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Preventing Aids among Young African-Amercians
is Goal of New Kaiser Permanente Study
(PO R T L A N D , O re.) - K aiser
P erm anente’s C enter for H ealth R e
search (CH R) has begun a new study
to understand how young African-
A m erican couples can protect them
selves against unintended pregency
and sexually transm itted dieases, in
cluding AIDS.
The CH R is collaborating with the
Pacific Institute o f W om en’s Health
on the PA R TN ER S study, w hich is
funded through the Public Institute
o f W om en’s H ealth on the Partners
study, w hich is funded through Pub
lic H ealth Institute in Los Angeles.
T he study’s goal is to develop cul
turally appropiate health education
program s that will help young A fri
can- Am erican women and their part
ners prevent infection w ith the hu
mane deficiency virus (H IV ), w hich
causes A ID S, and other sexually
transm itted dieases (ST D ’s), as well
as unplanned pregnancies. All three
issues are o f concern w ithin A fri
can-A m erican com m unities. HIV/
AIDS is particularly troubling given
the high death and incurable nature
o f the infection. N early halt o f all
AIDS cases - and 56 percent o f
those in w om en - have been in A f
rican A m ericans, even though they
make up only 13 percent o f the U. S.
population. A frican-A m ericans ac
count for 63 percent o f all new HIV
infections am ong people 13 to 24.
Even though the death rate from
AID S has fallen, it rem ains the lead
ing cause o f death am ong A frican-
A m ericans age 25 to 44.
Statistics from the O regon H ealth
D ivision’s H IV /STD Program show
a sim ilarpicture locally. Cum ulative
rate for HIV diaagnosis per 100,000
population (1989 to 1997) among O r
egonians o f A frican decent w ere
higher than for any other population
group - m ore than five tim es higher
than w hites and 13 tim es higher than
Asian-Americans and Pacific Island
ers.
“Program s to prevent HI V /A ID S,
STD s and unplanned pregnancies
am ong young A frican A m ericans
have not been very successful,” says
N ancy V uckovic, PhD, principal in
vestigator for the PARTNERS study
at CHR. "W e have to better tailor
prevention program s to the needs o f
the people w e’re trying to help.
L eam io n g how and w hy young
couples m ake sexual decissions, es
pecially about condom s use, will help
us design prevention that w ork for
both partners.”
“ HIV and A ID S are serious prob
lem s in the A frican-A m erican com
m unity,” says B arber Taylor, p resi
dent o f the A frican A m erican H ealth
C oalition and C h air o f the C om m u
n ity A d v is o ry B o a rd at C H R .
“ M ore and m o re A fric an -A m eri
v ite her m ale p artn er to also p a r
ticip ate. T hey w ill be in terv iew ed
by A frican -A m erican s train ed in
d isc u ssin g se n sitiv e issu es and
en su rin g co nfidentiality. A fem ale
interview er w ill interview m en and
a m ale in te rv iew er w ill interview
w o m e n . E ach p articip a n t w ill re
ceiv e $30 at the end o f the co m
p le ted 6 0 -m in u te in terv iew , p lu s a
list o f h ealth serv ices av ailab le in
the co m m unity.
A frican-A m erican w omen age 18
to 25 w ho h av e a m ale sex u al p a rt
n er are en co u rag ed to p articip a te
in th is study. If you w ould like to
jo in th e study or w o u ld like m ore
inform ation, call (503)499-5540.
cans are getting th ese d ieases, and
too m any people in o u r com m unity
still believe that AID S is not a prob
lem that affects us. W e need e d u
catio n program s that w ill ch an g e
th is p ercep tio n , w e need p re v e n
tion program s that w ill help people
ad o p t sa fe r sexual b eh a v io r, and
w e need th ese p ro g ra m s to be
b a se d on re se a rc h th a t u n d e r
stan d s the feelings, need s, b eliefs
and b eh a v io r o f A fric an -A m eri
c a n s.”
T he first o f the P A R T N E R S
stu d y ’s tw o ph ases is ju st b eg in
n in g in th e co m m u n ity . E ach
w om an age 18-25 w ho ag rees to
jo in the stu d y w ill b e ask ed to in-
1RS Problem Solving Day Coming to Vancouver March 3
S E A T T L E , W A S H IN G T O N -
T a x p a y e rs liv in g in so u th w e st
W a sh in g to n an d n o rth w e st O r
e g o n w ho h av e a p ro b le m w ith
th e ir fed eral tax es have an o p p o r
tu n ity to g et h elp at th e IR S P ro b
lem S o lv in g D ay in V an c o u v er on
W e d n e s d a y , M a rc h 3.
O n th a t day, IR S o ffic a ls w ill
be on h a n d b e tw e e n 9 a.m . 6 p.m .
at th e IRS o ffic e in V a n c o u v e r,
5 00 W est 12,h S tre et, to m e et an d
w o rk w ith ta x p a y e rs to re so lv e
p ro b le m s su c h as u n file d re tu rn s,
m issin g re fu n d s, or an u n p aid tax
bill.
