How do you free a tree-trimmer – pinned by a branch 40′ above the ground? Very carefully! Read all about this rescue, which a trained expert called “scary” …

Before taking action, firefighters and members of PF&R’s Specialty Rescue team evaluate the condition of the arborist, and the overall situation.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
As one who used to live on Mt. Hood and routinely cut his own firewood, Brentwood-Darlington resident Brandon Smyton said the two arborists cutting down trees behind the house across the street from his home, in the 5800 block of SE Tenino Street, caught his interest, as he was on his way to the store about 11:30 a.m.

“The sound of the chainsaw stopped,” Smyton told us. “I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I gathered that their saw got pinched in the tree and it was no big deal. It sounded as if the man up in the tree was calmly talking to his partner on the ground, making a plan to get the stuck saw free.”

When he got returned from the shopping trip, Smyton said he found his street filled with Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) ladder trucks, and the PF&R Specialty Rescue van. “It was then that I realized the seriousness this of the situation.”

Technical Rescue Team members make sure the arborist is safely anchored to their fire truck’s extended ladder.

The rescue team rigs a come-along winch to lift the limb of the victim’s arm.

Large limb pins arborist
“When our firefighters arrived,” explained PF&R spokesman Lt. Damon Simmons, as we watched the rescue effort unfold, “they found that a large limb which the arborist was cutting fell, struck him in the shoulder, and pinned his harness and left arm to the tree.”

Noting that PF&R Engine 1 – a unit which typically only serves downtown Portland – was rolling up to the scene, Simmons commented, “This is our Specialty Rescue unit. These firefighters are trained for, and better equipped for, what we call a ‘high angle, technical rescue’, in which the victim is at least 30 feet in the air, and is hanging in the air unsupported.”

One of the firefighters instrumental in the rescue is Rich Chatman, a member of PF&R’s Technical Rescue Team, based at Station 1 in downtown Portland.

Crew carefully considers rescue options
Firefighter Rich Chatman, a Technical Rescue Team member, talked us through the rescue…

“We were concerned that if we did anything to move the top of the tree branch resting on his arm, it would shift the limb toward him, making the situation worse,” Chatman explained after the successful rescue. “We had to come up with a unique plan for securing the tree, securing victim, and then cutting his [safety harness] system that was holding him.”

After securing the victim with ropes, rescue team members used a small “come-along” winch between the trunk and the limb and free the arborist’s arm. “The tricky part was when we cut his restraint system, because that also was caught in the tree. I’d say it’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

While some rescuers secure the treed arborist, others winch up the limb.

With his arm free, the arborist gets a footing on the fire department’s extension ladder.

While the team was making the plan and taking action to free him, the victim was conscious and lucid, Chatman commented. “He was a real trouper. He knew we were working as hard and as fast as we could, to free him.”

Victim descends ladder to safety
At about 1:00 p.m., many of those watching the rescue said they were surprised to see the arborist slowly climb down a tall ladder the firefighters secured to the tree. “We were going to lower him using a rope system,” Chatman said, “but he started climbing down as soon he could. But we had him supported all the way down.”

Freed from his predicament, the arborist makes his way down a ladder, with a firefighter at his side on a parallel ladder.

This view gives one a better idea of from high the victim was rescued.

-9 Firefighters and paramedics help the arborist at the ladder’s bottom.

Although the freed, unidentified arborist could walk on his own, AMR medics quickly got him to lie down on a gurney, and transported him to OHSU Hospital for evaluation and treatment.

As crewmembers started packing their equipment, and as Station Truck 25 was retracting its 100-foot ladder, we noticed the other arborist climbing back up the tree. “He’s going to retrieve the chain saw, isn’t he?” Smyton remarked.

With the victim safely on the way to the hospital, the arborist’s partner climbs back up the tree to retrieve his chainsaw.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Although the driver of the Jeep he smashed into was arrested for DUII, see why officials say the cyclist was responsible for his own demise …

Police say that the driver of the motorcycle was going too fast, lost control, and crashed into the Jeep on SE 28th Avenue in Eastmoreland on April 2nd.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
It’s a sad, simple story: A motorcyclist and Jeep collide; the cyclist dies at the scene.

Just after 3:00 p.m. on April 2, witnesses said the driver of a white café-racer style motorcycle took off like a shot from the Reed neighborhood 7-11 convenience store on SE 28th Avenue at SE Steele, heading south.

After passing the west edge of Reed College and the Rhododendron Gardens, and making his way past the SE Woodstock Boulevard intersection, the biker picked up speed as he negotiated the twists and turns SE 28th Avenue makes as it snakes around the east margin of Eastmoreland Golf Course.

As he motored south, around the sweeping curve past SE Carlton Street, the biker failed to make the sharp right curve as the road heads west as Bybee Boulevard just after SE Tolman Street.

“When officers arrived, they found a 29-year-old man, the motorcycle operator, deceased at the scene,” reported police spokesperson Detective Mary Wheat.

Major Crash Team Investigators measure skid marks the motorcycle made just before it collided with the car just past SE Tolman Street.

The Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division’s Major Crash Team arrived on scene moments later, and quickly determined that the deceased biker, identified as 28-year-old Jeremy Lee Stamper, had lost control of his motorcycle, leaving skid marks into the oncoming lane of traffic

“Stamper was operating the motorcycle at a high rate of speed, and collided with a vehicle in the oncoming traffic,” Wheat said.

29-year-old Jeremy Lee Stamper was going too fast to make the curve, officials say, which is what directly led to his death.

After the collision, police arrested the driver of the jeep the cycle had struck, 25-year-old Justin Christopher Jones, for DUII – but said he was not at fault for the accident.

The driver of the vehicle with which Stamper collided was identified as 25-year-old Justin Christopher Jones. Reported Wheat, “Jones cooperated with police at the scene, but was taken into custody, and charged with one count of Driving Under the Influence.

“However, Major Crash Team Investigators determined that Jones was not responsible for the accident, and that Stamper had lost control of his motorcycle.”

