Community News Briefs: Portland

Commissioners Debate Teens.
De La Salle North Catholic High School will host Portland City Commissioners Nick Fish and Dan Saltzman joining high school students to debate teen topics such as education, teen pregnancy and health care, on Monday Nov. 24 from 5 - 6:30 p.m. at 7528 N. Fenwick Ave.
The debate, a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, has been organized by senior Shantel Monk in honor of De La Salle chemistry teacher Joseph Halloran, a lymphoma patient. Cost is $1.
"Mr. Halloran has helped so many students at De La Salle," Monk says.  "I remember one day he stayed until 6:30 p.m. helping me with chemistry. Through all his hard work he has inspired me to help others in need. One way I decided to give back is to raise funds for people who are fighting cancer." 

Anti-Poverty Training
The Portland Coalition Against Poverty holds the first part of a two-part workshop on Building Tools for Community Organizing — Critical Thought and Consciousness Raising.
The event is Saturday, Nov. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church, Buchan Building at 1011 SW 12^th Ave. It is free, snacks and childcare are provided.
The event includes discussion and role-plays on language; identities, communities and movements; the power to change society; and more.
The Portland Coalition Against Poverty is dedicated to creating space to ask questions, and participate in community dialogue. 
For more information call 503-839-3670.

Bus Service Added
Starting Sunday, Nov. 30, TriMet will add service on 13 of its 93 bus lines and MAX Blue Line to help relieve crowding. In addition, four bus lines will have minor service adjustments to improve schedule reliability. More buses will be added on the following lines to help relieve crowding: 8-Jackson Park, 9-Powell, 12-Barbur Blvd, 15-Belmont, 15-NW 23rd Ave., 17-Holgate, 31-Estacada, 33-McLoughlin, 35-Macadam, 66-Marquam Hill/Hollywood Transit Center (TC), 72-Killingsworth/82nd Ave., and 99-McLoughlin Express.
More Blue Line MAX trains will be added during peak hours to help relieve crowding from record ridership. Weekday peak hour rides on MAX grew 5.8 percent from Jan. through Oct. 2008 over the same time period last year.
Schedule times will change on these lines by up to 10 minutes for better service reliability: 4-Division, 4-Fessenden, 31-Estacada, and 71-60th Ave/122nd Ave
For complete schedules and trip planning, or to receive updates by email, visit trimet.org or call 503-238-RIDE weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. 

Portland NAACP Ceremonies
The Portland NAACP installs its new officers at official ceremonies Saturday, Nov. 22.  The inauguration will be held at Emmanuel COGIC United, 4800 NE 30^th Ave. in Portland beginning at 5 p.m. 
Dr. Leroy Haynes, Pastor of Allen Temple CME in Portland, is the speaker, and Oscar Eason, State NAACP Conference president, will deliver the oath of office. Bishop H. L. Hodge, is the chapter's new president-elect. 
All NAACP members and potential members are encouraged to attend.

Coat Drive
For the fifth consecutive year, Vancouver Fire Department firefighters are collecting coats for needy people. The drop-off site is at Station 86, 400 E. 37th St. (adjacent to the Safeway on Main). Last year this effort lead to the collection of over 1,000 coats for needy people.
According to Capt. Duane Schuman, the city firefighters are looking for donations of clean, usable coats in all sizes. "Anybody who wants to donate a coat can bring it by the station," he said.
Drop-off times are every day of the week, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Jan. 1. 
In 2004, the first year of this effort, they collected 700 coats; in 2005, 1,000; in 2006, 1200, in 2007, 1000.
For more information call 360-759-4411.

Business Strategy event
Washington State University Vancouver presents "Integrating Corporate Citizenship and Values into Business Strategy," a lecture by Dan Bross, senior director of corporate citizenship at Microsoft.
The lecture will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Administration Building, room 110. The event is free and open to the public.
Bross has more than twenty-five years of experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. 
With a background in public policy, government and public affairs, and corporate reputation management, Bross has led government affairs and policy teams at both the federal and state levels for two Fortune 100 companies. His corporate experience includes strategic planning; policy development and advocacy; grassroots program development and management; strategic relationship identification and engagement; and investor relations. 
WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205, or via C-Tran bus service.
We offer 16 bachelor's degrees, nine master's degrees, one doctorate degree and more than 36 fields of study. For more information go to www.vancouver.wsu.edu.