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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 2004)
December 22. 2004 æ,!‘‘IJnrthuth (OhsrruiT Last Thursday on TUbgrta continued from A d “People were afraid lo come Io Alberta. They would ask, ‘Will we get shot?’ So we went lo the televi sion stations and put out the word that we were doing something posi tive up here," she said. Interest in Last Thursday grew as more and more galleries and shops opened on the street. In 1998, two significant events occurred to bolster pride from the entire com munity, not just art-related busi n e sse s. T he c ity b e g a n a Streetscape Plan to refurbish the entire thoroughfare and on May 12, 1998 the first com m unity-w ide Alberta Street Fair was held. M eanwhile, as local property values skyrocketed, realtors and property management firms began advertising listings in the "Alberta Arts District,” and more and more young fam ilies and first-tim e homeowners moved into the neigh borhood. A lm ost overnight, com m ercial sp a c e s th a t h ad b ee n w o rth $20,000 or $40,000 w ere worth hundreds o f thousands o f d o l lars. The ow ners had to cope with new zoning regulations. B uild ings that w ere previously zoned “ light ind u strial" had to m eet earthquake safety standards be fore they could be used for res taurants, residences and retail sh o p s. The upgrades could cost as much as the price o f the property itself. T o recoup expenses, the businesses had to raise prices and attract business from o u t side the neighborhood. “Last T hursday was w onder fu l fo r th e s e b u s in e s s e s ! ” G uardino said. "They knew that every month anyw here from 1 .(MX) to 3,000 people w ould be com ing to A lberta Street, and they could m ake enough m oney in that one night to co v er their operating ex p en ses.” PageA5 Publ ic Notice I ______ New Government Loan Proeram c For Seniors 62 & Older Eliminates mortgage payments & pays you while you own & live in your home! Benefits of New Government Reverse Mortgage Program: • No mortgage payments • Tax-free money • You own your home • Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid not affected • No income or credit qualifications • Use $ any way you choose E m a i,: Carolyn Corthell, MSW quickloan@hotmail.com Reverse Mortgage Specialist LSE ftto r o s by M ark W ashington /T he P orti ani » O bserver ON Donna Guardino and her husband Sal show o ff a display at Guardino Gallery on Northeast Alberta Street. Donna played a large hand in establishing Last Thursday, the monthly art walks that draw crowds to the northeast neighborhood. R eggie Petry, ow ner and o p erator o f the A lberta Arts Pavil ion, 2315 N.E. A lberta, feels the new ly created business com m u nity needs to do a better jo b of reaching out to the original co m munity. “Hire people from the neighbor hood. They will spend money in the neighborhood. There are always people hanging out in front of the coffee shop," he said, referring to the Star E Rose, 2403 N.E. Alberta. "They want to work. Hire them to do odd jobs. T hat’s what I do, and I encourage other people to do it too.” His storefront, painted bright blue with the American Hag prom i nently displayed, occupies a rect angular concrete building that once served as a meat packer and an auto detailing shop. Petry moved his business there in the late ‘90s because zoning regu lations made it difficult for him to run the business out of his home. Originally focusing on African- American artists and their work, economic pressures forced him to broaden the gallery’s focus to in clude all artists o f color. As well as being a venue where artists can display their work, Petry began a venture known as the Port land Community Market. It gives I entered a building that had a large event room, classically restored, on the first floor. Upstairs, a man gave an entertaining slide lecture on the Second Law of Thermodynamics. -MarthaS. Fletcher TriMet Called on Double Standard “W e’re offering kind o f a hyper se rv ic e b ecau se th e re ’s m ore people that work on Martin Luther King Jr. Day than on a typical h o lid a y ,” s a id M ary F e tc h , spokesw om an for T riM et. “Be cause ridership is higher on that e x t. 84 www.theReverseMortgageQueen.info The Interstate Firehouse Cultural al Center, 5340 N. Interstate Ave., is hold d- ing a Kwanzaa celebration on Friday, Dec. 31 to recognize the African-Ameri can harvest with workshops, storytell ers, drumming and a community