Albany Democrat-Herald from Albany, Oregon • 5

1 Oregon ALBANY (OR.) DEMOCRAT-HERALD. MONDAY, JAN. 26. 1998 A5 Adoption agencies having to recruit wining families In brief Deputy wounds man at hotel CLACKAMAS (AP) A 30-year-old man was hospitalized in fair condition after he was shot by a sheriff's deputy Sunday at a suburban Portland hotel. Alfredo Cruz-Garcia was shot once after pulling a gun from his waistband and pointing it at the deputy, Clackamas County sheriff's spokesman Damon Coates said.

The deputy had responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at the Monarch Hotel about 4:25 p.m. A hotel employee said she was having an ongoing problem her boyfriend, Cruz-Garcia. Cruz-Garcia had left by the time the deputy arrived, but returned while the deputy was taking a report from the woman. The deputy who fired the shot was not identified. SALEM (AP) The number of unwanted and neglected children is rising in Oregon, and adoption agencies are in the unfamiliar position of having to recruit families.

High medical costs that adoptive parents sometimes pay and the increasing use of fertility drugs are among the reasons given for the shortage of adoptive parents. "We almost ran out of families this year. We've never had to promote the program in the past," said Katey Mclntire, spokeswoman for PLAN Adoption Services in McMinnville. Her agency has seen a drop in the number of prospective adoptive parents, especially in the program that has them meet the birth mother. i As medical costs rise, adoptive parents become less able to pay for the medical care of the birth mom a common component of many adoption agreements.

There are also added costs of feeding and sheltering birth moms in crisis, plus agency fees of $1,500 or more, Mclntire said. Private attorneys can cost up to $4,000. And then there's cash on delivery: Up to $18,000. Next to that, fertility treatment, now more common and less expensive, looks reasonable. Susan Cox, spokeswoman for Holt International, which specializes in overseas adoptions, said "people who struggle with infertility have more options and that did have an effect on the number of families adopting in the last several years." Dr.

Richard Thome, a Salem fertility expert, estimated a cost of about $7,000 to $12,000 for in-vitro fertilization with the aid of an ovulation inducer. In Oregon, the number of foster children in the system long enough to be considered for permanent homes jumped from 470 in 1994 to 702 last year, according to the state office of Services to Children and Foster care experts say more children are being turned over to the state because of increased drug use among parents. At the same time, state and federal policies are now emphasizing placing foster children into permanent homes faster. PLAN is putting more effort into promoting its services. The agency advertises in parenting magazines and sponsors free adoption seminars around the state.

It also has begun recruiting parent hopefuls via the Internet. The federal government created a $5,000 tax credit last year for families who adopt. Some agencies offer international adoptions for parents of modest means because the cost is often lower. Mclntire said that's because overseas medical costs are frequently less. It is possible to adopt a child for $3,000 plus travel expenses.

ficials ordered Wattles to stop construction so they can investigate whether he violated environmental laws governing waterways. The federal Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 require permits for most waterway development. State laws also require permits to remove or add more than 50 cubic yards of material about five dump-truck loads anywhere below "bank full stage," the highest point a river reaches every two years. Water appeal PORTLAND (AP) Conservationists are appealing a federal decision to allow water to be diverted from the McKenzie River for power production. Not enough is being left in the river for struggling wild chinook salmon and bull trout, says the appeal, filed Friday in the 9th U.S.

Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Those fish are at perilously low levels, conservationists said. "We are asking the court to order (federal officials) to issue a new license that preserves water quality and meets the biological needs of the fish," said Doug Heiken of the Oregon Natural Resources Council. The council was joined in the appeal by American Rivers, Pacific Rivers Council and WaterWatch of Oregon. Dozens of dams and hydro projects in the Northwest will be reviewed for relicensing over the next decade, in an era of rethinking the value of the region's fish.

Tryg Sletteland, director of Pacific Rivers, said chinook and bull trout in the McKenzie are "on their last legs." The 100 or so remaining bull trout comprise the only bull trout Of ID New Federal Tax Law Changes Let us take the stress out of your tax season. Each Monday for thirteen weeks the Democrat-Herald will -provide helpful tax information from the Internal Revenue Service. This targeted advertising message is made possible by the businesses featured below. Teen-ager killed in Gresham crash 1 GRESHAM (AP) A Forest Grove teen-ager was killed and five other people were injured when a carload of teens turned into the path of an oncoming car in front of Centennial High School. Roy Jensen 18, died at OHSU Hospital following the crash at 4:13 p.m.

Saturday, police said. Jensen was one of five teenagers in the car that was struck on the driver's side. Two others in the back seat, Jaquelyn Beard, 16, of Keizer and Shannon Anderson, 18, of Portland, also were taken to OHSU. Anderson was in serious condition Sunday evening, a hospital spokeswoman said. Beard's condition was fair.

The driver, Marjorie Garcia, 16, of Beaverton and a fourth passerb ger, Shirlyn Bauer, 15, of Aloha, were treated at Mount Hood Medical Center for minor injuries following the crash, and were released. The driver of the other car, Wade Robertson, 26, of Portland was treated for minor injuries. Two bodies found PORTLAND (AP) Authorities are treating the discovery of two decomposed bodies in a drain park in a north Portland slough as a homicide case. Hikers with their dogs found the bodies Saturday in the Columbia Slough, in an industrial area near Kelley Point Park. The cause of death was not immediately known but authorities are treating the case as a homicide, Portland police Sgt.

Walt Van Hoos-er said. -WitLa caseJikeJhisJthebodies are in such bad condition that you P' won't be able to tell anything until the autopsy," Van Hooser said. "From the looks of things, those bodies could've been in there as early as last summer." He said neither had identification, and authorities have not determined the gender or approximate ages of the victims. "There's certainly not much to go on," Van Hooser said. "This is the kind that takes a long time to solve unless you get really lucky." Late delivery MEDFORD (AP) The mail did go through, but it took 46 years.

