rv » \s October 7, 1992...The Portland Observer...Page 3 Children First Releases Report Card On Status Of Children, Overall Grade Is C- C hildren F irst fo r Oregon, the state’ s ch ild advocacy organization, released its first annual Report Card on the Status o f Oregon’ s Children today. The overall grade was a C-. The group rated five broad catego­ ries and a total o f fourteen specific ch ild status indicators. The categories and grades were: • Safety C (child abuse, violent crim e) • Investing In Families D (child poverty, child support, health uninsured) • Early Childhood C + (child care, infant mortality, low birthweight) • Teen Years D (teen pregnancy/birth, drug/al- cohol/tobacco use, arrests/in- carceration, and suicide h om i­ cide) • Education C (school drop-out, acadcm ic per­ formance) Carol Metzler, Children First Presi­ dent from Eugene, stated, “ This Report Card sounds an alarm that should m o ti­ vate each o f us to action. Whether the issue is ch ild poverty, ch ild care, child abuse, or teen births we arc not valuing our children. Oregon’ s economic, so­ cial and political future depends on the well-being o f our children and fa m i­ lies.” M etzler added, “ Thousands o f Re­ port Cards w ill be distributed across the state to increase public awareness and galvanize citizen action. Prior to the November election, it w ill include a postcard aimed at candidates fo r public office. It asks the candidate to m ail back a copy o f their children’s plat­ form . As voters, we need to know what a candidate w ill do, i f elected, to im ­ p ro v e the status o f O re g o n ’ s children.’’She continued, “ The Report Card w ill be a focal point for N o\ ember regional meetings where citizens w ill help Children First develop an action agenda for the 1993 session o f the O r­ egon legislature.” Leticia Maldonado, a Children First Board member from Beaverton, stated, “ Action is needed on all levels ami the Oregon legislature is one part o f the solution. In the upcoming session, C h il­ dren First w ill focus on two thine s: (1)_ the need for a C hildren’s Impact State ment to evaluate the effect o f bud ret proposals and child-related legislation on children and fam ilies, and (2) the proposed state budget’ s impact on c h il­ dren. We w ill call on the legislature to embrace and implement this agenda to benefit all children and fam ilies ” The Report Card found that: C hild abuse occurs at an alarming rate in Oregon, w ith reports increasing by 41% since 1984. 15 o f all children live in poverty, an increase o f 27% since 1980. 45% o f children livin g in fam ilies headed by a single woman arc poor. The supply o f child care spaces falls dramatically short o f the need, creating a statewide supply gapol'86,( X X) spaces. In 1990 only 17% o f child support due children was actually collected, resulting in nearly $400,000,000 un­ paid. Teen birth rates continue to sky rocket, w ith an increase o f 33'. since 1985. I f current trends continue, one- quarter o f this year’ s 9th graders w ill drop-out before their class graduates in 1996. There were some positive signs, also. Rates o f infant m ortality and low birthw eight babies are coming down, and the some is true for drug alcohol and tobacco use. The Report Card found that major ethnic groups are disproportionately rep- re? nied in these figures fo r example: Although infant m ortality is decreas­ ing overall, the 1990 African-Am erican rate was 88% higher than fo r whites. Chi ldren o f color are twice as lik e ly to be growing up in poverty as are white children. The drop-out rate fo r Hispanic stu­ dents i s more than double that o f whites, meaning that 60% o f this year’s H is­ panic ‘>th graders w ill not graduate w ith their classmates. M etzler added, “ Government ac­ tion is only one part o f the answer. Children First affirm s the role o f the fam ily as the prim ary source o f support lo r children and is dedicated to strength­ ening the fam ily u n it-in a llo fils c u rre n t shapes and sizes.” She called on Oregonians to d i­ sease the time and e ffo rt they devote to children. Examples cited were encour­ aging a c h ild ’ s love fo r reading and academic success, volunteering at a neighborhood school, or attending pa­ renting class so that Oregon’ s children achieve in school and are prepared to succeed in life. Portland area businessman al Jubitz, ow nerofJubitzTruckStop,added,“ This Report Card challenges employers to exam how our companies are meet­ ing the needs o f workers who are par­ ents. We need workplaces that are more fa m ily-friendly. I f Oregon’s economic future is to grow and succeed a ll o f us must invest in children and strengthen lam ilics - now .” Copies o f the Report Card are avail­ able by calling Children First tool-free statewide at 800-544-0376 or w riting Children First for Oregon, P.O. Box '3519, Portland, Or. 97281. Zoo Boo Darkens The Night a little boy named Bobby, a T V /ju nk food junkie, who has stayed up too late eaten far too much junk food and ha watched way too much television. Train riders fo llo w Bobby’ s dreams as he flips from channel to channel, watch in horror movies, even more horrible T V commercials, and television favorites such as game shows and interviews by talk show hosts. But the train ride is only part o f the action. Zoo volunteers have organized activities fo r visitors waiting their turn on the train. Classic horror film s, Hal loween stories, (m is)fortunc tcllin g an < 1 learning “ W h a t’ s So Scary” about snakes, spiders, ow