This extemporaneous memorial by friends and family appeared in Stamper’s memory along the curb at the crash site.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Find out why the citizens of Argay Terrace and Parkrose say they’re dismayed that their neighborhoods are being shuffled into to newly-created North Precinct …

Portland Police Bureau Chief Rosie Sizer says that moving precinct boundary lines will probably not please some neighbors.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Last month, we brought you the story about how the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) was planning to collapse the current five precincts down to three. (CLICK HERE to read that article).

Most neighbors in outer East Portland didn’t take notice; the map clearly showed that all 13 neighborhoods in the East Portland Neighborhood Organization (EPNO) coalition – including Parkrose, Argay Terrace and Wilkes – would continue to be served from East Precinct.

However, after wrangling by some non-EPNO neighbors, such as those who live in Madison South, to stay in East Precinct, the boundary lines changed.

The TOP map, from released in February, shows Parkrose, Argay Terrace and Wilkes are all in East Precinct’s beige-colored boundary. The BOTTOM map – the current precinct configuration – now in yellow, indicates these three neighborhoods, will be patrolled by officers reporting to North Precinct.

Twice the distance from the precinct
Outer East Portland neighbors say they understand that police officers, unlike firefighters, patrol an assigned district – a subdivision of a precinct – and that they don’t sit around waiting for calls at the precinct office.

Yet, there is concern that the North Precinct Commander, in his office at 449 NE Emerson Street, will be commanding officers in communities spanning from St. Johns, east to the City of Gresham border.

Specifically, the distance from North Precinct to Bob Brown Tires on NE Sandy Blvd. is 7.05 miles, with an estimated travel time of 19 minutes. East Precinct’s headquarters is a mere 3.67 miles away from Brown’s store, an 11-minute trip.

Parkrose Business Association president, Wayne Stoll, says he’s dismayed to learn their area is scheduled to be shifted to North Precinct, after many of its members supplied labor, materials, and funds to create a modern, welcoming police contact station on NE Sandy Boulevard.

Parkrose businesses express concern
At their March 19 meeting, Parkrose Business Association President Wayne Stoll said the proposal to shift the precinct boundary lines was troubling.

Stoll read a letter to the City, and asked members to consider signing their names to it. The letter read:

Dear Mayor Sam Adams:
We are writing you today concerning the proposed consolidation of police precincts in the City of Portland.

For a long time, we in the Parkrose area felt neglected and under-patrolled by the Portland Police Bureau. During the last five years, we have seen that trend improve through the hard work of the fine officers, command staff, and folks at East Precinct.

Recently, a Community Policing Office opened on Sandy Boulevard, in the heart of Parkrose.  This happened due to the hard work of Commander Mike Krebs, Sergeant John Anderson, and Officer Greg Baldwin. East Portland citizens Joe Rossi, Rex Hollingsworth, and many other hard-working citizens volunteered for the project because they were concerned with livability in the Parkrose area.

Now, with a proposed realignment of the police precincts, this private-public partnership, successfully developed over many years, will be ripped apart if Parkrose becomes part of the new Northeast Precinct.

Parkrose, as a whole, wants to stay within the boundaries of East Precinct, and we ask your help in keeping us there. Please do not move us backward in time when people asked us, “Is Parkrose in the City of Portland?”

Earlier this year, Argay Neighborhood Association chair Valerie Curry presented PPB Chief Rosie Sizer with a mug their group had made for all officers and staff members at East Precinct.

Argay neighbors protest move
Earlier this year, the neighbors of Argay Terrace showed their appreciation for all of the officers and staff members at PPB East Precinct by presenting them deluxe, heavy-duty coffee mugs, emblazoned with their community association’s seal. (Read about it: CLICK HERE.)

Argay Neighborhood Association Chair Valerie Curry said their citizens were not at all pleased by being shifted into the new North Precinct.

“We are strongly urging that Argay remain in East Precinct,” Curry told us. “We’re concerned that our businesses and residents would not have the same response time from patrolling police if we were shifted to Northeast Precinct – located at approximately Killingsworth & MLK Boulevard.”

From a neighborhood-association perspective, Curry added, traveling to meetings at East Precinct takes less than 10 minutes. “This is important, because our 13 coalition neighborhoods share similar problems that we bring to Commander Crebs and his fine staff at Citizens Advisory Committee meetings.”

Curry said the three northern outer East Portland neighborhoods would be isolated – split off from the southern outer East Portland communities. “Realistically, what do our problems and needs have to do with communities such as Alberta and St. Johns?”

Speaking as a private citizen, Curry said she’s found the Portland Police officers and staff to be dedicated and resourceful. “But even this competent force can’t work magic, with the new North Precinct’s patrol area strung across many miles. I have little hope that Argay – with its considerable problems along NE Sandy Boulevard – could get quick police response to our calls for help.”

Chief Sizer comments, “I don’t think we’re going to be able to develop a map that is going to make everyone happy.”

Sizer responds to neighbors
On April 2, we had the opportunity to ask PPB Chief Sizer for her response to the concern expressed by these neighbors and business people.

“Our desire is to balance the workload between the precincts,” Sizer told us. “We have [created] over a dozen maps and plans to develop decent boundaries and a balanced workload.

“Part of the recommendation around that boundary came from our officers; about how they would get [help from other officers to provide] cover on calls. This was not a bureaucratic decision about where to draw the boundary line. It was about officers saying what was going to work, for them, in terms of getting help when they need it on the street.

“My strong feeling is that those officers, with whom the community has developed strong relationships – they’re still going to be working that area. I think that’s the most important thing.”

We asked Sizer to respond to the concerns expressed by northern outer East Portland folks.

“I think I just answered the question,” Sizer replied. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to develop a map that is going to make everyone happy. We do want to make it so that every community member is an equal chance to have good [police] service. We want to make sure officers can respond to calls in ways that they feel are safe.”

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See why many people now say that the most creative artists have moved to East Portland. Meet six of them right here …

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The annual SE Area ARTWalk, founded by Rin Carroll Jackson in 2002, started with a small group of artists, and has continued to be organized by a dedicated group of artists and business owners.

