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T he P ortland O bserver • J uly 12 1995
Safe Summer Fun: From the National Safe Kids Campaign
Relaxation, family vacations and
loads o f warm weather activities -
that is what summer means to most
Americans, especially children. Sum­
mer break revs up most every c h ild ’s
desire to cram in as many adventure-
packed activities as possible before
returning to school. That is why par­
ents and caregivers must make their
children’s safety a top priority dur­
ing what doctors and emergency room
stafl'call “ trauma season." More un­
intentional childhood deaths and in­
juries occur between the summer
months o f May and August than any
other time o f the year.
“ W ith all o f the excitement that
accompanies summer, adults and
children often put safety on the back
burner,” said Heather Paul, Ph D.,
executive director o f the National
SAFE K ID S Campaign.
“ There are many simple ways
that families can make their homes
and communities safer for kids. No
one anticipates that a tragedy w ill
strike during this fun-fi I led time, but
this is when children are pushing
their abilities to the lim its,” she add­
ed.
By putting safety first and fo l­
lowing the guidelines below, you can
help ensure endless safe summer fun
for the whole family.
Backyard Basics
Your home is most likely regard­
ed as the safest place for your children
to play. What many parents and
caregivers forget is that injuries can
happen anywhere, even in your own
backyard, i f certain safety precautions
are neglected. Follow these guide­
lines to help yo u r child re n safely
enjoy playing in y o u r backyard:
• Always supervise children,
even i f they are “ only in the back­
yard.”
• Make sure all fences and gates
are secure. Fix broken rails and check
to see i f there are any protruding
parts.
• Remove poisonous plants.
Many common household and gar­
den plants can be poisonous, and
should be kept out ofchildre n ’s sight
and reach. I f you have any concerns
about a plant, contact the nearest
Poison Control Center or a medical
professional. Keep Syrup o f Ipecac
on hand, but use only after consulting
a doctor or emergency medical per­
sonnel.
• Keep tools out o f children’s
reach. Never leave gardening tools
where children can find them or fall
on them.
• Lock up barbecue grills and
gasoline containers.
• Make sure children drink plen­
ty o f water Children can become
dehydrated. Periodically bring chil­
dren inside for a rest and a drink,
especially on hot and humid days.
Make sure children use sunscreen
when necessary
Getting To Know
Your Neighborhood
There is always comfort in know­
ing your children are playing only a
few blocks from home However,
this comfort can give you and your
children a false sense o f security
when it comes to safety .
The National SAFE KIDS
Campaign suggests following these
tips for playing safely in the neigh­
borhood:
• Fam iliarize your s e lf w ith
neighborhood play areas. Inspect
playgrounds for rusted or broken
equipment and dangerous surface
such as concrete or asphalt.
• Warn children about unaccept­
able play areas Garages, construc­
tion sites, abandoned buildings, rail­
road tracks, dumpsters, waterfronts
and unsupervised swimming areas
may appeal to a child's sense o f
curiosity, but they should be strictly
off-lim its!
• Children under age 10 should
never cross streets alone. Remind
children ages 10 or older o f the rules
o f pedestrian safety such as using
sidewalks and looking left, right, and
left again for traffic before crossing
the street.
Safe And Smart Cycling
M ost every c h ild yearns fo r a
b ic y c le d u r in g the s u m m e r,
dream ing o f new paths to trium ph
and tra ils to blaze. W h ile frien ds
are away on vacation, a b ic y c le
can become a c h ild ’ s stand-in
Community Child Care Forum
»
Franciscan Enterprise, Common
Bond, and Albina Ministerial A lli­
ance’s Family Day Care w ill host a
community meeting for parents and
families on child care programs and
services available in the K ing Neigh­
borhood area. TheCommunity Child
Care Forum w ill be held from 6:30 to
8:30 pm on Wednesday, July 19 at
the King Neighborhood Facility,
4 8 15 N. E. 7th Avenue Residents o f
King Neighborhood and surround­
ing community are invited to attend
this free forum. Child care w ill be
provided as a “ children’ s Fair” with
supervised activities such as face
painting and storytelling.
