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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2021)
C AREERS Special Edition Page 6 Advertise with diversity in The Portland Observer Call 503-288-0033 or email ads@portlandobserver.com April 21, 2021 Back to Hands On Learning C onTinued from P age 5 terms online, and I tried to adapt to online school, but I preferred in-person classes.” When spring term began this past March 29, students were fi- nally able to return to the class- room for resumption of in-person classes and training. This puts them on course to complete their state-mandated 540 hours of clini- cal practice and graduate this fall. Beach and her team even raised $7,775 to help pay for a two-credit “Skills Review” class for students to take before going back into the dental clinic to work on patients. “We weren’t just going to throw them into treating patients without making sure that they had reviewed and we’re ready,” Beach explained. “The fact that the community donated money so that they would not have to pay for those extra credits to get that review class was a big boost to our students.” Meanwhile, a brand new group of 18 part-time students that be- gan their certificates taking on- line classes during fall and winter are now experiencing their first in-person learning. The college also offers its traditional full- time Dental Assisting Program, and currently has 41 students en- rolled. The dental assisting and hy- giene students, as well as the col- lege’s new dental clinic, operate in a brand new space in down- town Portland called the Vanport Building, which also provides healthcare services and commu- nity resources in conjunction with Portland State University, the city of Portland and Oregon Health & Science University. The clinic is the cornerstone to training for the dental students and for those in the community who want great dental care for a low price. It offers care to com- munity members who, by book- ing appointments with the pro- gram, help train dental hygiene and assisting students. Students provide free dental exams, dental X-rays, cleanings, small fillings and sealants, under the supervision of licensed pro- fessionals. The cost is no more than $25 for a visit, and often less. Appointments are three to four hours long and work may require multiple visits. To make an appointment, call 971-722-4909 or email dental- clinic@pcc.edu. Direct Action March Breaks Windows C onTinued from P age 3 Bank building at MLK and Kill- ingsworth, the Popeye’s restaurant at MLK and Ainsworth, the Nat- ural Grocers store on MLK and Alberta, the O’Reilly Auto Parts store across the street, and at the Blazers Boys and Girls Club, next door to the North Police Precinct. The so-called “direct-action” protest followed the police kill- ing Friday of Robert Douglas Delgado, 46, a white man who had reportedly been acting like a cowboy and doing “quick-draws” with what appeared to be a hand- gun in Lents Park. The details of the shooting were released by po- lice for the first time on Monday. Delgado’s gun turned out to be a replica with an orange tip, which is typically intended to distinguish toy guns or BB guns from func- tioning firearms. The police said their investi- gation into the park shooting was hampered by a crowd of “fairly ag- gressive people” who showed up at the southeast Portland park. Then that night, demonstrators broke windows, burglarized businesses and set fires downtown, including the Oregon Historical Society and a church, and police made four ar- rests after declaring a riot. Portland has been the scene of regular protests, many involving violent clashes between officers and demonstrators, since the po- lice killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. There were demonstrations for more than 100 straight days last summer, and ear- lier last week, a crowd set a fire outside the city’s police union headquarters on North Lombard Street following recent fatal po- lice shootings in Chicago and Minneapolis. Portland police on Monday is- sued a timeline of events as well as dispatch audio around the time of Delgado’s shooting. The first officer arrived at 9:36 a.m. with others arriving shortly after, and within about four minutes officers reported Delgado had been shot and was down. Police haven’t said what hap- pened before he was shot. Del- gado was shot by officer Zachary DeLong from about 90 feet away, police said, while two officers fired a 40mm device that shoots non-lethal projectiles. It wasn’t clear why DeLong fired his rifle as others were using less-lethal options. According to dispatch radio traffic, DeLong had reported that Delgado was “very noncompliant” and had been mak- ing obscene gestures toward offi- cers. “I think the gun’s in his back pocket,” DeLong radioed to dis- patch at one point. An ambulance was called and by 9:48 a.m., officers were per- forming CPR on Delgado, who died of a single gunshot wound, police said. DeLong is on paid administra- tive leave, authorities said. --Associated Press contributed to this story.
