Hope might come in the form of a little-
known procedure called a living-donor lobar
lung transplant. Every person has five lobes
in each lung, and one of those lobes can suc-
cessfully be removed. Two living donors
would provide lobes to be transplanted into
Wesemann’s chest to serve as her primary
lungs until a full lung transplant is possible.
Normally, donors would be easier to find than
they are in Wesemann’s case: She has the rare
B-negative blood type, shared by only a small
percentage of the population.
So where to find donors? In Eugene, per-
haps.
On Sunday a benefit poker tournament
Most 25-year-olds wouldn’t think twice
will
be
held to raise money and awareness,
about taking the dog out for a hike, walking
and hopefully to find willing lobe donors.
up a flight of stairs or even going outside to
The Texas hold ’em style tournament start at
grab the mail on a hot day. But for Amber
2 pm and takes place at four bars
Wesemann, these seemingly simple ac-
around the city. At each bar,
tivities are difficult — if not out of
participants are given a play-
the question. But then again,
ing card for their poker
most young adults are fortu-
hands. The tournament
nate enough to live without
ends at the Downtown
cystic fibrosis (CF).
Lounge, where prizes
Weseman was diag-
will be given out for the
nosed as a baby with CF, a
best and worst poker
terminal disease that af-
hands. The benefit was
fects the mucus-producing
arranged by Allison
cells of the body, especially
Kramer, one of Wesemann’s
those of the lungs and digestive
best friends since childhood,
system. As CF progresses, the pul-
Amber Wesemann
and by Kramer’s boyfriend,
monary function of the lungs de-
Casey Johnson. The money raised will go to-
creases. Currently, Wesemann’s pulmonary
ward supporting the lobe donors while they
function is 25 percent. She is prone to damag-
are in the hospital and throughout their recov-
ing infections of the lungs due to underper-
ery process.
formance by the cells that normally keep the
Without the lobe transplant, Wesemann
lungs clear of infection.
per cell rather than 26 as in crosswords. If one
puzzle a week doesn’t satisfy your craving,
check out Danburg-Wyld’s website at
http://sudokuplace.com (he also has an
Excel-powered puzzle solver if you get des-
perate). Now, go to page 33 and get started.
Enjoy! — Lois Wadsworth
DEALIN’ CARDS
FOR AMBER
LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S
Renewable Energy/
Energy Management
Technician Programs
are accepting NEW STUDENTS for Fall 2005
will have to manage until she is selected
among hundreds for a full lung transplant.
“I’ve been on the list for three years,”
Wesemann says, “and they’ve moved maybe
two people off the list in that amount of time.
But my age is perfect, and since last May the
people who have the more severe cases will
be given first consideration. So I should be up
near the top of the list.”
Information will be available at the
Downtown Lounge Sunday about living
donor transplants, and full details about the
event as well as information about donations
can be found at www.angelsforamber.com
— Emily Freeman
KICKER HELPS
BIG BUSINESS
Oregon corporations finished the 2005
legislative session scoring a 23 percent re-
duction in their 2005 corporate income taxes,
according to the Oregon Center for Public
Policy (OCPP). And the Legislature didn’t
even have to vote on it. The tax breaks will
come about because revenue receipts in the
2003-05 budget period significantly ex-
ceeded official state revenue projections.
The tax cut, commonly referred to as the
“kicker,” is currently projected to total $62.6
million. The final calculation will be included
in the “close of session” revenue forecast in
the September economic and revenue fore-
cast by the Office of Economic Analysis.
profile
Corporations will take the kicker tax cut
as a credit against their 2005 tax liability.
“Oregonians won’t be able to hold their
legislators accountable to a vote on this tax
cut because it takes action by the Legislature
to stop the corporate kicker and the
Legislature didn’t have the gumption to put
the issue to a vote,” says Charles Sheketoff,
executive director of the OCPP.
“They just sat back and let the tax cut hap-
pen, while also doling out other permanent
tax cuts for Oregon corporations and cutting
programs and services Oregonians use and
rely upon each day,” he says.
The OCPP notes that Oregon corporations
are now paying less than 5 percent of
Oregon’s income taxes, down from 18 per-
cent in the mid-1970s. The kicker tax cut only
benefits profitable corporations, not new or
struggling businesses more likely to need
help rebounding from the recession.
CORRECTIONS/
CLARIFICATIONS
A news brief about the new LRAPA board
member last week incorrectly stated that
William Carpenter serves on “a committee
assisting the UO law student group Friends of
Land Air Water.” Carpenter is on the board of
directors for Friends of Land Air Water, a
nonprofit that works with the UO law student
group Land Air Water to co-sponsor the an-
nual Public Interest Environmental Law
Conference.
Mike Duncan,
• Graduated from Purdue 1991
• Teaches Marketing,
Communications, Management
and Finance Classes
• Loves German cars, but can only
afford VWs
• Crews on a sailboat racing team
• No one has ever been a worse
golfer - or had more fun
playing golf
• His dog is very important to him
• He is a sports fan. For him, the
evening news is SportsCenter
on ESPN
• Northwest Christian College
MBA Graduate 2004
Classes Start August 25, 2005
Student Dan Orleck with a photovoltaic solar panel
Contact Mike Ryan 684-7282
Lane Energy Management/Renewable Energy
Technician Program is funded by EWEB & BPA
www.nwcc.edu
For information about the
Renewable Energy Management program,
call Roger Ebbage at (541) 463-3977.
an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution
AUGUST 18, 2005 9