ilîl JJnrtlanh (Observer_________________________ Aprii 30,2008 PagcAG___________________________________ • Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Kicks off' Friday The downtown waterfront is jammed with people for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, one of the largest festivals in Oregon, returning for a four-day run on Friday. The Cinco de Mayo Fiesta celebrates family, culture and community at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The 24th-annual event opens Friday on the downtown waterfront. Celebrates arts, music and folklore The Cinco de M ayo Fiesta is a four- day celebration that opens Friday a, Tom McCall W aterfront Park, dow n­ tow n. The celebration brings to Portland and all Oregonians the beautiful colors, cuisine, arts, music and folklore o f M exico and specifically, Guadalajara, Portland’s sister city. This will be the 24th anniversary for the largest Cinco de M ayo fiesta in North America. Your perennial favor­ ites from G u a d a la ja ra , the B a lle t Folklorico and M ariachis will be back and perform ing daily. New for this year’s event will be the Guadalajara Pavilion. It showcases arti­ sans and other successful businesses from Guadalajara, Mexico. Representa­ tives from Guadalajara have taken the reins and promise to provide a distinctive environment with artisans and jewelers from Guadalajara who will demonstrate their craft onsite and sell their wares. The C inco de Mayo Fiesta is a boost for tourism and supports our local. regional and global econom ies with hundreds o f people w ho jo in us as guests from Portland’s sister city of G uadalajara as well as people from across Oregon and other states across our nation. Unique to the celebration is the ability to provide entertainm ent and activities for fam ilies and people o f all ages. The fiesta will start on Friday, May 2 at 11 a.m. and continue through Cinco de M ayo which falls on M onday this year. Firew orks will kick-start the fi­ esta Friday night at 9:45 p.m. Admission is $8 for ages 12 to adult, $2 for children under 12 and free for kids under 3. Free adm ission is scheduled before 4 p.m. on Friday and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on M onday. Diverse background leads to crusader for jobs Transportation commissioner turns to schools He also says that he tries not to to make the district more cost- be evasive about his sim ilarities efficient, econom ic issues re­ a different experience— but gen­ to M ayor Tom Potter, preferring main tantam ount. erally speaking I certainly under­ to talk about some programs he “All that stuff begins with a stand that we all need to work would keep like supporting hous­ healthy econom y, because if together.” ing for inner-city families. you do n ’t have good, family- Dozono says the campaign is One thing Portlanders can be wage jo b s, everything else is not about running against any­ sure of with Dozono as mayor is nothing," D ozono says. one but about what an experi­ a c o n cen tratio n on attractin g As mayor, he plans to reduce enced minority businessman can businesses to the city and keep­ taxes for com panies and travel bring to the city, though he intro­ ing existing enterprises happy. the world to tell business lead­ duced subjects with “ 1 disagree Even when talking about public ers that the city is open to busi­ with my chief opponent” repeat­ schools needing more advocacy ness, saying, “For too long at edly in his conversation with the in Salem, along with the c ity ’s least the perception is that Port­ Portland Observer. reinvestment in school buildings land is business-unfriendly.” Adams has some opponents from over a decade at City Hall, yet Adams led last year will be acontro- argues that he’d be less divisive v e rsia l tax m easu re on this than Mayor Tom Potter, saying, “I November’s ballot to raise money think it’s despicable that the mayor for long-term transportation fixes tries to play one side of the city off and paving projects, replacing on another side of the city. But with messages such as “a bridges, easing congestion and city is only as good as its public building streetcar lines. On initiatives to reduce the use schools,” Adams can remain posi­ of carbon fuels, he says, “ I would tive and goal-oriented at the same be loath to do any sort of carbon time. He envisions a “self-improv­ tax that didn’t have a break for ing prophesy" that links Jefferson High School and its neighboring low -incom e people. As a fighter for social con­ cam pus o f Portland Com m unity cerns, Adams has strong convic­ College. Hoping to build on his advo­ tions. “ I m ake absolutely no apologies for the priorities that cacy for low -incom e housing, I’ve made or the decisions that Adams cam paigns for affordable I’ve m ade,” he says. living with taxes on real-estate continued from Front continued from Front transactions and large develop­ ments. A non-tax method aimed at im ­ proving the schools involves A dam s’ proposal to make com pa­ nies pay em ployees for work lost attending parent-teacher confer­ ences. Various plans in partnership with school districts, county and business representatives make the top city position, in his words, “e q u a l p a rts p r iv a te - s e c to r fundraiser in chief, honorary ac­ countability officer and parental involvem ent cheerleader.” “Only a m ayor can do all that,” he says. “ I can ’t change people’s minds, but hopefully I can change their pocketbooks.” < Artist and muralist Isaac ‘Isaka’ Shamsud-Din is encouraging young art students to participate in an art competition with the theme “ The Black West.” W EU O M Young, Gifted and Black Art contest embraces cultural histories A local African-American artist The purpose of the contest is Hargrave, 5210 N. Kerby Ave., and muralist is encouraging Afri­ to encourage the study of rich Portland, OR 97211 (phone 503- can-American or African-Diaspora cultural history as a living legacy 916-5180, extension 1391 )orM r. high-school students in the Port­ and inspire the creation o f origi­ Sham sud-Din (phone 503-232- land metro area to participate in an nal works of art. Throughout time, 1671) o r v is it the w e b s ite art competition under the theme the study and know ledge of his­ aavas.com . •The Black West.” tory has given artists a founda­ The African American Visual Isaac "Isaka” Shamsud-Din is tion to fashion their visions as Arts Scholarship Committee is ac­ one of the organizers of the compe­ they chronicled and interpreted tively seeking young A frican- tition sponsored by the African past and present people, places American artists, offering tuition, American Visual Arts Scholarship and events. financial support, m entoring, tu­ Committee at Portland State Uni­ A deadline of May 23 has been toring, portfolio development and versity, the Portland Rose Festival set for submissions. Each entry a network o f art students o f color and the office of Mayor Tom Pot­ must be accompanied by a typed throughout the Portland area. ter. 100- to 200-word essay or outline Recipients must be African- Cash prizes of $5(X), $250 and from readings that provide the ba­ American or African-Diaspora art $100 will be awarded for original sis for your art. Be sure to attach majors enrolled as full-time stu­ two dimensional works with a maxi­ student information: name, address, dents, concentrating in studio art. mum size of 36 by 36 inches. Some phone number, school, art teacher's drawing, painting, printmaking, exceptions will be considered. All name and year in school. sculpture, graphic design with com­ entries will be exhibited at the 2008 D eliver entries to Jefferson puter graphics components or art Rose Festival. High School, in care o f Amy history. C 11 k c (' r i kn, f 503-288-0033 tlr ¡•«tian* ¡ j O U D S C r iD C • ’ | I F O rn ut