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Community news Briefs
delta Community
Center Opens With
August reception
The June Key Delta Community Center is
celebrating its opening in North Portland
with a reception on Wednesday Aug. 10
from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event is
free and open to the public. It will feature
light refreshments, children’s activities,
music and a chance to tour the center’s eco-
features and products.
The center is owned and operated by the
Portland Alumnae Chapter of the Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority and Piedmont Rose
Connection, Inc.
The Delta Community Center is the first
African-American-owned
commercial
building in the United States to pursue the
Living Building Challenge (a building stan-
dard that goes beyond LEED certification in
its pursuit of eco-friendliness) and has the
potential to be the first commercial Living
Building in Oregon. This project serves as
an example of how a wide range of diverse
stakeholders can work together to develop
and achieve a "greener" future for the com-
munities most affected by these environ-
mental and health disparities statistics.
The Portland region is known around the
nation for being ahead of the curve in sus-
tainable, environmentally friendly develop-
ment. But those developments have not
always provided opportunities for the com-
munities in most need of empowerment and
most affected by climate change.
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o
The Delta Community Center, located at
5940 N. Albina St. in Portland, will include
a number of sustainable development fea-
tures upon completion. Solar and geo-ther-
mal energy sources on site means the build-
ing will achieve net-zero energy consump-
tion. Storm water will be stored, processed
to potable standards and used on site. Only
nontoxic, sensitively sources recycled mate-
rials will be used in the structure. And a por-
tion of the property has been transformed
into a community garden.
Clariner Boston, executive director of the
nonprofit Better People; David Rogers,
executive director of the Partnership for
Safety and Justice (PSJ); Harold Briggs,
Ph.D, a Portland State University professor
and author; and Tawna Sanchez, director of
family services at the Native American
Youth and Family Association.
The free event is co-hosted by the
Portland city government’s Office of
Human Relations and the Partnership for
Safety and Justice.
Clark County Seeks
Prison-mural
documentary Premieres Community Input for
Growth management
at OAmE
“Concrete, Steel and Paint,” a documen-
Plan
tary film about a prison mural project, is
making its Portland premiere Wednesday,
July 27 at the Oregon Association of
Minority Entrepreneurs headquarters (4134
N. Vancouver Ave. in Portland).
The movie explores a program undertaken
in the Pennsylvania prison system where
prisoners joined together with victims of
crime to paint a mural about healing. Tony
Heriza, the film’s producer, and Jane
Golden, executive director of the
Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, will both
be on hand at the July 27 screening to
answer questions and share their thoughts
on mass incarceration and the growing
number of youth and minorities among
America’s prison population.
Other speakers at the event include
m
m
u
n
I
t
Officials from Washington’s Clark
County are seeking feedback on health
issues from community members. Residents
can share their ideas by taking a 10-minute
online survey through the Clark County
Web site.
Results will be incorporated in Clark
County’s 20-Year Growth management
Plan, which, for the first time, is being
specifically designed to promote and protect
health. The Vancouver NAACP is encourag-
ing its members to take part in the survey.
“It’s important that communities are
designed in ways that promote health,” says
Dolly England, the group’s vice president.
“For example, communities where residents
have easy access to healthy food, nearby
y
c
a
l
e
n
parks where they can get exercise, safe
neighborhoods with sidewalks, and nearby
jobs that reduce the need for long car com-
mutes.”
For more information, contact Jonnie
Hyde at (360) 397-8122 or visit
http://www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/liv-
ing/growinghealthier.html.
Third SummerWorks
Campaign Offers Job
Experience to 100
young People
SummerWorks, a public-private partner-
ship that offers local youth with barriers to
employment an opportunity to gain mean-
ingful work experience, got its 2011 pro-
gram underway on Monday, July 11, wel-
coming more than 100 youth to the program
through a seminar at the Portland Building
Auditorium.
This is the third year the city of Portland
has invested in SummerWorks, which is
managed by Worksystems, Inc., a nonprofit
organization whose mission is to coordinate
a regional workforce system that supports
individual prosperity and business competi-
tiveness. Through its network of youth
providers, Worksystems provides all youth
in the program with work-readiness training
prior to being placed in a position and ongo-
ing support from a job coach while they are
working. Demand for the program far
exceeds the number of available positions.
d
a
r
P ortland J uly 2011
B ulletIn B oard
p.m. $10.00 per family at all times. Pioneer
Courthouse Square.
62Nd ANNuAl SAlEm ArT FAIr & FESTIVAl: ranked
20th in the nation, the Salem Art Fair & Festival
offers something for everyone. Friday and
Saturday hours are 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday 10
a.m. – 5 p.m. admission to get in. Bush Pasture
Park, 600 mission St SE, Salem
If you have an event you want to share
with the community, email it two weeks
in advance to The Skanner at
info@theskanner.com
Thursday July 14
SuNdOWN AT ECOTruST! Join us at the National
Capital Center, a hub for ideas and urban
community for a unique series of outdoor
concerts. Free for all to enjoy. 5:30 p.m. – 8:30
p.m. EcoTrust Building, 720 NW ninth Ave.
friday – Sunday July 15 – 17
SANd IN THE CITy: The greatest beach party in the
country is coming to Portland’ living room. Fun for
all ages with majestic sand sculptures, interactive
youth exhibits and much more. $3.00 per person
before 6:30 p.m., $5.00 per person after 6:30
Page 2 The Portland Skanner July 13, 2011
Sunday July 17
VANCOuVEr COmmuNITy lIBrAry GrANd
OPENING: Grand opening of the new library.
Speakers and ribbon cutting from 1 p.m. – 1:35
p.m. library opens for self guided tours and
regular usage at 1:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. The new
location is at 901 C. St. in Vancouver.
friday July 22
FlICKS ON THE BrICKS rETurNS TO THE SQuArE!
Pioneer Courthouse Square will kick-off this year’s
FrEE five-week outdoor movie series. Top Gun will
kick-off the start of this season. Each event starts
at 7 p.m. with live entertainment followed by the
movie at dusk. Bring blankets, pillows, cushions or
low back beach chairs. Pioneer Courthouse
Square.
Saturday July 23
19TH ANNuAl dIVISION/ClINTON STrEET FAIr/STrEET
dANCE! All are invited to join in the community
parade starting at 10:45 a.m. from 50th and
division and traveling to SE 27th and Clinton St.
Among other highlights will be music,
entertainment, sidewalk sales and much more SE
division St, SE 12th to 60th and Clinton St. to SE
20th to 27th.
PrAyEr – SONG- SHArING- rEFlECTION:
Identifying and celebrating the continuing
ministries we share as women in the tradition of
mary magdalene, the first woman called by
Christ to serve the community. 5 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
sign in hospitality. 5:30 to 7 p.m. mary of
magdala event at St. Philip Neri, Calvin Hall,
2408 SE 16th Ave.
FIrE IN THE PArK! A day of fun with a firefighter
challenge, chili cook-off, live music, kids fun
zone, fire trucks on display and much more. FrEE
to all and fun for the whole family. Esther Short
Park, 301 W. Eigth St. Vancouver, WA
Sunday July 24
CONNIE BIEBErAH & ArmONIA lATINA CONCErT!
don’t miss the free Sunday mcCoy Park Concert!
All concerts start at 6 p.m. This is a fun time for
the whole family to enjoy. mcCoy Park is located
at N. Fiske between Trenton and Fessenden.