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Portland Observer, February 4, 1982 Page 3
METROPOLITAN--------------------------
Police complaints increase
by H arris Levon McRae
H ealth Help Center staff: M ary Lou M iller. Cybel
Campbell. M ary Anderson, Caroline M oore. Anya
Spilberg and Billie H u ntw orth provide free health
service to com m unity residents.
(Photo: Richard J. Brown)
Providing health for the people
G rassrool News. N. W— The eco
nom ics o f unem ploym ent have left
many fam ilies in P o rtla n d w ith o u t
medical coverage. W hat are they to
do i f a medical concern arises? The
answer is fo un d on 4R42 N .E . Rth.
This house contains the Health Help
C e n te r. C o u n s e llin g c o o r d in a to r
B illie H u n tw o rk explains: ’ ’ H ealth
H e lp C e n te r has a fa m ily service
u n it th a t provides co u n se llin g ser
vices and advocacy fo r people w ho
have a v a rie ty o f p ro b le m s and
stresses in th e ir liv e s .” The center
started u x years ago w ith a h a n d fu l
o f volunteers who operated the cen
ter o nly in the evenings. It expanded
to 5 days a week w ith a v o lu n te e r
s ta ff o f tw o h u n d re d . " R e fe r r a ls
com e fro m a ll o v e r. W o rd o f
m o u th , m e d ica l c lin ic s and o th e r
agencies w ho are u n a ble to help a
patient at little or no c o s t."
A c c o rd in g to M s. H u n tw o rk
stress is fh m a jo r a ilm ent a ffe ctin g
many o f their patients. " T h is stress
is related to the u n c e rta in ty o f the
tim es. M a n y o f ,he*T>eople w ho
come to us are m arginally employed
or une m p loye d. I f they arc having
d iffic u ltie s w ith their jobs many are
unable to q u it because the chances
o f fin d in g a new jo b are re m o te .
People ca ll up and say th a t th ing s
arc really getting tough in our fa m
ily. The breadwinner is unemployed
and we d o n ’ t know how to handle
it. O u r answ er is a ve ry p ra c tic a l
one. W e not o n ly help in h an d lin g
stress but in fin ding em ploym ent.”
Mrs. H un tw ork says that the fear
o f fa m ily violence is spreading.
" A ls o p eo ple a rc a fra id o f w ha t
they may have to do to survive. We
w orked w ith people w ho have held
up stores and w ho have had run-ins
w ith the law because they were tr y
ing to p ro v id e fo r th e ir fa m ilie s .
There is a desperation about the pre
sent and u n c e rta in ty a bo ut the fu
tu re ."
A n ya Spielberg, the m edical ser
vices c o o rd in a to r, elaborates on the
p h y s ic a l p ro b le m s o f c lie n ts w ho
com e to the H e a lth H e lp C e n te r.
" W e p ro vid e emergency treatm ent
and i f i t ’ s a chronic case we w ork on
more long-term treatm ent. We sec a
lo t o f stress-related p ro ble m s such
as h y p e rte n s io n . T h is increase in
blood pressure can lead to a ll sorts
o f physical disorders. There are also
people w ho have m a ln u tr itio n be
cause they d o n ’ t have the resources
fo r a balanced d ie t. C h ild abuse is
on the rise along w ith sleeplessness
and body aches. The greatest thing
that I sec w ith the recession is that
people are w a itin g lo n g e r b e fo re
they approach a health care service
because o f the fe a r it w o u ld cost
money. When they realize that their
illness has gotten so bad where they
may not be aro un d next week. The
illnesses th a t people com e in w ith
are a lot more severe ”
The people most vulnerable to the
effects o f the recession are the low-
income senior citizens. M ary Andcr-
son o f the Health H elp (. enter talks
a b o u t th e ir s o lu tio n . " W e d e
veloped a n e tw o rk o f pro gram s to
id e n tify and help those seniors in
tim es o f c ris is . T h e re ’ s a p ro je c t
c a lle d ’ C o ld C o n n e c tio n ’ w h ic h
matches a vu ln era ble senior w ith a
volunteer.”
The d ire c to r, M a ry L o u M ille r ,
says th a t th e C e n te r can h a n d le
some o f the caseload fro m o th e r
agencies whicha are fo ld in g . " I n the
last six m onths o u r health patients
have d o u b le d and o u r c o u n s e llin g
has trip le d ." The bulk o f the Health
H elp Center resources is fro m v o l
unteer d octo rs, nurse p ra c titio n e rs
and c o u n s e lo rs . T he C e n te r is a
member o f the St. Andrew s Fam ily
o f C om m un ity Services.
