luiy b , 2005__________________________________________
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If we don’t control
it, then it’s going to
take control o f us.
-
Cherrell Edwards, spokesperson for
PaseA3
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1
IMteP
r'
the HIV Stops With Me Campaign
Symposium to Educate
Community on HIV/AIDS
First Step Sports Academy Coach EJ Penn talks to local youth about playing basketball during a recent clinic held at
Inring Park. Family Fun Days are integrated into inexpensive basketball clinics to offer area residents helpful informa
tion on subjects like housing, health and community services.
photoby M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Family Fun Days Promote Positive Unity
Portland Parks and R ecreation, N orth
east C oalition o f N eighborhoods, Inc.,
First Step Sports A cadem y and other o r
ganizations have partnered together to
establish four com m unity fairs, or Fam ily
Fun D ays, to prom ote a stronger, healthier
com m unity.
T he goal o f these partnerships is to
educate, advocate and em pow er so that
people o f the north and northeast com m u
nities can m ake positive lifestyle changes.
gam es run by First Step Sports Academ y.
H ousing will be discussed on Friday,
July 22 and com m unity services will be
explored on Friday, July 29.
All Fam ily Fun Days will be held at
Irving Park on 7’*’ and Frem ont Streets from
4 to 7 p.m.
A pre-screening for the health services
is necessary. Please R SV P by W ednes
day, July 13 at 503-604-1718 or e-mail
firststep sp o rts@ co m cast.n et.
prom ote family unity and feel com fortable
once again in their neighborhood park.
There will be food and entertainm ent at
each event, as well as the opportunity to
forge stronger relationships with local
com m unity organizations.
The topic o f health will be covered on
Friday, July 15 and Aug. 5. Free gam es, a
dental van, basic health screenings, chiro
practors, local businesses and m ore will
be featured am ong the youth basketball
in the Neighborhood
I hope that it will allow unions
betw een anyone that w ants it in
the U nited States, w hether you
call it a union o r m arriage. People
should be able to do w hat they
w ant to do to. It’s not hurting
anybody. -- R ick O g letree
I think gay m arriage should be legal. T here are more
im portant things going on then deciding w hether tw o
people should be able to get m arried. T his will m ake it
m ore likely for A m erica to legalize it since o ther co u n
tries are doing it. Since the econom y is going in a bad
direction, som e com panies m ay not like that because o f
cheaper rates for health insurance. - A ria n n a P u rifo y
F ig h tin g a b attle a g a in st on e o f the
m ost d ea d ly and rap id ly g ro w in g d is
ea se s o f o u r tim e, th e th ird an n u al
A frican A m erican C om m unity S y m p o
sium on H IV /A ID S w ill be held on
F rid ay , Ju ly 15 from 6 to 9 p.m . an d
Saturday, July 16from 10a.m . to 4 p .m .
at S elf E n h an cem en t, Inc. at 3 9 2 0 N.
K erby A ve.
T h ro u g h free g u est sp e ak ers, e d u
cational w orkshops and en tertain m en t,
the sy m p o siu m is m ean t to te ac h the
local m in o rity co m m u n ity ab o u t the
d isease and how to p rev en t it. T h is
y e a r’s them e is to “ed u c ate, e m p o w e r
and em b ra ce .”
“ If w e d o n ’t co n tro l it, th en it’s
g o in g to tak e c o n tro l o f u s,” said
C h errell E d w ard s, sp o k e sp erso n for
the HIV Stops W ith M e C am p aig n .
E d w ard s n oted th at w h ile A frican
A m erican s d o n ’t m ake up the m ajo rity
o f th o se liv in g w ith H IV in th e U nited
S tates, the rate at w h ich th ey c o n tra c t
th e d ise a se has been g ro w in g m ore
ra p id ly th an an y o th e r c o m m u n ity .
T h e w o rk sh o p s all ta rg e t a sp e cific
d e m o g ra p h ic , in c lu d in g sen io rs.
“W e need people to know that it does
not ju st affect young adults. It affects all
o f us,” E dw ards said. "W e w ant to elim i
nate barriers, stigm as and fears. O ne
infection affects our w hole com m unity.
It’s not som ething w e c a n ’t control.”
Free on-site and confidential HIV test
ing will be available both days, and
vouchers for free testing at a later date
will also be available.
Speakers will include Ron Herdon, Dr.
W ilbert Jordan and form er Portland Trail
B lazerG reg Smith. Entertainm ent will be
provided by youth dancers, and free
food will be available to snack on.
"T h e re’s som ething for everyone. It's
really to ju st get people to talk about it,”
Edw ards said.
For m ore inform ation, call Christy
H auff at 503-249-1721, ext. 259.
How do you think the recent decision to legalize gay
marriage in Spain will affect policies in the United States?
I d o n ’t have an opinion about it. I
have friends that are gay. I
h av en ’t thought about it that
much. They will probably m ake
som e progress in this area.
T hings have becom e more liberal
lately. -- B ren d a S tew a rt
I hope that we open our dialogues and realize that fam ilies are fam ilies. I d o n 't think it
hurts anyone else how you live your life as long as it’s w ith in your ow n area - it’s
your right. On the other hand, I think society has an obligation to protect their
children. W e have allow ed hom osexuals to do everything else. If that piece o f paper
do esn ’t m ean anything to a heterosexual couple, then the hom osexual couple should
have a right to have the sam e m eaningless piece o f paper. W e need to get o ff our high
horses and figure out how we w ant to discuss this in our country. — K a y N e w e ll
I am not for it. 1 think that G od m ade man for w om an
and vice versa. How other countries feel about gay
m arriage will not affect how A m erica decides on this
issue. W e do what w e want. President Bush is going
to continue doing ju st as he wants. For exam ple, we
are in w ar for no reason even though others have
urged him to stop the war. — D o n n ie B a in es
1 d o n ’t know how it will affect us. I can only
hope that it will lead to the trend w hich
C alifornia and M assachusetts started,
although halted. A m ericans tend to be very
resistant to things E uropeans do. 1 tend to be
optim istic and hope people see it as it a sign
o f change. - M a r g a re t S h e a r
NEW S E A S O N S
LotaC ¿f fresker
S T O N E F R U IT & B E R R Y T A S T IN G
S a tu rd a y & S u n d a y • 11 a m - 5 p m
Juice, flavor, crunch, color, variety! This weekend our produce department
is bursting with all of these irresistible summer fruit qualities. It’s really
pretty simple to make this happen. Jeff Fairchild, our produce buyer,
makes a point to purchase our fruit
tree-ripe and ready-to-eat from
Northwest growers who are passionate about their crops. W e’re
confident that w e’ll convince you of the superiority of local fruit when
you sample peaches from Maryhill Orchards in Goldendale, Washington,
or the Stewart Family’s cherries, which are grown just up the road in
Hood River. Scott Frost, who runs Nature's Fountain in Jefferson, can’t
wait to have you sample his tart and tangy blueberries. He's positive you
won't be interested in those imported imposters after one taste of the
real thing.
But don’t just take our word for it. Stop by this weekend and sample the
best locally grown summer fruit we think you’ll find anywhere. Join us
Saturday and Sunday, 1 1am until 5pm.
Tke fneruf/m ksfere tn toton.
C O N C O R D IA
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