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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 22, 1997)
Volume X X VIl, Number 43 . Committed to cultural diversity. Artharee to address journalists Community leader honored by Portland Association of Black Journalists. (X T. 22, 1997 Main Street Theater features Tobray Patti LaBelle's good vibrations keep cornin' Musical comedy opens this weekend downtown. High Priestess of song releases new album. See Metro, inside. See Metro, inside See Entertainment, page B3. |Jortla uh © u****^r» ■ H m i ■ ■ ■ I North Portland clinic faces crisis Cash influx needed to save vital health services Woman denies 2 2 killings A worker at a Danish nursing home pleaded not guilty to charges of killing 22 elderly residents with overdoses of painkillers. The case is being called the biggest mass killing in modern Danish history. The woman, who was not identi fied, cried as she entered her plea to the charge of killing Police statements in the woman's case indicate the deaths might have been mercy killings. he North Portland Nurse Practi tioner Community Health Clinic has provided health care to young people since November 1980, but laces closure unless new revenue is found by Nov. 15, said Mariah S. Taylor, the Pedi atric Nurse Practitioner who runs it Up to 15 children a day are treated for such illnesses as ruptured ear drums, skin infections, school emergencies, well child care, and conditions related to "no access to health care.” As a pediatric nurse practitioner Taylor treats people up to 21 years, oilers com plete treatment/mcdications referrals and follow-up care, at the clinic, at 5311 N. Vancouver Ave. However, in the past six months, there have been a 75 percent increase in homeless families who sleep in parks, cars and on the street who need health care access, social services ami support. Taylor believes, "1 am my brother’s keeper, ami believe wholistic health which addresses the whole person is the only way I can practice." Taylor also provides food, clothing, edu cational material, immunizations. Headstart/ school screenings, treatment ami referrals lor emergencies and minor acute illnesses Our peak months are October through April, she said ' 1 hat s because the winter months lake the greatest toll on children’s health, but we are seeing conditions in the tall which usually surface during the winter. Taylor has one full time staff member be sides hersell, and depend on volunteers to stall the clinic and assist with the provision ol health care Pre-med, high school and nursing students make up the bulk of volun teers at die clinic. Churches and community members also play a vital role in maintaining the high T US says Microsoft violated pact The Justice Department has announced it's taking action against computer giant Microsoft. Attorney General Janet Reno is accusing Microsoft of using its Win dows "monopoly” to force computer mak - ers to include the Microsoft Internet browser in pre-loaded software. Depart ment officials believe that puts rivals such as Netscape at a competitive disad vantage. IRS plan on the table The chief tax writer in the House of Representatives is expected to propose legislation that would revamp the Inter nal Revenue Service. House Ways and Means Chairman, Texas Republican Bill Archer is proposing among other things to shift the burden of proof from the taxpayer to the IRS if the agency charges a taxpayer with wrongdoing. Archer's bill would also create an independent oversight board with authority over the IRS. Heart Trouble for Women A new study shows that heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women and could reach epi demic proportions as the population ages. The study published in (he British Medi cal Journal says older American women are 10 times more likely to die from heart disease than breast cancer, dispel ling the myth that coronary problems are mainly a male affliction. GM: Raise gas prices A General Motors executive says gasoline prices should be raised so that Americans will be forced to try more fuel-efficient vehicles. Louis Hughes, GM ’s executive vice president of inter national operations, says a tax increase of 50 cents on a gallon would get Ameri cans to change their gas-guzzling ways. He spoke in advance of the Tokyo Motor Show, where global warming and fuel- efficient, clean-car technology are hot topics. W hite House denies tampering The White House is denying it doc tored any of the videotapes showing President Clinton courting Democratic donors at the Executive Mansion. The suggestion of tampering was made Sun day by Rep. Dan Burton, the Indiana Re publican chairing the House committee investigating fund raising in last year’s campaign. Ginko Shows Promise Researchers say extract from the ginko tree seems to help people with dementia. The ex tract helped patients with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of senility, and those with vascular dementia, according to Pierre LeBars and colleagues at the New York Institute for Medical Research It delayed pro gression of dementia by the equivalent of six months, they reported in the Jour nal of the American Medical Associa tion. Continued to page B2 Water Bureau works to reduce lead hazard Program will be delivered at no cost to water users he Portland Water Bureau is em barked on a five-year strategy to reduce lead exposure. “Removing lead from drinking water .is a federal priority throughout the United States,” said Erik Sten, Commissioner of Public Works, “and the law requires each water utility to do something about it. We don’, have lead in our drinking water, so it makes no sense to spend limited ratepayer dollars on a requirement that returns little value to the community. Instead, we are developing an alternative that focuses on families that are most at risk of lead expo sure.” The Lead Reduction Program will estab lish a pilot program in the Humboldt neigh borhood, with participants selected by age of homes, number of children, and inci dence of elevated blood lead levels in chil dren tested through a recent Multnomah County Program. The program will expand to other high-risk neighborhoods oxer the next five years. “We are using the same dollars we would have spent on treating water to instead re duce real lead exposure in our communi ties,” stated Sten. “Our program wi 11 be at no cos, to participants." T Charles Shi Miltie Vega Lloyd Cliff Jones Nordstrom boosts cultural harmony Light shines on folks who have received little recognition before leven local residents were hon Robeson M arketing C om m unications; ored Friday for their efforts in and C harles Shi, volunteer executive promoting cultural harmony in director o f Asian A ffairs for the State our community at the second annual o f Oregon C eleb ratio n o f C u ltu ral D iv ersity. Also honored were student volun 1997 Nordstrom C om m unity Service teers A udrey D avis, A m ber F elker, awards. M atthew Richm ond. Koy Saechao, Koy The honored guests included Lanice Saeliew and Vi Pham with the Red Cross Colem an, floor m anager for the S is Peer Em ergency Trainer Team. ters o f the Road Cafe; C liff Jones, All o f “these individuals have worked human rights and diversity activist, tirelessly to prom ote culture harmony Technical A ssistance for Com munity in our com m unity, and up to this point, Services; M iltie Vega Lloyd, human have receiv ed little reco g n itio n for r e s o u rc e s m anager fo r T he their effo rts,” event organizers said C olum bian; Greg Robeson, owner o f A pproxim ately S35.OOO was raised E I for the c e le b ratio n th ro u g h tick et sales and in d iv id u al c o n trib u tio n s from N ordstrom and Lane Pow ell Spears Luberksy. The beneficiaries included the Cas cade AIDS Project, Oregon Trail chapter of the Red Cross, Oregon Council for Hispanic Advancement, Refugee Immi grant Consortium o f Oregon and South west Washington, Self Enhancement, Inc., and Sisters o f the Road Cafe The event was held at The Atrium a, M ontgom ery Park and included en tertainm ent by the NW Afrikan A m eri can Ballet. now
