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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2005)
luiy 6.2005______________________________________ ilîl ^ o rtla tth (©bsœruer_____________________________ PagcA9 M etro îl!l ^ o r tla n h (Dhseruer oj community service SECTION o ni ni u n i t y a l e n cl a r C African-Inspired Music, Dance The North Star Ballroom, 635 N. Killingsworth Court, hosts begin ning drumming and Ghanaian rhythm classes on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. On Wednesdays, an interme diate level of the drumming is of fered in addition toan African aero- bics/dance class. All classes are taught by Chata Addy. For more information call 503-632-0411. Summer Play Days All summer long come join other fam ilies in Irving Park every W ednesday at 10 a.m. to gather w i th W aldorf School oriented and inspired fami lies who wish to play, snack and get wet in the new water play area. For information, see www.shiningstarschool.com. Shining Star School Openings for fall enrollment at Shining Star School, a W aldorf Initiative School near Northeast Sixth Avenue and Prescott Street, are now available for kids going into grade 1 and 2. Twelve chil dren will be accepted for this small com m unity based school. For m o re in fo rm a tio n v isit www.shiningstarschool.com or call 503-753-4459. Get Fit, Stay Healthy! Sankofaa Health Institute offers a free diabetes support group from 6 to 7:30 p.m. every third Thurs day at Alberta Simmons Plaza, 6707 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. For more information, call 503-285-2484.Art Cam p Help Needed AIDS Camp Support Sought Camp Starlight is a program of Cascade AIDS that provides chil dren affected by HIV/AIDS the opportunity to enjoy a caring, safe, recreational camping experi ence. The camp starts at the end of August, but volunteer camp counselors and donations are needed now. Call 503-223-5907 or visit www.cascadeaids.org. Creative Space For Dance Aurora Dance Studio, 5433 N.E. 30th (at Killingsworth), offers an array of classes forchildren, teens and adults at all levels of ability. Call 503-249-0201 orvisit online at www.hevanet.com/auroradance for additional information. Bradley-Angle House The Bradley-Angle House needs volunteers to help its outreach a g a in st d o m e stic v io le n c e . Women of color and bilingual women are encouraged to call. For more information, call 503- 282-9940. Women Mentors Women in Community Service are seeking volunteer mentors for fe male offenders at Coffee Creek Cor rectional Facility. Mentors provide support and encouragement to women transitioning from prison back into the community. Mentors must be female, 24 or older. Train ing is provided. Call 503-570-6614 for more information. Birth Ready W hether you need childbirth preparation classes, or just a re fresher. Providence Health Sys tems 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 isitin g www.providence.org/classes or call 503-574-6595. Parenting Classes Newborns don’t come with in struction manuals but parents and parents-to-be can attend classes through Providence Health Sys tems to leant about a variety of topics from pain and childbirth to breastfeeding to infant CPR and much more. For a schedule of events, call 503-574-6595 or visit www.providence.org./classes. B King Facility Shelled by Budget Cuts King Jr. Elementary School, and collects rents. Since the office was bui It in 1976, as many as eight such agencies have called it home. But with the imminent move of the Neighbor by L ee P erlman hood Mediation Program to the T he P ortland O bserver Hollywood area, the building at The King Neighborhood Facil 4815 N.E. Seventh Ave. will have ity in northeast Portland could de just two tenants - the Portland Of fine the word “hybrid.” fice of Neighborhood Associations It is a city building for public and and Multnomah County. non-profit social agencies, but has The center took a big hit when the been m anaged by the Portland school district decided it couldn’t School District, which owns the afford to pay an administrator to run land, an annex to Martin Luther the facility. Funding for the position Neighborhood site loses school district support ended last Thursday. According to school district of ficials, until recently the King Facil ity was the only one of their non school facilities to have an on-site manager. For the future, the district will provide custodial and maintenance services, but tenants will have to call district facilities managers at the Blanchard Education Center for special needs. Northeast Coalition o f Neigh borhoods Executive Director John Canda said the school budget cuts will mean a reduction in services for his ag e n c y . A c c e ss to the coalition’s community services will be re-routed through a side en trance on Northeast Seventh Av enue. Whether Multnomah County will have someone stationed at the front desk at the main entrance is “a security issue w e’re very concerned about,” Canda said. Another issue is meeting space. The King Facility has traditionally provided such space for a number of neighborhood groups, starting with the coalition of neighborhoods board. But a spokesperson for the school district said that henceforth; only community organizations with office space will have access to the site and must assume full responsi bility for members of the public admitted to the building. Canda thinks his board will still have use of a community meeting room on the building’s west side. Outgoing facility director Bob Boyer would like the city to take over operation o f the center. He thinks the school district would be willing to allow this. “Why not?” he says. “They claim they’re losing money on it.” Community Advocate Retires After Job Loss by L ee P erlman T he P ortland O bserver A long-time community advo cate for Portland’s African A m eri can community spent his last day on the job at the King N eighbor hood Facility in northeast Port land. B ob B o y e r r e tire d as the facility’s executive director when the money for his position ran out, a decision by the Portland School District. “I’ve had five jobs in the 44 years I’ve been in Portland and this has been the