Only one vehicle was involved in this deadly wreck; the survivor isn’t yet saying how – or why – it happened …

A Portland Fire & Rescue crew member stands watch after emergency service providers removed the deceased driver and surviving passenger from this mangled SUV.  Desmond Moore photo

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
“It sounded like a MAX train exploded at the station,” is how neighbor Amy Farber described the sound she heard at 1:57 a.m. near at the MAX station in the Glenfair Neighborhood on E. Burnside Street, just west of 148^th Avenue, on May 16.

It wasn’t the light rail train.

Police say the concussive noise was caused by a 2012 Chevy Traverse SUV, speeding at nearly 90 mph, as it mowed down a tree, shattered a utility pole, and shot airborne – striking the second-story window of a Hazelwood Station apartment, before the wreckage slammed to the ground in a neighbor’s yard, west of the apartment building.

This second story window was damaged, officials say, by the Chevy Traverse as it caromed off the Hazelwood Station Apartments building after it smashed through a utility pole.

This almost-unrecognizable wreckage was, the day before this fatal crash, a brand new SUV. KATU TV image

“It was crazy! People came out from all over to see what happened; there were people screaming. Then, police and fire – all kinds of [emergency responders] all over the place,” Farber told East Portland News as she stood in the outer East Portland morning sun, and watched Portland General Electric crews restore the wiring on a utility pole they’d replaced overnight.

“Officers located one person deceased and another injured person,” reported Portland Police Bureau Public Information Officer Sgt. Peter Simpson. “Medical personnel transported the injured person to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”

But, Simpson added, the Bureau’s Major Crash Team had their work cut out for them, as they labored through the midnight darkness and into the dawn, investigating what witnesses of the aftermath called a one-car crash. It was clear that the SUV was speeding westbound on E. Burnside Street – where the limit is posted at 35 mph.

(Looking east) Westbound E. Burnside Street remains closed, as crews restore power to the area. The vehicle landed in a yard, behind the hedge, at the left side of this photo. The minivan in the driveway was also damaged when the SUV literally flew into the yard.

“The deceased is 33-year-old Shelby Lynn Williams of Southeast Portland,” Simpson said. “Investigators believe Williams was the driver, and was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. The passenger, 28-year-old Cleveland Nelson, was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”

“Even though it’s only one [vehicle] lane in either direction,” Farber noted, “Cars go whizzing along here like it’s a freeway. But, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Working through the night and into the day, PGE crews rewire a newly-replaced utility pole.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See why firefighters say they “had their hands full” as they battled flames in two structures at the same time …

Perched precariously on the roof of the burning home, amid flames shooting high into the night sky, firefighters prepare to attack the blaze. Desmond Moore photo

By David F. Ashton
Calls to 9-1-1 came pouring in reporting a detached garage afire in Montavilla at 930 NE 70^th Avenue, on May 12 at 12:21 a.m. But – when Portland Fire & Rescue’s (PF&R) Truck 19 crew rolled up to the scene four minutes later – it was clear they’d be fighting two structure fires, not one.

“Firefighters found a detached garage engulfed in flames,” reported PF&R spokesman Lt. Damon Simmons. “But, the fire had also extended to the nearby home’s attic.”

Working on the roof, and also inside the garage, crews look for hotspots after the fire was extinguished. Desmond Moore photo

As they always do, some crew members first made sure all occupants are out safely while others began attacking the fires. “Firefighters with Mill Park’s Truck 7 soon came on-scene, and began opening up the ceiling inside the house to gain access to the fire.”

Having two buildings ablaze simultaneously, Simmons observed, adds additional complexity to a situation, because Battalion Chiefs must constantly reevaluate priorities and strategy during the firefighting effort.

The occupants were safe – including this woman and her dog – but they were nonetheless displaced by the fire. Desmond Moore photo

Both fires were declared under control at 12:47 a.m., but firefighters stayed on-scene for hours, while they shifted into “overhaul” mode – sorting through fire debris, looking for any remaining hot spots that could reignite. “Often, during this process,” Simmons said, “portions of the structure have to be cut away, because they pose a collapse danger, or block access to fire embers.”
The American Red Cross assisted the occupants to find shelter, because the home was declared uninhabitable.

“No one was injured by this fire,” Simmons concluded. “The cause remains undetermined; damages are estimated at $50,000.”

Their job completed, firefighters ladder down from the roof of the burned home. PF&R photo

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

From the “Strange but True” file: You’ll find this difficult to believe, even after you read it …

By David F. Ashton
Most suspected tipsy drivers are pulled over at night, after they’ve been seen swerving all over the road.

