A story posted this morning about gang violence in Gresham and Portland has drawn a number of comments in the past hour or so:                what about our rights, what about our liberties? they my friend are gone as long as these pukes cruise our streets, steal our children, and kill our families. no they...

A story posted this morning about gang violence in Gresham and Portland has drawn a number of comments in the past hour or so:
    
     
    what about our rights, what about our liberties? they my friend are
gone as long as these pukes cruise our streets, steal our children, and
kill our families. no they have given up their rights simply by virtue
of the fact that they couldn't care less about this country or the
citizens in it. all they care about is power and money and they don't
care how they get it or who they have to eliminate to get it. no i say
get rid of them and continue to do so as long as they move here or pop
up. our constitution should not be used to protect the rights of those
that have no loyalties at all to the country.
     
    Commenter name: tomthefrog
     
    You can never give up the constitution, no matter what. If you do, you
are an extremist liberal, and look what that has gotten us.
     
    If the people who in these neighborhoods refuse to cooperate with
investigations, refuse to be witnesses, and refuse to step up to the
bangers in some way, then they in turn deserve the misery that gangs
create. Its time to stop whining about getting someone to change
things and to start changing them for yourself.
     
    Commenter name: spe1446 
     
    Years ago during the 90's escalation, I worked with an old
self-admitted racist who suggested we take all the gang members and put
them in a large enclosed area and let the gangs shoot it out; whoever
was left would claim all the territory. At the time I felt this was
ignorant and bigoted. Now it kinda makes sense. That's what they are
doing, only they also take innocent lives and are too cowardly to do it
face to face. They truly believe that when they get much older they'll
have the rapper lifestyle, all the women and job security. No one has
job security.
     
    Commenter name: CaptainK

What about DISARMING the gangs ????  No sane person would argue for
their "right" to own/possess/carry/discharge a firearm, except perhaps
the gun zealots who think any type of legislation that affects firearms
is an affront to their liberty.


Commenter name: EffBeeEye
 
 

The business earned a BRAG Award by setting a mixed-materials recycling program and working to reduce packaging.

Sandy's Mt. Hood Cleaners, 38862 Proctor Blvd., was recognized last month for overhauling its waste prevention and recycling systems to create a more sustainable business.

The second-generation, family-owned business received the Clackamas County Office of Sustainability's BRAG Award after working with sustainability analyst Shannon Martin to upgrade environmental practices in its three locations.

Mt. Hood Cleaners, which already used organic products for laundry and dry cleaning, set up a complete mixed-materials recycling program and worked to reduce packaging, Martin said.

The thin plastic bags used to protect freshly cleaned clothes can't be recycled at the curb, Martin said, but the business is collecting and compressing them into larger bags that it delivers to a recycling facility.

What really impressed Martin: The business was willing to go station by station in looking at ways to become more sustainable, he said.

BRAG awards go to businesses that recycle materials, prevent waste with at least six activities, buy recycled products and commit to continual improvements.

--Holly Goodman

Johnny Limbo and the Lugnuts and the Country Rock Association will take the stage at the annual German festival.

The Sandy Oktoberfest has booked for the Biergarten main stage two American music bands for Sept. 10 and 11 to add a bit of the good old USA to the traditional German festival.

On Sept. 10 from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., the '50s and '60s rock-and-roll band Johnny Limbo and the Lugnuts will perform. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at Bi-Mart east county locations and Clackamas County Bank branches or by contacting buda@sandyoktoberfest.net.

Seating is not reserved, so come early to get the best seats and have dinner from our 15-plus food vendors. Personal chairs are allowed.

On Sept. 11 from 7 to 11 p.m., the Country Rock Association from Seattle will perform. Tickets are available at the door for $5.

No minors or pets are allowed in the Biergarten after 6 p.m.

-- Bud Abraham, Sandy Oktoberfest
 

Spend the day on the golf course and help kids involved in Police Activities League programs.

OREGON CITY – The Police Activities League (PAL) of Greater Portland will host a golf tournament Sept. 24 at the Stone Creek Golf Club.

