Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, June 07, 2006, Page 3, Image 3

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    lune 07. 2006
‘ri’1' ^tlartlanh (©bseruer
Page A3
Remembering Columbia Villa
continued
from Front
own story.”
Nearly three years after their
filming began, the Housing A u­
thority asked them to submit a
proposal for an exhibit, to be
housed in the n eighborhood's
c o m m u n ity c e n te r on N ew
C o lu m b ia’s "M ain S treet” o f
North Trenton Avenue, opening
this August.
T h is sp rin g , W ilh elm and
A rb u th n o t’s design w as ch o ­
sen o v er a num ber o f pro p o s­
als. T h e y ’ve com p iled a team
that in c lu d e s w rite r and re ­
se a rc h e r C h et O rlo ff o f th e
O regon H istorical Society, d e ­
sig n er Janice C olem an, audio
specialist M ichael G andsey, and
T am ara T urner, in charge o f
the p ro je c t's m usic.
The final design includes a
permanent exhibit and rotating
displays, beginning with a snap­
shot o f the neighborhood’s origi­
nal inhabitants, the Chinook Indi­
ans who were native to the lower
Columbia River 1(),(MX) years ago.
The display then fast-forwards
to the Lewis and Clark Expedi­
tion, W orld W ar II, the develop­
ment o f Colum bia Villa and mas­
sive disp lacem en t due to the
Vanport Flood, and the modern
era o f New Columbia.
“W e think it’s important to
show it’s not ju st people who
lived there a generation ago,”
W ilhelm said.
In a nutshell, the exhibit w on’t
speak directly to the viewer, but
will lend a symbolic feeling. Al­
though there are som e strong
visual relics, like the cedar boards
Sue Arbuthnot and
Richard Wilhelm hold a
historical sign from the
Columbia Villa housing
project era. Today,
McCoy Park sits in the
heart o f the New
Columbia neighborhood
along North Trenton
Street, which residents
now call Main Street.
routed with old street numbers
from hundreds o f houses, which
evoke sharp memories in the resi­
dents w ho lived a, those ad ­
dresses.
“The relocated families were
able to retrieve their num bers,”
Arbuthnot said. “That was very
meaningful for them .”
W ilhelm and A rbuthnot are
seeking additional video and film
footage, photographs and any­
thing dating back to the early
days o f the neighborhood and
Portland. If you have something
to lend or donate, call W ilhelm at
503-331-3960.
Luvenia Jackson, a
resident o f the old
Columbia Villa for
28 years, recently
returned to New
Columbia. She now
lives within two
blocks o f her
daughter.
Hate Crimes
Conference
PCC Cascade
hosts event
It only happens twice a year, so hurry in
and enjoy incredible savings on a
Dolores Huerta (left) and
Sherman Alexie
When it comes to hate, many feel
powerless to stop it. Now, there's a
way for anybody to learn how to
effectively combat hate crimes at
work or in their community.
Portland Community College is
hosting the 2006 Oregon Hate
Crimes Conference, Wednesday
through Friday, June 21-23 at the
C ascad e C am p u s, 705 N.
KillingsworthSt.
The three-day conference will
feature roundtables, workshops
and keynote speakers on how to
handle hate and violence in school,
workplaces and the community.
This important event is ripen to the
public.
K eynote presenters include
Sherman Alexie and Dolores Huerta.
Huerta will deliver her address at 7
p.m. on Wednesday, June 21 at
Cascade. She is president of the
Dolores Huerta Foundation for
Community Organizing and co­
founded the United Farm Workers
with Cesar E. Chavez. She is cur­
rently a professor at the University
of Southern California on commu­
nity organizing.
Alexie will present on Thursday,
June 22. He is a prolific novelist,
poet and screenplay writer. His
storytelling and lectures center on
contemporary American-Indian life,
and reshapes myths and stereo­
types by speaking his mind.
Sponsors include American Jew­
ish Committee, Office of the U.S.
Attorney, Portland Gay M en’s
Chorus, National Council of Jewish
Women (Portland Chapter), New
Seasons Market, NW Natural and
U.S. Bank.
Single! I Oticketsare available at
the dixir to hear Dolores Huerta
and Sherman Alexie speak . To reg­
ister or view the complete sched­
ule. visit the conference on the Web
at: http://oregonstate.edu/confer-
ences/hatecrimes2(M)6.
I
better-than-ever selection o f women's spring
apparel, shoes and accessories, plus lots
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on items purchased just for this event.
Starts Wednesday, June 7
at 8:00 a.m.
W O M E N + K ID S
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on all Nordstrom credit or Nordstrom
MOD
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only I Travel point per net dollar spent
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