Committed to Cultural Diversity
www.pordandobscrvcr.toni
July 25. 20 0 7
Finding Her Inner Strength
M etro
Local graduate competes fo r
scholarship speaking about AIDS
See story, page B2
II'1' ^.tortlanò © bserucr
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/nom im i nity
C a le n d a r
Teen Swim Parties
Portland Parks is teaming up with Jam m in
95.5 to bring the Teen Sw im Parties to
neighborhood pools throughout the eity.
For
m o re
in f o rm a tio n ,
v is it
portlandparks.org.
Beat High Blood Pressure
M onday, July 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
the A m erican H eart A ssociation will be
conducting free blood pressure screen­
ings at the Pioneer C ourthouse Square,
701 S.W . Sixth Ave.
Haitian Project Garage Sale
Friday, Aug. 3, and Saturday, Aug. 4,
from 9 a.in. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 5,
from 9 a.m. to noon, the M adeleine Parish
Hall, 3 123 N.E. 24 Ave., will host a garage
sale to support and educate the children
in Port Au Prince, Haiti.
Summertime Rummage Sale
S aturday, A ug. 4, from 9 a.m . to 5 p.m .,
an d S un d ay , A ug. 5, from 10 a.m . to 4
p .m ., the B read and R oses C e n te r, 819
N. K illin g sw o rth S t., hosts a rum m age
sale to raise fun d s for the F reedom
S o cia list Party.
Say Hey, NW!
Thursday, Aug. 9, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.,
Partners in D iversity will host the net­
w orking m eet and greet to w elcom e new
professionals o f color to the business
com m unity, held at Tw o W orld Trade
C enter-plaza level, 121 S.W . Salm on St.
Call 503-516-3505.
Creole Jambalaya Dinner
Saturday, Aug. 11, the M artin Luther
King, Jr. Loaves & Fishes C enter, 5325
N.E. M artin L uther King Jr. Blvd., will
h o st a d e lic io u s a u th e n tic C re o le
Jam balaya Dinner. M eals are available
for take out. Call David Lomax at 503-988-
5211.
Benson 1996 Reunion
W ednesday. Aug. 15, the Benson class
of 1996 reunion will be at the McMenamins
Kennedy School from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. For
more inform ation, call ReShawn Lewis at
971-219-7871.
Tax Help in Rockwood
VIT A tax aide for low-income families will
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 1 p.m. to5p.m. by calling 503-
816-1530.
Neighborhood Farm Stand
Locally grow n vegetables and bouquets
o f fresh flow ers will be available to the
public, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every S un­
day. at the R edeem er Lutheran Church,
NE 20th and K illingsw orth. T he stand
supports local refugees and im m igrant
fanners.
photo bv R aymond R endleman /T he P ortland O bserver
Cecil Prescod co-hosts "More Talk Radio" at HB00. He's one of the African-American programmers the public can meet at an
open house Saturday.
Radio Hosts Reaching Out
African-American open house at KBOO
by R aymond R endleman
T he P ortland O bseryer
K B O O ’s black program m ers have the
m odest goal o f bringing a dispersed com ­
m unity together for an open house Satur­
day, but the event will additionally pro­
vide a venue for serious discussion amid
the soul food and live music.
T he public is invited to discover the
resources KBO O provides for African
A m ericans, according to C eleste Carey,
w ho hosts a few show s at the station
including “An Evening o f A frotainm ent"
on Saturdays.
“The open house is mainly to raise our
profile in the com m unity, because there
are a lot of people around w ho do not know
about what a thriving institution we have,”
C arey says.
H er partner on M onday m o rn in g 's
“M oreT alk Radio,"Cecil Prescod, em pha­
sizes the event as an opportunity to meet
people.
“ It’s really a way that we can get all o f
the African-American programmers in one
place, because usually w e’re so scattered,”
he says.
Carey and Prescod are not the only
African Am ericans at KBOO who strive to
keep the program m ing relevant.
W ith his Saturday afternoon "Jazz Rap"
show , Yugen Rashad tries to bring out the
healing role m usic has to play for a
wounded, often forgetful com m unity.
Rashad says it w ould help if the entire
institution w ere less tim id about the co l­
lective needs and vision created through
A frican-A m erican culture.
The main organizer o f the event, soul D.I
Jay Jay Johnson, sees the open house as
a revival o f sorts.
The open house is mainly to raise
our profile in the community, because
there are a lot o f people around who do
not know about what a thriving
institution we have.
-celeste carey.
radio host
“W hat I've seen over the last three
years that I'v e been there is that w e've
gotten kind o f com placent."Johnson says.
“So we want people to come down to tell
us what we can do to better serve the
com munity."
He and other program m ers only see
opportunities for advancem ent with the
support and cooperation o f other diverse
groups at the station.
“ F o r3 0 -o d d years, K BO O has been a
v aluable venue for A frican-A m erican
p articip atio n and rep resen tatio n , and 1
think th a t's still obv io u s w hen you look
at the m ark et, even w ith the advent of
95.5 and 1480," says Shaheed Haamid,
w ho hosts "T h e E ssence o f Soul" Fri­
day ev enings.
