August 3, 2005
www.portlandobserver.com
Committed to Cultural Diversity
M etro
Trail Blazers Hire
Maurice Lucas
Basketball great joins
Nate McMillan staff
^ îo rtla n b © h scru er
of
community service
See Sports, page B6
SECTION
C
o in m u n i t y
a I e n d a i
Kids Create! Workshop
Kids learn how to m ake their ow n
paper during special w orkshops
at the Portland C hildren’s M u
seum on W ednesday and S atur
day this w eek and next w eek. For
more inform ation visit w w w .Port
landC hildrensM useum .com
B
Following the
Yellow Brick Road
Oxbow Campfire Program
O n Friday. Aug. 5 o r S aturday,
Aug. 6 com e to O xbow Regional
Park to learn how plants have
been used for thousands o f years
for food and m edicine w ith natu
ralist N atalie N orm an and M iriam
Burk from Portland Parks and Rec
reation. T he event starts at 8:30
a.m. and lasts until 9 :30 p.m. For
m ore inform ation, call M etro at
503-797-1850.
Superintendent Vicki Phillips
Meetings to
Plan Future of
Local Schools
Free Ice Cream and BBQ
In celebration o f N ational N ight
O ut A g ain st C rim e , P ortland
T railblazer’s Jerry M oos will host
a com m unity celebration with free
ice cream and barbecue on S atur
day, Aug. 6 from 2 p.m . to 8 p.m.
at Harney Park at S outheast 67“'
A venue and Harney Street. There
will also be a basketball clinic for
kids and great m usic featuring
B rentw ood A frican D rum m ers.
F or m ore inform ation contact
H avilah Ferschw eiler, W eed and
Seed Site Coordinator at 503-988-
Public participation
for input scheduled
at various locations
Everyone w ho cares about local students
and schools is invited to help Portland Public
Schools craft a strategic plan for the next five
6127
Bark in the Park
M ore than 1,000 local residents
and their dogs are expected to
participate in the annual “ Bark in
the Park” on Saturday, Aug. 6 at
the W orld T rade C enter garage
on Southw est Salm on betw een
First and N aito Parkw ay. There
will be a doggie costum e contest,
pet adoptions and vaccinations
available. For m ore inform ation
visit w w w .ofosa.org.
Adopt-a-Pet Fair
T he 9th annual A dopt-a-Pet Fair-
will take place at the O regon H u
mane Society at 1067 N .E. Colum
bia Blvd., Saturday, Aug. 6 from
10 a.m. to 6 p.m . and Sunday,
Aug. 7 from noon to 6 p.m. Fun
tim e activities like Spin the Prize
W heel and Face P ainting are
planned.
Native American Literature
C elebrate N ative A m erican lit
erature in the C o llin s G allery lo
cated on the third floor at the
C entral L ibrary, 801 S.W . 10lh
A ve. F orm er literature professor
Loi W elch w ill give a lecture at
the opening reception on S atur
day, A ug. 6 a t 2 p.m .. T h ee x h ib it
goes until Sept. 29.
Athletic Coaches Meet
If you are a co ach o r in terested
in c o a c h in g a th le tic te a m s ,
y o u ’re in v ited to jo in a m eeting
o f the N orth w est C o ach es As
so ciatio n to share know ledge
and ex p e rtise w ith o th ers. T he
ev en t w ill take p la ce at the U ni
versity C lu b o f P ortlan d located
at 1225 S.W . Sixth Ave. on Tues
day, A ug. 9 at 6:30 p.m . For more
in f o r m a ti o n v is i t w w w .n w
c o a c h e s .o rg
Red Cross Safety
L earn safety fo r y o u rse lf and
fam ily from the A m erican Red
C ross. A range o f c lasse s for
learn in g how to baby sit c h il
d ren to p erfo rm in g C P R are
s c h e d u le d . C o u r s e s a re in
te n d e d fo r c h ild r e n a g e d 8
thro u g h adult. F or m ore in fo r
m a tio n v isit w w w .re d c ro s s -
pdx.org
Drumming and Rhythm
T he N orth Star B allroom , 635 N.