PAL youth programs in Beaverton, Gresham, Molalla, Portland and Troutdale will benefit from the ninth annual Golf Invitational Tournament at 14603 S. Stoneridge Drive.

The tournament, sponsored by West Coast Bank, is a four-person scramble with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. The cost is $125, which includes 18 holes of golf, a golf cart, range balls, a goody bag, refreshments, lunch, and door prizes.

PAL is a nonprofit juvenile crime prevention program that provides opportunities to youth through athletics, education, cultural enrichment and job opportunities. About $10,000 was raised at last year's fundraiser.

"One of the most important things an officer can do is to be a positive influence on the life of a youth who may be straddling the fence between what's right and wrong," said youth center program director Britt Fredrickson in a news release. "You never know when that one positive thing you do or say will pull them in the right direction for good, and that is the really rewarding part of the job."

To register, visit the website or contact Kyrsten Crowe at 503-823-0250 or by email.

-- Vickie Kavanagh

 

Some students needed help with taking standardized exams, but others had much more serious problems. So students were grouped with others with the same deficiency, whether it was comprehension, vocabulary or other skills.

Last year, Reynolds High School took a new approach to boosting 10th-grade scores on Oregon’s reading test: The school chose a teacher to focus on students who had struggled on previous tests.

Some students needed help with taking standardized exams, but others had much more serious problems. So students were grouped with others with the same deficiency, whether it was comprehension, vocabulary or other skills.

Administrators at Reynolds credit the program with a major jump in the percentage of students who passed the state reading exam during the last school year: 65 percent of the school’s sophomores passed the test, compared with 52 percent in the 2008-09 school year. The jump was among the biggest for a metro-area high school.

The test is important for two reasons: First, it measures a crucial life skill. And second, starting with the class of 2012, students must pass the reading exam by their senior year to graduate.

“If you don’t know how to read, the doors are closed to you,” Reynolds Principal Jeff Gilbert said. “First off, you’re not going to graduate from high school. But No. 2, what are you going to do in life?”

Despite the gains, Reynolds maintains one of the metro area’s lowest rates of students who passed the exam. Out of 800 tested, 224 didn’t meet the requirement. Students can take the reading test three times as juniors and three more times as seniors.

The metro area’s top high schools were West Linn, with 93 percent of sophomores passing the reading test, and Lakeridge at 93 percent. Both schools had just 26 students fail to pass.

Still, the improvement at Reynolds comes after dramatic cuts in the district forced the high school to lay off 28 teachers before classes started last year. “It’s pretty remarkable with all of that cutting that we were still able to” raise scores, Gilbert said.

In addition, because of the cuts, schools in the district have been able to hire new teachers this summer. That will enable Reynolds High to expand its reading program from one teacher working with about 120 students to five teachers working with 600 kids, Gilbert said.

The school has also added a new reading curriculum, and other programs will provide guidance counseling, additional tutoring and a focus on college preparedness.

Gilbert and Alice DeWittie, the vice principal who oversees Reynolds’ reading program, expect the measures to produce more gains this school year.

DeWittie also credits prayer and teachers’ hard work for boosting test scores. In addition, the school made a concerted effort to let students know they have to pass the test to graduate, she said.

“And we’re doing it all again over this year,” she said. “Just in case they forgot over the summer.”

--Stephen Beaven

The man, in his 60s and visiting from California, sustained minor injuries from his fall.

Authorities on Wednesday evening rescued a man in his 60s who had fallen from the trail leading to the top of Multnomah Falls.

The man, visiting from California, sustained minor injuries, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. It is unclear how he fell off the trail, but it was damp and beginning to get dark when he fell around 7 p.m., said Sgt. Barrett Taylor, a spokesman for the sheriff's office. The man's name is not yet available, he said.

The man was unable to climb up or down to get back onto the trail. Multnomah County sheriff's deputies as well as Corbett Fire personnel responded, using ropes and a wheeled stretcher to rescue the man who was treated at an area hospital.