" I ’ m a n g ry ,” says M a ry A n d e r
son a b o u t the c u tb a c k s in h e a lth
p ro g ra m s th a t w o u ld im p a c t the
H ealth H elp C enter d is p ro p o rtio n
a te ly. " W e 'r e d ea lin g w ith people
who have nowhere else to tu rn . We
see our whole society failing. I grew
up when the government said it pro
vided fo r the com m on good. W e're
seeing that w ho le th in g change. It
makes me m ad and I say th a t I'm
going to stick in here.”
A nya Spielberg sees the other side
o f the coin. "W e also see the spirit
o f o ve r 200 v o lu n te e rs . W e have
doctors who have been w ith the cen
te r fo r e ig h t years. T h e y w an t an
o u tle t fo r c o m m u n ity service. I t ’ s
real high energy liv in g a ro u n d a ll
this s p irit.”
B illie H u n tw o r k receives a g ift
fro m the people they serve. " I t is
very m eaningful to see people want
to m ake th e ir life w o rk . It's a re
ward in its e lf."
There has been q uite an increase
over the last few weeks o f people
c o m p la in in g a b o u t h arre ssm e n t
from the police.
Lorraine O live was stopped in her
car by P ortland police w hile driving
some friends home, and a short time
la te r fo u n d h e rs e lf re g a in in g c o n
sciousness in a P ortland ja il cell.
She was d riv in g n o rth on U n io n
Avenue when she pulled over to let a
frien d who was rid in g w ith her out
o f the car. Ms. O live then drove on
and was sto pp ed by th e P o rtla n d
police just past U n io n Avenue and
Prescott.
M s. O liv e said th a t when she
asked the o ffic e r s w h y th e y had
stopped her they said, "Because we
fe lt lik e i t . ” M s. O liv e went on to
say that the police then searched her
car fo r weapons. " I got out o f the
car p ro te stin g th a t m y rig h ts were
being violated and I was to ld to get
back in the c a r."
The officers then issued Ms. Olive
a tra ffic cita tio n fo r not having lia
b ility insurance. " B y this tim e I was
so mad I just tore the ticket u p .”
O live was ordered o ut o f the car
by police and to ld th a t she was un
der arrest fo r litte rin g .
" I was dragged fro m the c a r,”
Ms. O live said. "T h e y roughed me
up and to o k me d o w n to w n . I
blacked out before I got upstairs to
ja il. I woke up in a ja il c e ll."
Ms. Olive called a g irlfrie n d to tell
her what was happening to her, and
her ordeal continued.
" I was on the phone when the o f
ficer w ho arrested me came in and
snatched the phone. He then threw
me against a w all, sp litting my head
o p e n ."
A w h ile la te r M s. O liv e was
taken to P ortland Adventist H ospi
tal where the attending physician re
fused to take pictures o r X -rays o f
the bruises. " H e just stitched up my
head and refu sed to g ive me any
pain m edication,” Ms. O live said.
She was then taken back to ja il
.and subsequently released.
A cco rding to the P o rtla n d Police
rep ort Ms. O live refused to get o ut
o f her car when she was to ld that she
was under arrest fo r m u tila tio n o f a
tr a ffic c ita tio n and o ffe n sive litte r
ing. The o ffic e r started p u llin g Ms.
O live fro m the car and she resisted
arrest kneeing him in the groin.
By the tim e the o ffic e r got Ms. O live
o u t o f the car she was k ic k in g and
screaming fo r help. The door o f the
police car was opened and Ms. O live
s ta rte d to get in b u t g o ! b ack up
com plaining o f m istreatm ent. A fte r
a d visin g her to be seated th re e o r
fo u r times, the o ffic e r placed his left
hand in Ms. O live ’ s stomach, a pply
ing pressure where she bent fo rw a rd
in to the car. She c o n tin u e d to ver
b a lly abuse the o ffic e rs , the police
report said.
L on nie N ettles is a nother person
who tells o f a gruesome ru n -in w ith
the p olice. She was rid in g to w o rk
las, m o n th in a car d riv e n by her
friend Jeffrey Ca-sin. They had just
com e o f f o f In te rs ta te 4 05 , ju s t
south o f d ow ntow n P o rtla n d , when
they were sto p p e d b y B e a v e rto n
police.
C a-sin p u lle d over and suddenly
there were five other police cars on
the scene. They were ordered out o f
the car by gun point. “ One o f them
was pointing a gun right at the w ind
shield o f the car. I got out screaming
in fear fo r m y life . One o f the o f f i
cers re-aimed his gun and to ld me to
’ shut u p ,’ ’ ’ Ms. Nettles said.
