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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 28, 2007)
www.portlandrybserver.com Committed to Cultural Diversity March 28. 2 0 0 7 Mac! Hot Ballroom M etro Jefferson High School’s film festival e vent fa r Aprii Set* Arts & Entertainment section, inside ^ o rtta n h ODhscrucr r i o n i m u n it y C a le n d a r African Immigrants United Lawmaker Feedback State Rep. Chip Shields o f District 43, w hich enco m p asses inner north and northeast Portland, will be available to m eet with constituents at Reflections betw een 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Friday M arch 30th. The popular neighborhood coffee and gift shop is located at 446 N.E. K illingsw orthSt. Coalition pools resources Black Museum Action Thursday, March 29, and Thursday, April 5. at6:30p.m ., the Black M useumcom mit- tee will be m eeting at King Neighborhood Facility, 4 8 15 N.E. Seventh Ave., to es tablish the foundations structure. To be involved, visit blackm useum oforegon @ yahoo.com or cal1503-284-0617. Spring Break Art Journeys Currently thru Friday, March 30, the Port land Art M useum hosts the instructional art series for children ages 7-12. Contact 5 0 3 -2 2 6 -2 8 1 1 o r v isit p o rtla n d a rt m useum .org. for more inform ation. Zoo Spring Break Fun Through April 7, the O regon Z oo will host tropical island fun and events for spring break. For more inform ation, call 5 0 3-226-1561 orvisitoregonzoo.org. Undivided Rights Tuesday, April 3, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.. the Bread and Roses C enter. 819 N. K illingsw orth St., will host the weekly roundtable discussion “W om en o f Color O rganize for Reproductive Justice." For more inform ation call Radical W om en at 503-240-4462. Healthy Kids Fair Saturday, April 7, from 10a.m . to 2 p .m .. Legacy Emanuel Hospital: Atrium, 501 N. G raham , will host the 23rd annual fair to introduce children to the hospital and caregivers. Scheduled activities include: egg hunts, photos with the E aster Bunny, healthy kid checks, and much more. This is a free event. Rabbit Romp Saturday, April 7, from 9 a.m. to3 p.m..the O regon Z o o ,4001 S.W. Canyon Rd., will host an Easter egg hunt every 20-m inute for children ages 3 - 10 years old with a special hunt for toddlers 2 and under. V isit oregonzoo.org or call 503-226-1561 for more inform ation. photo by N ia D ivg /T he P ortland O bserver Supporting Workplace Rights Providence Hospital food service worker Scarlet Allen (right) and Emanuel Hospital housekeeping worker Shirley Clark join in song to help Providence support staff employees win a fair vote for collective bargaining rights. Hundreds of community members and hospital workers gathered for the March 21 Candlelight Vigil for Fairness march, sponsored by the Service Employees International Union. T he num ber o f Africans living in P ort land and Southw est W ashington is on the rise and a special coalition has form ed to respond to the grow ing concerns o f this community. The African Com m unity Coalition of Oregon was created to unite such a di verse com m unity o f im m igrants and refu gees from various countries across the sub-continent. The culture, lifestyles and politics o f each country may have sepa rated them at home, but as citizens o f the Pacific N orthw est they find com m on ground in their pri orities and goals. ACCO recently partnered with the A m eriC orp Links program and w el com ed “ M obiliz ing the M asses" coordinator Carol Littleton in their efforts to provide Carol Littleton outreach. Littleton has spent much o f hertim e raising aw are ness about the organization and increas ing membership. Board president Basko Kante believes that to bring about change and progress. A fricans must organize themselves. “ It's time African com m unities com e together," he said. "B ecause it is tim e we began to do for ourselves and pool our r e s o u r c e s to g e th e r , c re a tin g b e tte r chances and choices for African people in the Portland com m unity." Kante. originally from G hana, West Africa, said there are many challenges am id the success o f the Pan-African orga nization. Established in 2005 as a501 (c)(3) organization, some o f its initial goals were continued on page B5 African American Council Your in vited on the third T uesday o f each month from 5:30p.m .to6:30p.m . when the A frican A m erican A dvisory Council meets at the King Facility. 