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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2004)
Committed to Cultural Diversity Decem ber I. 2004 M etro ilu JJortlanb (©bseruer Revel in the Holidays Portland Revels present the 2(X >4 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. A modern African-American dance company inspired by the black experience takes flight in a WhiteBird/PSU Dance Series production commemorating the 100lh anniversary o f the first flight by the Wright brothers. The p| jgh t 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, 819 N. Killingsworth. Snacks areavail- able for $3. For more informa tion, call 503-240-4462. P r oj e c t 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 .onD ec. 12 at I067N .E .C o lumbia Blvd. For more informa tion, call 503-285-7722 or visit www.oregonhumane.org. Dancers set Portland visit 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 archFourth on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 7:30p.m . attheCrystal 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 503-224-4400 fortickets. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANDY SNOW Inspired by the black expe rience, the Dayton Contem po rary Dance Com pany will make its Portland debut with the Flight Project. The White Bird/PSU Dance Se ries perform ance is at 8 p.m. on T hursday, Friday and Saturday, from Dec. 9 through Dec. 11 at Portland State University's Lincoln Performance Hall. The event commemorates the 100"' anni versary of the inaugural flight by Dayton, Ohio’s native sons Orville and Wilbur Wright. The program will include specially com missioned works by acclaimed contem po rary choreographers Bill T. Jones, Bebe Miller, and Warren Spears, as well as a thrilling collaboration by Donald McKayle and Ronald K. Brown. DCDC has achieved national acclaim as for its incisive perfor mances o f the world’s largest and most comprehensive body o f dance works by African-American choreographers. The Ford Foundation has proclaimed, “The repertory of the Dayton Contem po rary Dance Company is a national resource. It should be seen by audiences throughout the world.” Founded in 1986 by Dayton, Ohio native Jeraldy ne Blunden, DCDC is a modem dance company rooted in the African-American experience. Celebrating over 35 years of in sp ire d d a n c e — B lu n d en b u ilt th e co m p an y ’s outstanding repertoire with works by such outstanding choreographers as Alvin Ailey, Ulysses Dove, and Merce Cunningham among others. Tickets are avai lable at PSU, 503-725-3307 and Ticketmaster outlets, 503-790-ARTS. Get Schooled Learn how to help to improve schools and jobs at a forum with State Superintendent o f Public Instruction Susan Castillo and President of Oregon’s AFL-CIO Tim Nesbitt at 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Hollywood Senior Center, 1820 N.E. 40“’. Free and spon sored by the Multnomah County Democratic Party. Strides Made Against Hunger Celebrate with Music A musical performance, “C el ebrate Christm as” is at 7 p.m. Friday.Dec. lOand I7,and6p.m . Sunday, Dec. 12 and 19 at the Beaverton C hristian Church, 136<X)S.W. Allen Blvd. Freetick- ets are available by calling 503- 646-2 1 5 1 or v isitin g www.bcc.org. Oregon still suffers Get nt, 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. Creative Space For Dance Aurora Dance Studio, 5433 N.E. 30th ( & K i 11 i ngsworth ), offers an array o f classes for children, teens and adults at all levels of ability. Call 503-249-0201 orvisit online at w w w .hevanet.com / auroradance for additional in formation. Work For Change Community Advocates invites those interested in protecting children from abuse to become an event volunteer, event out reach , te c h n o lo g y e x p e rt, graphic artists or office support team member. For more informa tion, call 503-280-1388. Birth Ready Whether you need childbirth preparation classes, or just a refresher. Providence Health Systems has a workshop for you. Prepare for pain, take a weekend seminar or prepare big sisters and brothers-to-be throughout the su m m er by v is itin g w w w.providence.org/classesor call 503-574-6595. phot ») by M ark W a . shinc . ton /T he P ortland O bserver Embracing Alberta's Community Alberta Street entrepreneurs Milton Ross (from left), Austin Raglione and Earl Clark visit Rag!¡one’s Mimosa Studios at 1718 N.E. Alberta St. to dedicate a public mural that celebrates the community and diversity of Alberta Street. Area residents and business people painted the squares during the Alberta Street Fair last September. The result is a unique and spirited mural to be enjoyed by all. N ew data by the U.S. D epartm ent o f A g ricu ltu re in d icates that O re g o n 's hunger rate has im proved since the mid- 1990s. H ow ever, our hunger and food in secu rity rates rem ain sig n ifican tly higher than the national rates. It’s estim ated that 4.3 percent o f O r egon households include som eone who w ent hungry at tim es during, the last year. T his is an im provem ent from 6 percent in 1996-98, but still higher than the national rate o f 3.4 percent. “Those fighting hunger in O regon deserve credit for im proving O reg o n 's hunger rate, prim arily by increasing ac cess to food sta m p s,” said M ichael L eachm an, policy analyst for the O r egon C enter for Public Policy. At the urging o f advocacy groups, O regon’s Department of Human Services increased the incom e lim it for accessing food stam ps in 2000 and changed the rules to allow recipients to own a reliable car. An outreach effort, led by the O regon H unger R elief Task Force, subsequently increased participation am ong eligible families. “The im provem ent in hunger show s that governm ent program s work when they have enough resources. By increas ing access to food stam ps across O r egon, w e 'v e made a significant dent in O reg o n ’s hunger problem ,” Leachm an said. Food stam ps are alm ost entirely paid for by the federal governm ent, and there fore have not been subject to the state budget cuts that have dim inished other program s. Leachm an em phasized that O regon has been im proving access to food as sistance at the same tim e that the state has been cutting access to the O regon H ealth Plan and childcare subsidies. I
