Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 1996)
2 »Opinion The Clackamas Print Wednesday, Februray 7,1996\ Light rail will hold off gridlock on the road AIDS still Damon Fouts Staff Writer We’ve all heard the validity of the dwindling petroleum re source and environmental impact, arguments for public transporta tion options such as light rail. A third reason is becoming visibly apparent in the tri-county area and especially in Clackamas County: L.A. gridlock. They’re bringing it with them as they flee the city of Angels for the land of roses. For this reason more than any other, Clackamas County needs light rail. By the way, that wasn’t a swipe at California transplants. Anyone with the foresight to es cape that southern asylum are California’s best and brightest. And who but members of local Native American tribes aren’t transplants? Welcome, I say. Still, Clackamas County growth is alarming. In 1995, the county’s population was almost 309,000, up more than 30,000 front 1990. Metro government projects an increase of another 36,000 by 2000, and 121,000 more than 1995’s population by 2015. In short, a projected county population increase of 65 percent in 25 years. To make matters worse, many county residents are com muting to jobs outside the county. According to Scott Knappes of the Clackamas County Marketing Committee, the county has 25 percent of the region’s population, but only 12 percent of the jobs. Knappes also points out that in two-and-one-half years, all the available land zoned industrial in Clackamas County will be devel oped. Obviously the county needs to build jobs next to the homes they’re building. But that’s not likely to hap pen, especially considering what Metro government may have in store for Clackamas County. Metro Council is currently con sidering a proposal to add more than 22,000 acres to tri-county urban reserves. Regardless of the final acre age, this would be land made available for residential develop ment as population growth puts pressure on the urban growth boundary, the tri-county bound ary that, for the most part, en circles residential development. What’s thrilling county de velopers and property owners ready to sell and scaring county and many local governments and property owners not ready to sell, is that more than half the reserves being considered lie in Clackamas County, somewhat huddled around 1-205 between Sunnyside Road and the Stafford exit. Traffic on 1-205 has already been growing like Baby Huey since its inception. As the inter state was being laid from Wash ington state to the north, to 1-5 to the south, the slide-rule gang pre dicted daily trips on the interstate would reach a certain number within 20 years. They spaced freeway exits based on the projected trip count- -standard procedure when build ACCIDENT AND PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS [^Automobile, Motorcycle, Pedestrian Accidents SHead Injuries & Concussions SUninsuredAJnderinsured Motorist Claims ^Accidental Death SSiip & Fall Cases SDenied Insurance Claims SBack, Neck, & Other Injuries 8. /Wmwc DonieS - Aitaucey Fair, Reasonable, & Experienced Representation Easy access off 1-205 (1 Oth st Exit) Historic Willamette District 1664 Willamette Falls Drive FREE Initial Consultation G5O-1731 ing a freeway. Daily trips topped that num ber in half that time. Conse quently, traffic is especially snarled at peak hours at every entrance to 1-205 from Sunnyside Road to the Gladstone exit. Add ing thousands of acres of residen- tially developable land will obvi ously exacerbate county traffic problems. All of this leads to one ines capable conclusion for Clackamas County commuters: at the very least, a light rail system is needed on 1-205 that connects to Wash ington state and the north-south line along the Banfield Freeway. The voters have already ap proved a line which is already funded from the Clackamas Town Center to Washington, pursuant to the approval of matching funds from a fiscally stingy U.S. Con gress. The line also needs to run into Oregon City, which is already one unfunded option under con sideration. In addition, the rail needs to be supported by expanded bus and shuttle services connecting to I- 205 to help alleviate congestion along roads such as Sunnyside Road, Highway 212 to Damascus and beyond, 213, the Molalla Highway from the Park Place exit to CCC, and the Gladstone exit in both directions. In short, a public transporta tion infrastructure needs to be in place when the public comes to the point where their car keys are in one hand and a bus pass is in the other and L.A. gridlock dic tates that it’s more convenient to pocket the keys and hop the bus. Ins and outs for 1996 Lora Wahrgren, Assistant Photo Editor Megan Friedow, Staff Writer (Ins) (Outs) 94.7 fm Natural look (less the better) David Letterman No bangs and short hair Demi Moore Chris “tommy boy” Farley Julia Ormond Brad Pitt 6. Platform & Airwalks 7. Naturual short nails 8. 