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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1982)
Pago 4 Portland Observer, January 21,1962 RUMOR HAS IT * Thomas Chamberlain and M ika Porter, para medica, with "Shirley Ann*, emergency car purch- ased and maintained by St. Johns residents. (Photo: Richard J. Brown) Shirley Ann: Is she ours? by Bonnie Seal Is it better to be a big fish in a lit tle pond, or a little fish in a big pond? This is a question some resi dents o f St. Johns have begun to consider over the last two months since the inception o f the emergency dispatch number, 911. The new dispatching system a l lows persons throughout M u ltn o mah County to use the same emer gency number, and was established as part o f a state-wide effort. W ith the county’ s effo rts to es tablish a uniform system came the fear that St. Johns would lose access to the Shirley A nn— the emergency medical rescue unit that has been fi nancially subsidized by the citizens o f St. Johns through donations for over twenty years. The controversy has its roots in the death o f a St. Johns baby, Shir ley Ann H o w ell, who choked on a graspe and died in a fireman’s arms en route to the hospital in the late 1950s. As a result o f the in fa n t's death, the citizens o f St. Johns pooled their efforts and their pock etbooks to purchase the first emer gency medical unit in N orth P o rt land— the original Shirley Ann, pre decessor to the present car, P o rt land’ s Rescue U n it number t h r e e - wit h the idea that service would be free for all residents o f St. Johns. Since that time, financing for the original car’s successors and equip ment has been subsidized by a trust fund fed by donations, and chaired by Jewel Sundquist and R ita Cocannour, citizens o f St. Johns. Sundquist claimed the fund paid $7,000 toward the purchase o f the present car, and that it is the best equipped o f all three rescue units in Portland. Because o f their investments into the car, St. Johns residents became concerned about losing access to it, in the new ly-established co u n ty wide system. T h eir com plaints hinged on the premise that the Sh irley A n n was cost-free, and an am bulance that might be sent by the dispatchers at M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty Em ergency Medical Services (E M S ) would not be. “ M an y o f the residents o f St. Johns are elderly, and can’t afford that kind o f service,” said Sund quist. “ I don’ t want people to be stuck with paying for an ambulance coming out which isn’t needed.” The rescue car has not been re placed by private ambulances, ac cording to Stephen Dean, director o f Emergency Services for M ultno mah County and the C ity o f P o rt land. Rescue units do not transport the patient, he explained. For most medical emergencies, both a rescue unit and an ambulance must be sent. “ Studies have shown that the sooner you get treatment, the more likely you are to survive,” empha sized Dean, and fire department ve hicles including cars and trucks have an average response tim e o f fo u r minutes, two minutes faster than the average o f six minutes that it takes for an ambulance. J In most cases a person must be transported to the hospital, and this requires an ambulance, according to Dean. “ I f the emergency sounds se rious, and the ambulance is the clos est vehicle, it will be dispatched.” Sundquist said she has received no complaints about the system dur ing the last few months, nor has she heard o f anyone in St. Johns not getting the Shirley Ann. She said a person could call the fo rm er fire alarm num ber, 232-2111, and ask specifically for the Shirley Ann. and that few cases in which the Shirley Ann was not available had come to her attention. B oth fire departm ent and E M S spokesmen discouraged using the old num ber. W h eth er the Sh irley Ann is the only vehicle dispatched depends upon the availability o f the car and the seriousness o f the emer gency, according to D ean, who stated that, “ In most emergencies the rescue unit w ill be followed by an ambulance. A person can ask for the Shirley A n n, but if it is out on call they will get another emergency unit.” Dean did not know if the rescue unit was located in St. Johns speci fically because o f the subsidy, or if ano th er lo catio n w ould be m ore strategic for the county. He pointed out that three o f Port la n d ’ s 23 am bulances are located along a h alf-m ile stretch on N orth L o m b ard between W abash and Cary. “ This makes St. Johns one o f the best equipped sections o f the city for an emergency,” he commented. the resources. W hile no statistics are available on unemployment o f Black youth in Oregon, the Commission estimates approximately 38 per cent based on national figures and a recent local poll. The Commission plans to submit a proposal to a private foundation seeking funding to address Black youth unemployment. The Commission was established by Governor Atiyeh on September 30, 1980, along with the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic A ffa irs . c «r/s Re R* $6 q Call N o w 284-1897 utch conr H a ir D e s ig n fo r