Folks at the Portland Police Bureau’s Sunshine Division wondered whether the snowy weather would leave needy families without food boxes for the holidays. Boy, were they surprised when then opened the station house door! Find out who showed up …

Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Police Cadets Andrea Ettlin, Colton Sharmen, Ryan Mele, and Jose Perez get ready to load food boxes into the vehicles of drivers who await to take them to needy families.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The wacky winter weather on the morning of December 20 worried Cliff Madison, retired Portland Police Commander, and Chairman of the Sunshine Division’s board of directors. He, and everyone else involved with the annual food box delivery program, wondered if anyone would brave the sideways-blowing snow and predicted blizzard.

“Here at East Precinct,” Madison said that day, “We have 554 boxes of food – complete dinners, including meat and bread – that need to be delivered, today.”

While the food drive distribution materials were being organized by members of the Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Police Cadets in the station’s garage, folks started filling in the Community Room, awaiting dispatch on their seasonal mission of mercy.

Thanks to many drivers from outer East Portland – plus many more from Gresham and East Multnomah County – it looked as if many volunteers had braved the elements to help make deliveries.

Gresham’s Steve and Shannon Jannsen are waiting to get their car loaded with Sunshine Division food boxes in the East Precinct Community Room.

Waiting in the early-morning sub-freezing temperatures, with snow falling and swirling around, volunteer drivers line up in front of East Precinct, ready to receive their cargos of mercy.

Come to ‘share their blessings’
Steve and Shannon Jannsen, who live in Hunter’s Highland in Gresham, warmed up in the precinct’s Community Room before they made their delivery run. “We came to help, because we feel so blessed this year,” Shannon told us. “We wanted to share our blessing with somebody else.”

“My motivation for coming was that I didn’t know if other people would be inclined to come out,” Steve said. “I figure that Christmastime is the best and most appropriate time to show the love of Christ through works; that’s enough motivation for me.”

Before being loaded up to make deliveries, Portland Police Officer Larry Keller gets his delivery instructions and maps from “traffic coordinator” Kandi Marks, an East Precinct employee.

Sunshine Division’s Chair, Cliff Madison, and East Precinct Officer Michael Gallagher, coordinator of the East Precinct Police Cadet program say they’re thrilled with the volunteer turnout on such a nasty morning.

Intrepid drivers lined up on SE 106th Avenue
When they opened the parking garage door, organizers were surprised and delighted to see a line of vehicles that stretched northward to SE Washington Street. Others queued up in the Floyd Light Middle School parking lot.

“The number of drivers here amazes me,” East Precinct Officer Michael Gallagher, coordinator of the East Precinct Police Cadet program, told us. “With these weather conditions, we were concerned we might not have nearly enough drivers to get the boxes delivered before the blizzard sets in this afternoon.”

Eleven East Precinct Police Cadets picked and packed food boxes, meat and bread into cars, trucks, vans – and even an open-air Jeep. Five more Cadets hopped into tire-chained bureau cars and headed out to make distant deliveries.

“Every year, many of our cadets say they look forward to helping out on this project, because they find it so rewarding,” Gallagher commended. “It would be difficult to do without their hard work.”

East Precinct Police Cadets hustle to load cars and trucks, quickly sending them on their way.

Saying he “Just came to help our community”, Joe Short drove in from his home in East Gresham to volunteer for the Sunshine Division deliveries. East Precinct Cadet Adam Hartless loaded Joe’s SUV to the roof with food for the needy.

Many volunteers quickly pack out boxes
In addition to the score of civilian volunteers, cops such as East Precinct Officer Mike Chapman and his wife, Rachel, packed 19 boxes into their car. “We live here in outer East Portland,” Rachel said. “We took boxes to deliver to people in the district he patrols.”

While they didn’t have an exact count, officials estimate about 130 drivers came to drive Sunshine Division food boxes to their destinations.

“The best thing about having so many willing drivers,” Gallagher reflected, “is that all of the boxes were out by 10:30 a.m. – well ahead of the blizzard.”

In addition to encouraging folks to help the Sunshine Division deliver boxes, Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs (second from left) and his family themselves headed out with a SUV full of food boxes.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Street-sex Update: Is the city’s ‘permanent solution’ for street-level prostitution going to work? See why it looks like it’ll take more than cops on patrol to solve the problem. And, Discover the role of DAs, judges, and a new treatment program play …

After being cornered in the restroom of a retail store a couple of weeks ago, this woman, accused of being involved in prostitution, tries to talk her way to freedom – but the officer taking her into custody isn’t buying her story. While prostitution is on the decline – it’s far from gone on the Avenue.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
While the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) task force dedicated to reducing street-level prostitution has indeed eliminated the blatant, flamboyant street-sex vendors along 82nd Avenue of Roses and NE Sandy Boulevard, as last week’s story showed – it’s certainly far from being eliminated from outer East Portland.

Before reading our update on actions being taken to curb street-level prostitution – at the source – you may want to read our previous stories regarding:

• Summertime anti-prostitution missions, CLICK HERE.
• The September 15 anti-prostitution Summit, CLICK HERE.
• The September 30 march on 82nd Ave., CLICK HERE
• The Second anti-prostitution “Take Back 82nd” Summit on October 7, CLICK HERE.

At this September press conference, Portland Mayor Tom Potter said the Prostitution-free Zone ordinance would not be reinstated; instead, it would be replaced with a new, comprehensive plan that included treatment for re-offending prostitutes.

‘Zones’ eliminated in 2007
For several years, the law enforcement and judicial system has “winked” at prostitution, as if it were considered a low level crime.

As the quality of life problems that prostitution brought started spilling into neighborhoods, the City of Portland responded with “Drug- and Prostitution-free Zone” ordinances, in which individuals alleged to be involved in street-sex transactions could be “excluded” – that is, prevented, under threat of going to jail for violation, from hanging out along 82nd Avenue or NE Sandy Boulevard – without a good reason.

In late 2007, the Portland City Council chose to allow the ordinances to expire – saying the council believed them to be racially discriminatory. However, that conclusion was based ONLY on information gathered about the Drug-free Zone ordinance, and ONLY in downtown’s Old Town. For about a year, cops were without a valuable tool they used to remove frequent suspected prostitutes from outer East Portland.

Then, on September 11, Mayor Tom Potter held a press conference at the Montavilla Community Center during which he vowed to curb street prostitution – a problem that had grown into being “intolerable”. CLICK HERE to read this EastPDXNews article.

Justin Cutler, Montavilla Neighborhood Association Vice Chair, welcomed neighbors to the second “Take Back 82nd Avenue” Town Hall meeting.