But on May 17, at about noon, when a Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) investigations sergeant pulled into the Hansen Building’s patrol parking lot at 12240 NE Glisan Street, he beheld a car stopped next to the entry gate.

“There were two people inside,” said MCSO Public Information Officer Lt. Steve Alexander, “and the vehicle was blocking access to the trash receptacles next to the entry gate.”

After observing the driver leave the car, Alexander continued, the sergeant contacted a captain inside the building, and asked him to go outside and check out the individual.

A MCSO Deputy arrests this man, 26-year-old Stephen Charles Wheelon, reportedly suspected of drunk driving – in the law enforcement agency’s own parking lot. MCDC photo

Their assessment of the driver didn’t take long. “They called a patrol deputy to the scene,” Alexander said, “who arrested the driver for DUII. He is identified as 26-year-old Stephen Charles Wheelon of Vancouver.”

Although MCDC records show Wheelon was “Released on Own Recognizance” from jail later in the day, he still had to make alternate transportation plans back home, because his vehicle had been impounded.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Find out why neighbors say they’re outraged at the violent activity “Section Eight” housing seems to have brought to their neighborhood …

Into the day following the shooting, Portland Police Bureau detectives are on scene – it’s the left side of this duplex – in the Wilkes neighborhood, investigating a murder.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Many years ago, a “Light Up for the Holidays” contest in Wilkes Community Group – the farthest northeast neighborhood in Portland – brought East Portland News out to photograph the Christmas decorations, including at a home on NE Fremont Court.

But, in the waning hours of May 9, that cul-de-sac was lit up with another kind of lighting – those of emergency and police vehicles, called because a man was shot to death at his front door.

When Portland Police Bureau (PPB) North Precinct officers arrived on-scene at 11:38 p.m., they found the deceased man in the entrance of a duplex at 14811 N.E. Fremont Court.

At the front door of this duplex, three men are said to have cut down a man with a fusillade of bullets.

A next door neighbor told reporters she heard gunshots ring out – followed by what sounded to her like two women shrieking and crying.

Officers immediately began searching the neighborhood for suspects, PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Peter Simpson said. A Portland Police K-9 got the scent, and the dog led its partner and other officers north and slightly east of the crime scene.

Bullet holes like this one are clearly visible – the bullets having been dug out by criminalists who processed the crime scene overnight.

Witnesses disagree about the final destination of the police. Some it was the Walnut Grove Apartments at 3835 NE 152nd Avenue; others say it was at the adjoining Village Garden Apartments at 15298 NE Sandy Boulevard that was swarmed by law enforcement personnel.

“Three men were located near NE 152^nd Avenue off Sandy Boulevard,” is all Simpson said. “They were detained, and transported to the Detective Division.”

Until the early hours of the following day, PPB homicide detectives and criminalists processed the crime scene, Simpson added. Gang Enforcement Team officers also assisted in the investigation.
“The victim has been identified as 29-year-old Kenneth Ray Henry,” said Simpson after the autopsy. “The Oregon State Medical Examiner determined that Henry died of multiple gunshot wounds.”

Police are charging these three men with murder: (left to right) 23-year-old Xabian Robert Riley, 24-year-old Tracey Christopher Lomax, and 21-year-old Marcellus A. Allen. MCDC photos

Detectives aren’t yet saying whether the shooting might be gang or drug-related, Simpson added. He later released the names of the men arrested and charged with murder: 23-year-old Xabian Robert Riley, 24-year-old Tracey Christopher Lomax and 21-year-old Marcellus A. Allen.

Neighbors venturing out of their homes the following day talked together on the sidewalk, as they watched the investigation continue – and watched family and friends of the deceased come to the duplex.

“When we built or bought our homes here, long ago,” reflected Sally Diega Sutton, “this was a quiet and peaceful neighborhood. Then, they started building duplexes here – I think that one is owned by a company somewhere else – and the trouble began. I don’t think they pick their tenants very well.”

Although the three others standing with Diega Sutton declined to be identified, they agreed they’d heard that the shooting was a “gangster hit” – not an accident.

This spilled blood remains on the porch, providing a chilling reminder to local residents that violent crime has moved into the Wilkes neighborhood.

In fact, according to public information, this duplex has been owned since 2004 by a “limited liability corporation” located in Sunnyside, California, since 2004.

Others nodded when Diega Sutton concluded, “Many of us planned to retire here. But now, with all the drug and gang problems moving into the area – maybe it’s time to get out. But where to move is the question.”

