P age A 4
M ay 22, 1996 • T he P ori land O bserver
More Accidents Raise Oregon Auto Insurance Costs
"The auto insurance industry in
Oregon is beginning to see increases
in the number o f auto accident claims
and these increases are beginning to
drive up the cost o f auto insurance,”
warns Marianne Macina, CPCU, re­
gional manager for the Western In­
surance Information Serv ice (WIIS).
“Auto insurance consumers in Ore­
gon have enjoyed relatively stable
premiums over the last five years
with the combined average auto in­
surance premium dropping well be­
low the national average in 1994 to
$633.57. Oregon ranked 30th when
compared with the cost o f auto insur­
ance in other states.”
According to the National Asso­
ciation o f Insurance Commission­
ers' (NAIC) annual report on auto
insurance comparisons, there were
29 states with higher premiums in-
eluding Washington state ranking
2 1 st with a combined average premi­
um o f $727.27,and California with
the eight highest combined average
premium o f $887.33. Oregon, as it
has for the past five years, remained
below the national average o f
$741.63.
"The trend of decreasing auto ac­
cidents has ended,” says Macina.
"Some insurance companies have
already found the need to increase
rates because the cost o f auto insur-
ance-the expense o f mending peo­
ple and repairing cars -- has been on
the rise since 1994 due to increasing
numbers o f auto accidents in Ore­
gon.”
Driver’s attitudes play a major
role in accident prevention. Driver's
who pay attention, are courteous to
other drivers, drive defensively, fol-
low the rules o f the road (especially
keeping proper distance from the car
in front o f them) and maintain their
vehicles are less likely to be involved
in an accident Insurance Industry
claims statistics show that the num­
ber one cause o f accidents remains
inattentive drivers-drivers that are
doing something else while they are
behind the wheel.
Traffic conditions also contribute
to accidents. Drivers need to be
more cautious at night, in fog, and
while driving during bad weather
cond it ions such as rain, ice and snow
Drivers also need to take extra
precautions when there is road con­
struction or deterioration such as
major pot holes.
The proportion o f urban drivers
also plays a big role in requiring
heightened traffic safety practices.
"T hat’s one o f the major contribu­
tors to accidents inour largercities in
Oregon,” says Macina "W e simply
have more cars on already congested
highways and streets. Drivers need
to practice defensive driving, have
more patience and learn to be more
courteous on overcrowded roads.”
Law enforcement also play s a sig­
nificant factor to deter accidents, says
Macina We are seeing some suc­
cessful new programs that are begin­
ning to help such as increased law
enforcement, lower speed limits on
some highways, photo radar and anti­
running red light programs.
According to the Insurance Insti­
tute For Highway Safety (IIHS),
speed influences crashes in four ba­
sic ways:
I .) It increase the distance a vehi­
cle travels from when a driver detects
Census Bureau Breakthrough
The Commerce Department’s
Census Bureau has launched The
American Community Survey, and
one o f the first places to be sur­
veyed is Multnomah County, Ore.
The Survey will provide, for the
first time, yearly population and
housing information on the coun­
ty’s communities to better plan ser­
vices for Multnomah residents. In­
formation on subjects such as em­
ployment and education will be
collected monthly through Decem­
ber 1996
Census Bureau director, Martha
Farnsworth Riche, said, "When res­
idents o f Multnomah County fill
out the survey form, they will help
keep important information on the
county current Data from the sur­
vey will be used by community lead­
ers and by local officials to plan
better programs for everyone from
newborns to the elderly. The survey
will help decision m akers build
schools, highways and hospitals in
the right places at the right time.
Decisions concerning child care,
health care, job training and more
will be based on the results o f the
survey. Additionally, the data will
provide valuable information to new
and current businesses that want to
locate or expand in your area.”
The survey is being mailed to a
random sample o f Multnomah Coun­
ty residents each month. Census field
representatives began contacting
households that did not return the
survey form in early February to ask
that the forms be completed and
sent in. The Census Bureau requests
that every household that receives a
questionnaire promptly fill it out
and return it.
“The sooner people return forms,
the sooner the county can get on
w ith the task o f planning how best
to serve M ultnomah’s residents.
Moreover, quick and accurate an­
swers by respondent’s save taxpay­
er dollars by avoiding costly fol­
low-up procedures to complete the
form,” said Dr. Riche.