Neighborhood chair commends efforts
A few weeks ago, we checked in with Justin Cutler, chair of the Montavilla Neighborhood Association, and the person who facilitated the October 7 “Take Back 82nd Summit” to see if all of the publicity surrounding the issue had helped their cause.

“Overall, I feel as citizens we’ve made a difference. We have been working with Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman to form an oversight committee, and I’ve been to Local Public Safety Coordinating Council (LPSCC) meetings,” Cutler told us.

“It is our job a citizens to encourage public officials to make things happen,” Cutler continued. “We need to take ownership for our part – calling police when we see activity, being involved in the neighborhood association, and participating in foot patrols.”

Vigilant police efforts reduce prostitution
From mid-August through the first of December, officers had arrested 226 people suspected of engaging in prostitution activities. But, as we found on a recent ride-along with an anti-prostitution mission, the “johns” (customers) have kept cruising the streets looking for prostitutes – who themselves are willing to face another arrest – to service them.

As we drove back to the police station, our contact for the mission, East Precinct’s Sgt. David Golliday, explained, “What we want to do is get the prostitutes on probation, so we can use that to get them involved in social services. Soon, we should have sufficient bed space to get them off the street and help them learn life skills – so they can stay off the street and learn a normal lifestyle, or get back to one.”

Golliday reminded us that, as evidenced during our ride-along, the bureau is still providing aggressive enforcement. “And, with the District Attorney’s Office working diligently on these cases, and the judges accepting the DA’s request of putting these women on probation status – plus the social services aspect – it should really help reduce prostitution.”

J. R. Ujifusa, Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney and Asst. DA Jenna Plank speak plainly about the new way the City and County plan to combat street-level prostitution.

DAs explain how ‘new system’ works
From what we’ve gathered from our investigation, a person suspected of being involved in the act of prostitution (either the prostitute, or the john) is arrested. The suspected individual is tried in court, and perhaps is convicted. If the same individual is arrested, tried, and convicted a second time, they then may be sanctioned or treated.

“Prostitution cases can be problematic,” Multnomah County Asst. DA Jenna Plank told a group of citizens wanting to learn how Portland and the County propose to deal with prostitution. “We take all prosecutable cases sent from [anti-prostitution] missions run by the police department.”

“So, this ‘new process’ relies on judges to take these cases seriously?” we ask.

“The best practices are [for the police] to run a solid mission, using whatever laws or ordinances that are in effect,” Plank replied.  “This helps us build our best cases. Another thing that will help us put more pressure on the judges to help – both through public comment, and Judicial Watch” – so they know that the community is suffering because of this issue.”

Plank continued that, if judges perceive prostitution as a true public issue, they will respond appropriately. “I will be honest and say it might be rocky at first,” Plank continued, “because it is new and different. Yet, it’s very similar to the Prostitution-Free Zone ordinances. It’s not like we’re starting from ground zero. But, realistically, not all judges will do what we ask.”

Spinning a judicial ‘revolving-door’?
We asked, “Because this new plan hinges upon successful prosecution – and the DA’s office has a finite budget – can your office keep this from becoming a judicial ‘revolving-door’ when your office runs out of money, or when judges turn offenders over to Community Court?”

Plank responded, “Yes, we think we can do it. Right now, if we are presented a case that is provable – or if we think we can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt – we will prosecute it. The only added burden for us, under this plan, is when it comes down to the probation/violation phase.”

If found guilty, said Plank, the DA’s office asks judge put the individual on probation with “geographic restriction”. “If the defendant goes into that [geographic] area, they will get arrested for violating their probation.”

But Plank added that they “can’t keep charged individuals in custody”. Many of the accused don’t make their court dates. “Lots of warrants go out. If you look at the back of their worksheet you’ll see that the time from their arrest till the time of conviction is about six months. So, for these six months, [the suspects] will be out, essentially freely doing what they want to do. They will not have geographical restrictions on them until their case is settled.”

Assistant DA Plank is showing a chart that illustrates how prostitution cases will flow through the justice system under the current arrangement.

Treatment can be two years away
To make sure we understand the situation, we asked, “So, an individual must be caught-in-the-act with prosecutable evidence, arrested, and be successfully prosecuted and convicted twice before they’re legible for geographic restriction sanctions – or a treatment program? This could take a couple of years, right?”

“That is correct,” Plank stated.

“The first time a person is arrested on a prostitution charge,” continued Plank, “the case may go to Community Court.” She said, from memory, that about 30% of defendants opt for Community Court. “This could make every first-time offender say they want to go to Community Court [and thus, this arrest would not count as a first conviction]. We don’t know; and, we won’t know until we get started.”

Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney J. R. Ujifusa chimed in, “Keep in mind that we had a similar amount of cases under the Prostitution-free Zone ordinance. The system is set up a handle higher amount of cases.”

Beth Glisczinski, Director of Adult and Youth Addiction Services at LifeWorks NW, and Kathleen Treb, Acting Director for Community Justice, Multnomah County of Community Justice, look over details of a in-patient prostitution treatment program, as its coordinator, East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs looks on.

Treatment program in development
At an early December meeting of the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council at East Precinct, Beth Glisczinski, the Director of Adult and Youth Addiction Services at LifeWorks NW, and Kathleen Treb, Acting Director for Community Justice, Multnomah County of Community Justice, attended with other committee members.

Talking about the treatment program for prostitutes, Glisczinski told us, “This is intended to be an intervention program for women who got in trouble with the law because of their prostitution-related activities.”

LifeWorks NW proposed a “truly integrated approach to meeting the needs of these women, addressing their mental health and addiction needs, and helping them rebuild a life – a life of recovery and stability and security,” Glisczinski said.

She added that her organization ran a similar program between 1997 and 2007. “It fell victim to budget cuts; it’s been inactive for about a year and a half.”

Their new program offers an “addiction component” and a “recovery mentor” process that were not in the original treatment program.

“A recovery mentor,” Glisczinski explained, “is someone who is been there, done that – and someone who is in recovery from chemical dependency or some other issue. We also require that they be in recovery from their involvement with the criminal justice system and are now turning their life around – and will provide their experience, insights and support the people are trying to do the same thing.”

We’ll bring you more details about this treatment program as they become available.

Members gather for a meeting of the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council at East Precinct the first week in December.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

We may never know for certain if the dead man police found holed-up in a Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood garage actually robbed the Advantis Credit Union. Read this, and learn why he’s still their prime suspect …

As SERT officers gathered around a house a half-mile to the north, the Advantis Credit Union was open for business after their morning robbery.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
A man sporting a thin mustache carried a black briefcase with him, as he strode into the Advantis Credit Union at 3717 SE 17th Avenue, directly across from Portland General Electric’s SE Portland district offices in the Brooklyn neighborhood on December 19 at 10:45 a.m.