ls and other animai nobody likes w ill take place in the zo entrance area. Because the train ride is not recom - mended for children age five and under, little ones can also participate in Hal loween and animal games, make masks, and listen to librarians and story tellers read children’ s Halloween tales. Three videos which set the stage the event’ s story line w ill showcase some o f the newest innovations in tele- Portland beware! Ghosts, goblins and grotesque creatures w ill soon be haunting the West H ills. Come October 14, things that go bump in the night w ill begin scaring the w its out o f visitors to the Metro Washington Park Z oo’ s Bank o f Am erica ZooBoo. In addition to Bank o f Am erica and K IN K FM 102, ZooBoo is made pos­ sible by hundreds o f volunteers, many o f whom are members o f the Oregon Media Production Association. O M P A members and friends have joined to make ZooBoo the premiere Halloween event in the region. Bank o f Am erica ZooBoo features a frig h tfu l ride on the zoo’ s train, which travels along a perilous one-m ile route teeming w ith scary theater sets, unex­ pected special effects and monstrous actors te rrifying unsuspecting visitors. Z00 staff and volunteers, and profes­ sionals from Portland’ s theater, televi­ sion and m otion picture industries have joined together to create the event, titled “ Media Nightmare.” “ M e d ia N ig h tm a re ” re v o lv e s around the dreams (i.e. - nightmares) o f For Best Results Advertise in the Observer :r •w vy. S RENTAL H O U S IN G •x.\x.\ss9 S ì & 4 Bedroom Homes í tío Now Available in > North Í "$■ :: , 0? "5 XswXwS S jmava ? t r i ! & Northeast Portland «W W W « ■ »x yt AV X w v,wî $ Ï AV sxv N- s.-.-.-.-;..-.-:- 5 .w <• 5 VA V Neighborhoods •X-. J S XV Xv.s deteriorating tax bases, and the c o m fo rt­ Alexander likes to boast the U .S. spends even more significant than the d iffe r­ able suburban schools, which draw their a “ significant” amount o f its national ence in funding levels, is how these students from the m iddle and upper wealth on public school. Yet in reality, monies are allocated and the racial and classes? There’ s no question that race is for twelve years the Reagan-Bush ad­ class profile o f the students who are a major reason fo r these differences. m in istratio ns have waged w arfare being served. Less than one in four students who cur­ against the promise o f educational These forty seven large urban school rently attend large urban school districts equality. The c h ie f casualties in this systems are all located in cities w ith are white. The fo rty seven largest c ity assault against public schools are m i- * more than 250,000 people. These school schools only educate five percent o f the norities and the poor. systems have disproportionately large country’s white children. Perhaps this is First, let’s separate Bush’ s educa­ populations o f color, and many students the reason that Bush can ignore the fact tional polemics from actual programs. w ith special needs. These schools are * that less than 40 percent o f urban stu­ According to a recent report o f the responsible fo r only 13 percent o f the dents who now enter ju n io r year have Paris-based Organization for Economic nation’s total school enrollment, but passed basic algebra. I f one’s racial p o li­ Cooperation and Development, U.S. they have 32 percent o f all Latino c h il­ tics include W illie Horton and bashing spending for education lags behind the dren and 37 percent o f a ll A frican- affirm ative action, it is not surprising m ajority o f western industrial nations. Am erican students. They also have 25 that the Bush agenda is “ color b lind” to Out o f twenty industrial countries, the percent o f all children liv in g below the the educational difficulties o f the inner U.S. ranks o n ly T hirte en th in its federal government’ s poverty line, and city. pcrcapita public spending for educa­ 32 percent o f a ll students w ith lim ited Education is one o f the few bridges tion. smaller countries like the Nether­ English ability. Such schools must si­ which exists that can help to lead people lands, Norway, and Denmark invest far phon greater funds for health services, from poverty, homelessness and i l l i t ­ more in their schools than we do. C h il­ instruction in the English language, and eracy to the promise o f a better life. We dren in Japan attend school nearly sixty remedial educational programs than need to broaden that bridge w ith massive more days each year than their A m e ri­ suburban schools. Less money is left federal initiatives, which can improve can counterparts, and score much higher over fo r teachers’ salaries, textbooks, the quality o f ghetto schools, giving than American young people at a ll ages libraries, new equipment, and comput­ m illions o f Black, Latino, and Asian- in math and science. Japanese schools ers. american youth a better chance fo r op­ have a dropout rate o f only 10 percent, By contrast suburban schools not portunity and equality. compared to 27 percent in the U.S. only have more money to spend, but Dr. Manning Marable is Professor The deepest chasm o f educational they are able to allocate their resources o f Political Science and H istory at the inequality separates Am erica’s largest more generously on the tools which U n iv e rs ity o f C o lo ra d o -B o u n ld e r. urban school systems from the more make learning possible. They spend “ Along the C olorLine” appears in over privileged, e litist schools in the sub­ $506 per student more