November 24, 2004
Committed to Cultural Diversity
M etro
a:i'' Fortiani» (©bserrier
African Dance,
American Debut
African dancer Loveness Wesa shares
the culture o f her native country.
See Focus, page B2
SECTION
C o a m 1 e in n u d n it a y r
Learn to Swim
Fall Swimming Lessons are avail
able at Columbia Pool, 7701 N.
C hautauqua Blvd. and Matt
Dishman Pool, 77 N.E. Knott.
For information, call the Port
land Parks Aquatic Division at
503-823-5130.
Women in NAACP
King Elementary kids in
northeast Portland enjoy a
school assembly with
world-famous business
entrepreneur Paul Allen.
W omen in NAACP meets from
10:30a.m. to 1 p.m. the first Sat
urday o f each m onth at the
American Red Cross Building,
3131 N. Vancouver. For ques
tions, call 503-249-6263.
Red Cross Blood Drive
M ark W ashington
T he P orti ani » O bserver
photo by
The American Red Cross invites
blood donors to give the gift of
life at its 10th annual Thanksgiv
ing Day blood drive, Thursday,
Nov. 25 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. at
the Portland Donor Center, 3131
N. Vancouver Ave.
SMART
Love that Pooch
Problem pooch classes are a must
take for anyone who may be new
to the world of pet parenthood
or is interested in considering
adopting a new friend. Come to
the Oregon Humane Society to
find out why your dog does those
silly little things. Meetings are
every first and third Saturday of
the month at 11 a.m. For more
information, call 503-285-7722.
Investment
W orld-famous business entrepreneur Paul Allen met with kids at
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in northeast Portland as
part of his generous support of Start Making A Reader Today
(SMART).
Allen has pledged to donate $1 million to the nonprofit organi
zation when it meets its fundraising goal o f $ lOmillion. SMART only
needs to raise $200,000 by the end o f the year to meet the challenge.
“The difference that Paul Allen’s Foundation has already made
in the lives o f children and to our school is enormous,” said Mary
Jubitz, CEO of SMART. “I can’t think of a better investment in
Oregon’s future.”
At the event last week at King School, Allen, an avid space
enthusiast, read the children “Dogs in Space" by Nancy Coffelt.
Revel in the Holidays
Portland Revels present the 2004
Christmas Stage Show from Dec.
3 through 12 with matinee and
evening shows available. Tick
ets range from $20 to $25 with
discounts for seniors and stu
dents. For tickets, call 503-274-
4654
or
v isit
www.portlandrevels.org.
Jerry Moss, community outreach
director for the Portland Trail
Blazers, and team owner Paul
Allen, read to kids at a 'Start
Making A Reader Today' event at
King Elementary School.
Ladies with Power
A post-election feminist strat
egy session is organized by
Radical Women on Wednesday,
Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. at the Bread and
R o ses
C e n te r,
81 9
N.
Killingsworth. Snacks are avail
able for $3. For more inform a
tion, call 503-240-4462.
Bazaar for Pets
Find unique, crafty gifts at the
Oregon Humane Society’s Holi
day Craft Bazaar from 11 a.m. to
6 p.m. on Dec. 11 and noon to 6
p.m. on Dec. 12 at 1067 N.E. Co
lumbia Blvd. For more inform a
tion, call 503-285-7722 or visit
www .oregonhumane .org.
PHOTO COURTESY OE S a M F o RF.NCICH
Sudan Gets
Local Support
Africa AIDS Response
ThePortland-M utareSisterCity
Association Africa AIDS Re
sponse presents W orld Aids
Day, Hope is Vital, Rhythms for
Life with performances by Maya
S oleil and M archF ourth on
Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
at theCrystal Ballroom, 1132W.
Burnside. All ages. $25 advance,
$30 at the door. For more infor
m a tio n ,
v isit
www.africaaidsresponse.org or
call 503-224-4400fortickets.
Lobby for the Better
Train to be a citizen lobbyist on
Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Holly wood
SeniorCenter, 1820N.E. 40"’. Free
an d
s p o n so re d
by
the
Multnomah County Democratic
Party.
Forces of Nature
OMSI presents Forces of Na
tu re , N a tio n a l G e o g ra p h ic
Chases Mother N ature’s Dark
Side, at Omnimax through March.
For more information, call 503-
797-4000.
Get Schooled
Leant how to help to improve
schools and jobs at a forum with
State Superintendent of Public
Instruction Susan Castillo and
President of O regon's AFL-CIO
Tim Nesbitt at 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at
the Hollywood Senior Center,
1820 N.E. 40lh. Free and spon
sored by the Multnomah County
Democratic Party.
I
Dr. T. A llen Bethel, president o f the Albina
M in iste ria l A llia n c e and s e n io r p a s to r o f
M aranatha C hurch in northeast Portland, just
returned from to Sudan w here he talked with
various com m unity and church leaders about
hum an rights violations against the Sudanese
people.
T he A lbina M inisterial A lliance and North
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Portland Bible College held a press conference
Tuesday to express solidarity and profound con
cern about the continued abuses o f com m unities
Students of Celebration Academy of the Performing Arts in north Portland raise their instruments. They have
organized a drive to collect instruments from musicians to give more kids exposure to music education.
in Sudan by the Sudanese G overnm ent.
The coalition is putting pressure on the govern
ment to address the hum an rights abuses against
Raise Your Instruments
Sudanese citizens since 1989.
The m inisters are encourging donations to
relief funds distributed by M ercy Corps to people
inhabiting Darfur, and southern-most regions Kajo
Jaki and Eastern Eqatoria.
The alliance also has signed a concrete action plan
to bri ng pressure upon the Sudanese government, under
General Omar al-Bashir and any nation that benefits
from injustices in Sudan. For more information and to
respond to this plea for help, call Elizabeth Nance at 503-
254-9039.
photo by
Celebration A cadem y o f the Perform ing A rts in
north Portland is holding instrum ent drives through
January to reverse the shortage o f instrum ents available
in local com m unities.
“W e ’re asking form er m usicians and citizens alike to
help us in our efforts to keep the arts alive by donating
a musical instrum ent,” according to John T olbert o f the
academ y.
Instruments may be dropped off and many local loca
tions including Rhythm Traders at 424 N.E. Broadway,
Beacock Music at 1420 S.E. 163 Ave. in Vancouver and
Portland Music at 531 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
C elebration A cadem y, 8202 N. D enver, is a private
school specializing in perform ing arts. C lasses blend o f
traditional educational m ethods and the need forchildren
to explore and have hands-on opportunities to learn. An
after-school arts program for children and adults will
also be offered.
For m ore inform ation and a com plete list o f instrum ent
drop-off locations, call 503-285-7234.