-- The Oregonian

Portland saw 18 gang shootings last month. In all, three men were wounded, one critically. Gresham saw seven gang-related shootings in August but no injuries.

On Aug. 18, someone shot up Salena Harris’ apartment on Southeast 139th Avenue.

But Harris remains defiant, like many of the people who live in Portland neighborhoods touched by gang violence last month. She said she knows who shot at her apartment and isn’t afraid.

“I’ve talked to his mother,” Harris said. “He knows we know he did it. I’m not worried about him coming back. He should be worried about me.”

Portland saw 18 such shootings last month, five of them east of 117th Avenue. In all, three men were wounded, one critically. Gresham saw seven gang-related shootings in August but no injuries. For the year, Portland police counted 69 gang-related shootings through August, compared with 68 in all of 2009.

Police say it’s important for residents to resist the temptation to hole up in their homes. Instead, said Portland Officer Russ Corno, residents should maintain their routines and get more involved in their neighborhoods.

Corno said he would like to see more neighbors work with police, be good witnesses when there are crimes and report large gatherings before they get out of control.

“Obviously, we don’t want to do anything to give the appearance that we’re willing to let the gang members intimidate the neighborhood,” Corno said. “If anything, we need more community involvement. I think that’s the piece that’s lacking the most.”

Corno is a member of the Portland Police Bureau’s gang enforcement team, which investigates cases in which the victim, shooter or location is believed to have a gang connection.

No single event appears to have prompted the August shootings, Corno said. Rather, police believe it’s part of an escalation in overt gang activity in recent years. More young men are openly wearing gang colors, and more are painting graffiti.

“It’s not as secretive,” Corno said. “It’s more out in the open.”

Corno believes that young people don’t understand the consequences of gang activity. They don’t remember the gun violence that swept Portland in the 1990s, he said, or recall the mandatory minimum sentences handed down as part of Measure 11, a staple of media coverage when gang activity peaked.

In response to the most recent shootings, Portland Mayor Sam Adams has proposed three new gun ordinances and changes to two laws. At the Police Bureau, the gang enforcement team is meeting nearly every day with outreach workers and Multnomah County Parole and Probation officers. The bureau has also undertaken a review of patrol and investigation tactics to determine whether changes are needed, Lt. Kelli Sheffer said.

At least some of the Gresham shootings were related to the Portland violence, said Gresham Det. Matt Fagan. Many of the targets in both cities are members of the Rollin 60s Crips, Fagan said.

In Portland, the August shootings were spread throughout the city, from Northwest Broadway and Couch to Northeast 135th and Shaver. The targets in such shootings, Corno said, are generally other gang members.

Harris, who lives in a small apartment complex in the 2400 block of Southeast 139th Avenue, near Division Street, said she believes her son Dre was the target of the shooting at 12:39 a.m. Aug. 18.

She said her son isn’t involved in gangs but is friends with young men who are. She believes the man who shot at the apartment is a member of the Bloods.

Despite the shooting, however, Harris said she hasn’t changed her routine. She still comes and goes as she pleases. She’s not worried.

“I go to work,” she said. “I come home. Everything’s the same.”

Ken Doswell, meanwhile, owns Betty Jean Couture, a women’s clothing shop in Portland a half-block from North Fremont Street and Williams Avenue, where a shooting occurred at 10 p.m. Aug. 18.

But Doswell feels safer in the neighborhood than he used to. He said the area improved after newcomers moved in and took a more active role in the neighborhood.

Doswell is more concerned about the root of the gang problem. In a bad economy, he said, gangs provide a false sense of hope and promise. What young men in gangs really need are jobs and education.

“Are we ever going to eliminate gangs?” he said. “No. Gangs are here to stay. But we can decrease their footprint.”
 
But not everyone is at ease with the spate of shootings. Some of Harris’ neighbors say they’re staying inside and watching their children more closely.

Bonni Benadom, for one, is the mother of three young kids and lives in the same complex as Harris. She said she recently went out to get her mail and saw a strange car in the parking lot.

