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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 14, 2002)
August 14,2002 Page A6 Parks are Jammin’ with Free Concerts The Dancing Trees Marimba Band entertain at Femhlll Park In northeast Portland. The Sunday event was part of the Portland Parks and Recreation's summer concert series. The schedule moves to Washington Park for evening performances on Thursday, Aug. 15 featuring the Park Providence Stage Band; Friday, Aug. 16 featuring reggae with blues and jazz; Saturday, Aug. 17, with the Woody Hite big band; and Sunday, Aug. 18, with Three Leg Torso. The last concert of the month takes place at Couch Park, Tuesday, Aug. 20 featuring the Jack McMahon group. All of the upcoming concerts start at 6:30 p.m. l.f photo by D avid P i . echl /T he P ortland O bserver Physician Assistant Program Reaches Out to Communities As the population o f Oregon and the Pacific Northwest becomes more ethni cally diverse, health care providers must becom e m ore aware o f the needs o f multicultural communities. To assist in this process, the Pacific University School o f Physician Assistant Studies has been awarded a three-year, $450,000 grant by the Department of Health and Human Services. The new grant will fund a project to develop an outreach program to high school students who are interested in careers in healthcare. In addition, it will enable Pacific to expand recruiting efforts to minority stu dents in the Northwest. “By emphasizing cultural diversity within the cirriculum, we are hopeful that more minority students will consider physician assistant studies as a career choice,” said Chris Legler, program director. The grant enables the Forest Grove based college to expand marketing the physician assistant career option to disadvantaged high school and community college stu dents. The overall goal of the project is to in crease access to health care for medically underserved populations including, minori ties, elderly and rural communities. Leaky Oil Tanks Pose Danger The Department o f Environmental Qual ity is holding informal information meetings throughout Portland, from Aug. 15 - 27 to answer homeowner’s questions concern ing heating oil tanks and steps they can take to minimize the costs associated with this. About half of Oregon’s 125,000 active heating oil tanks are underground. In addi tion, there are an estimated 200,000 aban doned underground heating oil tanks. O f that amount, approximately 2,500 new heat ing oil tank leaks are discovered each year in Oregon. The DEQ says most underground tanks that are still in operation are 30 to 60-years- old, even though they only have a useful life o f about 20 years. Based on work done by professional con tractors, anywhere from 50 to 75 percent of all inoperative heating oil tanks are leaking. These tanks may be harming the environ ment or a neighboring property. Paying for a cleanup resulting from an oil leak can be costly and is the responsibility o f the property owner. Fore more information on home heating oil tanks or more about the meetings, call toll-free at 1 -800-742-7878 or go online to w w w .d e u . s ta te .o r. us/wmc/tanky'tQJL- hot.htni. Homeland Security Helps Local Red Cross The Oregon Trai 1 Chapter of the A m erican Red Cross is among the recipients o f the first federal grants designed to in volve Americans in homeland security. The chapter will receive $136,392 to fund 11 AmeriCorps members who will respond to disasters; recruit and train di saster responders; teach com m unity disaster preparation, health, and safety classes; and mobilize 400 new volunteers who will provide 1,500 hours of service. For the first yearof implemen tation, sites for the AmeriCorps members will be at Oregon Red Cross Chapters; the plan is to expand outside of the Red Cross in the future. AmeriCorps members will be serving directly with local com munity and faith-based organi zations. Education District Picks Chair and Vice Chair Harry Ainsworth, a south east Portland resident and an attorney in private practice was elected chair o f the Multnomah E ducation Service D istrict Board at the regular meeting o f the Board. The Board also elected Sy Kombrodt as vice chair. The terms o f both posi tions run until June 30. Ainsworth was appointed to a vacancy on the Board in 1998 and was elected to a four-year term in 1999. He is a graduate o f Tufts University and Boston U n iv e rs ity Law S chool. 1 Ainsworth represents the cen tral Portland zone. K om brodt is a northeast Portland resident and retired probation officer. He has b e e n a m e m b e r o f the Multnomah Education Service District Board since 1996. He has a long-standing interest in education and com m unity is sues. The other members o f the MESD Board are Ron Chinn, Arlene Collins, Jean Haliski, Patti Swanson, Geri Washing ton and Janice Gratton. F Smoking doesn’t work in Oregon.” I rem em ber walking out of our conference room and my eyes were literally stinging. My boss sm oked, so everybody felt they had a right to light up whenever they felt like It. Thert was before the Oregon Smokefree Workplace Law. Because now smoking doesn't work in Oregon. And I'm breathing a lot easier. If you’ve K<»f questions, please conta» ! ns: Information About The Law • Toll-free 1-8 6 6 -6 2 1 -6 1 0 7 • www.healthoregon.org/tobacco • Vbur county health department Oregon Tobacco QuttNne • 1877-27O -STO P • 1877-2N O -FU M E (Spanish) • TTY: 1 -8 7 7 -7 7 7 -6 6 3 4 I! SMOKEFREE WORKPLACES. IT’S OREGON LAW. I
