MONDAY, FEB. 4

Damascus City Council — 7 p.m., City Hall, 19920 S.E. Highway 212. Presentation by Shirley Craddick, Metro councilor; review of comprehensive plan and city newsletter; and executive session. Call 503-658-8545 or visit damascusoregon.gov for more information.

Coffee with the mayor — 7:30 a.m., Hawaiian Beanz 19880 S.E. Highway 212, Damascus.

TUESDAY, FEB. 5

Wilkes Community Group — 7 p.m., Margaret Scott Elementary School, 14700 N.E. Sacramento St., Portland. Call Alice Blatt at 503-253-6247 for information.

Boring Community Planning Organization — 7 p.m., Boring Fire Station Annex, 28655 S.E. Highway 212. Call 503-663-1297 for information.

Planning Commission Work Session — 7 p.m., City Hall, 19920 S.E. Highway 212. Call 503-658-8545 or visit damascusoregon.gov for more information.

Children’s health fair coming Feb. 9

The Multnomah Dental Society will hold its annual Free Children’s Health Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at Lynch View Elementary School, 1546 S.E. 169th Place, Portland.

Services will include:

• Dental, vision and hearing screenings

• Dental treatment

• Proper dental hygiene instructions

• Immunizations

• Information on healthcare topics for the entire family

• Oregon Health Plan and Healthy Kids sign-up and resources

• Lead poison screenings

• Nutrition and diabetes information

• Fire safety

• Bicycle safety

• Head Start information

Food will be provided, and each child attending will receive a goodie bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste and information about taking care of their teeth. There also will be entertainment and prize drawings, including the grand prize of a Playstation gaming set; children do not need to be present at the time of the drawing to win.

The fair is held as part of the American Dental Association’s nationwide program Give Kids A Smile, which mobilizes the nation’s dentists during February to provide free oral health care services to thousands of low-income children.

For more information, call the Dental Society at 503-513-5010.

Chess tournament benefits research fund

For the fourth year, Corbett High School student Benjamin Morrison is organizing the Chess for Fanconi Anemia Benefit Tournament, with proceeds benefiting the Eugene-based Fanconi Anemia Research Fund.

Morrison started the benefit in 2010 as a tribute to his sister, Nina Morrison, who died of the life-threatening genetic disease in 2006. Each year, the benefit is held at Corbett School, with prize donations from local businesses.

This year’s benefit will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 2, in the Corbett School multi-purpose building, 35800 E. Historic Columbia River Highway. Students in kindergarten through grade 12 are invited to participate in the Northwest Scholastic Rating System-ranked, Oregon Chess Federation State Qualifier benefit.

Suggested donations are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, with pizza and other concessions available for sale at the tournament.

For more information, email chessforfa@gmail.com.

Fuel Your School benefits Multnomah County

In its inaugural year, the Fuel Your School program run by Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and DonorsChoose.org raised $165,413 for 79 public school classrooms in Multnomah County.

The purpose of the program is to help support and improve education programming and resources, particularly in the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and math, to prepare students for the growing number of technical jobs in the modern economy.

From Oct. 1-31, Chevron contributed $1 for purchases of 8 or more gallons at participating Chevron and Texaco stations in Multnomah County to benefit public school classroom projects posted on DonorsChoose.org.

Springdale Job Corps graduates 20

After spending months developing skills in culinary arts, health occupations, auto body collision and repair, protective services and office administration, 20 students graduated from Springdale Job Corps on Jan. 18 with high school diplomas or GEDs.

Troutdale Mayor Doug Daoust, the guest speaker, told students their determination that helped them succeed at Job Corps would help them move forward in their careers, and he encouraged them to be a part of their community through civic involvement.

Since July, Job Corps students have contributed more than 2,000 hours of community service to the community.

One of 125 Job Corps centers across the country, Springdale offers career and technical training to people between the ages of 16 and 24. In 2012, Springdale graduated 145 students.

Gresham High student raises funds for trip

With her eye on attending the Heritage Festival in San Diego as a member of the Gresham High School Overtones, Arianne Melton is selling One Dollar Bars and cookie dough.

“I have been babysitting all summer to help pay my own way,” Melton wrote on her fliers. “Now I have a couple of ‘sweet’ offers for you and your family.”

Fifty percent of the One Dollar Bars proceeds go toward Melton’s fundraising account. The cookie dough is $15 for 2.7 pounds, with 40 percent of each order going to her account.

Melton also is collecting cans and bottles to help pay for her trip. For more information, call her at 503-674-8855.

Volunteers needed for mock funeral exercises

Each year, the Town and Gown room of Mt. Hood Community College fills with caskets and urns for the college’s Funeral Arrangements Exercise.

The 17th annual exercise will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, and second-year students from the Funeral Service Education program are looking for volunteers from the college and community to pose as bereaved family members to help them make funeral arrangements.

Students will answer questions and discuss funeral service options, such as cremation versus burial, urn and casket selections and environmentally friendly burials.

