October 16, 2017 COMMUNITY CALENDAR Continued from page 10 gathered from homeowners, alienists, ephemera collectors, and old newspapers. For info, call (503) 988-5123 or visit . Free dental, vision & medical care in Seattle Oct 26-29, 5am (tickets distributed), 6:30am (doors), Seattle Center, KeyArena (305 Harrison St, Seattle). People in need of dental, vision, and medical care — including dental fillings and extractions, comprehensive eye exams, prescription eyeglasses, physical exams, mammograms, EKGs, lab tests, flu vaccines, acupuncture, and more — are invited to receive free services at the “Seattle/King County Clinic at KeyArena.” Services are provided on a first-come, first-served basis and patients are not asked to show identification, proof of citizenship, health insurance, or any other eligibility documentation. Registration is available onsite each day of the four-day event. At 5:00am each morning, a limited amount of admission numbers are distributed for the current day at Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion, located at the corner of Second Ave North and Thomas Street. The doors of KeyArena open at 6:30am. Free parking is available each day of the clinic in the 1st Avenue North and Mercer Street Garages. For info, call (206) 684-7200 or visit . Health insurance information session Oct 28, 1-2pm, Gresham Library (385 NW Miller Ave, Gresham, Ore.). Attend an information session about the 2018 open enrollment period for individual health insurance plans, which runs from November 1 to December 15, 2017. Participants have an opportunity to ask questions, learn about changes, and review the enrollment process. For info, call (503) 988-5123 or visit . “The Ernest Harps Mystery: A Portland Ghost Story” Oct 28, 2-4pm, Midland Library (805 SE 122nd Ave, Portland). Attend “The Ernest Harps Mystery: A Portland Ghost Story,” an event at which participants learn the story of 11-year-old Ernest Harps, who appeared on the front page of newspapers in 1909 due to the unexplainable happenings that swirlled around him. For info, call (503) 988-5123 or visit . “Oregon Ghost Stories” Oct 30, 4:30-5:15pm, Midland Library (805 SE 122nd Ave, Portland). Teens in grades six through 12 are invited to experience the eerie side of Oregon’s history at “Oregon Ghost Stories.” The event features fun and spooky stories performed by Anne Rutherford and Norm Brecke, as well as an opportunity for participants to tell ghostly tales during an open-mic period. For info, call (503) 988-5123 or visit . “Not So Spooky Stories” Oct 31, 11:30am-12:15pm & 4-4:45pm, Holgate Library (7905 SE Holgate Blvd, Portland); 4-4:45pm, Woodstock Library (6008 SE 49th Ave, Portland). Attend “Not So Spooky Stories, a Halloween event for young people that features stories, songs, and a fun craft. Wearing a costume is encouraged. For info, call (503) 988-5123 or visit . Community New treatment method for elephants may benefit species of all sizes An innovative drug-delivery sys- tem developed for an 8,000-pound pachyderm could be an animal- welfare boon for species of all sizes, according to experts at the Oregon Zoo. The zoo’s animal-care staff recently presented the new technique to colleagues from around the country at the annual Elephant Managers Association conference in Columbus, Ohio. As anyone who’s had a sick pet knows, getting animals to take medicine can be quite a challenge — and this definitely held true for Sung-Surin, a 34-year-old Asian elephant at the zoo. Earlier this year, she was prescribed erythromycin, a particularly bitter-tasting powder. “I tried it myself, and it was like the worst kind of chalk in the back of your throat,” said Bob Lee, the zoo’s elephant curator. “And after a half hour, it was even worse than that.” Despite their close relationship with Sung-Surin — whose name is Thai for “sunshine” and often is simply called Shine — Lee and his team knew getting those meds into her wouldn’t be easy. They began exploring ways to mask the taste, practicing first with vitamin C pills before starting her on the real regimen. “We’d have her chug the pills down with a big jug of Gatorade,” Lee said. “Or we’d wrap them up in thin paper towels.” These techniques worked fine with the practice vitamins — and the actual medication went down fine for a couple of days as well. But by the third or fourth day, Shine would refuse to take them. Finally caregivers hit upon a solution. By rewarding her with some of her favorite treats, keepers taught Shine to swallow large gelatin Give blood. “Say Hey!” Nov 2, 5:30-8pm, Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (1945 SE Water Ave, Portland). Attend an event designed to help professionals of color make connections as they settle in Portland. Food is provided and everyone