www.portlandobserver.com
Committed to Cultural Diversity
September 12. 2007
Alberta Street Fair
Mariela in
M etro
Northeast
thoroughfare s
annual celebration
is Saturday
the Desert
Latino theater production
tells the story o f a family
whose creativity rims dry
'Portiani* (Observer
See story,
A&E section
See El Observador, page B3
o in mu nity
a le n d a r
C
Weatherization Workshops
W ednesday, Sept. 12, and T hursday,
Sept. 20, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Com m u­
nity Energy Project, 422 N.E. Alberta St.,
hosts free educational w orkshops to self-
w eatherize your home; qualifying partici­
pants will receive a free w eatherizing kit.
Call 503-284-6827 to register.
Kite Fest at Blue Lake
C olo rfu l kites w ill fill the sky at B lue
Lake Regional Park during a new fam ily
kite festival on S aturday, Sept. 15 from
1 to 5 p.m .
Lou Gossett Jr.
C om m unity advocate and academ y-
aw ard-w inning actor Lou G ossett Jr. will
kickoff the U nited W ay ’s annual C o m ­
m unity C am paign with a keynote break­
fast address on T hursday, Sept. 20 at 7:30
a.m. at the O regon Convention Center.
RSV P by visiting unitedw ay-pdx.org or
call the events line at 503-226-9366.
Fall Beach Cleanup
Saturday, Sept. 15,from 10a.m. to 1 p.m.,
the 23rd-annual beach cleanup will take
place. V olunteers are needed for 42 sites
up and dow n the O regon Coast. T o vol-
unteer.call SOLV at 503-844-9571 orvisit:
solv.org.
Fun on Foster
Saturday, Sept. 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
enjoy food, music, w orkshops and family
fun at the Foster Art W alk, S.E. 50th-93rd
on Foster Road. Bring your dog for the
charity dog wash, funds benefiting ani­
mal rescues. This event is free; call 503-
774-2832 for more information.
Dolly Days
Saturday, Sept. 1 5 ,fro m l0 a .m .to 4 p .m .,
the C rossroads Doll & Teddy Bear Show
will host a sem inar on collecting antique
dolls. The event will be held at the N a­
tional Guard Armory, Northeast33rd Drive
at M arina Road.
Guild’s Lake Reunion
A reunion for residents and em ployees
from G uild’s Lake Courts, the only de­
fense housing project within the city to
accept A frican-A m erican residents in the
1940s, will take place Saturday, Sept. 15,
beginning at 11 a.m. in the Con-w ay lot at
Northwest 23rd Avenue and Savier Street.
The gathering is part o f the free Slabtown
C om m unity Festival.
Fall Swimming Lessons
The Portland Parks will be offering fall
sw im m ing lessons for ages 6 m onths to
adults at various pools throughout the
Portland-m etro area. For rates, registra­
tion and inform ation, contact 503-823-
5130.
Interstate Farmers Market
A farm ers market is held each W ednes­
day through Sept. 26 from 3 - 7 p.m. just
o ff Interstate A venue betw een O verlook
Park and the Interstate Kaiser Permanente
Cam pus. T he market is known for its
variety o f quality fresh local produce,
baked goods, cut flow ers, artisan cheese,
m eat and fish.
Craftsman Workshops
The N orthw est W oodw orking Studio is
registering participants for fall workshops,
classes and lectures. Explore w ( hk 1 crafts-
m a n s h ip an d le a rn th e a rt. V isit
northw estw oodw orking.com orcall 503-
284-1644.
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
onlyfrom 1 p .m .to 5 p .m .b y 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 10a.m. to 2 p.m. every S un­
day, at the Redeem er Lutheran Church,
N.E. 20th and K ilhngsw orth. The stand
supports local refugees and imm igrant
farmers.
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 more inform ation, call
503-228-7256.
I
photo by M ark
W ashington /T he P ortland O bsera er
Outside o f the newly renovated University Park Community Center at 9009 N. Foss Ave., Portland Parks and Recreation supervisor Karen Birt joins students
Daezhar Banks, (from left) Kev'vesn Campbell, Charles Crockett and Nicolio Kilon.
Celebrating
University Park
Built as an em ergency structure
during World W ar II, the University
Park C om m unity C enter w asn ’t
meant to last more than a decade.
But generations of neighborhood
care have ledtoam ultim illion-dollar
investm ent, resulting in a recre­
atio n al fac ility that serv es the
surrounding com m unity in ways
that the original architects never
dreamed of.
The center at 9009 N. Foss Ave.
reopened in time for the school year
with lots of new community spaces,
including kitchen and dining facili­
ties, a regulation double-court gym ­
nasium, fitness/ dance studios, teen
and senior lounges and classroom s
fully equipped with computers.
Once used as a central dining hall
for wartime tem porary housing, the
center became V anport's makeshift
City Hall after that com m unity's
destruction in a 1948 flood. It soon
Community Center's
$5 million renovation
finally complete
passed to Portland city ownership,
staying open in response to contin­
ued community need but falling into
disrepair.
As the Housing Authority o f Port­
land redeveloped the surrounding
C olum bia Villa neighborhood as
"New Colum bia" in 2000, Portland
Parks and R ecreation organized
more than $5 million in federal and
park-levy funds for the center.
Facility M anager Karen Birt and
her students were glad to finally
have the major portion of the project
finished.
The renovation of the 20,000-
square-foot facility corresponded
with the addition of 12,000-square-
feet in adjoining wings.
By the end of this year, the com ­
munity hopes to secure funding for
the construction of a pool onsite and
the gym will be made to convert into
an auditorium.
Housing Saved
on Russell Street
the higher standards of PCRI.
In addition to these "very needed
im provem ents to the building,”
Fitzpatrick expressed her satisfac­
tion with using the building to com­
memorate local and national civil-
rights advocates, particularly in the
by R aymond R endi . eman
African-American community.
T he P ortland O bserver
Fitzpatrick. State Sen. Margaret
A new partnership between so­
cial-justice and affordable-housing Carter and longtime activist/politi-
advocates saved 24 low-income hous­ cian Gretchen Kafoury stood outside
ing units on Russell Street.
the building during a celebration last
Adorned with portraits of civil- month to congratulate Fred Ingram
rights leaders past and present, the for his work on the portraits.
Carter told Ingram of her firsthand
renovated apartments top the Urban
experience of having portraits come
League of Portland headquarters.
“W e're excited about the partner­ out too dark, recalling how campaign
ship because we were able to pre­ billboards had to be replaced during
serve some affordable housing here her successful run for the state legis­
in northeast Portland, and everybody lature in 1984, a First for an African-
knows that that's coming few and far American woman in Oregon.
“I want to let you know in plain
between,” says Maxine Fitzpatrick,
executive director of Portland Com­ English why I'm so amazed with you:
munity Reinvestment Initiatives. The way you have captured a group
"That was a project that could have of African Americans, especially
easily gone to market if the Urban theireyes, their lips and the color like
League had decided to sell the build­ you did, is amazing," she said.
ing and not care about preserving the
Ingram's only response was that
affordable housing."
he had tried to represent the lineup of
The building has a fresh coat of civil-rights leaders accurately while
photo ba R aymond R endi e m an /T he P i erti and O rsi raer
paint inside and out, improved light­ keeping in mind the color scheme of State Sen. Margaret Carter (from left) and longtime activist/politician Gretchen
ing, a newly landscaped courtyard
Kafoury congratulate Fred Ingram for his work on their portraits now spanning the
continued
on page H5
and other renovations bringing it to
facade o f Urban League o f Portland building on North Russell Street.
Urban League
remodel builds
on community
I