Committed to Cultural Diversity
www. port landobserver. com
May 24. 2006
Walk For Life
Honors Portland Teen
M etro
See Sports, page B6 inside
3'1“' ^lortlan b OOhseruer
SECTION
/Community
Vza le n d a r
Vietnam Wall Comes to Portland
Rally for Housing Justice
A rally for housing justice to sup-1
port seniors, people with disabili­
ties, working families and low-in-
come individuals is scheduled at
noon on Thursday, May 25 at
Portland City Hall, 1221 S. W. 4 "
Ave.Forinformation.call Michael |
Anderson at 503-335-9884.
Beginning Meditation
Free yourself from worries and I
mental discomfort and experience
true happiness by learning about
meditation in practical,easy, clear
and system atic methods each
Monday from 7 p.m. to8:30p.m. at
In Other Words bookstore, 8 N.E. |
Killingsworth.
Jefferson Old School Dance
Shake it to Old School and R& B at |
the Jefferson High School Re­
union Old School Dance, Friday, I
May 26 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m .atthe[
Melody Ballroom, 6 15 S.E. Alder.
Ricky Pettiford and DJ O.G One I
will provide the music and tickets
are $20, helping Jefferson Student
Funds support future proms, grad
nights and student activities. For
more information, call Phoebe |
Tyeskey at 503-490-0985.
Peace Park Dedication
A dedication ceremony for the I
Portland Memorial Peace Park next
to the Steel Bridge in the Rose |
Quarter is scheduled for Memo­
rial Day on Monday, May 29, be-1
ginning at noon at Memorial Coli­
seum. Participants will walk to the
Peace Park for a dedication cer­
emony at I p.m. The event is free |
for the public.
All-City Gospel Skate
Prayze Entertainment Group pre-1
sents Roll Bounce Gospel Skate,
featuring live performances and I
DJ giveaways, happens 7 p.m. to
10 p.m. M onday, May 29 at
Gresham Skate World, 1220 N.E.
Kelly Ave. Tickets are $5 in ad­
vance, $7 at the door and are avail­
able by calling 503-754-16(X). 503-1
577-9239.
Mexico Heritage Celebration I
Celebrate the colorful heritage of
Mexico at the free Spring in Mexico
Community Celebration, June 2
from 11 a.m. to I p.m. at Holladay
Park Plaza Retirement Community,
1300 N.E. I6lh Ave. RSVPs arc |
appreciated, by calling 503-280-
2216.
Restoring Wood Workshop
Learn about the Four R’s of Vin-1
(age Woodwork: Restore, Repair,
Replace or Renovate? Saturday, I
June 3 from 9:30a.m. to noon at the [
Architectural Heritage Center, 7 0 1
S.E. Grand Ave. Admission is $ 1 0 1
for AHC members and $ 15 for the
general public. For more informa­
tion cal I AHC at 503-231 -7264 or |
visitwww.VisitAHC.org.
Cycle the Well Field
Join the Portland Water Bureau I
and Columbia Slough Watershed
Council for a bike tour through
Portland's Groundwater Protec­
tion Area, Saturday, June 10 from
9 a.m. to I :00 p.m. at Parkrose
Transit Center, Northeast Sandy
Boulevard and 95"’ Avenue. To
register call Jill Wall at 503-281-
I 132oremailjill . wall ©Columbia |
slough.org.
Run/Walk for Arthritis Help
The first annual 5K run/walk fori
the Child Arthritis and Rheuma­
tology Research Alliance will kick I
offon Sunday, June 11 at 8:30a.m.
at the Main Street Plaza on the |
Eastbank Esplanade in Portland.
To pre-register visit www.signme I
upsports.com and for information |
visitwww.CARRAgroup.org.
az
years«,
•T community service
Local residents can experience a
traveling replica of the Vietnam Wall
Memorial during a three-day exhibi­
tion to honor Vietnam War veterans
and those who have served in the
U.S. military. The traveling memorial
will visit Portland May 26 through 28
at Lincoln Memorial Park, I 1801 S.E.
Mt. Scott Blvd.
The traveling wall is a three-quarter­
size, faux granite replica to its Washing­
ton counterpart, spanning 240 feet with
a height of eight feet.
The Memorial Day Weekend exhibi­
tion is free to the public and will feature
speakers, a special Purple Heart cer­
emony to tell the story of the heart of the
wall and 24-hour access for viewing
and name rubbings.
For more information, visit
www.vietnamwallexperience.com
and click the Portland link.
A traveling replica of
the Vietnam Wall
Memorial in Washing­
ton D.C. comes to
Portland over the
Memorial Day Week­
end, May 26 through
28 at Lincoln Memo­
rial Park, 11801 S.E.
Mt. Scott Blvd.
Advocate Accepts New Job in Nevada
Urban League
executive will
be missed
League is fortunate to have benefited
from her presidency over the past
three years. We w ish her only the best
in her new position.”
