Portland Events for April and Beyond

Healing the Health Care Blues

A festival to support Healthcare for All Oregon, the coalition sponsoring legislation for single-payer health care, brings together the hottest and most-loved blues artists in the area Saturday, April 5 at the Melody Ballroom.

Featuring Norman Sylvester and a host of all-star Northwest musicians, (pictured) the Third Annual Healing the Healthcare Blues festival returning for a night of music that will benefit Health Care for All-Oregon, to get simple, fair, affordable, high quality health care for all Oregonians. 

Celebrity Masters of Ceremonies for the evening are Paul Knauls, a NE Portland businessman and former owner of legendary blues/jazz clubs Geneva’s and the Cotton Club, and Renee Mitchell, former columnist for The Oregonian and renowned poet and author.

Joanne Cvar of HCAO says making real, affordable healthcare for all is the point.

“Right now we have multi-tiered insurance, so some people have insurance, and they have the opportunity pay a premium every month, but they don't have the money to pay the deductible —the deductible is so high that they don't have access to healthcare.

“So the premium that might only be $100 some people have premiums as high as $500

depending on their age, but I still don't have access to healthcare, they just have access

to the opportunity to pay for insurance they can't use,” she says.

Food and drink will be available for sale, with a no-host bar, 21 and over. There will be CommunityVillage information tables, raffle prizes and a silent auction. Come party with us at the Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder in Portland, on Saturday, April 5. Doors open at 6 p.m.; the show,starts at 7 and runs until midnight.

Tickets are $15 in advance at www.tickettomato.com; also at Music Millennium, 3158 E Burnside; Geneva’s Shear Perfection: 5601 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.; and Musicians Union Local 99, at 325 NE 20th

For more information about the Inner City Blues Festival, go to www.hcao.org.

RACC Music Forum April 6 to Address the State of Music in Portland   

Portland, Ore – On April 6, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) will host a community forum for musicians, bookers, managers, writers, label owners, and all the folks who make music happen in Portland. “Happening! A homegrown local music forum” is an exploratory conversation about how music works around here, and how artists and supporters continue to shape it for themselves. This forum is presented as part of RACC’s 2014 workshop series.

The event will feature a live DJ, time to meet and greet one another, and a panel of seasoned musicians and industry people, including Anna Jensen, Director of Underground Ops at Doug Fir Lounge;  Rebecca Gates, Musician and Artist; Jared Mees, Musician and Label Manager at Tender Loving Empire; Cool Nutz, Musician at Jus Family Records. ​The panel with be moderated by David Gluck, Musician, and Artist Services Manager at Rumblefish.

After the panel, participants will break out into smaller groups to discuss a wide array of topics, so all attendees will get the chance to ask questions and be part of a discussion on their interests in music.  

Entry to the forum is available on a sliding scale ($5-$25), and includes a free drink + snacks for the first 50 attendees who register online. For more information and tickets, visit www.racc.org/workshops, or contact Becky Miller at 503-823-5428, or [email protected].

National March Against Colorectal Cancer

The One Million Strong March, a coast-to-coast event creating awareness about colorectal cancer, will be in Portland April 12. The march will leave from O’Bryant Park (Stark St/ninth & Park) at 11 a.m. and end at the Pioneer Square Courthouse (700 SW fifth Ave).

Awareness events to increase education about colon and rectal cancer and encourage screening are planned after the march from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Pioneer Courthouse Square. The event is free and open to the public.

 For more information, please visit http://fightcolorectalcancer.org/portland-one-million-strong-march

Oregon Humane Society Springtime Pet Discount: 50 Percent Off April 13-19

Are you tired of the rain? Ready for some warmth and sunshine? Visit the Oregon Humane Society and adopt the sunshine of your life! Get 50 percent off the adoption fee of any adult (one year or older) cat or dog the week of April 13–19.

Whether you’re looking for a new canine hiking partner or a lapcat to keep you company this spring, you'll find a wide selection of adoptable dogs and cats at OHS. On any given day, OHS has approximately 150 pets to choose from, with adoption fees for dogs starting as low as $27.50 and cats as low as $6.

Every OHS adoption comes with a great list of "extras" at no charge. Each pet is spayed or neutered; comes with an identification microchip, collar and tag; has received a medical examination and an initial round of vaccinations; and comes with a free month of PetPlan health insurance and a free first visit to a veterinarian. OHS adoption specialists will work with every potential adopter to find the best possible match and are always available to answer pet-related questions.

Web:  To see all pets available for adoption go to www.oregonhumane.org.

Oregon Senior Spelling Bee

Oregon’s 17th annual senior spelling bee will be held on Saturday, April 12 at 1 p.m., at HolyNamesHeritageCenter in Lake Oswego, 17425 Holy Names Drive.

The bee starts with a written competition of 50 words presented in two sections of 25 words each, followed by a break with refreshments for contestants and guests. The bee resumes with an oral round for those who place in the top 15 of the written competition, and concludes with the presentation of trophies to the top three finishers. 

