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Committed to Cultural Diversity
Harry Potter
Strikes Double
M etro
A new film and a new book
brings massive lineup of
wizard-related events
'rih' ^îarttanir ÖDbserucr
om mu nity
a le n d a r
C
Spanish Docs
July 18. 2 0 0 7
See story, page B2
SECTION
A Sultan’s Resurrection
Sultan X credits his m ove to Portland
for saving his life: sixteen years ago he
started using crack cocaine while living in
A tlanta.
“ I really got introduced to the drug and
started spiraling and went out o f control."
he said.
He thought m oving back to his hom e
town o f G ary. Ind. to be near his m other
would help him overcom e his addiction.
He w as wrong.
“ I went back to start life over and I got
even heavier into drugs when I got there,”
he said. "T hings got bad with m yself and
family and it really had a big effect on
everyone involved, from my m other sister,
and down to my children."
Now. his experience is turned into the
atrical production set in one day. His real
story is over two days, w hen som eone
was com ing after Sultan at his m o th er’s
hom e in Gary. Luckily Sultan w asn’t there.
He feels he beat death that day.
"The Resurrection o f The Sultan," w rit
ten by his wife M onique X, has m ade him
relive his struggle with crack cocaine. But
for him it’s a way o f giving back to the
community.
"W hat the play is for is som eone who
may be going through addiction. I ju st
want to show that there’s alw ays hope
even in the ray o f darkness." he said.
“ Most people addicted to drugs d o n ’t
want to adm it they have a problem but
when it’s out o f control you have to sub
mit to yourself that you want change.”
T h at’s exactly what Sultan did, and by
com ing to Portland he met his w ife,
Monique, a woman with a journal ist back
ground. In April, the tw o decided to co l
laborate on this project, with her writing
and Sultan in charge of production. Local
artist Blacque Butterfly d id n 't bat an eye
when she found out the new play she was
Tax Help in Rockwood
Zoo Support Party
O n S aturday, July 21, from 7 p.m . to 10
p .m ., the O regon Z oo F o u n d a tio n ’s
an nual fundraiser prom ises to be the
social event o f the season, featuring
the nocturnal an tics o f the exotic zoo
resid en ts, d elicio u s food and drink,
w ith a live perfo rm an ce by the B e at
niks. V isit oreg o n zo o .o rg or call 503-
226-1561 for more inform ation and tick
eting.
Chunky Dunk PDX
Sunday, July 22, from 5:15 p.m. to 7:15
p.m., the Peninsula Park Community C en
ter and Pool, at the corner o f Rosa Parks
W ay (Portland Boulevard) and North
A lbina Street, will host the private pool
party fo rp eo p leo f size and guest. A dm is
sion is $5 per person.
Sultan X moved to
Portland after leaving
a life of addiction in
Atlanta. His story of
recovery is portrayed
in "The Resurrection
o f The Sultan, ” pro
duced by Sultan and
written by his wife,
Monique X. The one
night only perfor
mance is Saturday,
July 21 at Portland
Center for Self Im
provement, 700 N.
Killingsworth St.
Northeast Neighborhood
Farm Stand
Locally grown vegetables and bouquets
o f fresh flowers will be available to the
public, from 10a.m. to 2 p.m. every S un
day, at the Redeem er Lutheran Church,
NE 20th and Killingsworth. The stand is
hosted by five Portland congregations in
support o f local refugees and im m igrant
fanners.
PHOTO BY
N icole R oñal H ihiper /
T he P ortland O bserver
Geek Fair
Saturday, July 21, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.,
FreeGeek, 1731 SEI Oth Ave., will host the
street fair featuring live bands, gam es
and more. This free event is to celebrate
seven years o f operating the com m unity
technology center. Visit: freegeek.org/
geekfairfor more information.
CIO Community Conversations
T h u rsd ay , July 19 and T uesday July
31, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30p.m .,C IO , 2808
N E M LK Blvd. #13. will host the ’L ib
erty a n d J u stic e fo r AH’ national project
d isc u ssio n s regarding im m igration re
form s, basic civil lib erties and hum an
rights. F or m ore inform ation contact
5 0 3 -2 8 7 -4 1 1 7
or
v is i t:
in tercu ltu ra lo rg a n izin g .o rg .