The Mt. Hood Funeral Service Education program is the only program of its kind in Oregon and one of only three in the Pacific Northwest. Graduates of the two-year program typically find careers in embalming, funeral direction and management. For more information, visit mhcc.edu/funeralserviceeducation.

To volunteer during a one-hour appointment, call student Alicia Montoya at 971-227-7274 or email aliciamariamontoya@gmail.com. The exercise will be held at the Gresham campus, 26000 S.E. Stark St.

Get help with FAFSA

Mt. Hood Community College is offering FAFSA Fridays from 1-2:30 p.m. each Friday from Feb. 1 through June in Room AC 2554 at the college, 26000 S.E. Stark St.

Staff will help students access and complete the online Free Application for Federal Student Aid, with one-on-one assistance available.

Students should bring their 2012 IRS tax returns, 2012 end-of-year pay stubs, current value of assets, Social Security number (and those of their parents if a student is a dependent), driver’s license and alien registration care (if applicable).

Support Gresham senior all-night party

A dinner and auction benefit for the Gresham High School senior all-night party will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at Club Paesano/Cedarville Park.

The event, themed “a touch of class,” includes a silent auction, no-host bar, dinner buffet and oral auction.

Along with attending the dinner, community members may help by offering tax-deductible cash donations, making donations for the March 9 auction (gift baskets, rental homes and certificates for goods or services) or purchase advertising space in the auction booklet for $50.

The senior all-night party follows graduation and provides students an evening of fun activities, food and games in a safe, chaperoned and drug- and alcohol-free environment.

Tickets for the auction are $30 per person or $210 per table. For more information, email Barbara Haide and bhaide@aol.com or call 503-661-1738.

Students learn about healthy eating

Through Oregon State University Extension Service’s Food Hero campaign, grade school students across Oregon are learning about healthy eating.

Extension educators will hold events at 58 elementary schools in 27 of the state’s 36 counties as part of the initiative, encouraging Oregonians to eat more fruits and vegetables using inexpensive, easy-to-make recipes from its website, foodhero.org. The site offers tips on food safety, meal planning and eating on a budget.

Food Hero’s electronic publication may be found at foodhero.org/monthly-magazine.

The program was developed by OSU Extension Service and is funded by the Extension Service, the Oregon Department of Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

OACP list ways to help prevent mass shootings

The Oregon Association Chiefs of Police released a statement concerning the recent gun-control debate and its commitment to working with Oregonians to prevent further mass shootings.

The association, whose president is Fairview Police Chief Ken Johnson, wrote that while the multiple elected bodies it represents may have differing views on specific issues, a comprehensive plan will need to include several factors to be successful.

Those include:

n Providing adequate services to those in mental health crisis.

n Adequate resources for enforcement and sanction to those violating existing weapons laws.

n Maintenance of criminal sanction on all violent offenders.

n Provisions that keep firearms and other dangerous weapons out of the hands of criminals and those suffering from mental illness.

n Adequate local law enforcement resources including school resource offices.

The association added that additional gun control measures should be considered when there is consensus that they will limit mass shootings and “resources to enforce new statutes will be provided.”

As FIRST Robotics Team 1571 of the Center for Advanced Learning (CAL) in Gresham prepares for regionals, the team gets together Tuesday and Thursday evenings and all day Saturday.

The nine students on Team 1571 took the opportunity to thank their six mentors — Andrew Sears from Autodesk Inc., Michael Ohlirch from Benchmade, Seth Urbach from Microchip, Jim Jones from Boeing, Rocco Natale from Boeing and Lonnie Paolo — on “Thank Your Mentor Day” Thursday, Jan. 17.

“I can’t say enough how much we appreciate these guys helping out the students at CAL with their FIRST Robotics team,” said Pavla Dirksen, the mother of a robotics student. “They are such knowledgeable engineers and sure know how to make learning fun.”

This year’s FIRST Robotics Team 1571 is led by Dirksen’s son, Captain Brady Dirksen, a team member of four years and engineering student at CAL.

As FIRST Robotics mentors, the team of six gives advice, support and encouragement to the team members, whether it’s providing guidance for a technical approach, helping solve specific problems or troubleshooting.

The regional FIRST Robotics competition will be held March 6-10. FIRST Robotics Team 1571 is busy designing and building a robot that will have to throw Frisbee discs in the competition.

To learn more about robotics, visit oregonfirst.org.

Brent Warstler indicted by grand jury

A Gresham woman is dead. A Fairview woman soon will start learning to walk again. And a Cornelius man, accused of striking both women while driving drunk last month, pleaded not guilty in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Tuesday, Jan. 29.

A grand jury indicted Brent Warstler, 42, on 19 charges, which include second-degree manslaughter, third-degree assault, reckless driving and a misdemeanor for driving under the influence of intoxicants. Warstler also was charged with eight counts of recklessly endangering another person, six counts of fourth-degree assault and one count of second-degree criminal mischief.

Warstler allegedly ran a red light in Portland’s Old Town area around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 20. His 2012 Dodge Ram pickup collided with a taxi and veered onto the sidewalk, striking Rebecca Bray, 20, and Brandi Butner, 21.

