Westview High School Freshman Natasha Kantor, 15, shakes hands with Governor Ted Kulongoski as he arrives at the REAP Challenge 2007 African and African American Student Leadership Conference Thursday, Feb. 1. Also pictured, from left, is Faduma Ali, 16, a junior at Westview and Mark Jackson, REAP program director.

Neighbors in the heart of Northeast Portland watched with horror late Monday night as a four-alarm fire engulfed a beloved icon at the corner of Northeast Ivy Street and Russell Avenue.
By Tuesday morning, all that remained of the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church were a few brick columns, some historical documents and, remarkably, copies of the Rev. Albert Wayne Johnson's sermons.
Residents who lived near the Baptist church called 9-1-1 just before midnight Monday, Feb. 5, to report an explosion that some callers said, "shook the house."

After years of hearing about accidents, assaults and injuries, cycling activist Jonathan Maus said one recent incident finally spurred him to action. The incident in question involved an attack by three Black teenage girls on two White female bicyclists, which occurred Jan. 10 on North Williams Avenue near Legacy Hospital, when one of the teenagers kicked the back tire of Heather Moles, causing her to crash.

Until a few weeks ago, janitors at the Union Bank of California in downtown Portland say they had decent wages and healthcare they could count on.
Then ServiceMaster Swan Island stepped into the picture.
Janitors at Union Bank say that, after buying the assets of another ServiceMaster franchise, the north Portland company told workers their union days were over.

Microsoft has donated $5 million to the National Urban League, the nation's oldest and largest African-American organization.
The grant money will provide the National Urban League and its 102 affiliates with software to meet the organization's goal of empowering communities and changing lives.

Burnette is the director of community relations and business equity, a position created after a community outcry over the lack of minority-owned business participation on PDC-backed projects. Unofficially, she will champion diversity planning at the PDC.
"I'll work on more non-traditional channels to get to people," Burnette says.
To do that, Burnette will have to increase minority and female participation and change internal PDC policies – policies that have been in place for decades. That may sound like a momentous task, but Burnette said the attitude of the development commission, as well as the City Council, seems to be changing.

Portland Public Schools is opening both the Young Women's Academy academy and the Jefferson High School Young Men's Academy in September, in response to community interest and the proven success of single-gender schools. Both single-gender academies will open with sixth through ninth grades, adding a grade each year until they become grades six through 12 academies. Both are designed to boost student achievement through innovative, career-focused curriculum.
The Young Men's Academy will be located at Jefferson. The Young Women's Academy will be at Harriet Tubman Middle School in North Portland.

Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer, left, congratulates National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial, after presenting Morial with a $5 million technology grant from Microsoft at the company's 16th annual Blacks at Microsoft Minority Student Day. See related story on this page.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer  announced  a software grant worth $5 million for the National Urban League last week, during Microsoft's 16th annual Blacks at Microsoft Minority Student Day, an event designed to teach minority students about opportunities in technology.
The technology grant from Microsoft will provide the National Urban League and its 102 affiliates with software to meet the organization's goal of empowering communities and changing lives.
"Access to technology and strong computer skills is necessary to ensure that our community is more economically competitive," said Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. "As a result of Microsoft's generosity, the National Urban League and our affiliates will have the technology needed to enhance our wide array of programs from education assistance and job training to home ownership and business development initiatives."
"In turn," Morial said. "We'll be able to better assist the over 600,000 African American children and families we serve nationwide and help them to acquire the necessary skills to close the digital divide that still exists in America today."
The $5 million dollar software grant will be rolled out over the next three years to give the National Urban League and its affiliates the technology system assessments and software needed to enhance its adult and youth programs as well as to encourage kids to pursue careers in science and math.

Photos featuring the legacy of Seattle's African Americans, like the one shown here, will be featured at "Speaking Out! Voices of Seattle's Black Community," from 5 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11 at McEachern Auditorium, 2700 24th Ave. E.