This week the Oregon Attorney General John Kroger declared victory in the campaign. “I’m excited to report that our effort to restore the civil rights enforcement unit at the DOJ was a success . . .

Sharon Jones performs with the Dap Kings at this year’s Blues Festival. Photo courtesy of Waterfront Blues Festival. The largest blues fest west of the Mississippi will kick off this Thursday at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The 22nd annual Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival will welcome more than 100,000 attendees from July 2 to 5 to listen to more than 100 performances from some of the best performers in the nation. . . .

I recently read an article about Bisphenol-A (BPA) that eerily reminded me of the movie, “Thank You for Smoking.” In the movie, the “merchants of death” or MOD Squad, as they call themselves, are lobbyists for the alcohol, gun, and tobacco industries and meet for lunch while plotting to keep vital information about the harmful health effects of their products out of the hands of the public. And they do so with great success, not to mention, great profit. . . .

The King of Pop died on June 25, 2009. Michael Jackson created some of the best-selling records and song hits the world has ever known. From his collaboration as a child with the Jackson 5 to “Thriller” and beyond, Jackson was a pioneer of voice, dance and style ... In Portland on July 11 at the Someday Lounge, there will be a Prince vs. Michael Jackson show . . .

While there’s a good chance that Congress will enact some type of health care reform this year, all will be for naught if the new system leaves the cost of care out of reach for many Americans. If affordability is not adequately addressed, the prognosis for the nation will be poor. There’s no great medical mystery as to why millions of Americans today lack health coverage. They can’t afford it. . . .

The Good in the Neighbor’Hood Festival Saturday, June 27, drew families of all kinds to the parade and carnival.
Here are Miss Black Oregon Chelsea Deloney and her little sister Maysen. To see other photographs . . .

The graceful, and beloved, dancer choreographer Keith Goodman died suddenly Saturday afternoon after a dance performance in Beaverton. He was 54. The celebration of his life is Thursday, July 2 from 4-6 p.m. in the Gerding Theater at the Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave., Portland. Goodman had worked for years with children at Buckman Arts Magnet School, collaborated with the Conduit dance collective, and led his own troupe, Dance Gatherers. . . .

This year’s 4th Annual Day of Re-Tilling the Soil, Saturday July 11, is the biggest ever, with three neighborhood cleanups, a basketball tournament, book giveaway and free party at Irving Park. The clean-ups this year start with free breakfast at 8:15 a.m  ... The Z-Tournament, named in honor of deceased Portland Police Officer Mark Zylawy, runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m ... The competition features one age bracket of eight teams of fifth and sixth graders, and a second bracket of seventh and eighth graders. . . .

Evelyn Murray with one of her 21 grandchildren. For years, Evelyn Murray had been looking for the proper greeting card for her multiracial family. After years of searching, she said it was nearly impossible to find a card that featured a Black and White couple. So she decided to make her own. . . .

The New Seasons Market on Interstate Avenue is currently displaying photographic work from students of Open Meadows School. The class was organized with help from the Media, Arts and Technology Institute. Bobby Abrahamson, a freelance teacher who helped instruct students on the project, said the 10 students were taught much more than the basics of photography. The project began with an exploration of who each student was and what they thought about the world they lived in. . . .