T he P ori land O bserver • J une 19, 1996
P m , I A5
A breath of Fresh Air For Allergy Sufferers?
The timing may vary from region to
region, but one constant remains dur­
ing the spring and summer: at some
point microscopic granules of pollen
will descend upon allergy sufferers.
The end result is a breath of fresh air
that is followed by sneezing, cough
ing, itchy and watery eyes and upper
respiratory congestion.
The American Lung Association
and the makers of Tavist are helping
allergy sufferers learn how to manage
their allergies and enjoy the outdoors
throughout warm weather. Following
is a list ol measures allergy sufferers
can take to m ake o u td o o r life
“sneezeless.”
— Look Before You Leap— Moni­
tor air quality through radio, televi­
sion and newspaper pollen count re­
ports. Allergy symptoms often de­
velop when pollen counts are moder­
ate to high, but can continue even
when the count lowers. Rainy, cloudy
or windless days usually have lower
pollen counts, but mold spores may be
higher right after a rain. Taking note
of which allergens are at the highest
levels may help in determining those
that are most bothersome.
— The Early Bird Catches The
Pollen — Pollen levels are highest
before 10 a m., so try not to be out­
doors then. While indoors, close
windows and use air conditioning to
filter and dry the air Have someone
else mow the lawn or rake leaves.
These activities stir up pollens and
molds.
— Don’t Be Hung Out to Dry By
Allergens — Do not hang sheets or
clothing out to dry Pollen and molds
collect on these materials and can
trigger allergies later.
— Handle with Care — Avoid
touching eyes and nose and transfer­
ring pollen there.
— When Ordering a D rink.. —
Remember that alcohol stimulates
mucus production and dilates the blood
vessels, worsening runny nose and
nasal congestion. Smoking irritates
the eyes and respiratory
sy ste m ,
making allergy symptoms worse.
— Avoid Pollen Triggers —* Vari­
ous types of allergy-causing plants
can be found around the country, but
there are ways to identify plants to
select or avoid. Generally, showier
plants pollinated by insects are better
choices because these flowers' pollen
grains are larger and less bothersome.
Less attractive plants rely on the wind
for pollination, and have smaller pol­
len grains that can cause allergies
through inhalation. In most areas of
the country, the allergens that cause
most problems are:
frees — Including oak, olive, west­
ern red cedar, elm, birch,
ash, hickory, poplar, sycamore,
maple and walnut
Pollinating grasses— Such as timo­
thy, bermuda and orchard
W eeds— Ragweed, sagebrush and
pigweed become a problem
in late spring and early summer
- T hat's the Last Straw — Some
gardeners with allergies use black
plastic mulch instead of straw to
keep down pollinating weeds, dust
and mold growth. This also has the
added benefit of warming the soil
and helping crops such as tomatoes
and melons mature faster.
Playskool Brings it’s ’’Magic Touch" to the
June 12,1996— Playskool, a lead­
ing children’s products manufac­
turer, has added its magic to the
world of interactive books with a
dramatic innovation in thechildren’s
book category. Playskool’s Magic
Touch(TM ) Talking Books, which
allow children to activate sounds
and enjoy fun games simply by touch­
ing the pages, make their book-show
debut at the American Booksellers
A sso c ia tio n
C o n v e n tio n
at
M cCormick Place C om plex here
from June 15-17, booth no. 5417.
The line of 11 titles will be on retail
shelves in September.
Playskool’s breakthrough books
bring stories to life as children touch
objects on the page — such as char­
acters, animals, vehicles, foods and
more — to illicit an audio response
of up to 16 sounds per page and up to
100 different words and sounds in
each book; more than any other prod­
uct on the market.
“Playskool has taken the newest
technology and developed an inno­
vative, ' hands on' interactive experi­
ence in Magic Touch Talking Books
that no other company offers, all for
under $20,” said Greg Miller,
Playskool’s vice president of mar­
keting. “Based on early trade and
consumer reactions in testing, we are
confident this line will bring the
children's electronic book category
to a new level.”
In addition to Playskool’s patented
technology, a combination of key
factors make Magic Touch Talking
Books stand out from the com peti­
tion including: strong titles; hot
c h ild re n ’s licen ses, including
D isn e y ’s “ H unchback o f N otre
Dame;” unique story lines; and
animated voices and effects.
The Magic Touch Talking Book line
marks Playskool’s entry into the
electronic children's books category.
Miller explains the toy company is
exhibiting at ABA to develop rela­
tionships with a more book-focused
audience to expand the com pany’s
distribution to additional channels
and to build awareness of the innova­
tive product line.
Each of the original stories was
written solely for Playskool s Magic
TouchTalking Books line. The whole
line is specifically designed so that
ook World
each book complements the others,
ottering children a well-rounded
curriculum including the alphabet,
counting, music, science, the solar
system and much more.