“The idea was to reach out to artists in the area, help them make new connections and show their talents and skills in a small, neighborhood art tour,” she said. “The growth of the event has been astounding, and we are thankful for all the support we have received from neighborhood/business associations, local area residents, business owners, and art enthusiasts. Without the network of passionate community-members, the event would not be where it is today.”

The group’s volunteer publicity coordinator, Kathi Drummond of RedKat Imaging, helped us coordinate our tour – during which we met seven artists who work in a variety of media.

Dorothy Steele and P. Anna Johnson show off their porcelain and ceramic original containers.

Ross Island Pottery / Dorothy Steele Pottery
1100 SE Woodward Street

Being a full-time artist in the area since 1990, many people have met potter Dorothy Steele. She said that over the years she’s done “all kinds of art”, until she settled on creating porcelain, hand-built pottery with plant impressions and bright colors.

“I’ve always seen clay is very organic in itself,” Steele told us. “By putting impressions of plants in the clay, it makes it even more organic – it looks almost like fossils. My color combinations come from observing nature.”

Steele said she looks forward to the ARTwalk each year. “It brings a community together, and showcases our creative community here. But it’s also a showcase for all the artists in Southeast Portland.  It’s good exposure for people, general people in the community, to get to know the artist and that all this artwork is here.  It’s great exposure, and a great community event.”

P. Anna Johnson – Ceramics
Another artist showing in the same studio during our visit was P. Anna Johnson. “Actually, I’m one of the six people who work in this studio, and share the space.”

She describes her work as “sculptural and functional”, adding that she was attracted to the process of making stoneware ceramics because she thinks “in a three-dimensional way. Before I was a potter, I was a dancer. Many potters are also dancers.”

Find out more about the artisans here by visiting their website: CLICK HERE.

Cheri Holly shows a ceramic vase. She first carved the bamboo scene with which it is decorated before imprinting it onto the vase.

Cheri Holly – Ceramics
At her home on SE Tibbits Street

Next, we met a woman who says she uses here hands to both create – and heal. “My real job is being a registered nurse at St. Vincent Hospital,” confided Cheri Holly, while showing her ceramic artwork to visitors. “This is the other half of my job, and my being.”

Although Holly said she now enjoys making ceramics by hand, her artistic impulses started her out illustrating, drawing, and painting. “When I started getting back into art, as my kids got older, I was having a hard time doing the quality of work that I did when I was younger. I thought I’d do something completely different.”

One of her favorite techniques, Holly noted, is to first make artistic carvings in clay, bisque the carving, and then use that to make an imprint in ceramic piece.

The professional quality of Holly’s work belies the fact she started learning pottery only four years ago. “It took off, now I have my own studio and kiln in the basement.”

Amber Oxford’s fine art drawings and paintings are on display on the mantle, as she creates a living work of art on the face of Gretta Baker.

Amber Marie Studios – Figure and Body Art
Also showing her artwork in Holly’s home was artist – and body art painter – Amber Oxford.

“I create art on paper, canvas, wood, and on whatever I can find,” said Oxford “I even have a toilet seat that’s been decorated. I like finding things and repurposing them.”

While she talks, Oxford is panting a design on Gretta Baker’s face. “People are my favorite subjects and objects. I enjoy drawing and painting figure studies, and also like putting art on the body.”

Her kind of “body art” isn’t done with tattoos: “I have a real fear of needles.” And, she’s not the typical “face painter” who splashes on crude, cartoonish paint. “In 1999, I learned what we call ‘body art’ from a mentor – it’s fine art, integrated onto a human body.”

Her day job as a website and office administrator hasn’t deterred her creative passion. “I’ve been drawing as far back as I can remember. I used to trace images of my favorite cartoons on paper off of the TV screen. I’ve been a cartoonist for awhile, then a comic book artist – and I kept drawing people. I like having a little creativity in my days.”

To learn more, visit her website: CLICK HERE.

Photographer David Duck says he loves the experience of capturing outdoor images.

David Duck – Landscape Photography
At his home on SE Tibbetts Street

At this home, we met three artists – including the homeowner, David Duck, a landscape photographer.

“It started when my mom told me to take a hike!” Duck grinned. “I thought, while I’m out, I might as well take some photographs. Since then, photography is always given me a license to dawdle outdoors.”

Even though Duck said he enjoys travel, “You can explore new images in your backyard just as well as you can in a foreign country.”

Eschewing the relative ease of digital photography, Duck says, he prefers the “slow and deliberate” process of capturing an image using a medium-format camera – a Hasselblad, shooting Fuji transparency film. Using a digital process, he creates large-format images that are “painted by light” onto genuine photographic paper.

Photography is actually a sideline for him, Duck mentioned. Nowadays, he’s a family man who works as a property specialist at Portland’s VA Hospital. “But, I still really enjoy getting outdoors and finding new images.”

Learn more by visiting his website: CLICK HERE.

Stephanie Meredith displays some of her colorful, abstract oil-on-canvas paintings.

Stephanie Meredith – Oil on canvas
A professional artist for two years now, Stephanie Meredith said she started drawing as soon as she could “pick up a pencil”, because her mother was also an artist. “When I was in college at Santa Fe, New Mexico, I dabbled in sculpture – but it just wasn’t as natural for me.”

Meredith added that she’s developed two styles – depicting micro-objects, and abstracts.

“I create paintings of things so small, like pollen for example, that you can only see them through a microscope. I also do abstractions of my own designs. These are all bright, monochromatic works, painted three-dimensionally so that they seem to pop out of the painting.”

Her favorite of the process, Meredith added, is coming up with the concept for a new work. “I enjoy figuring out what I’m doing, and why I’m doing it. From there, it’s more of the craft of making it come out the way I’ve imagined it.”

See more of her work at her BlogSpot page: CLICK HERE.

Jewelry artist Wendy Price says she likes creating wearable art.

