Editor: Phyllis Hockley
[email protected]
February, 2016
cwulanecounty.org
Inside:
Word from our President
Page 2
January Forum & Local Happenings
Page 2
Raise the Wage
Page 3
Peg Morton
Page 4
Health
Page 5
Upcoming Events
Page 6
MEMBERSHIP DUES
Cindy Kokis
Keeping myself informed about justice issues isn’t
easy. That’s why the monthly Vine and the
Forums help me learn of actions I can take. My
membership helps pay the small stipends given
our speakers which go directly to their nonprofit.
CWU gives me new resources that I can share
with my faith community.
Best of all, CWU helps me keep my courage
up. I’m in a fellowship that believes that working
together we can make changes that help make
our society more just.
WELL SAID, CINDY!
Our dues are $25 for the year. Make check
to CWU and bring to our forum or send to
Donna Cash at PO Box 765, Springfield,
OR 97477
UPCOMING EVENTS
February 5
Friday
9-11:15
Ebbert Memorial United Methodist
532 C St. Springfield
Tax Fairness
February 9
Tuesday
Breakfast at Brails
A look at our February forum
March 5
SATURDAY
9-11:15
United Lutheran
2230 Washington St.
World Day of Prayer
FEBRUARY FORUM
Tax Fairness: Corporate Tax Reform
A speaker from Our Oregon will explain their initiative. It will put money into the state budget through
taxes on corporations. Businesses that gross over
$25 million a year will put more into the state General Fund. The money is earmarked for schools and
health services.
Bring your questions. Do you think CWU should work
to pass this tax plan? The Register Guard ran an
item stating that this will bring higher prices and
close some businesses. Hmm. Have corporate taxes
remained flat over forty years? Decide for yourself.
LOOKING AHEAD TO MARCH
This is our World Day of Prayer Celebration and the
theme is Receive Children, Receive Me. The worship
service is written by the women of Cuba and they call
us to explore the depths of God’s love and accept
the invitation to receive the realm of God as a little
child. Hope you can join us.
A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Anne O’Brien
I’m devoting this President’s message to the memory
of our long time member, Peg Morton, who left us on
December 19, 2015.
Peg was a Quaker who lived out her faith. She has
been active in peace and justice concerns for most
of her life. Her many activities have included League
of Women Voters, NAACP, CISCAP, Witness for
Peace. She has worked for justice in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Cuba, and Columbia as well as here in the
USA
Since coming to our town in 1989 she’s facilitated
lots of local actions from coordinating one to two
week fasts to raising funds. She was a fixture at the
Post Office on Tax Day, educating our community
about how much of our taxes go to the military and
how to withhold taxes to avoid financing wars.
Peg’s played an important role in the activities of
Church Women United for years. She was key in involving CWU in the Ribbon of Hope Project. Many of
us made banners and used them on several occasions.
A great memory was the night we stretched it
across the back and then front of First Christian at
the 9-11 service. Also remembered is the day we
fasted, stretched the banner in front of the new
Federal Building, and then prayed for the people in
the building, that God would give them wisdom in the
decisions they would be making. Peg was a real
peacemaker. She worked at educating legislators,
she coordinated silent peace vigils. She put her freedom on the line when she volunteered to be arrested
at a vigil at Fort Benning and spent three months in a
Federal Prison. She was arrested several times here
in Oregon too. She was a brave soul.
It was appropriate that she was the recipient of our
highly valued Valiant Women’s Award in 2009 and,
oh, did she deserve it. Her importance to the entire
community was demonstrated by the huge crowd
that attended her Memorial Service on January 16.
How I will miss her warm greeting every time we saw
each other. The world will miss you, Peg. You made a
real difference. We offer our condolences to your
family.
JANUARY FORUM— HUMAN RIGHTS
Cindy Kokis
It wasn’t the usual “continental” breakfast that
Church of the Brethren served up. Michael Carrigan, our speaker from Citizens Alliance of
Lane County, exclaimed, "What continent? I
ate at home and now I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t the usual meeting. Sarah Ross, founder of HONEY (Honor Our New Ethnic Youth)
looked over our group, calling out the names of
the women who had stood by her family when
they were one of the 50 poorest in Lane
County.
HONEY is 30 years old now. CALC remains a
leader in local justice. NAACP plans monthly
Community Conversations. SURJ - Showing up
for Racial Justice - is here organizing white
people for racial justice. We can make our
town better for everyone.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL SAYS NO TO
TRANS PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP
With a unanimous vote on a measure introduced
by Claire Syrett, the TPP is a no-go in Eugene.
Backed by the President, opposed by Rep. De
Fazio, labor and environmental groups, AND
CWU, this action will be reported to Washington. Call our federal reps and the president and
tell them we agree: No TPP. We want to know
where our food comes from, stop out sourcing
jobs, and leave the oil in the ground.
GOVERNOR BROWN’S “COMPROMISE”
ON WAGES: UNACCEPTABLE
Secret closed door negotiations have brought a
plan to delay $13.50 an hour until 2022.
Really? We believe it’s important that people
in large cities get higher wages because living
