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�The community needs to know� Mail Tribune / Jim Craven A local homeless man who calls himself Indian Charlie dances to live music Saturday at the fifth annual Homeless Day fair in Medford�s Alba Park. Charlie was one of about 100 people who visited the park for free haircuts and a picnic lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs. Homeless event brings awareness to heart of city By Jessica Smith Just a few weeks ago, he was a homeless man sleeping under the Alba Park gazebo in downtown Medford. Now off the streets and in a treatment program for alcoholism, Terry R., who declined to give his last name, said memories of the five months he spent living in the elements still hit hard. "I was just walking over here and I got the chills," said Terry, 46, standing near the gazebo that once sheltered him from the rain. But the uneasiness didn�t last long Saturday afternoon, when Terry joined about 100 others in Alba Park for the fifth annual Homeless Day festival. "This is excellent," Terry said, taking in the sights: a group dancing, children munching on hot dogs with relish, families relaxing in the shade. For most of the day Saturday, area homeless men, women and children flocked to the park to enjoy a picnic lunch, listen to music and get a free haircut. "It�s growing year after year," said Steve Silva, a Salvation Army homeless shelter worker who helped out during the event. By 3 p.m., workers had already served 400 hamburgers and 500 hot dogs, Silva said. Students from Phagans� Medford Beauty School also kept busy, giving about 60 haircuts by mid-afternoon. Even something as routine as a haircut can go a long way toward improving someone�s self esteem, said Dennis Small, a local hair stylist who supervised Phagans� students. "We�re basically giving a service that wouldn�t otherwise get done," he said. "There�s a big need out there. People who are homeless can�t afford basic needs and a haircut is one of the last things on the list." The event also gave people a chance to talk with county health workers, who handed out toiletries and discussed the Oregon Health Plan. Activities aside, Saturday�s event drew public attention to an issue that is sometimes overlooked, participants said. "Not only is it good to get all the people together, it�s good to put this right in the middle of downtown," Terry said. "The community needs to know (about homelessness). It can�t be stuffed under the rug." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA