Committed to Cultural Diversity
www.portlandobserver.com
September 5, 2007
Gabriel’s Courage
M etro
Freedom fighter wins pardon more than
200 years after organizing revolt
See story, page B3
îl,e ^orttani» (Obstruer
________________________________________ ___ SECTION
/n o m im i n ity
C a le n d a r
Obama in Portland
Democratic presidential candidate Sen.
Barack Obama will be in Portland Fri­
day, Sept. 7 for a fundraiser at the
Oregon Convention Center. Tickets for
the 8 p.m. speech are $25 with a more
intimate pre-event reception charging
$500. Visit donate.barakobam a.com /
c2cportland to register.
Vancouver Sausage Fest
Friday, Sept. 7, thru Sunday, Sept. 9, the
36th annual Sausage Festival featuring
music, food and family fun will take place
at St. Joseph’s Parish in Vancouver. Free
shu ttle service is a v ailab le. V isit
stjoevanschool.org for more information.
Organic Festival
Friday, Sept. 7, thru Sunday, Sept. 9, St.
Philip Neri Church, 2408 S.E. 16 Ave., will
host the Muddy Boots Organic Festival
to educate and raise organic awareness.
Enjoy music, food, family activities and
more.
NW Indian Crafts
Friday, Sept. 7, at 6:30 p.m., the Fort
Vancouver Historical Reserve, 1501 E.
Evergreen, hosts a free first-Friday event
to highlight crafts of the Pacific North­
west Indians. Bring a blanket or lawn
chair for seating. Call 360-816-6231 for
more information.
Fall Swimming Lessons
The Portland Parks will be offering fall
swimming lessons for ages 6 months to
adults at various pools throughout the
Portland-metro area. For rates, registra­
tion and information, contact 503-823-
5130.
Children’s Gardening
Wednesday, Sept. 12, at the Woodlawn
Community Garden, 7200 N.E. 1 Ithand
Claremont, the first of three classes begin
teaching children ages 6-12 the art of
organic gardening. Students will enjoy
sharing the bounty of their harvest with
the food bank. Contact portlandparks.org
o r503-823-1617 for more info.
Fun on Foster
Saturday, Sept. 15,from 10a.m. to5p.m „
enjoy food, music, workshops, family
fun, and the Foster Art Walk. Bring your
dog for the charity dog wash, funds
benefiting animal rescues. This event is
free;contact 503-774-2832 for more infor­
mation.
Craftsman Workshops
The Northwest Woodworking Studio is
registering participants for fall workshops,
classes and lectures. Explore wood crafts­
m a n sh ip and learn the art. V isit
northwestwoodworking.com orcall 503-
284-1644 to regi ster.
Elders in Action
Volunteer advocates are needed to assist
seniors in finding solutions to current
issues. Training classes start in Septem­
ber. Visit eldersinaction.org orcall 503-
235-5474for more information.
Tax Help in Rockwood
VITA tax aide for low-income families will
begin to assist clients at the Rockwood
Community office, 18709 S.E. Stark. Cli­
ents are seen by appointment only. Ap­
pointments will be made on Wednesdays
only from I p.m. to 5 p.m., by calling 503-
816-1530.
Neighborhood Farm Stand
Locally grown vegetables and bouquets
of fresh flowers will be available to the
public, from 10a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sun­
day, at the Redeemer Lutheran Church,
NE 20th and Killingsworth. The stand
supports local refugees and immigrant
fanners.
Parks Jobs
Offer Worldly
Lessons
Young workers graduate
from school of life
by R aymond R endleman
T he P ortland O bserver
While most think of graduation occurring in the spring,
end of summer means moving on from the school of life
for many young people.
Their temporary jobs, internships and journeys are
coming to a close, in an ideal world having imparted the
lessons nearly impossible to find in the halls of a high
school or on a college campus.
Portland Parks and Recreation offers an example of the
quest for such extracurricular benefits as Philip Downing
follows Dennis Phillips on his rounds through the
greenspaces of north and northeast Portland.
Awaking before dawn, they were nearly overtaken
with exhaustion by the early afternoon when they made
it to Irving Park to address the overflowing irrigation
system and clean one last bathroom before turning in.
What looked like a typically tiring day intensified as
they tested the sprinklers. A homeless man launched a
barrage of insults at them, claiming that they had inten­
tionally soaked his blankets hidden in the bushes.
Downing, 19, watched intently from the sidelines as
Phillips, 51, tried to diffuse the man's emotions, welcom­
ing him to let his blankets dry in the sun. He eventually
wandered off raving in the neighborhood, where Phillips
made sure police were called.
The scene was ugly, but Phillips pointed out that
someone with less experience might have engaged a
physical assault. As it was, the confrontation failed to
disturb the dozens of people sunning themselves in the
by R aymond
R endi
eman /T he P ortland O bserver
Temporary parks worker Philip Downing, 19, discovers spending money and life lessons under the
watchful eye of Dennis Phillips, who will be able to retire from Portland Parks and Recreation with full
benefits in six-and-a-half more years of his nearly two-decades service as landscaper and role model.
field on the other side of the bushes and playing in nearby
basketball and tennis courts.