costs are higher than in rural areas. In this
plan, there will be no lifting of “preemption”,
the state law that prohibits areas from having
higher wages.
A group traveled to Salem January 14th to join
the rally for wage fairness. We will not give up.
CWU HAS
JOINED
RAISE THE
WAGE COALITION
A group of workers, businesses, and community
groups who have come together to raise up all of Oregon by giving workers a much-needed raise. We’re
united by the common belief that Oregonians who
work hard and play by the rules should be able to
feed their families and pay their bills. To ensure
that our economy works for all of us, it is critical
that Oregon restore local control to allow communities to set a higher minimum wage above and beyond
the statewide floor. This group is proposing a bill
that would raise the minimum wage to $13.50 a figure derived from a study of the various communities
in Washington and Oregon. The bill would also eliminate wording that prohibits local government from
raising wages above the minimum.
It used to be that having a full-time job meant you
could support yourself and your family, but for too
many Oregonians, that’s not true anymore. An Oregon worker earning minimum wage at a full-time job
takes home just $19,240 a year, not nearly enough
to afford housing, food, gas and other necessities
for a family, let alone save for the future. One in
four Oregon workers brings home less than $25,000
each year. Women and people of color make up the
largest percentage of our low-wage workforce. In
Oregon, women represent more than half of minimum
wage workers while people of color make up about 36
percent. Recent statistics show that Oregon has
slipped from 2nd to 9th in wages.
On average, the more money you make, the better
your overall health – not just because you can afford
coverage, but because you can better care for yourself and your family. We have known for years that
when workers are paid a decent wage, they are happier and healthier as a result. Thinking about the
health of Oregon’s future, raising children out of
poverty can have long-lasting health effects including healthier births, fewer chronic diseases, and
longer lives – nationally, those living below the poverty line die 5 years sooner than the rest of the
population.
The mental health implications of a living wage
are startling. In one study, 9th grade students who received free or reduced lunch
were almost 6% more likely to have contemplated committing suicide than 9th graders
who were not eligible for free or reduced
lunch. Another study found that overall, people who live in poverty are more than twice as
likely to face serious depression as those in
higher income families. To think that raising
the minimum wage is simply an economic issue
ignores the profound public health impacts
that living below the poverty line or without
sufficient resources causes for our physical
and mental health.
One of the most common things we hear from
opponents of raising the wage is that we
should
focus
on
“poverty
reduction,” (increasing assistance programs) not
raising wages. Safety net programs are designed to give assistance to families that need
help. As incomes go up, they are eased off of
benefits. The real problem is that even after
transitioning off assistance, some families
may still struggle. This is a separate issue and
should not cloud the need for a living wage.
What’s more, this line of reasoning ignores
the reality that if given the choice, people
would far prefer to be self-sufficient than to
rely on public benefits.
Many argue that Oregonians are stuck in lowwage work because they have not completed
college or they lack the education or experience needed to get higher-paying jobs. Since
the recession, most job growth and recovery
has been in low-wage and high-wage work –
the middle has been squeezed out of the job
market. Of the 10 industries with the highest
employment numbers in 2013, at least half
were those that have a large number of low
wage workers.
You can support this issue by staying informed; writing, emailing or calling your legislator; sign petitions; inform friends, family
and churches of the issue; and/or attend Legislator rallies.
Peg Morton
1930 - 2015
Margaret Miner "Peg" Morton, beloved mother and
grandmother and a well-known Quaker activist,
died peacefully in Eugene, Oregon, on December
19, 2015 following an intentional end-of-life fast.
Peg ended her life as she lived it, with purpose,
passion, and dedication to the path laid out for her
by the Light within. She was a remarkable woman
who leaves behind a legacy of commitment to social justice and peace. Throughout her adult life,
she was guided by the Quaker principles of simplicity, pacifism, equality, and integrity.
Peg was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 31, 1930. Her childhood summers were spent
on the family property on Yarmouth Island in
Maine, a magical place that taught Peg the joy of
being in nature and the value of hard physical
work. She graduated from Oberlin College in 1953,
then earned her Master's degree in history as well
as a teaching certificate from the University of
Chicago in 1956. She married Leland Gale Stauber
that summer in a simple ceremony held outdoors
on Yarmouth Island, conducted by Peg's mother,
who was an ordained minister. Peg and Lee moved
to Carbondale, Illinois, in 1966, where they raised
their three daughters.
Peg was an active member of Carbondale Friends
Meeting. She served as a Democratic precinct
committee person, helped to spearhead school integration, and stood in a silent peace vigil every
