Energy, Talent on
the Home Front
M etro
¡Eli
May 2. 2 0 0 7
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SECTION
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C a le n d a r
B
Cinco de Mayo
Women in Trades Fair
D isco v er h ig h -p ay in g ca reers in c o n
s tru c tio n -re la te d tra d e s d u rin g th is
y ea r's W om en in T ra d es C a re e r F air
from 9 a.m . to 3 p.m . on S atu rd ay , M ay
5 at the N EC A /1B EW E lectrical T ra in
ing C e n te r, 16021 N .E. A irport W ay.
C a ll 5 0 3 - 3 3 5 - 8 2 0 0 x21 o r v is i t
tra d e sw o m e n .n e t.
Help Loaves & Fishes
T he T w o Rivers Loaves & Fishes Center,
9009 N. Foss St., needs volunteer drivers
fo r m e a ls-o n -w h e e ls to e n su re that
hom ebound seniors in St. Johns receive
nutritional m eals and a bit o f com panion
ship. Call 503-988-4088.
“Say Hey, NW!”
T hursday, May 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 8
p.m.. Partners in Diversity, 224 N. W. 13th,
host the quarterly reception to w elcom e
new professionals o f color relocating to
O regon and Southw est W ashington. For
m o re
in f o rm a tio n ,
e m a il
nakashim av@ m ac.com .
African American Council
Y o u 're invited on the third T uesd ay o f
each m onth from 5 :3 0 p.m . to 6:30 p.m .
w hen the A frican A m erican A dvisory
C ouncil m eets at the King F acility, 4815
N .E. S eventh A ve. C all 503-823-0000.
Free Comic Book Day
Saturday, M ay 5, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,
Bridge City Com ics, 3725 N. M ississippi
A ve., w elcom es guest o f all ages to ad
venture into the w orld o f com ic books
with hundreds o f free com ic books, and
autograph signings by A dam G allardo
and Rick Remender.
Healing Revival
W ednesday. May 9 through Friday, May
11, at 7 p.m., the Allen T em ple CM E
Church, 4236 N.E. 8th Ave., welcomes the
com m unity to a 'Spring R evival' for re
newal and recovery, and rejuvenating of
the spirit. For more inform ation, call 503-
287-0261.
Amnesty Now!
Saturday. May 5, at 7 p.m ., the Freedom
S o cialist P arty and R adical W om en
present the forum to explore the dem o
cratic, multi-racial labor movement against
legalized indentured servitude at the
B re a d an d R o se s C e n te r, 8 1 9 N.
K illingsw orth St. At 6 p.m. an interna
tional buffet will be served for an $8
contribution.
The nation's largest Cinco de Mayo fiesta opens Thursday, May 3 and continues all weekend at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, downtown.
Latino pop, salsa, traditional Mexican music. South
A m erican music, funk and more.
This y ear's headliners include San A ntonio
b ased h it-m a k e r B obby P u lid o , E 276. La
Potranquita, Los Siérrenos, Banda Blanca and
Beta Terrazas.
T he region's finest restaurants, preparing sa
vory Latin flavors, will tempt celebrants each day
along with a beer garden and tequila tent. Shop
ping will feature a mix o f local m erchants and a
special A rtisano's area featuring G uadalajara-
based jew elers and craftspeople.
The event also features the Plaza de Niños, or
Children's Plaza, where children experience hands-
on crafts and art opportunities and entertainm ent
by m agicians, balloon artists, clowns, face paint
ers, and the traditional breaking o f candy-filled
piñatas.
T he fiesta is open each day from 11 a.m. to 11:30
Annual bash at
Waterfront Park
T he entire city is invited to celebrate four days
o f family fun at the n atio n 's largest C inco celebra
tion during the 23rd A nnual C in co d e M ayo Fiesta,
T hursday, May 3 to Sunday, M ay 6 at Tom
M cCall W aterfront Park in dow ntow n Portland.
T h e ce le b ra tio n , h osted by the P ortland
G uadalajara Sister City A ssociation, will ring in
P ortland's sum m er festival season.
C inco de M ayo opening day is billed as a
“Sneak Peak" with free adm ission all day, as well
as offering discounted rides. H ow ever, a sug
gested donation at the gate will benefit scholar
ships for regional Latino students.
T he fiesta blasts o ff its fam ous Firew orks Spec
tacular on Friday, May 4 at 10 p.m. The entire
festival features tw o stages to show case a d i
verse musical entertainm ent schedule, including
continued ~y^ on page H5
Bobby Pulido
Community Support
T he African A m erican Health Coalition,
a non-profit that touches the lives o f
mi I lions o f African A m ericans each year,
rem inds you to support your com m unity
organization. All donations, grants, and
gifts are tax deductible. For more inform a
tion, visit aahc-portland.org.
