The Alaska/Oregon/Washington State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, in conjunction with the Western Region I Office, would like to announce a special election for the Portland branch of the NAACP. This special election is designed to elect the executive committee of the branch.
The special election will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 28 in Terrell 122 of the Portland Community College, Cascade campus.....

"The Last King of Scotland" is a powerful historical film based on the award-winning novel by journalist Giles Foden. It tells the story of infamous Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and how a Scottish doctor becomes his confidante during an unusual time in Uganda.
Directed by Kevin Macdonald, "The Last King of Scotland" follows Dr. Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) who comes to Uganda in the early 1970s to work at a missionary clinic just as Amin (Forest Whitaker) takes control of the country in a military coup.
The two characters meet when Garrigan is rushed to help the injured Amin. Amin instantly takes a liking to Garrigan after learning that the young doctor is Scottish. Amin, who once served with the British Highland regiments, was familiar with Scottish customs and admired the culture – he even gave his son a Scottish name. The two became close and Amin makes Garrigan his personal doctor/advisor.

Mon April 30
 
STORY STOP. Children ages 0-6, and adults, will have story time. 2-2:15 p.m. Central Library, 801 S.W. 10th Ave.
 
NEW CRAFT. A knitting and crocheting class for beginners. Ages 8-adult. 4-5 p.m. Belmont Library, 1038 S.E. 39th Ave.
 

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After months of letter writing, name-calling and hurt feelings, the simmering controversy over one North Portland business' sign may be cooling down.
Patty Earley, co-owner of The Florida Room at 435 N. Killingsworth Ave., says she will soon take down the "Church of the Bloody Mary" slogan that seems to have offended so many in the Black community.
"To me, this started off as a free speech issue, but it seems to have turned into a cultural issue," Earley said. "I want to be culturally sensitive, so I will take down the word 'church.'"
The Florida Room's sign, which reads "Church of the Bloody Mary" on one side and "Go Team Evil" on the other, has been called "insensitive, inappropriate and offensive" by many people in North Portland's African American community.

Jefferson High School Principal Leon Dudley is on leave of absence until the end of the school year, according to Portland Public School officials. Cynthia Harris, area director for the Jefferson Cluster, will take his place on a temporary basis.
Dudley was hired as Jefferson's principal on Aug. 14, 2006, and the end of this school year would have marked his first year at the school, which has been marked with controversy over his leadership style, including recent criticism from the student council over Dudley's allegedly frequent absences.
Portland Public Schools Spokesman Matt Shelby declined to say if the leave was forced or if Dudley chose to leave, but said the leave is for a defined amount of time and that he expects Dudley to return to his duties after that time.
"We're affording him the same respect we would any other (PPS employee)," Shelby said. "It is a personnel matter."
Harris, who also started her position in the fall of 2006, has been involved with many of Dudley's duties, says Shelby, and supervises all the principals in the Jefferson Cluster. The district will be filling Harris' position in the near future, but says it will have "zero effect" on day-to-day functions.

Ten years into his tenure as Portland State University's president, Daniel Bernstine announced
Wednesday that he is leaving. "It's time to explore different opportunities," Bernstine told The Skanner on Wednesday. "I will miss it ... but it's better to leave too early than to leave too late."

When August Wilson's Tony Award-winning play "Fences" opens in Portland this week,
only two of the actors will be able to sleep in their own beds each night.
Ten-year-old Justyce Chaney and 9-year-old Makayla Irvan, both local girls, will rotate the part of Raynell, a sassy youngster whose family is dealing with the racial inequalities of 20th century America.