It soon became obvious that this fellow, described as being just under than 5’9″ tall, and in his early 30s – clad in a dark-colored baseball hat, blue-and-black rain jacket, and gloves – was there to make a withdrawal of the unauthorized and illegal kind.

He didn’t use a gun; he made his demands known by presenting a note to a credit union. The robber walked out the door with an undisclosed amount of cash stashed in his valise just moments later.

Joining the 20 Portland Police Bureau officers already on scene was about 50 SERT officers ordered into the neighborhood.

SERT Activated
Because the Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of all bank robbery investigations – and they frown on media attention during their on-site investigations – many such heists are only reported as a police blotter item.

But, as some 20 Portland Police Bureau officers set up a perimeter around a house in inner SE Portland – and ordered in their Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) officers – we took notice. They were dispatched to a detached garage at a house, north of the credit union across S.E. Powell and the Union Pacific tracks, on SE Woodward Street, between SE 15th and SE 16th Avenues.

With the property surrounded, police feel confident that the person they were seeking was still in the garage to which they’d tracked him earlier in the day.

Tear gas deployed
We learned from police records that at 11:23 a.m. police established that a Jeep Cherokee was associated with the holdup.

Hours later, an officer at the scene of the SERT callout told us that cops successfully tracked the alleged hold-up man from the credit union to the property they’d surrounded. “We’re confident the individual is still in the garage,” he said.

The officer suggested that we move from our position, downwind from the subject’s location. “We’re about to deploy tear gas,” he warned. We moved promptly.

Looking north on SE 16th Ave., the SERT officers prepare to deploy tear gas into a detached garage of a house.

“SERT deployed gas at 6:02 p.m.,” police spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz told us. “When they entered the garage, they found a suspect dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

The question remains: Is the dead man found in the garage the credit union robber?

Our calls to the FBI have not been returned; Schmautz said SERT was being used to assist the FBI, and not to further a Police Bureau investigation, and that further information would have to come from the tight-lipped FBI. So, far, it hasn’t.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Did the bad weather keep you from donating? It’s not too late to help out the Portland Fire & Rescue Toy and Joy Makers. Find out why and how, right here …

Portland Fire & Rescue Firefighter Specialist Bruce Thompson drives the waterborne sleigh for Inspector Mike “Santa” O’Keefe.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
On the crisp, clear morning of December 4, more than one person gazing at the Willamette River from inner SE Portland was astonished to see jolly old St. Nick speeding north, from near OMSI to the fire dock under the Hawthorne Bridge, astride a powerful personal watercraft with Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) markings.

“Santa came early, on Jet-Ski,” explained, PF&R spokesman, Lt. Allen Oswalt. “Sleds don’t work well without snow; so to deliver a check to Toy-N-Joy Makers, we gave him a lift to help deliver a $2,000 check from the Fire Chief’s Association to them.”

Off they go on, on their mission to help the Toy and Joy Makers.

Started in SE Portland
While the Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) Toy and Joy Makers current facility today sits on the Gresham city borderline in outer East Portland, the program started 94 years ago in Sellwood, at the fire station now designated Station 20.

“In 1914, close to Christmastime, a child was crying, looking at his broken wagon as he stood in front of the Sellwood district fire station,” related Oswalt. “The sight touched a firefighter’s heart – he so he brought the little boy into the station, and fixed the wagon for him. That was the act that kicked off what has become the Toy and Joy Makers.”

The idea caught on, and one by one, until the early 1980s, different fire stations had different assignments – one would fix bicycles and another would refurbish wagons, explained Oswalt. The firefighters would stockpile parts, repaint broken toys, and return them to as new a condition as possible.

“Nowadays, with the addition of new equipment, there isn’t the room to for firefighters to repair broken toys,” Oswalt went on. “So, to keep the tradition alive, we ask that people donate new, unwrapped toys.”

At the PF&R dock at Station 7, Inspector Mike “Santa” O’Keefe presents a check to the bureau’s Toy and Joy Makers “head elf”, Dean Johnston.

3,000,000 toys and counting
Dean Johnston, retired firefighter, and now the “chief elf” the organization met us at Station 20, to talk about the program.

“We work with organizations to make sure the toy-giving is not duplicated by other agencies and charities – thus making the ‘joy’ go farther,” said Johnston. “With the help and support of the community, we’ll be giving away about 10,000 toys to underprivileged kids this year; we’ve distributed more than 3 million toys since we began.”

Most needed toys noted
Now that this year’s toy supply has been depleted, they’re looking to start filling their warehouse for Christmas, 2009. “There is a special need for infant toys (Fisher Price, Playskool), due to the large lead-based paint recall of toys last year,” noted Johnston.
They’re also looking for toys suitable for older girls, ages nine through 13. Suggested toys include craft kits for jewelry-making, beads, friendship bracelets, books, and games.  Please do NOT donate make-up (even “play” make-up), or clothing.

Behind the scenes: Santa gets grilled by Portland’s TV station reporters who were all respectful as they questioned jolly St. Nick.

After Christmas donations gratefully accepted
Many parents help their children learn the value of giving by having the kids help pick out toys to be donated, Oswalt commented. “If the bad weather kept you and your family from dropping off new, unwrapped toys at fire stations, consider a cash donation. Because the organization can buy toys at wholesale, it really stretches the value of monetary donations. 98% of the money given goes to toys for kids.”

Financial contributions can be made online at their website. CLICK HERE to go there right now! You’ll be glad you did — and you may get a deduction on your income taxes if you contribute before the end of the year.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See why this industrial-strength swing set appeals to both kids and adults – but, it’s only there till January …

The artist and inventor of the OMSI installation, Jennifer Steinkamp, shows visitors this swing-set is also for adults. Typically, participants are seated facing the screen!

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
In addition to unlocking the mystery within Mindbender Mansion’s teasing puzzles, you can also get into the swing of things at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s first-ever art installation.

At the top of the escalator on the west wall of OMSI’s Earth Science Hall you’ll find an “interactive swing set” – built sturdily enough to accommodate full-sized adults – with a giant projection screen and audio system, for their newest attraction called “Anything You Can Do”.

“This is the first time that OMSI has done a formal art installation,” commented OMSI’s Communications Director, Lee Dawson. “It’s a dynamic, kinetic piece of art with which people can interact – a feature that’s really important to us.”

It’s a swing set; but, as we observed, it interacts with high technology. “This swing is tied in with visuals and sound effects,” Dawson noted.