The American Community Sur­
vey also is being conducted in Fulton
County, Penn., Rockland County,
N . Y ., and Brevard County, Fla. Start­
ing in I 999, the Census Bureau plans
to expand the survey nationwide.
Family Tics” I lonors Grandparents
The Urban League Healthy Grand­
parents Program is hosting a “Family
Ties” testimonial dinner honoring
grandparents and other kin who have
had a role in raising their grandchil­
dren. The dinner will be held on
Friday, May 24 at 7 pm at the Best
Western Rose Garden Hotel at 10
North Weilder. Tickets can be pur­
chased at the door or by call i ng (503)
248-5470.
The goal of the event is to bring
together grandparents and people
whose lives have been impacted by
their grandparents. The program will
include personal testimonies by peo­
ple who have been helped by their
g ra n d p a re n ts, in c lu d in g U rban
I-eaguc of Portland President Law­
rence J. Dark. There will be a full
buffet, door prizes, and entertain­
ment by local gospel choirs and vo­
calists who will perform songs about
family ties. Awards will be presented
to outstanding grandparents volun­
teers. A Portland Trial Blazer has
been invited to serve as Master of
Ceremonies.
The Urban League introduced the
Healthy Grandparents Program in
1992. The program is based at the
Northeast Multicultural Senior Cen­
ter. Its formation was a response to a
1991 survey of 32 parenting grand­
parents in North and Northeast Port­
land which found that 89% were rais­
ing grandchildren in a home without
biologic parents.
Drug and alcohol problems, in­
carceration and abandonment were
among the chief reasons for parental
absence. The Healthy Grandparent
Program provides peer support, edu­
cation and advocacy for parenting
grandparents and relative care pro­
viders.
“We hope this dinner will remind
our community about the important
contributions grandparents arc mak­
ing and the great responsibility many
of them have taken on in raising
another generation,” said Urban
League President Lawrence J. Dark
The Urban League of Portland isa
non-profit, community-based human
service, economic and social justice
agency serving youth and families,
students, job seekers, and seniors in
the metro area.
For information on the program,
please contact Addie Brown or Anita
W illiams at (503) 248-5470.
an emergency until the driver reacts
2. ) It increases the distance need­
ed to stop a vehicle once an emergen­
cy is perceived
3. ) Crash severity increases by the
square o f the speed so that, when
speed increases from 40 to 60 MPH,
speed goes up 50 percent while the
energy released in a crash more the
doubles.
4. ) The odds o f dying or being
seriously injured in a car crash dou­
ble for every 10 MPH a driver speeds
over 50 MPH. In addition, the ability
o f seat belts, airbags and child safety
seats to protect occupants in a crash
decreases as the rate o f speed in­
creases.
"W e now have positive results
right here in Oregon showing what
lower speed limits on some treacher­
ous stretches o f highway can do,”
says Macina. "It wasn’t popular, but
the reduction and enforcement o f the
speed limit in the l-5/Terwilliger
Curves to 50 MPH has dramatically
reduced the number o f accidents,
preventing injuries and property dam­
age.”
Portland Police Bureau statistics
show that accident cal Is in the Curves
dropped from 48 in November of
1995 to 7 in March o f 1996.
Nationally, an October 2 \ 1995,
National Safety Council Report indi­
cates that the number o f highway
fatalities rose in 1994 and 1993.
According to the National High­
way Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), motor vehicle injuries, in
particular, are the leading causeofall
injury deaths and the leading cause
of death for each age from 6 through
28.
Apartment Complex Controversy
Continued from Metro
▲
said he was concerned that the ga­
rage might become “a trap” for resi­
dents from muggers lurking there.
Commenting on Stastny’s strategy
he said, “I wouldn’t depend on your
tenants being your eyes and ears for
this structure. There’s a great unwill­
ingness o f people to get involved.”
Eugene Gora, owner of a welding
shop to the south o f the project, said
there is already too much traffic and
parking congestion in the area. Edna
Robertson, former director o f the
Northeast Neighborhood Office, and
a resident o f Northeast Grand Ave­
nue, had similar concerns, saying she
feared the project would become
“another Piedmont Plaza." Both lat­
er said that they would rather see
businesses on the site.
Another Grand resident, Tauheed
S a d ru d d in , q u e stio n e d p u ttin g
ground floor apartments next to King
Boulevard’s heavy traffic.
