July 18, 2012
4
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% I 5. N S I D E
L aw
J ustice
O pinion
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Sponsored by:
Fred Meyer
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pages 8-9
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M ETRO
page 9
F o o d
page 10
S um m er
F un G uide
page 12
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
The Albina Roadrunners Track Club will pay tribute to their longtime former coach and community
advocate Phil Walden who died last year. Pictured to promote the upcoming event is Coach Leon
McKenzie (from left) and track club participants Dai’lyn Merriweather, Xavier Pierce, Joda Pierce and
Aliyah Brown.
Legendary Coach Honored
Phil Walden
‘AllComers’
track meet set
B M
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P a «t s 11 15 A
C alendar
page 16
B usiness
page 17
C lassifieds
pages 18-19
hour. R egistration will follow
at 5:30 p.m ., before the track
events begin at 6 p.m.
For nearly 50 years, W alden
impacted the lives of many gen
erations o f youth, as a m entor
y
indy ooper
in the black com m unity, a fa
he ortland
bserver
ther figure, coach, and friend.
Track sports enthusiasts and Even in tough financial tim es,
residents from throughout the he w ould often spend his own
city are invited to a track meet resources to make sure that
community event on Tuesday, every kid had the opportunity
July 24, at Grant High School, in to participate in sports.
honor of Mr. Phil Walden, who
“We want to keep his (Walden)
passed away last summer.
name out there because he touched
The festivities will begin at 5 so many people,” said John Mays,
p.m. with food and a social track coach at Benson High School
and Concordia University. “Not
just inner city, but kids from all
over the state to give them an
opportunity.”
According to Mays, Walden
was a ‘grassroots coach’, who
touched thousands o f youth’s
lives by reaching out to them and
encouraging them to participate
in sports going back to the 60s.
“He would take kids to track
meets. He worked with inner
city kids to give them an oppor
tunity to participate in sports,”
said Mays, who said his influ-
continued
on page 20