Each of the two swings control a layer of the image, and each have its own soundtrack. As the participants swing, the two video layers combine to form a single image. There are progressively-changing sounds for each of the movements, and the experience is heightened through participation and play.

Meet the artist
Jennifer Steinkamp, the artist (or should we say inventor) of the exhibit, was visiting Portland form her home in Los Angeles, California, when we came to see the installation.

“‘Anything you can do, I can do better’ was a song my mother used to sing – almost as a competitive mantra,” Steinkamp said, about her work’s title. “Ideas for many of my works have come into my head in response to song titles or hooks.”

The best thing about her animated swing set, Steinkamp told us, is “Watching people have fun and play. I like for people to have a new experience; I guess that’s what OMSI is all about, right?”

Audio track composer Jimmy Johnson joins Steinkamp to get competitive, while swinging on “Anything You Can Do”.

Technology behind the fun
What makes it work, Steinkamp disclosed, is a computer program that accepts input from sensors on the swings. “They’re like turn-knobs. One set of sensors tracks the swing’s actual back-and-forth swinging motion. The other set measures side-to-side or twisting motion. This input controls the visual images and sounds you hear when you swing.”

The artist introduced her “composer”, Jimmy Johnson, who explained, “I created the sounds, decided where they should go, and when they should happen – as one would compose music. The sounds are all generated with computer code.”

Artist challenges reporter
After showing how the interactive art installation worked, Steinkamp narrowed her eyes, raised her voice, and challenged this reporter, “You aren’t really going to report and write about this without swinging on it – ARE YOU?”

“Is this an official throw-down?” we asked

She nodded her head, crossed her arms, and waited while we set down our camera and mounted the industrial-strength swing set.

Steinkamp looked both surprised and pleased when we leaned back, and pumped the swing high into the air. The stereo speakers on the cross-bar emitted ethereal swishes. The higher we swung, the more animated the music, and the larger the graphics on the giant rear-projection screen in front of us.

Twisting in the swing, while in the air, changed the sounds and images on the screen. Looking up, we saw the silhouette of a family strolling between the screen and the projector, adding to the installation’s interactive feel.

Even adult visitors are more than welcome to climb aboard the swing-set to try out OMSI’s first-ever interactive art installation.

Limited time
The “Anything You Can Do” interactive art installation will be at OMSI through the ending of the museum’s Mindbender Mansion exhibition, scheduled to close in January, Dawson said. “But it may stay a little longer, depending how well our members accept it.”

For more information on the artist, see her web site at www.jsteinkamp.com. To learn more about OMSI, visit www.omsi.edu.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See why Portland YouthBuilders’ students, staff members, and folks from ROSE Community Development all celebrated the positive results of this project …

Nick Sauvie, Executive Director of Rose Community Development Corp, and PYB Project Manager Bill Kowalczyk, tell about the importance of this project to their respective organizations.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Earlier this year, a unique outer East Portland educational institution, Portland YouthBuilders (PYB), broke ground and started building a new single-family house in the Lents Neighborhood. (Read more about the project and PYB by CLICKING HERE.)

Students and their families, instructors, and representatives from the developer, ROSE Community Development Corp., got together at the newly-completed home on December 10th to celebrate their accomplishment.

Turns tax-foreclosed property into community asset
“We first acquired the property in 2003,” noted Nick Sauvie, Executive Director of ROSE Community Development Corp. “With the help of Portland Community Land Trust, we are able to sort through a variety of issues and get started earlier this year.”

Sauvie said that ROSE was the project’s contractor and developer. “We got PYB involved as the builder; they provide training and career development opportunities for young people.”

The third partner in this project is Portland Community Land Trust (PCLT), Sauvie added. “Their participation makes sure that this home will be owner-occupied, and permanently affordable to moderate-income families.” (CLICK HERE to learn more about the PCLT,)

PYB instructor beams with pride
The building project manager, PYB’s Bill Kowalczyk, was all smiles at the open house. He recalled talking with us as their crew prepared to pour the home’s foundation earlier. “It’s really a fun thing to see a house be built from the ground up. And it’s rewarding to watch the kids transform into better citizens, as they go through the process of building a house.”

Kowalczyk noted that he observed students as they walked around the completed house. “You can see they feel moved by what they accomplished, and are incredibly proud of their work. A couple of our students are ready to move out of the program and into their next steps in life. I’m really excited about that for them.”

PYB is important, Kowalczyk said, because he feels that many of students are not fully served by the school system, and by society. “We are a school that provides a structure, a learning environment, where there is lots of interaction between staff and students. It helps them grow as people.”

Alex Butler, a student with Portland YouthBuilders, says the program helped him learn new skills and stay out of gangs.

Builds a new life while building a home
Outside the new home, we spoke with PYB student Alex Butler. “I’ve had a little experience, but I’ve learned a lot in this program. I’ve worked on landscaping, and doing trim finishing,” Butler said.

Butler credited his mother for going into – and returning to – PYB. “I got involved after I heard about it from a friend of mine; he said it was a good for people who dropped out of school. Coming here help me get rid of a lot of bad habits. I left the first time; I kept being late.”

His mom urged him to go back and try again, Butler said. “I was influenced to hang out in gangs. I would probably be out ‘banging it’ if not for PYB. I have a friend – he’s like the big brother to me, who I don’t have – but he’s in jail. He’s been telling me to stay with this, and not to join the gangs. I look up to him, and I took his advice and stayed with the program.”

Program builds character
In parting, Kowalczyk told us, “The most important thing we teach students is patterns of behavior that help students succeed when they come out our program. We don’t really focus on teaching sophisticated construction skills. We focus on the basics, and also help provide experiences that help kids become good workers and good citizens.”

If you know of a student, or a family with a student, who could benefit from the Portland YouthBuilder program, visit their website by CLICKING HERE.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

If you haven’t noticed, this story is unfolding just outside your door – and been on TV for the past week. Here’s our take on the situation …

Sledding down this East Portland hill was occasionally interrupted by folks who had to get out in their trucks to drive around during the height of the snow storm.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
We can’t ignore the weather – it interrupted Christmas plans for everyone in East Portland. Those that must work struggled to find a way to their place of employment. Schools, alternately open and closed as the weather changed by the hour, had to be maintained during the storm.

The snow was deep and beautiful, looking out behind the East Portland News and www.eastPDXnews.com international headquarters in SE Portland.

The East Portland News Cruiser remains under feet of snow and ice during the worst of the storm.

Snowiest of Decembers
This winter storm didn’t bring the coldest weather on record, according to Charles Dalton meteorologist intern at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service is located in outer East Portland on NE 122nd Avenue, just south of NE Airport Way.