In con j u n c tio n w ith V an co u v er
P roblem S o lv in g D ay, the IRS w ill
ho ld an o ffe r-in -C o m p ro m ise and
in te re st o w ed w h en th e re is d o u b t
th e fu ll am o u n t o w ed w ill e v e r be
c o lle c te d . D ue to re c e n t ta x law
c h a n g e s , th e IR S ’ a n th o rity to
m a k e o f fe rs - in - c o m p ro m is e is
a v a ila b le to m o re ta x p a y e rs. In
te re s te d p e rso n s can m a k e an a p
p o in tm e n t fo r th e w o rk sh o p by
callin g (503) 326-3295.
P e rso n s in te re s te d in a tte n d
in g th e V a n c o u v er P ro b lem S o lv
ing D ay c a n sc h e d u le an a p p o in t
m en t by c a llin g (5 0 3 ) 3 2 6 -3 2 9 5 .
A n a p p o in tm e n t is n o t n e c e ssa ry ,
b u t it w ill e n s u re p re lim in a ry re
se a rc h is c o m p le te d . T a x p a y e rs
s h o u ld b rin g a n y p e r tin e n t
re c o rd s an d c o p ie s o f c o rre s p o n
d en c e w ith th em .
T h e P ro b le m S o lv in g D ay in
V a n c o u v e r w ill b e th e e le v e n th
Education is Coalition for School Funding now
the key to announces School Funding Target
stopping
inhalant use
The recent death o f a Keizer teen
ager breathed butane fumes is a tragic
example o f the need to educate young
people and parents about the dangers
o f inhalants, says Barbara Cimagilo,
director o f the state Office o f Alcohol
and Drug Abuse Programs.
“These Kinds o f deaths are avoid
able if people just understand more
about inhalants,” Climago said. “V a
pors and gases from substances such
as butane, glues, paint and other fluids
are poisons that can cause instant
death.”
She says education o f both young
people and parents is the strongest
deterrent against inhalant use. “W e
must act now to teach kids that sniffing
inhalants can be deadly.”
Inhaling vapors, or “ huffing,” is a
growing problem, particulary among
middle-school students. The numbers
can vary from year to year, but surveys
o f Oregon sixth, eight and 11* graders
show that about 10 percent o f students
in those grades have used inhalants.
The National Inhalant Prevention
Coalition in Austin, Texas, estimates
that more than a million Americans
used inhalants to get high last year,
and that one in five students has
usedinhalants by the eight grade.
“Most parents in the dark regarding
the popularity and dangers o f inhal
ants use,” NIPC says. “But children are
quickly discovering that com mon
household products are inexpensive
to obtain, easy to hide and the easiest
way to get high.”
Inhalants can include model airplane
glue, spray paint, hairspray, deodrant,
paint thinner, vegetable cooking spray,
dessert topping sprays, butane and
even felt-tip markers.
Som e in h alan ts have p o p u la r
nickmanes. Butyl is call “rush,” “locker
room,” “bolt” o r“climax.”
Nearly all abused inhalants produce
effectsimiliartoanesthetics. Userscan
feel anything from slight stimulation to
loss o f conciousness. However, any
user at any time can suffer what is called
Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome.
Inhalant use can also damage the
heart. Kidneys, brain, liver, bone mar
row and other organs.
B ecause so m any abused sub
stances are common household prod
ucts and difficult to keep away from
kids, Cimaglio says it’s vital forparents
to educate themselves and in turn to
their children about the dangers o f
inhalants
“This is a matter o f life or death,”
Cimaglio says. “The only way we can
stop this problem is to take it seri
ously.”
Information on inhalants is avail
able from several sources. Among
them are the Oregon Prevention Re
source Centerm Salem, 1-800-822-6772,
and the National Inhalant Prevention
Coalition, 1-800-269-4237.
In a press conference at crowded
Beaverton H igh School, the Coali
tion for School Funding Now today
announced its school funding target
for the 1999 legislative session: a
total o f $5.1 billion for the next two-
year budget cycle.
“W hat w e are saying here today is
that $5.1 billion is the bare minimum
legislators can vote for while still
being able to say that they did the
right thing for our school, our chil
dren and our future,” said Coalition
Co-Chairs Ken Thrasher and Larry
Ogg. T hrasheristheC hiefA dm inis-
trative O fficer for Fred Meyer, Inc.;
Ogg is President o f Bank o f America
in Oregon and SW Washington.
The C oalition is O regon’s most
prom inent statewide school funding
advocacy group. M ade up o f par
ents, students, seniors, com munity
leaders and small and large busi
nesses, the Coalition used grassroots
and high profile lobbying to trans
form the school funding debate dur
ing the 1997 legislative session. The
m ost critical element was when the
Coalition defined a minimum accept
able level o f funding for O regon’s K-
12 public schools. The Coalition
achieved its goal, and many legisla
tors identified the Coalition as the
single m ost significant force during
the legislative session.
