il!‘ÿ o rtla n h ©bseruer April 27. 2005 Page A3 ______________________________________ photos by N icole H ikiper / I ' he P ortland O bserver Karla Truxton sits in a meeting concerning the dance. g Charge Always get a friend's opinion: Kristal (right) consults with Georgia Alexander about her prospective pajama choices. continued dant size as the start o f reality effort to look attractive. Diet, ex­ ercise and clothing are important based show, “Fat A ctress.” “S he’s m aking m oney on her to m any large people. O ften there is a preconceived fatness, but she is asham ed of notion that fat people aren ’t con­ w hat she is and th a t’s sad,” Karla cerned about health and that they said. ju s t “let them selves g o .” The Like most confident people, the women that attend these events men and women jo in in g groups are very confident in their looks for plus-sized people, make an fro m F ront because I am too fat.” On television, large people are often stereotyped and depicted as happy fat goons or in other negative fashions. A recent ex ­ am ple is Kirstie Alley, who has made a com eback based her abun­ but wish to be in a non-judgm en- tal environm ent. G eorgia A lexander and Kristal are two local women excited about attending the pajam a party. Find­ ing the right thing to w ear is im ­ portant for their comfort and style. “I think it’s kind o f cool. It’s a place where people can feel ac­ cepted and not ju d g e d ,” said Kristal. 23. Since there are large people of e v e ry d e m o g r a p h ic , the partygoers will com e from all walks of life and are multicultural. All night long, there will be dancing to R&B, H ip-hop and Slow Jams, the vibe is going to be a relaxed and fun. “ I d o n 't think size should really matter, but this is a good idea where people can have fun and be casual,” A lexander said. Oregon BBW encour­ ages singles to attend, but c o u p le s that ju st want to have a good time are also welcom e. “W e view it as a date which m akes it really fun," said Tom Truxton who has been married to K arla fo r over 20 years. If the pajam a party is su c c e ssfu l, dances in S a le m a n d p e rh a p s M e d fo rd , B en d a n d Pendleton may be on the horizon. “ W e tru ly w ant to m ake this an O regon group,” he said. The co u p le is also looking for businesses to donate door prizes. “It’s im portant to big p e o p le to know th a t c o m p a n ie s re c o g n iz e that they e x ist,” said Karla. The dance will take place at the Russellville G range in northeast Portland. Tickets are $20 or $15 with a coupon on the w ebsite. This event will include a laser light show as well as a buffet. For more inform ation, go to the website at w w w .oregonbbw .com . Lunching Leak Closes Local Pool The indoor swimming pool at Buckman Elementary School in with a State southeast Portland closed Friday due to a big leak that could pose danger to the building’ s foundation. Saving the pool for this year Representative seems unlikely because it was already targeted to be shut down next State Rep. Chip Shields, who represents north and northeast Portland in the Legislature, sits in curiosity and listens to what children have to say during lunch at Martin Luther King Elementary. Shields was accompanied by his assistant, Marshall Jevning, during the Friday visit. photo by I saiah B oite T he P ortland O bserver SAFEWAY 0 Visit Safeway's Web site at www.safeway.com year due to budget cuts by the Portland City Council. The pool, on the lower level of the 1921 school building at 320 S.E. 16th Ave., is owned and maintained by Portland Public Schools, but Portland Parks & Recreation pays for pool operations, includ­ ing lifeguards and programming. Over the last few weeks, staff have noticed a significant leak in the pool, with water levels dropping by two or three inches every day - or more than 3,(XM) gallons of water daily. If the problem is a crack in the pool shell, preliminary estimates are that it could cost up to $ 100,000 to repair. A leak of that magnitude would pose serious risks to the school building foundation, and also makes it impossible to safely regulate pool chemicals. Ingredients for life. 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