Registration forms may be obtained by calling Tobie Finzel at 503-705-2173, or by email to [email protected]. There is a non-refundable entry fee of $12. Entrants may also register on the day of the event. Spectators are welcome. The OSSB Board of Directors, which is composed of volunteers from several communities, co-hosts the annual event with the HeritageCenter. 

Portland Parks will offer LGBTQ inclusive programming for the first time!

Starting April 17th, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) will offer QCrew: weekly drop-in and registration classes. Thanks to the efforts of PFLAG Portland Black Chapter and MattDishmanCommunity Center, Parks will provide safe space for LGBTQ students and allies.

PFLAG Portland Black Chapter Youth coordinator, Leila, reached out to staff at Dishman last summer after they hosted the Queer Youth of Color Pool Party. She had a vision for creating a more regularly accessible programming for Portland’s Queer Youth. Through ongoing conversations with Portland Parks staff and support from WesternStatesCenter, Leila was able to successfully have QCrew added to Matt Dishman’s  spring calendar.  The new curriculum is geared to be a model for other community centers to take on in the future.

“Parks is one of the things that makes Portland a fantastic place to be. It's an indispensable resource for the quality of life here, especially for those on the lower ends of the income bracket and especially for youth. It's just natural that they should expand their services to the LGBTQ Youth community,” commented Leila Hofstein, Youth Coordinator for PFLAG Portland Black Chapter.

The 8 week course includes visual arts, dance, theatre, QPOC (Queer people of color) history, sewing and costume construction as well as social justice activism. Artists from Radius Studios, Lightbox Kulturhaus, and Youth Empowered Sewing (Y.E.S.) have come together to lend their skills and talent to making this program engaging and fun for everyone who joins, either for the whole course or just a drop-in! The course is open to all and will not only provide an opportunity for LGBT youth to expand their horizons, but will also provide space and opportunity for non-queer youth to learn how to be an effective ally, and for both to learn how to interrupt oppression in their daily lives.

Part of the work of PFLAG Portland Black Chapter’s youth outreach program led by Leila includes staff/faculty inclusivity training and support of Gay/Queer/Straight Alliances in high schools throughout Portland. We are excited for this first of its kind new programming at PP& R and for expansion of the program in the near future. We appreciate Portland Parks for taking leadership in supporting all youth including those on the LGBTQ spectrum.

QCrew meets Thursdays starting April 17th at MattDishmanCommunity Center (77 NE Knott)

Visit: www.portlandparks.org or call 503.823.3673  (Class #421819) for details.

For more information on how you can support LGBTQ youth of color in our community contact PFLAG PBC Youth Coordinator Leila Hofstein: [email protected]  or 503.489.7457

SHARING IDEAS: Local Youth Care with Action 

Be blown away by youth that demonstrate a passion for restoring the health of the environment! Join us at our next Sharing Ideas event, featuring the Roosevelt High School Science Club, a group of students determined to counteract pollution in North Portland. These local youth are experimenting with planters that recycle polluted air into clean air and testing of air quality surrounding RooseveltHigh School. They have been invited to Washington, D.C. later this year to present their findings.

Sharing Ideas events raise awareness of local grassroots efforts throughout Portland that strengthen community. Project presenters share the inspiration that launched their idea, how it moved into action, where they are today, and their hope for the future.

Community Legacy Program of Our United Villages will sponsor this free event on Saturday, April 26th, from 11am to 1pm at the Central Library, 801 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR97205.

Everyone is invited.  RSVP suggested online or by phone at 503.546.7499. Refreshments will be provided. Childcare (9 and under), transportation, and interpretation are provided upon request, with 48 hours advanced notice.  For more information about Sharing Ideas events and community-building resources, please refer to our website.

Beaverton Library Holds Teen Poetry Contest

In recognition of April as National Poetry Month, the Beaverton City Library's Young Adult Division and Library Foundation are hosting a poetry writing contest, challenging teens to write a creative limerick (a humorous five-line poem). Each participant is allowed to submit up to four poems.

"This contest is an authentic, rewarding writing experience for teens and a chance to have their work read by the community," said Victoria Campbell, the library's youth services manager. "The library finds this rewarding as well because we get to read the work of so many talented Beaverton teens."

The Library Foundation will select three winners from two teen divisions. The first teen division will include grades 6 through 8, while the second will be grades 9 through 12. Winners will be awarded as follows, first place will receive $100 dollars, second place $50 dollars, and third $25 dollars.

Find the entry form and guidelines at www.beavertonlibrary.org/teens on the websites events and contests page beginning Monday, March 31, 2014. Entries will be accepted starting Monday, April 14 in the following locations:

* Main Library Teen Room, 12375 SW Fifth Street
* Murray-Scholls Branch, 11200 SW Murray Scholls Place

Participants must submit their poems by 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30. Teen writers are invited to attend the Poetry Coffeehouse event for grades 6-12 at Beaverton City Library on Thursday, May 8 from 6-7:30 p.m., where the contest winners will be announced. Winners will also be announced Friday, May 9 on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BeavertonCityLibraryTeens). For more information, please call 503-350-4001.

For more events visit The Skanner News Community Calendar