Coalition leaders said that the $5.1
billion figure reflects the m inim um
necessary to achieve the C oalition’s
two basic principles forthe 1999-2000
school funding package: “After years
o f repeated cuts, no Oregon school
district should be forced to cut the
level o f services currently offered to
its students,” said Thrasher. “A nd
we m ust start making progress on
achieving the school improvements
goals m andated by the legislature
alm ost 8 years ago.”
Recom m ended Budget
Press conference participants also
expressed concern as the level o f
funding contained in both the G over
nor and Senate P resident’s proposed
budgets. “ If the current proposals
were passed, it w ould m ean serious
service cuts in m y district, and in
districts throughout O regon,” said
Corvallis School Superintendent Skip
Liebertz. A dded G resham H igh?
School Senior John Marshall: “Thses
cuts aren ’t ju st figures on a piece o f
paper. They are cuts that hurt m y
classmates and my friends.” Because
o f the success and creditability o f the
Coalition and its members, many ob
servers believe that the announce
ments o f this year’s funding goal will
set the standard for the current legis
lature to meet.
C oalition C o-C hair Larry O gg
pointed out that accountability is also
an important part o f the C oalition’s
goals. “ W e believe that school dis
tricts need to be specific about w hat
they are doing to control costs, and
clear on what O regon’s students and
taxpayers will be getting for addi
tional funds.”
Finally, Coalition leaders em pha
sized the im portance o f a long-term
solution to O regon’s school funding
woes. “This budget should establish
a stable, adequate base o f school
funding that will extend into the fu
ture,” said Ogg. “Oregon cannot
afford to com e back every legislative
session and discuss w hether or not
to cut schools. This is the year that
w e m ust begin to move forward, in
stead o f continuing to fall behind.”
th e s e rv ic e th e y re c e iv e d and
fo u n d w o rk in g in p erso n w ith IRS
e m p lo y e e s an d m a n a g e rs to r e
so lv e th e ir tax p ro b lem s w as v ery
e f f e c tiv e .”
I f y o u a re u n a b le to c o m e on
M a rc h 3 an d h av e a tax p ro b lem
th a t y o u h a v e n ’t b e e n a b le to
re s o lv e , p le a se c a ll (8 7 7 ) 777-
4778.
P ro b le m S o lv in g D ay h e ld in
W a sh in g to n sta te sin c e N o v e m
b e r o f 1997, w h en P ro b le m S o lv
ing D ay s w ere in itia te d , a n d the
firs t in V a n c o u v e r. A c c o rd in g to
Ju d y M o n a h an , IRS C o m m u n ic a
tio n s M a n a g e r fo r th e P a c ific -
N o rth w e st D is tric t, “ P e rso n s a t
te n d in g o th e r P ro b le m S o lv in g
D ay s say th e y w ere p le a se d with
Lincoln C ity Resident
i°ins to Sether
to w in $ 1 8 m illio n
M egabucks Jackpot
L incoln C ity - There w as plenty
ofexcitem ent, smiles, and tears o f joy
for G ay Simonis and her fam ily as
th e y c la im e d th e $18 m illio n
M egabucks prize from the Feb. 10,
draw ing. The $18 m illion jackpot is
second in size only to the $23 m illion
Megabucks jackpotw onJuly30,1991.
H er son, and four d au g h ters,
am ong w hom the prize was equally
divided, accom panied Simonis, o f
Lincoln City. Simonis chose the “ In
vestm ent Fund” option, w hich pro
vides M egabucks jackpot winners
w ith one single paym ent equal to
one-halftheadvertisedjackpot. Each
w inner received a check for their por
tion o f the prize, w hich was $ 1.5 m il
lion before state and federal taxes
w ere withheld. The w inning ticket
was purchases at Safeway #415, at
4101 Logan Road, in Lincoln City.
T he w inning num bers w ere 8-16-17-
25-32-41. There were more than 10,000
w inners from the Feb. 10, drawing.
Sharing the prize with Sim onis are
h e r so n L ew is F ra n k e , J r ., o f
Clackamas, and her daughters: Sherry
K am m erer o f L incoln; S harleen
Swope, o f Mil waukie; Lydia Snyder,
o f Depoe Bay; and Teresa Pena o f
Lincoln City. Sim onis, w h o ’s w in
ning ticket claim ed the $8 m illion.
They brought a single $1 ticket.
Franke sm iled w hen he m entioned
that is investm ent in the w inning
ticket w as 17 cents.
C o u n tin g s h a re d ja c k p o ts ;
Sim onis and her fam ily bring the
total to 199 M egabucks jack p o t w in
ners. Since the first M egabucks
tickets w ent on sale Nov. 20, 1985,
M egabucks players’ heve w on more
than $385 m illion in prizes.
Since A pril 1985, m ore than $4.5
billion in prizes have been paid to
O regon Lottery players and over $2
billion has been provided for eco
nomic development, jo b creation and
education in Oregon.
Million Pound Pork Sale
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