best,” Boyer told a small gathering at a retirement party last week. “I’ve always wanted to work in an environm ent w here people cared about their jobs. This has been a place where youths and the public at large have always felt respected and cared about,” Boyer said. "Often people have taken this old w arrior’s advice. It’s been a pleasure.” Boyer cam e to Portland while serving in the Air Force in 1961. photo by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver Bob Boyer joins his wife Judy (left) and daughter Keylah on his last day as director o f the King Neighborhood Facility in northeast Portland. “I fell in love with Portland,” he said, “And the people here have been so good to me.” Before his long record in public- service, he worked locally as a painter, railroad worker and long- shoreman Meanwhile, he studied business administration, starting at Portland State University and ultimately receiving a bachelor of science degree from M arylhursj College, the first African Amerif can male to do so, I His volunteer record includes posts on the Model Cities and Head Start boards, and the chairs o f the Concordia Neighborhood Association and Northeast Coali- tion of N eighborhoods. He worked on the political cam paigns o f Rev. Jesse Jackson, State Treasurer Jim Hill and City Com missioner M argaret Strachan, and him self won election to the O r egon Senate. “Mr. Boyer has a long history of community service which we at this facility have benefited from ,” Northeast Coalition o f Neighbor hoods executive director John Canda told the Portland Observer. “H e’s not just a supervisor, but more like acommunity father. H e’s not just a supervisor, but also a confidant and motivator. If you're feeling down, just a few minutes talking to him will give you a whole new perspective.” Life Skills Learned at TLC Summer Camps Program matches kids with older role models by N icole H< x ) pf . r T he P ortland O bserver It’s summertime and TLC (Ten der Loving Care) Camp is celebrat ing their 20th season serving local youth. Without acam p like TLC, many children in north and northeast Portland wouldn’t have a resource to improve on their life skills during the summer. Camp Directors Faye Palmerton and Roy Pittman have strong ties to the local community and started the program because they saw the necessity. Palmerton is a retired teacher o f Portsm outh M iddle School and Pittman was a recre ation director at Peninsula Park Community Center. They had a vision of opening a summer camp to ease the transition from grade school to middle school for local youth. In addition, they also realized that some parents’ were not able to pay for their child to attend a summer camp. Through a variety of grants TLC camp has been a strong force in the right of passage for numerous in ner-city youth, especially children of color. Questions o f income are not a factor in the ability for a child to attend. “We don't ask many income questions on the application be cause some people feel that the more personal we ge, the more they have to lie in order to get services. All we want is for the kids' to show up," said Pittman. TLC Camp has been in full swing photo by N icole H ooper /T he P ortland O bserver Children from TLC (Tender Loving Care) summer camp get some gentle words of wisdom from camp counselor Cedia Jabbie. This may be the first time a young child gets to see and African-American or Hispanic person in charge as a counselor. - Roy Pittman, Camp Director even as many other public service agencies face harsh budget cuts or have theirprograms cut completely. Pittman attributes the longevity to faith and sponsors that believe in the service TLC Camp provides. Over half of the counselors were former campers. Camp counselor Cedia Jabbie first attended TLC Camp the summer before he started kindergarten and now will begin college this fall at Texas Southern University. “I have been taught many les sons about job readiness. If you show up to TLC Camp not wearing your uniform, then you don’t get to work that day. They (Palmerton and Pittman)don't let you get away with things because at any job you are expected to be professional,” said Jabbie. Insteadof “hangingout"all sum mer wasting their day at the mall or in front of the television, the TLC Campcounselors invest theirtime in being role models for younger chil dren in their neighborhood. The counselors at TLC Camp are learning the importance of giving back. During their first year, they are considered unpaid volunteers. Start ing in February the counselors’ train once a month with Palmerton and Pittman to discuss the importance of being a role model and how to care forchildren. “This may be the first time a young child gets to see and African- American or Hispanic person in charge as acounselor,” said Pittman. Campers range from kindergar ten to ninth grade. The weekly camps are split to the specific needs of each age group. Each morning when the children arrive, the counselors along with Palmerton and Pittman are wait ing to welcome the children in a hug line. For some children, TLC camp may be the only place where they receive a hug or praise for a job well done. By venturing to different busi nesses in the local area, the young est children leam lessons in eti quette. It's here that they leam how little words like please and thank you can make a difference in how they are perceived by others. The students in grades 4-6 leam these lessons as well, but also attend an overnight camp. “This is a chance to expose chil dren to a new environment." said Pittman. For many chi Idren this may be their first time aw ay from home or outside of the city. The 7'h,o911’ graders visit Portland State University to leam the impor tance of a college education. “We have been tried, tested and adjusted to meet the needs of the kids and families of this area." said Pittman. It is evident that the coun selors of TLC Camp provide more than a meal or a place for your child to go. They provide skills that can turn children into positive adults. Camp sessions run until late August. Applications are available at Peninsula Park Community Cen ter. Going Street Market and at King School. For more information call 503-91fr6320. I
