"Serving the community through cultural o Volumn XXIV. Number 07 250 Little Kebrin Needs A Liver Donor THE by Tice Electric Adds Im portant New Member To Their Team P romise K ing ittle Kebrin is a tw enty m onth old baby who is in desperate need o f a liver donor for tran sp lan t­ ing. 1 » lb Two Roads: One To Hope, One To Helplessness BY ART KELLER His white counterpart became sick at heart after discovering the blacks were not satisfied with things as they were. The black men were then cajoled, promised, lied to, threatened, then buffeted in to temporary submission, these blacks started reflecting on :”It takes time for these things to happen.” Page A2 OPB To Participate In Mathline Aimed At Middle School Math Teachers “We couldn’t be more pleased to be one of the first stations in the country to offer Mathline,” said Maynard Orme,presi­ dent and CEO of OPB. “OPB is committed to being the state’s most accessible learn­ ing resource, and serving the educational needs of Oregon. Page A3 Bill Moyers’ Journal Presents acclaimed one-man show with an eloquence and intelligence rarely matched, Frederick Douglas became a gi­ ant in the struggle against racial injustice. He called upon all Americans of every color to work to fulfill the vision ol a first society that was proclaimed in the Decla­ ration of Independence and the constitu­ tion. Page A4 The W hite House National African American History Month February 1994 At two m onths, K ebrin had a liver tra n s p la n t fo r fu lm in a n t h e p a titis -a chronic liver disease that affects new ­ born babies. He has now developed a chronic rejection and has becom e very im m uno-suppressed-w hich m akes him susceptible to infections. Dr. Annie B. Terry Associate Professor of Pediatrics the Oregon Health Sciences University said his condition is worse than before and should not be exposed to children with infectious diseases. Kebrin according to experts has only tw o w e e k s b e f o re h is c o n d itio n deteororate m ore, which could ev en tu ­ ally end his life. His first liver transplant was performed at the California Pacific Medical Center in September 1992. The state, churches and relatives had funded the transplant. To be a donor som e one has to d is­ cuss the decision with the fam ily, sign and m ake a donor card. A bout thirty patients like Kebrin are equally w aiting for a liver transplant. The D o n o r’s card are available at the O regon D o n o r P ro g ram and can be reached on (503) 494-7888. T here is no added cost for organ and tissue donation of transplant and K ebrin Jones w ill need a sm all infant liver to survive. The O regon D onor Program is a n o n ­ p ro fit o rganization that is prom oting pubic aw areness, about the need for a n a ­ tom ical donation. The program executive director, Mary Jane Hunt says public support is crucial at this time because of the long list of men, women and children waiting for organ transplants. His grandm other, L anetta Jones of North P ortland is seeking help from any potential donor betw een now and two weeks time. She can be reached at (503) 240- 8189. Firearm Morality Increasing In U.S. While Motor Vehicle M ortality Declines Already in 1991, more Americans were killed by guns than did in motor vehicle crashes in six states and the Dis­ trict of Columbia, according to the studies published by HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By early in the next decade or even sooner deaths from firearm injuries may overtake vehicle in­ jury deaths nationwide. Page B2 ice Electric Company, a Portland based electrical contracting firm with a reputation for excellence in com­ mercial and industrial electrical work, has announced the addition of Larry E. Rom inger, P.E., as General Manager of its Power Re­ sources Division. Rominger comes to Tice from his position as Senior Vice president in charge of construc­ tion at Christenson Electric Inc., one of the Northwest’slargestelectricalcontractingcom- panies, where he managed complex high-tech projects for Bonneville Power Administration, Pacific Power & Light, Portland General Elec­ tric, and Tri-Met Light Rail, to name a few. As General Manager of Tice’s Power Resources Division, Rominger will concen­ trate on high voltage substation/switchyards, transmission lines, andgeneration/co-gencra- tion facilities. He has full responsibility for the entire scope of construction-related activities in these areas. Rominger is a Northwest native who re­ ceived his bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washing­ ton. He is a registered engineer inboth Oregon and Washington. He and his family currently Little Kebrin and his mother Hynnetta Jones ______________________________________________________________ Continued to page A3 National Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week: Focus On New Law And Correct Use n response to concerns about the safety i of children in automobiles, there is a new Oregon law covering the use of child safety seats. The “four or forty” law, effective last November, requires that chil­ dren up to age four or 40 pounds be in an approved child safety seat. Citing the need to educate parents about this law, as well as proper use of child safety seats, the Oregon Medical Association, Or­ egon Health Division, Oregon Association of Hospitals and Oregon Department of Trans­ portation have pooled resources during this year’s National Child Passenger Safety Aware­ ness Week, February 13-19, 1994. Before the