I ncM Bcho*n”N*w *papar F ranc«» LlDr “The Eyes and Ears of the Community^ Mr». U n iv e r s it y o f ur - Volumn XXII, Number 7 E la u y g e n e , C. _______ _______ 1 1 February 12, 1992 O re g ~ o n IS Ia e k H i s t o r y m o n t h ^ n rtla n h (©bseriier Prophet Approves Access To Condoms In Portland High Schools dents and 300 adult residents between Jan. 27-31. C urrently, six Portland high schools have teen health centers that prescribe condoms. Students can redeem the prescriptions at off-cam pus pharmacies. But Multnomah County and health officials, who operate the centers had asked Prophet to let them give condom s to students directly because many prescriptions go unfilled. The survey found that the community at large, parents and students, w idely supported the existence o f student health centers in the high schools and provide condom s to students at the clinics. The Portland school D istrict began taking steps to reach a decision on dispensing condoms after basketball star Magic Johnson announced in November that he had contracted the virus that causes acquired immune defi ciency syndrome. The following are excerpts from Prophet’s state ment: “ M ultnomah County has recom m ended that the lan guage in our current agreement be changed from perm it ting only die prescribing o f condoms and contraceptives in our health clinics, to one which would also perm it the actual dispensing of condoms and contraceptives in our health clinics to students under appropriate medical super vision. “ In our school based health centers, M ultnomah County Currently provides comprehensive prim ary care services including: 1) Com prehensive abstinence counseling, 2) Diagnosis and treatm ent o f sexually transmitted diseases, School Superintendent Matthew Prophet School Superintendent Matthew Prophet has announced February 10 that health professionals will provide condom s at six of Portland’s High Schools. “ There is an urgent need to protect our children from AIDS and other sexually transm itted diseases,” Prophet said in announcing his decision. Teen health centers at Roosevelt, Cleveland, M arshall, M adison, Jefferson, and G rant high schools soon will begin dispensing condom s to students following abstinence coun seling, Prophet said. Prophet also released the results o f a public opinion poll which showed parents, by a 2-1 margin, favored dispensing condom s in Portland high schools. The inde pendent survey was com m issioned by Prophet to advise him on whether parents wanted health workers to be able to give their children condom s at school. The poll results show residents and students also favor by wide margins dispensing condom s in high schools. “ Portland parents and the com m unity have spoken,” said Prophet. “ W e now are responding to their w ishes.” A scientifically random telephone survey, conducted by M oore information, Inc. polled 750 parents, 750 stu- 3) Treatm ent for menstrual disorders; and, 4) On site counseling for and prescribing o f other con traceptives. “ M ultnomah County has brought our attention to some very disturbing facts. They have for exam ple in formed us that: Nationally the number of Aids cases in teenagers has increased 40% since 1987; and, That in Oregon in 1989 14% o f new syphilis cases were among 15-19 year olds, 28% o f new gonorrhea cases were among 15 to 19 year olds. 42% o f new chlam ydia cases were among 15 to 19 year olds; and finally, 19% of Multnomah County Aids cases occurred among individuals 20 to 29 years old and that due to the 7 to 10 year delay between exposure and diagnosis, aids researches believe a high percentages of that group contracted the disease as teenagers. “ Therefore, because o f these very surprising and alarm ing statistics, and due to the county’s request to modify the agreem ent in a way which county medical continued on page 4 Students Must Be Fully Immunized by February 12th An estim ated 16,500 o f O regon’s 500,000 children will be kept from school or day-care after February 12 if their parents cannot show that they have been immunized against seven com m unicable diseases, according to Jam es Becraft o f the Oregon Health Division. Exclusion notices were m ailed on January 29 by county health depart ments to parents o f children with in com plete or missing immunization records. Parents who receive an exclu sion notice for incomplete im m uniza tions or insufficient information can simply com plete the form listing the missing data, and return the form to their child’s school. Parents who re ceive an exclusion notice because the child does not have an immunization record m ust contact the local county health departm ent, said Bccraft. If the exclusion notice shows the child needs further shots, parents should contact their personal physician or local county health department. Oregon law requires that till school- age children be immunized against diphthcria/tctanus, polio, measles, mumps and rubella to prevent the spread of communicable disease, added Becraft. Children up to five years o f age en rolled in a certified day-care center also must be immunized against Haemo philus influenza type b disease (Hib). The law affects all children attending public and private schools and certified day-care centers in Oregon. Exem p tions arc allow ed for medical and reli gious reasons. ment Program Targets Recipients Page 2 NEWS 2 KID TALK “ The immunization requirement has been effective in ensuring that almost all school-age children are fully immu nized,” said Dr. Kathy Gaffney, state health officer. “ However, about half of the infants under two years o f age are at risk for many communicable diseases because they are not properly immu nized.” The Oregon Benchmarks, a series of m easurable goals adopted by the 1991 Oregon Legislature, call for in creasing the percentage of two-year- olds in the stale who arc fully immu nized to 78 percent by 1995,90 percent by 