The two women were downtown celebrating Butner’s 21st birthday and waiting for a

designated driver when the

collision occurred.

Bray, of Gresham, died at the scene, while Butner, of Fairview, was transported to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.

Warstler, whose blood-alcohol level was more than double the legal limit, police said, was transported to a hospital for minor injuries, along with three of his passengers. He was later booked into Multnomah County Jail.

On Thursday, Jan. 31, Butner was transferred from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility where she’ll begin learning how to walk, according to her Facebook page.

“There’s so many challenges that I’m about to face but I’m ready for them!” Butner wrote.

Residents will see slight increase in March utility bill

Fairview residents soon will see a slight increase in their water rates.

Beginning Friday, March 1, water rates for an average single family residential customer will rise 3.30 percent in 2013 and another 2.94 percent in 2014. Wastewater and stormwater rates, however, will remain the same.

Fairview's city council made the decision at the Wednesday, Jan. 16, council meeting.

The council could have voted to increase the water rates by a higher percentage if it decided to inherit a new project.

The city has been told the current Public Works Shop facility needs to be torn down and rebuilt. But council members, to avoid a higher rate increase, opted not to approve construction of the facility.

The city hired Donovan Enterprises Inc., a Portland-based consulting company, to conduct rate studies for the water, wastewater and stormwater utilities.

The company evaluated the individual system revenue requirements and recommended the rate increase.

Currently, an average Fairview home pays $15.91 per month for water utilities. Starting March 1, the average home will pay $16.44 per month, and in 2014, that cost will increase to $16.92. These figures do not include sewer and stormwater fees.

Mindy Rocha-Barella, a funeral director at Bateman Carroll and the Battalion Family Readiness coordinator for the 2-218th FA of the Oregon National Guard, has been voted Military Spouse of the Year for the Oregon National Guard.

“I was very humbled to hear the news,” Rocha-Barella said. “I’m very proud of my husband and his career. I consider it to be an honor to be part of a military family.”

A Sandy resident, Rocha-Barella received 18 nominations for the honor and will proceed to the next level of branch voting. She and her husband, Staff Sgt. Thomas Barella, have been married two years.

Voting on the branch level will open Tuesday, Feb. 5, for 24 hours. The six branch winners will advance to a third and final round of voting in which the Military Spouse of the Year will be selected based on the highest combined score from the national vote and a panel of judges.

To see Rocha-Barella’s profile and vote for her Feb. 5, visit msoy.militaryspouse.com/profile/Mindy/Rocha-Barella/2.

The Historic Columbia River Highway and Vista House reopened Friday, Feb. 1, after closing for a highway restoration project.

The year-long project started by closing lanes of the highway in August 2012. Vista House, which overlooks the Columbia River Gorge, closed in October.

The closure around Crown Point allowed the Oregon Department of Transportation to restore a 600-foot viaduct surrounding Vista House, which is part of the Oregon state parks system.

Repairing the viaduct and its 29 deteriorating support columns was necessary to avoid placing weight restrictions on the road, which would keep tourist buses, RVs and other large vehicles off the road, ODOT said in a statement.

ODOT said occasional lane closures might be necessary during the final stages of the renovation project, which is scheduled for late spring.

Vista House will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the winter, weather permitting.

After a series of community forums, the school board will vote in March whether to go after a bond in 2013

Students overflow into the cafeteria during assemblies because there’s not enough room in the gym to fit them. They cram into small classrooms and bundle up during winter because the heat sometimes feels inadequate in the 98-year-old Gresham High School.

With declining enrollment, Deep Creek Elementary and Damascus Middle School are operating at 50 percent capacity.

West Gresham Elementary is a community landmark at 91, but to be viable for future generations, it requires significant remodeling.

With many of its 19 schools at least 40 years old and in need of some tender loving care, the Gresham-Barlow School Board is weighing whether to pose a $210 million school bond to voters in May or November.

“Buildings are beat up, run down and woefully inadequate in some of the older schools,” said Scott Hansen, a business representative on the Bond Measure Planning Committee and a parent who raised nine children in the district. “It’s tough to ask your neighbors to raise their taxes, but we need to do something, and this is the time and place.”

During the course of eight community forums that began Jan. 29 and conclude Feb. 13, district administration and 22 Bond Measure Planning Committee members are asking community members to offer input on the proposed bond.

From the information gathered at these forums, along with research based on building needs, the committee will put forth a recommendation to the school board March 7, potentially suggesting a school bond for later this year.

The bond

In 2011, the long-range planning committee for the Gresham-Barlow School District conducted a strategic plan that addressed growth in demographics — a projected 13,500 students for the next 10 years — and building conditions.

With the lowest property tax rate among the Portland-area school districts and an existing construction bond about to mature, the committee determined it was the right time for the district to consider a bond.

Beginning last October, the Bond Measure Planning Committee — including students, parents, business leaders, teachers, staff members, city representatives, representatives from faith-based organizations and neighborhood association representatives — began meeting to determine the size, scope and date of a bond.

