Portland Observer Thursday, July 12, l«7S Page 3
Reading Tree opens at Irving Park
Reading isn't so hard . . . at The Reading Tree.
The Reading Tree, an annual ac
tivity sponsored by local residents
and supported by donations, opened
July 5th in Irving Park.
The Reading Tree is an outgrowth
of parents' concerns about the lack
of reading skills in Albina schools
and the positive response of their
children to competent tutors.
Reading assistance is o ffe re d
those children who need it, and for
others there are many books to read
for pleasure.
Afternoons are spent on art and
craft activities. High schoo1 students
and volunteers help.
Children of all ages, and of course
of all races, are welcome at The
Reading Tree daily from 10:00 a.m .
to 2:00 p.m.
The Morris Marks House
1501 5W Harrison Street
Portland 97201
Telephone: 227-2CÔ6
*
DES CONN ALL
Professional Corporation
IEGALCUNIC
CONCENTRATING IN THE FIELDS OF:
Photos: Terry Robertson
Veteran organization seeks Agent Orange victims
The list o f American casualties o f
the Vietnam W ar continues to
mount, even though U.S. involve
ment in the fighting in Indochina end
ed several years ago.
Hundreds o f thousands—possibly
many more—American GIs were ex
posed to Agent Orange and other
pow erfully toxic defoliants while
fighting in Southeast Asia during the
Vietnam War. Agent Orange con
tains dioxin, which Barry Commoner
and many other scientists have called
“ the most toxic man-made substance
known.”
D ioxin has been blamed fo r a
number o f severe health problems
and some deaths among Vietnam
veterans, as well as birth defects
among some o f their children. These
disabilities are showing up years af
ter exposure to herbicides such as
Agent Orange.
The 622,000-membcr Disabled
American Veterans (D AV) has set up
a nationwide program to assist these
veterans in filing claims with the Vet
erans A d m in is tra tio n (V A ) fo r
health care and disability benefits for
illnesses that may be associated with
r
dioxin poisoning.
The most common symptoms at
tributed to dioxin poisoning include:
• Numbness in fingers, toes, arms
and legs in varying degrees;
• Nervous disorders, especially
loss or decrease in the sensitivity o f
the senses;
• Psychological effects, includ
ing loss o f memory, confusion, ag
gression or irritability;
• Skin rashes, specifically chlor-
acne, which resembles a severe case
o f acne and is usually found on the
face, arms, chest, back or legs;
• Altered sex drive, including di
minished sex drive or impotence
among men i .d increased sexual ac
tivity among omen;
• Cancer, particularly cancer o f
the liver; and
• Birth defects in children born
to affected parents— prim arily de
fects o f the hands, fingers, feet and
toes. Some hyp e ra ctivity and
psychological problems have been
reported in children o f affected
parents.
“ It w ill be extremely difficult to
show that these disabilities are 'he
result o f exposure to Agent Orange
for the purposes o f claims for VA
benefits,” said DAV National Direc
tor o f Services Norman B. Hartnett.
“ That’s why it’ s so important that a
Vietnam veteran have a veterans’
benefits expert, who does not get his
pay check from the government, rep
resent him in filin g this type o f
claim.”
The services o f D A V veterans’
benefits experts are provided free o f
charge to veterans and members o f
their families.
Veterans o f the war in Southeast
Asia who have symptoms they feel
may be related to exposure to such
herbicides as Agent Orange should
contact:
National Service Headquarters
Disabled American Veterans
807 Maine Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 200?A
The case w iil then be referred to a
DAV National Service Officer in the
veteran’s area, who w ill have the re
sources and expertise o f the entire
D A V N ational Service Program
behind him in developing a claim.
CRIMINAL LAW
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE
OF INTOXICANTS
DOMESTIC RELATIONS
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
BANKRUPTCY
PERSONAL INJURY
WILLS - PROBATE
AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS
CONSUMER PROTECTION
If you have a problem that is not covered In this list, please call and ask
whether we can help. Chances are, we can. If not, we can recommend
someone else for you to call. One way or the other, we w ant to see you get
the kind of professional legal counsel you're entitled to.
The best time to call us, or any attorney, is before you are embroiled in a legal
problem. This is called preventative law and it makes a lot of sense.
Regardless, when you call us we w ill arrange for an initial consultation at
your convenience. Cost: $20. W e probably can't solve anything in this meeting,
but it is a chance for you to explain your particular problem and for us to give
you some idea of w hat it'll take to reach a solution. If you w ant us to proceed,
w e'll give you an estimate of the fees you should plan on. In w riting.