who supports diversity in the workplace is welcome. For info, or to register, call (503) 552-6755 or visit . To schedule a blood donation call 1-800-G IVE-LIFE or visit HelpSaveALife.org. “Train to Be a Pokémon Master” Nov 3-Dec 8 (Fri), 3:30-5pm, St. Johns Library (7510 N Charleston Ave, Portland). Share your love and expertise of Pokémon with fellow trainers at “Train to Be a Pokémon Master.” The meetings include watching movies, talking about favorite Pokémon and trainers, and learning about Pokémon cards. The series concludes with a Pokémon TCG battle royale. For info, call (503) 988-5123 or visit . “Getting to Know Muslim Communities” Nov 4, 11am-noon, Hollywood Library (4040 NE Tillamook St, Portland). Attend “Getting to Know Muslim Communities: Integration vs. Isolation or Assimilation,” an event with speaker Wajdi Said of the Muslim Educational Trust (MET), who talks about the differences between isolation, assimilation, and positive integration of the Muslim community as a minority group in the United States. For info, call (503) 988-5123 or visit . “Islamophobia in Our Communities” Nov 5, 3-4pm, Sellwood-Moreland Library (7860 SE 13th Ave, Portland). Attend “Islamophobia in Our Communities,” a workshop led by Jawad Khan, a Muslim Educational Trust (MET) board member and an Oregon Islamic Academy teacher. The event provides background on the meaning of Islamophobia, data on religious prejudice, information about the effects of prejudice on Muslim and non-Muslim communities, and possible solutions to combatting the phobia. For info, or to register (required), call (503) 988-5123 or visit . $2 Days at OMSI Nov 5 & Dec 3, 9:30am-7pm, Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (1945 SE Water Ave, Portland). Take advantage of low-cost admission to the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI) during the first Sunday of each month. The $2 ticket includes general admission to the museum. For info, call (503) 797-4000 or visit . THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 11 The Asian Reporter is published on the first & third Monday each month. News page advertising deadlines for our next three issues are: November 6 to 19, 2017 edition: Space reservations due: Wed., November 1 at 1:00pm Artwork due: Thu., November 2 at 1:00pm November 20 to December 3, 2017 edition: Space reservations due: Wed., November 15 at 1:00pm Artwork due: Thu., November 16 at 1:00pm December 4 to 17, 2017 edition: Space reservations due: Wed., November 29 at 1:00pm Artwork due: Thu., November 30 at 1:00pm For more information, please call (503) 283-4440. JUST ADD COCONUT. An innovative drug-delivery system developed for Asian elephant Shine (left) — seen here with Lily (background) and Rose-Tu (right) — could become an ani- mal-welfare boon for species of all sizes. (Photo/Shervin Hess, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo) capsules that had been filled and coated with coconut oil, then frozen. They tried out different sizes, eventually settling on an 18-milliliter capsule used for horses, which Lee describes as “about as big as a fun-size Snickers.” Once the swallowing behavior was reliably established, caregivers added Shine’s meds to the mix, con- cealing them inside a layer of coconut oil within the capsule. By the time the frozen oil dissolved, the antibiotics were well past Shine’s taste buds and making their way through her system to fight the infection. The breakthrough has been huge for Shine, who received an all-clear to rejoin the rest of the herd in September. (She’d been living apart from the other elephants since being diagnosed with tuberculosis in April.) But there’s a broader importance too, Lee said. Getting animals to swallow pills is a technique that can be trained to all kinds of species. Plus, a tried-and-true method allows animal-care staff to treat illnesses more quickly and efficiently. “I don’t know whether most people will understand how significant this is,” Lee said. We’ve been training all the other elephants with blanks now, so if they ever were to get sick, we could slip their medications into the capsules and begin treatment right away. It’s a huge deal for animal welfare.” In developing the new technique, the Oregon Zoo team consulted and collaborated with other elephant professionals. “We couldn’t have done this without drawing on the experience of our colleagues,” Lee said. The Oregon Zoo is recognized worldwide for its Asian elephant program, which has spanned more than 60 years. Considered highly endangered in their native range, Asian elephants are threatened by habitat loss, conflict with humans, and disease. It is estimated that just 40,000 to 50,000 elephants remain in fragmented populations from India to Borneo. To learn more, visit .