Portland, OR

Supreme Court Justices…

With the disappointing decision today to overturn two court orders that had tried to restrict the use of sonar around whales and other marine mammals by the Navy while conducting “war games” in the Pacific, I was again reminded how lucky we are to have a liberal/moderate going into the White House.

Naval sonar has been found to cause whales to beach themselves.

The average age of the United States Supreme Court is 68.5 years. The median age is 70.5 years. And we were bitching about John McCain being too old. Justice John Paul Stevens is 88, for goodness sake. He is the oldest, fo’ sho’, but 5 out of 9 Justices are older than 70. Chances are that President Obama will need to appoint a new Justice or two.

Other than Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, all other Justices were appointed by Republican Presidents. Not that Republicans always appoint in “conservative” Justices, as George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford found out once they appointed David Souter and Stevens, respectively — Souter and Stevens fall into the “liberal” wing of the Supreme Court, along with Ginsburg and Breyer.

In fact, the way the voting went in the Navy-Sonar case shows you the liberal versus conservative wings of the Supreme Court.

From Reuters via Planet Ark:

Liberal Justices John Paul Stevens and Stephen Breyer dissented in part and agreed in part with the ruling, while Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter disagreed with the entire decision.

Now, I could go on about who voted what, and why, but instead I prefer to think pro-actively. I know (and don’t understand) that many people in this country feel that liberals are going to take things away from them. It’s the real trick behind the Republican/Conservative sleight-of-hand. If you look down the list of most Republican/Conservative issues, they tend to think in terms of taking certain rights away (think abortion, capital punishment, privacy) or at least curtailing them to the extent that those of us who are not conservatives must play their game with their rules.

Even if you disagree with liberalism or progressive politics, you can at least rest assured that no matter what, you will not be shoved into a corner. I mean, liberals think everything is ok, as long as you are not hurting anyone.

Which is why it is important to have balance on the United States Supreme Court. Obama is not the liberal that all those Joe’s out there are afraid of, but instead quite moderate (at least I think he will end up a moderate President when all is said and done). He is also perhaps uniquely qualified to appoint new Justices. He taught Constitutional law at the University of Chicago, one of the absolute best law schools in the country, if not the world.

That teaching gig is one of the reasons I was in favor of Obama winning the Presidency (among many, many reasons). After eight years of Bush bashing the Constitution and blacking out the parts he and his puppet masters didn’t find agreeable, this nation needs to revisit our foundation and founding principles.

If you would like to read more about today’s Supreme Court decision to overturn restrictions on Naval sonar exercises in the Pacific, you can follow this link to a pretty good article outlining the issue and the outcome. It came down to the decision that the Navy and national security are way more important than 37 species of marine mammals and the effects they will suffer despite the fact that the restrictions were not all that onerous and simply wanted the Navy to shut down the sonar when whales were within view.

Supreme Court, United States, courts, Justices, Stevens, Ginsburg, Breyer, Souter, age, appointments, Obama, Bush, George H W Bush, Ford, mammals, whales, marine, Pacific, California, Constitution, constitutional law, University of Chicago, John McCain, Navy, war games, training, sonar

So maybe I am just really out of touch with the news and all (at least on the local level), but did you know that alfalfa sprouts have been recalled and taken off shelves in some stores in the Portland area?

I went to the Sellwood QFC, a generally pleasant store, and I was looking for alfalfa sprouts or whatever else they call them nowadays — onion sprouts, salad sprouts, radish or broccoli sprouts, I can’t keep up. I stood in front of the little area with the rest of the lettuce and salad stuff, and starting thinking I was just blind as I didn’t see them. Luckily, there was a QFC staff member nearby. I asked him if they had sprouts. He informed me that all sprouts had been removed from the shelves due to a recall.

Huh…didn’t hear about that one. Maybe I have become so numb to constant produce and meat recalls that I missed this one.

For anyone else who missed this story…copied from KOHD news, the ABC affliate in the Bend area.

