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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1999)
Page A5 October 13, 1999 (E^e ÿlox tlanò ©baeruer Oregon Vital Statistics 1997 Annual Report PORTLAND- “Oregon Vital >- Statistics Volume 1 1997” and "Or egon County Data Book 1997,” have been released, according to public health officials at the De partment o f Human Services. Research analysts at the O r egon Health Division found posi tive changes, but work is still needed in some areas. Findings from “Oregon Vital Statistics Vol ume 1,1997,” which contains birth, teen pregnancy and abortion data, include: •In 1997, O regon recorded 43,765 births. The birth rate to Oregon women 15 to 44 years old was 63.0 per 1,000 females, a slight decrease o f 0.3 percent from 1996. •Eighty-one percent o f Oregon mothers received early prenatal care in 1997, an improvement over the 1996 rate o f 80 percent. Early prenatal care is associated with improved infant health. Oregon’s year 2000 benchmark goal is for 90 percent ofpregnant women to be gin prenatal care early, in the first trimester. •Just over six percent o f Oregon women who gave birth in 1997 were uninsured, an increase from 1996. The Oregon Health Plan ex panded eligibility in 1998, so this may decrease in the future. The percentage o f women who smoked while pregnant declined to 16 percent in 1997, from 18 per cent in 1996. However, O regon’s rate remains 23 percent higher than the national rate. Women who smoke w hile pregnant have a h ig h er risk o f having a low birthweight baby. •The pregnancy rate among teens age 10 to 17 years decreased 3.7 percent to 18.1 per 1,000 teen females. Oregon’s benchmark goal is 15 pregnancies per 1,000 teen females by the year 2000. For the first time since 1974, the proportion o f births to unm ar ried women declined from the pre vious year (from 30 percent in 1996 to29percent in 1997). The "O regon C ounty Data Book 1997” contains both birth and death data by county. Some findings: In 1997 a death occurred every 18 minutes in the state, for a total o f 28.750 deaths. This is a death rate of 8.9 per 1,000 population. During the past several de cades, the heart disease death rate has fallen and the cancer death rate has risen. In 1997, among counties with at least 50 resident deaths, cancer was the leading cause o f death in four counties. Baker, Grant, Lake, and Lane. A record 816 Oregonians died from diabetes in 1997. Diabetes- caused deaths have risen every year during the past decade, and diabetes is now the seventh lead ing cause o f death in Oregon. Ninety-three Oregonians died from AIDS in 1997. This was 130 fewer than the year before and the lowest num ber since 1988. M ore than o n e-h alf (56 percent of d e c e d e n ts ) liv e d in M ultnomah County. M ultnomah C ounty contains only 20 percent o f the sta te ’s population, but 40 percent o f all h o m ic id e v ic tim s w e re M ultnom ah C ounty residents. T h e re w ere 53 m u rd e rs in M ultnomah County; the state wide total was 131. O regon’s ho micide rate has declined annually since 1994. For the first time since 1989, O regon’s infant death rate in creased (5.8 per 1,000 live births), but this increase was statistically insignificant. Complete copies o f both reports may be obtained from the Health D ivision's Center for Health Sta tistics at 503-731 -4354. They may also be accessed, along with other h e a lth d ata, on the In te rn e t through the Health Division’s web page at http ://w w w .o sh d .o rg / cdpe/chs/statinfo.htm C o lle g e T u itio n S lo w s Its C lim b Rise is Less Than 5 Percent; Average In-State Tuition $3,356 For Public University Good news for folks with col lege-age kids: Tuition and fees nationwide rose less than 5 per cent for the current school year, the sm allest increase in four years, according to a study re leased today by The C ollege Board. Students and their families can thank a thriving economy, brim ming state coffers, a vigorous stock market boosting endow ments and efforts by schools to rein in costs, experts said. They also cautioned it may not last. " I t ’s a zigzag phenom enon," said Jane W ellman, a fiscal and policy analyst at the nonprofit Institute for Higher Education Policy in W ashington. "T im es are good. State bud gets are better than they’ve been in over a d ecad e," she said, add ing that higher education fares well in good times. But she warned, "W hen times are bad, it’s the first thing to get c u t." The encouraging news was tem pered by a second board study: There was a record $64 billion in financial aid last year - most o f it in the form o f student loans. And with inflation running at less than 2 percent in recent years, college costs still seem steep, said Patrick C allan, who runs the National Center for Pub lic Policy and Higher Education in San Jose, Calif. C allan warned that many stu dents are getting deeper into debt: " T h e fact that everybody needs to go to college to get a m iddle-class job ... The fact that you have to borrow more than you used to, this is a problem ." C a lla n ’s c o n c e rn w as r e flected in the second survey, which found that loans, scholar The College B oard’s first sur ships and grants for 1998-99 added up to $64 billion - 85 per vey found the average under cent more than a decade ago, graduate at a four-year public school in their home state pays after figuring for inflation. In all, 58 percent o f the aid $3,356,or $109more forthe 1999- came from loans, up from 40 per- 2000 school year than last year - a 3.4 percent increase. centin 1980-81. The p rice hike w as m uch It’s all worth it, College Board higher at a four-year p rivate President Gaston C aperton said school. The