Reflections to Close
Changing demographics
and economy spell end
See story, page 3
Summer
Fun Guide
July 4th celebration
at Fort Vancouver
1
* u
See story, page 12
bserlicr
‘City 0/Roses'
Volume XXXXI
Number 24
Ul
I www.portlandobserver.com
■ Wednesday • lune 27, 2012
Established in 1970 „
Committed to Cultural Diversity
;
-
■J •'community servic
The inaugural MLK Dream Run is a community event coming to north and northeast Portland this summer thanks to the volunteer efforts o f leaders with the North-
Northeast Business Association. Pictured (from left) are Rodney Ferguson, Jim Hansen, Jason Hagen, Joice A. Taylor,Ian Jaquiss, Felicia Tripp-Folsom, Alem Gebrehiwot,
and John Washington.
Inaugural MLK Dream Run
August race
promotes Soul
District revival
by L ee
P erlman
T h e la te M a rtin L u th e r K in g Jr.
h a d a d re a m fo r a b e tte r A m e ric a.
F o r th e la st 18 m o n th s th e N o rth -
N o rth e a st B u sin e ss A sso c ia tio n
h as h a d o n e too: to h o ld a ro a d
ra c e in h o n o r o f D r. K ing a n d p ro
v id e e c o n o m ic stim u lu s to th e h is
to ric a lly A fric a n -A m e ric a n an d
m in o rity n e ig h b o rh o o d s o f n o rth
an d n o rth e a s t P o rtla n d . T h e
d re a m is a b o u t to b e re a liz e d .
O n Sunday m orning, A ug. 5, the
b usiness group w ill hold the inau
gural D ream R un. The annual event
w ill actually b e three runs o f 5, 10
and 15 kilom eters, plus a 5K w alk.
T he 15K ev en t w ill be a com petitive
race sanctioned by U .S.A . T rack
and F ield, and w ill h o n o r the late
G e o ff H ollister, a stan d o u t U niver
sity o f O regon ru nner and o ne o f the
early ex ecu tiv es at N ike.
A fu n d raiser fo r N N E B A ’s F el
low ship E ntrepreneurial A cadem y,
w hich provides training fo r busi
ness careers fo r youths age 17 to 25,
the entry fees, will run $25 fo rth e 5 K
The MLK Dream Run is the
culmination o f our longtime dream to
showcase the many positive changes
and improvements in north and
northeast Portland.
- JolceTaylor.NNEBAchalr
race, $ 30 for the 1 OK and $35 for the
15 K. Each entrant will receive a com
m em o rativ e t-shirt, back pack and
w ater bottle. T here w ill also be live
m usic and a health fair.
<
A 7a.m . early start tim e is a lo g is
tical com prom ise. N N EB A w anted
to hold the run on a S aturday to
avoid conflicts w ith church services
in the area, but city o fficials w ere
o p p o sed to clo sin g streets on S a t
urday. L ast year, the g ro u p c alled
o ff a p lan n ed m arathon due to this
and o th er issues.
T he D ream R un also rep resen ts a
u nique w ay to visit som e great in
ner-city neig h b o rh o o d s. T h e routes
w ill go th ro u g h parts o f the B oise,
E lio t, G r a n t P a rk , H u m b o ld t,
Irvington, K ing, Sabin, V ern o n and
W o o d law n n e ig h b o rh o o d s, parts
o f P o rtlan d ’s traditional Soul D is
trict. It w ill to u ch on parks, in clu d
ing Irving and W oodlaw n, and vital
com m ercial districts such as N orth-
continued
on page 2