According to Multnomah County Detention Center records, Riley is being held at their facility without bond on one count of Murder, as well as Lomax and Allen – who additionally are being charged with parole or post-parole supervision violations.

Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to contact homicide detectives. Detective Eric Kammerer can be reached at (503) 823-0762, (Erik.Kammerer@PortlandOregon.gov) – and Detective Anthony Merrill can be reached at (503) 823-4033, or (Anthony.Merrill@PortlandOregon.gov).

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Dispute over a cell phone programming card apparently led to the shooting deaths of a mother and son, a witness says …

Down the hill from the murder scene, police cars block of SE Harold Street, allowing only homicide detectives into the area.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Folks in this part of the Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood are saying that foreclosed and abandoned homes along SE Harold Street, near SE 136^th Avenue, have attracted a “rough element” into what was once a solid, working-class neighborhood.

A man, reportedly firing off a shotgun in the middle of the street, caught the attention of neighbor Ken Criswell on May 5 about 9:15 p.m. “I thought it was fireworks at first. But when I looked down the street, I saw a lot of commotion, and heard people yelling,” Criswell said. “Then, the cop cars started coming in from all over the place.”

To the south of the location, at SE 138^th Avenue at SE Ramona Street, an officer informs a driver that the area is closed to all traffic – possibly for hours.

Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct district officers rolled into the area to find a chaotic scene, a sergeant later told East Portland News. Officers closed down roads – few of them are through streets in this area, near the Springwater Trail – to contain the situation, and perhaps also the gunmen.

This man, 20-year-old William Cole McCamman, is arrested at the scene, minutes after law enforcement officers flood into the area (MCDC booking photo.) The image to the right is from McCamman’s Facebook page.

Police found their suspect, later identified as 20-year-old William Cole McCamman, within minutes of arriving on the scene. Official records show he was taken into custody at 9:24 p.m.

“Following the autopsy conducted by the Oregon State Medical Examiner,” reported PPB Public Information Officer Lt. Robert King, “the deceased have been identified 32-year-old Josh Smith, and his mother 54-year-old Tamara Smith. The manner and cause of death of the victims was gunshot wounds.”

Police provided no information, and an unidentified male refused comment when East Portland News stopped by the house the following day.

As the investigation continues late into the night, police keep the area sealed off.

But, a young man who said he also lived in the home, eyewitness 19-year-old Giovanni Jorgensen, spoke freely with a KGW-TV reporter. He stated that a fight broke out between himself and Josh Smith over a stolen cell phone SIM card – an electronic device that programs it to operate with a given carrier’s system.

Jorgensen further asserted that McCamman took his side in the escalating argument, and moments later, McCamman shot Smith on the home’s front lawn with a pistol. When Smith’s mother, Tamara Smith, blocked the doorway and called the police, Jorgensen said McCamman put down the pistol, grabbed a shotgun, and fired.

The area, marked with crime scene tape, is visible even from some distance.

On May 7, McCamman appeared in Multnomah County Court and faced two counts of aggravated murder. Records show he remains in custody, without bail, at the Multnomah County Detention Center.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Discover why law enforcement agencies say these events are vitally important for community safety. And, learn where you can dispose of your own unused medications any day …

Crime Prevention Coordinator Samantha Freeman, and Diversion Investigator Jenna Akiyama from the US Drug Enforcement Administration, help Joyce Tebo dispose of her unused medications in Gateway.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
As part of a national effort, local law enforcement agencies made it easy for people to rid their medicine cabinets of unused prescription drugs and over-the-counter remedies on April 28.

In the Gateway Fred Meyer lot along NE 102^nd Avenue, Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct officers and command staff, as well as the Portland Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) crime prevention folks, and a representative from the US Drug Enforcement Administration, together provided a safe place to dump their drugs.

Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Neighborhood Response Tteam Sergeant Wendi Steinbronn loads one of the sixteen boxes of discarded medications collected April 28^th into a truck.

Neighbor Joyce Tebo pulled up, and presented a bag full of her unused medications to the collection station.

“I wanted to get rid of the medications we’re not going to use,” Tebo said. “I didn’t want to flush them down the toilet, and have them end up in the rivers.  I wanted to get rid of them a safe way.”

She came out to the turn-in event, Tebo said, because having it sponsored and operated by the police gave it “official authority”. “Because it’s our police, I know these will be properly handled and disposed of – just like they say they will do.”

One of the more than 100 folks who dropped off medications on April 28^th places his unused medications in a box for disposal.