A penny postcard bearing a postmark of April 7, 1951, arrived Friday at the Medford home of Jerry and Donnis Lausmann. "I noticed it was a penny postcard first off," said Jerry Lausmann, Medford's mayor. "Then I noticed the date." The postcard was addressed to Lausmann's late mother, Grace, who lived in the house before Lausmann bought it more than 30 years ago. It was sent by his late aunt, Elizabeth McCrae, from Grand Forks, N.D. Construction halted CANBY (AP) Riverbank construction has been halted at the estate of Hollywood Entertainment Corp.

founder Mark Wattles after a newspaper inquired about a ring of boulders stacked in the Willamette River, the site of a long dispute over property rights. Officials from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Division of State Lands and Clackamas County say they have no permits on file for such work. On Friday, after inquiries by The Oregonian, federal and state of- Ping's Garden. January Specials Lunch $6.50 Dinner $8.95 Lunch Served Tuesday Saturday 11.00 am to Black Pepper Beef Tender beef stir-fried with green peppers, onions, and tomatoes in black pepper sauce. Served with steamed or fried rice.

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For more details on 1997 and 1998 tax changes, see Pub 553 or What's Hot at www.irs.ustreas.gov. What's New for 1997? Adoption Expenses If you receive employer-provided adoption benefits In 1997, you must use Form 8839 and Form 1040 A or 1040. If you adopted a child in 1997, you may be able to take a credit. See Form 8839 for details. 1998.

Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) If you or your employer made contributions to your MSA torJ997i.you must use Form 8853 and Form 1 040. Long-Term Care Insurance If you received benefits under a long-term care Insurance contract, see the instructions for Form 8853. You may be able to deduct the amount you paid for the insurance, but you must use Schedule A and Form 1040 to do so. Also, the unreimbursed expenses for the care of a chronically ill individual may be deductible as a medical expense on Schedule A. Accelerated Death Benefits See the instructions for Form 8853 if you received accelerated death benefits under a life insurance contract of from a viatical settlement provider.

Generally, a viatical settlement is an arrangement that lets terminally ill Individuals sell their life insurance policies. Earned Income Credit You may be able to take this credit if you earned less than $9,770. See the instructions for liens 8a and 8b on page 9. Caution: If it is determined that you are not entitled to the earned income credit you claim, you may not be allowed to take the credit for certain future years. For details, see Pub.

596. What's To Look for in 1998 Student Loan Interest Deduction You may be able to deduct up to $1 of the Interest you pay on a loan tor qualified higher education expenses. But you cannot take the deduction If you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else's 1998 tax return. Credits for Higher Education Expenses You may be able to take the Hope credit for the tuition and related expenses you pay to enroll at or attend an eligible educational institution. However, this credit only applies to the first 2 years of postsecondary educa- -i i i i i ii i i i i BOOKKEEPING PAYROLL SHORT FORMS $30 Federal State.

Mm. fee ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS 65- Federal State Min fpp Fees include ELECTRONIC FILING New Location the Gaseade Mountains, Sletteland said. Fewer than 1,000 wild chinook remain, after numbering 40,000 or more. I A By Jack SPRAIN RELIEF When you experience an ankle sprain, the most common sports-related injury, the first thing to do is apply ice to reduce swelling. Then, after treating the injury with a compression bandage and elevating it, there comes the decision concerning medication.

Traditionally, doctors have recommended the anti-inflammatory ibuprofen for the job. However, a new study indicates that initial treatment with the steroid prednisone (a prescription anti-inflammatory) may bring better relief. When study subjects took prednisone for the first four days after a sprain (followed by ibuprofen for 24 days), they had less difficulty walking on their injured ankles than did the ibuprofen-only group. This may be something to discuss with your doctor when you next sprain your ankle. A wide array of the latest prescription products as well as quality over-the-counter mediCIF" tions, such as pain relievers, line the shelves of ERVIN'S DRUG WEST.

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Roth IRA You may be able to contribute up to $2,000 to a Roth IRA. Although the contributions are not deductible, the earnings may be tax free depending on when and why withdrawals are made. How to Avoid Common Mistakes Mistakes may delay your refund or result in notices being sent to you. 1. If you think you can take the earned income credit, read the Instructions for lines 8a and 8b that begin on page 9 to make sure you qualify.

2. Check your math, especially when figuring your taxable income, Federal Income tax withheld, and your refund or amount you owe. 3. Remember to sign and date Form 1 040 EZ and enter your occupation. 4.

Use the amount from line 6 to find your tax In the tax table. Be sure to enter the correct tax on line 10. 5. Check the "Yes box on line 5 If you (or your spouse) can be claimed as a dependent on someone's 1997 return, such as your parents' return. Check "Yes" even It that person chooses not to claim you (or your spouse).

If no one can claim you (or your spouse) as a dependent, check the "No" box. 6. Be sure to enter an amount on line 5. If you check the "Yes" box on line 5, fill In the worksheet on the back of Form 1040EZ to figure the amount to enter. If you check the "No" box, enter 6,800.00 If single; 12,200.00 If married filing jointly.

7. If you got a peel-off label, make sure It shows the correct name(s), address, and social security numbers). If not, enter the correct information. 8. If you did not get a peel-off label, enter your name, address, and social security number (SSN) In the spaces provided on Form 1040EZ.

If you are married filing jointly, enter your spouse's name" and SSN. 9. Attach your W-2 form(s) to the left margin of your return. 10. If you owe tax, be sure to include all the required information on your payment.

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