Portland becoming refugee hub
NORTHWEST
PORTLAND (AP) —
Refugees arriving in Portland
are making the city one of the
nation's ethnic melting pots,
with one of the highest ratios of
new arrivals in the United
States.
About one of every 22 Portland residents arrived
ns a refugee, including many from Southeast Asia
and Russia, said Ron Spondel. Oregon's refugee
coordinator.
Many immigrants who arrived in Oregon during
the 1970s from Vietnam, Ijios and Cambodia later
attracted family and friends from those areas
An early wave of Russians and East Europeans
came to Oregon on sponsorship from a Russian
speaking community in Woodbum. Many of them
moved to Portland.
There also are Hispanic and Arabic newcomers.
Most refugees find work and become self-reliant
quickly, officials say, but the transition carries a
price.
Multnomah County spends SI 5 million each
year for language interprotars and another $2.H
million in federal funds for refugee health care
Under the Refugee Early Employment Projei t,
the federal government pays the county $207 per
month for ea< h refugee to cover primary denial
and health care The coverage lasts for the first
eight months after each refugee’s arrival
The county’s library system spends t percent
of its budget on books in the languages of the mm
arrivals, mostly Mrnong. Arabic and Russian
dialects, and French and Spanish, said deputy
library director Jeanne Goodrich
Hut she said the new immigrants also want Eng
lish and native language materials
"The Russians are tremendously literate.” she
said "Works in their own language help bring
them into the library."
Officials sav nearly 33.000 refugees have come
to Oregon since 1075 Oregon is the 20th largest
state in population, but it ranks 11th in the num
ber of refugees who settle there
Oregon’s
jobless rate
unchanged
SALEM (AI’l — Oregon’s
unemployment rato was
unchanged at 7.2 percent in
January, the state Employ
ment Division reported
Tuesday.
The jobless rate last month
stayed the same for the third
month in a row and was
down just slightly from the
7.3 percent rate in January
1992.
The agency said most of
the layoffs last month reflect
ed normal seasonal trends.
But a continuing bleak spot
was the state's timber indus
try.
Another 1,300 wood prod
ucts jobs were lost last
mouth. That put timber
industry employment ait a
record low of 51,500 jobs
after "four years of almost
non-stop job losses," the
agency said.
The Employment Division
said retail trade employment
decreased slightly less than
expected last month and
overall had a good holiday
season, recording a job
increase of more than 1 per
cent.
About 124.000 Oregonians
wore out of work last month,
but that figure has stabilized
during the past nine months,
the division said.
"It does appear that job
growth in Oregon has
regained enough momentum
to keep pacu with the contin
uing in-migration" of popu
lation. the division said.
The national jobless rate
was 7.3 percent last month.
Oregon employment was
1.39 million in January.
Springfield won’t ban
gambling within city
SPRINGFIELD (AP) — At tho urging of a packed house of tavern
owners, card dealers and gamblers. the Springfield C'ity l.ouin il has
hacked away from efforts to tain gambling in the city.
The council instead voted unanimously Monday night to study
ways to keep tabs on city-sanctioned card and dice games and pos
sibiy tax the games to fund police oversight of gambling
The move came after scores of gambling proponents crowded into
the council meeting for tho third week to say they would accept such
measures to avoid a ban.
Springfield Mayor Bill Morrisette proposed the ban on gambling
in his "state of the city " speech five weeks ago Gambling is allowed
in 16 bars and taverns.
At the time. Morrisette said reports of illegal games, marked cards
and house banks should be investigated, but he believed regulation
of the industry would bo too costly.
However, the mayor began considering other options after his
speech prompted an outcry from dealers who earn profits off the
games, and bar and tavern owners who make hundreds of dollars a
night in food and beverage sales to gamblers
Smoking goes under fire
SALEM (AP) — Increasing
state cigarette tax and banning
candy cigarettes are among the
measures on an anti-smoking
platform of legislation outlined
Tuesday by a coalition of health
organizations.
Sen. Grattan Kerens. D
Eugene. said at a news confer
ence it's time for a renewed
push to further discourage
smoking and to protect workers
and children from its effects
"We got to about the 30-yard
line last session." Kerens said.
The anti-smoking lobby’s princi
pal success in the 1991 Legisla
ture was making cigarette vend
ing machines less accessible to
minors.
This year, Kerens said, law
makers need to go further and
make it tough for retailers who
illegally sell cigarettes to youths.
One measure in the package
would license retailers that sell
tobacco, a proposal that was
passed by the Senate in 1991 but
died in the House.
Under the measure, sellers
could be punished if they broke
the law ugainst soiling to
minors. Sanctions would
include a license suspension lor
a third offense.
