Portland News and Events for Nov. 6 - Nov. 21 2014

 Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown thanks Danielle Solomon for voting. Brown was in Pioneer Square greeting voters Tuesday. Photo: Helen Silvis

Legislators to Host Town Hall on 82nd Ave. Opportunities

East Portland legislators host a Town Hall Nov. 6, about Northeast 82nd Avenue opportunities.  The event is Thursday, Nov. 6, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at PCC Southeast Center (Community Hall), 2305 SE 82nd Ave.
Hosted by Sen. Michael Dembrow and Reps. Alissa Keny-Guyer and Barbara Smith Warner, the event includes a presentation from ODOT on their current planning process for an 82nd Ave. transportation study, information about transferring 82nd Avenue from the state to the city of Portland, and an update on potential funding sources for improvements.  With the 2015 legislative session approaching, now is a great time to get plugged in. There will be time for public comments, and brief remarks from legislators. Portland Community College will be offering free parking for this event.

WSU Vancouver Diversity Event with Texas State Representative

Texas State Rep. Mary González will be the featured speaker at Washington State University Vancouver's fall Marquee Diversity event. González, who has twice been featured in Latin Leaders Magazine for leadership in education and politics, will speak at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 in the Dengerink Administration Building, Room 110.
Her talk is titled "Identity Culture and Social Justice: How Tortillas and Rainbows Taught Me to Change the World." She will discuss her personal identities as a member of the Latino and LGBTQ communities, and how they intersect with each other and her work. She will also talk about what inspires her to advocate for social justice, and how members of the audience can affect positive change in their communities.
González has been recognized as one of "10 Next Generation Latinas" by Latina Magazine and one of 10 newly elected politicians in the nation to watch. She has held positions at the National Hispanic Institute and Southwestern University and serves on the board of directors for allgo, a statewide organization in Texas for queer people of color.
The event is free and open to the public. You can reserve a seat online at www.vancouver.wsu.edu. Click on the events calendar and locate the event.

Northeast Community Center Fine Arts & Cool Crafts Show and Sale

Friday evening, Nov. 7, 5-8 p.m., free admission, complimentary wine & cheese.

Continuing Saturday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Location:  Northeast Community Center, 1630 NE 38th, Portland, www.necommunitycenter.org

30 plus artists/crafters, selling their quality original and handmade crafts – paintings, jewelry, holiday décor, cards, glass art, candles, bath & body and much more.

Proceeds support programs & activities at the Northeast Community Center.

Money for Small Businesses

Business development nonprofit, Albina Opportunities Corp says it now has increased funds available to help expand Portland area small businesses owned by minorities and women.  Terry Brandt, executive director of the nonprofit says increased funding from the State of Oregon’s “Oregon Growth Fund,” and from Union Bank will help Albina Opportunities Corp. fulfill its mission to provide lower-interest loans and lines of credit for expanding businesses in underserved communities.    

Albina Opportunities Corp., also known as AOC, is not a bank. It is a nonprofit designed to support small businesses that provide business advisory services and technical assistance to its clients free of charge.  Find out how to access funds and support at www.albinaopportunties.org.

Since it opened six years ago, AOC has made nearly 60 loans to expanding minority and women-owned Portland businesses helping create more than 500 jobs in the Portland area, without losing one loan.

‘Mind Zone’

PSU professor to screen new documentary about mental health and the military on Veterans Day. The screening of ‘Mind Zone’ will be presented Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. at the Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland, OR 97205.

The Northwest Filmmaker’s Festival features ‘Mind Zone,’a documentary by clinical psychologist and Portland State University professor Jan Haaken. The documentary follows therapists with the 113th Army Combat Stress Control detachment as they support soldiers suffering from battle fatigue.

The documentary moves between the battle zone and the home front, offering a rarely seen glimpse of heated debates within the field of psychology over diagnosis and treatment of combat conditions and the limits of using categories such as post-traumatic stress disorder to capture the psychological impacts of warfare. Jan Haaken will be in attendance for a Q and A after the screening.

For more information on the film, go to www.mindzonemovie.com  Tickets are available at: festivals.nwfilm.org/nwfest41/

Third Annual Clark College Fall Choral Festival

Clark College and the Clark College Music Department hosts the third annual Clark College Fall Choral Festival, Friday, Nov. 14, in Gaiser Hall. 

Twenty middle and high school choirs and vocal jazz ensembles from schools in SeaTac, Wash. and Pleasant Valley, Ore., as well as area schools from Woodland, La Center, Longview, and Gresham will join Vancouver’s Hudson’s Bay High School, Evergreen High School, Laurin Middle School, and Shahala Middle School. Choirs will begin performing at 9 a.m. in the choral clinic with adjudicators.  A showcase performance featuring four groups begins at 7 p.m.

The Clark College Women’s Choral Ensemble and Concert Choir, directed by April Duvic, will also perform at the 7 p.m. showcase concert Friday.

Admission is $5 for the day.  Clark College students and children under 12 accompanied by an adult are admitted free of charge.

For more information go to: www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/choral/index.php.

‘The Wake of Vanport’

First public screening of the Vanport Oral Histories Nov.15

The screening of the NPMTC 2014 Vanport Multimedia Project oral histories will be presented Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. at the Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church, 3138 N Vancouver Ave, Portland.

Join us for this screening of multimedia works produced during the 2014 Vanport Multimedia Project dedicated to collecting and preserving Vanport survivors’ stories. Community members, local historians, artists, media makers and educators collaborated to turn oral history interviews into short and powerful pieces of digital audio and visual narrative.  

Immediately following the screening there will be an opportunity for discussion with survivors and producers. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free.

The Vanport Multimedia Project is an ongoing project of The North Portland Multimedia Training Center (NPMTC) to collect and archive oral history from individuals in the Portland African American community. For more information go to www.npmtc.org.

Portland Parks 11th Annual Turkey Swim

Portland Parks & Recreation is gearing up for the 11th Annual Turkey Swim.  From November 1 through November 21, Portland Parks & Recreation pools will be hosting six drawings for a FREE frozen turkey. 

 The entries will be handed out with paid admission for all drop-in aquatic activities (Lap Swim, Water Fitness and Play Swims) at Portland Parks & Recreation pools.  Each of the six pools will draw a name and six lucky winners will have a turkey on us.   Lucky winners will be notified on Friday, November 21 (need not be present to win). 

Enter at: Buckman Pool, (503) 823-3668, 320 SE 16th; Columbia Pool, (503) 823-3669, 7701 N Chautauqua Blvd; Dishman Pool, (503) 823-3673, 77 NE Knott; East Portland Pool, (503) 823-3450, 740 SE 106th; Mt. Scott Pool, (503) 823-3183, 5530 SE 72nd; Southwest Pool, (503) 823-2840, 6820 SW 45th Ave.     

Portland Police Seek Public Input on Directives
The Portland Police Bureau is in the process of reviewing its directives. At the beginning of every month, the Bureau posts directives asking for public review.

Currently, the Bureau is asking for the community's feedback regarding the following directives:* 060.50, Tips and Techniques and Safety Bulletins; * 210.05, Field Training Program; * 210.21, Leaves of Service; * 412.00, Employee Retraining Program; * 690.00, Training - Precinct/Division.  
Community members are encouraged to read the directives and provide drafting comments at: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/59757. This webpage also enables community members to sign up for email notifications when new directives are posted.

These directives will remain posted and comments collected for thirty days, from Saturday, November 1, 2014 through Sunday, November 30, 2014.

‘American Winter’

Free community film showing to focus on fighting poverty and hunger. An informal dinner followed by a film showing will honor the 50th anniversary of the national “War on Poverty” and hunger relief month on Nov. 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. The free event will be open to the public at the Center for Community Health, 1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver.

Eight families struggling through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression are featured in ‘American Winter’, an Emmy-nominated documentary filmed in the Portland metropolitan area. A panel discussion with local program participants and advocates will follow the film. The Clark County Food Bank will have a representative in attendance to provide information about how hunger affects local residents. 

For more information about local programs that combat poverty and homelessness: http://www.clark.wa.gov/community-action/index.html

GirlStrength and BoyStrength Volunteers Needed

Portland Police Bureau is looking for men and women to volunteer with the WomanStrength , GirlStrength and BoyStrength self defense and violence prevention programs.
WomenStrength and GirlStrength have a 35 year history of success and trained over 110,000 community members in the Portland area. BoyStrength is an exciting new program for boys ages 10-14 that provide boys with options, strategies and skills to make healthy choices and be leaders in non-violence.
Volunteer instructors are trained by professionals in the field of violence prevention. No experience necessary.
Men and women from all backgrounds, abilities and ages (over 18) are encouraged to apply.
Application Deadline: February 5, 2015. Strength Instructor Training Starts: February 21, 2015
Volunteer Information and Application: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/BoyStrength
For more information call (503) 823-0239 or visit http//www.portlandonline.com/police/GirlStrength 

Find more events in the Portland and Seattle areas on The Skanner News Community Calendar