ONI Crime Prevention Coordinator Katherine Anderson talked with East Portland News about their day’s mission. “It’s really important to have medications, especially prescription drugs, turned in – because it’s one way to make sure drugs don’t fall into the wrong hands. It prevents them from getting ‘on the streets, eventually reaching those who would use them illegally.”

Of particular concern, Anderson said, are young people. “It’s not uncommon for kids to ‘raid’ their parents’ medicine cabinets, looking for drugs they think might get them high. But, drugs that help some people can kill others. Part of what we’re doing here today is educating people about medication safety.”

The drugs collected were to be incinerated, containers and all, revealed ONI Crime Prevention Coordinator Samantha Freeman. “Many people think flushing drugs down the toilet is the ideal way to dispose of them – but that’s been proven to pollute our rivers and aquifers.”

It looks as if one of the 16 drug collection boxes at the Gateway site is already almost full.

Freeman reminded visitors that they can always dispose of drugs at the PPB East Precinct lobby on SE 106^th Avenue, at the secure drop box from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. “You can bring your prescription medications, over-the-counter pills, vitamins – but not ‘sharps or inhalers’ – and know they’ll be safely and securely disposed of.”

In total, the one-day event at Gateway collected 16 boxes of medications, a total of 560 pounds of them, from more than 100 people who visited the site.

At the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Hanson Building, a visitor drops off a bag of prescription medications.

On the same day, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office was also holding a similar event.

“Approximately eleven boxes – about 400 lbs of prescription medications – were turned in, including those from the Med-Return box in the lobby,” reported MCSO Public Information Officer, Lt. Steven Alexander.

“Be sure to let your readers know that the Med-Return box is always available at the building [at 12240 N.E. Glisan Street] during regular lobby hours,” Alexander added.

So, with these two secure locations to which you can take your unused, discarded medications in outer East Portland – there’s no longer any excuse to keep them at home, or to flush them down the toilet!

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See why these teammates say they had to jump to safety, when an SUV interrupted a “calm” afternoon game of kickball …

A police officer checks on the woman driving this SUV, just moments after it crashed into a tree in Lents Park.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
It wasn’t the siren yelps blasting from approaching emergency vehicles that startled members of a Northwest Kickball team about Sunday, May 6 about 4:30 p.m. who were seated at the north edge of Lents Park along SE Holgate Boulevard. They were already startled!

“It sounded like a ‘screech, crash and a kaboom!’ right behind us,” said an ear-witness, who declined to give her name. “We were just sitting here, watching the game with our back to the trees, and suddenly – boom! This truck smashed into the tree. We looked around, and there it was!”

A paramedic joins the officer as they evaluate the driver’s medical condition.

Another player observed that if it hadn’t been for the huge tree in the way, on the north edge of the park, they most likely would have been hit and seriously injured by the errant vehicle.

Circumstances surrounding the crash still remain unclear, but the wreck on eastbound SE Holgate Boulevard at SE 91^st Avenue left a dark green Nissan Pathfinder firmly smashed into the trunk of a tree. Under the SUVs front tires was a flattened metal street signpost.

Had it not been for this tree, kickball players sitting just feet away from it say they might have been seriously injured when the SUV swerved across the sidewalk and into the park.

Portland Police Bureau East Precinct district officers quickly responded and blocked traffic, as an ambulance and Portland Fire & Rescue rig also rolled up to the crash site.

It appeared as if the vehicle had been occupied just by an older female driver; and, although the crash looked brutal, it wasn’t severe enough to cause the airbags to deploy.

According to Portland Fire & Rescue Public Information Officer Paul Corah, the driver was treated on scene by paramedics and released.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

This accident is still under investigation, but see the results of this unusual car vs. motorcycle wreck …

-1 Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division officers examine the motorcycle involved in an accident on residential SE 112^th Avenue.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

On the unusually blustery and rain-swept afternoon of May 3, about 1:00 p.m., emergency reports came in – first of a police motorcycle officer, later corrected to being a funeral procession escort – colliding with a car.

The accident, on SE 112^th Avenue, about a block south of SE Division Street, shut down the residential road for several hours while the accident was being investigated.

The rider of this motorcycle was thrown as far as 40 feet from his bike, some say.

Witnesses said the still unnamed victim, a man riding a large Honda motorcycle from “First Call Plus Funeral Escort Service” was thrown as far as 40 feet from his motorcycle after the collision.

The car with which the motorcycle collided, a silver Hyundai sedan, appeared to have gone off the street, through a chain link fence, and rolled to a stop at the front porch of 2708 SE 112^th Avenue.

