F ebruary 16, 1994 • T he P ortland O bserver
P age B 2
Firearm Mortality Increasing In U.S.
While Motor Vehicle Mortality Declines
“Harvard Of
Alternative Schools”
Needs Tutors
U n lo r t u n a t e l y,
T he H arvard o f A lte rn a tiv e
Schools," an apt name for Portland’s
Albina Youth Opportunity School
i AYOS), has survived more than 25
years during a lime when school 1 und­
ing cuts are common.
During that period o f success­
fully providing a creative education
option for junior and senior high
school students referred from Port­
land Public Schools and the M ult­
nomah County Juvenile Justice D ivi­
sion, 3,500 students have passed
through AYOS on their way to a high
dow n ed
school diploma.
The secret ol AYOS s success is
in the low student to adult ratio and in
the individualized plans created lor
each student to insure completion ol
credits for graduation. AYOS relys
heavily on volunteer tutors to work
onc-on-onc with students in reading,
writing, social studies, science, lan­
guage arts, and com puter science be­
tween the class hours ol 8:30 a.m. and
p o w e r lin e s
2:45 P.M.
tutors, based on their availabil­
ity, tutor five hours per w cek-usually
two days at 2-1/2 hours each. Those
interested in tutoring, contact Irma
A ugust at 288-5813.
Be Proud Of
Your Heritage
don 1
Firearm injuries may soon ex ­
ceed motor vehicle crashes as the
leading cause of injury death in the
United States if recent trends persist,
according to studies released today by
HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala.
Already in 1991, more A m eri­
cans were killed by guns than died in
motor vehicle crashes in six states
and the District o f Colum bia, accord­
ing to the studies, published by HHS
Centers for Disease Control and Pre­
vention. By early in the next decade or
even sooner, deaths from firearm in­
juries may overtake vehicle injury
deaths nationwide. Firearm deaths
include homicides, suicides, and un­
intentional deaths.
“Itisap p allingthatinthe w orld’s
strongest and w ealthiest country,
death by firearms is increasing at the
alarm ing rate these studies find,” said
Secretary Shalala.
“In our three largest states, fire­
arms are already the leading cause of
injury-related death. And among
young adults, aged 25-34, the cross­
over has occurred on a nationwide
basis: firearms cause more deaths
among Americans o f this age than do
other vehicle crashes or any other
category o f injuries,” she said.
There were more firearm deaths
than motor vehicle deaths in Califor­
nia, New York and Texas, as well as
in Louisiana, Nevada, V irginia and
the District o f Colum bia in 1991. In
Maryland, the numbers o f firearm
and motor vehicle deaths were iden­
tical in 1991, and in Michigan motor
vehicle deaths exceeded deaths from
firearms by only 1 percent.
N ationw ide, firearm m ortality
has been increasing while m otor ve­
hicle m ortality has been declining ,
according to a report prepared by the
National center o f Health Statistics
(NCHS). In 1991,43,536people died
as a result of injuries sustained during
motor vehicle crashes and 38,317
people died as the result of firearm-
related injuries. Among the firearm
deaths, 47 percent were homicide, 48
percent were suicide, and 4 percent
w ere c la ssifie d as u n in ten tio n al
deaths.
The national motor vehicle crash
death rate clim bed 10 percent while
the death rate due to firearms in­
creased by 14 percent from 1985
through 1991. These trends acceler­
ated from 1988 through 1991.
Shalala especially called atten­
tion to firearm deaths among chil­
dren. “ Before they reach the age o f 16,
oldenough fo rad riv er’s license,each
year hundreds o f our children are
killed by firearm s.”
The NCHS report examines in­
jury deaths for the nation and by state
for detailed race and ethnic groups in
1990-91. A related article by NCHS
and C D C ’s National Center for In­
jury Prevention and Control appears
i the Jan. 28 Morbidity and Mortality
W eekly Report (MMW R), with com­
ments on the trend and proposed
means for preventing many firearm
deaths.
“T here’is a message of hope as
well as a challenge in these new sta­
tistics,” said David Satcher, M.D.,
director o f the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. “ A sa nation,
when faced with high rates o f injury
and death from motor vehicles crashes,
we developed a comprehensive plan
to reduce motor vehicle deaths. It is
working; motor vehicle deaths are
going down. As a nation we can, and
we must, do the same to prevent deaths
form guns.”
The increase in the firearm death
rate during the late 1980s and into the
1990s reverses an earlier pattern. From
1980 through 1985 firearm mortality
actually decreased by 11 percent.
Motor vehicle mortality was already
on the downward trend, declining 18
percent from 1980 through 1985.
Projecting from an analysis of
data from 1968 through 1991, re­
searchers at CDC estimate that fire­
arm deaths could exceed motor ve­
hicle deaths nationwide by the year
2003. Using only the recent years,
1988-91, this crossover could occur
even earlier.
