During the first week of school, high school students have a lot of decisions to make: How they will pay for school supplies, what clothes they will wear on the first day, how they will remember the combination to their locker.
But one of the most important decisions a junior or senior can make is whether their personal information should be given to the federal government for use by military recruiters.
Students have until the end of September to decide whether they want to "opt out" of providing their names, addresses and telephone numbers to the military. But, say members of two local organizations — American Friends Service Committee and Recruiter Watch PDX — many students don't realize they have that choice.
That's why an "Opt Out" street party is planned near Madison and Jefferson high schools Thursday. Punctuated with an impromptu poetry competition by emcee Mic Crenshaw, of Suckapunch and Hungry Mob, the parties will include "street teams" who will talk to students about the "realities" of military recruiting and give them forms that students can sign denying recruiters access to their information.

Dallas, left, and Nicholas prepare for their first day of school at the brand-new Rosa Parks Elementary School in North Portland.

Despite years of progress in diagnosing and understanding the disease, breast cancer remains a major cause of death among women from all walks of life. And for African American women, breast cancer carries an especially compelling statistic: Although Black women are less likely to contract breast cancer than White women, they're more likely to die from it.

Activities throughout the Portland-Vancouver area will commemorate the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. on Sept. 11, 2001.The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people.
An anti-war rally, a community conversation and a memorial service are planned through the weekend.
Portland area peace groups will gather at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8, in Pioneer Courthouse Square for a rally called, "Just Say No to the 'War on Terror': 9/11 Five Years Later."

Half of all African Americans live in unaffordable, inadequate or crowded housing, according to a joint housing policy report released by the NAACP and the National Association of Home Builders.
"Owning a home is the foundation of prosperity and conveys to families many social and economic benefits," said NAACP President and CEO Bruce S. Gordon.

Daivon Edwards, 4, left, Dailon Morgan, 2, Melody Parker, 9, Jacarae Edwards, 5, and Calvino Edwards, 7, can't wait to dig in at the "ROOTS" 36th Celebration Family Picnic Sunday, Sept. 3, at Gasworks Park. The event brings together old friends and families that have lived in Washington State prior to 1940.

OLYMPIA—State government's largest labor union would get yearly raises and a new top pay rate under a contract negotiated with Gov. Chris Gregoire, officials said.
Workers also would get family leave for same-sex domestic partners and could challenge the state's process of contracting tasks to the private sector, a union spokesperson said.
The Washington Federation of State Employees and Gregoire's administration struck the deal a week ago but kept the details under wraps until last Friday, when the bulk of mail ballots started going out to union members.
The cost-of-living raises are similar to those negotiated with other state unions: 3.2 percent in 2007 and 2 percent in 2008, federation spokesperson Tim Welch said.
Adding a new top rate to the state pay scale will give a separate raise of 2.5 percent to some 20,000 state workers under the contract, Welch said. Those employees are presently at the top of the old scale.
In addition, about 9,900 state workers will get raises of 2.5 percent to 30 percent, based on their how far they fell behind peers in a salary survey.

SPOKANE—A state law that allowed counties to collect as much as $100 in booking fees from jail inmates was struck down by a federal judge because it violated constitutional protections for due process.
U.S. District Judge Fred Van Sickle struck down Spokane County's $89.12 booking fee and the state statute that authorized the fee.
Several other counties that collect similar fees were closely watching the outcome of this case, including Pierce, Franklin, Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom.

Seattle Parks and Recreation, in partnership with a number of Southeast Seattle community organizations, will present the first of four concerts from 1 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept.10, in Othello Playground, 4351 S. Othello St.
The lineup includes Mamba Cadillac; Grupo Bayno; Global Heat and Amber Tide.

Louise Wedge, of the Recovery Association Project, stands alongside the Interstate Bridge during last week's Hands Across the Bridge event, a celebration of local residents' triumphs over drug and alcohol addiction. The event, now in its fifth year, drew approximately 2,500 participants.