Ms. Nettles and Ca-sin were made
to lie face d o w n in the snow w ith
th e ir hands c u ffe d b e h in d th e ir
backs.
" I lifte d m y head up and one o f
the o ffice rs ordered me to ’ get your
face back down in the snow ,’ ” Ms
Nettles added. "T h e n my hand was
h u rt b adly as one o f them trie d to
p ick me up o u t o f the snow by the
h andcuffs.”
It was o n ly a fte r N ettles and Ca-
sin were placed in sid e o f separate
police cars th a t they were to ld they
were suspected o f rid in g in a stolen
car.
“ J e ffre y ’ s fo rm e r g irlfrie n d had
reported the car stolen, even though
he had purchased the ca r,” Ms. N et
tles said.
Eye-witnesses confirm ed Ms. N et
tles’ story.
Ms. Nettles and Ca-sin were taken
d o w n to w n to a " h o ld in g ro o m ” in
the d ete ctive d iv is io n o f the P o r t
la n d P o lic e B u re a u . M s. N e ttle s
tried to convince police officers that
she was h u rt and alleges th a t she
spent tw o h ou rs in a ce ll d rip p in g
wet w ith the h a n d c u ffs s t ill o n .
Eventually both Ms. Nettles and Ca-
sin were a llo w e d to leave. N e ith e r
was charged w ith a c rim e at the
time.
The P o rtla n d p o lice re p o rt does
n o t go in to great d e ta il a b o u t the
stopping o f Ms. Nettles and Ca-sin.
It says only that they stopped a stol
en v e h ic le and o rd e re d the d riv e r
and passenger o u t o f the v e h ic le .
B o th were h a n d c u ffe d and tra n s
p o rte d to the P o rtla n d P o lice D e
partm ent, the police report said.
In another incident that is hard to
und ersta nd , F ra n k G aston Jr. and
his friend L a rry Jones were stopped
fo r speeding by P ortland police o f f i
cers at NE 23rd and A lberta. Gaston
was fo u n d to be d r iv in g w ith a
suspended license.
As the police were issuing Gaston
his c ita tio n , passing d riv e rs were
b low ing their horns and yelling ou,
o f windows.
"T h e officers were yelling back at
the cars. A car w ould go by honking
and th e y w o u ld y e ll, ’ G o screw
y o u rs e lf,' ” Gaston said.
A fte r Gaston was given the c ita
tio n , the police to ld him it was a ll
r ig h t i f L a r ry Jones d ro v e his car
home fo r him .
"In s te a d o f checking L a r r y ’ s l i
cense before he started driving, they
waited u n til he got tw o blocks away
and then they stopped h im , " Gas
to n s a id . " T h e n th e y gave h im a
ticket fo r d rivin g w itho ut a license."
The P o rtla n d P olice re p o rt says
that Gaston was stopped fo r speed
ing and was found to be d riving w ith
a suspended license. Jones was not
{Please tu rn to page 5 colum n J)
Students earn
service awards
Treat A Kid
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3 Locations To Sarve You:
5949 N.E. Union Ave.
3120 N.E. Union Ava
283 9642
281 2628
2320 S.E. 82nd Ava.
774-9861
C h a i V ang and A n a B o r re ll,
Roosevelt students who came to the
U nited States as refugees w ith their
parents, have been chosen Student
V o lu n te e rs o f the Year by Bess
Kaiser H ospital. Chosen A d u lt V o l
unteer o f the Year was Cora Lou Di-
P ie tro o f N ortheast P o rtla n d , who
has given 4.7(H) hours o f volunteer
service to the hospital.
C h a i, fro m Laos, and A na, from
C ub a, received aw ards fro m Betty
Perkins, director o f volunteers, at a
recent ceremony. A ttending the cer
em ony were A n d y P ie n o v i, earcer
education c o o rd in a to r, and George
G a la ti, vic e -p rin c ip a l o f Roosevelt
H igh School.
T he tw o student a w a rd -w in n e rs
were chosen fro m P o rtla n d -a re a
stu d e n ts w h o w o rk as v o lu n te e rs
after school or on weekends, receiv
ing credit from their schools.
Chai and Ana, in a dd itio n to rou
tine duties perform ed by volunteers,
have been h e lp fu l in interpretin g in
L a o tia n and Spanish fo r h o s p ita l
patients.
Lon g-service pins fo r 4,000 vol
unteer h o u rs w ere g iven to C la irt
Inglesby, N o rth P ortland, and Cora
L o u D iP ie tr o o f N o rth e a s t P o r t
la n d . L o is H ughes o f C edar H ills
and Jean R ider o f O v e rlo o k neigh
borhood received 3,000-hour pins.
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