J -
$5 OFF
Dr. Marten Shoes
w/coupon
LAZAR S BAZAR
57 W Broadway
957 WiiTamette
Downtown Mall
STRESSED OUT STUDENTS
COME USE US
(even when you’re healthy)
WE RE HERE TO SERVE YOU
YOUR Student Health Center
ext. 4441
BACK & NECK
PROBLEMS?
•Sports Injuries • Stress Reduction
•Chronic Postural Problems
South Eugene
Chiropractic Center
Dr. Prank F. Mu hr
396 K. 18th St.
683-9070 v/ukl
Siudcnl Rales • Near t'anipus
Poverty rates soar for children
□Census figures
show 16 percent of all
Lane County children
live in poverty
By Tim Neff
Emerald Assooale Editor
Children arc replacing senior
citizens as one of the most-im
poverished groups both nation
wide and locally, according to
1900 census figures
Nationwide, 18 percent of all
children under the age of 18
ranked below the poverty level
in 1989 a 12 percent jump
from 1979 In Lane County. 16
percent of all children fell be
low the poverty threshold in
1989. Thai is up from 13 3 per
cent in 1979
Al the same time, the number
of impoverished senior citizens
shrank In Lane County, 24 per
cent of all people over 85 lived
in poverty in I960. The number
has steadily dropimd from 115
percent in 1979 lo 9 |>ercenl In
1989.
The n uni tiers seem to con Un
did the trend toward an older
population.
The census indicates that al
though seniors are grabbing a
larger chunk of the population
pie. fewer am impoverished.
Meanwhile, there arts more pov
erty-slrickcn children in thn
gradually shrinking under-1H
age group
Ghris Eaton. assistant planner
for thn Lane Council of Govern
ments, said seniors have suc
cessfully fought for political
changes that have Improved
their standard of iiving.
"The senior citizen lobbies
have been successful," Eaton
said, "and they are u growing
voting population. Also, thero
urc programs like Medicaid and
Medicare that huve helped the
senior poverty rate."
Eaton suid the Increasing
number of impoverished chil
dren may be the result of de
creased federal funding for gov
ernment child relief agencies
during Ihe 19H0s
In addition, requests for help
have overwhelmed both feder
ally funded agencies and pri
vate, non-profit support organi
zations, such as the Relief
Nursery in Eugene.
Relief Nursery executive di
rector Jean Phelps said tho
compounded nature of most
family problems makes her or
ganization's job very difficult
Poverty Is usually intertwined
with a number of other issues,
such us child abuse, unemploy
ment, mental health and drug
and alcohol abuse.
"What we see are people that
have many problems that have
gone unaddressed," Phelps
said "if pnople have one prob
lem. thov generally have many
We've never had the resources
necessary to Impact the prob
lem the way we need to."
Phelps said demands on so
cial service agencies have
grown in recent years to the
point where today, the Relief
Nursery has more than 200
people on its waiting list.
"We've been getting about a
dozen calls a week at the Nurs
ery from appropriate referrals,"
Phelps said.
Poverty usually increases the
workload for the Relief Nurs
ery. which is primarily a child
abuse prevention program.
"It's very difficult to parent
when you’re living in poverty
without adequate resources,"
Phelps said
The 1900 census data shows
that in 1989 there were 10,387
children under the poverty
threshold in Lane County — 20
percent of all people living in
poverty.
Nationally, the average pov
erty rate for a household of four
was SI2,674 in 1989.
Food expenses, household
size, number of children and
annual income are used to de
termine if a household is below
the poverty line.
MEASURE
Continued from Page 12D
which sponsored the measure,
lias not been at lively involved
in pushing it forward.
"They're taking a hands-off
approach," Merchant said.
"They have boon honest about
the fact that they are doing so
because they don’t want any
negative publicity while they
work to pass Measure 9.”
Measure 9, also sponsored by
the (X:a, will ask Oregon vot
ers to decide whether they
want to amend the Oregon con
stitution to label homosexuality
Whether you’re back from summer vacation or just starting
at the U of O, give EWEB a call so we can transfer your water and
electric service to your name if it is not already included in your
rent.
We ll come and read your meter. That way you’ll only be
billed for the services you use.
So call EWEB today. It will give us a chance to transfer your
service and say, "Welcome!”
484-6016
EWEB
Eugene Water & Electric Board
500 Eaat Fourth Avonuo
Office Hours: 8 am until 5 pm
Monday through Friday
as a "perversion."
Hubert Deu Proe. chief of the
Springfield Police Department,
said the charter amendment has
taken buck seat to the state
measure.
“Considering the ballot meas
ure coming up for election, the
whole issue is somewhat low
key." Deu Free said. “Wo have
had nothing noteworthy from
either the OCA or the anti
20-08 group.”
Other Springfield officials
said thu city has not recently
had even a ripple of harassment
concerning 20-08.
Library director Arlo Giles
said there haven't been prob
lems with banning books since
the library accepted Untidy‘a
Roommate, a book depicting a
homosexual couple raising a
child.
"Once Ihe initial furor sub
sided, we have had very littlo
talk up to this point on banning
books,” Oiles said.
Deu Free said there have
been no crime-related incidents
concerning the measure aside
from verbal harassment com
plaints, which cannot bo prose
cuted under the law.
Springfield city attorney Tim
Harold said nothing has hap
pened as far as challenging the
measure legally. Banning the
bonks could have raisod a legal
question, but since the library
accepted the donated book, the
issue has not iroen challenged.
Sty£e\
Featuring:
contemporary cutting • styling
color weaves • manicuring
perms • euopean toaots
make-up • body waxing
plus a ful line of beauty products
ANGLES
539 E. 11th Ave. • Eugene • 343-1637
FREE Forking 11th & Patteison - between town & campus
| As an introduction to Angles, bring this ad and receive
~ “ Any Product
or Service
\d vji i H i iu n,i ryrcj, l/hi
$2 OFF
A I ■— £ 539 E. Ilth Av# Eugene I
L .—J
(J5 00 nvrmvkgn pt#c r^M)
fln»cat«rtp«pMonp(Mii
T
I
I
I