09/04/08

Oregon State Public Health Division and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials today announced a recall of Sprouter’s Northwest brand alfalfa sprouts due to a Salmonellosis outbreak. Also, Public Health officials said that while most cases of salmonellosis do not require medical treatment, people who have eaten sprouts and develop severe symptoms should check with their doctors.

“These alfalfa sprouts have been identified as the cause of an ongoing outbreak of salmonellosis,” said Dr. Paul Cieslak, an epidemiologist with the Oregon Department of Human Services State Public Health Division. “Consumers who have them in their refrigerators should discard them immediately and if you develop severe symptoms call your doctor. ”

As of Tuesday, 13 outbreak cases had been identified in Oregon and Washington. All cases reported becoming ill since August 1, 2008.

The recalled sprouts were distributed through a number of wholesalers to grocery stores, restaurants, and other retail outlets in Oregon and Washington.

The recalled sprouts were sold in packages labeled “alfalfa sprouts,” “salad sprouts” or “onion sprouts” or were sold as mixed varieties that contain alfalfa sprouts as an ingredient.

“Sprouter’s Northwest has agreed to voluntarily recall its alfalfa sprouts and is cooperating fully with our ongoing investigation,” Dr. Cieslak said.

State and federal agencies are working with the Kent, Wash.-based grower to remove potentially contaminated sprouts from distribution. Retailers and wholesalers who hold any of the recalled sprouts should segregate them from other produce and contact their suppliers for additional information. Restaurant and delicatessen operators should check their stock immediately to identify and pull any of the recalled products.

Salmonellosis is an acute bacterial infection that can cause diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Symptoms usually develop within one to five days after eating contaminated food. Most cases resolve without the need for medical attention, and antibiotics are not recommended for persons with uncomplicated diarrheal illness. The risk of severe illness is particularly high among the elderly, the immunocompromised, and the very young.

People who have eaten sprouts and developed severe symptoms should discuss this exposure with their doctor. Some persons with salmonellosis develop serious illness that can lead to hospitalization and even death.

Raw sprouts have been repeatedly identified as the cause of outbreaks of salmonellosis, Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections, and other diseases. This is at least the seventh sprout-caused outbreak that has sickened Oregonians since 1996.

Oddly, this KOHD story is lifted verbatim from an Oregon Department of Human Services press release. So, KOHD didn’t even bother writing a story on this, just passes along the recall announcement as if it were their own. The site has a video option, but it doesn’t play. I may have too many things going on on my laptop. So perhaps before I start calling anyone out on plagiarism or lazy reporting, I should simmer down and give the station the benefit of the doubt. Still, they could have cited the press release on the report…

That being said, this is what the KOHD article left out from the press release:

The following is a list of package sizes of the affected Sprouters Northwest, Inc., products: •Alfalfa Sprouts 5-ounce cup •Alfalfa Sprouts 4-ounce clamshell •Salad Sprouts 5-ounce cup •Salad Sprouts 4-ounce clamshell •Onion Sprouts 5-ounce cup •Onion Sprouts 4-ounce clamshell •Alfalfa Sprouts 1-pound bag •Alfalfa Sprouts 2-pound tray

I highly doubt that anyone would still be using any sprouts from a week ago much less two weeks ago when the recall was reported, but just in case, you may want to toss any sprouts you have around. If you have any questions, I would recommend contacting your doctor or county health office. As the Sprouter’s Northwest brand comes from Washington, it is likely that a store near you is out of sprouts, whether you are in Portland or not.

Also, may I put in a plug to grow your own sprouts…You can buy a kit for around thirty or forty dollars. I saw some in Territorial Seed Company’s catalog this last winter, and thought about getting one. But sometimes, I get lazy and forgetful. I guess I will view this latest recall as a wake up call to finally order one. I love me some sprouts on my sandwiches.

alfalfa sprouts, recall, salmonella, salmonellosis, e coli, Oregon, Washington, Portland, Bend, food safety, health, onion sprouts, salad sprouts, Sellwood, QFC, Territorial Seed Company

Just because Hillary is concentrating her efforts in Pennsylvania right now, anticipating the “win or drop out” primary in the last of the big, industrial states that carry a lot of delegates, that doesn’t mean that Oregon won’t get our fill of the Democratic candidate.

