P ag e A 6 D e c e m b e r 17, 2 0 0 3 (Eljc JInrtlaitb OObseruer Holiday Gift Trees Offered Employees at Powell 's City o f Books picket for a fair employment contract and affordable health care. photo by M ark W ashington /T he P orti ani » O bserver Workers Picket as Contract Stalls After a one-day Unfair Labor Practice strike last Wednesday, many of Powell’s City of Books employees returned to the side- walk Sunday to picket for a fair contract and affordable health care, Pow ell’s em ployees have been working without a contract since a wage and benefits agreement ex- pired on Oct. 2. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 5 has filed several unfair labor practices on b eh alf o f P o w ell's em ployees against the store, claiming that managementhasbeenusingintimi- dation and harassm ent against union activists during contract negotiations. Store officials deny those allegations. This holiday season you can honor friends, family and the earth by giving them gifts that grow- trees planted in their honor. Friends o f Trees is offering; Natural A rea C om m em orative Trees at $25 per native tree or $50 for a grove o f six native; trees. The cost includes a card acknow ledging your gift to the person receiving the gift tree. Both you and the person who receives your gift will also be invited to plant the tree during at special cerem ony on Sunday, Feb. 8 at the T ualatin River N a tional W ildlife Refuge. C om m em orative trees for the yard you choose are also av ail able. The tree can be up to 10 feet tall and com es with a glass sun ca tc h er etched w ith the name o f the person being hon ored and the date o f the plant ing. Each tree costs $225 and will be planted on a designated date in the spring. For m ore “tree-friendly h o li d ay id e a s ” v is it w w w .friendsoftrees.org. VA Racial * Ethnic Approach«« to Community Health Hispanic Voters Spike in Oregon (AP) - Nearly 20,000 Hispanic voters cast ballots in the 2002 state wide election, double the number that voted in the 2000 presidential election, according to an analysis by a Democratic National Commit tee outreach project. The increase in voter turnout should make the state’s Hispanic population a key target for the 2004 presidential election, said Jason Leon, who com piled the study. “Nationally, everyone is saying that Latinos in Oregon are a swing vote in a swing state," said Leon, former head of the Democratic com mittee’s Hispanic outreach in Oregon. He compiled the study to encourage Democratic Party lead ers to expand outreach efforts. Hispanics represent about 8 per cent of Oregon’s population, but the state has one of the fastest- growing populations in the nation, more than doubling from 1990 to 2000. Actress Writing Play on Her Kidnapping (AP) — Mexican actress Laura Zapata, sister of pop singer Thalia, says she’s completing a play based on her kidnap ping The play is a “type o f catharsis" and a way to move forward with her life, Zapata told the newspaper El Universal. Zapata and her sister, writer Ernestina Sodi, were abducted from their car last year after Zapata appeared in a play. The sisters were released weeks later. Zapata has indi cated that her family paid a ransom but hasn’t disclosed the amount. The play doesn’t have a title yet, and Zapata said she hoped to finish it by Christ mas. It isn't clear when it may be put on the stage. Laura Zapata Hispanic workers have high injury rate (AP) — A study finds that His panic workers accounted for 15 percent o f workplace fatalities na tionwide last year. The study also finds that fatali ties for Hispanic workers increased in a ten-year period when overall fatalities went down. And the study finds that work days lost because of injury and illness rose 3.2 percent for Hispan She says language barriers of ics when the overall rate fell 7.6 ten limit the understanding of safety percent. procedures. The study does not break down Aguirre also says a high number data by state. of Hispanics work in some of the The study's main author is Aca most dangerous industries. cia Aguirre, who is medical director of an international research com pany, C ircadian Technologies, based in Lexington, Massachusetts. < > A proyiam of Die African American Health Coetton Ine. Sponsored by the COC (Centers fry Disease Condot and Prevention) Wellness W ithin REACH Activity Calendar All classes are free of chargel Mon HbUDisblBM 7 7N E h o tt Salaboo Anny 5325 N W ttua. Slrrlthiny Rodi Thurs Sat Fri ttrctcbmi Bod» Atrian Dante 7 -6 « Lias Addo 100011:00« 1'X « i Lois Wan Saiu Wan Anobi» le d a 6 3 0 -7:30p« üobtlAAHf 6.30 730p« Aerobes («üdA A H Í Hear? 50X413 185« L in 5034134 OSO PetnsuhPari 700 N Podad Ife b U lM CbrcbaíQrát 4635 N E M A«. WlutakcrTndi 42ad £ U a p w tb Wed Stolpbo« WÜd Oats «briel 3535 NE 15tk MaBory Ave«e Oraban (lorcb (IW 126 NE A tala Tues h» hfl Both (owüfiAnAg 730 8:30p« 7J04i30p« OMO ita ORourke O'Rnrke Nicknsoo WAm Groop- Walltiue Groop ■ WdkiOf Groa? 600-7tK»pai 600-700 pia 12:30p« Woods Woods Woods Aerobia Anobio Aerobia 5:30 620p« 5 30-620p« 530 6 2 0 « lirannlle Granitile Grani,He 6:30730pm 6:30 7 30p« 630730« Nickerson Nickerson Nickerson Aerobics Antilaa Aerobics Anobio Aerob« i 600700« 6:OO-7:OOpia 60 07:0 0« 600-7.00pa 6:00 7 0 0 « Parte Keller Piera Keller Pierce Wl Maaatemenl Wl Manafrand Wl. Hautement fooditioMat (olubtHHIIIK II fondkiimioi! 9.00 10:00« 6:00 7 («lam 900 1000« Hasan Haun Haun Wiik to Raí Walk lo Rn 6.30p« Tborue 630p« Tbiirnr Irvinfto« CweaatCbrcb 4008 NE «IBM Aerob«» Aerobi» 730 8:30p. 8:00 9 0 0 « Keler Noms Lo« Impait DaaeTi Ntaoriai (W e b 12AiKilapmrth Anobio 7:15 815p« (■Tannile 503-413-1850 Please receive approval from your doctor before beginning exercise class + Walking group meets inside Lloyd Center in front of Sears • ID AAlIC it African American Health Coalition, Inc. 2800 N Vancouver Ave . Suite 100 • Portland. OR 97227 • Phone 503-413-1850 E-mail kdempsey@aahc-portland.org • Web www aahc-portland org Free H IV Testing in NE Portland Hundreds Protest in California Tuesday and Thursday Evenings 5 :0 0 -8 :0 0 p.m. (last check in a t 7 :3 0 p .m .) NE H ealth Center Susanna Arellano promotes an economic strike by Hispanics at Los Angeles' downtown Plaza. She was among several groups and hundreds of individuals protesting the recent repeal o f a bill that granted driver licenses to all residents even if they did not arrive in the U.S. under legal means. (AP Photo) MLK J r . Blvd. And NE Killingsworth (Enter in rear door near Emerson, go to 2nd flo o r) Se habla espanol los M artes For more information on H IV and testing Call the Oregon A ID S Hotline 1 -8 0 0 -7 7 7 -A ID S ▲ I Multnomah County H ealth Departm ent