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 <events.
multcolib.org>.
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 <www.seattlecenter.com>.
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 <events.multcolib.org>.
“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
<events.multcolib.org>.
“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 <events.multcolib.org>.
“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 <events.multcolib.org>.
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 <www.partnersindiversity.org>.
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 <events.multcolib.org>.
“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
<events.multcolib.org>.
“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 <events.multcolib.org>.
$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 <www.omsi.edu>.
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 <www.oregon
zoo.org>.