Wendy Price – Handcrafted jewelry
Creating “wearable art” is the craft pursued by jewelry artist Wendy Price.

“I learned to make jewelry, a craft I could do with my mom when I was a teenager,” Price said. “We took classes together.”

The beads that Price uses are typically made of hand-blown glass, not plastic. “I like to let the components – the jewelry and the beads – inspire me. I pick out the colors, textures, and chains I like, and work from there.”

A great deal of her jewelry, she told us, is created using sterling silver and semi-precious gems. “But, I’ll use almost any material, if it works in the jewelry I’m creating.”

You can contact her by e-mail at wendyscollon@comcast.net.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

And get timely tips from a ‘career expert’ about what it takes to get ahead in today’s troubled economy …

Bruce Altizer with Postal Annex, and GABA VP, Lee Powell, Farmer’s Insurance agent, pick up their lunch, catered by Cherryblossom Loaves & Fishes center.

By Watford Reed, photos by David F. Ashton
Who will be named Gateway’s “Citizen of the Year” is no longer a mystery; it was revealed during the March meeting of the Gateway Area Business Association (GABA).

Longtime Gateway booster Fred Sanchez said that he, and a committee comprised of school superintendents Barbara Rommel, with David Douglas Schools and Dr. Karen Fischer Gray with Parkrose Public schools – along with Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs and Midland Library manager Javier Gutierrez met early in March.

“I’m pleased to announce that our very own US Senator, Jeff Merkley, has been selected as the 2009 Gateway Citizen of the Year,” Sanchez stated.

GABA president, Ajnesh “AJ” Prasad, with Columbia State Bank, gives the club’s famed Rubber Chicken Award to Dawn Rasmussen of Pathfinder Career Services.

Helps get careers on track
Introducing the meeting’s speaker, Prasad told the group, “The ‘GABA Chicken’ spoke to me yesterday, he said that this month’s recipient should be Dawn Rasmussen.”

Employment security is a thing of the past, 45 GABA members learned from the president of Pathfinder Writing and Career Services, Dawn (Tryon) Rasmussen.

Continuing success in business is also dependent on drive and effort, she said at their March 12 meeting.

“Only employability – what you do better than someone else – wins jobs now,” Rasmussen explained. “Employability is based on providing high quality service to customers.”

This is true for people who own and manage businesses, she warned. “If your business doesn’t improve, you won’t get customers.”

A job-seeker should think of an interesting field – something he or she enjoys doing – when thinking of a second, or third career, Rasmussen continued.

Rasmussen shares success secrets, such as what’s necessary to be successful when conducting a job search.

Three successful job search factors
Finding work, she explained, is like a three-legged stool. First, one must provide professional appearing credentials – a resume – that clearly shows how an applicant stands out among, potentially hundreds, of other applicants. Secondly, in this age of specialization, an applicant must have a clear idea of who their “audience” is, namely, the person doing the hiring.

“The third ‘leg’ is networking skills – who he or she knows, both in professional and personal life.” Rasmussen estimated that 70% of workers find jobs by networking. And by knowing the “right places” to look is of the utmost importance.

These principals apply to owners of small business “who do everything” when it comes to attracting and keeping customers.

“Everybody responds to positive personality,” she noted, “including skills in leadership, generosity, willingness to help others, and enjoying work. And, people respond to sincerity. People remember positive contacts.”

In conclusion, Rasmussen said everyone involved in business should have a “mission statement” and know how to reach goals.  “Build up your profile,” she ended. “You must be the best at what you do – then, be able to communicate this well with others.”

Learn more about Rasmussen’s Pathfinder Writing and Career Services by visiting her website: CLICK HERE.

GABA president, AJ Prasad says that their August 8, National Night Out for Safety celebration, co-hosted with Oregon Baptist Retirement Homes, will be the venue for this year’s Gateway Fun-O-Rama.

Meet the GABA members
On April 9, the Gateway Area Business Association general membership meeting – running from 11:45 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. will be held at “111th SQUARE”, NE Halsey St. at NE 111th Avenue. It will feature tours and give-a-ways from Realty Brokers, Postal Place, 111th Square Fitness and Therapy, Jaskic Insurance and Hair Oui Are. For more information, visit their website by CLICKING HERE.

David F. Ashton contributed to this report.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Will slowing down Oregon’s citizen ‘initiative process’ by an additional two years for ‘thoughtful deliberation’ really build better laws? See why both Republicans and Democrats say ‘yes, it will’ and ‘no, it won’t’ …

Executive Club’s leader, Don McIntire, introduces the program’s panel: Independent Dan Meek, Oregon Senator Frank Morse, imitative attorney Ross Day, and Oregon House Representative Larry Galizio.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
A bill that would substantially change Oregon’s Citizen Initiative process was introduced, discussed, and debated on March 4 at the monthly meeting of the Executive Club at the Airport Shilo Inn before a packed, standing-room-only house.

Oregon Senator Frank Morse, and Oregon Representative Larry Galizio pitched the merits of the bill they are co-sponsoring, Senate Joint Resolution 11. (To read a PDF document introducing SJR 11 for yourself, CLICK HERE.) Attorneys Dan Meek and Ross Day told why they opposed the bill.

Don McIntire introduces the panel and outline’s the topic of discussion.

Calls it a ‘radical reform’ in the citizen-initiative process
The Executive Club’s “Interim President for Life”, Don McIntire, set the stage for the discussion by characterizing SJR 11 a radical reform of the Oregon initiative system.

The bill proposes a state constitutional amendment, McIntire said, that would alter the initiative process by requiring that any initiative, with enough signatures to make the ballot, would be held until it was reviewed in a regular session of the State legislature.

As part of the review, the initiative would be put to an “advisory vote” by State legislators; the Secretary of State would post the results of the vote.

“As a practical matter, the law would delay initiatives by an additional two years before it came up for a vote of the people,” McIntire noted. “There is no doubt, also, that this measure would enable the legislature to create competing measures if they so choose.”

Oregon Senator Frank Morse advocates for letting initiative measures “season” before going on the ballot.