I woke up to the email from the Clinton campaign announcing that Chelsea Clinton will be at Portland State tomorrow, Saturday, April 12 from 6:15 to 7:45 pm. The “event” is called “Our Economy, Our Future” and I have no idea what this event entails, and the email tells me nothing more that where, who, when, and how to rsvp for the event. You can go to the Clinton website if you’d like to check this out and officially rsvp.

Again, and I am starting to feel repetitious, this post is not an endorsement for Ms. Clinton. I am simply passing along any and all info that I receive from both the Clinton and Obama campaigns. If you have not read any of my earlier posts regarding the democratic race, I was worried that Oregon would not be much of a factor when it came to the democratic run-off (and it may still not be), so I am hoping that presidential politics will come to Portland.

And yes, I would be remiss if I did not mention that on Wednesday, I received an email from the Obama campaign asking me to become a “community organizer” for Obama, which entails getting people to register to vote. Obama started out as a community organizer, the email reminds me, so does that mean that I too can run for President some day? No, thank you. I have waaaay too many skeletons in my closet. Besides, I don’t like answering the phone at 3 pm, much less 3 am.

Chelsea Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Portland, State University, campaign, democrats, Oregon, Portland, Pennsylvania

It has been twelve, count’ em, twelve days since I got my first email asking me to volunteer for a democratic candidate for President, and that first call came from Barack Obama. Why has it taken Hillary Clinton almost two weeks before she started stumping for volunteers here in Portland? And allow me to mention that the email informs me that tonight is the “grand opening” of her Portland-based statewide office. Way to give people some advance warning there, Hil.**

**Please do not construe my good-natured ribbing of Ms. Clinton as an endorsement for Barack Obama. I am woefully undecided between the two candidates, as I see very little differentiation between them. I am resigned to the fact that I will be voting for one of them come November, whether I like them or not. I am resigned to the fact that I will not be voting for someone, but rather against someone.

Oh, that is sad, isn’t it? I am voting against someone. I really do want to vote for someone. I have since I was a young idealistic kid watching Reagan’s long-winded speeches and seemingly constant television addresses. But alas, not in my lifetime as of yet. I wish I could believe the hype of Obama, or think that Hillary Clinton is the answer to my lifelong quest to vote for a woman for president.

Ah, another day for me and all the little girls who want to believe that we can be equal with men. But before I start getting too serious, check out what I found. This picture is AWESOME. I found it on Snarkybehaviour.com. Don’t know where they found it, but it’s freakin’ sweet.

Anyhoo, Hillary Clinton is opening her office at NW 5th and Burnside, in case you feel like stopping by tonight for the opening ceremonies (for a campaign office — anything to attract volunteers, I guess). Congresswoman Darlene Hooley (OR-District 5, which includes Multnomah, but just a little) will be in attendance. Hmm, I wonder where Earl Blumenauer will be?

Hillary was in Eugene and Hillsboro over the weekend, and I expect we will be seeing more of her, but not too much yet, as she is campaigning heavily in Pennsylvania and its 158 delegates, whereas Oregon only has 52. Although Clinton opening an Oregon office is rather hopeful on her part that she will do well in Pennsylvania. If she doesn’t, she will most likely have to concede the nomination, but I am sure there will be the caveat that delegates can always change their minds at the democratic convention. Ah, politics, even elected delegates can flip-flop.

