But Program Needs Funds
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Spring Forward A Pathway Clocks move to Return ahead 1 hour Housing Sunday for reserved for Daylight Savings displaced ‘City Time of residents Roses’ See story, page 5 www.portlandobserver.com Established in 1970 Volume XLVII • Number 10 Wednesday • March 7, 2018 Committed to Cultural Diversity PHOTO BY BEVERLY CORBELL/THE PORTLAND OBSERVER Estefania Tapia (left), one of the music teachers helping keep alive an after-school band program at Jefferson High School, fills in on vocals during a dress rehearsal of the Pacific Northwest Show Band, held recently at the school, drawing students from all over the metro area. Tapia is also director of the Sounds of Jefferson band, created just for Jefferson High students. School Band on a Lifeline Sounds of Jefferson is back; but program needs funds BY BEVERLY CORBELL a huge success with hundreds of kids involved, from cluded and attracted African American students, who THE PORTLAND OBSERVER elementary school on up. Now he’s trying to do it all comprise more than half the student body. In the 1970s, Jefferson High was a performing arts over again, but this time, as an after-school program. Luwam Solomon, who is black, rides a bus for an school with a thriving school band, the Sounds of “The reality is that it’s going to be a long time be- hour each day just to go to Jefferson, and now as a Jefferson. Today, the focus is on college prep aca- fore it’s an in-school program (at Jefferson), so the singer with the Sounds of Jefferson, she’s getting a demics and the school’s highly-rated dance program best shot we have is for an after-school program, and music education as well, Little said. is the only remnant of those days. I’m a believer in after-school programs,” he said. But the band is in danger of folding because of Back then, the school’s music program was creat- Serving inner north and northeast Portland, Jeffer- ed and run by Jim Little. He said the school band was son High has traditionally been a school that has in- CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Page 2 March 7, 2018 The Week in Review The Shape of Water Wins Big at the Academy Awards The love story fantasy ‘The Shape of Water’ snagged four Oscars at the 90th Academy Awards Sunday, including best picture and best director. Frances McDormand won best actress for her role in ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,’ Gary Oldman won best actor for ‘Darkest Hour,’ and Kobe Bryant won an Oscar for his short ani- mated film ‘Dear Basketball.’ Downtown O’Bryant Square Plaza Closed for Safety O’Bryant Square, a small downtown park, will be closed indefinitely Jordan Peele became the first African American to win an Oscar for best original screenplay for his due to safety concerns with the parking garage below the site, city film ‘Get Out,’ at Sunday’s 90th annual Academy Awards. (AP photo) officials announced Monday. The parking structure was temporary closed back in September, but engineers recently found additional problems. ‘Get Out’ Writer Wins Oscar Hundreds of Students Rally at Capital for Gun Control Writer and director Jordan the award. “I want to dedicate this “Get Out” previously brought Hundreds of high school students, carrying signs and clamoring for Peele, 39, made movie history to all the people who raised my Peele a Directors Guild award; gun control, traveled to Oregon’s state capital in Salem Monday as Sunday by becoming the first Af- voice and let me make this movie.” best feature and best writer awards they joined a welling tide of activism in the wake of the recent deadly rican American to win an Acade- The film, which satires racism, at the Independent Spirit Awards; Florida school shooting. my Award for best original screen- was a box office smash and criti- and for best original screenplay by play for the movie ‘Get Out.’ cal darling when it hit theaters one the Writers Guild of America. Gov. Brown Signs Law to End Gun Loophole “I stopped writing this movie year ago. It was also the first time The Academy also nominated On Monday, Gov. Kate Brown signed into law a bill banning posses- about 20 times…I thought it was a black writer-director hit $100 “Get Out” for best picture and sion of guns and ammunition be people convicted of domestic abuse impossible,” the former sketch million in revenues with their de- Peele for best director. and under restraining orders. The bill closed a loophole in a 2015 law comedy star said while accepting but film. that excluded some abusers from the ban, such as boyfriends who abuse partners they don’t live with. TriMet Begins Service for Three New Bus Lines TriMet launched