"We license other drug deal
ers. such as distillers and brew
ers." Kerens said "We need to
license dealers who sell this
death-dealing drug "
The coalition of health
groups, including the American
Lung Association and American
Cancer Society, is supporting
the proposals under the name
Oregon Health C.roups on Smok
ing or Health. The group goes by
the acronym OilGOSH.
Brian DeLashmutt. a
spokesman for the coalition,
said one out of three Oregonians
dies of a smoking-related dis
ease.
The coalition calls for a 25
cont pur-pack increase in the
state cigarette tax, which now is
2H cents.
The added revenue would
fund health care for uninsured
Oregonians and smoking pre
vention programs, many espe
cially aimed at children.
ET ALS
MEETINGS
I n wanted Srtual Brh«»W Ta*k Fort*
will meet today from 12 30 to 2 p m in
EMU (>*iar room* A and B For more inter
mat ion. rati 346 *1210
OSPIRf. Prtlkidn Adten Campaign
will meet tonight at 6 in EMU (a*dar Room
C For more mlonitaBon. call 346 4 .177
Campu* (»irl Seoul* will mwi tonight
from 7 to 9 in EMU Century Room B For
more mformation. tall 485 5911
Student* ter CHou.e Repruduclive Fran
dom lobby Day Commillae will nitres
tonight at 7 in Room 15S Education. For
mure information, call J46 0649
| a pan*** Student Organisation w iii Beat
today from 4 30 to 5 30 p m in CMC Gadar
Room E For more information, call 667
1602.
KKMGION
Nrwnuniimtfff will have a *tud*tni rue**
followed by a wit m! tonight at 9 at the New
man Center. lllth Awnu* anti Emerald
SlowI For morn information, call 343*702!
( fitted Methodiat C«mpu» Nltoanlup
wtll inert for di*tu%*»on and worthip
tonight at 7 at the Weeiey Foundation. 1236
Kincaid St For more information, tall 146
4694
MISCELLANEOUS
OSPIRCi pralM ale* atliori tablv will be at
l he EMU Tart at.a today from 10 a m to 2
p in. For more information. tall 346 4 377
OSFIKt credit card aarvey reeult* are
now available in EMU Suite 1 from 9 a m
to 7 p.m 1 or more information, tall 346
4377
Tax workshop with fee ultv **»i*t ante on
U S aon-fMufctu t** form* for inirnutton*
«I Attiikml* will bn 4v*tUbl<t tonight frtxn 7
to H in Room 100 WilUourtt* for mate
information. (.*1! 346 3206.
Outdoor Profr«m wrtll chow "Yo**»miti»
Climbing «• in Wiwin«*d«v noon video
today at 12 30 p m in th« Outdoor Program
mom For mom information. < wl' 346*4365
Deadline for tubmilling Bt Alt to the
Kmarald front desk t&H Suite MO. n noon
the day before publication The MW» editor
does not have a time machine Bt At* run
the day of the event unless the event inker
plate before noon
Sotue* of events with a donation or
odinitvton charge »ill not he accepted
(Uutiyo* events and those scheduled near
**t the publication date »itl be given prior
ity The Cnttild reserves the right to edit
for grammar and style Bt Als run on a
spoce-avotlobht basis
SWEATSHIRTS ■ JACKETS ■ CAPS
"WORLD CLASS SERVICE
IMAOI INHANCIMINT QMOUP
300 WIIT 300 AVINUI
(NIXT TO oon
344-7842
LINDA LEONARO
MEETING THE MADWOMAN
An Inner Challenge lor Feminine Spin!
WMktMday. Fabruory 17, 7 30 p m
Unity o« tha Vatlay Church. 39th A Mtlyard. Eugana
Mambar* of OFCOJ. 13. Monmambara, W
people ft The Oregon Coast |
Organizational Meeting ,
for Spring term
Wednesday, February 17, 7 p m.
Maple Room, 2nd floor, EMU
Bring a frieiul!
^miTTrrmmiriirirriTniriirrrrixzxcrixxxzz3xtxz2Jcaxu:xxixu:iixixst
OFF
COnVERSE
It s wtul's tasKk' that cxMints
with coupon
LAZAR S BAZAR
l
?>
I
l
57 W. Broadway A 957 Willamette |
Downtown Mall v
— -- J
“30 years of Quality Service”
Mercedes • BMW • Volkswagen
Audi • Datsun • Toyota
-GERMAN
- AUTO
SERVICE,
INC.
| 342-2912
2025 Franklin Blvd. Eugene, Oregon. 97402
\ DANCING! SPECIALS! i
Every Night of the Week!
^ -a --'■ft
10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. • 21 & over only p
Guido'S * 13th & Alder j
fasTizrjzzzzzjjjrzzzzxzzzzzzzzzzizzzzzzzizzzzzzzizzrzziL
•m
48$-8226
1917
Franklin
Hvd.
EURO
4
|[ cuUShva^e^ 1