Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 2012)
WWW . ThESKANNEr . COM J ANuAry 18, 2012 P OrTLAND , O rEGON V OLuME XXXIV, N O . 3 25 CENTS i nSide Postal Service page 2 Movie Openings page 4 Cuba Gooding Jr. C hallenging P eoPle to S haPe a B etter F uture n ow Free Diabetes Tests page 5 investing National Expo travels to Portland with info, activities, services By Bruce Poinsette Special To The Skanner News PHOTO BY Jdan leif T he American Diabetes Association holds an Expo at the Oregon Convention Center, which will offer hearing screenings, lifestyle demonstra- tions, a speaker series and other resources to attendees, Feb. 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. “It’s all free,” says Associate Manager Danielle Yoder. Yoder says the goal of the event is to raise awareness of the relationship between dia- betes and hearing loss. According to a 2008 study funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), hearing loss is twice as common in adults with dia- betes as it is for those that don’t have it. The study also says that adults with pre-diabetes, which is characterized by high blood glu- cose that isn’t high enough for a diabetes diagnosis, are 30 percent more likely to suf- fer from hearing loss than those with normal blood sugar. Researchers suggest that diabetes leads to hearing loss by damaging nerves and blood vessels in the inner ear. According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes affects nearly 26 mil- lion people in the United States. In addition, NIH says pre-diabetes affects 54 million. Up to 95 percent of diabetes cases in the US are Type 2; 313,703 Oregonians are living with diabetes and 592,000 have pre-dia- betes. The disease has a disproportionate effect on the Black community. According to the American Diabetes Association, 3.7 million or 14.7 percent of all blacks aged 20 years or older have dia- betes. “African-Americans are 1.6 times more likely than non Hispanic whites to have Type 2 diabetes,” says Yoder. Overall, Blacks are 1.8 times as likely to have diabetes as non Hispanic whites. 25 percent of blacks between the ages of 65 In his address, keynote speaker Mike Green announced the formation of a new group to explore what can be done in Portland: the Portland urban Innovation roundtable. Locked Out? Then Make a Key The Skanner Foundation’s 26th Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast By Helen Silvis Of The Skanner News B lack Americans need and deserve real eco- nomic change. And the way forward must be through investment in entrepreneur- ship and technology. That was part of the powerful message delivered Jan 16, by Mike Green, the Keynote speaker at The Skanner Foundation’s 26th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast. “Dr. King envisioned a time when America would invest in Americans of all races,” Green said. “When all races would be empowered to work together to create a strong nation that is not only eco- nomically strong, but also strong in its character, exem- plified in the dignity it extend- ed to all its citizens.” In his address, Green announced the formation of a new group to explore what can be done in Portland: the Portland Urban Innovation Roundtable. And he called for leaders to take on that chal- lenge. “The Portland UIR needs committed leaders across the spectrum of the established economic ecosystem and those from the economically disconnected sectors, to work together and with The America21 Project to create a culture of urban innovation that produces exponential economic impact in discon- nected communities across Portland.” About 1000 diverse Port - land ers packed into the Oregon Ballroom in the Convention Center to cele- brate Dr. King’s life and achievements, and to hear Green speak in his honor about wealth creation. Bobbie Foster, the Skanner’s executive editor was the emcee for the event. Les Femmes, the Urban league’s Young Professionals and many others volunteered to make the event a success. See evenT on page 3 See diaBeTeS on page 3 indeX News ................2,3,6,8 A & E ......................4,5 Opinion .....................7 Bids/Classifieds ..........7 Washington Moves Ahead on Pot Plan Olympia plans a hearing this week on medical marijuana future By Jonathan Martin The Seattle Times SeaTTle (AP) — Chris Cody tries to be a good neighbor in White Center, joining in a Christmas toy drive and local art walks, and keeping the window of his medical- marijuana dispensary as discreet as possi- ble. He maintains a low profile in part because his shop, Herban Legends, is a block outside the marijuana-friendly Seattle city limits. Inside Seattle, marijuana dispensaries flour- ish. Outside Seattle, there is no protective regulation. “It’s definitely tricky, causing for more than a little anxiety,’’ said Cody, a 31-year- old carpenter. Eight months after Gov. Chris Gregoire gutted the state medical-marijuana law with a partial veto, dispensaries have feasted or starved based on the real-estate axiom: loca- tion, location, location. Seattle, Tacoma and a handful of other cities recognize storefront shops as resources for medical-marijuana patients. Most don’t, though, citing a muddled state law or the federal marijuana prohibition. See POT on page 3