Saturday's open house takes place at
the KBOO studios. 20 S.E. Eighth Ave.,
kicking o ff with a live show by Chatta
Addy at 2 p.m. and continuing with festivi­
ties until 9 p.m..
Mock Crest Home Tour
Saturday, July 2 8 ,front IO a.rn.to I p.m..
R ejuvenation's and Neil Kelly Co. will
sponsor the tour o f six charm ing 19 2 0 ’s
vintage hom es in the historic M ocks
Crest neighborhood. Call 503-231-7264
for m ore inform ation.
Homebuyer Fair
Saturday, July 28, from 10a.m. to 3 p.m..
Legacy Emanuel M edical O ffices, 5 0 1 N.
G raham , will host a free event featuring
h o m e b u y e r a s s is ta n c e in fo rm a tio n ,
raffles, and N ative A m erican dance per­
formances.
Relationship Transformation
Peace-M aking, a local group based on
non-violent com m unication and co n ­
scious aw areness, hosts a sem inar that
includes inform ation how to have better
relationships both personally and pro­
fessionally. For m ore inform ation, call
503-228-7156.
Washington Park Shuttle
S u m m er serv ice is every 15 m inutes
from 10 a.m to 7 p.m . w ith m ore than 10
sto p s, including th e O regon Z o o and
the Ja p an ese G ardens. T he sh u ttle runs
d aily through L abor D ay. R eg u lar Tri-
M et fare applies.
Interstate Farmers Market
A farm ers market is held each W ednes­
day through Sept. 26 from 3 to 7 p.m. just
o ff Interstate A venue between O verlook
Park and the Interstate Kaiser Permanente
C am pus The market is known for its va­
riety o f quality fresh local produce, baked
goods, cut flow ers, artisan cheese, meat
and fish.
Probe Begins for Police
Native American
judge to audit
complaint panel
A N ative A m erican tribal ju d g e
and one o f the natio n 's preem inent
authorities on civilian oversight of
law enforcem ent and police ac­
countability system s has begun an
outside audit o f Portland's Inde­
pendent Police Review Board.
Eileen Luna-Firebaugh has been
by the city auditor to
a sse ss
the
organization's perfor­
mance, meet with com ­
munity groups and con­
duct a survey o f Port­
land Pol ice officers. She
will submit her evalua­
tion to the City Council
in January.
Luna-Firebaugh is a
Eileen Luna-Firebaugh
professor at the Uni­
versity o f Arizona and a nationally known
consultant in the Held o f ci vilian oversight
hired
o f police com plaint systems.
She has conducted investigations of
internal affairs and civilian oversight sys­
tems and has authored technical reports
for cities and other governm ental agen­
cies nationw ide.
For 15 years, she was ch ief in vestigator
and administrative directorof civilian over­
sight agencies in the cities o f Berkeley,
San Francisco and San D iego County in
California. Luna-Firebaugh received her
law degree from H arvard and is a m em ber
o fth e California B arand N ative A merican
Bar Associations.
Leader Begins Work at Mt. Hood
Gary Murph serves as
interim president
The first African-American to serve in the top
executive position at Mt. Hood Community
College has started his job as interim president.
Gary Murph, the former chief operating officer
for the col lege, was named to the position in June
by the MHCC board of education after president
Dr. Robert Silverman resigned to be closer to
family in California.
Murph began his career in higher education
more than 20 years ago in California, where he
served in leadership positions at various com ­
munity colleges. He retired twice while living in
southern California, but after a four-year break
moved to Oregon in 2004 to take the chief
operating position at MHCC.
Murph and Silverman have worked closely
the past few years, overseeing daily operations
at the fourth largest com munity college in the
state, serving nearly 24JXX) students ranging
from teenagers to seniors citizens.
Murph says M H C C 's African American
population is shy of three percent, but notes
that d y n am ics have north and northeast
Portlanders moving farther east.
“Many arc still identifying with Portland
Community College," he said, "but eventually
that will change."
Gary Murph leads Mt. Hood Commu­
nity College as interim president.
Regatta Paddle
Saturday
A hidden gem o f our local w ater­
ways comes front and center
when the 1.3th annual Columbia
Slough Regatta takes off along
the Columbia Slough in north and
northeast Portland on Sunday, July
29, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The c e le b ra tio n at the
Multnomah County Drainage Dis­
trict, 1880 N.E. Elrod Drive-
draws hundreds of human-pow­
ered boats and paddlers, and also
includes live music and other ac­
tivities for the whole family.
The slough provides safe slack
water paddling appropriate for all
skill levels. Regatta participants
can expect to see a variety of
wildlife including Great Blue Her­
ons, Bald Eagles, beaver, raccoon
and river otter.
Some canoes and kayaks will
be available to rent on a first
come, first served waiting list.
You
can
also
visit
columbiaslough.org for a list of
places where you can rent a boat
for the day.
An optional donation of $7 per
person helps support the Colum­
bia Slough Watershed