Page 4 The Skanner November 23, 2016
News
Events & Announcements
Community
Calendar 2016
brought to you by
Portland Metro
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24
FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER IN THE PORTLAND AREA:
Proper Thanksgiving Feast, noon – 4 p.m. Po’Shines Café, 8139
N. Denver St.
United States Mission Thanksgiving Meal: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., United
States Mission, 4545 NE Garfield Ave.
Celebration Tabernacle – Noon – 4 p.m., 9131 N. Denver Ave &
Kilpatrick.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
32ND ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY: The day after Thanks-
giving thousands pf Portlanders will gather at the square to cel-
ebrate the lighting of the spectacular 75ft Douglas Fir Tree. Fes-
tivities include a holiday sing-a-long with Thomas Lauderdale
and members of Pink Martini, The NW Community Gospel Choir,
Pacific Youth Choir and friends. 5:30 p.m. Pioneer Courthouse
Square, 555 SW. Yamhill Ave.
COMMUNITY TREE LIGHTING: Be there when thousands of lights
come alive on Vancouver’s community tree in Esther Short Park.
Santa will be there! Will you! The festivities start at 3 p.m. and
the tree lighting is at 6 p.m. Esther Short Park, 605 Esther St.,
Vancouver.
MY MACY’S HOLIDAY PARADE: 29th Annual My Macy’s Holiday
Parade. This year’s parade features 25 inflatable floats, local
middle and high school marching bands, nearly 650 costumed
characters and community drill teams, and the one and only
SANTA. Parade begins at 9th Ave. and w. Burnside then travels
the downtown streets Stark, Broadway, Alder and 4th, 5th, and
6th. Parade starts at 10 a.m.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29
7TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING: Featuring
Concordia Brass Ensemble and Concert Choir. The lighting takes
place outside the George R. White Library & Learning Center,
2800 NE Liberty St., 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2
CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK: Come to Esther Short Park for Activate
Church’s 5th annual free Christmas at the Park event, where we
will give away 100 free Christmas trees. Other activities include
Christmas caroling, costumed characters, a cookie making tent
and much more. You don’t want to miss this holiday event. All
are welcome, rain or shine and everything is free! 6 p.m. – 7:30
p.m., Esther Short Park, 605 Esther St., Vancouver.
ASSUMPTION VILLAGE HOLIDAY BAZAAR: Arts and crafts, unique
gifts, baked goodies, plants, handmade knit & crochet items,
hot beverages and much more. Admission is free and all pro-
ceeds go to Assumption Village Residents. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., 9121
N. Burr Ave.
FRIDAY – SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2 – 4
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY PRESENTS ITS 66TH ANNUAL CHRIST-
MAS CHORALE: a SERVICE OF LESSONS & CAROLS: More than 100
Concordia student vocalists and musicians participate in the
traditional Service of Lessons and Carols. Admission is free and
the event is open to the public. Seating is limited and on a first
come, first seated basis. 7 p.m. Dec. 2 & 3, 3 p.m. Dec. 4. St. Mi-
chael’s Lutheran Church, 6700 NE 29th Ave.
Seattle Metro
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24
FREE COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER AT HALL AT FAUNTLE-
ROY: Tuxedos and tennis shoes host’s its 18th annual free com-
munity meal. The sitdown dinner of turkey and all the trim-
mings will run until 3 p.m. and is open to anyone who needs a
hot meal or just a warm and festive place to be for the holiday.
Noon – 3 p.m. Hall @ Fauntleroy, 9131 California Ave. SW.
THANKSGIVING DINNER: Free holiday meal with all the trim-
mings on Thanksgiving Day. Festivities also include fun and
See Community Calendar on page 5
PHOTO COURTESY OF PORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION
Visit us at a store near you
Native American Marketplace
Portland Parks & Recreation will host a Native American Marketplace & Family Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Mt Scott
Community Center, 5530 SE 72nd Ave. The 2016 Native American Marketplace & Family Day will feature 30 artisan vendors, as well as
activities and crafts for kids, and a special musical performance by Cedar Rose.
Portland News Briefs
NAACP Portland Branch Meets
Saturday
The NAACP Portland branch invites the community
to its monthly general membership meeting (fourth
Saturday of every month):
DATE: Saturday, November 26, 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.
CONNECT WITH PORTLAND NAACP:
• WEB: www.portlandnaacp1120.org
• FB: www.facebook.com/PDXNAACP
• EMAIL: pdxnaacp@gmail.com
Southminster Presbyterian Church
of Beaverton to Host Forums on
Building the Beloved Community
Southminster Presbyterian Church of Beaverton
has begun hosting a series of forums titled on con-
secutive Tuesdays, Nov. 22, 29, Dec. 6, & 13 from 7-8:30
p.m.
It is an important time now to think about MLK’s vi-
sion for the Beloved Community as the United States
transitions into a Trump presidency. Join Southmin-
ster Presbyterian Church for an open forum to ad-
dress equality, politics, and most importantly---love
and peace within our changing community. The se-
ries is open to the public.
The church will study the King Philosophy as found
on the King Center website www.kingcenter.org and
practice non-violent communication and action. The
rhetoric of violence and discrimination that has aris-
en from this election has caused alarm and concern
across our nation. The Trump presidency can be an
opportunity to learn about the challenges facing us,
resist any kind of discrimination, and work across
divisions and boundaries to build the “Beloved Com-
munity” where all are welcome and valued. This se-
ries will use resources from the King Center, feature
speakers from the larger community, and encourage
conversation to put our words into action. This is an
open series for anyone. The larger community is wel-
come.
Southminster Presbyterian Church is an inclusive,
welcoming community. Southminster people come
from all kinds of religious backgrounds, including
none, and all are seekers. Southminster has been affil-
iated with the “More Light” Network (Queer Justice)
since 1995 and is a member of the Welcoming Congre-
gations of Portland. The church’s goal is to include,
not exclude. More information about Southminster
can be found on its website www.southmin.org.
OJRC Calls on Gov. Brown to
Commute Death Sentences
Oregon Justice Resource Center, a Portland-based
nonprofit is calling on Gov. Kate Brown to commute
the sentences of the 35 people on Oregon’s death
row to life without the possibility of parole. The call
comes after an academic study of the financial cost of
the death penalty that was funded by OJRC revealed
death sentences cost Oregon as much as a million dol-
lars more or four times more than life sentences for
comparable crimes.
In October, Gov. Brown reaffirmed the moratorium
on executions that began in 2011 under her predeces-
sor, Gov. Kitzhaber, and was continued by her when
she took office in 2015. At that time, she was reported
as having “serious concerns about the constitution-
ality and workability of Oregon’s death penalty law.”
While the moratorium does prevent anyone being
executed in Oregon, cases are still making their way
through the appeals process and new death sentenc-
es can be issued, so it does not address the financial
costs associated with the death penalty.
OJRC is urging Gov. Brown to take swift and deci-
sive action that will end or greatly reduce the costs
associated with the cases of those who are on death
row. The organization believes the time is right for
the governor to commute all Oregon death sentences
to life without the possibility of parole.
Wyden, Merkley Announce Job
Training in Health Care Industry
This week, Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff
Merkley announced that the U.S. Department of La-
bor has awarded $6 million to help educate and train
Oregonians for jobs in Oregon’s growing health care
industry.
The grant, awarded to Worksystems Inc., is part
of America’s Promise, which helps cover education
and training costs for workers looking for middle-
to high-skill jobs in high-demand industries, such as
health care and information technology.
The funding will be used to launch NW Promise, a
See Briefs on page 5