Recent increases in firearm mor­
tality have been greatest among ado­
lescent and young adults. From 1988
to 1991, the firearm death rat for
those 15-24 years increased by 40
percent and for those 25-34 the rate
was up by 8 percent.
The firearm death ra te is only
10 p e rc e n t low er than the m otor
v eh icle death rate for th o se 15-
2 4 , and the firearm d e a th rate
ex ceed s the m otor v eh icle rate for
the 25-34 age group.
“Firearm and O ther Vehicle In­
jury Mortality-Variations by State,
Race and Ethnicity: United stags,
1990-91,” is published by the Na­
tional Center for Health statistics,
Centers for Disease Control and Pre­
vention, Public Health service. De­
partment of Health and Human Ser­
vices. Copies are available from NCHS
at 6525 BelcrestRd., Hyattsville, Md.
20782. Copies of the Jan. 28 issue of
C D C ’s M orbidity and M ortality
Weekly Report are available at CDC ’ s
MMWR office, Room 5115, 1600
Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA. 30333.
Oregon State Bar Examines Complaints
com e
New & used books
on Business, Music,
& African-American
Studies
The Oregon Suite Bar has re­
ceived seven com plaints regarding
statements made at a news confer­
ence on February 1 by Portland attor­
ney Ronald Hoevet.
According to suite bar president
W illiam W heatley of Eugene, the bar
is responsible for maintaining and
enforcing the ethical standards that
apply to Oregon lawyers. “The legal
profession is committed to the preser­
vation o f the legal rights of all citi­
zens,” said W heatley. “The suite bar
is obligated to look into any situation
where a law yer’s statements could
affect a citizen’s right to a fair trial.”
The bar is review ing the com ­
POWELL’S
CITY OF BOOKS
W ll
U se d books b o u g h t every day till 8:30 pm
The Senior PeerCounsclor (SPC)
program o f Metropolitan Portland w ill
host its first Annual D inner Program.
‘The Values of Senior Peer C ounsel­
ing’ on Friday, February eighteenth
at Beaverton ‘s Greenwood Inn lo­
cated at the Allen Boulevard exit off
Highway 217. A social hour begins at
5:45pm with the dinner and program
at 6:30pm.
Hugh Scott, PSC President, and
author o f The New M edicine Man: A
Different Kind o f Health Care For
Elders, will serve as Master o f C er­
emonies. The public is invited to learn
from volunteer senior citizen peer
counselors how they provide positive,
practical help to other seniors and
how to becom e a trained Deer coun­
O n th e # 2 0 Bus line • O n e h o u r free parking
1005 W est B u rnside S treet
228-4651
Wigland
One of the Northwest Largest Wig Displays
Wigs and Hairpieces For all Nationalities
E va G abor
N aomi S ims
R enee of P aris
Synthetic & Human Hair
For Braiding & Weeving
1
S in c e te a m i n g u p w ith
fo rm e r m e m b e rs o f th e P aul
D elay B and in July 1992, L in d a
H o rn b u c k le has tak en the P a ­
c i f i c N o r t h w e s t by s to r m .
H o rnbuckle opened the Ml. H ood
In te rn a tio n a l B lues F estival w ith
a stu n n in g p e rfo rm a n c e . She has
c a p tiv a te d c ro w d s at P o rtla n d ’s
W a te rfro n t B lues F e stiv a l, she
w as the o p e n in g a c t for B.B.
Near Lloyd Centei
282-1664
• N.E Broadway
I
AFFORDABLE TROPHIES
Trophies • Plaques • Engraving
Printed Hats • Shirts • Jackets
It's impossible to tell if a
downed powerline is hot.
at
Affordable Prices
or not. If you see one,
don't touch But do call
911 and ask for assistance.
Ron and Loretta Rice
657-5613
2005 8th Ave.
Portland General Electric
West Linn, OR. 97068
selor.
O ther presenters will address
social, econom ic, spiritual and psy­
chological values. Local speakers in­
clude Dr. Phyllis M cGraw, long-term
care consultant, Dr. W illiam Lind­
say, former Presbyterian pastor and
D r. John T h o m p so n o f K a ise r
Pcrmanente. There will be an ‘Open
M ike’ period for questions and com ­
ments.
S ta ff and v o lu n te e rs from s e ­
n io r c e n te r , h o s p ita ls , s e rv ic e
c lu b s, c h u rc h e s and o th e r c o m ­
m u n ity p ro g ra m s w ill learn how
to s p o n s o r a p e e r c o u n s e lin g
p ro je c t fo r se n io rs th ey se rv e .
T h o se p e rso n s w ith fam ily m em ­
b e rs o r frie n d s in n eed o f a p e e r
c o u n se lo r a re urg ed to a tte n d .