“Our school buildings are our community’s investment,” Superintendent Jim Schlachter said. “It’s important to hear what community members value when it comes to maintaining the community’s assets.”

While the proposed bond would reach all 19 schools in the district, it would begin with the three schools needing the most significant changes: Gresham High School, West Gresham Elementary School and Deep Creek Elementary School, for $100.7 million, or 48 percent of the bond.

The committee has suggested rebuilding Gresham High School, which would take two years to design and two years to construct; either upgrading West Gresham Elementary or repurposing it and reassigning students to the other elementary schools; and combining Deep Creek Elementary and Damascus Middle School into a kindergarten through eighth-grade model to combine resources.

“We need a better learning system,” said Jessica Gonzalez, a 17-year-old senior at Gresham Barlow who has lived in the district since sixth grade and is one of the planning committee members. “I’m a senior, and I’m not going to be here to enjoy it, but I know other students will, and it’s important to their education.”

Along with upgrades on the three buildings needing the most changes, the bond would remove 38 portable classrooms at elementary schools and expand the buildings to accommodate all-day kindergarten, which likely will be implemented in the 2015-16 school year.

It also would allow for technology upgrades for the Career Technical Education Program (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) classes; improve gyms, fields and performing arts spaces; replace roofs and siding, electrical and plumbing systems; and upgrade seismic and security infrastructure.

Community response

The first community forum Jan. 29, presented by Diane Shiner, a bond measure planning consultant, drew a group of 26 parents, citizens, committee members, and district staff and administration.

“It might be an uphill battle, and I can see how some people would balk at the bond, but we really need to do something on a grand scale to correct what’s not working instead of doing piecemeal things,” said Sheila Spencer, a parent with children in Hollydale Elementary and Clear Creek Middle School.

“It’s a cliché, but kids are our future. If we don’t invest in their education, it’s going to hurt everybody.”

Spencer said the only concern she came away with from the forum was how potentially closing West Gresham Elementary and Damascus Middle School could affect class size.

Corey Sexton, the parent of a Gordon Russell Middle School sixth-grader and a soon-to-be kindergartner, said she felt supportive of the bond but wanted to see continued transparency in the process and open minds among community members.

“Sometimes the people who don’t know the details are the loudest,” Sexton said. “There are always people who will be negative, even if they haven’t delved into what the specifics are. People need to know what’s going on, especially the ones in disagreement.”

Tom Sherman, Sheila Spencer’s husband, also underscored the importance of transparency moving forward with the bond.

“We all knew the schools were in bad shape and needed a lot of work,” Sherman said. “I thought the bond was very well researched, well thought out and presented — a compelling and complete picture. It is a lot of money, and no one wants to pay more, but the truth is, if we’re going to invest in anything, it’s going to have to be our kids.”

Alton Robert Bailey

May 31, 1920-Jan. 25, 2013

Gresham resident Alton Robert Bailey died Friday, Jan. 25. He was 92.

A viewing was held Thursday, Jan. 31, and also is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, Feb. 1, at Finley Sunset Hills Chapel, 6801 S.W. Sunset Highway, Portland.

A service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, at Zeller Chapel of the Roses, 2107 N.E. Broadway Blvd., Portland.

Alton was born May 31, 1920, to George and Margaret Bailey. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1942 through 1946, he married Lillian Fink in 1949.

Alton is survived by his, children, Bonnie, Clark, Naomi and Lynn; 10 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Easton McLane Medford

Jan. 23, 2013

Easton McLane Medford, the son of Krystle Bowden and Daniel Medford, was delivered stillborn Wednesday, Jan. 23.

A funeral service was held Wednesday, Jan. 30, at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home.

Easton was going to grow up to play baseball with his daddy and love his mommy more than anyone. An active baby even in the womb, he would have been an athlete.

He is survived by his parents; grandparents, Mark and Kelly Bowden and Dan and Cindy Medford; three uncles; and an aunt.

Charitable contributions may be made to the memorial fund in Easton’s name at any Wells Fargo Bank.

Marlene B. Allen

March 4, 1942-Jan. 29, 2013

Boring resident Marlene Allen died Tuesday, Jan. 29. She was 70.

At her request, no services will be held.

Marlene was born March 4, 1942, in Minneapolis to Marvin and Mildred Madtson.

A caretaker and animal lover, she lived in Boring for several years.

Marlene was preceded in death by her daughter Teresa Gruetter in 1991.

Survivors include her sons, Craig Gruetter and John Gruetter; daughter, Tracey Belskis of Estacada; sisters, Bernice McCoy, Marlys Thiede, Shirley Rea and Judy Madtson; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Estacada Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements.

Paid obituaries

Monte L Wake

SEPT 11, 1962 – JANUARY 26, 2013

Monte was born in Burley, Idaho to Jerry K Wake and Rosemary Fausett. His son, Jesse, brother, Andrew Bottaro and father, preceded Monte in death. Monte is survived by his mother, Rose, brother, Danny (Laurie), sister, Tracie (Rockye) Christenson, sons, Dustin, Nathan, Isaiah, Elijah, Brandon, Malaki and daughter, Cheyenne.