The League is initiating a search for
G aston's replacement and expects to
have a new CEO in place within three
to
six months, he added.
Vanessa Gaston, chief execu­
In the meantime, the board has ap­
tive officer and president of the
Urban League of Portland, will be pointed Marcus Mundy, a board m em ­
leaving Portland for a new job in ber, private consultant and former vice
Nevada, league officials r
regjonal compliance of­
announced Thursday.
fic e r
at
K a iser
Gaston, a charismatic
Permanente Northwest,
leader who has greatly
to serve as interim direc-
enhanced
the
torduring the search pro­
cess. Mundy is principal
organization’s credibility
and visibility in the com ­
of Mundy Consulting, a
munity, has accepted the
local health care com pli­
position of Assistant Di­
ance consulting firm.
rector of Social Services
“ I hum bly accepted
for Clark County, Nev.,
this appointment because
of my enduring respect
said Charles W ilhoite,
C h a ir o f the U rban
and affinity for the work
L e a g u e o f P o rtla n d Vanessa Gaston
of the Urban League and
Board of Directors.
my desire to maintain the consider­
Gaston begins her new duties in able momentum that has been gener­
Las Vegas in July.
ated by V anessa’s leadership, strong
“Vanessa has been a trem en­ staff and an energetic and involved
dous leader for the Urban League, board," said Mundy. “ I eagerly await
and she will be sorely m issed,” the identification of our new director
said Wilhoite. “We recognize, how­ so that the programs, mission and posi­
ever, that leaders o f Vanessa’s tive benefit to the entire Portland met­
caliber are few in number and are ropolitan community can continue to
n a tio n a lly so u g h t a fte r. The move forward."
Gaston has served as president and
chief executive officer of the league
since March 200.3. She previously
served as associate superintendent at
W ashington Soldiers Home & Colony
in Orting, Wash.
As president of the Urban League,
Gaston provided a focus to the league's
demic achievement gap.
W ilhoite also credits her with re­
storing financial health to the league.
“Her strong focus on reducing ex­
penditures and controlling costs has
resulted in increased confidence from
the League’s financial supporters,
and has driven a period of growth in
Leaders o f Vanessa’s caliber are
few in number and are nationally
sought after. The League is
fortunate to have benefited from
her presidency over the past three
years. We wish her only the best in
/>p r* l i p u i
H C / Z i C ET
nn
VZ
t iP M
activities through a seven-year stra­
tegic plan that established and tracked
performance outcomes for programs;
hired a highly-educated, professional
staff to deliver quality services to the
community; and served as a strong
advocate and public servant on edu­
cational issues foryouth, with particu­
lar attention to elim inating the ava­
-CharlesW ilhoite,Chalrofthe
Urban
il rban League
League of of Portland
Portland
areas of membership, sponsorships
and general fund raising,” W ilhoite
said.
The Urban League of Portland helps
empower African Americans and oth­
ers to achieve equality in education,
employment and economic security
through a combination of direct ser­
vices, outreach and advocacy.
Mental Health Provider Plans Move to MLK Site
Called
Better
Location
C ascadia
B ehavioral
Healthcare, the major provider
of mental health services for
local minority and low-in­
come residents, recently pur­
chased a 14,600 square foot
site at 3038 N.E. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Boulevard as
part of continuing commit­
ment to better serve local
communities.
C ascadia President and
CEO Leslie Ford and other
executives will join staff from
the current clinic on North
A lbina
A venue
and
Killingsworth Street, relocat­
ing this August to the $2.88
million one-story masonry
and glass building.
Ford said the MLK build­
ing was chosen for client con­
venience. good transporta­
photo Bv M ark W ashingtos / T he P ortlan d O rserv er
tion, parking, and an oppor­
Cascadia
Behavioral
Healthcare,
a
major
provider
o f mental health services for local
tune amount of square foot­
age. The site’s current con­ minority and low-income residents, will relocate to a building at 30 3 8 N.E. Martin
figuration will require only a Luther King Jr. that once housed a career center and before that Nike.
couple hundred thousand
dollars of renovation to meet
Cascadia needs.
The property once housed
the Nike Outlet store and
was most recently home to
human service agencies, in­
cluding Youth Opportunities
and the Northeast One Stop
Career Center.
Cascadia executives have
begun meeting with residents
of the Eliot Neighborhood to
engage them in the process
of developing a Good Neigh­
bor Agreement and ensure a
smooth transition.
The company is commit­
ted to being an asset to the
n eighborhood and Ford
noted that with 70 staff mem­
bers with payroll exceeding
$2.5 million, local restaurants
and other stores can antici­
pate increased business.
Cascadia is the area's larg­
est provider of behavioral
healthcare services, operat­
ing more than 70 sites in
four counties. Cascadia cre­
ates hope and opportunity
for people with mental ill­
nesses and addictions, blend­
ing innovation and determi­
nation with competence and
compassion.