Saturday to protest the Vietnam War, a vigil that
continues to this day.
Following a career as a rural outreach counselor,
Peg moved to Eugene, Oregon in 1989, joining two
of her daughters and their families. There she began her work as an activist, which she pursued
wholeheartedly until her death. She was deeply
involved in CISCAP (Committee in Solidarity with
the Central American People), now known as LASC
(Latin America Solidarity Committee). With Witness for Peace, Peg took part in a delegation to
Nicaragua to serve as a witness to the atrocities
of the Contra War. This trip was followed by several others, and Peg's interest in Latin American
affairs persisted throughout her life. She participated in many acts of civil disobedience, sometimes resulting in arrest. In 2004 she served a 3month term in a federal prison for illegally crossing the line onto the grounds of Fort Benning, the
location of the School of the Americas, now
known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for
Security Cooperation, during a protest against
that counterinsurgency school's teaching of torture techniques to Latin American soldiers.
Peg was also a devoted member of Women in
Black, a local group that holds weekly silent vigils
against war and violence. She was a war tax resister, refusing to pay the portion of her taxes
that would go to support the military industrial
complex and instead donating money to charitable
causes. In one recent action, she fasted on the
steps of the state capitol building to protest
budget cuts to health coverage for people with
disabilities. Peg was an active member of Eugene
Friends Meeting, her spiritual home for over 25
years.
An exuberant, determined, vibrant, and fearless
woman, Peg will be greatly missed by her family
and her extensive network of friends.
The family suggests donations in Peg's honor may
be made to Eugene Friends Meeting, 2274 Onyx
Street, Eugene, OR 97403 or to the Latin America Solidarity Committee, 458 Blair Blvd, Eugene,
OR 97402. Other ways to honor Peg's memory
include: 1) Live more simply. Buy less, and give
away unwanted possessions to those in need;
2) Take time to absorb the beauty of the natural world, and take action to protect the environment; 3) Speak out in support of people
who are marginalized or oppressed; 4) Reach
out in friendship to someone who is different
from you in race, culture, language, ability, or
gender orientation; 5) Sit in silence, listening
to the still, small voice within you.
WHAT IS THAT STOMACH ACHE
ALL ABOUT?
Donna Cash
The stomach starts the digestive process by
churning food and breaking down food through
enzymes and acid. Abnormal function of the
stomach includes: gastritis; peptic ulcers;
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and
gastroparesis.
Diagnostic testing for stomach disorders may include:
endoscopy, visually examining the stomach by introducing a small scope through the mouth; blood tests
to determine if there is anemia, bacteria, or endocrine disorders such as thyroid or diabetes. For gastroparesis testing may include gastric emptying studies, manometry to measure gastric contractions or an
electrogastrogram measuring electrical activity of
the muscles of the stomach.
Gastritis can be caused by excessive alcohol
intake, chronic vomiting, certain medications
such as aspirin and anti-inflammatory drugs;
and it can be triggered by certain foods. Other causes are: helicobacter pylori, a bacteria
that lives in the lining of the stomach; pernicious anemia, inability to absorb B12; bile reflux, leaking of bile into the stomach; some
infections and autoimmune diseases. Symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, bloating, loss
of appetite, feeling of fullness, hiccups, indigestion, tarry or bloody stools. If chronic or
left untreated gastritis can culminate in peptic ulcers, a painful erosion of the lining of
the stomach.
Treatments involve the use of medications to reduce
acid production: antacids (alka seltzer, maalox,
mylanta, etc) This provides relief and promotes healing; H2 prohibitors (zantac, tagamet or pepcid) and
proton pump inhibitors (prilosec, prevacid or protonix)
reduce acid production. For GERD or gastroparesis,
protokinetic drugs may be prescribed to enhance
movement of food through the stomach and strengthen muscles of the stomach and sphincter (reglan,
urecholine, etc). While many of the treatments are
over the counter and easily accessible, chronic or
worsening symptoms should prompt an evaluation.
Gastritis left untreated can result in ulcers and in
some severe cases cancer. GERD can cause permanent scarring of the esophagus and lung problems.
Gastroparesis that worsens can result in dehydration,
malnutrition and blockage.
GERD is caused when the gastric contents
“leak” into the esophagus (a tube from the
mouth to the stomach) due to a weak sphincter muscle between the stomach and the
esophagus. Here are some of the known causes: smoking, obesity, alcohol use, and certain
food triggers. Symptoms are “heartburn”,
burning sensation in the upper chest, acid indigestion, acid reflux into the mouth, possible
morning hoarseness and coughing (when acid
leaks from the esophagus into the bronchus or
lungs).
Gastroparesis occurs when the stomach takes
too long to empty contents. It often occurs in
people with diabetes but can also occur with
stroke; post viral syndromes; use of pain medications such as narcotics; parkinsons and thyroid disorders. Symptoms are: heartburn,
nausea, vomiting undigested food, feeling of
fullness, loss of appetite, weight loss and
bloating.
What you can do