Monte has two grandchildren, Marrisa and Aiden.

Monte has many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and a grand nephew.

Monte attended Gresham High School and Mt Hood Community College. He was a member of the drywall union and a certified heavy equipment operator.

Monte was a certified scuba diver, held a black belt in martial arts and won both a BMX and motor cross state title. Monte loved the mountains and worked as a ski instructor in Park City Utah.

Monte lived life to the fullest and did not have any fear of adventure. He loved his family very much and had a special nickname for each one of them. Those that were closest to him knew as he gave them a special name of endearment. He will be surely missed and leave an empty place in our lives.

Funeral will be at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chapel at 22801 SE Stark St on February 4th at 1:00 pm.

Troutdale resident Kristina Schell, 31, has been pregnant with expectation of a music career for some time.

In the fall of 2004, as a married student at Portland State University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in music performance, she discovered she was expecting her first son.

“I was the girl in the music department waddling around to all her classes,” she says.

Becoming a mother changed her schooling plans a bit — indeed, she wound up having two more sons and still has to finish some of her studies — but she says she’s “really in a place now where I’m getting to do what I’ve always wanted to do with music.”

A 1999 graduate of Centennial High School, Schell has attended Mt. Hood Community College, Multnomah Bible College and PSU. She plays guitar, and began studying classical piano at age 11. A relative newcomer to guitar, she nonetheless has taken to it like a baby to a bottle.

“It’s so much easier carrying a guitar to places, rather than lugging a big keyboard around when you want to sing,” she says. “I’ve found playing the guitar gives me more freedom in that way, and is really a beautiful instrument to sing to.”

And sing she does on her eponymously titled debut album, which she hopes will catch on with fans of contemporary Christian music as well as other genres.

“It had always been a dream of mine to record an album of my own songs, but I just never thought it was possible,” she says. “I was so focused on having babies and changing diapers that I couldn’t seem to think beyond that. It wasn’t until after my third son was born that I began writing songs again and rediscovering something that I’d put aside for so long.”

Fans of Jewel, ‘80s dance pop and midtempo rock should enjoy her approach, which is somewhat eclectic. She recorded the album in Oklahoma and in Portland at Falcon Recording Studio, and has promoted it through live performances at such venues as Book & Bible in Hillsboro.

She considers such pop singers as Sarah McLachlan, Fiona Apple and Paula Cole inspiring, as well as Christian artist Beckah Shae and New Zealand Christian folk pop artist Brooke Fraser.

“Her songs resonate with me in so many ways,” Schell says. “The things she writes about are things I have gone through. For example, she talks about how she doesn’t feel that God is near, but believes that God is near, and that builds up her faith.”

Schell, who works with her husband in children’s ministry at Gresham Bible Church, says the songs on her debut deal with issues she’s wrestled with, including fear, insecurity, death of a loved one and a desire to change.

“Who hasn’t wrestled with these issues?” she says.

Schell says she tries to approach her songs without any preconceptions.

“I usually sit down at the piano and play different chord progressions,” she says. “Depending on my mood at the time, it will either be slow or fast, major or minor key.”

The lyrics can be a challenge, she adds.

“Sometimes after I play a few chords, I will get an idea for the first lyric and from there I will just build on the words,” she says. “A lot of times the words just won’t work, and I’ll have to start from scratch again.

“And then there are those rare moments when I’m at the piano, and the words and music will just flow,” she says. “It’s like the feeling you get when a puzzle piece fits, so satisfying.”

A Gresham man who beat two men — including an elderly man in his 70s — in a home-invasion robbery in Damascus on Christmas Eve of 2011 will spend almost six years in prison.

Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Thomas J. Rastetter sentenced Samuel Hillman Wilson, 56, to 70 months in prison on Monday, Jan. 28.

Following a three-day trial ending Jan. 12, a jury found Wilson guilty of robbery, burglary, assault and theft in the Dec. 24 home-invasion robbery of a man in his 20s and another man in his 70s on Southeast Highway 212, said prosecutor Russell Amos.

The older victim is a mentor and father-figure to the younger victim, whom he'd taken under his wing and under his roof, Amos said. He also was training the younger victim in his trade, which is the refrigeration industry.

On Christmas Eve, the two were getting ready to go to the home of the younger man's mother for dinner when Wilson and another man went to the trailer home where the victims lived claiming that their car had broken down.

Then, armed with an ax handle, Wilson beat both men and demanded access to their safe. After seeing that the safe was empty, Wilson savagely continued to beat both men. The second man involved remains unidentified and at large, Amos said.

Police connected Wilson to the crime through DNA found on the ax handle, Amos said. His DNA was on file because of his criminal history, including convictions for burglary with a firearm — he claimed the victim in that case owed him money, Amos said — drunken driving, drug possession and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

During the Monday sentencing hearing, Amos asked that the judge sentence Wilson to 130 months, or nearly 11 years — 70 months for the robbery conviction plus 60 months for the burglary conviction. Wilson's defense attorney, however, argued that because the crimes were part of one “course of conduct,” the sentences should be served at the same time, not one after the other.

