lanuary 5, 2005 Page AIO M etro |Jctrtlanh Qf)bseruer in in u n i t y (a le n d a r Unity Rally A Unity Rally to show public disgust for the distribution of fliers by aracist group is planned for Saturday, Jan. 8 at 1 p.m. at the Multnomah Center, 7688 S. W. Capital Hwy. For more in­ formation, call 503-295-6761. King Tribute A tribute and celebration to Martin Luther King Jr. will be at Jefferson High School’s Robert G. Ford's Auditorium, 5210 N. Kerby, on M onday, Jan. 17. Many speakers, performers and vendors will entertain partici­ pants. A donation of $3 or three nonperishable food items is re­ quested. For information, visit www.worldartsfoundation.org. Get in Shape Get in shape with Portland Com ­ m unity C o lleg e 's non-credit classes designed to get you trimm ed and toned in January. Weight training: cardio circuit revs up the class for 90 minutes from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the newly built gym of PCC’s Cascade Campus, 705 N. Killingsworth. Cost is $89 for 10 weeks. For more information, call 503-978- 5205. PCC Skills Learn how to build a Web-based business in a three-week class from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays from Jan. 25 through Feb. 8 in Room 130of Mt. Tabor Hall at Portland Community College’s Southeast Center, 2305 S.E. 82 Ave. Cost is $49. For more information, call 503-788-6265. Business Meeting Join North/Northeast Business Association m eetings on the first Monday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. at AlbinaComm unity Bank, 2002 N.E. Martin Luther King BI vd. Morning networking meetings are the third W ednes­ day of each month from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Blazers Boys and Girls Club, 5250 N.E. Martin Luther King Blvd. For more informa­ tion, call 503-249-0487 or visit www.nneba.org. Moved by Spiritand Experience University of Portland coach is student of the game BY JAYMEE R . C l'T l T he P ortland O bserver U niversity o f P o rtlan d ’s head basketball coach sees him­ self as an educator above all things. He views his athletes as students first and commits that all players who stay at UP for four years will leave with a de­ gree, and he has the record to back that up. Michael Holden coaches on his feet, but his humble spirit and experience with the game have helped him to guide his players in life and basketball. “I’ve been the bench warmer, been traded, been semi-pro, driven the van, ridden in the back o f the bus, I’ve been the first guy and I’ve been the 13th guy,” Holden jokes. That expe­ rience has helped him relate to his team. Following H olden’s career as a UCLA Bruin, he was a third-round draft pick in 1983 of the Golden State Warriors. He played in the NBA for six years, as a Portland Trail Blazer from 1986 to ’88. “I’m a student o f the game and I’ve had tremendous men­ tors,” said Holden, w ho still c o n su lts leg en d a ry U CLA coach and college basketball ro y alty John W ooden. He played under C oach Larry photo by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver Brown at UCLA. University of Portland Coach Michael Holden shares his knowledge of life and sport from a career in which he was mentored by the At 43, Holden is one o f the basketball legends at UCLA and the NBA. u n iv e r s ity ’s youngest coaches. He is also only the “ I stayed a couple chapters ahead o f “From a readiness standpoint, they’re 18 “W hen I played, I didn’t realize how much school's second African-American basket­ in a business with men. The pureness o f the the class,” he jo k ed , but he said that I respected and looked up to and observed all ball coach at University o f Portland. sport and athletic readiness isn’t w hat’s teaching show ed him not to take the work my coaches.” “You look at all the sports, college and problematic. Emotional maturity, financial o f others personally, w hich helped him in But after a brief stint in the fashion indus­ pro, and there’s not adequate representa­ responsibility; that’s a real reach,” he said. coaching. "W hen y o u ’ve been in the try, coaching called to him. tion,” he said. “In basketball, the transition Holden also taught for one year, to supple­ classroom , you learn that everyone learns “As soon as I felt I could do something from player to coach is smoother.” differently and you have to be sensitive ment his coaching income while working for outside of basketball, I wanted to coach. As a former player. Holden has an opinion Pasadena City