True life becomes
theatrical play
by N icoi . e R onai H ooper /
T he P ortland O bserxer
C urrently through Thursday, Aug. 16,
the Northwest Film C enter's W hitsell
Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave., will host
the celebrated docum entary series ex
ploring the country o f Spain through the
eyes o f docum entary filmmakers.
V IT A tax aide for low- i neome famil ies w i 11
begin to assist clients at the Rockw ood
C om m unity office, 18709 S.E. Stark. C li
ents are seen by appointm ent only. A p
pointm ents will be m ade on W ednesdays
only from I p.m. to 5 p .m .,b y calling 503-
816-1530.
B
continued
on page BS
Jazz
at St. Johns
Mock Crest Home Tour
Saturday, July 28, from 10a.m. to I p.m..
R ejuvenation's and Neil Kelly Co. will
sponsor the tour o f six charm ing 1920's
vintage hom es in the historic M ock Crest
neighborhood. Call 503-231 -7264 for more
information.
Native American Home Fair
S atu rd ay ,Ju ly 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
Legacy Emanuel Medical Offices, 5 0 1 N.
G raham , will host a free event featuring
h o m e b u y e r a ssista n c e in fo rm a tio n ,
raffles, and Native Am erican dance per
form ances. For more inform ation, visit
nayapdx.org orcall 503-288-8177, exten
sion 232.
Back-to-School Supply Drive
Kickoff Party
The com m unity is invited to enjoy live
bands, treats, prizes, face painting and
more, Wednesday, Aug. I,front 11 a.nt. to
2 p .m .,at 13 0 0 S W 6th Ave. (Jefferson&
Columbia). For more information contact
5 0 3 -2 4 9 -9 9 3 3 o r visit sc h o o lh o u se
supplies.org.
Eliminating Racism
Thursday, Aug. 2, from 8:30a.m . to 12:30
p.m., an eliminating racism workshop will
be hosted in the YW CA Clark County
agency’s community room, 3609 Main St.
in Vancouver. Call360-906-9103oremail:
jkinsey@ yw caclarkcounty.org.
Symphonic Summer Sings
The com m unity at large is invited to sing
choral m asterw orks with mem bers of
Portland Sym phonic C hoir and under the
b ato n o f d istin g u ish e d c o n d u c to rs,
W ednesday, July 25 at St. A ndrew
Church, 806 N.E. Alberta and W ednes
day, Aug. I at First C ongregational
Church, II2 6 S .W Park.
I
New Orleans transplant Devin Philips evacuated the
Gulf Coast in 2005 with his horn and a change of
clothes. Philips is now a Portland resident and will
make his first appearance at the Cathedral Park Jazz
festival Sunday at noon.
Cathedral
Park Festival
this weekend
The Cathedral Park Jazz festival
eontinues its long tradition o f cel
ebrating America’ s original art form
this weekend in the majestic natural
setting o f Cathedral Park beneath
Music fans and families flock to the grassy hills under the majestic St. Johns Bridge every July
for the free Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, held this year Friday through Sunday. July 20-22.
the historic St. Johns Bridge.
What began in 1981. when friends
and neighbors threw a party in the
memory o f St. John’ s Howard
Galbraith, has turned into the largest
and oldest free jazz and blues event
west o f the Mississippi.
This year the free, three-day event
takes place on Friday from 6 p.m. to
late and Saturday and Sunday from
noon until the last artists take the
stage at 6 p.m.
The line-up includes Pete Krebs,
Devin Philips, Sneakin' Out,Charlie
Musselwhite and Plas Johnson and
John Heard, among others.
And as they do every year,
K M H D 89.1 FM w ill simulcast all
twenty hours o f the festival over its
jazz station airwaves. There w ill
also be information booths for com
m u n ity
o rg a n iz a tio n s ,
a
McMenamins beer and wine gar
den and a variety o f food conces
sions.
KMHD
dee ja y
Deborah
DeMoss Smith said the Cathedral
Park festival reminds her o f the
way festivals were in New Or- j
leans, the city she left for Portland
15 years ago.
Another New Orleans native, 1
Devin Philips, now based in Portland.
is set to perform Sunday at noon with
his hand New Orleans Straight
Ahead.
For more information and a com-
plete schedule o f performers, visit
’
i
I
I
I
www.cpjazz.com.
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