K illin g sw o rth C o u rt, hosts b e
gin n in g d ru m m in g and G h a n a
ian rh y th m c la sse s on T u e s
d ays at 6 p.m . O n W e d n esd ay s,
an interm ediate level o f the drum
m ing is o ffe re d in ad d itio n to an
A frican ae ro b ics/d an c e class.
All c la sse s are ta u g h t by C h ata
A ddy. For m ore inform ation call
503-632-0411.
P hoto by N icole H ooper /T he P ortland O bserver
Yellow Brick Road program supervisor Dennis Lundberg shows some o f the supplies handed out to Portland's home
less community.
Homeless youth program helps with day-to-day living
B y N icole H ooper
T he P ortland O bserver
Every evening, at least tw o volun
teers from the Yellow Brick Road pro
gram roam around dow ntow n Portland
looking for hom eless youth to provide
health items, dog food or just for a friendly
chat. W ith goodie bags strapped over
their shoulders, they supply P ortland’s
hom eless com m unity w ith necessary
hygiene tools. But they a re n ’t ju st sim
ply hanging out condom s or Q -tips;
they are using these sm all tools to build
lasting relationships with the co m m u
nity.
It’s only w hen they help a hom eless
teen becom e self-sufficient that the vol
unteers' efforts are truly com plete. For
the pas, 20 years, the Y ellow Brick Road
has helped hom eless youth live day-to-
day.
It’s ju st one o f the program s spon
sored by the W illam ette Bridge Janus
Youth Program s. The nam e is reference
to the popular m ovie W izard o f O z b e
cause founder Jerry Fest believed that
the program w as a way to help hom eless
youth find their w ay back hom e w hile
recognizing that the jo urney could be
unsafe.
G iving a condom to a teenager may be
When a young person is ready to come
in off the streets, they know
Yellow Brick Road will be therefor them.
• D ennis L undberg , program supervisor
seen to som e as if the program is endorsing
prem arital sex but instead, the volunteers
w ould like to be view ed as realistic.
“W e try to find spaces in-betw een the
ideal and the unsafe,” said D ennis Lundberg,
program supervisor. “ It’s saving their lives
by giving condom s. They are going to have
sex w hether o r not we give them a condom ,
but at least w ith the p roper tools they will be
protected from H IV .”
Like m any non-profit volunteer driven
organizations, the p ro g ram 's budget is tight.
A large portion o f supplies are donated by
the kindness o f com m unity m em bers and
local businesses. A rea schools have o rg a
nized sock drives because the hom eless
youth only have their feet to get around,
instead o f a bus or a car. D ennis Lundberg
often gives presentations to local churches
in o rder to organize supply drives.
“ If you w ant to do som ething to help
hom eless people in your com m unity and
you d o n ’t w ant to give your spare change,
it’s sim ple to organize a supply drive,"
Lundberg said.
C urrently, Y ellow Brick Road oper
ates with only 13 volunteers and 12 vol
unteer floaters, but are alw ays looking
for more. M ost are fem ale and only one is
no, white. The six-m onth com m itm ent is
dem anding, bu, rew arding.
O ften, the reason a child becom es
hom eless is because of mistrust in the
adult figures in their lives, so street cred
ibility is som ething that volunteers like
Lundberg guard with the utm ost protec
tion.
“ M ore im portant than the supplies we
give out (is that) we are trying to build
relationships. W hen a young person is
ready to com e in off the streets, they
know Yellow Brick Road will be there tor
them ,” L undberg said.
For m ore inform ation, contact D ennis
L u n d b erg at 5 0 3 -5 4 2 -4 7 0 5 o r v isit
w w w .jyp.org.
years.
School District officials said the plan would
define the goals and outcom es the co m m u
nity wants for students, specific actions the
district will take and m easures to hold the
school district accountable for progress.
Five com m unity m eetings on the Strategic
Plan have been scheduled over the next six
w eeks beginning T uesday. Aug. 9 at 4 p.m. at
G rant High School, 2245 N.E. 36th Ave.