The Magic Touch Talking Books
line was designed in conjunction with
the Playskool Advisory Panel, a di­
verse group of children's experts
brought together to provide ongoing
counsel to Playskool on product
development.
The Playskool Advisory Panel,
formed in 1993, includes experts in
child-related fields includingdevelop-
Affordable
Housing Bolstered
Continued from Metro
▲
HOST, as a non-profit corpora­
tion, does not try to take advantage o f
the hot market. It uses other ways to
keep its home prices down, using
donated materials and, sometimes,
donations o f land by Multnomah
County and Emanuel Hospital. Itdoes
not use any sort o f donated labor,
Nolte says, because this would allow
no control over the quality o f the
workmanship.
Since 1989 Host has turned over
39 homes -1 5 rehabilitations and 24
new constructions - and is working
on 38 more. All are welcome to buy,
but HOST puts four special condi­
tions on its sales: the house must
remain owner-occupied until paid
for, and the owner must attend a
homeowner education class, main­
tain the home properly, and contrib­
ute 50 hours to community service
projects. No one has ever defaulted
on a HOST mortgage, and only one
home has been resold, Nolte says.
The HOST board includes com­
munity leaders such as Erik Sten o f
commissioner Gretchen Kafoury’s
office and Jim May o f Emanuel, but
most o f its members are part o f the
real estate industry. Some critics
charge that while its activities bene­
fit individual homeowners, the effect
o f its upgrading is to push communi­
ty land values even higher, to the
benefit o f HOST and at the expense
oftenants and would-be homeowners.
“ It’s an interesting dilem m a,”
Nolte says. “ Do you leave a neigh­
borhood in decay and let property
values stagnate or run backward, or
do you upgrade the neighborhood
while giving people a chance for
home ownership? A few years ago
we had 80 year old people living in
crumbling home that gave them no
equity at all. Someone would have
come in and tied those homes up by
now. You can’t freeze property val­
ues.”
300 Say “Farewell”
Continued from Metro
▲
ence/math v. Technology.
The students speak ten different
languages but they still feel the
warmth when Daniels is visual in the
halls, and outside each day.
The Brooklyn Community held
its annual parade on May 15th and
surprised Daniels by being the Grand
Marshall. (With a crown, roses and
riding in a convertible car. May 23rd
the staff provided an excitingevening
recalling the past ten years, at the
Eastmoreland G olf Club.
The evening o f May 15th Daniels
was surprised to receive the Brook­
lyn Community Plague from the
Brooklyn Action Corp. (A reception
where Secretary o f State Phil Keisling
presented the award).
As Daniels departs on June 28th
she leaves many good memories. This
fall she will start her new job as the
University’s Teacher Supervisor.
Daniels once said as God closes
one door he opens another door, be­
cause God is her guiding light.
----------------------------------------------------- -
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A d v ertise In
(Elie ^ îo r tÎ a n ù (© bseruer
Call (503) 288-0033
With 400,000 small business
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In Hn\ iln /i/n Ihn Hniilninril iiiln n Huilisi inni.
P o rtla n d C o m m u n it y D e s ig n in v ite s y o u to jo in th e
M L K M A IN S T R E E T M A S T E R P L A N S U M M I T
M IN I S U M M IT O P E N H O U S E
S atu rd ay, J u n e 22
Help create the vision for M L K 's future:
Key. For a new America;
Come anytime between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, Saturday, June 22,1996
Metro Council Chambers, 600 NE Grand, Portland.
Refreshments provided.
For information call Laurel Lyon, Portland Community Design, 287-1203
— Consider Simple Treatment —
Take an antihistamine 30 minutes
before going outdoors.
Control Allergens With the Tavist
Year-Round Calendar
For allergy sufferers who refuse
to let their symptoms get the best of
them, the American Lung Associa­
tion and the makers of Tavist devel­
oped the Tavist Year Round Allergy
M anagement calendar, complete
with more than 50 tips to help al­
lergy sulferersenjoy everything from
gardening to traveling, sports and
enjoying their own home The cal­
e n d a r is free by c a llin g (8 00)
TA V IST D (828-4783).
menl, education, health, and rehabili­
tation. Hie distinguished group of
experts works elosely with Playskool
toprovideongoingcounsel on product
development.
Founded in 1928,
Playskool is a brand of Hasbro, Inc., a
worldwide leader in the manufacture
and marketing of toys, games, interac­
tive softw are, puzzles and infant care
products. Playskool’s baby and pre-
school lines feature a complete selec­
tion of innovative, quality products
designed to entertain, stimulate, feed
and clothe children from birth through
six years old.