Story by Sarah Wigginton

This Saturday, July 31, the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) is holding its 5th annual Native American Housing to Homeownership Fair. Nick is honored to be a speaker at the event.

The fair will offer a wide range of housing resources to help Alaskan Natives and American Indians in the Portland Metro area. Attend workshops on financial wellness, first-time home buying, and rental housing. There will also be real estate agents, banks, and foreclosure prevention counselors available to give advice and information.

In addition to great housing resources, the Homeownership Fair will provide a free lunch from Nawitka Catering, and there will be a special performance by the NAYA Family Center Dancers.

The fair will be held at the NAYA Family Center, 5135 NE Columbia Boulevard, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Admission is free and everyone is welcome!

For more information call Jen Matheson at NAYA at (503) 228-8177, extension 297, or visit nayapdx.org.

Story by Sarah Wigginton

If you're looking for something fun to do this week, check out one of Portland's great farmers markets.

Spend some time outdoors with sunny weather, fresh produce, delicious food, great entertainment, beautiful flowers, and more. With markets all around the metro area, there's one near you!

For a list of markets associated with Portland Farmers Market visit portlandfarmersmarket.org.

Right: Thanks to flickr user jcbonbon for the photo!

Yesterday, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) celebrated its 20th anniversary.

In 1990, Democrats and Republicans came together to pass the ADA. President Bush, at the largest signing ceremony in American history, called the ADA an historic "declaration of equality."

Nick was honored to attend an anniversary celebration and resource fair held yesterday at Portland State University. Community leaders in attendance included Commissioner Amanda Fritz and representatives from the Portland Housing Bureau, Portland Parks & Recreation, TriMet, OHSU, PCC, and Elders in Action.

Nick spoke at the event and brought with him a very special piece of history: one of the pens that the President used to sign the ADA. President Bush gave the pen to Nick's father, Congressman Hamilton Fish, Jr., in recognition of his key role in the passage of this historic legislation.

Nick is committed to working with his bureaus to ensure full and equal access for all members of our community. Portland Parks & Recreation offers the Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation Program, which provides community-based recreation activities specially designed for people with disabilities or special needs. AIR services help people in our community enhance their health, well-being, and independence.

At the Portland Housing Bureau, Housing Connections connects renters with affordable, accessible, and special needs housing in the metro area. Launched in 2002, the Housing Connections website now hosts about 3,500 searches each week. Housing Connections is one of several PHB-funded programs that meets the needs of people with disabilities. Click here for a complete list of programs that help people with disabilities and their families.

Without the ADA, 50 million Americans would still be facing barriers to equality and full participation in society today. Nick was proud to be part of the 20th anniversary celebration. Special thanks to event organizers Commissioner Amanda Fritz, Nickole Cheron, and Michael Levine.

Commissioner Fish is honored to be part of "Echoes of Struggle and Hope: 20 Years of the Japanese American Historical Plaza" this Friday. The event celebrates the Oregon Nikkei Endowment's 20th anniversary with a rededication of the Historical Plaza in Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The Plaza, built with City funding, foundation contributions, and donations, asks us to remember the past and protect the Bill of Rights for future generations of Americans.

Other special guests at the rededication include Oregon Supreme Court Justive Michael Gillette, Consul General of Japan Takamichi Okabe, former City Commissioner Mike Lindberg, and Lawson Inada, former Poet Laureate of Oregon.

The celebration will also feature a special poetry collaboration from Street Roots, Transition Projects, Inc., Portland-area students, and Sisters of the Road.

The Japanese American Historical Plaza offers unique sanctuary in downtown Portland, showcasing poetry from Lawson Inada, Hisako Saito, Masaki Kinoshita, and Shizue Iwatsuke, landscape design by Robert Murase, and the sculpture of Jim Gion.

Following the rededication, join the party at the Bill Naito Legacy Fountain, just a few steps away. The Fountain opened last August with remarks from Commissioner Fish, poetry, a blessing from the confederated Tribes of Grane Ronde, and a performance from Portland Taiko. Entertainment at this Friday's party will include Portland Taiko, the Minidoka Swing Band, and The Slants. Bring your friends and family to enjoy crafts, food, and beer at this award-winning landmark.

Above: The Bill Naito Legacy Fountain opened last summer to an enthusiastic crowd of youngsters

Nick is proud to sit on the Board of the Oregon Cultural Trust (OCT), which just announced the recipients of $1.47 million in grants for the fiscal year beginning this month and extending through June 30, 2011. More than 100 organizations - heritage, arts, and humanities nonprofits; county and tribal coalitions; and statewide partners - received grants ranging from $3,000 to more than $100,000.

Even in a depressed economy, donations to the Trust were up 6% last year. Since 2002, Oregonians have contributed nearly $21 million to the Trust, allowing it to distribute almost $10 million to Oregon arts, humanities, and heritage organizations while building its endowment to $12 million.

This year's grants, writes DK Row in today's Oregonian, will fund the restoration of an historic PT Boat, the preservation of an 1865 pioneer cabin, and an expanded residency program at the Sitka Center for Art & Ecology.

When the Trust was created in 2001, it was envisioned to eventually control a $200 million endowment partially fed by the sale of state-owned land, Row says. The Trust has yet to see proceeds from those sales, though, as revenue has been diverted to other uses. "There's only so much in terms of sales and donations that the Trust can make up," Nick told Row. "We need political will to step in and get a commitment to put up the funds originally promised."

The Oregon Ballet Theatre is one of many organizations which has received funding from OCT

Story by Sarah Wigginton

This Saturday, July 24, Nick will be taking part in a very special evening at the Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery.

Metro Regional Parks and Greenspace have put together the Lone Fir Twilight Heritage Celebration to honor this beautiful and historic 30-acre arboretum in the heart of Southeast Portland.

The evening's schedule of events includes a Buddhist blessing of the Lone Fir tree, a performance by the Emmanuel Temple Gospel Choir, live music by artists Matt Sheehy and Leigh Marble, the dedication of three trees by Commissioner Nick Fish, and two documentary screenings (“Come Together Home” by Ivy Lin and “For the Living and the Dead” by three St. Mary’s Academy students.)

Bring a picnic dinner and come enjoy all that Lone Fir has to offer with your family and friends. The evening’s festivities will begin at 6:00p.m. and end around 10:30p.m. Admission is free for everyone.

We hope to see you there!

Thanks to Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery for the great photo!