M etro
December 7. 2005
www.portlandobserver.com
Committed to Cultural Diversity
'h( O t ÎcCciA Entertainment (guidé
see pages B2 and B3
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SECTION
B
o m m u n ity
C a le n d a r
Winter Solstice Blood Drive
The 3rd annual W inter Solstice
Blood D rive at the A m erican
R ed
C ro s s
on
N o rth
Vancouver, Dec. 19-23, features
free gift-w rapping for partici­
pants. To make a blood dona­
tion call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.
Work For Change
Community Advocates invites
those interested in protecting
children from abuse to become
an event volunteer, event out­
reach, technology expert, graphic
artists or office support team
member. For more information,
call 503-280-1388.
Red Cross Teaches Safety
The Am erican Red Cross offers
a range o f safety classes for
crisis situations, from learning
how to baby sit to perform ing
CPR. The courses are intended
for children aged 8 through
adult. For more information visit
w w w .redcross-pdx.org.
Women in
Community Service
V olunteer mentors are being
sought by Women in Commu­
nity Service to work with incar­
cerated women at the Coffee
Creek Correctional Facility. Men­
tors provide support and encour­
agement for women transitioning
from prison back into the commu­
nity. Volunteers must be females,
age 24 and up. For more informa­
tion, call 503-570-6614.
African Drumming, Dance
The North Star Ballroom, 635 N.
Killingsworth Ct„ hosts begin­
ning drumming and Ghanaian
rhythm classes on Tuesdays at 6
p.m. On Wednesdays, intermedi­
ate drumming is offered in addi­
tion to an African aerobics and
dance. Chata Addy teaches all
classes. For more information call
503-632-0411.
Life sized hippos are part o f the one million lights that sparkle during the Oregon ZooLights festival.
Oregon Zoo ALMS WITH LIGHTS
Magic of illumination
delight kids, adults
The Oregon Zoo has come alive with lights cel­
ebrating its 18th annual Zoo Lights festival this holiday
season.
Nearly one million lights illuminate life-sized animal
silhouettes, trees, buildings, walkways and the zoo
train.
“Every year, the zoo presents a stunning display
of light and color,” said Tony Vecchio, zoo direc­
tor. “ I know many people in ourcom m unity eagerly
anticipate ZooLights and look forward to seeing
the many new touches that we add each year. It is
so gratifying to know that the Oregon Zoo has
become an important holiday tradition to so many
fam ilies.”
As visitors approach the zoo entrance, they will be
greeted by a statue similar to the one in Bremen,
Germany depicting the four farm animals in the
Brothers Grimm fairy tale, "The Musicians of Bremen
Town.”
Other new displays include an army of 25 six-
foot-long leaf-cutting ants m arching along the zoo
railroad tracks and birds such as pelican, puffin,
roadrunner and a Steller jay. The deeper one
ventures into the zoo, an array o f more excitem ent
awaits. Even, an African fish eagle swoops down
and scoops up a fish from a river.
The zo o 's popular costum ed characters and
elves will be on hand to greet zoo visitors and pose
for pictures. And as usual, visitors can also see
some of the zoo's resident anim als. All this excite­
ment will be highlighted by anim ated music. Also,
more than 100 schools, churches and professional
groups will perform holiday musical selections.
ZooLights will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. until Dec.
31, closing for Christmas Eve and Christmas. Admis­
sion is $9.50 per adult and $6.50 for children and'
includes a train ride. The zoo is located five minutes
from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. For
more inform ation, call 503-226-1561 or visit
www.oregonzoo.org.
Al-Anon Meetings
Al-Anon meetings are held Mon-
dayeveningsffom7:15to8:30p.m.
at Miracles Club on the comer of
Northeast Martin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard and. Mason Street. Al-
Anon is for friends and loved ones
of alcoholics and addicts.
Benson Student Crowned
Earns Miss Oregon Teen USA title
Get Fit, Stay Healthy!
Sankofaa Health Institute offers
a free diabetes support group
from 6 to 7:30 p.m. every third
Thursday at Alberta Simmons
Plaza, 6707 N.E. Martin Luther
King Jr. Blvd. For more informa­
tion, call 503-285-2484.
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.
Creative Space For Dance
Aurora Dance Studio, 5433 N.E.
30th, offers an array of classes for
children, teens and adults at all
levelsof ability. Call 503-249-0201
or
v isit
o n lin e
at
www.hevanet.com/auroradance
for additional 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 sistersand
brothers-to-be throughout the
su m m e r
by
v isitin g
www.providence.org/classes or
call 503-574-6595.
years«
•Tcommunity service
Benson High School student Kelci Rae Alberti-Flowers is
crowned new Miss Oregon Teen USA.
K elci Rae A lb e rti-F lo w e rs o f P o rtla n d
has been cro w n e d the new M iss O regon
Teen USA, the first A frican-A m erican to
hold the title.
A lberti-Flow ers com peted Nov. 25-27 in
Redmond at the Eagle Crest Resort with 45
other beautiful and brilliant young women.
She was well received by the audience,
unanim ously chosen by the ju d g es and te a r­
fully grateful for her co ro n atio n , a title that
includes a college scholarship and other prizes.
A lberti-Flowers is the daughter o f Dr. Billy
Rae Flowers. She is a student at Benson High
School. She plays basketball, runs track, models
for a local agency, sings and writes song lyrics.
“ A w onderful o p p o rtu n ity has com e my
w ay,” she said. “ I am very ex cited about the
opportunity to represent O reogn as our teen
a m b a ssa d o r.”
The national Miss Teen USA pageant will be
held in August and televised on NBC.
A second pageant during the event saw
Sharitha M cKenzie o f M edford crow ned Miss
Oregon USA. She is the first wom an of A m eri­
can-Indian heritage to win the title, officials said.
Allison M achado, another A frican-A m erican
contestant, was named Miss O regon USA First
Runner Up.
Theater Group Showcases Local Kids
Special stage
performance
Friday
Higher Stages, a program of Tears
of Joy Theatre presents a showcase
of student talent on Friday. Dec. 9 at
7:30 p.m. at W inningstad Theater at
the Portland C enter for the Perform ­
ing arts, 11 I S.W. Broadway.
The perform ances by Beach, King
and Vernon Elementary School stu­
dents as well as Ockley Green and
Tubman Middle School students is the
culm ination of fall after-school arts
classes.
The dram a will be accom panied by
drum m ing, dance on stage and visual
arts in the theater lobby. Tickets are
$3 each and can be picked up and paid
for at the door or ordered in advance
i
by calling 503-248-0557.
H igher S tages, a program o f T ears
o f Joy T h e a tre , is an a rts -b a s e d
program w ith a m ission to ad d ress
the social, em otional and educational
developm ent o f stu d en ts. T he s tu ­
dents are involved in c h a llen g in g
ex p erien ces w ith p ro fe ssio n a l a rt­
ists in the crafting and p erfo rm an ce
o f art.
The intention is to prom ote high
self-esteem and academ ic success
through the developm ent o f both craft
and life skills.
Beach Elementary
students in north
Portland stand up to
Baba Yaga, the grand
old woman of Russian
folklore.