You can rsvp for tonight by visiting the Hillary for President website here. Not that I am urging you to, but I do like a good fight, so I would like to see Hillary stay in the race a bit longer. At least until the Oregon Primary.

democratic, candidates, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, volunteer, campaign, Oregon, Portland, Pennsylvania, Darlene Hooley, Earl Blumenauer

Bill Clinton has come to Oregon, stumping for Hillary. My question is, Where’s Hillary? I’d rather see her at this point, but then again, Bill has always been entertaining to say the least.

According to MSNBC via the AP:

Campaign spokesman Isaac Baker said Hillary Clinton “will be campaigning aggressively all over Oregon, including campaigning aggressively in Southern Oregon.” No dates have been announced.

Nice tie, Bill.

According to Bill’s published schedule, he was in Medford yesterday, and spent this morning having way too much fun at Mary’s, I mean OSHU for a “Solutions for the Economy” event (at a hospital?). He then followed that good time up with a short stint listening to the old folks in SE Portland. Right about now, he is probably en route from Salem to Bend, which is a very pretty drive, where he will be speaking at Bend Senior High, where he will be holding a “Solutions for America” event. Oh, I see the pattern now.

Still, I am awaiting an email requesting me to make good on my checked box indicating that I am willing to volunteer.

If I were to volunteer for Hillary Clinton (and as of today, I have no real inclination other than out of curiosity or maybe that whole underdog thing), it would be the second time volunteering for a Clinton. I also worked on Bill’s campaign way back in high school, before I could actually vote. I was so young and idealistic back then…memories. Anyway, it was a lame experience with a bunch of older douchebags telling me what to do, like phoning people during dinner and making posters for a rally I was then denied entrance to, but hey, I could be part of the group of losers who couldn’t get inside the rally that stood outside and “welcomed” the candidate. And then Bill showed up, and made his way down the line of welcomers, including a snooty little me, who asked him as she shook his hand why she could not attend the rally despite the fact she had spent three hours the night before calling people in support of said candidate. Oh, and Slick Willy, he had a response. “If it were up to me, you’d all be inside.” Nice. Nice.

Bill, Hillary, Clinton, campaigning, Portland, Medford, Salem, Bend, Oregon

Tomorrow March 29th marks the second annual “Earth Hour“, an event that started in Sydney, Australia last year, and is spreading all over the world for its second run.

Earth Hour is a sixty minute period (obviously) in which we, as consumers of energy, can curb some of our electricity use, at least when it comes to lighting and electronics. At 8 pm, turn off all of your lights and electronic equipment, i.e. computers, tvs, dvd players, etc. Keep everything off for one hour. Sure, it won’t make that much of a difference in the whole scheme of things, but it is more about making a statement. If we can go an hour without electrical entertainment, why not go without it even more often? Maybe make Earth Hour a weekly event at your house. Go for a walk, plan a candlelit dinner for someone special, or simply sit there in the dark, or twilight depending on the season, and enjoy the night sky.

Also, Earth Hour is meant to show us all that by cutting lighting, we can cut a significant part of our electricity consumption. The California Energy Commission (sorry to use CA, but it’s the first place I found actual numbers) estimates that lighting and small appliances/electronics makes up 25% of our electricity usage. So maybe even if you don’t turn off the lights, you can still do the responsible thing and switch to more efficient lighting choices.

By the way, have I mentioned that Portland is awesome because you can still see the night sky. A city of a million plus, and I can still see the stars. And I don’t live out in the ‘burbs, either. Trust me, you don’t realize how much you can miss seeing the stars at night until you live in a big city with a lot of light pollution. Or even a small town with lots of light pollution. Click on the small map of the Earth at Night below this paragraph for a reality check.

Portland, Oregon is not officially involved in Earth Hour, and yet, Portland, Maine is. Odd. However, we don’t need no stinking “official city” badges on this one, as you can participate on your own. Though I do think it would be super awesome cool if the entire city shut off the lights at 8 pm.

You can check out the Earth Hour website here if you feel so inclined. There are links and more info on what you can do to save the Earth, or at least think you are saving it. The World Wildlife Fund is the uber-sponsor for the event, and it is a great organization that I have been supporting since high school (yeah, I was one of those kids).