Morse likens process to sausage-making in Salem
Oregon Senator Frank Morse, a Republican from Albany, began, “Otto von Bismarck the Prime Minister of Prussia said laws and sausages are the two things you do not want to see being made. Initiatives are often criticized for their complexity or bad drafting.  That’s one reason we offer for slowing down the process and inserting an additional 24 month delay.”

Morse said one of the reasons for slowing down the initiative process is because of the financial impacts many measures have on the State budget. “Measures represented 50% of the spending increase from 1989 to 2007,” Morse noted as he reminded attendees that more citizen-lead initiatives have been passed in Oregon than any other state.

Nevertheless, Morse stated he had no interest in denying citizen’s access to the legislative process. “We want to create a more informed process, so voters will have a better depth of understanding on what they are voting about – including the fiscal impacts. Sometimes it takes more than a biennium for [an initiative measure] to ‘season’ before it becomes law.”

Attorney Dan Meek says citizens sponsor initiatives on issues the State legislators avoid.

Meek says measure will causes an ‘unnecessary delay’
Attorney Dan Meek – some say he knows more about citizen intuitive than anyone – said he opposes SJR 11 because “it slows down the process for no good reason”.

“It imposes a two-year delay on an initiative after it is certified to going to the ballot,” Meek began. “I don’t see a reason to delay. After a citizen puts forth the effort to put a timely measure on the ballot, it is ‘shut down’ for 28 months; it’s subjected to an unbinding ‘straw vote’, and opponents get unlimited space [in the Voter’s Guide] to argue against it.”

Meek opined that the only reason citizens spend the time, money, and effort to put initiatives on the ballot is that “it permits people of Oregon to vote on issues the State legislators will not address, or oppose.”

He also decried that the Oregon Attorney General will write citizen-initiative ballot measure titles and descriptions. “The proponents should write the ballot title and description with no review. And, let’s apply this to the legislature-sponsored bills as well.”

Oregon Rep. Larry Galizio tells why he thinks SJR 11 will “add transparency” to the initiative process.

New process will ‘increase transparency’, postulates Galizio
Oregon Rep. Larry Galizio, a Democrat from Tigard, began, “When I was walking in, I heard one guest say [this measure] will eliminate the petition system. I can say that this not the goal of this legislation.”

During the deliberative discussion, Galizio said anyone, including the bill’s chief petitioners, can testify, and maybe answer some difficult questions of significance and conceptualize the intent of the initiative. The purpose is to increase the deliberative discussion and provide more accountability. This does not take place in the status quo, I would argue.”

The “status quo”, Galizio argued, works for “wealthy people and unions and out-of-state interests. The [labor] unions have figured out how to ‘play defense’ well; and make effective arguments against bills they don’t favor.”

The other problem with the “status quo” Galizio is that “The media have failed to cover politics in a meaningful kind of way. For a lot of busy people, the media is focused on selling ads; the focus is on sensationalism. People see a lot of ads, but don’t hear much public discourse.”

Because the State legislature may start meeting annually, Galizio said there might not be a two-year delay if this measure passes.

“I think what [SJR 11] does, is that it errs on the side of more transparency, greater deliberative discussion, and more discourse. If you think your idea is good enough and it will withstand that kind of rigorous analysis, then I think you’ll like this concept.”

Point by point, public action attorney Ross Day refutes the reasons he’s heard that SJR 11 will help the citizen initiative process.

Day blasts bill into night
Ross Day, a public action attorney with “Oregonians in Action”, and also a new organization, “Common sense for Oregon”, said he was skeptical that the intent of Oregon’s legislature was to aid the citizen initiative process.

“I have to be honest with you,” Day began, “With all due respect to the Senator, if what we’re talking about transparency – what the Democrats did with Measure 49 is a crime. It’s hard to believe that [SJR 11] is somehow going to create more transparency. The ballot titles for Measure 50 and Measure 57 – they were anything but transparent.”

Day schooled the crowd, pointing out that Oregon’s citizen initiative system is established in Article 4 of the Oregon Constitution.

“It is very unique, because the very first section of Article 4 delineates legislature’s power,” Day educated. “Half of it is given to the legislature; half of it belongs to the people. It’s a shared power. One side is not supposed to trump the other.”

Regarding the fiscal impacts of citizen-based initiatives, Day stated pointedly, “So, Senator Morris, when you say 50% of the increase [in State spending] is based on initiatives, this means that 50% of the spending increases was because of the legislature. There was this thing called SIM and CAM that wasn’t an initiative – there’s a lot of that kind of spending and they came out of the legislature – that aren’t exactly the results of a very deliberative legislation.”

That initiatives will be improved if delayed in the legislature is a “laughable” concept, Day continued. “To suggest that somehow the ‘fountain of knowledge’ comes from the legislature, and that somehow the ‘great unwashed masses’ are unable to draft a measure, doesn’t fly with me either.”

Agreeing that Oregon has an active initiative system, Day pointed out, “It’s true. To date, there have been more citizen petitions in Oregon than any other state. But also keep in mind that Oregon has the second oldest citizen petition system in the country.” Early in Oregon’s statehood, he noted, “one year, we had 36 measures on the ballot. Let’s put things in their proper context and perspective.”

Day said he also disagreed that the wealthy and out-of-state interests have somehow hijacked Oregon’s initiative system: “Here’s the reason why [petitioners seek outside funding]: in 2000, $250,000 put four measures on the ballot. Last year, it took $400,000 to put one measure on the ballot. The regulations and restrictions that the Legislature has placed on citizen petitioners have driven up the cost.”

Group meets monthly
When asked about his own organization, Don McIntire described the Executive Club this way: “This isn’t a group of activists, but instead, a group where many activists gather to celebrate the principles of limited government. We refer to ourselves as a society established on, and devoted to, free minds and free markets; dedicated to the principles of limited government as envisioned by our nation’s founders.”

