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