three new bus lines on Monday, with services to Rebuke to Arming Teachers Beaverton, east Portland and Gresham. Ribbon cutting ceremonies were held to celebrate the largest expansion of bus service the public Union leaders transportation agency has had in years. Hardesty Steps Down from NAACP for Election Race speak out Activist Jo Ann Hardesty resigned as president of the Portland NAACP last week to avoid a conflict with the organization’s rules against the idea as she runs for election to the Portland City Council. The civil rights BY DANNY PETERSON group has a policy requiring its officers to step aside if they run for THE PORTLAND OBSERVER political office. The idea of arming some teach- es with guns as a response to the Net Neutrality in Oregon Passes Legislature rising number of school shootings A local version of net neutrality passed both houses in the Oregon across the country is drawing a Legislature last week and is headed for the governor’s desk. The bill rebuke from community leaders, would prevent public bodies such as state and local governments and including the union presidents of school districts, from contracting with broadband providers that en- gage in “paid prioritization.” Three students from Mt. Tabor Middle CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 School testified in support of the measure. Daryl Turner Suzanne Cohen Established 1970 ---------------------- USPS 959 680 ------------------ 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or per- sonal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 2008 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. The Portland Ob- server--Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication--is a member of the National Newspaper Association--Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association PUBLISHER: Mark Washington, Sr. CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Paul Neufeldt EDITOR: Michael Leighton REPORTER/WEB EDITOR: Danny Peterson EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Rakeem Washington PUBLIC RELATIONS: Mark Washington Jr. ADVERTISING MANAGER: Leonard Latin OFFICE ASSISTANT/SALES: Shawntell Washington Office Manager/Classifieds:Lucinda Baldwin PO QR code CALL 503-288-0033 FAX 503-288-0015 [email protected] • [email protected] • [email protected] Postmaster: Send address changes to Portland Observer , PO Box 3137 , Portland, OR 97208 March 7, 2018 Page 3 This page INSIDE Sponsored by: The in Week Review page 2 PHOTOS BY MARK WASHINGTON/THE PORTLAND OBSERVER Pastor Rose Franks of Hughes Memorial United Methodist Church delivers a sack lunch to Paul Joseph as part of a feeding and clothing drive for the homeless. Feeding the Hungry Church helps by fixing hundreds of sandwiches Arts The Hughes Memorial United addition to occasional socks, hats, pastor assistant. “Our goal is end the ENTERTAINMENT pages 8-10 Methodist Church congregation in gloves, and coats. homelessness.” & northeast Portland is upping the ante Since December 2015, church In the future, the church wishes when it comes to their assistance members have been meeting every to increase its monthly outreach to feeding and clothing the homeless. fourth Saturday of the month to pre- once a week, also on Saturdays. Under the leadership of Pastor pare and deliver the meals to home- To inquire about the Hughes Me- Rose Franks, church volunteers less areas around town. morial homeless outreach program, have been able to increase the num- “After so many years of watch- visit the church at 111 N.E. Fail- ber of lunches they prepare each ing homeless and hungry people ing St. or get in touch with Pastor month to ease hunger from their outside in our community it was Franks at 503-200-0846, or visit shelter-less neighbors, from 50 time now to stop talking and watch- hughesmemorialumc.org for more lunch sacks, to up to 200 bags, in ing and act,” said Janette Rucker, information. METRO page 9 Hughes Memorial United Methodist Church volunteers prepare sandwiches every fourth Saturday of the month for donations to the homeless. The northeast Portland church hopes to expand the effort to as much as weekly in the future. Portland Teams Play for State pages 12-13 Four Portland schools are com- ocrats will be without star player, Salem (18-7). On the girls’ side, OPINION peting for a state championship in junior guard Marcus Tsohonis, Benson (21-5) faces Tigard (23-3) basketball this week with the Ore- because of a broken finger he sus- on Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. gon 6A tournaments for boys and tained in a playoff win last Satur- Quarterfinal and final games girls being held at the University day against Grants Pass.