The Oregon Women's Report - Women's News from Oregon

WEO NETWORKING & NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION: WEO’s quarterly networking event is just around the corner (Thursday Aug 7th)! This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow members and guests! Join us in the beautiful Pearl District. We’ll be On Deck for some fun in the sun, refreshing beverages, light fare and great networking. This informal event is exceptional for building new business relationships!

By Gienie Assink

Imagine a disease without a clear diagnosis or cure, a disease caused by neither a virus nor a cancer, a disease with no enemy to trace and root out of the body.  Imagine a self-inflicted disease that haunts you minute-by-minute—a disease that you control, just as it controls you.

Anorexia nervosa, a psychological disorder with physical consequences, is such a disease.  As of 2004, according to the National Academy of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, this eating disorder currently plagues more than 8 million American teenage girls.

By Gienie Assink

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but helping your child select a good book does not have to be a challenge.

 Publishers supply valuable information on the book cover, the jacket, the title page and the back of the title page. 

 On paperback books, look for the genre heading on the spine or the back cover.  Most likely, you also will find the reading level by age for grade. 

Photo by Abbie Storm,

By Gienie Assink

Imagine that one of your friends just had something bad happen—perhaps a relational breakup or a low exam grade.  The only reason you know about that bad news is because someone else told you.  Would you bring up the subject to your friend and express regret?  Would you offer support and advice?

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By Evergreen,

It was interesting watching a pre-teen girl viewing a PG-13 movie with her parents.  The movie had several inappropriate scenes dealing with language and adult sexual humor.  It was said “She is not learning anything she hasn’t heard before.”  Even if true, this is the wrong point.

By Gienie Assink

Most people can recall being bullied during childhood.  The memories are no doubt unpleasant: Taunting, insults, put-downs, and threats.  Researchers report verbal aggression can wreak long-term mental and emotional harm, particularly during a person’s formative adolescent years.

Charles Atkin, contributor to the Journal of Applied Communication Research, and his colleagues coordinated a survey of 2,300 adolescents about their experiences with verbal aggression, defined as swearing at, insulting, or making cruel/mean comments about another person.

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Journal notes from Traveln’ with Charlie Blog,

I witnessed a miracle, an amazing reminder of how very loved we are, how beautiful our creation is, and how precious life is. My grandson, Jesse John, was born around 6:20 p.m. He is the living sign of love between his parents, my son Karl and his wife De Anna. His birth is the culmination of the love Karl’s father, John, and I shared that brought Karl into the world almost 26 years ago. Nearly five years after John died in an accident, his legacy continues through his children and now, a grandson.

By: Gienie Assink

Nell is the story of a young woman (played by Jodie Foster) raised in virtual isolation in backwoods Appalachia.  When her mother and sister die, Nell is discovered and cared for by a small town doctor Jerry Lovell (Liam Neeson) and big-city psychologist Paula Olson (Natasha Richardson).  Much of the film centers on conflicts within and between Lovell and Olsen, as they try, from differing perspectives, to understand and help Nell.

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Oregon Women’s Report would like to acknowledge Shannon Worley as the Oregonian Woman of the Month Honor for saving the life of a woman attempting suicide.

Shannon Worley was driving her daughter when they came across a stopped car on the Morrisson bridge.   As Sharron got out to see if she could help the stranger, the  woman ran to the bridge railing and began climbing over it.  Sharron handed her cell-phone to her daughter to call 911 and then ran to help.  The lady said she just wanted to die but Shannon held onto her coat to prevent her.   Shannon said the right thing when she spoke about how the water was very cold and that if she jumped she would follow her.   An officer passing by helped add a helping hand and pull the woman from the bridge ledge.

By Gienie Assink

In classrooms across North America, there is a new trend that worries educators.  In every category and demographic group, boys are falling behind in school.  Many teachers believe boys cannot stay organized, they finish their homework but lose it in their backpacks, and they often have trouble focusing in class.  Boys are falling behind while girls are thriving.

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By Gienie Assink

Dialectical tensions, conflicts that arise when two opposing or incompatible forces exist simultaneously, occur often in many relationships.  For couples especially, privacy dialectic centers on decisions to reveal or conceal good news about their relationship. “Should we tell our friends we’re dating?” or “Is it time for you to meet my family?” are questions they might ask about sharing positive relational information with others.

For some couples, however, the concealed news isn’t so pleasant.  Lara Dieckmann, author of Private Secrets and Public Disclosures, looked into the world of battered women and found that most of them wrestle with the dialectic of staying private or going public about the abuse in their relationships.

By Gienie assink

Mary was married to a male chauvinist.  They both worked full time, but he never helped out with chores around the house.  “That”, he declared, “was woman’s work”.

One evening Mary arrived home from work to find the children bathed, a load of wash in the washing machine and another in the dryer, dinner on the stove, and a beautifully set table, complete with flowers.

By Evergreen,

In Washington, a woman was arrested last Saturday after failing a roadside alcohol sobriety test with a blood alcohol level of .25 percent.  She had four children in the car ranging from a toddler to a teenager.  In addition to a packed vehicle of passengers she was towing a U-Haul trailer.  She was placed in jail and faces a DUII charge and four charges of child endangerment.

Article Submitted By: Gienie Assink, Springfield OR

We are all familure with slogans such as “low-calorie” and “sugar-free.”  But those are phrases of the past.  These days it’s hard to walk down a supermarket aisle and not notice America’s fixation, perhaps even obsession, with fat. 

It’s a game of how little fat one can ingest while still enjoying all those snack-time favorites.  In today’s market of “nonfat” and “zero fat,” it is even questionable whether products offering modest “low-fat” slogans can remain contenders.  But how long can this fat free frenzy hold its grip on the American population?

By: Gienie Assink, Springfield Oregon

Jasmin Salehi.  More than likely it is a name you do not recognize, unless you happened to page through the metro section of the Los Angeles Times a few weeks ago.  Though her name may not be important, her situation is.

You see, Jasmin is facing deportation to her native country of South Korea because she is not a legal citizen of the U.S.  “Why should I be concerned?” you may ask.  “After all, this country is struggling to support its legal citizens as it is.  Shouldn’t they take precedence over illegal residents?”

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