Although excitement of this nature rarely punctuates
their routine, Phillips encourages Downing to learn from
inevitable variations.
“Every day is different, so I try to point out to him
different situations, and he can hopefully deal with differ­
ent things in the future,” Phillips says. “I do it not as a
mentor, but as a fellow human being giving him the kinds
of experience that can be a tool as he goes through life."
continued
on page IIS
Plans Set for Guild Lake Reunion
Neighborhood was
long-ago home for
African Americans
A special reunion o f resid en ts and
em ployees from G u ild ’s Lake C ourts,
the o n ly d e fe n se h o u sin g p ro je c t
w ith in the city to accep t A frican
A m erican residents in the 1940s, has
com e about from an ongoing study o f
this long ago northw est P ortland co m ­
m unity.
The gathering, along with a photo­
graphic exhibit and presentations, will take
place Saturday, Sept. 15, beginning at 11
a.m. in the Con-way lot, at Northwest 23rd
Avenue and Savier Street. The celebra­
tion. as part of the Slabtown Community
Festival, will be free and all ages are wel­
come.
Tanya March, organizer of this 60th
Year Guild's Lake Courts Reunion, wel­
comes all former residents, employees,
students of the elementary school and
Fruit and Flower daycare, as well as neigh­
Guild's Lake Courts was one of the largest temporary World War II housing developments in the country and became
bors, family and friends.
home to a significant population of African Americans.
Introductions and reminiscing begin at
11 a.m. at McMenamins Tavern and Pool, G uild’s Lake Courts, with its 2,600 units, development became home to a signifi­ site redeveloped. Today, landmarks of the
1716 N.W. 23rd Ave. At I p.m., the reunion was one of the largest temporary hous­ cant population of African Americans and site are the Montgomery Park complex.
reconvenes across the street for a “show- ing developm entsever built in thiscoun- was the only defense housing project Pyramid Brewing and numerous industrial
and-tell” at the meeting room inside the try. Its purpose was to house part of the
within the city limits to accept African- businesses.
Northwest branch of the M ultnomah mass influx of families relocating here in American residents.
In 2005, Tanya March, a doctoral can­
County Library.
search of em ploym ent in the area's bus­
Following the Vanport Flood of 1948. didate in the Urban Studies Department of
People are encouraged to bring memo­ tling wartime steel and shipbuilding in­ over 500 evacuees were relocated to trail­ Portland State University, initiated an ex­
rabilia, photos and scrapbooks chroni­ dustries.
ers on the Guild's Lake site. In the 1950s. amination of Guild's LakeCourts. Comple­
cling life at Gui Id's Lake.
Immediately after World War II, Guild’s the 3(X) acres of rows of houses, commu­ menting her extensive archival research.
Built in 1942-43 in the sandy environs Lake Courts was made available to the nity centers and school comprising Guild s March is conducting interviews with
along N orthw est St. H elens Road, general public as affordable housing. The Lake Courts were all dismantled and the people closely associated w ith the site.
Relationship Transformation
Peace-Making, a local group based on
non-violent communication and con­
scious awareness, hosts a seminar that
includes information how to have better
relationships both personally and pro­
fessionally. For more information, call
503-228-7256.
Actor Brings Focus to United Way
Interstate Farmers Market
A farmers market is held each Wednes­
day through Sept. 26 from 3 - 7 p in. just
off Interstate Avenue between Overlook
Park and the Interstate Kaiser Permanente
Campus The market is known for its va­
riety of quality fresh local produce, baked
goods, cut (lowers, artisan cheese, meat
and fish.
»
Lou Gossett Jr.
Community advocate and academy-
award-winning actor Lou Gossett Jr.
w ill be in Portland this month to pro­
mote the nonprofit health and human-
services group, the United Way.
Gossett w ill k ic k o ff the agency's
annual C om m unity Campaign with a
keynote breakfast address on Friday.
Sept. 20 at 7:30 a.m. at the Oregon
Convention Center.
The event also provides updates on
local United Way projects and com-
m unity needs. Local residents w ill be
recognized fo r their outstanding v o l­
unteer efforts, support o f United Way,
and contributions to the community.
Gossett remains one o f the most
sought after and busiest veteran ac­
tors in the film and television industry
today. His unique talent for portraying
powerful and charismatic characters
has charmed audiences worldwide,
resulting in an impressive amount o f
coveted awards, including an Oscar,
Emmy and Golden Globe.
His passion for his work is matched
only by his strong belief in helping
others by giving back to the commu­
nity. He serves as a spokesperson and
a behind-the-scenes leader for many
charitable organizations
Cost fo r the breakfast is $60 per
person or $5(M) per table o f 10. You
can RSVP at unitedway-pdx.org or
call the United Way events line at 503-
226-9366.