®’* f o r ila nò (Db semer
Page 4
September 4, 2013
o f “1963” is celebrating their
50th reunion on September 21,
2013 at the Double Tree located
at the Lloyd Center,
For information contact
Al Panek (503 256-5420)
or Paul L. Green Sr. (503 287-5721)
I am
leading
our citizens
because
photo by D onovan M. S mith /T he P ortland O bserver
Mashall Haskins, the new athletic director o f Portland Public Schools, takes a stroll along the
Jefferson High School track and football field in north Portland where he is greeted by the school’s
wrestling coach Montrial Brazzile and others.
Shaking Up Sports
c o n t i n u e d f r o m fron t
After serving in the military, Rep. Joe Gallegos attended PCC
while working graveyard shifts as a steel cutter to pay tuition,
k
A doctorate degree and a 30-year career as a social worker
^k
and educator later. Joe serves in the Oregon
^k
legislature representing Hillsboro.
W U-
Read more at o p p o rtu n ity.p cc.e d u
Portland
Community
College
after Ross retired following 16 years
in the position. He is the first-ever
African American to hold the job in
the state of Oregon.
The lifetime Portland resident and
Jefferson alumni has long been com­
mitted to supporting youth. Before
being appointed athletic director last
month, Haskin’s was vice principal
at Jefferson, Wilson, and Franklin
high schools. He coached two state
championship basketball teams at
Jefferson, and worked at the youth­
centric non-profit Self Enhance­
ment, Inc., as vice president for 15
years.
Haskins said sports and educa­
tion share a symbiotic relationship
where both need each other to sur­
vive. The students competing must
be passing classes to participate, he
said, and if they are not meeting the
grade, the young student athletes
will be placed in a tutoring program
in collaboration with their schools,
coaches, and parents.
Plans to increase the number of
female and disadvantaged youth
who participate in athletic programs
are also part of the new athletic
director’s vision.
Increasing the participation of
parents in their children’s aca­
demic and athletic life is som e­
thing he has already made moves
to achieve. Less than a m onth into
his post, H askins assem bled a
parent advisory m eeting that will
continue to m eet quarterly. Par­
ents from every school in the dis­
trict are welcom e as they discuss
a range of topics in relation to
m aking sports better for the kids.
Currently, sports in Portland
schools face three major deficits,
according to Haskins. He lists the
issues as a lack of athletic trainers;
transportation cuts which make it
more difficult for teams to get to
away matches; and a shortage of
coaches for freshman teams who
often have students who are just
learning a sport.
To have a su ccessfu l year,
Haskins says the school district will
need to raise about a combined $ 1.2
million for sports programs. He ap­
proximates the ball-park figure to
how much the state has cut from
sports funding in the last 5 to 10
years.
“We want to restore the P.I.L.
[Portland Interscholastic League]
back to its glory days,” he says.
Haskins has full confidence that
an invigorated sports league can
happen but only with the emotional
and financial support from a wide
range of people.
“If we have parents and whole
communities coming together to
support kids, fundraising won’t be
an issue,” he says. “W e’ve started
the conversation, so out of it should
come some possible results that
again will make sure kids have their
academic choice and athletic op­
portunities across the board in our
district.”
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ THE_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SPINA; COLUMN
An ongoing series of questions and answers about Americas natural healing profession.
Part 33. Osteoperosis and Bone Loss Reversal
: I have o ste o p o ro sis and
now m y back has a m ore
“rounded” look. What is this?
A : You m ig h t hav e sta rte d
to develop a “dowager’s hump”
or an abnormal outward curving of the
vertebrae of the upper back. Bones be­
come brittle with osteoporosis and the
upper vertebrae can collapse on each
other, causing a rounded appearance.
To help stop and even reverse bone
O
Dr. Billy R. Flowers
loss:
• Develop good body m echanics
through exercises to improve your pos­
ture.
• Eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin
D. Your doctor might prescribe a medica­
tion to help prevent further bone loss.
• E x erc ise re g u la rly to help
strengthen bones. Talk with a doctor
to learn exercises you can safely per­
form.
Consult a chiropractor if the curva­
ture of your upper back causes pain or
discomfort.
Flowers' Chiropractic Office
2124 NE Hancock, Portland Oregon 97212 •
P hone: (5 0 3 )2 8 7 *5 5 0 4