Committed to Cultural Diversity
Decem ber I. 2004
M etro
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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