Jim Francesconi

The numbers are appalling, said Jim Francesconi, former Portland city commissioner. Of 12,280 carpenters in the Portland area, only 80 are Black. Of the 7,000 first-line supervisors in the construction trades, only 95 are Black.

There are a few caveats to these figures: They come from the Oregon Employment Department's census six years ago, and they come from people who describe their own professions.

Suzi Lazzari, left, enrollment specialist with the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, helps Andre Billingsley gather information for his wife. The partnership's "Help is Here Express" rolled through North Portland on June 12, stopping at the Salvation Army Moore Street  Community Center to inform people about the options available to them for prescription assistance.

Capt. James Yee

OLYMPIA—Former Army Capt. James Yee, a Muslim chaplain who served at the Guantánamo detention camp and now lives in Olympia, says the three suicides there last weekend are a military and intelligence failure.

Members of Joie de Vivre celebrate their triumph with the competition's judges.

Local high school students, Chris Fujii, Habiba Mohamed, Zahra Mohamed, Anab Hersi and Mohamed Mohamed were chosen last week as winners of the Seattle Making the Business: Youth I.T. Challenge hosted by the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle.

Sean Wilson, a fifth-grader at T.T. Minor Elementary School, considers his next move June 12 at…

Daniel F. Packer

As the industrial age has progressed, the energy industry has progressed along with it, growing in size and sophistication to power our technological world. And as more and more African American professionals have succeeded in the workplace, many have found their niche in the energy industry.

On June 23, local African Americans will have the opportunity to learn about opportunities in the energy industry and get some firsthand information about the nuts and bolts of energy infrastructure when the Seattle-Portland chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy hosts a public presentation and forum.

The observance of Juneteenth marks the day — June 19, 1865 — when news of Emancipation reached the last group of enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas. Since then, the unofficial holiday serves as a chance to remember the long road that African Americans have taken to where they are today.

In Portland, past Juneteenth celebrations have been relatively low-key. But under the guidance of Woody Broadnax, the Juneteenth party has been gathering steam over the past few years.

To help educate a new generation of youth, Portland General Ele-ctric has commissioned two plays for local schools.

"Vicky and Igor's Electrifying Adventure" is a program designed to teach students about safety with electricity.

"You Ooze, You Lose," teaches students about energy efficiency and encourages positive action.

"Often times, young people don't understand how electricity works," said Carol Dillin, vice president of public policy at PGE. "Teaching our customers of all ages about electric safety and the wise use of energy is a core part of PGE's mission."

Oregonians can learn how their tax dollars to support K-12 public schools are used by visiting a Web site that shows how their local school district spends money.

They can compare their district's spending to other districts and the state average — all without having to decipher complicated spreadsheets.

Called Open Book$, the site, at www.openbooksproject.org, tracks the spending of each of Oregon's 198 school districts in five categories and shows that spending in simple charts.

As summer temperatures rise, the idea of a night out camping under the stars sounds more and more appealing. But as gas prices climb, too, a long drive to a campground might be out of reach.

Fortunately, Portlanders can go camping in this city's own backyard. A 30-minute drive from Portland, Oxbow Regional Park is a 1,200-acre natural area within the Sandy River Gorge, part of the National Wild and Scenic River System. The park is open to camping all summer.