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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 2008)
www.portlandobserver.com Committed to Cultural Diversity February 27. 200S Celebrating Black History M etro From facing wartime challenges to the NA AC P's 99 years See coverage inside, pages B2, B3 and B6 ¿riu' ^ io rtla tib (IDhserucr » o m m u n ity C a l e n d a r ‘The Inspirational Legacy of AI Forthan’ Homework Help The Black Parent Initiative and Concordia Teachers Corp, provide free homework help fo r kids ages 5 to 19 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 3:45 to 5 p.m. at Grace C ovenant C hurch, 5450 N.E. Flanders; and from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at C al vary Christian Center. 126 N.E. Alberta; as w ell as M ondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the East Portland C om m unity Center, 740 S.E. 106th Ave. ‘Sweet Crude’ Reception Thursday, Feb. 28, from 4 to 6 p.m., Portland's S w ahili Imports hosts a pre show reception fo r "Sweet Crude” film producer and director Sandy C io ffi. The vie w in g o f the film , adocumentary about o il d rillin g in the N iger R iver Delta, w ill fo llo w at 7:30 p.m., at the Portland C om munity College Cascade campus Moriarty Building. Catch the Authors Thursday, Feb. 28, at 6:30 p.m., In Other Words, 8 N.E. K illin g sw o rth S t., w ill host a reading night featuring five gay, lesbian and transgender authors. For more in fo r mation, visit inotherwords.org or call 503- 232-6003. V-Day Portland Friday, Feb. 29 and Saturday. March I , at 6 p.m., the Center fo r S elf Enhancement, 3920 N. K irb y St., presents Eve Ensler’ s The Vagina Monologues, to raise aware ness and end violence against women. A dm ission is fo u r cans o f nonperishable foods or new w om en’ s toiletries; fo r more information.1 call 503-901 -5501. Film honors late counselor A local center that helps men recover from alcohol and drugs is celebrating a remarkable story and new documentary o f a local A frica n Am erican who overcame his addiction. The Volunteers o f Am erica Men's Resi dential Center w ill host “ The Inspirational Legacy o f A l Forthan," at the H o llyw o o d Theatre on Thursday, March 13. Forthan was the first person to move from an alumnus o f the treatment center to come back and w ork fo r the M H C . He passed away in 2006. But his amaz ing story and the fine w ork he did for others is told in the center's archives. A n im posing 6-foot-4-inch frame, a tough street-smart attitude, a long record o f conv ictions and hard tim e— it was the kind o f "currency” that commanded re spect among fe llo w prison inmates. A l Forthan had it all. He also had a 25-year addiction to heroin and enough hustlers and players w aiting back on the streets to keep the cycle going. It w ould take some potent interven tion to turn this life around, that and the one last close-call w ith police that left Forthan shaken fo r days. Forthan was born in Portland, the el dest o f seven children. The fa m ily was But when Forthan was introduced to heroin, the stakes were suddenly raised. It was no longer enough to just deal— now it required acts o f violence in order to support his own addiction. His arrests and convictions led to nine stretches in prison, and w hile none o f the convictions were serious enough to keep him from eventual parole, they still robbed him o f a total o f tw elve years o f his life. «Mk Al Forthan was known for inspiring others to quit drugs and alcohol. shuffled around from one housing project to another until Forthan was 13. His par ents did their best raising the fa m ily w ith his father insisting that they get the edu cation he never had. He w asn't buying it. Except fo r sports, school was no match for hanging out w ith friends on the street and in pool halls, pushing the lim its o f the law and eventu ally, at age 19, getting arrested fo r robbery. When he emerged from the Oregon prison system 18 months later, he fin a lly felt his life had some direction. He had learned a more sophisticated rule o f street ethics: how to play the system, how to tra ffic in drugs and all the fin e r points necessary fo r starting the life o f a career crim inal. And. so it began. It was the m id -’ 60s, back when drug dealing was relatively lim ite d to pot and pills. Before long, he had more money than he had ever had before and the rush he felt, this new sense o f purpose, gave him what he believed to be “ self-esteem." Every thing he had learned in prison seemed to be paying off. Friday. Feb. 29 through Monday, March 3, the Portland Japanese Gardens w ill host the D o ll Festival. Camp Fire Incredible Kids Envisioned To reduce domestic violence The R otary C lu b o f Portland has awarded $ I m illion to Bradley-Angle House as the first step toward creating a Rotary Center fo rC o m m u n ity Empowerment— a com m unity resource center that w ill bring together concerned citizens from all back grounds to w ork on reducing domestic violence in the greater Portland area. The donation provides the foundation for a project that could exceed $3 m illio n before its doors are opened in M ay 2010. The domestic violence group w ill seek additional donations from private founda tions and individuals to purchase a prop erty. remodel it, and fund basic center operations fo r three years. Town Hall Education Forum Saturday, March 8, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Rep. C hip Shields w ill host a Town Hall forum on education at the PCC-Cas- cade Campus Student Services Cafeteria. Electric Car Races Saturday. March I, M t. Hood C om m u n ity College-Gresham Campus, w ill host the electric car races beginning at 11 a.m. For more inform ation, call M ark Watts at 503-762-6180. extension 5579. Children's Book Fair As the oldest domestic violence orga nization on the West coast. Bradley- Angle House was founded in Portland