PIL Basketball Classic
S aturday. May 26. at SEI, 3920 N . Kerby,
you invited to encourage and support
high school athletes com pete in the Port
land Interscholastic League Basketball
Classic. D oors open at 2:30 p.m. with tip-
o ff at 3 p.m. Proceeds to benefit the Joyce
W ashington Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Call Mark W ashington at 503-288-0033
for more inform ation.
Solidarity for Peace
Sunday, May 6, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., at
Sellw ood Park, Southeast Seventh A v
enue and M iller Street, the Selm or Project
invites everyone to attend a non-politi
cal. non-religious solidarity for peace
event featuring live m usic, toys for the
kids, a Human Peace Sym bol' andcanned
food drive to stop hunger.
Lent Home Buying Fair
S aturday,M ay 12,from 10a.m . to 2 p .m „
at the Kelly Elementary S chool.9030S.E .
C ooper St., the Lents H om eow nership
partners will provide this inform ative
hom e buying o p portunity, and three
$5,000 down paym ent assistance grants
will be raffled off. For m ore inform ation
call 503-788-8052x105or visit: rosecdc.org/
hom eownership.htm l.
Strike Against War
Saturday, May 26. at 7 p.m . the Freedom
Socialist Party and Radical W om en, in
vites you to the Bread and Roses Center,
8 19 N. K illingsw orth St., fo ra g ra ss roots
m ake Portland a "sanctuary city" for sol
diers refusing to deploy to Iraq. The
forum will be preceded by a buffet at 6
p.m. for an $8 donation. Call 503-240-4462
for more information.
Local Vets Cautious on Pet Food Supply
Recall aftermath
spikes interest in
origins of food
by S arah B lount
T he P ortland O bserver
Judging from a decrease in reports of
illness and death, the pet food scare may
be soon be over, but in the afterm ath
consum ers are thinking m ore about
w here their pet food com es from .
G lenn Kolb, executive director o f O r
egon V eterinary M edical A ssociation,
said hopefully the recalls have reached
the critical point, because the organiza
tion is receiving few er and few er sus
pect cases from doctors statewide.
H ow ever, he added that it takes a long
tim e to find out if there are other toxins
responsible for the illnesses and deaths.
T he best advice for a pe, ow ner, he
said, is to keep a close eye on your pet.
If they becom e lethargic or begin vom
iting or excessively urinating, th ere's a
Dr. Deborah Seemann of the Lombard Animal Hospital checks out Zaphyl, a
client's cat. Seemann said a series o f pet food recalls raises questions about
the safety o f ingredients used in the pet food industry.
Letter Carriers
Fight Hunger
Donations will be
picked up May 12
On Saturday. May 12. letter carriers will collect nonper
ishable fixxl donations left by m ailboxes to feed people
w ho are hungry or struggling to survive because o f
financial difficulties.
»
The goal is to collect 1.5-million pounds of fixxl for the
Oregon Food Bank during the National Association of
.1 x'lterGamers Fixxl I Jrive. I .asl year, more than 1,4-million
pounds o f fixxl was collected by the postal workers
throughout Oregon and southwest Washington.
"The National A ssociation of Letter C arriers Food
Drive is particularly im portant this year due Io a drop in
the amount o f food we receive from the U.S. Department
o f Agriculture." says Rachel Bristol. Oregon Food Bank
executive.
“ Last year we saw a dram atic 26 percent decline in
U SD A product a drop o f 2.3-million pounds o f food,"
she said. “We continue to look for additional sources of
fixxl to make up the loss."
1
good chance they have kidney dys
function. A veterinarian must then con
duct a blood test and if necessary flush
toxins out o f their system
Pet-related organizations across Port
land say consum ers are relying on retail
ers to keep the bad food o ff the shelves.
Pets on Broadway in northeast Port
land has beefed up staffing levels in
response to a spike in custom er interest.
M anager Don Shaw cross said custom
ers' main concerns are where the fixxl is
made and who ow ns the com panies.
He said he keeps in constant contact
with the m anufacturers' representatives
on the stores 30 brands and believes the
safest food bets are brands w ithout
wheat gluten, com gluten or rice protein,
but he also recom m ends brands that
have voluntarily joined the recall list.
The recalled food is gone and their
other flavors w ere not af fected, he said,
so they are safe.
At the O regon Humane Society in
continued y ^ on page H.1
N utritious, shelf-stable fixxl is particularly important
for the growing bodies anil brains of the estim ated 72,(MX)
children each month who eat meals from em ergency fixxl
boxes.
Lixal residents are encouraged to donate nonperishable
fixxl such as tuna fish, soups, slews, chili, canned fruits,
vegetables, beans, rice and pasta. Do not include glass
items, homemade items or pres iously opened containers.
Place the filled bag by your mailbox on the m orning of
Saturday, May 12. The letter carrier food drive annually
takes place on the second Saturday in May.
For more inf orm ation or to make a cash donation, call
I-8 O O -7 7 7 -7 4 2 7 o r 5 0 3 -2 8 2 -0 5 5 5
or
v is it
w w w w .oregonfixxlbank.org.