“ If people move in just to have a
place to stay, you know what kind o f
people will be there,” he said. "I
don’t question the need for housing.
but you shouldn't be so desirous to
create housing that you create prob­
lems.”
His neighbor, Besita Burnette,
added, “Does what we say make any
difference?”
Project planners said that the land’s
zoning would have allowed six-story
buildings instead o f three, 90 units
instead o f 55 and .5 parking spaces
per unit instead o f 1.5. ChannaGrace
o f the ONE Company o f Los Ange­
les, a partner in the project, said,
“W e’ve really tried to respond to
your concerns.”
Jaki Walker, NECDC executive
d ire c to r,
said
co n c e rn e d
residentscould sign up for commit­
tees dealing with tenant selection cri­
teria, parking and traffic issues, and
design.
Stastny said that traffic noise could
be dealt with through use o f proper
wall and window materials, and oth­
er design issues are subject to further
discussion. He later added that
NECDC will apply for city design
review, the only public review pro­
cess they must go through, within a
month.
Stephen Foust o f the King Neigh­
borhood Association said that the
Albina Community Plan o f 1993 al­
lowed high density housing on MLK
as an alternative to placing it in the
residential area to the east. If such
plans had gone through, he said,
“These people who are complaining
wouldn’t even be there any longer.”
It will take city assistance to deal
with traffic and transportation issues,
he said, and “to keep bringing that up
is like a little kid saying, ‘I want
dessert’ all through dinner.”
However, Foust was upset about
the decision to move the commercial
space to Prescott, and rent to either
retailers or “community” uses. This,
he said, violated an agreement that
the King Association made with busi­
ness advocates to keep ground floor
retail on MLK. Because o f this, he
said, “The King Association can no
longer support this project.”
It did have some supporters. Neigh­
bor Margie Johnson said shethought
the Prescott traffic problems were ex­
aggerated, and told critics, “I’ll be
impacted too, but some kind of devel­
opment there is a fact o f life.”
Y o ur T icket O ut
City Seeks Advisory
Committee Applicants
The City o f Portland invites indi­
viduals living, working or owning
property or businesses in the inner
southeast area to participate in a Cit­
izen Advisory Committee for the In­
ner Southeast Community Plan The
Inner Southeast Plan area is approx­
imately defined by the Willamette
River to the east, 1-84 tothe north, the
City of Portland boundary to the south
and SE 76th Street to the west. The
CAC will advise Inner Southeast
Planning team on issues important to
the community and help to develop
policies and a strategic framework
that will manage growth and change
in the inner southeast neighborhoods.
The ISCP is scheduled for adoption
by City Council late in 1998
Individuals who have expertise in
an array o f community interests which
will balance the diverse geographic,
economic, and social issues o f the
entire plan area are being sought to
participate in the CAC. The CAC
will consist o f 15 to 2 1 members who
will be appointed by Commissioner
Charlie Hales.
For application forms and CAC
description, interested individuals are
encouraged to contact the City o f
Portland, Bureau o f Planning at 823-
7700.
Application forms may be picked
up at the City o f Portland at II20S W
5th, Room 1002, or at Southeast
Uplift, 3534 SE Main, between 8
a m . and 5 p in. All applications must
be received no later than Monday,
June 10.
G e t T he P ass
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M A R C H O F L IV IN G
Despite the recent attacks on Is­
raeli civilians, three Portland area
teens, Sirota Hoffman, Seth Pollock
and Neil Simon decided to proceed
with their trip to Isreal on the 1996
March o f the Living program
The March o f Living, a once in a
lifetime experience, is an interna­
tional program that brings together
5000 youth from all over the world to
P oland to co m m e m o ra te Yorn
Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance
Day.) The youth retrace the infa­
mous “March o f Death” that count­
less individuals were forced to travel
from Auschwitz to the gas chambers
at Birkenau during the Nazi occupa-
tion.
After a week of touring Poland, the
youth will tly to Israel to celebrate
Yorn I la' atzmut (Israel Independence
Day) asJcrusalem celebrates its 3000th
birthday. Prime Minister Peres will
make a guest appearance
The March o f the Living program
is designed for teens to experience
Jewish history first hand
“ I have mixed emotions about go­
ing," said Neil Simon, March o f the
Living participant, before departing
Portland, “ I’m nervous about the
bombings, but I know that this will be
an experience that I will remember
for the rest o f my life".
(18 years and under only)
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