls and (no lie) goat's milk. photo by M ark W ashinoton TT hk P ortland O rsekykr Ainsworth Drug is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday Ron Hatch, owner o f Ainsworth Drugs and Gifts, reopens his store at a through Friday, 10 to 6 Saturdays. new location on North Interstate Avenue. The A frican A m erican H ealth C o a lition will soon assum e a new respon sibility. Besides the variety of programs aimed at gaining and maintaining the health of people o f color, the agency will support Project Network, a residential substance abuse treatment center and licensed men tal health provider for African-American women in northeast Portland. Legacy H ealth System s is donating Project N etw ork to L ifeW orks NW, w hich is supported by the C oalition, by Oct. 1. "Project Network is a great example of a successful medical care pilot project that's blossomed into a comprehensive social program that makes a difference in the lives o f African-American families," said Cheryl Purvis, director o f Legacy W om en's Services. Legacy is donating the Project Net work building to the African American Health Coalition (AAHC), and the pro gram and its other assets to LifeW orks NW. “W e’re all committed to the same goal— helping these women and their families break the cycle of abuse and get a fresh start as a healthy, functional fam ily,” says Corliss McKeever, presi dent of AAHC. March and Rally Senseless Violence Leads To Silence Saturday, Sept. 11,h is the 2nd annual march and rally in honor of Asia Bell, and in remembrance to Isaiah Strickland and all others that have been killed or af fected by senseless violence. The march ers will assemble and leave from Irving Park on Northeast 7th Avenue and Fre mont at 9:30 a.m. at 10 a.m. The march route will then go west on Fremont to Martin Luther King Boulevard, then north to Killingsworth. The march will continue east on Killingsworth to Alberta Park. The activ ities will begin at A lberta Park from 11:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. The day will feature speakers, m usic, mime, dance and poetry. T here will be a ch ild ren ’s play area with parental su pervision required. A sia Bell Jam es was a 24-year-old m other o f four, a com m unity college graduate and a gainfully em ployed contributing m em ber o f our co m m u nity. On Nov. 29th, 2002, she was se n se le ssly and ran d o m ly g u n n ed dow n w hile sitting on the front porch o f her hom e with her husband. Her m urder has not only affected her fam ily. it affected neighbors and friends throughout Portland. The person who took her life is still at large. Her husband T yrone Jam es w as also shot in the head and is now legally blind. Isaiah Joseph S trickland was 17 years old, living life as a norm al teen ager. He was m urder on Nov. 2 ,2 0 0 3 , on 7lh and Frem ont with about 20 w it nesses present. He loved to hang out with his friends, telling jokes and laugh ing. Isaiah w ould give his friends his last dollar. O ne thing special about Isaiah is that he w ould alw ays tell his friends about Jesus. As the violence continues to filter throughout our com m unities we must jo in together to talk about solutions. For volunteer opportunities, dona tions and for more information, call o re- mail Joe "Bean" Keller at 503-493-3533 ext. 24, PerliaBell2@ msn.com, 503-421 - 0078 or Areba Strick kind at 9 7 1 -235-6477 orvisitwww.blackonblackviolence.com.