din ner. The event will begin with children makinggifts with the Les Femmes Debu tantes from 10a.m. tomx»n. Storytelling with LaVem e Green is from noon to I p.m. Drumming with Habiba Addo Hakim, M ohammed and O. B. Addy is from I to 2 p .m .L a ter,fro m 2 to 3 p .m ., Joyce Harris Kamau Sadiki and Art Alexander will have a presentation on the history o f Kwanzaa and the pour ing o f libation. A reception by Les Femmes is from 3 to4 p.m., followed by the Karamu Feast. In addition, the IFCC currently is showing a Kwanzaa art exhibit featur ing Portland African-American artists photo by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver Silas Clark, C. Terrance Burton, Sharon LaVerne Green volunteers for Kwanzaa storytelling at the Duracy, Mafu Ahmed and Roslyn Hill. Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center. from Front 1-1888) 2 0 8 -7 9 4 5 W e b site: Kwanzaa at Interstate Firehouse continued FREE recorded Hotline: T O L L -F R E E : 1-1877) 7 2 3 -3 8 2 8 ext. 116 from A 4 ing microbrew beer in their homey back room. After appreciating plentiful wine tables, I stopped at The Know, a gallery and theater. While the art was unremarkable, the atmosphere was friendly. In the theater area, a political documentary was playing; in the main room, people o f ail ages mingled. Next I went to Onda Arte Latina, 2 2 15 N.E. Alberta, agallery and shop that showcases the art and handicraft of women from Latin American countries. Next door was Alberta’s newest more information or seminar dates. For more information on this exciting new government program, call me directly at: local entrepreneurs o f all types a place to promote their businesses, no matter how large or small. “We have people here who sell food. We had a guy who restored old electric toasters and sold them. W e’ve even had people set up booths to sell insurance,” he said. Petry’s goal is to provide an ex ample o f a minority-owned busi ness and stim ulate the m icro economy of the immediate area by hiring and buying in the neighbor hood, while encouraging others to do the same. Petry also rents out his pavilion for special events. day, m aybe they w ork on that d a y , m a y b e th e ir e m p lo y e r d o esn 't recognize M arlin Luther King Day, we d o n ’t believe we should leave those people w ith out a transit option." She said TriMet operates al ap proximately 75 percent of capacity on King Day versus a normal week- day. “W e’re very proud of the fact that it started on a bus. I think more transit service is appropriate on Martin Luther King Day. Taking service away doesn't seem to be in the spirit of Martin Luther King Day. We want fairness. We want access," Fetch said. A LB E R T A $3-95 Breakfast Specials Served Tues-Sun From 6:30AM - 9:00 AM Scotch Egg And 2 Russet Potato Pancakes Two Eggs Any Style, 2 Buttermilk Pancakes Sliced ham Egg And Cheese Crumpet Sandwich With Fresh Fruit Cheddar, Egg & Salsa Crumpet Sandwich With Fresh Fruit Brioche French Toast German Pancake Half Order Ham Benedict Two Eggs Any Style, 2 Maple Sausages & Yukon Potatoes * * * Heisers Also Provides Catering, Food To Go & Boxed Lunches Observations from the art walk continued Call me TODAY for C A N N O N 'S fine dining restaurant. Ciao Vita, 2203 N.E. Alberta, w hich occupies the former Chez What Cafe space. I noticed the couples I’d seen at Everyday Wine, eating dinner un derneath a miniature crystal chan delier. Behind the restaurant and the gallery, several businesses have recently opened around a newly constructed courtyard space. Among them was Tribe of the Winds, 2217 N.E. Alberta, which is not so much a gallery as it is a store where indigenous handicrafts and artifacts from around the world are collected and sold. - = = RJB EXPRESS (FORMERLYCHUCK HINTON’S) Catering & Take-Out O ur S pecialty : R eal H ickory S moked B ar -B-Q • Sandwiches • Salads • Chicken • Pork Ribs • Beef Ribs HOURS: Advertise w ith d i\ ersity CATERING ALL EVENTS y o rtla u b w ra e ru rr Call 5(1-288-1)033 kls(d>portl|indob s e » er.com Sunday M onday T uesday Wed-Thurs. Fri. & Sat. 11 am - 8 pm 11 am -9 pm closed 11 am - 9 pm 11 am - 1 0 pm Try our new healthy & vegetarian menu items * * * N ew L ocation * * * 5410 N.E. 33 rd 503-288-3836 LIVE MUSIC Again! @ B illy R e e d ’ s R estaurant t B ar 2808NEMLK 5 0 3 -4 9 3 -8 1 2 7 www.billyreeds.com Watch for more coming dates Lets Do it again! DJ Chata Man Friday, D ecem ber 2 4 th Kenney Polson $ 3 Cover Sunday, December 26th - No Cover