4 8 15 N.E. Sev enth Ave. Call 503-823-<XXX) for more in formation. Life after High School M onday, April 9. from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.. P SU ’s Sm ith Ballroom , will host the C a reer and Educational O pportunities Fair, a venue for local businesses, trade ap prenticeships. sum m er work program s and educational organizations to present career opportunities available within their organizations. For more inform ation, call 503-230-9427. Elephantastic Saturday and Sunday, April 14 & 15, the Oregon Z oo invites guest to celebrate Packy the elep h an t's 45th birthday, ac tivities include special perform ances by P ack y 's pachyderm -pals, with cake for everyone at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Free with zoo adm ission. Fostering Diversity T hursday. April 26 thru Friday, April 27. Mt. Hood C om m unity C ollege and Port land State University, will host the two- day conference to address critical diver sity-related issues in the Portland and G resham com m unities, with educational, business and cultural leaders. Call 503- 4 9 1 -7254 for more information. Community Support T he A frican A m erican H ealth C o a li tion, a n o n -p ro fit that touches the lives o f m illio n s o f A frican A m ericans each year, rem inds you to support y our c o m m unity o rg an izatio n . All donatio n s, g rants, and gifts are tax d ed u c tib le. For m o re in f o r m a ti o n , v is i t a a h e - p o rtla n d .o rg . Bradley-Angle House The Bradley-A ngle House needs volun teers to help its outreach against dom es tic violence. W om en o f color and bilin gual w om en are encouraged to call. For more information, call 503-282-9940. S'Ite Building a Resume Youth get job-ready at Pasta Bangs by N icoi . e R onai . H ooper T he P ortland O bserver An electric red sign and photos of mostly w om en custom ers decorate the entrance to Pasta Bangs. The faces look happy. M aybe it's from the libations from the bar or the hefty sauced pasta they ate or maybe it's because they got a double bang for their buck. C ustom ers at Pasta Bangs not only get to eat well but they get to help out kids that look like Damian Ochoa. Ochoa, 19, isa cu te full-bodied Filipino kid and a graduate of Open M eadows A lternative School in north Portland. The restaurant staffer is also a rapper, showing off his 21 tattoos. He pays homage to his parents who have both died, with a tattoo his father on photo by M ark W ashington /T he P or i land O bserver Pasta Bangs owner Polly Bangs has a laugh with one of her workers Damian Ochoa, who is now on staff after working with the Pasta Bangs job readiness program. his right arm and one o f his m other on his left. In 2004 Polly Bangs, a former social worker, opened Pasta Bangs at 3950 N. M ississippi Ave. The neighborhood is riddled w ith gentrification, but she is more than just another white person opening a restaurant in the hiMtd. Bangs gives a chance to some kids who may not other wise get one. It started when Bangs read an article about English C h ef Jaime O liver and his Fifteen Foundation, a chef training pro gram for at risk youth or homeless youth. “That was my light bulb m om ent." said Bangs, who w orks with agencies like O ut side In and Open M eadows, where Ochoa was a student. Four young people are hired by Bangs every three to six months. T heir tasks include doing basic labor like sw eeping, mopping, bringing bread to custom ers and light food preparation. She has had more than 5(1 kids in the program and hired three including Ochoa. “It's the hardest thing to let them go," said Bangs, "Il's a nice home base for them to com e in and say hi.” What Bangs enjoys about helping d is advantaged youth is giving them a first chance that many other teenagers could take for granted. “Some o f these kids may have drug problem s or mental health issues which can hinder their success." said Bangs. “ They just need a chance." O c h o a sa y s he tra n s fe rre d fro m Roosevelt High Schixtl to Open Mead ow s because o f the alternative school's jo b R kus w ith tw o days each week in the classroom and the other two spent out in the com m unity. O choa graduated last year and works full-time now at Pasta Bangs. With many restaurants tailing across the country, having enough clientele to support philanthropy efforts can prove difficult. Pasta Bangs pays ha If o f its teen agers' salaries and the other halt is paid by sponsoring organizations. The custom ers are aware when they com e into the small restaurant that the service they are getting is also providing a service to the com m unity. <)n each table has a happy hour menu and inform ation on the youth w orking program on the continued on page US ■