“A motorcycle escort for funeral procession (not a police bike) crashed into a car,” Portland Police Bureau Public Information Officer Sgt. Peter Simpson told East Portland News.

After the crash, this car ended up on the fenced front lawn of this outer East Portland home.

Dion Strommer, General Manager of First Call Plus Funeral Escort Service, a firm that he said provides a variety of mortuary-related service, told East Portland News that his rider was injured, but is expected to be released from the hospital soon.

Strommer declined to comment about the nature of the wreck.

“Traffic Division investigators got conflicting information about whether the car turned in front of the, bike or bike ran into a car,” Simpson reported. “The incident remains under investigation.”

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See why it wasn’t easy for firefighters to reach the fire, and why this fire – of as-yet undetermined origins – frightened the displaced residents …

An arriving crew of firefighters check their gear before heading in to fight the fire. Greg Muhr, Portland Fire & Rescue photo

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
When fire broke out at 9:28 a.m. on April 30 at the Trails End Apartments located at 11860 SE Powell Boulevard, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) crews from Mill Park Station 7 rolled up into the narrow “flag lot” driveway.

“Coming on-scene just three minutes after the call,” reported PF&R Public Information Officer Paul Corah, “crews could see a large amount of fire coming from the back of the apartment building. The crew of Engine 7 immediately pulled a hose line, and went to the top floor (3rd floor) to extinguish the flames.”

From inside the apartment building – and on the roof – firefighters attack the fire. Greg Muhr, Portland Fire & Rescue photo

“It was really crazy,” said a resident who declined to give her name. “It was really scary. All we saw was smoke and then some fire – lots of smoke.”

Jim Dunford, a neighbor, told East Portland News, “I was out for a walk and saw the smoke coming out. It’s was just massive; I’ve never seen anything like it. After that plume of smoke, then came flames.”

Two Portland Fire & Rescue Battalion Chiefs head up to inspect progress with the firefight.

Other neighbors said residents’ pets ran – some jumped out windows – to escape the fire and smoke.

Firefighters encountered fire that had burned out the back of the building on the second floor, and lapped up and re-entered the building on the third floor, Corah later explained.

“Additional hose lines were deployed, and fire crews aggressively attacked the blaze on both floors. The crew from [ladder] Truck 7 went directly to the roof to cut ventilation holes, in order to remove the fire and smoke from the attic, and improve conditions for fire crews on the inside. While attacking this blaze, fire crews searched each unit to make sure all the occupants had escaped.”

Inside the window, the charred apartment is illuminated only by the ventilation holes cut in the roof.

Because of the extent of the blaze, Corah said, Battalion Chiefs called a second alarm at 9:41 am to bring additional fire crews to assist in the firefighting efforts.
“Fortunately, everyone escaped safely, and there were no victims in this fire,” added Corah. “However, a number of people have been displaced, and the Red Cross is on-scene assisting them in finding alternate housing.”

A firefighter starts the long task of repacking water lines into a truck.

About the pets – firefighters did rescue five cats and two dogs from the fire and successfully returned them to their owners, including two missing Chihuahuas firefighters found, one hiding under a blanket the other in its kennel. “All of them were returned safely to their owners,” Corah said.

Damages have been set at $235,000 dollars, Corah added. “The fire remains under investigation.”

Firefighters and command staff debrief, after the fire has been extinguished.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Here’s your opportunity to learn a little more about House District 47 and Multnomah County Commissioner District 3 candidates. EXTRA! Also get a preview of the May return of the Gateway Fun-0-Rama events on May 19 …

GABA’s President Fred Sanchez, of Realty Brokers, welcomes members and guests to another monthly meeting at Russellville Park 2.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
At the April Gateway Area Business Association (GABA) meeting at Russellville Park II, candidates for Oregon House District 47 and Multnomah County District 3 Commissioner were on hand to meet the members, and to campaign for election.

May 19th Fun-0-Rama plans revealed
On May 19, NE Halsey Street will be the epicenter of excitement as the Gateway Fun-0-Rama returns – with a golf tournament, parade, and fair.

From 7:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., the annual GOLF-O-RAMA tournament returns at nearby Glendoveer Golf Course.

Then, at 1:00, the FUN-O-RAMA Parade gets underway, starting at Gateway Park (NE 106th Avenue & Halsey Street), and traveling north on Halsey to NE 111^th Avenue. The First Responders (Police, Fire, Red Cross, ambulances) participate, along with floats, antique cars, marching bands, decorated bikes and motorcycles, clowns, scouts, and more – to make this a colorful and fun event.