“Typically, we see temperatures in the low- to mid-40s,” Dalton told us today. “We were 10º to 15º below normal – quite a way from breaking any records.”

But the snowstorm that started on December 19 is a record-breaker, Dalton added. “From the 19th through the 25th, this is pretty much a 40 year event. This has been our snowiest December on record. It really compares to the deepest snowfall on record – the storm in January 1950 with 42” measured at the airport.

Your editor discovers that the East Portland News Weather Deck is snowed in!

Along with a break in the weather on Christmas Eve day came shoppers – hoards of them – whether or not they were equipped to drive in winter weather conditions.

White Christmas after all
Mother Nature gave forecasters the Bronx-cheer on Christmas Day.

Instead of balmy temperatures and warm rain to scour out the snow and ice still clinging to Portland area streets as predicted, fringed Arctic wind swept south, and then west through the Columbia Gorge midday, changing the rain into final blast of snow and sleet.

What are the forecasters saying about this week’s upcoming weather? Regardless when you read this, you can always get the up-to-date forecast from the National Weather Service for outer East Portland by CLICKING HERE. Or, enter the Zip Code at the top of the page to see the 7-day forecast for any location in the country.

The day after Christmas, most major highways and freeways were drivable. Side streets remained almost impassable.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See what happened when these young craftsmen turned their attention to making toys for disadvantaged kids – instead of producing gifts for their own family and friends …

David Douglas High School instructor Jeff Reardon shows the process flow chart that he and his class members developed to help them successfully manufacture 100 wooden toys in a very short period of time.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
One of the few high schools that haven’t axed classes in practical skills – such as woodworking and metal shop – is David Douglas High School.

“Our Woods Manufacturing Program is one of the school’s eight ‘Career Paths’ that are available,” said instructor Jeff Reardon as we met in his office overlooking the woodshop floor to get way from the noise made by saws, drills, and sanders, operated by students.

DDHS student Gerardo Ruiz cuts out wheels for toy trucks using a drill press.

Manufacturing opportunity appears
“I was looking for a manufacturing project for our students,” Reardon began. “The questions that come up are, ‘What do we make?’ and ‘Where do we get the materials?’ and “Who will the customer be?'”

These questions were answered by Gig Lewis, who is with the Guild of Oregon Woodworkers. Explained Reardon, “He asked if we’d like to be involved in a special project. They would provide the plans and material for the project.” The product turned out to be a toy truck.

Members of the Guild, Reardon noted, had been making hand-crafted wooden toys, destined for the Marine’s Toy-and-Joy drive, for three years. “We had six weeks to design a manufacturing process, and produce them.”

It takes teamwork, coordination, and good communications, documenting what is to be done to run a manufacturing operation, Reardon said. “We’ve created a list of the parts for our project, and a process. These are valuable skills to build high-quality products, whether you manufacturing in wood, metal, or plastics.

Students like Max Basarava discover and utilize methods for mass-producing toys –like sanding dozens of wheels at one time.

Experienced young woodworkers rise to challenge
Once they’d completed their production methods, the classmembers got to work. “These students have been in the program for two to three years; they know how to operate the woodworking equipment. What they’re learning is how to mass-produce a product – instead of making an individual project.”

The eleven students in Reardon’s class worked diligently to meet their goal of producing 100 finished units. “That’s quite a few – for example, they need to make 400 wooden wheels. And, there are 14 parts in each toy.”

Geonard Castaneda, Kevin Orszulak, Mr. Reardon, and Anatoliy Pshenichnykh check the production schedule at the end of a class period.

Student volunteers pitch in
All David Douglas students are required to provide several hours of volunteer time, Reardon explained. To make sure that Santa’s bag wouldn’t be light by a few toys, Reardon said he asked teachers of other Career Pathways to ask their students to volunteer on the project.

“The response was great,” the instructor said. “Many of our volunteers, like those from the Arts and Communications group – your future reporters and editors, someday – had never done woodworking. They came in and sanded their hearts out. We could not have done it without them.”

On December 9, the class had their trucks finished and ready for delivery. Because of their efforts, 100 youngsters will be having fun with toys made for them by older kids, right here in outer East Portland.

Student project manager Chris Becker approves of the quality of this finished toy truck before it is packaged.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

What’s going on with the weather? Find out what the government’s meteorologist – located on NE 122nd Avenue – has to say. And, take a behind-the-scenes look at what school superintendents go through every morning when winter weather is uncertain …

Should school be open or not? That’s the question Parkrose Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Karen Fischer Gray faces early in the day, on every stormy, winter morning.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
While the TV meteorologists grin and giggle their way through winter weather forecasts, school superintendents fret and frown when icy winds bring the threat of snow and freezing rain to their districts.

Dr. Karen Fischer Gray, Superintendent of the Parkrose School District, told us what she’s been going through, when we visited her on December 18 at the district office. On this morning, Parkrose schools were open and running – even though a blizzard hit during the morning hours – and, blanketed the neighborhood with three inches of snow.

“At my home this morning – and I live within my school district – we had clear streets, there was no snow on the grass,” Gray said. “By the time I got to work, it started snowing.”

Up early on ‘snow’ days
On that morning, Gray said she was up at 4:45 a.m. “All of the school superintendents talk among themselves during weather like this. We are not making [school closure] decisions in a vacuum. My first call was to Bob McKean, Superintendent of the Centennial School District. In many cases, we make a uniform decision.”

Also that morning, Gray was checking in with her district’s maintenance and transportation supervisors. “They were out at 4 a.m. checking the streets of Parkrose, trying to see what the weather conditions were. They were perfect; it was 35° and no snow.”

On NE Sacramento Street, just outside Sacramento Elementary School, the wind was blowing in a blizzard of snow – but it, like all Parkrose area schools, were open for the day on December 18. By noon, most of the snow melted and the roads were fairly clear.

Says ‘Safety First’
When making decisions about whether or not to cancel a day of schooling, safety comes first, Gray told us. “Nothing else comes close to assuring the safety of our students.  If we can get students safely to school, we know that they’ll be safe here. We don’t take any foreseeable chances – and we do this to the best of our ability.”

While student safety is paramount, Gray went on, it’s not like there isn’t a price to pay for “snow days off” during the school year.

“We are required to have 405 hours of education for kindergarten students; 810 hours grades one through three; 900 hours of instruction for grades four through eight; and 990 hours of instruction for high school students,” the superintendent explained.

