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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 27, 2005)
Columbia Slough Regatta 500 years f Discover the nature and beauty of a nearby waterway at Sunday s annual Columbia Slough Regatta •'community service See story, Metro section inside Oi'OtT' .( v ¿ J L k irila n u ‘City of Roses’ www.portlandobserver.com Established in 1970 Committed to Cultural Diversity Volume XXXV, Number 31 Local Muslims Call for Unity ’W eek in TheReview 1946 Lynching Re-enacted Civil rights activists marked the 59th anniversary of an unsolved lynching Monday by re-enacting the brutal slayings of two black couples who were forced out of their car by a mob of white men and killed. The activists were try ing to gain support for the pros ecution of anyone who may have been involved in what they called the last mass public lynching in the United States. See story on page A2. Saturday rally downtown to condemn bombings A Tri M et b u s transports First S te p cleaning crew m e m b e rs from s to p to sto p on its m issio n to clea n a d ja cent sid e w a lk s an d parking lots a s th ey gain valuable skills from adult m entors. Job Program Helps M Youth Take First Step’ Blistering Heat Causes Misery Temperatures soared past 100 in several cities and the National W eather Service posted exces sive heat warnings and adviso ries from Illinois to Louisiana and from Nebraska to the District of Columbia. Some 200 cities in the W est hit daily record highs last week, including Las Vegas at 117 and Death Valley at 129. Eminem ‘Taking a Break’ Is Eminem headed for retirem ent- or just taking a break? Earlier this month, reports from his hometown of Detroit quoted sources as say ing the 32-year-old rapper would play his last concert at Slane Castle in Dublin, Ireland, on Sept. 17, at the end of “Anger Management” tour. Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, is quoted as saying: “When I say I’m taking a break. I’m taking a break from my music to go in the studio and produce my other artists and put their albums out.” Disability Timeline Revamped People seeking disability benefits from Social Security can expect to spend less time waiting for a deci sion under changes rolled out Tuesday on the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Social Security Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart said clearly dis abled individuals could be ap proved for benefits in as little as 20 days under the new procedures, which the agency expects to start putting into action next spring. in a positive way,” said Haamid. According to Haamid, there are T he P ortland O bserver almost 10,000 Muslims in the Port Expressing outrage in regards land and southwest Washington to the recent terrorist bombings in area. He said their religion is often London, local Muslims have facili misunderstood and has the poten tated a rally that will take place tial to turn into fear and prejudice. Saturday. “It shows a lack of understand Leaders of the faith said they ing of what Islam is,” said Haamid, feel it is their duty to let the world “We don’t want to be silent we know that Muslims do not con want to let everyone know that as done violence. The rally is titled a “Day of Condemnation, Not in My American citizens we object this Name,” to debunk the assumption type of behavior. Muslims that do participate in terrorist attacks don’t that all terrorists are Muslims. Amir (Administrator) Shaheed realize that it hurts the com m u Haamid of the Muslim Community nity.” The Day of Condemnation Rally Center of Portland on Northeast begins at noon and will last until Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard invites people of all religious faiths 3pm and will take place at the Terry to attend the downtown rally and Schrunk Plaza located at South west Third Street and Madison protest non-violently. “Everyone that is for equal jus Avenue. For more information call tice is invited. We hope the level of The Muslim Community Center at attendance will be overwhelming 503-281-7691. by N icole H ooper Shuttle Discovery In Orbit D isc o v e ry and seven astronauts blasted into orbit T u e sd a y on A m e ric a ’s first m ann ed sp ace shot since the 2003 Columbiadisaster. S p ace p ro g ram e m p lo y e e s and relatives of both the Discovery and C olum bia crew s w a tc h e d n e r vously as the shuttle rose from its pad. climbed into a hazy midsum mer sky, skirted two decks of clouds and headed out over the ocean. Wednesday • Iuly 27, 2005 by K atherine B lackmorf . T he P ortland O bserver They move quickly and quietly from bus stop to bus stop, picking up trash and keeping the towns and neighborhoods along TriMet bus routes beautiful. They’re the youth involved in First Step, a summer job and mentorship pro gram based out of north Portland’s University Park Community C en ter. “It’s the first step into the real world." said Robert Harding, First Step assistant director. “It gives them a chance to see things other than the ‘hood to broaden their horizons.” The decade-old program not only allows them a chance to give back to the community, but to gain skills needed later in life. “The main thing we stress is teamwork, honesty and being real - not just with your friends, but with yourself - to find out what photos by K atherine B i . ai kmore /T he P ortland O bserver shortcomings you have and how First S te p workers beautify Portland by cleaning up trash around you can deal with them,” Harding local b u s sto p s. said. com e into the program w ith a them, I want to be able to help About 20 teens from local high w eak work ethic that is shaped them,” Jones said. schools are involved. Their day Through mentoring and activi up th ro u g h stric t d isc ip lin e . begins at 7 a.m. exactly (no excep ties like basketball, kickball and Learning to respect others helps tions are made for being late) and soccer, those involved also get the ends at 3:30p.m „ Monday through the teens respect them selves. opportunity to be productive with Friday. They exercise in the morn This is especially im portant, she their summer.atimeoflull for many ing, have meaningful discussions said, considering the ages o f 14 high school students. They' re stay to 18 can be confusing and im and work hard. ing on track. “If you can get through this pressionable, with problem s at “W e’ve got northeast kids that program, you can get through life,” home or am ong friends. M aking are hardly ever out of the city li mits said Marsha Jones, safety coordi sure grades stay up is also a that are working together as a team. nator and youth supervisor for requirem ent. It s incredible the way all these “They need to show improve First Step. kids come together,” Jones said. Jones said that many youth ment over the years. If I can catch photo by N u ole H ooper /T he P ortland O bserver Amir S h a h e e d Haamid, o u tsid e th e M uslim C om m unity C enter on N ortheast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, enco u ra g es M uslim s and o thers to co n d em n terrorism. Mental Health Hotline Help is Just a Call Away K atherine B i . ackmore T he P ortland O bserver It’s usually easy to notice and take care o f a person if th ey 're physically harm ed. If a som eone is in an accident, for exam ple, they might bleed, 9-1-1 is called to transport them to a hospital, and th ey ’re taken care of. But when som ething is out of whack with a perso n ’s thoughts or well-being, it's not alw ays so apparent. Not being aware o f m ental health warning signs can lead to self-inflicted harm orharm to others. N o th in g 's w orse than a life- threatening conflict that co uld've been prevented with a little attention, care and support. photo ry K atherine B i . ackmorf / T hf . P ortland O bserver O f f e r in g th a t s u p p o rt is th e R otating s ta ff a t th e M ultnom ah County M ental H ealth a n d Addictions Services M ultnom ah County Mental Health and Crisis H otline a n sw e r calls 2 4 hours a day, se v e n d a ys a w eek. A ddictions Services D ivision, with a by I I hotline to call that 's basically a one-stop shop for m ental health resources and counseling. “ If y o u 're feeling at your wits end and a re n 't sure if yo u 're going to harm your self, you can really get lost in the system if you d o n 't know who to call,” said Heeseung Kang, a supervisor with the county’s Mental Health Crisis Hotline. Open 24-hours a day, seven days a week, the call center is set up to assist those with issues such as severe anxi ety, depression or thoughts o f suicide. Beyond urgent care, the center also helps family m em bers and friends access re sources for supportive help. In the last fiscal year alone, the center had accepted more than 50,000 calls from continued on page A6