Then, from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m., it’s the FUN-O-RAMA Fair at 111th SQUARE (NE Halsey at 111th), where GABA members demonstrate their services and show off their wares. The free-to-the-public fair features entertainment, music, a raffle, and exciting interactive displays.

Before attorney Bruce McCain again moderates a “candidates’ forum” during this GABA meeting, he’s presented with the “GABA Rubber Chicken of Excellence Award” by Fred Sanchez.

At the meeting, about 20 members and guests also heard from candidates running for Oregon House District 47, and Multnomah County Commissioner District 3.

Candidate for House District 47, Jessica Vega Pederson (D), was ill, and did not attend as she’d intended, McCain reported. [To see her website: CLICK HERE.]

House District 47 candidates Maggie Nelson and Dr. Thuy Tran – and Multnomah County Commissioner District 3 candidates Judy Shiprack and Patty Burkett, are about to introduce themselves.

House District 47 candidate Maggie Nelson speaks.

House District 47 candidate Maggie Nelson (R) introduced herself, saying, “I called down to see if the [Portland] City Council voted in the Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative (NPI), and learned it was approved, and is targeting right here in Gateway. We will now be working on the NPI initiative program.

“I have just retired from teaching, after a 20 year career in 2010.  When I retired, I ran for, and was elected to, the Mt. Hood Community College Board – where I’ve served for the past year.

“As a child, I was raised on a wheat farm in eastern Oregon.  In addition to the crop production, my father raised cattle and sheep. My grandparents lived on the neighboring farm right beside us.  And, together, my father and grandfather owned about 900 acres of timberland. So, I am for opening logging in the state of Oregon.  I am in favor of treating our timberlands, in our State, as a natural resource.

“Because I was raised in a rural setting and lived my entire adulthood in an urban setting, I feel that I have an appreciation for the needs and the concerns of both rural and urban concerns.

“I am running [for this office] because I believe our country has not only come to a crossroads, but we are heading down the wrong track. I see our Constitution being disrespected, and I feel that we have out-of-control spending. I feel that our checks-and-balances are no longer working on the state or national level.

“I still believe that a person, ready to take action, can make a difference.”

• To contact Maggie Nelson, e-mail her at maggie@nelsonfororegon.com.

House District 47 candidate Thuy Tran speaks.

House District 47 candidate Dr. Thuy Tran (D) said, “I’m a Democrat running for State Representative 47.  I want to thank GABA for inviting us here today.  I think you’re doing a great job taking care of the community, and leading the business community here.

“I’ve lived in the district for over 15 years. This is where I chose to buy my first home,  and this is where I chose to raise my children. We live in a great community, with hard-working people, family-focused, down-to-earth.

“However, during the past few years, I’ve noticed a lot of challenges.

“Last October, the Parkrose School District voted to cut an additional five student contact days. The children are being affected. Our streets still have potholes, and no sidewalks on certain areas. Businesses are closing, and so many of my neighbors and parents and in my kids’ schools losing their jobs.

“I’ve been a community servant in organizations like the Lions Club.  I am a Major in the Oregon National Guard, I am an eye doctor – I’ve been a business owner for more than 15 years, through good time and bad.

“I truly believe in the Lions Club motto, ‘We serve’. I have been serving, and I would like to be a strong advocate for our community at the state level.

“My vision for Portland includes three things: Because I am a business owner, I know that home-grown business is very important. Just imagine if our businesses thrive, and we can hire two [employees] each, how this will affect the tax base.

“We need a solid tax base in order to fund education.  An educated community is sick less, commits less violent crime, and is very competitive for jobs.  Not just here but nationwide and internationally. We owe that to our children – to prepare a community that is not just livable, but thriving.

“My vision also includes public safety. This doesn’t just include crime preventing, reducing crime, or read even reducing the fear of crime.  It’s all about focusing on the small things like crossing the street safely on streets that are safe.

“This is my first run [for office].  I am about hands-on, outcome-oriented projects, programs that affect lives.  In 2 ½ months of campaigning, I’m not going to be able to reach all of you.  But look at where I am from: I am a refugee who came to United States with nothing but the clothing on my back. From there, I feel that I’ve achieved the American Dream. I feel an American Dream exists for all of us – all of our children and our grandchildren. At the state level, will fight for East Portland.”

• To see Thuy Tran’s website: CLICK HERE.

Multnomah County Commissioner District 3 candidate Judy Shiprack speaks.