“I actually got scared and had to go back into the house,” she said. “I’m scared to go into the parking lot at night now.”

--Stephen Beaven

Daniel Cruz, 40, went out drinking with a friend the night after Thanksgiving last year, and had a blood alcohol content more than twice the legal limit when he was driving his friend home toward Sherwood and struck an oncoming car.

The case: Daniel Cruz, 40, went out drinking with a friend the night after Thanksgiving last year, and had a blood alcohol content more than twice the legal limit when he was driving his friend home and struck an oncoming car.

The car Cruz hit was carrying a woman, her fiance and her two young daughters as they traveled northbound on Southwest River Road near Southwest Farmington Road.

The driver tried to avoid Cruz, who was swerving in his friend's truck from side to side across the roadway, but ultimately the truck side-swiped the oncoming vehicle as it passed, spun and struck a tree before coming to a rest passenger's side-up.

The driver of the other car, her fiance and one of her two daughters were injured in the crash. Cruz's passenger suffered a broken neck and several broken vertebrae.

Update: Cruz was convicted in July of 15 counts including misdemeanor DUII, one count of second-degree assault, five counts of third-degree assault, one count of reckless driving, five counts of recklessly endangering another and one count of second-degree criminal mischief.

Sentence: Cruz was sentenced on Aug. 31 to eight years and four months in prison, county prosecutor Jason Weiner said. Because this DUII conviction was Cruz's third, it carries a lifetime driver's license suspension, Weiner said.

-- Emily E. Smith

 

Summer’s over, right? You mean we actually had a summer? We did, but according to meteorologists, it was the coldest Portland-area summer in 17 years. “This was also the first summer since summer of 1976 that all three summer months (June, July and August) recorded back-to-back below ...

When Karen Gaffney was 9 months old, her father, Jim, started teaching her to swim in the family’s backyard pool in Sunnyvale, Calif. More than three decades later, she’s still wet behind the ears. That’s because Gaffney swam in a relay across the English Channel and solo across ...

Gresham resident Katina Marrapodi, 30, was injured when she and Gresham Police Officer Don Gibson collided on 182nd Avenue while he was on the way to help a Multnomah County sheriff’s deputy at about 1:53 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31. Gibson was heading south on Southeast 182nd Avenue with his ...

Local law enforcement agencies, including the Fairview and Gresham police departments and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, will participate in a nationwide “Click It or Ticket” enforcement blitz through Sunday, Sept. 12. The focus is on educating the public regarding child ...

Gresham police officer involved in traffic crash Gresham resident Katina Marrapodi, 30, was injured when she and Gresham Police Officer Don Gibson collided on 182nd Avenue while he was on the way to help a Multnomah County sheriff’s deputy at about 1:53 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31. Gibson was ...

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office has forwarded a recent dog-shooting case to the county district attorney’s office for further consideration. No charges have been filed in the incident. Responding to a report of a dog shot by a pedestrian in the 44000 block of East Larch Mountain ...

A Portland man remains hospitalized after the pickup he was driving wrecked in the median of Interstate 84 about a mile east of Troutdale on Wednesday, Aug. 25. At approximately 2:25 p.m., a white Ford four-door pickup driven by Damion Louis Wilson, 39, of Portland was headed westbound on I-84 ...

Prompted by high algae levels found in Blue Lake in Fairview, Oregon Public Health and Multnomah County Health Department officials issued a health advisory for the focal point of Blue Lake Regional Park and closed the park’s popular swimming beach. Water monitoring confirmed the presence of ...

Say ‘Aloha’ in Troutdale Grab your favorite grass skirt and Spam recipe for an evening of Island Fever at Troutdale’s Open Air Market on Friday, Sept. 3. The event is part of the First Friday Art Walk and runs from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Depot Museum, 473 E. Historic Columbia ...

An old Sandy River tradition ends next year when state regulations stop even the chance of dipping a smelt from the river. Beginning in 2011, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will ban all smelt fishing on inland waters. The Aug. 8 decision by the commission follows a March ruling by the ...