<• m »V» V Page A5 Ilo rtla n à (Rbetrurr • : • < D ecem ber 22, 1999 --------------------------------------(Cfyv ÿkirUanù (fibseruer Family Living Oregon kid waiting for adoption Unemployment P o rtlan d ___________ rate dow n Ten-year old Michael is a generally happy boy with a great smile and wonderlul sense ofhumor. Michael exudes an airofenthusiasm and confidence, especially in sports. Michael is an excellent baseball player as well as a good team player. He even hit several home runs in which he is very proud! Michael needs an adoptive family that will provide him with structure and supervision. He feels most secure and safe with predictable routines. Michael is particularly in need o f a strong male role model that can help him as he approaches adolescence. A family needs to be willing to participate in counseling. Michael would like to have a family that would be open to providing Michael cultural access to his ancestry. To learn more about adoption and the children who wait, please call the Spec ial Needs Adoption Coalition at The Boys and Girls Aid Society at 1 -800-342-6688 or(503)222-9661 x 111. Agencies waive orreducefeesfortheadoptionofachild in state care, and financial assistance is available to help meet the child’s needs. Stable single adults as well as couples are encouraged to call. Service Learning gets kids involved for T he P ortland O bserver Students learn about the importance o f re c y c lin g p ro g ra m s in the classro o m , and then take th eir knowledge into the community by teaching local business how to reduce the amount o f waste they generate. Groups o f students interview seniors on their experiences such as life during World War 11. The results o f these interviews are compiled into an oral histo ry book, p resen ted to the seniors, and made available to the community. Other students study a local river and work with the park employees to create and maintain nature trails. Service Learning... What is it? These scenarios are examples o f service learning a method o f teaching and learning that integrates practical life e x p e rie n c e, se rv ic e to the com m unity, and academ ics for students o f all ages. Rather than presenting information to students in the isolated environment o f a c la ssro o m , stu d e n ts see and experience the practical application o f knowledge they have gained. While service learning strives to reinforce classroom academics, it also provides opportunities for Character b u ild in g and p e rso n a l g ro w th working within the community can teach students more about the diverse world in which we live, help them d e v e lo p c o m p a ssio n and understanding, and provide a sense o f civic responsibility. Service learning doesn’t occur only through schools. While some service learning activities are school-based and have direct ties to curricula, other service learning activitirs or projects occur in local organizations like YMCAs or Boys and Girls Clubs. Regardless o f the locale, all programs take a hands-on approach to learning and use the students’ energy and enthusiasm. What are the benefits? Research shows that the benefits o f service learning, through school or other organizations are profounc. In Service Learning in the Northwest Region, Jennifer Fagercites a wealth o f advantages th at re su lt from participating in service learning. Service learning: Increases students’ feeling o f connection to their community Helps students develop a keener awareness o f diversity Provides a relevant context in which students can leant skills Improves students’ self-esteem and confidence Increases m otivation and an interest in learning N u rtu re s n o n -a c a d e m e ic strengths and talents Reinforces values such as justice, com passion, or citizenship Builds community support for education How do I get my child involved? Your childs’ school may already integrate service learning into the curriculum. You can talk to your child's teacher or school principal and ask about service learning opportunities that may be available, or suggest some possibilities. You can also contact local community organizations such as the YMCA to find out about other service learning programs in your area. To learn more, visit the Web site for the National K- 12 Service Learning Cooperative C le a rin g h o u s e at w w w .nicsl.coled.um n.edu or the National Youth Leadership Council request/july96/index.htm l. For a c o m p lim e n ta ry co p y , w rite Newspaper Column, NWREL, 101 S.W. Main,Portland,OR97204-3297. This column by Jessica Athens is provided as a public service by the N orthw est Regional Educational Laboratory, a nonprofit institution Web site at www.nylc.org. Service Learning in the Northwest Region is available online at www.nerel.org/ w o rk in g w ith sc h o o ls and com m unities in A laska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. ’Tis The Season It’s a wonderful time of year for people The visits from fnends and family, decorating the tree, the