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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1980)
Portland Obaerver M ay 1, »980 Page 9 PPS subverts KNF purpose Wendy Sheldon, Community Health Nurse with Multnomah County, checks a client's blood pressure during a clinic at the Albina Human Resources Center. (Photo by: Vicki Johnson) Health Services stalks silent killer H ypertension or high blood pressure is often called the “ silent killer.” Silent because there are no symptoms, a killer because it can lead to stroke, heart attack and kid ney failure. During May, National Hyperten sion M onth, M ultnom ah County C om m unity H ealth Services Division is urging everyone to have their blood pressure checked and learn more about the “ feeling fine” disease. By calling 248-3816 people can find out the time and location of the nearest blood pressure screening clinic. A ll fees for County health services are based on a sliding scale, and no one is refused service for inability to pay. When the pressure w ith in the blood vessels becomes too high, a person is said to have high blood pressure, or hypertension. Anyone can have high blood pressure (even ch ild re n ), but those who are especially high risk are people who are overw eight, have a fa m ily history o f high blood pressure, are older than 50 years, and/or Black. High blood pressure is the number one cause o f death in Black Americans. No one knows why for sure or what causes high blood pressure. Some doctors feel that eating too much salt may be a con tributing factor, as well as excessive stress, smoking and lack o f exercise. Because there are rarely any symptoms, testing is the only way to tell i f a person has high blood pressure. It is simple, painless, low cost procedure that takes only a few minutes. A lthough high blood pressure cannot be cured it can easily be co n tro lle d . Through a com bination o f prescribed med ication and some lite style changes such as increased exercise and a reduction o f salt in the diet, a per son can lead a long and happy life with high blood pressure. It hyper tension is lett undetected and un controlled it can cause the heart and blood vessels to over work leading to serious health problems and possibly death. Everyone should have their blood pressure checked once a year, Black people and other minorities at least twice a year. What do you think? By Pau! McCoy Q. W hat is quality education? Janice D. Gentry, Housewife. Quality education can only come from a child’s perspective o f who he/she th in ks he/she is. Black children can learn more in their Black environment. It is the same for white children or any nationality o f the child. I f the subject matter is related to the child’ s background, values and beliefs the child w ill want to learn. The family must reinforce a child’ s formal education by taking an active interest. Evelyn Crowell, Inter library loan librarian, P.S.U. When a person can come out after being in the system twelve years and is able to read, write, do math and function as a norm al productive citizen. The c h ild ’ s home enviro- ment is as important as the school the student attends in order that the ch ild receives the best possible education. Joanne Bobo, Student, M other P.C.C. Cascade G etting the basics, reading, writing and math are good, but a person must get as much more as possible. Many children are not get ting enough attention I feel. Atten tion is very important to learning. Vincent Johnson, Freshman Jef ferson High. Quality education should prepare me for college, so that after college 1 can earn a living. Schools should teach the basic skills. Quality education is where a child learns the basics, reading, writing, math and art. These things should be taught on a in te rn a tio n a l or m u lti-c u ltu ra l level, to provide knowledge and understanding o f people other than the Euro- American point o f view. Teachers should be taught more and better The boom of the twenty-one gun »elute that eigneled the independence of Zimbabwe at mid night Thursday, April 17, echoed in Portlend the eeme Saturday evening. Portland'» African and Afro-Am erican communitiee mat to calabrate Zimbabwe'» firet independence at the King Neigh borhood Facility. The program eponeored by The Association of African Student», included dinner, talk» by Fungai Kumbula. William Little and John q u a lifie d to teach our children. Parents should be more accountable and play a larger role in their child’s development. I f and when we achieve quality education, children will be much better able to continue the war against racism, sexism and other social problems that must be faced now and in the future. John Lee, P.E. Instructor, coach P.C.C. Cascade. Included in q u a lity education along with the basics must be some type o f physical education. Most kids like to pldy and if this play can be structured into a learning ex perience, it can only enhance a c h ild 's mental a ttitu d e in the classroom. More attention should be placed on physical education in the schools. A healthy body makes a healthy mind and this is a proven fact. Banda, and ended with a Diaco Dance. John Ban da of Malawi deecribed independence of Zimbab we ae ona of Africa'» "sw eetest m om enta." William Littla: “ Zimbabwe eigniflee the end to white raciet regimee in Africa.” (centar) Toblca Somtim took time during the feetival to "remem ber thoee who have fallen In blood ao we may carry on." (right) (Photos: Richard Brown) (Continued from page I col 6) approval. “ We knew the School D istrict could not be trusted to look out for the community’ s interest - not the Black community anyway - but we thoughi the City would protect us,” one agency client said. “ Now it looks like the School District has outsmarted us and w ill get their rooms no m atter what the C ity says.” “ This building was built w ith federal money,” another client said. I didn’t like it when they gave con trol ot it to the School District and I think the federal government should look into this.” A l Jamison, chairm an o f the Pareni Advisory Committee to the d is tric t’ s desegregation funds (ESSA Title V III Committee) and a former executive director o f Model Cities, said the ESAA Committee is opposed to the recovery o f the rooms by the School District. "W e consider it as contrary to the pur pose ol the Facility. The Facility is supposed to be a multi-service cen ter where community residents can come for various types o f services. Forcing some o f the agencies out w ill limit its value.” Norm M onroe o f the Urban League said his agency had been asked to accept a revision o f its lease, providing for thirty day ter m ination. “ That is lu d ic ro u s ,” Monroe said. “ We w on’ t accept that. It would take at least six months fo r us to fin d proper facilities and plan for a move. It just doesn't make sense. Nobody does business that way and we don’t in tend to either.” Saying he understands the School D is tric t’ s need to alleviate over crowding at King, Monroe said in doing so the district should provide expanded facilities fo r the neigh borhood fa c ility , “ Anyone who spends any time around here can sec that the center is heavily used and a facility such as this is needed in this community. “ Further lim iting the space w ill lim it the scope o f services the facility and the individual agencies can provide.” The Urban League Youth Program serves approximately 600 young people and their fam ilies, who arc referred by the courts and police agencies, and another two hundred youngsters are provided tutoring and other activities during the summer. A school employee, pointing to broken glass in the parking lot and litter in ihe new part ajoining the school and KN F, said, “ The district’ s attitude toward the com munity is aptly demonstrated by the way they care for the buildings. The grounds arc filthy, a broken door hasn’t been repaird for months, at umes ihe courtyard is dangerous to the school children who play there. The place is a disgrace. So why ex pect them to consider the needs ol the people.” North and Northeast Portland need ...in a word, attention. One of the future issues, of course, is the Union Avenue project. And an on-going concern is getting an equal share ot day-to say city services. As Commissioner of Public Works, I insist on that. Okay, let s talk about Union Avenue. Just beautifying a street isn't enough. The first thing we need is input from the entire Union Avenue community - you who live and work in the area. You need to be guaran teed pleasant shopping, good jobs, and really liveable residential neigh borhoods. Each leads to the other. W e can alli the Union Avenue plan ' revitalization,'' and we can tag a proper share of city services "equity,” but what they boil down to is people. Homes, businesses, children. That's what makes Portland w ork able. North and Northeast Portland need Mike Lindberg Solid. Sensitive. Sensible. Portland City Council