Franciscan Enterprise is one o f
four non-profit community develop­
ment corporations in Oregon partic­
ipating in processofidentifyingchild
care needs in their service area com­
munities. Franciscan is w orking with
a Planning Committee to assess child
care needs and available supply in
King Neighborhood. The Com m it­
tee w ill identify several possible
projects for Franciscan to undertake
in the coming year, such as develop­
ing a store-front child care resource
center in the neighborhood. Before
the fin a l p ro je c t is selected,
Franciscan would like further com­
munity input Franciscan owns over
30 residential properties in N orth­
east Portland which are rented to
low-income families.
I-..
■
Public
Awareness
Event
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Common Bond, A Community
Celebration o f Families, is a parent-
chili) development center located at
4 9 19 9th Avenue. This Volunteers o f
Am erica/Urban League Program
serves families with children ages
birth to 3 years. Common Bond’ s
services include parent information
classes and support groups, personal
home visits, drop-in play group ses­
sions, children’ s health screenings,
and service referrals. Common Bond
provides a safe, stimulating environ­
ment forchildren that features equip­
ment, books, and toys specially de­
signed for young children.
A lbina M inisterial A llian ce ’ s
(A M A ) Family Day Care program is
the North/Northeast Portland con­
tract agency for Metro Chid Care
Resource & R e fe rra l (M e tro
C CR&R). Metro C C R&R is a coali­
tion o f four referral programs in the
Tri-C ounty area, linking child care
providers and parents. A M A ’ s Fam­
ily Day Care Program is a free ser­
vice for parents and child care pro­
viders. The program offers parent
referrals, information on quality child
care, and child care subsidies; it pro­
vides child care providers with sup­
port services and technical assistance.
Join in celebrating
^lortlanb
ANNIVERSARY
( O b s c w e r ’s
twenty-fifth
anniversary.
com panion w h ile searching fo r
new summer adventures. U n fo r­
tunately, c h ild re n o fte n attem pt
risky stunts and e x h ib it careless
behavior. A c c o rd in g to the U S .
Consumer P roduct Safety C o m ­
m ission (C P SC ), 88 percent o f
those in ju re d w h ile p e rfo rm in g
stunts are c h ild re n ages 14 and
under.
Each year, approximately 300
childienages 14 and under are killed
and another 400,000 are injured in
bicycle-related incidents. Two-thirds
ol all bicycle fatalities occur between
May and September.
Using a bike helmet every time
you ride is one o f the follow ing safe
cycling guidelines recommended by
the National SAFE K ID S Campaign:
Purchase an approved bicycle
helmet for each child. Insist the hel­
met is worn correctly every time the
child goes for a ride. Helmets reduce
the risk o f head injury by 85 percent
and brain injury by almost 90 percent
(Buy only helmets that meet safety
standards.)
Teach children safe bicycle be­
haviors. Emphasize the fact that a
bicycle is a vehicle, not a toy. Check
with local safety' organizatios to find
PDC Promotions In Two Departments
The P o rtlan d D eve lop m e nt
C om m ission has prom oted tw o
s ta ff m em bers in the W o rk fo rc e
and T arget In du strie s D e p a rt­
ment.
Lynn St. Jean has been p ro ­
moted to the new p o s itio n o f
W o r k fo r c e
D e v e lo p m e n t
P roject M anager overseeing the
creation o f re g io n a l w o rk fo rc e
d evelopm ent in itia tiv e s in ta r­
geted ind ustrie s. St. Jean w ill
manage p ro je cts related to ta r­
get in d u s try deve lo pm e nt, jo b
crea tion , and program s to in ­
crease the supply o f local trained
w orkers. She w ill also assist in
m arketing P o rtla n d ’ s w o rk fo rc e
to a ttra ct and retain com panies
to the area.
Jess McKinley, Project
Manager, Portland
Development Commission
St.Jean has been w ith PDC
since 1989, most re ce n tly as the
JobNet Placem ent C o o rd in a to r in
Families
Escape
With
Detectors
Working smoke detectors may
have saved the lives o f four adults
and 11 children when flames swept
through their northeast Portland
apartment.