last minute shopping, and the hustle and bustle of the holidays in general combine to get everyone in the holiday spirit It is. after all, the season to be merry! But to a small puppy or kitten arriving m a household during the holidays the excitement and cheer will be strange and frightening Away from its litter mates for the first time, sur­ rounded by strangers noise and constant activity, a young animal could become quite confused and scared. The holidays are simply not a good time to give an animal as a gift In the midst of all the excitement, the many needs of a puppy or kitten could be neglected It is best to give a gift certificate for a pet. promising that an animal will become a new member of the family when things quiet down and the animal has the best chance of adapting to its new surroun dings in an atmosphere of calm, loving attention. Y outhBuilders is a non-profit vocational educational program providing construction train- ing and education to young people between the ages o f 18-24. Oregon unemployment rate 5.1%— down .4% from October and the National unemployment rate 4.1 %— unchanged from October. O re g o n ’s s e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d unemployment rate dropped to 5.1 percent in November, from 5.5 percent in October. At the same time U.S. jobless rate remained unchanged at 4.1 percent in November. At. 1 percent, Oregon’s unemployment rate is at its lowest point o f the year tied with the May unem ploym ent rate o f 5.1 percent. The only period during the past 20 years in which Oregon’s unemployment rate been lower was during late 1994 through late 1995 when the state ’ s rate ranged between 4.4 percent and 5.0 percent. “We have seen two consecutive m onths o f stro n g em p lo y m en t g row th, w ith m a n u fa c tu rin g , w h o le sa le tra d e , and se rv ic e s reb o u n d in g from re c e n t w eak performances,’ said David Cooke, Em ploym ent D epartm ent. “The strength in these sectors has meant jobs for hundreds ofOreeonians who Portland Youth Builders offers: Paid construction training Job Readiness training GED or HS Diploma Leadership Skills Positions are available for a limited time. Call or visit the program today! C A L L (503) 286-9350x18 VISIT 7332 N. Smith Portland, OR 97203 (St. John’s area) Fed Up With BLAND CHICKEN? 'W e w teemed up with Popey« to spread itie « d abort t o w And we mean FLAVOR! Popeyes own NEW ORLEANS SPICY or LO UISIANA M H O U iiaen c so pocked with flavor, rrary bit» is a MRTYFORTOUR MOUTH! That's m r . bile of erery •or, Popeyes serves it up... Chicken Bows, Dinners, Sandwiches Wings and Strips. Not to mention the taste-tempting side dishes ond bncurts1 ’Yessir, you ton COUNT O N POPEYES to deli»« flew rful goodness,, no matter how you lo w p u r clwkea. 11 p u are tired to death di dtp blond diklten those other guys serve, come an over to POPEYES. And help us in our m Ndea fe SAVE THE W O ULD FRO M B IA N D OiKKUr OREGON HUMANE SOCIETY, 10*7 N t ( clBBhM HHd PorUawLOR »7111 (50 J) IBS-TT1 rSZeXtf AUOCMXK Rrovt4«d bv Th< American Humar»« AasoCtBOon [ __ ]5_M_IXEp_PiECES_foLl3A9__ J N o strings attach ed . Anytime something knocks out the lights, we're ready. We re here to give you fast, responsive, dependable help. Our C ustomer Service Center is open 24 hours a day to answer vour calls. Our crews work around the clock, too. And we have teams from all over our service area prepared to offer extra help wherever there's a major outage. Lights out? We’re on it. Now here's what you can do if the lights go out Hexeadyl______________ .___ - -------- Keep in vour house: a flashlight, battery- operated radio, batteiy-operated clock, bottled water, manual’can opener and extra batteries. If someone in your home is on life support, be sure to have a backup system and an action plan in case of an outage. Before you call us. check your breakers or fuse box to make sure you don’t have a tripped breaker or blown fuse, l ook for lights at your neighbors'. After you’ve checked.give us a call----------------- .it 1 -877-548-3768 to report the outage. Have your account number nandv to help us work more quickly. Turn off major appliances__________________ and other electrical equipment to prevent over loading circuits once the power's back. Keep warm and safe.______________________ - Wear a hat and extra layers of clothing. Make sure propane or kerosene heaters have proper ventilation and never burn charcoal inside vour house. Cover your freezer with a blanket and keep the door closed.___________________ Food should stay frozen and safe for about two days. Turn your porch light and one inside light an.— That way you and our crews will know when power is back on. When your power returns, if your lights are There may still be a problem. If there's an outage, we don’t kid around. We ll get the power back as fast as we can. To report an o u ta g e,ca ll I -877-548-3768 ( I -877-LITESO UT). # AACIFIC POWER A PacifiCorp Company Making it happen. I I