They meet the first Wednesday of each month for dinner at 6:00 p.m. at the Airport Shilo Inn on NE Sandy Boulevard on East Airport Way, 2 blocks east of I-205. “An open mind is helpful; reservations are not necessary”.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Find out why this internationally-known recording artist makes
an annual pilgrimage to Parkrose High School …

When nearby young ladies saw us about to snap a candid photo of Michael Allen Harrison talking with a Parkrose High student in the Choir Room, seven additional gals glided into the frame.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
December’s wild and wooly weather shuttered an annual holiday event – internationally-known composer and recording artist Michael Allen Harrison’s annual concert.

Not to be denied the opportunity; Harrison made time in his schedule to attend the “Music in our School’s” winter concert on March 16.

“Coming back to Parkrose is part of the fabric of my life,” Harrison, one of Parkrose High’s most illustrious alums told us. “It’s part of my deal. It’s my hometown here; it’s a valued tradition with me.”

The Parkrose Honor Choir performs at the Parkrose High Theater.

First on the program was the Parkrose Honor Choir, drawn from Prescott, Russell, Sacramento, and Shaver Elementary schools. They sang two numbers, Everybody say Peace and I’ll make a Difference.

The Parkrose High School Treble Choir sings Lullay Alleluia.

Heaven Somewhere is being performed by the Parkrose High School A-Choir.

When Michael Allen Harrison sits down to play, the auditorium grows silent.

Harrison began by playing two of his own compositions, and then chatted with the audience.

He reminisced about going to school in Parkrose; this subject led him into presenting a novelty number, in which he demonstrated how he creates music, based on a single phrase of notes.

As always, the performance finished up with the return of the Honor Choir; they sang Follow the Drinking Gourd with Harrison.

“Even though it was delayed since December, we raised about $2,000 to help support our programs,” said choir director Lesley Bossert. “We really appreciate Michael Allen Harrison’s support of our musical program. Our students are deeply affected by his support and care about our musical program. He really connects with our musicians.”

You can learn more about Michael Allen Harrison by visiting his website: CLICK HERE.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

It’s one of the worst single-car wrecks we’ve seen. Find out what happened, as told by an eye-witness who saw the incident unfold …

The car hit this wooden pole with such force, it snapped like a twig at ground level.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
“SE 162 Avenue is like a speedway,” said Centennial Neighborhood resident Vera Andersen, as she watched police investigating a car wreck across the intersection at SE Taggert Street. “Because it’s smooth and wide between SE Powell Boulevard and SE Division Street, people drive way too fast along here all of the time.”

Andersen shook her head as she walked away from the scene on March 22, after taking a final look at the destroyed car, clipped utility pole, and torn-up yard.

Although injured, both the driver and passenger of this car survived the smash-up.

Eyewitness to disaster
Scott Beach told us it was raining heavily, a little after 1:00 p.m., as he was driving north on SE 162nd Avenue from SE Powell Boulevard, headed toward SE Division Street.

“I was driving in the inside, or ‘fast’ lane,” Beach began, “doing about 40 or 45 mph. A car passed me in the ‘slow lane’ doing, I’d estimate, between 60 and 80 mph. He passed me like I was standing still.

The driver swerved in front of Beach, “Then, it was like he was trying to turn right into a driveway or onto Taggert Street. He went sideways and into the telephone pole; then into yard over there. I though he’d hit the house.”

Gives good medical advice
Beach said he stopped in the left-hand turn lane on 162nd Avenue. “When I got out, family members or friends were hollering for me to help them pull them out of the car. I told them no, you need to leave them in the car. I’d noticed electrical wires hanging down into the water.”

Trying to help the situation, Beach said he directed traffic around the wreck until Portland Fire & Rescue and police officers arrived.

“It took them a while to get them out of the car; they both went to the hospital,” recalled Beach. “They look pretty banged up. The driver was conscious but the passenger was kind of twitching like he was of out of it.”

SE 162nd Ave. was closed for much of the day as the Portland Police Bureau’s Major Crash Team investigate the wreck.

Although Beach recalled the younger of the two men he saw in the car being the driver, Portland Police Bureau’s Public Information Officer Detective Mary Wheat told us, “The driver of the vehicle has been identified as 23-year old George Pitsul. The passenger in the vehicle is a 16-year old juvenile male; we’re not releasing his name due to his age.”

Police say this man, 23-year old George Pitsul, was arrested and charged with three separate counts, all stemming from this accident.

Both occupants of the vehicle were hospitalized for several days, Wheat said. “Investigators believe that speed was a factor in this incident and do not believe any alcohol was involved.”

On Friday, March 27th, Pitsul was arrested on one count of Assault in the Third Degree, one count of Reckless Driving, and one count of Recklessly Endangering Another Person.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

While cuts to Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office may reduce jail space and curtail drug dealer busts – find out what a reduction in patrol services to the City of Maywood Park would mean to its citizens …

Outside the Multnomah County budget hearings, members of the Multnomah County Corrections Deputies Association voice their concerns about potential cuts to the public safety budget.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
When Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler convened the Public Safety Budget Forum on March 16, every seat in the Commissioner’s Boardroom was filled, and people were standing five deep in the back of the room.

Some citizens, like Erica Martin, a Sumner Neighborhood resident and AmeriCorps volunteer at Parkrose High School, were concerned about specific public safety programs on the chopping block. She told us she was advocating for the “Restorative Justice” at the meeting.

But for the City of Maywood Park’s Mayor, Mark Hardie, the stakes were much higher. Landlocked within Portland’s borders – located immediately northeast of the Interstate 205 and Interstate 84 junction – this small, residential community relies on the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office for policing and crime control.

Moments before he addresses the forum, Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler awaits his introduction.

Wheeler provides context for discussion
After noting the remarkable turnout for a budget meeting, Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler began, “Here’s the context: This is a very challenging year. This is a difficult time for everyone in this room. Families are really struggling, trying to agree on how to make ends meet – how to pay the rent, make our payments, school payments. Government is also trying to make the bottom line work out.

