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A p ril 4, 2007
With War Abroad, Are We Prepared at Home?
c o n tin u e d
fr o m F ront
bul the actual need is nearly $40
billion.
Braibish said he did not know
what O regon’s share o f the $21
billion would be.
The N ational G uard A rm ory on
N ortheast 33rd D rive is not e x p e
riencing a sh o rtag e o f eq u ip m en t
- th eir battalion is in ch a rg e o f
su p p ly in g e q u ip m e n t to o th e r
units in the area and p ro v id in g
support for co m m u n ity , state and
federal m issions - but the o n g o
ing w ar has affected them in o ther
w ays.
"The big impact for us is person
nel,” said D ora Van Zandt, the
arm ory’s human resources coordi
nator.
Van Zandt said the federal m is
sion in A fghanistan took the m ajor
ity o f her battalion's personnel -
around 350 members out of a total
o f around 500.
They w ere deployed to A fghani
stan m February 2006 and are ex
pected to return this summ er. In the
m eantim e, the battalion is finding
"im aginative and more specific"
w ays to train with a much sm aller
unit. Van Zandt said.
“ W e could do a state m ission
but w e ’d have to prio ritize how to
b e st use o u r r e s o u r c e s ,” she
added.
S ince the Iraq invasion d ozens
o f funerals have been held for
O regon soldiers lost in the war.
M any o f them w ere m em bers o f
the O regon N ational G uard.
Gov. fed Kulongoski has been a
vocal advocate for our troops, at
tending and speaking at funerals
for fallen soldiers, but at the same
time he is a vocal critic o f the troop
decisions concerning the g u ard ’s
federal m issions - the Pentagon
holds exclusive authority over N a
tional G uard deploym ent outside
o f the United States.
So Kulongoski "continues to use
the bully pulpit,” said his spokes
We could do a state mission but
we 7/ have to prioritize how to best
use our resources.
- Dora VanZandt. Kliever Armory's human resources coordinator
build-up in Iraq.
Although the governor has ex
pressed dissent over the war and is
C om m ander in C hief o f the Oregon
National G uard, he cannot make
man Jake W eigler.
He said the governor is working
with the U.S. C ongress to discuss
the g u ard 's resources, and in an
indirect w ay is taking action to re
duce what he perceives is the root
cause o f the conflicts.
"The governor sees the conflict
is mostly about our dependence on
fossil fuels and our need to co n
tinue open access to resources in
the Middle East," W eigler said. “ His
agenda here is intim ately tied to
reducing our dependence on for
eign oil.”
Kulongoski has also created a
regional global w arming agreement
with live other states to set lim its to
reduce carbon em issions, with re
duction targets over the next IS
m onths.
Critics o f the w ar within the O r
egon H ouse o f R epresentatives
passed a bill last month urging the
president to reconsider the expan
sion o f troop levels in Iraq.
T he bill also urges Congress to
halt further funding for the w ar’s
escalation. T w o o f the bills spon
sors were Rep. Chip Shields and
Sen. Avel G ordly, both o f whom
represent north and northeast Port
land. T he bill passed in the house
33-25, with the support o f three
Republicans.
“ I d o n ’t want this to be a D em o
crat v ersu s R ep u b lican issu e,"
Shields said. “ I think that no matter,
many will see that our involvem ent
in Iraq at this point is only making
things w orse.”
Senate President Peter Courtney
said hisgroupof lawmakers will also
considera resolution on the Iraq war,
but no timetable has been set.
Become a Full Circle Doula/Birth Companion
Learn how to earn a good living while supporting women during
pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood.
The International Center forTraditional Childbearing is holding an
Intensive Doula/Birth Companion training
April 26 through April 29.
ICTC’s four day training includes:
Medical Terminology
Comfort measures during pregnancy
Support measures for labor and birth
How to help mothers with their new babies
How to help establish Breastfeeding
How to increase youremployability
Business management skills
Register by April 10th to reserve your space
in this exciting career training!
Call ICTC. 503-460-9324
Or Email ICTC at ictc@eomeast.net
Orvisit ICTC: North Minister Presbyterian Church, lower level
2823 N. Portland Blvd. Portland, OR 97217
IC T C 's mission is to help reduce prem ature birth and help create positive birth experiences. We,
as an organization, are particularly interested in training w omen o f color in this career path.
An ex-gang outreach worker and his associate are accused of vandalism at The Victory Outreach
Church on Northeast Alberta Street.
Ex-Gang Worker Arrested
After church hit
by graffiti
An ex-gang outreach worker and
his associate were arrested early
March 31 after spray painting foul
language, gang signs and police code
for murder on Victory O utreach
Church on Northeast Alberta Street
and 30th Avenue.
Samuel Benitez, 31, was arrested
with Jose Gonzalez, 21, around 3 a.m.
Saturday after the church alarm
alerted Portland police, who stopped
the pair in a 1995 Nissan M aximaafter
it sped in reverse from the church
with its headlights off.
Victory houses a recovery facility
and offers shelter assistance as well
as an extensive anti-gang ministry.
The graffiti sprayed on the church
and a van parked outside mostly
referenced the “ 13th Street" gang,
and the gang code “ 187” which is
code for murder in California, on the
front and side of the church.
Benitez began volunteering with
the non-profit agency N ortheast
Coalition o f N eighborhixxl's Youth
Gang Outreach last year, but was let
go in Novem ber after his parole of
ficer said he could no longer work
with youth.
Ben itez and Gonzalez face felony
charges offirst-degree criminal mis
chief and Benitez faces allegations
o f attempting to elude police and
reckless driving, plus a detainer for a
parole violation.
Church members cleaned up the
graffiti before Sunday’s service.
Girl Killed on Bicycle
(AP) - A 5-year-oldgirl was killed Sun
day in V ancouver after she w as hit by a
truck while riding her bicycle.
T he victim w as S elen a B ailey o f
Vancouver.
She died at Southw est W ashington
M edical C enter o f head traum a after the
11:30a.m. accident.
The accident was w itnessed by the
girl's twin sister. It happened outside her
hom e near Southeast 188th Avenue and
11th Way.
Police say the driver o f the 1999 Ford
F35O pickup truck that struck her, 31 -year-
old Kenneth Jones o f V ancouver, was not __ ____________
Selena Bailey
speeding.
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