M e n Si W o m e n 1405 NE B ro a d w a y • 284-1897 Now Open 7 Days A week 9-9 Don't Miss This Value Have a rib-eye steak, 4 pieces of shrimp with all the trimmings including our air you can eat salad bar for just g l 9 ggQS And collect a FREE Norman Rockwell glass filled with Coca-Cola with the purchase of each steak & shrimp dinner. Commission presents report Governor Vic Atiyeh has received the first annual report o f the Gover nor’s Commission on Black Affairs, which place priority for the coming year on fund raising and unemploy ment o f Black youth in Portland. Fund raising is essential, accord ing to chairman Pearl Spears-Gray, since only one dollar was appropri ated by the Legislature for the two- year period. D u ring the past year the Commission received a $500 donation from the Joint Council o f Teamsters N o. 37 and $100 from Links, Inc. Fund raisers added to Still Has The Best Curl In Town A t The Best Price!! W ith this ad Its functions include monitoring ex isting laws and programs designed to meet the needs o f the Black pop ulation; identifying and researching problem areas and issues and recommending action; serving as a liaison between the Black com mu nity and government entities. A d dition al members are: G eral dine C hristian, Thomas Kennedy, Bobbie N u n n , B arbara P a tric k , Frank W ilson, o f Portland; Bruce Broussard, Sandy; Patricia Creal. Springfield; and Mathette Williams, Salem. i JRockwell Glasses a n d jg e ta glass. , Middle school controversy brews (Continued fro m pane from nnot» I lm column in m n 5) c i schools. The Board will be asking for a new tax base in M ay and we need these voters.” A t the present time board mem bers H erb C aw th o rn e and Steve Buel support the E lio t site, while Bill Scott favors Eliot unless a better site can be found within the commu nity. The School D is trict s ta ff has studied seven sites including Eliot. Their conclusions are: •Adam s High School: Facility is adequate but too large; no capital investment is needed; transportation would cost $155,000 per year; out side o f attendance area. •Boise: occupied by K-8 school; relocation o f K-5 to Eliot would not allow space for incoming transfer students; not adequate space; $3,185,075 building cost; $125,000 transportation cost. •E lio t: C urrent program would have to relocate; not adequate space; $ 3 ,6 5 0 ,0 0 0 building cost; $125,000 transportation cost. •Kennedy: Building depreciated. I ; _____ rr. •_* _____•• insufficient space; $6,381,600 build ing cost; $140,000 tran sp ortation cost; out o f attendance area. •M o n ro e : inadequate space; $1,750,000 building costs; $171,000 transportation cost; out o f attend ance area. • W a s h in g t o n /M o n r o e H ig h School: land deficient, building too large; no cap ital investm ent re quired; $ 171,000 tra n s p o rta tio n costs; out o f attendance area. The Area I and A rea II C itizen A dvisory Com m ittees were asked for their input. These committees are appointed by the School Board. The A rea I C A C recommended Adams High School. The Adams II C A C recommended the elimination o f Kennedy, Adams and Jefferson from consideration, the selection o f a site close to the attendance area, move o f C o lum bia/W hitaker to the Adams building, sale o f Colum bia /W h itaker to fund Tubman site. The Board's Desegregation M oni toring Advisory Committee went on recorded again as “ strongly recom- mending the Eliot site.” The O regonian revealed on F ri day th a t the School D is trict and Portland C om m unity College have entered into talks concerning a pos sible trade o f the P C C Cascade Campus fo r Adam s H igh School, with the possibility o f using Cascade fo r T u b m an M id d le School. The Cascade property was acquired by Portland C om m unity College with Model Cities funds and at the time made a long-term com m itm ent to serve the model n e ig h b o rh o o d - bounded on the east by a p p ro x i mately 21st Avenue. This possibility also has not been discussed with rep resentatives o f community organiza tions. The Black United Front expressed its anger at the School B o ard ’ s apparent in ten tio n to abandon earlier promises to locate Tubman at the E lio t b u ild in g . Ronnie H ern d o n , C o -c h a irm a n , said that the desegregation plan has brought little if any improvement in education for Black children. I B re a k fa s t Is : S u p re m e A t Steak & Shrimp Dinner & Coke *61 9 Jan . 20th thru Jan . 30th • STEAK HOUSE I I ■ L Account »60 «02 Coupon valid for purchase of Steak it Shrimp dinner Dinner include* Rib eye •teak, 4 piece* of «hrimp, baked potato, rod and »alad Dinner include* Coke and Rockwell ylaae Offer valid from Jan 20th thru Jan . 30th. -o Steak & Shrim p Dinner & Coke ♦611 Jan . 27th th ru Fob. 7th Account »00 S02 Coupon valid for purchase of Steak b Shrimp dinner Dinner include* Rib eye •teak, 4 p,«(.e* of «hrimp, baked potato, roll and salad Dinner include* Coke end Rockwell glass Offer valid from Jan 27th thru Feb 7th, 1982 A Right good eatin’ at a righi good price QKSQSB 425 N o ^ e a s T ^ g P Street (Between Union and Graod) RUSTUER