Senior peer counselors encour­
age other seniors to lead more active
and independent lives in their own
homes as they deal with problems
such as isolation, financial worries,
or death of loved ones. O ne peer
counselor notes that, “The best cure
for what ails you is to help someone
else who has the same problem .”
PSC, part o f a national grassroots
movement, plans to add more peer
counselors and project sponsors in
1994 to address the many senior needs
unmet by medical providers and hu­
man service agencies.
For more information and D in­
ner reservations call Pat Paeper at
684-4906.
K ing and has p la y e d o th e r m u s i­
cal c lu b s th ro u g h o u t the N o rth ­
w est.
Linda establishes an immediate
rapport with her audience. Linda and
No Delay Friends is an aw ard-w in­
ning ensemble offering a very satisfy­
ing afternoon o f the blues. You will
also be treated by the 1992 Cascade
Blues Association Muddy Award best
guartist w inner, Peter D am m ann,
Louis Pain on the organ and other
No Delay Friends. They perform in
a concert format on Sunday, Febru­
ary 20,1994 at Sunday Jazz at The
Old Church.
F o od, w ine and b e e r serv ed
by B rig g s and C ra m p to n C a te r ­
ing w ill g e t ja z z -b u ffs sta rte d at
1 :0 0 p m . th e m u s ic s ta r ts a t
2 :0 0 p m . F o r fu rth e r in fo rm a tio n
c a ll: 2 2 2 -2 0 3 1 , or 7 9 7 -1 7 1 8 .
National Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week:
Focus On New Law And Correct Use
Continued from front
5 y s t e m.
pline.
As in the American criminal ju s­
tice system, an attorney accused of an
ethics violation has due process rights.
A lawyer under investigation for an
ethics violation is presumed innocent
pending the outcome o f the matter.
Linda Hornbuckle And No Delay Friends
Mon - Fr. 10 a.m. - 6 p.it
Saturday 10 - 5:30 pm
w a rn in i
Responsibility Board. This b o ard acts
as a g ra n d ju ry and can tak e any of
the following actions on a com pli­
a n t: dism iss the complaint; authorize
additional investigation; issue a latter
o f admonition to the lawyer if a viola­
tion occurred but was not a serious
matter; or authorize formal ethics
charges against the attorney which, if
proven, could result in formal disci­
Senior Peer Counselors Host
First Annual Dinner Program
9 am - i i pm M o n d ay th o u g h S aturday
9 am - 9 pm S undays
k u ilt-iin
plaints to determ ine whether state­
ments made by Hoevet violated the
b ar’s ethical rules involving public
statements made by attorneys. One
such rule forbids a lawyer from m ak­
ing a public statement “intended to
affect the fact-finding process,” or
which the lawyer knows would “pose
a serious and imm inent threat to the
fact-finding process in an adjudicated
proceeding.”
Under the state bar’s attorney
disciplinary process, all complaints
received by the barare investigated. If
the investigation shows there may be
grounds for discipline, the com plaint
goes before the State Professional
▲
safety scat is available. The belt
should be tightened snugly and as
low as possible across the child’s
hips. If an attached shoulder belt
crosses the child’s face or neck, use
a booster seat or belt adjuster. Never
use anything other than a car booster
seat to elevate a ch ild -p illo w s,
cushions and household boosters
can slide out from under the child
making the belt less effective in a
crash.
The effectiveness of any child safety
scat is reduced when to used cor­
rectly. Read the m anufacturer’s in­
structions carefully and be sure to
follow those instructions.
Safety scats must always be an­
chored to the vehicle with the lap
belt exactly as specified by the
m anufacturer. Read the vehicle
ow ner;’s manual for detailed in­
structions on correct installation of
child safety scats in the vehicle.
Seats which have been involved in
a crash m ust be replaced. Also,
seats, which do not meet federal
safety standards should not be used
and MUST be destroyed so there is
no chance that someone else will
use the unsafe scat.
Loan/rcntal programs are available
throughout Oregon to obtain safety
scats at a low fee.
All 50 states and the District of
Colum bia have child restrain laws
in effect.
Vernon Splash Party
You a re invited to C olum bia Pool
on February 17 for a splash party for
grades 1-5. The fun will include:
* Swimming
* Penny Dives
* W ater Basketball
* “Pea In The Pool” Contests
* W ild W ater Games
* Popcorn
BRING YOUR SWIM SUIT, A TOWEL, AND $1.00
W here: Columbia Pool, 7001 N. Chautauqua Blvd., 823-3669
W hen: Thursday, February 17, 3:30 P.M .-4:45 P.M.
This event is held during pubic recreational swim. Families are
welcome. Children under age six must be accompanied in the
water byu an adult. Portland Parks and Recreation