Balancing educational hours – and budget dollars
“The law allows us only 14 hours of closure due to ‘severe weather’ that does not count against these instructional hours,” said Gray. “So far, we are within our hours. If we have any more weather closures, we may add the days onto the end of the school year.  It’s not just about hours; it’s about high-quality instruction. That’s a conversation we will have to have our school board.”

And, a “snow day off” isn’t without monetary cost to the district, either, we learned.

“During bad weather days, we still have to heat and maintain our facilities, and pay our staff,” explained Gray. “There is no financial saving when we close our schools; without a doubt, we do take a hit. Money still has to go out.”

Looking like a Currier & Ives painting, NE 112th Avenue in Parkrose is covered in snow.

Meteorologist explains winter storms
Although many don’t know it, the Portland office for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service is located in outer East Portland on NE 122nd Avenue, just south of NE Airport Way.

NOAA meteorologist, Tiffani Brown, talked with us about our wacky weather. “Over the past week we had a couple of good storms. Last weekend we had a good arctic blast bringing cool temperatures to outer East Portland.”

The reason for the continuing snow, sleet and cold rain is: “We can’t get rid of the low-level cold air,” Brown commented. “So, as different weather systems come through our area, we have snow, or a combination of snow and rain.”

Because outer East Portland is relatively low-lying and flat, here we’ve seen less snow and freezing rain than the West Hills, the meteorologist added.

East Portland resident Jill Budde says she loves snow days!

A white Christmas?
As it stands – subject to change, of course – Brown said that while we can expect a harsh snow-filled weekend, a warming trend will then come into the area, with a 40º high temperature on Christmas Day – and good ole’ fashioned Oregon rain.

Regardless when you read this, you can always get the up-to-date forecast from the National Weather Service for outer East Portland by CLICKING HERE. Or, enter the Zip Code at the top of the page to see the 7-day forecast for any location in the country.

PDOT gears up a weekend of bad winter weather

A City of Portland truck, equipped with plow and sander, clears the intersection of SE 122nd Avenue and SE Division Street.

Portland Bureau of Transportation spokesperson Cheryl Kuck said their crews have been working hard since Sunday morning, December 14 – and are using the comparatively mild conditions at week’s end to rest up and prepare for what’s next.

“The City is scheduled to return to ‘full callout status’ on Saturday evening to respond to the next storm front predicted to hit the region later Saturday,” stated Kuck. “Temperatures will be dropping well below freezing on Sunday, with hazardous road conditions possibly continuing until mid-week.”

Although road conditions were relatively good Friday, Kuck advised that any sudden drop in temperature will make wet roads slick. “Slushy snow will turn to ice, making conditions hazardous. There is a big difference between 33 degrees and 31 degrees in terms of road conditions, and Sunday could bring temperatures in the 20s and teens.”

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See what we’ve found out about two homicides – in the Hazelwood and the Centennial neighborhoods. And, get the TRUE story about how the police bureau’s spokesman helped capture one of the suspected murderers …

Throughout the day, detectives carefully look for evidence at a house, here in the northeast corner of the Hazelwood neighborhood.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Some folks are calling December 15th “Bloody Monday”. Two individuals – one in a home in outer East Portland’s Hazelwood neighborhood, the other in a house trailer in the Centennial area –violently lost their lives.

Death in Hazelwood
A resident on NE 143rd Avenue, between E. Burnside and NE Glisan Streets, noticed his neighbor hadn’t been around, so he went over and checked to see how he was dong.

“8:12 am, Portland Police Bureau East Precinct officers were called to the 100 block of NE 143rd Avenue, after a man found the body of his neighbor,” reported the bureau’s Public Information Officer (PIO), Sergeant Brian Schmautz.

There was evidence of homicidal violence at the scene; Homicide Detectives were called to conduct an investigation,” Schmautz added.

His neighbor found this man, 67-year-old Howard Curtiss Olson, dead of ‘homicidal violence’ in his Hazelwood home.

“An autopsy, conducted by the Multnomah County Medical Examiner determined that Olson died of Homicidal Violence,” Schmautz told us the following day. “The victim has been identified as 67-year-old Howard Curtiss Olson. For investigative reasons, detectives are withholding specific information about the cause of death.”

As this investigation continues, you are asked to call Detective Steve Ober at (503) 823-4033 or Detective Jim McCausland at (503) 823-0449, if you have information about this case.

Suspected Centennial-area murderers nabbed

Here at Mobile Estates, in the Centennial neighborhood, the sound of gunshots prompt citizens to call police on what turned out to be a murder. The pickup truck seen exiting the park is NOT related to this case.

While officers were beginning to investigate the Hazelwood murder, at 9:26 am on December 15, someone heard shots ring out at about a mile to the south in the Centennial neighborhood.

When police arrived at the at the Mobile Estates trailer park in the 16700 block of SE Division Street, officers found the body of a deceased man in his mid to late forties.

Homicide Detectives were called to conduct an investigation, and witnesses described several people – and a car – they believed to be involved in the shooting.

Sgt. Brian Schmautz, here talking with reporters at a crime scene, earlier in the year.

PIO helps capture gun-toting suspect
Sgt. Schmautz told us that he was driving from the earlier homicide, and pulled up to the trailer park when officers noticed a vehicle that matched the description given by witnesses.

“One of the suspects jumped out of the car, and started running down the sidewalk,” related Schmautz. “He was seen carrying a gun. I was paralleling him, ready to help officers on scene set up a perimeter to contain the suspect.”

The suspect did a U-turn in the parking lot, trying to get away. “I could see him through the arborvitae, running right toward me. I waited until the suspect was 15 or 20 feet from me, and then stepped into his path,” Schnautz continued.

When the suspect saw Schmautz’s drawn service revolver, he stopped running. Another officer ran to join Schmautz and provide cover. “The suspect would not keep his hands up, and away from his body. I was concerned because he had been seen with a gun just a few minutes before.”

The covering officer handed Schmautz his Tazer – who used it.  And shortly after being shocked, the suspect complied and gave up.

Not all of this story has been told correctly by others – but now, you know exactly how it happened that the Police Department’s spokesman became a key part of a story he was on scene to help reporters cover.

“Really, none of this is about me,” Schmautz said modestly. “I just did one little part. Officers were there before I arrived – and for hours after it happened – examining the crime scene and talking to people in the area. I happened to be in place a place where I could help out.”

This trio, nabbed by cops, includes 22-year-old Lindsey Michelle Criss, charged with one count of Aggravated Murder; and 33-year-old Jason Ray Jarrell and 40-year-old Verneal Jones, both charged with one count of Murder.

Police say this man, 48-year-old Joe Frank Cruz, was shot to death at the Mobile Estates trailer park.

