Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, December 15, 2010, Page 2, Image 2

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December 15, 2010
Law to Combat Child Obesity
Obama calls bill
vital to
children's future
(A P) — T housands m ore children
w ould eat lunches and dinners at
school and all school food w ould
becom e m ore nutritious under a bill
President Barack O bam a signed into
law M onday, part o f an ad m in istra­
tion-w ide effort to com bat c h ild ­
hood obesity.
“ At a very basic level, this act is
about doing w hat's right for our
children,” O bam a said before sig n ­
ing the bill. T he cerem o n y was
m oved from the W hite H ouse, where
m ost signings are held, to an e l­
em entary school in the D istrict o f
C olum bia to underscore the point.
B esides O bam a, the bill also was
apriority for his w ife, M ichelle, w ho
launched a national cam paign this
year against childhood obesity.
“ W e can all agree that in the
wealthiest nation on earth al 1 children
should have the basic nutrition they
need to learn and grow and to pursue
TLWeek ¡n
j The Review
Tornado Hits Aumsville
A rare to rn ad o struck A um sville, a
sm all tow n ju st
southeast o f S a­
lem on T uesday,
tearing roofs o ff
b u ild in g s, h u rl­
ing objects into
v e h ic le s
and
hom es and uprooting trees. N o inju­
ries w ere reported.
F rigid Cold in Northeast
President Barack Obama shakes hands with third grader, Luis Avilar-Turcios, 8, after signing the
Healthy, Hunger-Free Act Monday. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., is left, and House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi o f Calif, is second from left. (AP photo)
their dream s,” said Mrs. Obam a. “B e­
cause in the end, nothing is more
im portant than the health and well­
being o f our children. N othing,”
T he $4.5 b illio n m easu re in ­
creases the federal reim bursem ent
for free school lunches by 6 cents a
m eal at a tim e w hen m any school
officials say they can't afford to
provide the m eals. T he bill w ill also
ex p an d access to free lunch p ro ­
gram s and allow 20 m illion a d d i­
tio n a l a fte r-s c h o o l m eals to be
served annually in all 50 states. M ost
states now only p rovide m oney for
after-school snacks.
M an y R ep u b lica n s, in clu d in g
form er A laska Gov. Sarah Palin, have
c r i t i c i z e d th e e f f o r t a n d th e
fu n d raiser lim its in particular, say ­
ing the bill is too exp en siv e and an
exam ple o f go v ern m en t overreach.
Supporters say the law is needed
to stem rising health care eosts due
to expanding A m erican w aistlines
and to feed hungry children in tough
econom ic times. M rs. O bam a cited a
g ro u p o f form er generals and military
officials w ho have said unhealthy
school lunches are a national secu­
rity threat because w eight problem s
are now the leading m edical reason
that recruits are rejected
A storm that plagued the M idw est
for days p lo d d ed eastw ard T u e s­
day w ith knifing w inds and blow ing
snow , stranding dozens o f m o to r­
ists and giving m uch o f the n o rth ­
eastern U .S. its first real taste o f
w inter. The storm brought bone-
chilling cold, and m ore snow w as
expected.
Tax Package Gains Speed
The tax package negotiated by Presi­
dent B arack O bam a and G O P law ­
m akers w as headed tow ard passage
in th e S e n a te T u e sd ay ev en as
H ouse E jm o crats co n sid er changes
to the estate tax.
GOP Chair Runs Again
E m battled G O P R epublican Party
c h a ir m a n M ic h a e l S te e le a n ­
n o u n c e d M o n d ay
that he w ill seek a
second term despite
a rocky tw o years
m arked by alleg a­
tio n s o f fin a n c ial
m is m a n a g e m e n t
and frequent verbal gaffes.
N O W D E L IV E R IN G
Y o u r fa v o r ite n e ig h b o r h o o d g r o c e r y s to r e n o w d e liv e r s
g r o c e r ie s r ig h t to y o u r h o m e o r o ffic e .
School Facilities Bond
A property tax m easure to pay for
upgrading Portland Public Schools
w ill go to voters in M ay. T he school
board voted T uesday to approve
the $548 m illion bond.
Boundary Changes
T h e P o rtlan d School B oard a p ­
proved a plan M onday on how to
allocate students in the M arshall
H igh School attendance area after
the school clo ses this spring. The
students will be divided betw een
C leveland, F ranklin and M adison
high schools based on their elem en­
tary school boundaries.
Stopped at Airport
B oxing pro m o ter D on K ing was
sto p p e d by se c u rity S u n d a y at
C leveland's H opkins International
A irp o rt for having
am m u n itio n in his
c a rry -o n lu g g a g e .
The am m unition was
taken, and K ing, 79,
w as released to co n ­
tinue his trip.
MAX Hits Pedestrian
w w w .n e w s e a s o n s m a r k e t.c o m
you click, we deliver, (or pull up fo r pick up)
A m an survived w ith m inor injuries
S unday after bein g struck by a
T riM et M A X train near the N orth
Prescott Street Station. O fficials said
the train was likely slow ing dow n
w hile pulling into the station.