“For Multnomah County, this is probably our toughest budget year ever. We are looking at approximately a $45 million budget shortfall over the next two years. On top of that we are looking at an additional $10 Million to $20 Million shortfall as result of State cuts.”

The Multnomah County Commissioner’s Boardroom was filled to overflowing as the Public Safety Budget Forum began.

Wheeler pointed out the obvious, saying all present were indicating their concern about public safety. “I want to assure you that this Board of County Commissioners shares that desire to have a safe public.”

But when it comes staving off cuts in the public safety budget, Wheeler stated flatly, “That is not an option. It’s not that helpful in terms of helping us balance our [budgetary] decisions. Where the real leadership comes is in terms of helping us prioritize.”

Wheeler itemized the County’s efforts to increase revenue, and noted that some services – such as library system funding, approved by a bond measure – take a portion of their budget. “In addition to public safety … we are statutorily required to provide services [such as] running elections, maintaining roads and bridge infrastructure, health services, and animal services.”

Mark Hardie, Mayor of the City of Maywood Park, listens to the presentations made by Chair Wheeler and county staff members.

Potential impacts to the City of Maywood Park
During this meeting, the county’s budget process was described in detail, the attendees were led through some budgeting exercises, and citizens had the opportunity to speak with county officials and commissioners.

After the forum, we asked Mark Hardie, Mayor of the City of Maywood Park, what he thought of the event. He told us that the meeting was nothing like anything he’d ever seen. “I felt like he was respectful of the process; it was a positive way to get everybody’s opinion.”

Hardie said the proposed cuts would be devastating to everyone in Multnomah County, not just to the citizens of Maywood Park.

“I can’t imagine losing the only drug team in the County – their Special Investigations Unit works up to 400 mid-level drug cases a year,” noted Hardie. “The proliferation of drug trafficking and crimes associated with it will only add to our troubles, and cause further deterioration to all of our neighborhoods.

“The cuts to the Warrant Strike Team,” he continued, “will leave an additional 100 felons loose on the street every year.

“And, taking away our Child Abuse Team affects the most vulnerable members of our society. Then, there is the loss of the Gang Task Force to be considered, and a reduction of jail beds. The cuts have no social boundaries; they affect the rich and the poor, and take away the one thing that everyone wants – to feel safe in their home.”

Peter Ozanne, the county’s chief depuity operating officer, refers to a chart given out that details Multnomah County’s role in the Public Safety system.

One of the most importing thoughts that Hardie said he took away from the meeting was that “No one part of the Public Safety System can stand alone. There is no need for jails if we don’t have prosecutors; there’s no need for prosecutors if we don’t have deputies to make arrests.”

Considering all safety options
In terms of what budget cuts mean to the residents of the City of Maywood Park – because Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Deputies patrol their streets – Hardie said, “We are, of course, very concerned about any cuts to Public Safety, and especially to the Sheriff’s Office.”

If Maywood Park’s level of service were reduced, Hardie said, “As a City, we would explore every possible option: From creating a gated community; to negotiating supplemental police contracts; to exercising our second amendment rights. The single most important job of government is keeping its citizens safe.”

In closing, we asked Hardie of he felt his concerns had been “heard”, or merely “listened to”.

“Only time will tell,” replied Hardie. “I do believe the Commissioners have been sincere in all of the conversations I have had with them.”

Leaders and residents of the City of Maywood Park – seen here lining up for their 2008 Annual July 4th Community Parade – wonder if their idyllic town will become the target of criminals if Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office patrols are reduced.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Exactly why were all of these kids out walking and running in the rain? Take a look and you’ll find why they put their backs (and legs) into this special program …

David Douglas High School senior David Dwyer, who’s in the Industrial and Engineering Systems program, sets a brisk pace as he circles Palermini Field’s track.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Even though blowing wind and rain didn’t really provide weather suitable for an outdoor event, more than 60 students involved in the David Douglas High School Industrial and Engineering Systems (IES) program still walked, jogged, and ran, on Saturday, March 14.

“This is our Second Annual IES Run,” explained one of the department’s construction and electronics instructors, Bill Ekroth. “The students go out and get pledges – then they walk or run a 3.2K or a 5K race. All of the pledge money goes to scholarships for our department.”

Greg Carradine, automotive teacher and Chair of the school’s IES Department, supervises the event with fellow instructor Bill Ekroth.

“These scholarships are important,” Ekroth continued, “because trade schools, community colleges, and four-year universities are expensive. With this event, we can provide two or three scholarships every year.”

Last year, the event raised a little over $1,500, and provided three scholarships. “I hope we’ll be able to do the same again this year,” Ekroth said.

The winners of the 2nd Annual IES Race: DDHS senior Jared Drendel won 1st place; senior Nate Hill took 2nd place; and junior Vasiliy Dikov was awarded 3rd place at the event.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See what took place at this outer East Portland location during Johnson Creek Watershed Council’s annually “watershed-wide” event …

Property owners Shannon Raybold (holding Brennan) and her husband Travis (holding Freya) say they’re happy to have help restoring the floodplain along Johnson Creek at their home off SE 120th Avenue.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
It’s pleasant to own a home in outer East Portland that runs up against Johnson Creek. But, Pleasant Valley Neighborhood homeowners Shannon and Travis Raybold found restoring the creek-side floodplain at the back of their property has been quite a challenge.

“We’ve already done some of the work on our own,” Travis told us, as he watched volunteers from the Johnson Creek Watershed Council (JCWC) hard at work. “We’ve always dreamed of living in a place like this, and of restoring the native habitat here. But, it’s a real challenge, especially when you have two small kids.”

Just getting to the work area was a test of physical prowess – it lay about 150 feet below the level of their back yard – accessible only by a steep, side-sloped trail. But the terrain didn’t keep a platoon of folks participating in the JCWC’s 11th Annual Watershed-Wide Event on March 7. Additionally, these hearty volunteers carried tools, plants, and supplies down to their bucolic worksite in rain.

JCWC Watershed Wide Event volunteers Annette Mattson (left, yellow raincoat) and local resident Suzie Wolfer (kneeling) pull up invasive species, as other workers plant native growth.

