June 24, 2009
Page A2
Adams First Mayor Celebrating Juneteenth
Honored in lead-off vehicle
"Juneteenth" is a day m ost first city mayor to participate in
O regonian, o f all races, know any Juneteenth activity honor­
very little about. O n Saturday, ing Portland's A frican-A m eri­
organizers o f the 37th annual can community.
"It was a com plete honor to
Juneteenth parade and festival
participate
in this historic cel­
attem pted to explain why this
ebration,"
said
M ayor Adams.
historic celebration should be
of im portance to people in Port­ "The National Juneteenth m ove­
ment has a long, 37 year P ort­
land.
Sim ply put, A frican A m eri­ land history and is an im por­
cans have their own Fourth of tant annual com m unity event.
July or Independence Day. It I encourage all Portlanders to
comes on June 19, when in 1865 mark there calendars now for
all slaves in Am erica were de­ next y ear’s Juneteenth celebra­
clared a free people. More than tion."
Parade participants included
250 cities across the U.S had
o ffic ia l c e le b ra tio n s . In 31 M iss B lack O rego n C h elsea
states, Juneteenth is recognized Deloney, Rosa Parks Marching
Group, Forty-Acres and a Mule,
as a state holiday.
The late morning parade fea­ Jack & Jill Club, Oregon Bus
turing m ore than 28 d iverse P ro je c t, M o th e r S tro n g &
groups and over 120 partici­ Friends, A m istad Slave Ship,
pates m arched dow n M artin Streeter Classic Cars, Girlfriends
Luther King Jr. Boulevard as Garden Club, Chrysler 300 Club,
Portland Police m otorcycles of­ Wells Fargo Bank, Prince Hall
ficers blocked traffic. People Chapter and members of the Full
lin e d the street c h e e rin g as Tilt M otorcycle Club.
A s the p ara d e rea ch ed its
other cam e outside from busi­
Jefferson
High School destina­
nesses and hom es to see what
tion,
several
hundred people
the excitem ent was all about.
to
o
k
p
art
in
the Ju n e te e n th
A U.S. M arine Corp. Honor
Guard, follow ed by the Oregon com munity festival, even under
T roop o f Buffalo Soldiers led cloudy skies and a persistent
the parad e. P o rtlan d M ayor drizzle. M ore than 30 vendors
Sam A dam served as G rand and exhibitors w ere on hand
Marshall and was accom panied offering artw orks, services and
by M rs. C la ra P e o p le s, the products.
C hristo p h er G ourm et G rill
founder o f Portland Juneteenth.
Bruce Broussard, representing and Yam-Yam's BBQ Restaurant
the Buffalo Soldiers, rode with provide food for festival goers.
them. M ayor Adams became the Larry M atthews o f Yam-Yam's -
r
ator, w ith a striking likeness o f
President Lincoln, m ade an ap­
p e a ra n c e . D elo n ey , as M iss
Black O regon, also spoke.
Peggy Ross, director o f the
G overnor's A ffirm ative Action
Office, read a proclamation from
Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Sec­
retary o f State Kate Brown rec­
ogn izin g Ju n eteen th 2009. A
p r o c la m a tio n fro m M a y o r
A dam s was also read. The City
proclamation was officially pre­
se n te d to M rs. P e o p le s and
M iss O m a Lee G reen at a City
Hall cerem ony on Wednesday.
"As Juneteenth pdx chair, I
thank all the people w ho vol­
unteered and w orked tirelessly
to m ake this Juneteenth a great
s u c c e s s ," sa id D o ris R u sh ,
Wells Fargo Bank. "1 look for­
ward to com ing years where we
will take this com m unity event
to the traditional three day cel­
ebration."
A lso part o f the Juneteenth
celebration was the dedication
o f a stone plaque at the Presi­
d en t Lincoln statue in d ow n­
tow n Portland's Parks Block at
S o u th w e st M ain S tre e t an d
Park Avenue.
Miss Black Oregon was joined
by Lincoln impersonator Holgate
photo by M ark W ashington / T he P orti ani » O bserver
in the cerem ony to m ark the
Mayor Sam Adams participates in Saturday's annual Juneteenth Parade on Northeast Martin
200th anniversary o f the birth of
Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Accompanying the mayor is Mrs. Clara Peoples, the founder o f
Lincoln. The event was in part­
Portland’s Juneteenth celebration and Bruce Broussard, representing the Buffalo Soldiers.
nership with the Oregon Lincoln
thanks to donations from his County Library gave out free more than 10 musical artists and Bicentennial Com mittee, led by
groups from T rue Shine P ro­ M ike Burton, vice provost at
suppliers - gave away food free ice cream sundaes.
E ntertainm ent w as provided ductions. Steve Holgate, a na­ Portland State University, and
for tw o hours during the festi­
v a l, w h ile th e M u ltn o m a h by the K irk G reen Band and tionally recognized im person­ the Juneteenth group.
