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 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. 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