This year's 4th Annual Day of Re-Tilling the Soil, Saturday July 11, is the biggest ever, with three neighborhood cleanups, a basketball tournament, book giveaway and free party at Irving Park. The clean-ups this year start with free breakfast at 8:15 a.m  ... The Z-Tournament, named in honor of deceased Portland Police Officer Mark Zylawy, runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m ... The competition features one age bracket of eight teams of fifth and sixth graders, and a second bracket of seventh and eighth graders. . . .

Evelyn Murray with one of her 21 grandchildren. For years, Evelyn Murray had been looking for the proper greeting card for her multiracial family. After years of searching, she said it was nearly impossible to find a card that featured a Black and White couple. So she decided to make her own. . . .

The New Seasons Market on Interstate Avenue is currently displaying photographic work from students of Open Meadows School. The class was organized with help from the Media, Arts and Technology Institute. Bobby Abrahamson, a freelance teacher who helped instruct students on the project, said the 10 students were taught much more than the basics of photography. The project began with an exploration of who each student was and what they thought about the world they lived in. . . .

The Good in the Neighbor'Hood Festival Saturday, June 27, drew families of all kinds to the parade and carnival.
Here are Miss Black Oregon Chelsea Deloney and her little sister Maysen. To see other photographs . . .

Kam's Kapsules -- weekly previews that make choosing a film fun

Summer is in full swing, and barbeques are a perfect way to relax, spend time with family and friends, and celebrate the July 4 holiday. To help you better prepare for this popular activity, nutrition experts at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center offer advice on how to barbeque the healthy way.

Fireworks and music headline Fourth of July activities at Metro's Blue Lake Regional Park. Pack a picnic, gather friends and family and head to the park for east county's largest fireworks display. But get there early – Metro expects a larger crowd this year.

The Community to Recall Sam Adams said this morning they plan to "file all required paperwork with the Portland City Auditor's office" tomorrow morning, July 7 at 9:30 a.m. The recall drive was launched, organizers say, to remove Adams from office "for willfully lying to get elected, orchestrating an elaborate cover-up and abusing his power." In late June Adams was exonerated by Oregon Attorney General John Kroger's investigation into an alleged affair between Adams and a teenaged boy four years ago. "I made mistakes in my personal life that led to this investigation," Adams said in a statement after the report was released. "As a result, the city I love was put through an ordeal. I am gratified the investigation has been completed, and I want to reiterate that I am sorry." . . .

Queen Latifah, in New Orleans for the 15th annual Essence Music Festival, says she's excited about her latest project _ her first rap album in a decade that will be released in August.
Entitled "Persona,'' she says the release includes influences from rock, dance, reggae and "of course, plenty of straight up hip-hop. It's a rocker, it's a rocker for sure,'' she said Friday, the festival's first day. "I can't wait to put it out and perform for everybody and get in the minds of those who've come to know me only as an actor and to kind of deliver something to those who know me as a rapper, turned actress, turned entrepreneur.''  . . .

After nearly 18 years on death row for killing an off-duty Georgia police officer, Troy Davis got a break when the U.S. Supreme Court last week put the brakes on his execution. The Court postponed until September a decision on granting Davis a new trial. Davis has been spared three times since he was first scheduled to be executed by lethal injection in 2007. . . .