'r,!<‘‘J Jiìrtlaitò ffibserucr Page A 6 «W ? . April 12. 2006 * V MJ ■- X d 1 ■ P hoto by I saiah B o lie / T he P ortland O bserver Congratulations Shawnty Shawnty Eaden o f north Portland gets the chance of her life to be apart o f Mo 'Ñiques Fabulous and Thick big girl competition. Shawnty is the only woman from the Northwest out of 10 finalists vying for $50,000 and a contract. The FAT chance competition is being held in Los Angeles and will be televised in July on the Oxygen TV network. photo by M ark W ashington / T he P ortland O bserver Thousands of Americans, Mexicans and Central Americans gather in downtown Portland Monday, joining a nationwide rally in support of immigration rights. A see related story on front, Inside The Tax Man Cometh they can’t answer every possible collection attempts were sent to continued fro m Front question. the county attorney’s office. “They help with accuracy be­ Nath said they don’t have 2004 a filing penalty ensure you’ve paid as much as possible and file an cause the biggest problem is if you information avai lable yet, however put bad information in, you’ll get a since the county is in the process extension. For filers expecting a refund this bad tax return," he said. of closing down I-Tax operations, COUNTY they will begin sending collection year, it’s still a good idea to file on The Multnomah County income letters six months early this year, time because the IRS may consider I-Tax expires this year, having starting in June. amended returns late. If you’re wondering how well P ortland tax sp ecialist and funded public schools and other blogger Kathy Howell answers key services since residents approved the I-Tax did spending your hard- tax questions, and she recommends the income tax three years ago. earned dollars, the School Effi­ visiting IRS.gov for a list of soft­ Taxpayers can find out how much ciency and Q uality Advisory ow e by v isitin g Council (formed when the tax was ware companies they don’t neces­ they www.multcotax.gov. sarily endorse, but approve. You approved) issued a report saying I-Tax manager Satish Nath said the tax has met its goals. To view can also find free filing information atwww.irs.gov. the county identified about 30,000 all reports and a breakdown of sc h o o ls, visit Matthews said commercial tax residents who didn’t pay in 2003. in d iv id u a l preparation software is useful, but Individuals who didn’t respond to www.seacinfo.org Oregon Public Broadcasting Dear Deanna! I’m sick and tired of men disre­ specting me because of my wardrobe. If I want to dress sexy and wear revealing clothes to the mall or grocery store, then I should have this freedom with­ out men trying to run lame pick up lines on me or assume I’m easy. W hat’s your suggestion? —Dressing Sexy; Nashville, Tenn. Dear Dressing Sexy: The mall and grocery store isn’t the place for you to shake what your mama gave you. Respect yourself and others by dressing appropriately when you're in public places. You attract what you project. You can wear what­ ever you want, but remember men are visually stimulated and if you dress to make yourself look cheap and easy then you’re setting yourself up for unwanted attention. If the shoe fits, wear it Dear Deanna! I made myself get out of an abusive relationship. I was beaten, verbally abused, raped and tormented on a daily basis for almost three years. 1 had convinced myself that I loved this man and his abuse was his way of showing affection. I’m at a point now where I feel as if J o in P in k M artin i for a n ig h t of L atin rh y th m s a n d sassy b eats in su p p o rt of O reg o n Public B ro ad castin g . writing’son the wall—just make sure you read it. Ask a Dear Deanna! What do you do when your hus­ band gets fat and out of shape? When we were married, he was in shape; he would go to the gym and kept things together. Now he's comfortable and has gained a lot of weight. It turns me off so bad that 1 can’t be intimate. This is causing us to argue a lot and he tells me that I have to take him as he is because he’s not changing. What can I do about this? —Lorraine; Jack­ sonville, Fla. Real People, Real Advice A n advice colum n known fo r its fearless approach to reality based subjects! I’ve moved on. However, my ex-boyfriend is now trying to come back and he’s convinced me that he’s changed. Should I give him another chance? — Rebecca; Buffalo, N.Y. Dear Rebecca: If you go back, be sure you have your funeral arrangements in order or get ready for a life of misery. This man treats you worse than a dog and has no respect, care or love for you. If you made it out of the situation, then you need to use your brains and stay out. No, you shouldn't give him another chance to as­ sault you, insult your woman­ hood or risk killing you. The Dear Lorraine: If you’re responsible for the cooking, then perhaps you can transition to a healthier lifestyle. The key to supporting your husband’s weight loss is en­ couragement instead of criti­ cism. Highlight the health ben­ efits and let him know that you're with him every step of the way. If no, I suggest you eat some snacks, put some junk in your trunk and be fat and happy together. Ask Deanna is written by Deanna M. Write Ask Deanna! Email: askdeanna I @yahoo.com or 264 S. LaCienef>a Bird. Suite 1283 Beverly Hills, CA 90211. Website: it’n ’vv, askdeanna. com You Don’t Want To Miss This! 3:30 pm 76th & NE Glisan frf. r s / # (N ew Beginnings) Highland Christian Center PINK MARTINI APRIL 18-21,2006 • CRYSTAL BALLROOM • 8PM APRIL 18 wi