Dies from gunshot wound
“The Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s autopsy determined that the victim, 48-year-old Joe Frank Cruz, died from a gunshot wound,” Schmautz later stated. “For investigative reasons, investigators are withholding additional information in this investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Brian Grose at (503) 823-0757, or Detective Bryan Steed at (503) 823-0395.”

Late in the afternoon, officers and detectives work the Division Street crime scene, using the Community Policing Mobile Precinct as their headquarters.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Congratulations to ‘Spirit of Portland” award winners Linda Robinson, Richard Kiely, and Sgt. Anderson & Officer Baldwin! Find out why they were honored, right here …

The Portland City Council assembles, and Mayor Tom Potter (seated, center) prepares to give his opening remarks at the awards ceremony.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The Portland City Council chambers were packed to overflowing on December 11 as the “Spirit of Portland Awards” ceremony got underway.

Starting off the program, Mayor Tom Potter told the throng, “This is a time when we gather to honor our communities and heroes; we call it the Portland of Spirit Awards. I’m glad you’ll be able to meet some absolutely wonderful honorees today.”

After he outlined how the program would proceed, Potter said, “This is a wonderful day at the Portland City Council; in fact, this is a wonderful day for Portland.”

Independent Spirit Award: Linda Robinson

-2 Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman presents Linda Robinson her Spirit of Portland Independent Spirit award.

Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman presented the award, saying:

“Linda Robinson is a retiree with more civic projects than you can imagine. Her passion for civic engagement developed when she began volunteering during a mid-life career change 20 years ago. Early experiences as a founding member of the Columbia Slough Watershed Council and her work with the “Naturescaping for Clean Rivers” program, demonstrated the importance of citizen involvement – and the earlier, the better. She advocates tirelessly for good process.

“While Linda has had many volunteer interests (the airport, urban renewal, local elections, water quality, tree preservation, invasive species), her work has focused on parks. As a founding member of the East Portland Parks Coalition, she works knowledgeably and advocates effectively for East Portland Parks and open spaces. Also, she chairs the City Wide Parks Team, the Parks Committee for the Hazelwood Neighborhood Association, and the Parks Subcommittee for the Gateway Urban Renewal Area. She served on Metro’s Green spaces Policy Advisory Committee, and has committed countless hours to successful bond measure campaigns. She has served on numerous other park committees, including budget, master plan, ParkScan, and, skate park siting committees, and the Parks SDC Update Task Force. Linda is not just another meeting attendee; she takes initiative, accepts responsibility, and follows through.

“Community building is another focus for her – creating places and events that bring diverse groups together, such as Concerts at Ventura Park, and at the Hazelwood Hydro Park.  Linda is also spearheading work on Gateway Green, which will provide much-needed green space, a re-branding tool, and a community gathering place for East Portland.”

Linda Robinson thanks her supporters, and pitches participation in her project committees.

Robinson thanked Saltzman, the City Council, and the committee, for the award. She then thanked her husband, David, for supporting her activities. “Anyone who wants to talk to me later about the Gateway Green project, or about Portland Parks – we’re always looking for people who are interested and want to be involved!”

When we caught up with Robinson later, she remarked, “You know, a person involved with Portland’s bicycle transportation planning did come up and talk to me about Gateway Green after the reception!” (To learn more about Gateway Green, CLICK HERE to read our article.)

Robinson said she had been nominated for the award in the past “But it came as a surprise when I got the e-mail notifying me that I won the award this year. It’s exciting. It’s good that people notice that one is trying to go good things.”

She added that being bestowed this award may help her draw attention to East Portland issues upon which she is working. “What I’ve learned is that it takes patience, persistence, and collaboration to get things done. You’ve got to keep at it.”

Small Business Award:
Richard Kiely, Home Run Graphics

Mayor-elect Sam Adams presents the Small Business Award to Richard Kiley, owner of Home Run Graphics.

“Richard Kiley, owner of Home Run Graphics, has volunteered his time, resources and skills to help build a stronger community in Southeast Portland,” said Mayor-elect Sam Adams as he presented the award. “He exemplifies business partnering with the local community to provide more livable and safer neighborhoods through public service, fun and entertainment.

“He and his company have been involved with numerous events, including the East Portland Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament; the Fun on Foster event; the 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade; Montavilla International Days; and the Portland Teen Idol project that includes 350 teenagers from all over the city, and from varied cultural backgrounds.  He shows his pride in all of them as if they were his own children.

“He stepped up and raised $1,000 for the inner East Portland Mount Hood Little League when their equipment was stolen and as a fundraiser for the Youth Missions at Faith Center Christian Church.

“Kiely is also well known for donating funds and time to produce the “Screen on the Green” movies in city parks that brought together 31,000 Portlanders to enjoy free entertainment in their own neighborhood.

“He regularly participates in park clean-ups in the Brentwood-Darlington Neighborhood, and was a key player – shovel in hand, with his wife Gail and other neighborhood leaders – in the building of Hazeltine Park for less than $26,000.

“Kiley believes in Portland and in his neighborhood. His unselfish contributions truly help make this city shine.”

Kiely accepts the award saying simply, “This is very nice.”

Kiely, who is, or has been, on numerous nonprofit organization boards, is also a past vice president of his neighborhood association.

After the ceremony, Kiely was beaming with an ear-to-ear smile and told us, “I’ve had an absolutely wonderful time participating in all of these activities. I didn’t realize how much time I put into community projects [until they were recounted here,] because I have so much fun doing it.  Seeing people draw together as a community, it makes it all worthwhile.”

While he said he’s very pleased to be recognized for his efforts, Kiely added, “Seeing families and neighbors draw together as a community makes it all worthwhile.”

Community Policing Award:
Sergeant Jon Anderson and Officer Greg Baldwin

Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman congratulates the East Precinct Sergeant Anderson and Officer Baldwin for their work to establish a Parkrose substation.

“In the true spirit of community policing, Sergeant Jon Anderson and Officer Greg Baldwin saw a need, and they filled it,” said Commissioner Dan Saltzman as he gave them their awards. “They converted an empty office space into a neighborhood police contact office, where residents could meet with officers, find community resources, and provide a safe place for officers patrolling the area to eat lunch, read reports, and meet with neighbors.

“With the generosity of the Rossi family, who leases the space to the Portland Police Bureau for one dollar a year, the officers spent many months of off-duty time to transform the vacant space into a welcoming community contact office.

“Situated at Northeast Sandy Boulevard and NE 111th Avenue – in an area that has seen drugs, prostitution, and other illegal activity over the years – the office serves residents and businesses in special ways. First, the presence of more police officers stopping at the office has fostered a safe feeling in the community. Second, neighbors are becoming a part of the all-volunteer office staffed by Elders in Action, and become more involved in their community. And last, businesses have gotten involved by donating goods and services for the office renovation project.