Multnomah County Commissioner District 3 candidate Judy Shiprack next spoke to the group.

“I’m currently the County Commissioner for District 3.  District 3 is pretty distinctive.  If you look at it on a map of Multnomah County’s four districts, it is geographically significantly smaller than the others. What does that mean?

“It means that we are more densely-populated than the other districts. In addition to being the most densely-populated [county district] in Oregon, we have also seen a migration, of both diversity and poverty, into this district.

“All of this means that you need to have an experienced advocate representing Multnomah County District 3 to take care of those safety-net services that we provide to the most vulnerable populations.

“However, to talk about my experience a little bit – I’m talking about it from the perspective of being a daughter.

“I came to Portland to be a schoolteacher. My mother, a schoolteacher for entire career, was very proud of me. I taught English at Jefferson High School – but only did so for a year. It was a wonderful experience; those students taught me a lot. One of those things that they taught me was that I needed to ‘move on’.

“I went to law school, graduated, and became a deputy district attorney. Law school, from my mother’s perspective, was a considerable fall in rank – going to be a lawyer, from being a teacher. So, you could imagine how ‘thrilled’ she was to learn that I left the practice of law to become an Oregon State Representative! As a politician, we almost never heard from my mother – a considerable fall from being a schoolteacher.

“I went on to become an affordable-housing developer, statewide. We developed affordable housing in Pendleton and Wilsonville. I became the Executive Director of the Public Safety Coordinating Council for Multnomah County. Then I ran for my current office.

“I talk about this, in the perspective of being my mother’s daughter, because five weeks ago, my mother, who was 91 years old, died.  During her deteriorating condition, I helped guide her through the maze of senior services that, even with all of my experience and public policy, I had a very difficult time navigating.

“One of the things that Multnomah County provides in our Senior and Disabled Services is assistance to families who are navigating the system. There are many of us who are demographically transitioning into that.”

• To see Judy Shiprack’s website: CLICK HERE.

Multnomah County Commissioner District 3 candidate Patricia “Patty” Burkett speaks.

Multnomah County Commissioner District 3 candidate Patricia “Patty” Burkett spoke last.

“I am very happy to be with you here today. I am a Portland native; apparently we’re pretty rare – although I do subscribe to the idea that if you’ve lived in Portland, or even in Oregon, for six months, you [kind of] consider yourself a native.

“I grew up in the Parkrose neighborhood originally, and now live the Northeast Alberta Street area, near NE 86th Avenue. When I was young, we moved into the Mount Tabor area and attended Mount Tabor Grade School. I was very active in school as a child, of course. Then, I went to Washington High School, which does not exist anymore. But, we still have our hearts in the right place.

“I worked at the Oregonian [newspaper] for my very first job. I made $42.50 a week. I was so proud of those checks.

“I’ve worked at many jobs, but I am a U.S. Army veteran, I’m proud to have served our country. I’m proud of all of these service members I’ve had the privilege of meeting. I was a legal clerk at Fort Hood in Texas, and worked on special court-martial proceedings cases. I was honored with three letters of commendation, and received a Three Oak Leaf Cluster award.

“I have been married and I have been divorced for quite some time. I have two adult children. My adult son was born in Fort Hood, so he’s got ‘the Army thing’ going on.  My daughter was born here in Portland. I’m really proud of both of them, and they both happen to be Jefferson High School graduates. My son is working in the acting field in Los Angeles; he’s going be playing ‘Dr. Dan’ on a show on the Discovery Channel.  My daughter works for Portland Public Schools, and she’s worked for them for nearly six years, and before that she worked for the court system.

“So, anyway, I lived, incidentally, off of NE 94th Avenue and NE Glisan Street.  I frequented the Gateway Fred Mayer, when it was just a little store.  I know many people in the area, and have traded with many business in Gateway. This is clearly my stomping grounds. It is a beautiful area of Portland. And I’m sorry to hear you [still] don’t have many sidewalks. That is too bad. People like to walk on them and take their children on them.

“I appreciate that I am not a seasoned candidate, and not experienced in what Judy [Shiprack] does. I do applaud Judy’ she is an incredibly talented lady.  I would like to give it a good shot. I’m a good reader, I love to engage smart people to help me, and I also am very confident that I could not only do the job, I could do it well.”

• To see Patty Burkett’s website: CLICK HERE.

Meet with GABA on May 10
Check out the Gateway Area Business Association on May 10. Networking starts at 11:30 a.m. and the meeting ends promptly at 1:00 p.m.

