Clocks to Fall Back *- H the ononng rm ed Forces and Veterans ü Special edition coverage, inside ISnrtianh Al A ‘City o f Roses’ ‘SaKz irseruer Read back issues of the Portland Observer at www.portlandobserver.com Volume XXXXI, Number 44 Wednesday • November 2. 2011 / a/ Established in 1970 Committed to Cultural Diversity > Fostering New Military Heroes Local ROTC program grows more competitive by M indy C ooper T he P ortland O bserver photo by M indy C ooper /T he P ortland O bserver Military science professor Lt. Col. Lewis Doyle walks with his students (from left) Brett LaMarca, Sabrina Norton and Danielle Bibbs at the University o f Portland campus in north Portland where a Reserve Officers' Training Corps leads to a bachelor’s degree and military career. Brett LaMarca, a junior at the University of Portland, has known he wanted to become an officer in the United States Army since he was in high school. After growing up in Orlando, Fla., he chose UP because of the school’s prestige in their Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program, and the scholarship the university offered him to attend. His dream of becoming an officer, however, truly began to materialize when he signed a contract on Sept. 14,2009, to join the Army as a col­ lege freshman. With recent cuts to the number of military officers within the country, continued on page 19 M M M N M M M M iM s m M N N M n a M M N i Activist Earns Spirit of Portland Award Opal Strong honored for lifetime achievement L ee P erlman T he P ortland O bserver by Opal Strong, a 9 3-year-old Humboldt neighborhood activist and family matriarch, has been rec­ ognized for her lifetime of commu­ nity and volunteer service in the form of a Spirit of Portland award. Presented annually to people and organizations who contribute to the city’s livability, the winners are se- lected from nominations submitted by the public - 90 this year - by a citizen jury under the direction of the Portland Office of Neighbor- hood Involvement. Members of the Portland City Council get to make some awards of their own. Strong was selected by Commissioner Amanda Fritz. Strong’s history of involvement includes charter membership in the Northeast Coalition of Neighbor- hoods board, chair of the Humboldt Neighborhood Association, State SeniorCitizensCouncil, Albina Art C e n te r b o ard , PT A , A lb in a W o m en ’s L eag u e, M eals on Wheels, the March of Dimes, and the Saturday with the Arts program for youth. j ” Community activist Opal Strong has earned a Spirit o f Portland award for her 60 years o f volunteer work.