Page 4 _____________ continued ^portlanh (©bseruer from page 2 _ januaiy2,2013 _ 2012 Year Crimes against the Elderly Candlelight Blows Out March 14 - Sgt. Margaret Bahnson o f the Portland Police Bureau’s Vulnerable Adult Unit, joins other advocates to speak out on crimes committed against the elderly. In the last year, 8,300 reports o f abuse, fraud and financial exploitation were made involving older Portland area residents. March 21 - After decades o f providing Portlanders with what some consider the best blues, soul and R&B the city has to offer, the Candlelight Room closes to make room fo r the construction ofTriMet light-rail tracks, ending an era fo r a popular down town nightspot. High Emotions on Schools April 11 - Harriet Tubman Young Women’s Leadership Academy Principal Bonnie Hobson and other school advocates speak out against the closure o f the all-girls academy and Humboldt Elementary School, both serving Portland’s African- American community and other minorities. Voices of Vancouver’s First Families April 18 - Vancouver’s African-American community tells its 70-year-story with the help o f local author Jane Elder Wulff whose book details the lives o f 35 local families who trace their roots to the ship building days o f World War II. Fighting for Social Justice New Columbia Store Strives for Health April 25 - After nearly 17 years as an activist and advocate fo r minority commu nities in Portland, Native American and single mother Jeri Williams has put equity issues before the public with her race fo r a seat on the Portland City Council. Standing Your Ground May 16 - As Debbie Austin struggles to keep her house as a bank executes a foreclosure, a new organization called We Are Oregon is formed to fight fo r a fair economy. May 23 - Mychal Tetteh, project manager o f the Village Market in the New Columbia neighborhood in north Portland, works diligently with the commu nity to provide residents with affordable and healthy food options. Higher Fares and Service Cuts to Come June 20 - After nearly eight months o f public outreach to tackle a $12 million budget shortfall, TriMet has approved a series o f higher fares and service cuts, including the elimination of pricing by zones, and the rail- free zone downtown and the Lloyd District.