Here’s a little video on how it all began.

Earth Hour, Portland, Oregon, Maine, Sydney, Australia, consumers, electricity, electronics, World Wildlife Fund, activism, event

Maybe you marched this last weekend through downtown protesting the ongoing (and seemingly neverending) conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan…maybe you have been marching before, and many times throughout the last five years. Today marks the FIVE year anniversary of the official beginning of the US War in Iraq. Oh, sorry, I mean the allied coalition forces’ war in Iraq…or maybe it would be more accurate to write that it is the Halliburton-Parsons-CACI-Titan war in Iraq.

Either way you look at it, either the sunny Dubya optimistic (or just glaringly stupid) or the rational “this war was immoral and opportunistic” way, rabblerousers Moveon.org and local groups are calling for a national “New Priorities” vigil this evening.

You can go to the Moveon.org’s website to find a vigil near you, if you cannot find one listed below (or you don’t actually lilve in Portland). The vigils are taking place all over the country, so don’t think this is just a Portland, Oregon thing.

There is a vigil set for Pioneer Square, downtown, at Broadway and Morrison (720 SW Broadway to be exact), and as this is more centralized, it may turn out being the biggest. This description is included for this particular site/vigil.

This is a peace rally. Like Mother Teresa said: “I will never attend an anti-war rally. But you hold a peace rally, and I’ll be there.” So we will hold a peaceful candlelight vigil to end the War in Iraq and pull all troops out of the country. This war must end now! Are we going to wait around for another troop escalation by a desparate Republican war machine? No, we’re going to show ourselves and the world what it means to work toward a more peaceful world.

Other Portland vigils (I put my zipcode into the “vigil finder” and had it search for vigils within 30 miles of Portland Proper) are listed below.

NE 47th Ave and NE Multnomah, otherwise known as the overpass at NE 47th ave and I-84.

Jamison Square Park in the Pearl District

Outside Portland:

In Beaverton at SW 5th and Hall across from the Beaverton Library

In Vancouver at Ester Short Park at 555 W 8th Street

In Carlton at the Upper Park/Downtown (Carlton is quite small, so you cannot miss this one, despite only 8 people rsvp’ing)

Check out the Moveon.org website if you have any more questions. Most vigils are starting at 7pm, with the Vancouver and Carlton vigils starting an hour earlier at 6pm, and the Beaverton vigil will start at 5:30pm. If you didn’t “rsvp”, don’t worry about that, just go out and show your support for ending this war/occupation/new world order.

Iraq, Afghanistan, War, 5 year anniversary, Halliburton, Parsons, Caci, Titan, Iraq for Sale, Bush, Portland, Pioneer Square, Beaverton, Vancouver, Carlton, vigil, moveon.org

A new report was published today by the group Families USA that shows that many Oregonians die each year as a result of inadequate health insurance or the lack thereof. The study crunched some numbers and came up with the very sad and frankly tragic tally that each day, that 365 of ‘em a year, one Oregonian dies because they don’t have health insurance.

But we are one of the richest countries in the world? How can this be? Aren’t there free clinics for these people? Why don’t they get a job and get insurance?

Oh, if only it were that simple.

The state of health care in this country is deplorable, but that is a topic that I would not even begin to cover in this little corner of the internet.

I do have some experience being insured and being uninsured. And guess what, they both kinda sucked. When I was insured, the “Company” wouldn’t cover a pre-exisiting condition that I had…Asthma. Damn, why couldn’t I have waited until my insurance kicked in after three months before being born with asthma. Being both insured and uninsured made me question as to whether an asthma attack was bad enough to warrant a costly trip to the emergency room.

The Families USA study really doesn’t tell us all anything new, but it does add to a mounting body of evidence that the combination of private healthcare industry and lack of a nationalized health system is not doing the job in taking care of this country’s citizens.