This month: Learn all about the upcoming Fun-O-Rama Planning and Fun Festival scheduled for May 19.

It’s at Russellville Park West Building in the Theater – 23 SE 103rd, Portland. Lunch: $8. Directions: From SE 102nd, turn east on SE Ankeny Street towards SE 103rd, turn left into underground parking, take elevator up to Theater. For more information about the organization, or the upcoming Fun-0-Rama, see their website: CLICK HERE.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See photos that show the amazing work of our firefighters to save a victim trapped under a car! And, find out why police say it wasn’t the vehicle driver’s fault – and, what can be learned from this potentially-tragic mishap …

Station 11’s Engine and Rescue crews from Portland Fire & Rescue work to free a bicyclist who was struck, officials say, when he darted out in front of traffic.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
April 25 was, indeed, a dark and stormy night in outer East Portland. At about 8:00 p.m., a found himself bicyclist lying under a SUV on SE Foster Road, at SE 83^rd Avenue.

“It looked like the guy riding a bike popped off the curb, without even looking,” said witness Michelle Maddox. “He was going so fast, the driver [of a Saturn MDX] never had a chance to see him, or stop. He’s under there right now.”

Having freed the victim from under the vehicle, crews work to medically stabilize the patient.

Quickly and carefully, firefighters and paramedics lift the patient onto a gurney.

The Engine and rescue companies of Portland Fire & Rescue Station 11 in Lents were on-scene when we arrived, and were busy stabilizing the patient.

Usually crews who ride an “engine” need to await the arrival of a “truck” – the long vehicle with the big ladder – because trucks carry all kinds of rescue equipment and supplies. However, using great care and ingenuity, were able to free the victim before the truck arrived.

Later, we checked with Portland Police Bureau Public Information Officer Lt. Robert King to find out more about the collision.

“While our Traffic Division still has this case under investigation,” King said, “It appears as if the bike rider did ride off the sidewalk, at a faster-than-walking pace, and was run over by the SUV.”

Bystanders watch as AMR paramedics prepare the victim for transport.

The stuck bicyclist is loaded into the ambulance.

King added the bicyclist was also riding without lights when he was stuck. “The victim was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”

The driver of the SUV stayed at the scene, and fully cooperated with the investigation, King added. “The driver was not cited.”

Even with Portland being a bike-friendly city, police remind bicyclists that they, too, have responsibilities – among them to ride carefully, have lights on their bike, wear a helmet, and at night to wear light-colored clothing.

SE Foster Road remains closed as Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division investigators collect evidence at the scene of the scary bike-SUV crash.

© 2012 David F. Ashton  East Portland News

Find out why police were also called to the scene of this blaze …

Portland Fire & Rescue crews from multiple stations battle a smoky residential fire in the Wilkes area of outer northeast Portland.

By David F. Ashton
The report to Portland’s 9-1-1 Center at 3:44 pm on April 26 of dark, heavy smoke was coming from the front door, windows, and eaves, of an East Portland home got Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) firefighters rolling toward 15024 NE Clackamas Street, in the Wilkes Community Group area.

PF&R Rescue 30’s crew was first to arrive – and radioed to engine and truck companies still on their way that there was significant smoke from the eves and chimney of the home.

“When crews arrived, they didn’t know if the home was occupied,” explained PF&R Public Information Officer Paul Corah. That mandated a search of the burning home.

Firefighters resuscitate a person found in the home’s basement. Dick Harris, PF&R photo

The fire victim is transported to the ambulance. Dick Harris, PF&R photo

Firefighters from Parkrose-based Training Station 2’s truck company forced entry into the home and began a preliminary search for victims. “Firefighters located a fire victim in the basement,” Corah said. “AMR Ambulance paramedics treated and transported the victim to a local area hospital.”

At the same time, Corah continued, firefighters laddered up to the burning structure’s roof and cut holes – “vertical ventilation” – to allow heat and smoke up out of the house.

Firefighters successfully attacked and extinguished a large body of fire on the main floor, Corah added. “Then, they deployed a hand-held Thermal Imaging Camera, to see areas of heat through the smoke and darkness in the basement.”

Firefighters cut holes in the roof to allow heat and smoke to escape the structure. Dick Harris, PF&R photo

Bystanders wondered why cars from the Portland Police Bureau were also rolling up to the scene. Corah revealed, “Police officers were called in to remove multiple weapons found in the residence.”
Crews had the fire extinguished at 4:40 p.m. “The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and there no damage estimates at this time,” concluded Corah.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News