We walked past Annette Mattson, an outer East Portland resident who serves on the David Douglas School District Board. “I really care about the Johnson Creek watershed,” she said. “I live in this neighborhood. This is a great way to help out, and make a difference in our community right in my own neighborhood.”

Mattson was working with neighbor Suzie Wolfer, who told us, “I live a couple of houses down and I’ve walked throughout this area for 14 years. I single-handedly have trimmed ivy off the trees since I’ve moved here. It’s like heaven to see how these volunteers are helping the watershed.”

JCWC’s Restoration Project Manager, Greg Ciannella, pauses for a moment with board member Rick Attanasio at the outer East Portland restoration site.

Restoring an ‘incredible asset’
Greg Ciannella, JCWC’s Restoration Project Manager, said he thought that so many volunteers come out for the watershed-wide event because they recognize that “Johnson Creek is an incredible asset to the community. It supports a lot of great fish and wildlife habitat.”

At this site, Ciannella said, they were removing invasive species, and replanting the creek’s floodplain with native growth. “We’re trying to increase biodiversity and, at the same time, increase the shade over the creek, to help provide cold water for salmon during the warmer summer months.”

With about 25 volunteers at the site, Ciannella said, “It’s great opportunity to bring the community out, and get them engaged in stewardship and engaged in Johnson Creek.  They’re helping us get a lot of work done.”

We met JCWC board member Rick Attanasio as he and other volunteers were carrying native trees down the steep, slick trail.

“I volunteer because I love the creek, even though I don’t live close by,” explained Attanasio. “I think this is a key watershed. If the creek stays healthy, it leads the way for the rest of the area.”

One of the benefits of participating in this event is the hot home-cooked lunch served afterward. These gals, Portland State University students Adrianne Huston, Savannah Buck, and Kristina Coy, say the chili is really good – especially after a hard morning’s work.

Chili feed warms weary workers
A little past noon, many of the 320 volunteers start to filter into the JCWC office for a substantial lunch – featuring the flavorful chipotle chili lovingly prepared by JCWC’s outreach associate, Marty Urman.

There, the organization’s Executive Director, Matt Clark, said the volunteers who worked at 10 sites in the watershed, from Ambleside in East Gresham on down to Johnson Creek Park, about half a mile up from the confluence of the Willamette, were vitally important to their work.

“Our mission is to facilitate community involvement in the Johnson Creek Watershed,” Clark began. “Mobilizing volunteers to provide stewardship of the watershed helps them gain a sense of ownership.”

In an urban environment, Clark said, natural areas are important. “People benefit from having natural areas around them – places they can go out and recreate; it’s important to an individual’s well-being. We all benefit from having clean water in our creek, especially the fish. In fact, folks just found a couple of steelhead in Reed Canyon.”

Everyone says they love Marty Urman’s fabulous chili. Her secret ingredient, confides Marty, is chipotle chilies. “It’s not burn-your-mouth hot, but they sure do have a lot of flavor don’t they?” she says.

You can help
To learn more about how the Johnson Creek Watershed Council helps improve the livability of our area – and how YOU can get involved – check their website, by CLICKING HERE.

©2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Local business spotlight: Find out why a woman with a degree
in criminal justice finds happiness purveying flowers and gifts …

Anita Tabayoyon, owner of A.R. MOSS Floral Design and Event Embellishments prepares another “gift of joy” at her Parkrose-area shop.

Story and photo by David F. Ashton
Even though Anita Sauer was finishing up her Bachelor’s degree in social sciences at the Vancouver campus of Washington State University, she really wasn’t so sure that she wanted to pursue a career in Criminal Justice.

After school, Sauer married David Tabayoyon, and the couple settled down in the Portland area, where she worked as a paralegal and legal assistant for seven years.

“All along, I kept remembering working in a floral shop while I was in high school,” Tabayoyon told us. “Finally, I was able to go back in the floral business when we opened A.R. Moss Floral Design and Event Embellishments here in Parkrose, three years ago.”

Helps others share special feelings
The best part of running her business – in addition to being able to work with her husband David – “is being able to share my creative side with people in the community. I really enjoy helping my customers convey messages of love, care, and positive feelings through the plants and floral arrangements I create for them.”

There are several differences between A.R. MOSS and chain stores or Internet websites, Tabayoyon explained. One of them is genuine personal service. “We get to know our clients – their tastes and budgets – so we’re able to serve them better. We use plants and flowers grown right here in the Pacific Northwest. And, we’re an active member in the Parkrose community who supports our schools, the Parkrose Business Association, and the neighborhood.”

A full-service wedding florist
The “embellishments” part of their business, she said, is being a full-service wedding florist providing everything from a simple bouquet all the way up to decorating wedding arches or gazebos. “We also provide wedding favors; anything to make a special event a little more elegant.”

She said they also help corporate, fraternal, and civic organizations by sprucing up their events – such as holiday parties, annual meetings, and special events. Weddings and events take them to locations such as Bridal Veil, Hood River, Timberline/Mt. Hood, Forest Grove, Lincoln City, Newport, and Astoria.

You’ll never know what you’ll discover at this unique shop. A.R. Moss photo

In the front of their business is a gift store, featuring event décor and embellishment items, event favors, blooming and green plants, dish gardens, candles – and, eclectic vintage, antique, and new home décor, and garden décor and art.

A truly ‘green’ business
In addition to selling greenery, Tabayoyon mentioned that they compost all of the shop’s green waste. “And, we love recycling floral vases and containers, and all of the plastic pots used at our annual plant sale have been reclaimed and reused.”

By the way, they’re holding their annual “Spring Summer Camp” event on Saturday, April 11 – consider stopping by!

The shop, located at 10604 Northeast Sandy Boulevard, is open to the public Tuesday-Friday, 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M., Saturday 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., and on Monday by appointment only. You can learn more – or order online, if you desire – by visiting their website at  www.ARMoss.com. Or, call them at (503) 358-2692.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News