than large city 250 publications, and is broadcast by urbs. According to a recent study by the schools on classroom instruction, and more than 60 radio stations internation­ Council o f Great C ity Schools, the forty especially on books and reference works. ally. Creed Of The Black Press The Black Press believes that America can best lead the w orld away from racial and national antagonisms when it accords to every person, regardless o f race, color or creed, fu ll human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm b elief that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back. Don't forget to Register to VOTE! Dad's Oil Service McMurphy's Appliance Center heating oils Speedy Service Friendly Call for Quote I Best Cash Prices 104 NE Russell Portland, OR 97212 282-5111 Ulasher & Dryer s199°° Í...AW-Í i. Refrigerators From $ 129°° Wholesale to the Public 35% to 50% off 100% Human Hair 16" from $15.95 Ranges From LwT Open Mon. - Fri. 9:00am to 5:00pm We will meet or beat anyone’s prices. Saturday 10:00am to 2:00pm aü*’**'*' Sunday Closed Sales and Promotional items excluded. Iw.v.V 653-7088 Mrs. C’s Wigs and Beauty Supply PCRI management corporation Public Notice Wigs and Beauty Supplies S a v a w Î Key M ultnom ah C ounty indica­ tors o f the need for im proved preven­ tive health services are: A significant percentage o f M u lt­ nomah County children have rotten or disintegrating teeth, also referred to as dental caries. 95% are caries free at age 6 but by age 18, 82% o f children have caries in their permanent teeth. A large number o f children are riding unrestrained in autom obiles or are improperly restrained. O n ly 28% o f infants under one year old are properly restrained. A t present Oregon rates, one o f every twenty-six babies bom this year w ill be hospitalized or k ille d by age 18 due to automobile, m otorcycle, and bicycle-related injuries. 12 o f every 1000 Oregon children are affected by child abuse. The theme o f C hild Health W eek is “ For Kids Sake” and is intended to provide a focus fo r preventive health care services provided year round by the County Health Department. braiding and weaving > z x Iwwvwf J tecting children in the home. The Southeast Health Center w ill hold a C hildren’ s Health fa ir on Octo­ ber 7. A prim ary focus o f C hild Health Week w ill be to emphasize the need for im m unizing preschool children. Im m u­ nization rates are significantly lower in the U.S. than in most developed coun­ tries. According to the National Vac­ cine Advisory Committee, the U.S po­ lio imm unization rate ranked 15th in ­ ternationally and 49th when the U.S. nonwhite population immunization rate was compared w ith nations’ overall rates. In M ultnom ah County, Health Department data indicates that only 55% o f the C ounty’ s children under two years old have been immunized. Other indicators o f the state o f children’s health include injuries and death due to accidents, incidence o f poisonings, bums, and the noticeable increase in deaths due to house fires. Indicators w ould also include child abuse and communicable disease re­ ports. . a N-. . • £ In conjunction w ith the U.S. Con­ gress’ declaration o f C hild Health Day on October 5, The Multnomah County Board o f Commissioners w ill proclaim the week o f October 5-9 “ C hild Health Week.” The purpose o f this proclama­ tion, according to B illi Odegaard, D i­ rector o f the C ounty’ s Health Depart­ ment, “ is to raise public awareness o f the need for preventive health care and inform parents about specific things they can do to protect their children from injury, disease, and death.” In M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty , C h ild Health Week A ctivitie s w ill target par­ ents o f young children to promote im ­ munizations, w ell child exams, use o f child safety seats and seat belts, health screenings, nutrition, and home safety. Educational materials w ill be d istrib ­ uted and special events have been sched­ uled at M ultnom ah C ounty’ s prim ary care clinics to disseminate inform ation on these topics. The Northeast Health Center has scheduled a noontime pre­ sentation addressing safety and pro- ;. Clean, well maintained 2. J vision and m otion picture special ef­ fects. The videos, produced by mem­ b ers and associates o f O M P A , w ill fea­ ture sound and video effects such as C lay mation and morphing. M orphing is a new technique com bining a series o f i oinputer blended images, which when played at normal film speeds, simulates one im age tu rn in g in to a no the r. Portland’s own Tom Peterson w ill be featured in one o f the m orphing scenes. Bank o f America ZooBoo runs from ( k to b e r 14 to November 1. Gates open at 6p.m. and close at 9:45 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 10:45 p.m. F ri­ days and Saturdays. Tickets are $5 for adults age 12 to 64, and S3 fo r children age three to 11 and for seniors age 64 and over. Because the train ride is not recommended for children age five and under, tickets fo r the front entrance plaza activities o nly are $2 for adults and $1 for children and seniors. Tickets can be purchased in ad­ vance w ith an additional 50c fee at any G.I. Joe’ s Ticketmaster outlets and at the zoo beginn ing October 1. No Phone orders w ill be taken. Multnomah County Commissioners Proclaim Chilo Health Week toi I N6 MLK 288-3233 707 N.E. Fremont Portland, Oregon 97212 (503) 281-6525 Open: 11:30 - 6:00 Tues thru Saturday • V M Soles • B Service . • Parts afe» T M ft < r ife A i kJ" A .* ».