in 1975 by women who needed services and support, neither o f which was available anywhere at that time. In its 33 years, the group has been a national anil a regional leader in a move Lorna Nakeli opens her studio to the pubic. Volunteer Elder Advocates Problem Pooch - Finicky Feline The Oregon Humane Society offers an swers to your pet’ s behavior issues. Prob lem Pooch class, Saturday, March I at 12:30p.m., F inicky Felineclass, Saturday, March 8 at 12 :3 0 p.m., both classes w ill be at 1067 N.E. Colum bia Blvd. In Search of Black Holes M onday. March 10, at 7 and 8 p.m.. Plan etarium Sky Theater at Mt. H ixtdC om m u- nity College-Gresham Campus, w ill ex plore the mysteries o f black holes. L im ited seating and $1 admission. For more inform ation.call 503-491 -7 2 13. Great Oregon Beach Cleanup Saturday. March 29. between 10a.m. and I p .m .,S O L V needs thousands o f volun teers fo r the 24th annual beach cleanup to restore the coastline to pristine condi tio n .T o g e t in vo lve d .ca ll 800-333-7658. Breaking the Cycle A safe and confidential forum fo r males lakes place every first and third Friday at 6 p.m. in the Calvary Christian Church, 126 N.E. Alberta. For more inform ation, contact Pastor Eric Carson. 503-422-8573. on page 112 Center Camp Fire U SA Portland M etro Council invites the p ublic to honor any incredible child. Honorees w ill receive an award, coupons and their name in print. The fee is $25 per ch ild w ith registration available until March 3 1. For more inform ation call, 503-224-7800, extension 142. Thursday. March 6. certification classes begin fo r volunteer advocates and inves tigators to serve the needs o f the elderly and those in assisted-living centers to insure they receive the propercare needed w ith respect and d ig n ity. C all Kathy Walters at 800-522-2602 to sign up. continued Empowerment Doll Festival Sunday. March 2, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the U niversity o f Portland-Chiles Center, 5(MX) N. W illam ette B lvd., hosts a free book fa ir featuring activities fo r children o f all ages. Each child attending receives a free book. " It d id n 't matter i f I was in prison or out," Forthan recalled. " I was •somebody,' I had power. 1 was respected inside and on the streets. I'd get out and then step right back into the same game, the same habits. I d id n ’ t realize that the lifestyle itself, the power and control. had become as much o f an addiction as the drugs.” O ver the years. Forthan participated in several drug rehabilitation treatment pro grams. It was never a comm itted relation ship. Nothing took. “ Spin dries" he calls them. “ No life altering counseling. No fo llo w -u p mentoring. Y o u're in. you get clean, yo u 're out. Spin dries." The turning point came in July o f ‘91. As he pulled his car into the driveway, he saw police cars and officers in the process o f a bust. They were not there looking for him , they waved him to get out o f their way. Forthan’ s car was fille d w ith drugs and paraphernalia, a gun and enough cash to have landed him in a Federal prison in definitely. M iraculously, nobody even Portland Open Studios is recruiting m inority and m ulticultural artists for next fa ll's annual tour o f artist workspaces. O f course, there are advantages to the artists who open their studios. A u diences are b u ilt, artwork sold, inspira tion grows and communication happens. ment to create co n fid e n tia lly located safe houses to shelter survivors and provide peer support until they can gain the con fidence. skills and resources needed to live safely on their own. The new center w ill be open and acces sible to the public, where conversation, strategizing and com m unity input can be channeled tow aril initiatives that w ill make domestic violence less and less socially acceptable. The fa c ility is m in im a lly projected to house B ra dley-A ngle's non-residential services (including youth services), ad m inistrative offices, volunteer services, a One artwork image from each artist ap pears both in the o ffic ia l tour guide and on the Portland Open Studios website, w hich extends the benefits after the scheduled tour weekends o f Oct. 11 and 18. There are advantages to each neigh borhood where artists have their stu dios, too. V isitors discover the art in their own backyards and venture out in to parts o f the metro area that they have never been. A rtists and visitors participate in grow ing a local arts com m unity fille d w ith a diversity o f artists making art in all library and resource center, an affordable licensed childcare center, community meet ing rooms, performance and exhibit space, and a healing garden. Depending on the size o f the building, other programs could be based there as well. "The only possibility we have to end domestic violence is to involve the entire com m unity in changing the conditions and perceptions that perpetuate the v io lence." said Karla McFarland. Bradley- A ngle House executive director. "W e welcome R otary's vision in selecting this media. Painters who use o il. acrylic or water color: sculptors who cast bronze, weld found objects or mold clay: fiber artists who weave, make quilts o r print fabric: mask makers: book artists: and artists w ho use just about anything else that artists use to make artworks can all ap Joe Pogan works with metal. ply. Portland Open Studios offers the K im berly Gales Emerging /Artists Scholar ship to encourage young artists be- tween 20 and 30. The w inner receives a w aiver o f all fees and a $100 stipend. To apply for participation or for more » project from the dozens o f w orthy subm is inform ation on the scholarship, go Io p o rlla n ilo p e n s tu d io s .c o m . A p p lic a tions are due March 15. / sions. Domestic violence intersects w ith so many other issues facing our c ity right now homelessness, drug a d d ic tio n , continued on page It 2