av erag e stu d en t Monday in an interview from there paid $ 15,380, or $671 more W ashington. He said a four-year this school year than last, a 4.6 college degree doubles the earn percent rise. ings o f a high school graduate. C o sts o f tw o -y e a r p u b lic " T h e a v e ra g e is a ro u n d $30,000 a year vs. $60,000 a year,” schools were $ 1,627, or $73 more, he said. The $30,000 difference a 4.7 percent increase; and at pri over a 40-year career equals $1.2 vate two-year schools $7,182, fora rise of $242, or 3.5 percent. million. T Advertise In " T h a t’s the value o f a college e d u c a tio n ," said C aperton, a <T lie form er West V irginia governor. •| J o r 11 a it h And even if it requires loans, he said, " I don’t know anyw here in (0 U ser tier the world where you can make an investm ent and make that kind of Call 503-288-0033 return." OR You can reach ns on the web! http://www. poitlantlobscrvcr.net Recycling increases, but so does amount of trash P o rtla n d -O re g o n ia n s are re cycling more paper, bottles and plastics - but th e y ’re also m ak ing more trash. New data from the Oregon D epartm ent o f E nvi ronm ental Q uality show that - for the seventh consecutive year - P ortland-area residents led the state for the am ount o f m aterial recycled or burned for energy. G arbage haulers and recycling c o m p a n ie s in C la c k a m a s , M u ltn o m ah and W ash in g to n counties reported a 43 percent recycling rate in 1998. That com pares with an aver Students paying out-of-state or out-of-district charges did better. On average, the survey found, they paid $8,706 at four-year schools, $235 or 3 percent more. At two- year schools the average increase was a tiny 2 percent rise, or $89, to $4,818. Similar increases were seen in the costs o f living on-campus. Stu dents at four-year private colleges this year are paying an average of $5,959, a $205 increase, or 3 .6 per cent over last year. At a four-year public school, room and board this year averages $4,730, or $208 more, a 4.6 percent rise. At a private, two-year college it averages $4,583, a $210 hike, or 4.8 percent more than last year. The College Board, probably best known for administering the SAT college entrance exams, is a membership organization o f high schools, colleges and universities that promotes higher education. Caperton stressed that Ameri cans need college degrees for the better paying, high-skill jobs of fered in technology and the global economy. But fears of the high cost o f school keep many away, he said. " E d u c a tio n is ex p e n siv e ,” Caperton said, "b u t it’s not nearly as expensive as not getting an edu cation.” ****Breast Implant**** Fully Accredited Surgical Facilities Lipo Suction, Face Lifts, Nose, Tummy Tucks. No Money Down, No Credit Needed, Easy Monthly Payments! Call Now, Limited Appointments Available 1212-714-7745 age 37-point-3 percent recycling rate for the state. But O rego nians generated an average o f 7- point-2 pounds o f garbage per person per day last year, the D- E-Q reported. T hat’s an increase from 7 pounds in 1997 and 5- p o in t-7 p o u n d s in 1992. aby boomers’ children, crowd classrooms P o rtla n d -There is a new gen eration o f baby boom ers— the ch ildren o f baby boom ers. T he n e w e st g e n e ra tio n is crow ding into P o rtla n d ’s c la ss room s w ith num bers nearly as great as th eir p a re n ts ’ g enera tion. The num ber o f students in U- S schools in 1998 was 48 million, sec o n d o n ly to the o rig in a l boom ers’ 49 m illion in 1970. But the present dem ographic bulge will eventually grow larger than th eir parents group. Im m i gration will expand the numbers by m illions over the next two decades. O regon is feeling the b u lg e m o s tly in s u b u rb a n schools, w here few schools are keeping up w ith the new wave o f tots. N inety-six percent o f the s ta te ’s schools are in need o f repair. 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Help shape our transportation future ^ 3 u r i n g the past five years, residents have joined with local governments from across the region to identify how we can best meet our future transportation needs. N ow it’s time to take a final look at the Regional Transportation Plan - our 20-year blueprint for the region’s transportation system - before it is finally adopted. Regional elected officials are seeking com ments on the plan’s recommended m otor vehicle, transit, pedestrian, bicycle and freight projects, and on ways to finance these long term needs. In addition, state and regional decision makers need your input about transportation projects on the state system proposed for priority funding with part of the recently passed increase in the gas tax and vehicle registration fees. Metro Regional Services Creating livable communities Oregon Department of transportation Public comment meetings Come to one of the following meetings to learn more and to comment: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20 Conestoga Middle School 12250 SW Conestoga Drive Beaverton 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21 Gresham City Hall 1333 NW Eastman Parkway Gresham 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26 M etro Regional Center 600 NE Grand Ave. Portland i. 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28 M onarch Hotel 12566 SE 93rd Ave. Clackamas For more inform ation, call M etro’s transportation hotline, (503) 797-1900, option 2, or visit www.m etro-region.org. For ODOT, call 731-8245 or visit www.odot.state.or.us/stip/ turn mnuf bushkss huith t n ÄJSSt « All Your Protection Under One Roof. American Family Mutual Insurance Company and its Subsidiaries. Madison. Wl 53783-0001 wwwamfam com