The judge agreed with the defense attorney and sentenced Wilson to 70 months in prison, the mandatory minimum sentence for second-degree robbery under Measure 11.

A man who shot and paralyzed a man who was giving him a tattoo will spend 20 years in prison.

After a six-day trial ending last week, jurors found Russell Alan Clemo, 29, of outer Southeast Portland guilty of attempted murder, first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Jerry Hodson on Thursday, Jan. 31, sentenced the man to 220 months for the assault conviction and 60 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Twenty of the 60 months will be served after the assault sentence, creating a total of 240 months behind bars.

Clemo also must pay more than $34,000 in restitution to the Department of Human Services for the victim’s medical bills.

On Aug. 31, the victim — Jordan Peck, 24 — was giving Clemo a tattoo of a crown on the side of his neck in Peck’s apartment in the 100 block of Northeast 181st Avenue. Both men were using methamphetamine and heroin during the 16 hours Clemo was in the apartment.

The drugs are known to thin blood, causing Clemo’s tattoo to bleed too much for Peck to finish it, said Britni Locke, the mother of Peck’s 4-year-old daughter.

Angry that Peck wouldn’t finish the tattoo, Clemo shot Peck three times in the back with a .38-caliber revolver that police found at the scene. Another bullet grazing his arm.

The two were new acquaintances, and although Peck considered him a friend, he wasn’t sure what his first name was.

Gresham Detective Tim Snider contacted Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Burkeen, who served on the East Metro Gang Enforcement Team, and relayed the suspect description and his affiliation with a gang known for its white supremacist beliefs. Burkeen said he knew of a man named Russell Clemo who belonged to the same gang, and found a photo of the man to show the detective. Witnesses identified him as the shooter.

Police arrested Clemo at his home in the 13900 block of Southeast Mill Street two days after the shooting. He had an unfinished tattoo on the side of his neck.

One bullet grazed Peck’s arm and two grazed his back. But one — the one that’s still lodged in his back — paralyzed him from the waist down. He’ll never walk again.

During the sentencing hearing, Locke told the judge that their daughter is a forgotten victim of the shooting.

“She can no longer run around on the playground with her dad,” she said. “She can’t race him to the count of one-two-three. She can’t be walked down the aisle by her daddy.”

Just a few nights ago, the little girl told her mom, “It’s been a long time since daddy has walked. When is he going to walk again?”

Locke struggles to answer her daughter’s question in an honest, age-appropriate way.

Gently, she told her little girl that her daddy will probably never walk again.

“But it’s OK because we’ll love him either way,” Locke told the girl, who heartedly agreed.

Prosecutor Chris Ramras asked for a 23 year sentence and told the judge that Clemo didn’t express any remorse during the trial.

“It’s abundantly clear he doesn’t really feel sorry for what he’s done,” Ramras said. He then asked the judge to issue consecutive sentences instead of the usual concurrent ones, in which inmates serve multiple sentences at the same time.

Clemo’s sister, Sarah Clemo Strand, however asked for leniency.

“Twenty years is a life sentence for a man without a wife or children,” she said, adding the victim has a child and can have more. Since the shooting, both men also have stayed clean and sober. “Russell is not an intentionally cruel person. He believed his life was in danger.”

As for why Clemo left the victim bleeding in his apartment, never called the police and never told anyone about what happened — his sister said he was in shock.

Clemo wiped away his tears with his blue jail shirt.

“I am truly sorry,” he said.

For six and a half of the past 10 years, Clemo has been behind bars.. But since the shooting, he’s looked at himself and his shortcomings.

“I know I can be a productive member of society,” Clemo told the judge, asking for a chance to have a career and a family

Then a loud voice rang out from the gallery. It was Peck, a man ordinarily so soft-spoken one must lean in to hear him.

“I forgive you, Russell,” he said from his wheelchair, loud enough for the whole courtroom to hear.

Clemo placed his forehead in the palm of hand and cried. His family, sitting to Peck’s side, sobbed.

Racist remark sparks fight that led to crash, but driver claims it was an accident

A Multnomah County grand jury on Friday, Feb. 1, indicted a Gresham man on three counts of attempted murder one week after he drove his Mercedes into a group of people standing outside a restaurant, injuring four men.

Brad Everett Eason, 30, of Gresham also was indicted on one count of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault, driving under the influence of intoxicants and criminal mischief. He is being held on $2 million bail at the Multnomah County Detention Center.

Early on Friday, Jan. 25, Eason and a large group of people went to a few bars before going to Shari's Restaurant in the 800 block of Southwest Highland Drive,

He got into an argument with a woman in the group after Eason allegedly made racist comments about another woman's ethnicity, according to court documents. When a man in the group identified as Najee Newman, 21, of Portland came to their defense, the two men got into a brief fight. Eason then made a threatening remark to Newman before getting into his car, a 2009 Mercedes C30, and driving it into a cluster of people standing near the restaurant's entryway at about 3:45 a.m.