2-pac and LL Cool J 9. Punk 10. Canon 11. Daves 12. Hefeweizen 13. Boxers 14. Grinding and disco 15. Hemp jewelry 16. “Friends” 17. Laluna and The Roseland 18. Goatee, facial hair 19. Mike Caudle 20. Dallas Cowboys 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 970 am Porcelain mask (the joker) Jay Leno Long hair with big bangs Sharon Stone Jim Carrey Kim Bassinger Keanu Reeves 6. Birkenstocks 7. Decorated and wicked 8. Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg 9. Heavy Metal 10. Nikon 11. Camels 12. “The Beast” 13. Whitey-tighteys 14. Moshing and stage diving 15. Black leather chokers 16. “Melrose Place” 17. Up Front FX and Quest 18. Grizzly Adams facial hair 19. Bill Clinton 20. Pittsburg Steelers No Recovery - No Fee The Clackamas Print Staff Editor-in-Chief: Chad Patteson (Ext. 2576) Managing Editor: Amy K. Hanson (Ext. 2576) Feature Editor: Jon Roberts (Ext. 2578) Sports Editor: Jesse Sowa (Ext. 2578) Photography Editor: Josh Kehler (Ext. 2578) Copy Editor: Vicki Welch (Ext. 2578) Opinion Editor: Brendon Neal (Ext. 2309) Business Manager: Cori Kargel (Ext. 2578) Assistant Opinion Editor: Ryan Humphris (Ext. 2309) Assistant Feature Editor: Brad Zimmerman (Ext. 2309) News Editor: Pamela Sirianni (Ext. 2309) Assistant Photo Editor: Lora Wahrgren (Ext. 2309) Cartoonist: Joel Gunderson L®YD€ENTER^tlCE0fitEt PUBLIC ICE SKATING EVERYDAY! for fun • bring u Friend ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Staff Writers/Photographers: Eric Eatherton, Megan Friedow, Paul Ulmen, Andrew Beck, Laney Fouse, Damon Fouts, Tarah Nimz, Karin Redston, Joel Shempert Secretary: Joanne Gale (Ext. 2309) Advisor : Linda Vogt (Ext. 2310) The Clackamas Print aims to report the news in an honest, unbiased, professional manner. The opinions expressed in The Clackamas Print do not necessarily reflect those of the student body, college administration, its faculty or The Clackamas Print's advertisers. Products and services adver tised in The Clackamas Print are not necessarily endorsed by anyone associ ated with The Clackamas Print. The Clackamas Print is a weekly publica tion distributed every Wednesday except for finals week. The advertising rate is $4.50 per column inch. All signed letters to the editor will be considered for publication and must be submitted by 1 p.m. the Friday prior to publication. Clackamas Community College, 19600 S. Molalla Avenue, Oregon City, Oregon, 97045; Barlow 104; (503) 657-6958, ext. 2309. E-mail: cccprint@clackamas.cc.or.us Ice Chalet at Lloyd Center 953 Lloyd Center Portland (503) 288-4599 an epidemic Karin Redston Staff Writer With Magic Johnson return ing to the NBA basketball arena, the AIDS and athletes contro versy has again entered into the media spotlight. For once let’s get this thing cleared up. The chances of any one acquiring AIDS in the ath letic arena is next to nil. True, if there is blood exposed by an HIV positive athlete then proper pre cautions should be and are fol lowed. Most sports today follow suitable guidelines for AIDS pre vention in their respective capac ity. I, for one, am glad for people like Magic Johnson who is re turning to what he does best, basketball. The courage it takes for one to admit to having HIV or AIDS in our society shows the true character of a person. Let’s face it, we are a truly condemn ing society. If someone has AIDS then it’s their fault. An athlete as truly talented as Magic Johnson should not be judged by a blood born pathogen which most straight guys don’t take seriously. What is overlooked how ever, is the increasingly lack of concern over AIDS by the teen and twenties population. Cur rently, in Clackamas County, the 30-39 year age group has the highest AIDS rate. However, the 20-29 year age group is catching up. This is not HIV positive. One acquires that well before AIDS. So to put it in laymens terms, the 20-29 year age group is more than likely acquiring HIV in their teens...and HELLO, it’s not a homosexual disease...it’s here for everybody. Whether you use needles or have unsafe sex it is out there. AIDS has been around for a num ber of years, it just wasn’t identi fied until 1981. My best friend was one of the first to contract it when AIDS reached epidemic proportions. He died in June. He was lucky as he had some very good doctors who kept him alive and relatively pain free, most of the time. But my friend is like many I see today who think they are indestructible. Like speeding on a road, passing in a no passing zone on a curve, he thought AIDS would not “get” him. It’s pretty obvious he was wrong. In talking with many people who are students at CCC, I am seeing the same trend. The “I’m not gay” or “I’m not a needle user” so I won’t get AIDS argument doesn’t work anymore. When you sleep with someone, you are sleeping with everyone they have slept with. No one should have to remind anyone of that, but given that Valentine’s Day is coming up, I hope people remember to have safe sex. Be cause it is better than what my friend went through for more than 12 years. It’s also much bet ter than what Magic Johnson and his family are going through right now. HIV doesn ’t just affect the person who is infected. HIV in volves family, friends and former significant others. So play it safe; have safe sex.