Here is a bit from the Families USA press release:

“Our report highlights how our inadequate system of health coverage condemns a great number of Oregonians to an early death simply because they don’t have the same access to health care as their insured neighbors,” Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, said today. “The conclusions are sadly clear—a lack of health coverage is a matter of life and death for many Oregonians.

“Health insurance really matters in how people make their health care decisions,” Pollack said. “We know that people without insurance often forgo checkups, screenings, and other preventive care.”

As a result, he said, uninsured adults are more likely to be diagnosed with a disease, such as cancer, in an advanced stage, which greatly reduces their chance of survival. The Institute of Medicine found that uninsured adults are 25 percent more likely to die prematurely than adults with private health insurance.

The Institute of Medicine that last paragraph mentions refers to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Both the IOM and Families USA are based in Washington DC. In case you were wondering…

And to make you even more depressed about the state of Oregon/National Health care, here are some sobering findings from the Families USA Oregon-specific study.

* Families USA estimates that one working-age Oregonian dies each day due to lack of health insurance (approximately 350 people in 2006).

* Between 2000 and 2006, the estimated number of adults between the ages of 25 and 64 in Oregon who died because they did not have health insurance was nearly 1,900.

* Across the United States, in 2006, twice as many people in that same age category died from a lack of health insurance as died from homicide.

Oregon, health care, health insurance, uninsured, deaths, Families USA, Institute of Medicine, National Academies

So, have you heard the rumor? The weather rumor? The rumor that our fair city might not be so fair on Saturday … that there might be white flurry stuff falling from the sky? That Portland might get SNOW this weekend!? Snow! SNOW! SNOOOOW!

Weather Underground says that on Saturday, there is a 60% chance of precipatation … but since it’s supposed to be 33 degrees, that also means that there is a 60% chance of FREEZING precipitation. Snow! SNOW! SNOOOOW!

I’m not a huge fan of snow. I lived in Anchorage, Alaska for almost a decade. I was young. Shoveling snow was a chore, it wasn’t something fun to play in. I had to shove dresses into snow suits (oh, that was SO comfortable!) and I once got a bus citation for having a snow ball fight at the bus stop! I like the snow for skiing and for looking at from far away, that’s about it. Living in Portland, I laugh when it snows - people freak out, they shut down, there are accidents all over the place, people get wacky and it isn’t quite as entertaining as most people think it would be.

Last year, snow turned Portland off. It shut the city down. (Do you guys REMEMBER that?) I was literally stuck downtown for six hours waiting for a bus to take me home. I had on boots, but my feet were so cold by the end of my wait, they were swollen and inflamed!

I hope that the snow we’re expected to get on Saturday either
a) doesn’t stick around for more than an hour
b) doesn’t actually happen or
c) falls so heavily and so quickly it shuts the city down in the middle of the night.

I’m such a snow-Scrooge!

About Portland OR, Portland OR, Portland, snow

I returned from my vacation to San Diego, California on Tuesday night after two almost missed and quite adventurous flights there, one delayed flight home next to a crazy German lady who plucked her eyebrows for the last 15 minutes of the flight, a bus stalled on my MAX tracks, 40 degree winds through China Town and two more MAX switches. It was fun though. I took lots of pictures and drank many margaritas. I returned on election day - special election day. I am glad that I had my ballot turned in before I left, and actually had it filled out the day that I received it in the mail.

I’m not normally a very political person, and this election wasn’t much different for me, although I did have some feelings towards things. There were two main Multnomah County ballot measures on my piece of paper:

Measure 49 - passed (yes: 78.56% (as of 11/7) … no: 21.44% (as of 11/7))
This measure protects the property rights of small and individual landowners. If you were allowed to when you purchased your land, you are immediately allowed to put three houses on your property. This right will now carry over to surviving spouses (God forbid you pass away) as well as those who buy the land from current owners. This measure was essentially a clarification of an old measure (measure 37).