“It is one of the Elders in Action volunteers put it so well, the new neighborhood contact office ‘it’s an opportunity to put a face on the badge’. Once fertile farmland, the Parkrose community has grown into a culturally rich and diverse community. With an investment of time and resources, and the gift of their collaboration, Sergeant Jon Anderson and Officer Greg Baldwin and created a legacy that will live on in this community for many years.”

Officer Greg Baldwin (left) thanks the greater Parkrose community for helping out with donations of material and labor.

After the awards, Baldwin told us, “The most important thing is to acknowledge the group effort that went into this project. The friendships that have developed between myself and the community mean a lot to me – these are lifelong relationships that have come about because of this project.”

In the upper City Council chamber, we spotted part of the East Portland cheering section:  Arlene Kimura, Hazelwood Neighborhood Chair; Portland City Councilor-elect Amanda Fritz; community activist Mike Vander Veen; and the Chair of the Woodland Hills Neighborhood Association – as well as member of the Parkrose School District Board – Alesia Reese.

Congratulations to the Spirit of Award winners!

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Street-sex Update: See how consistent police presence, and neighbor participation, have reduced the number of street prostitutes working 82nd Avenue of Roses. But, read this and you’ll find prostitution hasn’t left the avenue completely …

Driven by a never-ending supply of customers – such as this fellow, suspected of soliciting prostitution, and being taken of to jail to be booked – street-level prostitution will continue, albeit at a reduced level, even with the efforts of police, neighbors, and the judicial system.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
All during the summer, blatant prostitution flourished along 82nd Avenue of Roses…until neighbors and business people made their voices heard – and demanded action.

Crime stats show improvement
The payoff: Gone are the gaudily-dressed women wearing outrageous makeup, strutting up and down 82nd Avenue in four-inch heels, arm-in-arm with their “pimp-daddy”.

Between mid-August and mid-October, officers arrested 148 individuals including 56 johns, 88 prostitutes, and one individual promoting prostitution activity, reported Portland Police spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz.

When we talked with PPB East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs this week, he told us officers made 78 arrests during prostitution-related sweeps between mid-October and the first of December. “While our officers were observing prostitution-related activities and consequently spoke with arrested subjects, some of those arrested were picked up for outstanding warrants – not necessarily prostitution activities,” Crebs clarified.

“We’ve seen a decrease in prostitution-related activity on 82nd Avenue,” confirmed Crebs. “We’ve seen fewer arrests due to enforcement –and the weather. But, some are still out there.”

Although prostitution has declined, some alleged prostitutes – like this woman, being handcuffed by undercover officers – are still refusing to stop their street soliciting.

Still selling sex along the avenue
To get a feel for what’s happening now along 82nd Avenue, we rode along in an unmarked police cruiser with East Precinct’s Sgt. David Golliday – joining a team of police officers running an anti-prostitution mission, a couple of weeks ago.

At different times, Golliday said, he’s been working such missions over the last 4 ½ years.

Looking back over the summer months, Golliday said he’d witnessed the marked increase in street prostitution first-hand. “With that came more crime issues, livability issues, and more complaints from both neighbors and businesses. And, we’ve had more violence. We’ve had two alleged pimps killed – and prostitutes have been assaulted.”

Prostitution allegedly in progress
As “spotters” report known prostitutes on the police radio – and those behaving as if they are trying to pick up customers – we watched a fairly young woman, reportedly on the stroll, look around at passing cars.

She hopped into a late-model BMW, which ended up in a motel parking lot just south of SE Holgate Boulevard. She got out of the car and walked briskly toward the motel office. Instead of going in to rent a room, she broke out into a full run around the side of the building, southbound on the sidewalk.

With a $100 bill allegedly still in her pocket, this young woman didn’t rent a room at the hotel like she told her “friend” in the car she would – but instead ran next door into an auto parts store restroom, and started trying to change her appearance.

Takes the money and runs
The woman took no notice of the unmarked police car, and almost ran over our hood in the way to the auto parts store next door. Golliday followed her into the store; employees say she locked herself in the employee restroom. The sergeant tapped lightly on the restroom door and asks softly, “Hey, are you all right in there? We’re worried about you. Are you sure you’re OK? Please open the door.”

The young woman opened the door and looked very surprised to see Golliday.

The driver of the BMW told officers the fleeing woman was “a friend of his”. When the gravity of the situation became evident to the man, he was asked if the $100 bill found in the woman’s possession was his, he said that it was. He seemed surprised to learn that the woman had not gone into the hotel, but instead, took off running when she was out of his sight, and was caught trying to change her appearance.

The driver of this BMW lost more than his $100 – his car is now being towed because he was charged with soliciting prostitution.

Shows she “knows the system”
Until the woman suspected of soliciting prostitution – or, on this occasion, being a rip-off artist – could be transported in another squad car, she was temporarily seated in the back of Golliday’s vehicle.

At first, the woman spoke softly and sweetly, telling Golliday that “It was all a mistake” and she’d “never been involved in prostitution”. Her demeanor changed when the sergeant told her she’d been under surveillance and they’d seen the entire transaction.

“At least you can’t exclude me!” she shouted, her speech now loaded with expletives. “They’ve dumped the Prostitution-free Zone. I don’t care if you do take me to jail. I don’t care if you arrest me. Downtown (in the Justice Center), its book-and-release. I’ll be back out here working later tonight!” she shrieked.

Hopes City’s new treatment plan is successful
Asked if he felt discouraged because of the “revolving jail door” downtown, Golliday responded, “These missions, alone, are helping to reduce the problem.”

Referring to the City of Portland’s new plan to treat convicted prostitutes, the sergeant added, “What we want is get convicted prostitutes on probation, so we can use that to get them involved in social services programs. This program will have sufficient bed space to get them off the street and help them learn life skills so they can stay the street.”

If they choose not to participate, he added, they can be excluded from (high prostitution) areas without exception – meaning they can be arrested for merely strolling along 82nd Avenue.

“I think with aggressive enforcement, the District Attorney’s office working diligently on these cases, and the judges putting these women on probation status – plus the social services aspect – we could see street-level prostitution reduced significantly.”

In the next Street Sex Update:
We’ll question neighbors to see if the new program is really working. And, we’ll grill two Multnomah County District Attorneys regarding how this judicial strategy works.

Also, has the City actually followed up, and contracted for residential treatment for prostitutes?

Check back next week – you’ll get the answers, right here at, East Portland News.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News