law went into effect, children were only required to be in a scat until they were one year old. “That wasn’t enough,” says Robert Mendelson, M.D., a Portland pediatrician. “Children need to be in a seat until they arc physically mature enough to use a safety belt. National experts have long rec­ ommended that children remain in a child safety seal until they are four years old or forty pounds.”During National Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week, and throughout the year, parents, g randparents and other caregivers who tran sp o rt children in a vehicle are encouraged to follow these tips closely: • Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure the child safety seat’s j American was founded on the prin­ ciple that we all arc created equal, and this solemn commitment to tolerance and Iree- dom continues to find us a nation. Our diverse culture enriches and broadens the American experience, of which African American heritage is an inseparable part. Page A 5 Larry E. Rominger • Face an infant seat to the rear of the car until a child weighs 18-20 pounds and is at least 12 months old; • Do not put rear-facing child passenger seats the front seat if there is an airbag on the passenger side; • Secure harness straps securely over the child’s shoulders; • make sure “hand-me-down” seats were made after January, 1981, when compre­ hensive safety guidelines took effect; • Destroy any seat that has been in a crash (even if the seat looks okay) and make sure that “hand-me-down” seats have not been previously damaged’ and • Remember that the safest place in the ve­ hicle for children is properly secured in a child safety seat-not in a parent’s arms or lap where the child will be ripped away even in a low speed crash. A final reminder is that Oregon law requires everyone to be buckled up in the vehicle. Adult use of safety belts provides additional safety in the event of a crash and sets a positive example for children. Educational materials in English and Spanish as well as information on loaner programs for low-income individuals are avail­ able from the Child Safety Seat resource Center, 1 -800-772-1315. The Resource Cen­ ter can also answer peoples' questions about child safety seats, give information on recalls and how to buy seats, and provide copies of manufacturer’s instructions. INFORMATION Injuries that result from crashes where a child is improperly or not restrained at all cost a staggering amounL In one case study from Oregon, a one-year old child was tom from her mother’s arms and ejected out of the automobile. She was in surgery for several hours to elevate the skull from her swollen brain, this child was in the hospital and in hospital-supervised rehabilitation for five weeks, costing medicaid 578,000. OHSU did not track the ongoing medical problems, or the costs of rehabilitation and lost productiv­ ity for her lifetime. • In Oregon only 34% of children under age one are correctly restrained in a child safety seat. • Results from car safety seat checkup clinic in Oregon found that more than 80% of seats are used incorrectly. • Child safety seats when used correcdy are: • 71 percent effective in preventing fatalities • 67 percenteffective in reducing the need for hospitalization • 50 percent effective in preventing minor injury • Holding a child in an adult’s aims is the most dangerous way to transport an infant. In a crash of approximately 30mph, a 10 pound infant will be ripped from a belted adult’s arms with a force of almost 300 pounds. Black History Black Contributors To Medicine Dr. Allison Davis Honored 17th Rhythm & Blues Foundation Announces 1994 Pioneer Awards The prestigious Chicago Sun-Times Newspaper clucked its tongue and deplore the incident. In Black Heritage Stamp Series D r. Davis served as the John Dewey Distinguished Service Professor at the University o f Little Richard Honored fo r Lifetime Achievement. EDITORIAL A2 m Chicago. FOOD SPORTS ENTERTAINMEN A6 B3 B4 i.'. H Aging Organization Increases Opportunities For African Americans To Enter Nursing Home Administration. Page B6 Page B5 Page A 5 HEALTH B6 ▼ Continued to page B2 Health Black Music Month Editorial Page A2 The safest place for a child is in the rear seat of a car, correctly buckled into a child safety seat. Most people do not realize the dangers automobile travel presents to babies and toddlers, nor are they aware of the differ­ ent types of child safety seats available to fit their needs. T here are basically three types of seats: • Infant Safety Seats-Birth to one year old and 20 pounds. Infant seats must always face the rear of the car and cradle the child in a semi-reclining position. Rear facing child safety seats must not be put in an air bag-equipped seating position. • Convertible Seats-Convert from rear-fac­ ing infant seats to forward-facing toddler seats once the child can sit up without support and is one year old and 20 pounds. Children should be kept in convertible seats as long as possible, at least until the child weighs 40 pounds. • Booster Seats-designed for use by older children who have grown out of a convert­ ible seat. Boosters elevate children so that the car’s lap belt fits either across their hip and pelvic bones or across the booster shield, rather than their stomach. • Child safety seats are more effective than safety belts for small children. Children older than four or weighing more than 40 pounds can safely use a safety belt when no AUTOMOTIVE B7 CLASSIFIEDS B9