Measure 50 - failed in Oregon overall, but “passed” in Multnomah county (as of 10:45am today - yes: 56.01% … no: 43.09%)
Meausre 50 was dubbed the “Healthy Kids Plan” and was set to raise cigarette taxes by almost a dollar ($0.85) per pack in order to use the proceeds to provide health coverage “for more than one hundred thousand” uninsured children. It was set to amend the Oregon constitution, and Oregonians apparently didn’t like that.

And for the record, my votes were for the “winning” sides!

About Portland OR, Portland OR, Portland, special election, Multnomah county special election, measure 49, measure 50, Healthy Kids Plan

Today in one of my public health education classes, the professor brought up something quite surprising to me … the benzene levels in our good ‘ol city. She told the class that Portland has the highest benzene levels in the nation and that since benzene is a carcinogen (cancer promoting chemical) we shouldn’t run on the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade since it’s so near the freeway (and therfore the benzene). I left class and here I sit, researching benzene. I thought I would share!

*benzene is a toxic substance found in gasoline (as well as cigarette smoke)
*the EPA has found benzene to cause “chromosomal abnormalities” and cancer

*the WHO has said “no safe levels of exposure” to benzene “can be recommended”
*the DEQ believes that the immune system, blood cell production & leukemia can be included on the adverse reactions list
*the Pacific Northwest receives most of the crude oil used here from the North Slope in Alaska
*this North Slope crude oil has a high level of benzene
*the crude oil isn’t benzene-filtered as well through Washington’s plants
*Portland’s levels of benzene are almost twice that of the national average but not high enough to trigger federal regulation (check out the above map if you live in the Portland area … my area is in the 1.3-1.9 range)

More Articles on the Benzene Levels
The Portland State University VanGuard - PSU Study Examines Freeway Pollution
Long Blog writes a bit about benzene research
Stand Tall for America encourages benzene reduction
Blue Oregon writes about the EPA finally listening to Senator Ron Wyden’s benzene cap request
Commissioner Sam Adams - Wyden Rips EPA Over Benzene-Heavy Air

To Reduce Benzene Production/Consumption
*maintain your vehicles properly, have your oil changed, keep your filters clean, just keep up on this
*drive less - take the bus or MAX, carpool, ride your bike, walk to class, just avoid being in your car
*use “certified” woodstoves and fireplaces which only burn compressed logs or dry and clean wood
*quit smoking and avoid being around those who are smoking

About Portland OR, Portland OR, Portland, benzene levels, Portland benzene levels, EPA, WHO, DEQ, reducing benzene

Well the time is here my friends, you have seen it on the tv, read it in the newspaper and the internet. For those of you that don’t know about IKEA
(www.IKEA.com) it is probably the most affordable, sleekest, modern and well set up furniture store that is in existance.

For a little history on IKEA, it is a furniture company based in the Netherlands. First opening in Sweden, IKEA’s popularity spread from Europe to the US like wildfire. Their company states, “We shall offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.”

Now franchised in 31 countries, finally Portland, OR is getting the love it deserves. No longer will you have to drive up to Seattle to get affordable, fun and functional furniture, it will finally be in our own backyard.

IKEA opens on July 25th, the first 100 customers in line will receive a free signature armchair, right out of the IKEA store.

Make a day of your experience there, not only do they offer a place for you to drop your children off so that you have freedom to shop, but they also have a food court with a vast array of affordable and tasty food. Their specialty the swedish meatball with a lingonberry sauce.

Check it out for yourself, or you can wait a couple weeks and just visit when the traffic dies down to see what the fuss is all about.

Monday, May 28 is Memorial Day, which is dedicated to honoring those who died serving in the United States Armed Forces. Originating in 1868, the day of remembrance was known as Decoration Day. The name was later changed to Memorial Day, and in 1977 became a federal holiday. So here’s a few places that you can go to join with veterans, families, and friends within the community, attend ceremonies, enjoy live music, and more.

