Page 4 The Skanner September 14, 2016 News Events & Announcements Community Calendar 2016 brought to you by Visit us at a store near you CELEBRATE THE REVITALIZATION OF ANKENY SQUARE IN THE NORTH PARK BLOCKS: Grubbin, a food cart, arts and music en- deavor created by Portland’s Jamal Gardner. A community gath- ering celebrating the area’s revitalization. Noon – 1 p.m. Free and Open to everyone. Ankeny Square, SW Ankeny & W. Burnside. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 18TH ANNUAL BOOK FAIR: Do the Right Thing and Read. Arts & crafts, live performances and a free book for every child. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., North Portland Library, 512 N. Killingsworth St. PORTLANDERS INVITED TO TALK ABOUT POWER, PLACE, HOME AND BELONGING: 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Midland Branch Library, 805 SE 122nd St. STURGEON FESTIVAL: 2016 Rocks. Celebrate the 20th Anniver- sary of Sturgeon Festival. This free, fun family event ofers a variety of opportunities for the entire family to learn about ish and other animals in and around the Columbia River. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Water Resource Education Center, 4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 AFRICAN AMERICAN XY PROGRAM LLC: This free community event is soliciting the participation of those entering the eighth grade and upwards, to include college and technical school stu- dents. The invitation is extended to both boys/girls, men/wom- en, fathers/mothers and caregivers. 7 p.m., A.M.E. Zion Church, 4303 N. Vancouver Ave. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 THE NAACP PORTLAND BRANCH INVITES THE COMMUNITY TO ITS MONTHLY GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: This is an opportu- nity connect with Portland’s NAACP’s work in advancing racial justice in the community. Noon – 2 p.m., American Red Cross Oregon Chapter, 3131 N. Vancouver Ave. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 GAINING GROUND: A NEW FILM ON GROWING FOOD, EMPOWER- ING COMMUNITIES & CHANGING LIVES: This ilm presents person- al stories of farmers and activists confronting the challenges of feeling their local communities sustainably grown food. Tickets are $9, $7 seniors, students and children under 12. Hollywood Theater, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd. Seattle Metro SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 PRATE DAY AT COUNTRY VILLAGE: All hands on deck. Come in your best pirate garb and follow the clues on the treasure map to solve the mystery & enter to win prizes. Meet for some fun, grub and even a special visit from the Pirates of Treasure Island. Noon – 4 p.m. Country Village, 23718 7th Ave. SE, Bothell. COMMUNITY KIDS DAY: Lakewood Gardens Annual Community Kids Day features a wide variety of entertainment and activities for kids of all ages. Arts and crafts, rale drawings, a passport to adventure to enjoy the gardens and much more. Cost is $1. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Lakewood Gardens, 12317 Gravelly Lake Dr. SW, Lakewood. See Community Calendar on page 5 View the Community Calendar and regularly updated News Briefs for Seattle and Portland at PHOTO BY JERRY FOSTER Portland Metro THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Peace and Justice Fair Janet Alder (right), marketing and outreach coordinator for the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, poses with library volunteer Claudia Carter at Vancouver’s 13th annual Peace and Justice Fair and Concert Sept. 10. Sponsors included Vancouver for Peace, Pride Foundation and a variety of local churches. Portland News Briefs Mexican Independence Day Celebration Takes Place This Friday Every Sept. 16, Mexico observes its Independence Day. The night of Sept. 15 was when Father Hidalgo rang his church bell and called upon everyone to ight for liberty. The resulting war against the Spanish lasted for 10 years, with Mexico eventually winning its independence. This call, El Grito, is re-enacted throughout every town in Mexico, as well as many others over the world every year. In Portland Cónsul de México Francisco Maass Peña will be in charge of the ceremony. As Mexican President presents the Nation’s tradi- tional El Grito in Mexico City, Portland will also com- memorate the Mexican Independence in the same manner in Moda Center. This will include a presenta- tion of the revolutionary call for Independence that will take place at around 8 p.m. In addition to folkloric dancers, live mariachi, sal- sa, cumbia, and pop music, the event will provide au- thentic cuisine and beverages, interactive communi- ty booths, and much more. The El Grito celebration is made possible by Lara Media Services, Mandos Mundo Entertainment. It begins at 11:30 a.m. and continues until 10:30 p.m. at the Rose Quarter Commons, 1 North Center Court St. For more information, visit www.elgritonw.com or www.facebook.com/elgritoNW. NAMI Multnomah, Cascadia Host ‘Break the Silence, Break the Stigma’ Playback Theater Portland, in collaboration with two non-proit organizations; NAMI Multnomah and Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, will bring sev- eral true stories of struggle, triumph and hope with “Break the Silence, Break the Stigma,” a night of com- munity theater and real-life stories about mental ill- ness. The event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Curi- ous Comedy Theater, 5225 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Tickets are $15 pre-sale, $20 at the door and are available at breakthestigma2016.eventbrite.com. Light snacks and beverages will be available during the event. Sponsoring this unique event are other non-prof- it community partners, including Curious Comedy Theater and MetroEast Community Media. These compassionate non-proit organizations are com- ing together in hopes to create a positive movement around mental health and how as a community, we can all help break the stigma. The organizations hope that the impact of sharing personal stories will bring people together, foster awareness and connect people with themes and is- sues that we face but generally ignore. “There is a greater understanding of how to sup- port folks who have mental health issues in a positive manner, and hopefully a sense of compassion and good will towards those who experience such chal- lenges.” said Playback Theater’s Artistic Director, Jackie Paris. Those afected by mental health issues may oten be too ashamed to talk about it and hesitate seeking help, resulting in social isolation- both for the afected in- dividuals as well as their family members. This event shows it takes a community to help create a healthy movement and that through every hardship, there are people like you can give hope. “This event creates an opportunity to talk about something that afects 1 out of 4 Americans each year and illustrates the various avenues that can be taken in the journey toward recovery,” said Cascadia’s CEO, Derald Walker. Ater these powerful performances, the audience will have an opportunity to talk with community members and mental health professionals and learn more about Oregon’s Mental Health community. A portion of the proceeds from this one-time per- formance will beneit local mental health organi- zations, Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare and NAMI Multnomah. NAACP Portland Branch Holds Monthly Meeting Sept. 24 The NAACP Portland branch invites the community to its monthly general membership meeting (fourth Saturday of every month): • DATE: Saturday, September 24, 2016 • TIME: Noon to 2 p.m. • LOCATION: American Red Cross Oregon Chapter, 3131 N. Vancouver Avenue, Portland, OR, 97227 WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Current and prospective members of the NAACP. WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND: President Jo Ann Hardesty and executive leadership will provide up- dates about current and future initiatives. This is an opportunity to connect with Portland NAACP’s work in advancing racial justice in the community. ABOUT THE NAACP: The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and eco- nomic equality of rights of all persons and to elimi- nate racial hatred and racial discrimination. The vi- sion of the NAACP is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there is no racial hatred or racial discrimination. Artists Rep Launches 2016/17 Season with ‘Trevor’ Artists Repertory Theatre’s production of “Trevor,” written by Nick Jones and directed by Dámaso Rodri- See Briefs on page 5