The following sessions are W ednesday,
Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. at Roosevelt High School,
6 9 4 1 N. Central; Thursday, Aug. 25 at 7:30a.m.
at the Blanchard Education Service Center,
501 N. Dixon St.; Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m.
at Cleveland High School, 3400 S.E. 26th
Ave.; and Saturday, Sept. 10 at 8 a.m. at
Benson High School, 546 N.E. 12th Ave.
Many com m unity groups, school em ploy
ees and parents have already w eighed in and
the beginning o f a plan is taking shape, school
officials said.
Titled "G etting Results, Sustaining Hope !"
the plan starts to identify broad areas o f work
and a se, o f m easurem ents to track the schools’
progress.
“W e w ant to hear from all com ers o f the
co m m u n ity ,” said S u p erin ten d en t V icki
Phillips. “ Are your hopes and priorities for
Portland Public Schools students reflected in
the plan? Are the goals
listed the proper goals? Is it clear how we
will m easure success? A re we m easuring the
right things? W e hope for w ide participation
in this effort, because in the end, it will take all
o f us w orking together to gain the results we
want for our children.”
For more inform ation, o rto o ffer com m ents
on the Strategic Plan, visit the Portland Public
Schools website, w w w .pps.kl2.or.us
Young Latina's Trip to Australia Broadens Horizons
Local student makes
trek with 37 others
ask ed us ab o u t the S tu d en t A m b assad o r
P ro g ram ,” sh e said.
G am e s-R e y es w as sp ecially selected to
p articip a te in the ed u c atio n al travel p ro
gram and has com pleted the academ ic credit
S norkeling in the colorful b arrier ree f o f
req u irem en ts rela ted to the p ro g ra m 's c u l
A u stralia so u n d s like a d ream co m e true
tu re and h eritag e excursions.
fo r so m e .
Y o u n g s te r
“ I w as so pro u d to be able
Jo se p h in e G am e z-R e y es, a
to
rep
rese n t my co u n try and
student at F au b io n E le m en
m
y
c
u
ltu re ." G am ez-R ey es
ta ry S ch o o l in n o rth e a st
said
.
“
M y m om says that I
P ortland, recen tly had the
am
a
very
lucky L atina and to
ch an ce to d o ex actly that,
n
ev
e
r
fo
rg
et the ad v en tu res
along w ith hiking, rock m in
I
h
ad
in
A
u
stralia."
in g a n d s w im m in g in
B
efo
re
d
ep
artin g , she a t
S y d n e y ’s O ly m p ic pool.
te
n
d
e
d
se
v
eral
o rien tatio n
It w as all part o f a 15-day
m
eetin
g
s
w
ith
program
le ad
P eople to P eo p le S tudent
ers
and
fellow
d
eleg
ates
to
A m b a s s a d o r P ro g ra m to
learn
ab
o
u
t
the
d
estin
atio
n
A u s tra lia . G a m e z -R e y e s
an
d
p
rep
a
re
for
the
jo
u
rn
ey
.
trav e led w ith a d eleg atio n
P
r
e
s
id
e
n
t
D
w
ig
h
t
D.
o f 37 s t u d e n t s fro m Josephine Gamez-Reyes
E ise n h o w e r founded People
th r o u g h o u t th e P o rtla n d
to
People
in
1956.
H e b eliev ed that o rd i
area.
nary
c
itiz
e
n
s
o
f
d
iffe
ren t n ations could
G am e z-R e y es said she loved h ik in g on
m
ake
a
d
ifference
w
here
governm ents could
F ra ser Island , tak in g the F erry , and c o l
lecting th u n d e r eggs.
“W e had so m uch fun! T he peo p le in
A ustralia w ere so frien d ly an d th ey alw ays
n o t.
For
m o re
in fo rm a tio n ,
w w w .s tu d e n ta m b a ssa d o rs .o rg .
v is i t
Student Josephine Gamez-Reyes (center) arrives at the Portland Airport for a trip
to Australia with other youth in the program.
I was so proud to be able to represent my
country and culture. My mom says ... to never
forget the adventures I had in Australia.
- J osephine G amez -R ev »