Oregon
D e p a rtm e n t
o f Tran spo rtatio n
Subcontracting opportunities in a variety of work
areas are available on an OTIA III State Bridge Delivery
Program bridge construction project.
Slayden Construction Group and Hamilton
Construction Co. are partnering with the Oregon
Department of Transportation on Bundle 220,
Interstate 5: Willamette River Bridge, a construction
manager/general contractor project in Eugene
and Springfield.
Reminder!
EARLY WORK PACKAGE BIDS DUE
July 9, 2 0 0 9 , 2 :0 0 p.m.
Bid packages are available at
Slayden Construction Group, Inc.
Contact Cyndi Bolduc at (503) 769-1969
or slayden@slayden.com
ODOT supports the participation of disadvantaged,
minority, women and emerging small business
enterprises, as well as opportunities for trainees and
apprentices, on highway construction projects.
Federal stimulus monies are going to work adding lighting to 7 miles o f a busy 1-205 bike
and pedestrian corridor.
Stimulus Monies Light Corridor
C rew s have begun w ork to
add lig h tin g alo n g the bu sy
bike and pedestrian 1-205 Multi-
Use Path near Clackam as Town
Center.
The O regon D epartm ent of
T ransportation and Tri Met are
dedicating $3.8 m illion o f fed­
eral stim ulus funds to add light­
ing along about 7 m iles o f the
corridor from Southeast Foster
Road to Gladstone.
S tim u lu s fu n d s fro m th e
A m erican Recovery and Rein­
vestment Act will support about
tw o dozen jo b s, and includes
calling five people back to work
and preventing six layoffs.
The path provides a key con­
nection for cyclists and pedes­
trians to access the new MAX
Green Line and the Springwater
Corridor Trail between Gresham
and dow ntow n Portland.
Adding lighting will enhance
safety along the corridor and
encourage more people to ride
bikes and w alk to transit. Work
on the path adjacent to the new
MAX G reen Line is expected to
be com pleted in tim e for the
Sept. 12 G reen Line opening.
Weekly Unemployment Payments Increase
O '
SAFEWAY
Ingredients for life
N e il K e lly
D e s ig n e rs
I
M ulticultural Music <&
Food Festival & Parade
.
'
U n e m p lo y m e n t in su ra n c e
benefits will increase in Oregon
starting next week.
The maximum weekly benefit
amount an individual can receive
will increase to $493, while the
minimum amount will be $ 115.
Under Oregon law, each year
the Employment Department re­
calculates the maximum and mini­
mum am ounts paid w eekly to
those filing for unem ployment
benefits.
The am ounts are set as per­
centages o f the average weekly
wage earned. The minimum un­
employment figure is 15 percent
of average weekly wage, and the
maximum amount is 64 percent.
T he new paym ent am ounts
are up slightly from a maximum
o f $482 or minimum payment of
$113.
The change affects new un­
em ploym ent insurance claims.
Existing claims will continue to
recieve their weekly amount.
’ PAOFIC POWER \
Colum bia River
« C R O S S IN G
The Colum bia River Crossing (CRC) project is o
bridge, transit and highway improvement proiect for 1-5.
c o e a a a ir^
W
r
tr
Listening Sessions on Tolling
I
Tolling will help fund the CRC project and manage congestion. The CRC Tolling Study
Committee wants your thoughts on preliminary tolling options.
;
iim ;
Tuesday, June 30, 200 9
'
| 6 -8
pm
Presentation at 6:30PM
TTbank
i
NECNI
King School Park ~ 4800 Block of N.E. 6th
(South of N E Alberta St.)
Transit Inform ation
C-TRAN
wwwC-TRAN.com
or 3 6 0-69 5-0 123
Washington State Department of Transportation
TriMet
SW Region, Room 102
or 503-238-RIDE
I 1018 NE 51 st Circle, Vancouver, WA
www TriMet.o»g
Project Inform ation
www ColumbiaRiverOossing org
/
•¡day, June 26 ~ 6 -9 pm
W ednesday, July 1, 2009 | 6 - 8
pm
or 1- 8 6 6 -3 9 6 -2 /2 6
Presentation at 6:30PM
itu rd a y , June 27 ~ Noon - 9 :3 0 pm
jnday, June 28 ~
Janben Beach SuperCenter, Community Room
O----------------------------------- -
Translators are available if
(across from the food court)
requested three business days
1405 N Jantzen Beach Center, Portland, OR
before each event
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Intormntion M Material* can be provided in an alternative format Please
co the Colum bia Rivei Crossing project office Ot (360) 73 7-2726 or (503) 25 6 -2 7 2 6 Persons who are deaf or
hard of hearing may contact CRC usmg Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing 7 1 1
WW W 6OO0rNTHENEI6HBOBHOOD 0B6
503 ZSZ -1788
Title VI Statement to Public
Ti n Columbia River Crossing protect team ensures full compliance with Title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by prohibiting discrimination against any percon on the basis o f race, color, national
origin o i sen in the provision o, benefits and services resulting horn its federally ossis’ed programs and activities