Although many people hope one day to own their own home, cultural barriers and shortages in affordable housing are two issues that can prevent this dream from becoming reality.

African American Academy Assistant Principal Henterson Carlisle, left background, and the Rev. Harvey Drake, right background, talk with members of the African American Veterans Group of Washington State on Sept. 6, the first day of school, about the possibility of the vets doing volunteer work at the academy.

Patrons of the Madrona-Sally Goldmark branch library will be able to see how the new interior may look following renovation during an open house on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
Designers from Heliotrope Architects and Justine Kim, library project manager, will explain the design during the open house from 4 to 7 p.m. at the branch, 1134 33rd Ave. Library patrons can stop by any time during the open house to view the design, ask questions and fill out comments.

The ninth annual Alberta Street Fair, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, brings the community what only Alberta Street can provide: fantastic artful creations of every sort, phantasmagorical creatures in a parade and fabulous food.
Also included in the fair, which runs along Northeast Alberta Street from 11th to 31st avenues, are kid's activities, including a dunk tank, a horse-drawn trolley, street performers and plenty of crafts to make from recycled materials.

Members of Truck Stop Ministries take a pause from their labors. The group, made up of members of local churches, provide ministerial services to the many truck drivers who stop at the massive Jubitz Truck Stop in North Portland.

LifeWorks NW will conduct a series of fund-raising concerts throughout the school year to support the James John SUN (Schools Uniting Neighborhoods) Community School.
The first concert, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, will be a CD release party for the Portland-based band, "Lighten Up," which presents a variety of music from jazzy blues to Chuck Berry-style rock-n-roll.

VANCOUVER—Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, in the heart of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve, will host a Candlelight Tour on Sept. 15 and 16.
On both evenings the fort will reopen at 7 p.m.; entrance to the event is free. The tour will focus on two consecutive evenings in the fort's history almost exactly 160 years ago to the date. This "history in real time" will give visitors something different to see each evening.

LAST YEARS BREAKFAST:2006 Breakfast InformationFor tickets e-mail [email protected]…

Join State Representatives Diane Rosenbaum, Jackie Dingfelder, and Chip Shields for a discussion of energy issues in Oregon. We will cover several energy topicsand have a panel of experts to address your concerns. Plenty of time has been reserved for questions, so please plan to attend.

SEATTLE—As part of Macy's program to give back to its communities, Macy's will be involved in the Susan G. Komen Foundation's Race for the Cure in Portland on Sunday. As a presenting sponsor, Macy's has raised funds for breast cancer research with a fashion show in Seattle, a fund-raising campaign with Estee Lauder and employee volunteer activities with Race for the Cure in cities throughout the region. Macy's, the largest retail brand of Federated Department Stores, is the new name for the former Meier & Frank stores in the Portland area.