• Portland - May 26 at 10 a.m.
  Events: Skyline Memorial Gardens and Nursing Home will host flag presentations and placement of memorial wreaths, The Fort Vancouver Pipe and Brass bands will play, an The Army Guard’s 2-218th Field Artillery unit will fire a 21-gun salute, Veterans of Oregon Field of Honor 1,000 Flag Display will be presented, the Oregon Military Museum will host a display, and an Army Guard Blackhawk helicopter flyover has been requested.
  Guest Speaker: Brig. Gen. Charles Yriarte, Oregon Army National Guard.
  Contact: Richard McIntire
  Or Colleen Combs, 503-292-6611
• Portland - May 28 at 10 a.m.
  Located at Willamette National Cemetery
  Events: 57th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony, music by the Fort Vancouver Pipe Band, joint military Color Guard will present honors and provide a rifle salute and anOregon Air National Guard flyover has been requested.
  Guest Speakers: Major Gen. Raymond F. Rees, the Adjutant General, Oregon National Guard for the .
  A Contact: George Allen, 503-273-5250
• May 28 at 10 a.m.
  The names of 801 Oregon Vietnam veterans who were killed during the war will be read at the Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
• may 28 at 11 a.m.
  The Memorial is located in Washington Park across from the Metro Park Zoo at 400 S.W. Canyon Road.
  Events: During the annual ceremony at the Memorial, veterans groups will post the colors and present wreaths, the Portland Police Highland Guard will play Amazing Grace, the Oregon Army National Guard will retire Colors, and an Oregon Air National Guard flyover has been requested.
  Guest speakers: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden Contact: Jerry Pero, 503-266-1686
• May 28 at 11 a.m.
  Beaverton Memorial Park, Located on Watson Street
  Events: American Legion Post 124 is hosting a ceremony, The Post 124 band will be playing live music, and they’ve requested a flyover by the Oregon Air National Guard
  Contact: Mary Doty at 503-644-0350
• May 28 at Forest Grove American Legion Post 2 Located at 1161 Pacific Ave, Starts at 11 a.m.
  Events: Oregon Army National Guard, 2-218 Field Artillery, HQ Battery will host a ceremony at the Forest View Cemetery, they have requested an Oregon Air National Guard flyover, an Army National Guard keynote speaker will be announced.
  Contact: Jim Craigg, 503-357-3660
• May 28, Fir Lawn Memorial Park in Hillsboro
  Located at 1070 W. Main Street, Starts at 11 a.m.
  Events: VFW Post 2666 color guard, ceremony, Oregon Army National Guard to post service branch flags, Taps will also be played, and a bag piper will play Amazing Grace.
  Contact: George Anderson, 971-404-7905
  Or Cindy Hinton, 503-648-1732
• May 28 at Valley Memorial Park in Hillsboro
  Located at 3809 S.E. Tualatin Valley Highway, Starts at 1 p.m.
  Events: Cub Scout Pack 195 will present and retire the colors. Clan Maclay Pipe Band will play music, they have requested an Oregon Air National Guard flyover, and there will be a ceremony.
  Guest Speakers: State Sen. Bruce Starr and World War II veteran Ralph Hess
  Contact: Dean Markasky, 503-648-5444

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On June 28, 2007 - Portland’s own Trail Blazers have won the NBA lottery, and will have first pick during the lottery ceremony at Madison Square Garden in New York.

How will this affect the Blazers future? The will have their choice of future NBA superstars, and it could be the end of some recent debates.

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The teams will run 197 miles from Mt Hood’s Timberline Lodge to Seaside, Oregon. Whether or not you are in shape wouldn’t really matter too much, because each “leg” of the relay is between 13 and 14 miles. The deadline to register is May 30, 2007, which is just around the corner!

If you’re a runner in need of a team, or a team in need of a runner, you can check either Event Matching or Craigslist to search ads or post ads. You can also find upcoming news and up-to-date information from Nike Hood to Coast Relay’s website. There’s also a map, which also shows all 36 legs of the relay.

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