Newman and two other men from the group were injured, as was a bystander.

Witnesses told police that after the crash, Eason got out of his car, jumped over the back and aggressively approached the victims as if to keep fighting. Those witnesses stopped Eason from reaching the victims and restrained him until police arrested Eason without further incident.

Newman — the man Eason briefly got into the fight with — was treated and released for a bruised left leg and arm at Oregon Health & Science University.

The two other men from his group suffered more serious injuries.

Kennyth Estoy, 23, of Troutdale sustained a compound fracture to his right leg, and

Rob Polanco, 23, of Gresham suffered a non-life threatening head injury. Polanco was directly in front of Eason’s car when the Mercedes hit him. He hit the windshield, breaking it, before being thrown into a large window behind him. Although his body did not break the glass, it did tear the window frame from the wall.

A fourth man who was not with the group also was injured after going outside for a cigarette.

Dan Daugherty, 32, of Boring, had been eating breakfast and was standing outside smoking when the car hit him. He suffered a minor injury to his left leg.

Easton told police the crash was an accident. He said he intended to scare the crowd by accelerating toward them and stopping before impact.

A Gresham business owner, who refused service to a same-sex couple, is now facing possible fines after allegedly violating an Oregon anti-discrimination law.

Aaron Klein, owner of Sweet Cakes by Melissa at 44 N.E. Division St., said he was approached by a couple wanting to purchase a cake for their wedding. But when Klein learned it was for a same-sex wedding, he told the couple he wouldn't sell them the cake based on his Christian belief that marriage should be between and man and a woman.

“We had done business with them in the past,” said Klein, who's owned the bakery for five years. “But it's against our religious beliefs to support gay marriage.”

One of the brides filed a complaint with the Oregon Attorney General on Monday, Jan. 28, and a civil enforcement officer is investigating, according to KATU.

The Oregon Attorney General's office will determine if Klein's actions violate the Oregon Equality Act. Passed in 2007, the act prohibits discrimination in a place of public accommodation, including a business.

And religious beliefs don't outweigh the state's law, said Matthew Ellis, an attorney with the Portland-based law firm, Kell, Alterman & Runstein.

“They have the right to refuse service, so long as it's not based on race, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation or disability,” said Ellis, who's specialized in discriminatory lawsuits for the last six years. “Those are things that as a society we've said we're taking off the table. In my view, they're violating the law.

“You can't make a distinction based on those protective classes. If he's based it on those classes, he's violating the law.”

Ellis added that cases like this have become rare since the state passed law 659A.403.

“You don't see it much in places of public accommodation any more because it's so clearly wrong,” he said. “He might as well put a sign on the front door that says, 'gay couples not allowed.' ”

Dawn Holt, president of Portland's Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays organization, which lends support to homosexual individuals, understands Klein's position but believes Oregon business owners don't have the right to discriminate.

“I am somewhat sympathetic toward people who have religious views that make it difficult for them to do business with gay individuals,” said Holt, who's been president of the organization for seven years. “But the way the law is in Oregon, if you're going to set up a business, you can't pick and choose who your customers are.”

Holt, who said she has a gay son, added that this incident may show that businesses need to be better educated about Oregon anti-discrimination law.

“I shudder to think that my son and his partner could walk into a store and be refused service," she said. “It's ridiculous. I think education surrounding the law needs to happen.”

Holt said that when homosexual individuals come to her organization with a discriminatory complaint, she refers them to the Bureau of Labor and Industries.

Charlie Burr, communications director for the Bureau of Labor Industries, said “this is the type of situation we'd be interested in hearing about.”

He added that if Sweet Cakes by Melissa is found guilty, it could face a maximum fine of $50,000, based on the number of penalties it violated.

But Klein — who bakes the cakes that his wife Melissa decorates in their family owned and operated business — said he's not refusing all of his business to homosexual individuals, just the sale of wedding cakes.

“I have several gay people that come in on a regular basis,” he said. “But I believe marriage is a religious issue. I shouldn't be the one to change the definition.”

The Gresham boys win 52-48 and sit in third place at the halfway point of the league season

TROUTDALE — Whenever it needed points Friday night, the Gresham boys basketball team knew exactly where to find them. The Gophers pounded the ball inside throughout the second half to hold off a pesky Reynolds squad 52-48.

The Gophers took a five-point lead into halftime, but quickly expanded the margin to double digits by firing the ball repeatedly inside to center Ethan Hamilton. The 6-foot-4 senior came up with three baskets in the first three minutes of the half.

Gresham led by as many as 12 points only to see the host Raiders cut it to four early in the fourth quarter when Brandon Williams flew to the rim for a layup.

An injury paused the action for a few minutes, allowing both teams to gather near the sideline for a quick strategy session. After hoisting up a pair of missed 3s early in the quarter, the Gophers would attempt just one shot outside the paint the rest of the way.