Monitor for possible food triggers or irritants
such as chocolate, alcohol, coffee or tea, carbonated beverages, tomatoes, mint or peppermint,
fatty foods, onions and garlic or spicy foods.

Eliminate alcohol and smoking

Weight loss

Loose clothing that does not restrict the stomach

Monitor for possible medication causes such as
NSAIDS, aspirin

Reduce stress through meditation, exercise, or
other forms of relaxation

If you have reflux or heartburn avoid eating two
to three hours before sleeping and raise
the
head of the bed

Consider eating smaller amounts frequently
CHURCH WOMEN UNITED
Katharine EE Hunt
130 Hansen Lane
Eugene, OR 97404
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAID
EUGENE, OR
PERMIT #356
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
UPCOMING EVENTS
January 25-27, Francis' Year of Mercy Retreat at St. Jude. Call Sandy Swanson at 541-726-3997 for more information and check January Vine.
January 28th, 7-9pm, Unitarian Universalist church, 1685 W 13th . A forum discussing “Violence with
guns” that will touch on our tragedies from violence with guns and will unfold the struggles as a community to address the human pain and the dilemma in governance for possible solutions. The panelists are
Oregon State Senator Floyd Prozanski, County Commissioner Pete Sorensen, Eugene Mayor Kitty
Piercy, Rabbi Jonathan Seidel. For more Info, contact Diane Conrad at [email protected] or (541) 9426113.
February 11, EWEB building, 5:30 light meal, 6:00 program. NAACP Community Conversations, Oregon’s Cracked Foundations-Our History of Racial Exclusion.
Special National Church Women United 75th Anniversary Calendar
National CWU has produces a wonderful (and historical) 2016 wall calendar. You may order one by
sending a check made out to Church Women United for $14.95 to CWU, 475 Riverside Dr. Suite 243,
New York, NY 10115. For more information please contact Katharine Hunt, NW Regional Coordinator,
541-607-0106 or [email protected].