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