College in California. He was to the recip ien t,” about players jum ping to professional teams Holden says he didn't always know that Selling jeans was not my calling. I wanted to a language arts and social studies teacher of give back,” he said. straight from high school. coaching was for him. a seventh grade class. NM M NM M NM M M iM M M nM M M M M HHH HM M I Gordly Oversees State Budgets Gain Computer Skills The Sun program offers a com ­ puter class for parents at King Elementary School. To register, call503-91 Mr 156or503-319-3425. Volunteer Option If you are looking fora volunteer opportunity, check out Bradley- Angle House to end domestic violence. Bilingual women and women of color are especially needed. Forinformation.call503- 282-9940. Crack the Code Juan Williams Crack the code to filling out f i­ nancial aid paperwork with the help o f the ladies o f Beta Psi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The workshop is at Portland State University from 10a.m. to2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8. For questions and more infor­ mation, call 503-725-8766 or e- m ail N ic o le H a rris at dst_betapsi@ yahoo.com . Lecture on King’s Legacy Volunteer for Hospice Kaiser Permanente offers train­ ing for hospice volunteers Tues­ days and Thursdays from 12:30 to 4 p.m. from Jan. 18 through Feb. 3 with one Saturday ses­ sion on Jan. 29. For more infor­ mation or to register, call 503- 499-5285o r503499-5408. Get Schooled Learn how to help to improve schools and jobs at a forum with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo and President of Oregon’s AFL-CIO Tim Nesbitt at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13 at the Hollywood Senior Center. 1820 N.E. 40*\ Free and sponsored by the Multnomah County Democratic Party. ♦ Accomplished civil rights au­ thor and National Public Radio senior correspondent, Juan W ill­ iams will be in Portland to speak at a community-wide event celebrat­ ing the life and legacy o f Dr. Mar­ tin Luther King Jr. The talk begins at 7 p.m. on W ednesday, Jan. 12 at Portland State U niversity's Smith M emo­ rial Student Union Ballroom, 1825 S. W. Broadway, room 355. A book signing follows. W illiams, one of Am erica’s leading political writers and think­ ers, will offer insight into the les­ sons learned from King. The event also features the Woodlawn El­ em entary School dancers. Tickets are $20 and $5 for stu­ dents and can be purchased at Ticketm aster or at the PSU Ticket office. For more information, call 503-725-4422. State Sen. Avel Gordly (far right) joins northeast Portland residents Laurie Vischer (left) and Sid Bert during a recent Portland Chapter of Stand for Children breakfast. The group o f education advocates are frustrated by Gov. Ted Kulungoski's proposed budget cuts for local schools. Lawmaker also chairs public safety group Sen. Avel Gordly, a Democrat serving north­ east and southeast Portland, has been named to the Joint Ways and Means Com mittee for the upcoming legislative session. The committee, considered the most powerful in Salem, will be responsible for crafting the 2005-2007 state budget. Gordly was also named chairwoman of the subcommittee on public safety, which will cre­ ate the budgets for the state police, corrections, the judicial branch and other agencies. With another budget shortfall and other problems facing the state, G ordly’s previous experience in public safety and on the Ways and Means Com mittee will be an asset. “There will be a number of issues before us,” Gordly said. “We must do what we can to get in front of the methamphetamine crisis that is impacting com munities all over Oregon. And we have to address the expanding gang prob­ lem, which has grown beyond Portland and into other areas o f the state. “ I am also very concerned about securing funding for the State Police. They continue to operate with numbers far below national stan­ dards, and that could affect their ability to protect Oregonians. I have serious reserva­ tions about expanding the lottery to pay for more state troopers and I will work hard during the upcoming session to find another source of funding. But we absolutely need to have these officers on the road,” she said. Gordly will draw on 30 years o f experience working on public safety issues. After earning a degree from Portland State University in Ad­ ministration of Justice, she worked in the O r­ egon Department o f Corrections as an adult continued on page A6 J