Officials said the detectors
were installed about a month ago
when the fire department was dis­
patched to a first aid emergency at
the apartment at 10 N.E. Fargo St.
The crew noticed there were
no smoke detectors and installed
four o f the devices free to the fam­
ilies who were living there.
C° t T b «*
CU t T
4069 N.E. M.L.K. Blvc
& 162nd & Division (Division Crossing
P D C ’ s JobNet program . She has
a B .A . in Science from South­
ern O regon State C o lle g e in
A shland, Oregon.
Jess W. M c K in le y has been
prom oted to the new p o s itio n o f
W o r k fo r c e
D e v e lo p m e n t
P roject M anager. He w ill m an­
age the b u ild in g o f systems and
c o m m u n ity capacity to assure
that targeted co m m un ity re si­
dents can access jo b o p p o rtu n i­
ties o ffe re d by P D C ’ s econom ­
ic developm ent a c tiv itie s .
M c K in le y jo in e d PDC in
1991 as P roject C o o rd in a to r in
P D C ’ s J o b N e t P ro g ra m . He
holds a B .A . in R e lig io n from
W arner p a c ific C olleg e in P o rt­
land.
'Elie Gershwins’
lorffindpess
“ They worked tonight and
may have saved the lives o f all the
NEW, RETURNS
OVERSTOCK
out about bicycle safety days and
rodeos, and have your child partici­
pate.
Make sure the c h ild ’s bicycle
works properly. Are reflectors se­
cure? Test the brakes. Can the child
completely grasp handbrakes? Does
the bicycle stop right away? Make
sure gears shift smoothly and tires
are secured tightly and properly in­
flated.
F a m ilia riz e y o u rs e lf w ith the
c h ild ’ s b ic y c lin g e nviro n m e n t.
Encourage the c h ild to b ike in
safe environm ents, such as those
w ith b ic y c lin g environm ent.
occupants." o ffic ia ls said, last
Wednesday, follow ing the 9:45
p m. fire.
A faulty electrical fan cord
was blamed for starting the fire in
the 2nd floor o f an apartment. Fire
was coming out o f three windows
on the second flo o r when
firefighters arrived.
July 19-29
Civic Auditorium
Tickets from $20.
Charge by Phone
224-4400 , 241-1802
JJve Irom The Port kind Opera!
Don't miss it.
L IQ U ID A T IO N
OUTLET
C O M E A N D SEE W E J A T
Y O U R M O N E Y W IL L BUY A T
5 0 % T O 7 5 % O FF RETAIL
Memorial Statue Fund
You are cordially invited to
attend a fu n d raising event and
preview o f the Martin l.uther
King, Jr. Statue, which will,
ultimately, he located at The
Oregon Convention Center
Cascade Community College
705 North Killingsworth
Portland, Oregon
Saturday - July 15, 1995
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Please come meet Michael
Florin Dente, the local sculptor
who is responsible fo r this fine
piece o f artwork
A ll donations, large or small,
w ill be greatly appreciated.
For more information, call
Laurie at 503-283-1638.
P re s e n t 10% c o u p o n w ith p u rc h a s e fo r
a d d itio n a l s a v in g s . Expires 6-09-95.
Furniture • Bedding • Clothing
Rugs • Housewares • Tools • Toys
Electronics • Lamps • Flateware
Auto Accessories
And Much More!
QUALITY DEPARTMENT STORE ITEMS
NEW STORE HOURS
OPEN WED-FRI 10-6, SAT 10-5
5 th Y ea r A n n iv e r s a r y S a le
Free Gifts With Any Advertised Purchase
Regularly
Short Sets..............................$29” .........................
Double Breasted Suits.........$179” .......................
All Women’s Outfits............$59” .........................
All Snakeskin Shoes............ $159°°- $129” ..........
Snakeskin Belts................... $105°..........................
2929 NE A L B E R T A , PO R TLAN D , OR
(503)281-7164
Sale Price
..$19”
..$109”
.. $39”
...$99no
..$ 7 "
VISA • MASTERCARD
PERSONAL CHECKS • LAYAWAY
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