2000 and 98 percent by 2010. In 1990, Health Division officials esti mated only 63 percent o f two-year-olds were up-to-date on their immuniza tions. NW Front Avenue Urban Renewal Project Completed Commitee Appointed To Increase Contracts With Minority And Female-Owned Business Bogle Concerned With Decline In Contracts Since 1989 City Commissioner Dick Bogle has appointed a working committee to devise strategies for placing more city con struction and vendor contracts with minority and female-owned businesses. Bogle said the Contracting Equity Committee will “ focus on short-term administrative changes which can be put into effect quickly, and which can show immediate results.” The first meeting was held February 4 at City Hall. The committee is com prised of Sam Brooks, president o f S. Brooks and Associates and executive director of the Oregon Association o f Minority Entrepreneurs; Bill Supak, president of Associated General Contractors; Shirley Minor, president o f Minor Steele and Associates; Audrey Castile, president of S and L Landscaping, and founder and immediate past president of the Oregon Chapter of W omen Construc tion Owners and Executives; Bob Walsh, president o f W alsh Construction; and Carlton Chayer, CPPO, the city ’s pur chasing agent. Bogle said he formed the com m it tee to deal with the “ dram aticdecline” in the awarding of construction con tracts to minorities since 1989, when the U.S. Supreme Court nullified the use o f contracting quotas, and to re verse “ unsatisfactory trends” in the awarding of all types on contracts to women. Carlton Chayer, City Purchasing Agent; Dick Bogle, City Commissioner; and Sam Brooks, Committee Chairman In the 1988-1989 fiscal year, the city awarded 10 percent o f its construc tion contracts to minority-owned firms. The figure dropped to 2.4 percent in 1989-1990. Bogle said efforts to get construc tion contractors to voluntarily include minority and women sub-contractors produced “ mixed results” in fiscal 1990- 1991. Contracts with minority-owned businesses rose to 5.6 percent, while contracts with female-owned businesses dropped to 4.8 percent from the prior year’s 5.8 percent. Contracts for professional services have remained “ well below the old quotas” for female-owned businesses over the past six years, he added. “ The black community, especially, needs small and medium-sized busi nesses,” Bogle said. “ Business ow n ership by African-Americans creates jobs for African-Americans, and jobs are basic to solving problems,both economic and social ” “ The bottom line is, the taxpay ers’ dollars should be shared equitably with a cross-section of the com m u nity,” Bogle said. “ T hat’s what this new committee will work to achieve.” World Renowned Author and Storyteller Dies Alex Haley, the gifted author of “ Roots” and “ The Autobiography of Malcom X ,” died suddenly from an apparent heart attack in Seattle, Sun day morning. “ R oots” was the grip ping and epic saga that traced the au thor’s own ancestry back through salvery and to the W est Coast of Africa. This book together with a highly-rated tele vision version, focused the minds of tens of millions of Americans and oth ers in the world upon their own ante- cendents. As a result, scores of organi zations have been formed to specifi cally address this purpose. “ The Autobiography o f Malcom X ” also became a world classic, pro viding the most thorough and indepth profile o f the great black revolutionary. To read it was to gain new insight into the changes in race relations of the period. Mr. Haley will be sorely missed and we are grateful for his contribu tions. Fred Stewart Files Candidacy for House of Representatives On Friday, January 31, Fred Ste w art officially filed as a Democratic contender for House D istrict 18. Stewart “ contends” for a seat in the House of Representatives to bring the private battles of his district into the arena o f public debate. His back-to- basics campaign will focus on the A, B, C ’s~A dvance Academics, Build Busi ness, and Curtail Crime. ‘’These issues arc interrelated,” says Stewart, “ and must be tackled simultaneously. For example, a safe environment is required to attract and keep business--and make it possible for kids and teachers to stay in our schools. To combat crime we need local jobs and a skilled, literate work force. Right now, too many kids in this district sec that crime pays better than honest work. That has to change.” Fred Stewart comes to the race with the business experience of a realtor, the combat training of a Marine, and the practical perspective o f one raised and educated in D istrict 18. As an private citizen, Fred has worked to increase property values and business opportuni ties in North and Northeast Portland. He is currently chairman of the King Neigh borhood Association where he deals with the issues of crime prevention, domestic violence, AIDS awareness, education, business and employment development, and has encouraged co operation between the district’s cultur ally and racially polarized residents. “ It is time for us to work together to solve our problems, ’ ’ Stewart asserts. Students from Faubion Elementary School “ All segments o f our society and all special interest groups must unite to face the challenges wc share. I believe District 18 is full of opportunity and can make great contributions to Port land to Oregon. Wc need strong leader ship and community cooperation. As a State Representative, I will listen to and maintain com m unication with my district and fight hard for their inter ests.” Stewart hopes to introduce a lot of Bills on a broad range of issues, but “ First I want my neighbors to be safe,” he says. “ N o more rapes. No more dead kids. No more gangs. If elected, I promise not to be a nice guy. Northeast Portland has finished last for long enough.” Black History Page 13 Page 5 Page 4 ENTERTAINMENT 250 SPORTS RELIGION CLASSIFIED 10