The return to the rim paid off, as Gresham’s lead mushroomed back to 10 points.

The Gophers left the door open for a potential comeback by going just 6 for 12 (.500) at the free-throw line down the stretch, but turnovers and missed 3s kept the Raiders playing from behind.

Look for extended game coverage in the Tuesday, Feb. 5, print edition.

View a photo gallery from the game at …

http://daveball.exposuremanager.com/g/feb1_gre-rey_boys_hoops

The Eagles move to 5-2 in league play after Fridays six-point road win

The Centennial girls basketball team kept its playoff hopes on track Friday night with a 31-25 win over Gresham.

Hit with the flu bug this week, the Eagles overcame a sluggish shooting night to control the game most of the way.

“Everyone just gutted it out and we got through it,” Centennial coach Jeff Stanek said.

The Gophers hit a 12-minute dry spell in the first half that allowed Centennial to slowly build a lead. Centennial sisters Megan and Melissa Dailey each connected on 3s to get the scoring spurt started, and the Eagles found themselves in front 15-6 when Leann Phanakhone found Megan Dailey cutting down the baseline for an easy layup.

Centennial maintained a sizeable cushion throughout the second half and remained in third place at 5-2 in the Mount Hood Conference.

Look for extended game coverage in the Tuesday, Feb. 5, print edition.

View a photo gallery from the game at …

http://daveball.exposuremanager.com/g/feb1_cnt-gre_girls_hoops

The Mt. Hood CC mens team connects on better than 60 percent of its shots to beat the Titans 84-72

The Mt. Hood CC men’s basketball team relied on accurate scoring to pick up a key 84-72 win over the visiting Lane Titans on Saturday night.

The Saints stayed hot all night, finishing the game 24 of 39 (.615) from the field. Despite the torrid shooting, too many first-half turnovers left Mt. Hood trailing by five heading into the locker room. Lane put up 12 more shots than the Saints over the first 20 minutes.

Mt. Hood CC cleaned up its play after the break and rushed the basket coming up one hoop short of 50 points in the second half.

Blake Updike led the attack with 24 points, including 4 of 7 (.571) shooting from beyond the arc, while also missing just once in 11 tries at the free-throw line.

The win puts Mt. Hood (8-12) into a tie with Portland CC for the South Region's final playoff spot and brings them within a single game of Lane and SW Oregon in the race for second place.

The Mt. Hood women’s team got whalloped 83-39 to open the night, falling behind by 31 points by the half. Lane held a 27-0 edge in second-chance points after out rebounding the Saints by 34.

Mt. Hood’s Sadie Jenks and Kirsten Shockman knocked down three 3s apiece to share the scoring lead with nine points.

Owner Bill Gallacher, president Doug Piper and general manager/head coach Mike Johnston will converge on Las Vegas for the semi-annual Western Hockey League Board of Governors meeting (what, you thought they’d break bread in Saskatoon?) Monday and Tuesday unsure if the recent Winterhawks’ sanctions will be on the agenda.

To refresh your memory, on Nov. 28, Portland was fined $200,000, Johnston was suspended for the remainder of the season and the playoffs and the Winterhawks lost nine draft picks — including their first-rounder for each of the next five years — for violations occurring over the past five years.

The most egregious of the violations were flights provided to seven families (based on financial need and their distance from Portland) two to four times a season, providing a cell phone for three captains and payment for summer training programs for three players.

After the Winterhawks released their alleged offenses, the WHL responded with a statement of its own, listing “54 violations involving 14 players.”

Every one-way flight provided was included as a violation. You decide whether the league was trying to make the club look bad.

Commissioner Ron Robison initially intended to stay mum on the subject, hoping to let the WHL statement stand without answering questions. Once the Hawks released their statement, Robison evidently felt compelled to conduct some media interviews, though he didn’t respond to Portland Tribune requests made through Cory Flett, the league’s director of communications.

Flett, in fact, never returned multiple calls from me when word initially broke about the sanctions, asking for an interview with Robison to explain the sanctions. A month later, after the Hawks had sent the WHL a letter indicating a formal request for an appeal, I called Flett several times for the league’s response. No return call until three days later, and I’d already written about it.

Incredibly, the WHL has no means by which to appeal sanctions in its bylaws. (And by the way, the league never has provided a written explanation to the Hawks specifying what the violations are.)

Portland executives asked for formation of a special WHL committee to consider the case. They wanted a hearing, which seems reasonable given that the sanctions were far and away the worst in the league’s long history. (For instance, the previous high fine rendered by the league was $5,000).

The league turned down that request.

So the Hawks have targeted next week’s Board of Governors meeting as the time to plead their case.

The Board of Governors includes a representative from each of the 22 WHL teams — normally the owner, but in four or five cases, it’s the club president. That’s the way it is with Portland. Gallacher, an oil tycoon often on the move internationally, has designated Piper as the Hawks’ governor. Alternative governors fill in if the regular representative can’t attend.

The BOG meets twice a year — in June and in February — to discuss league matters, including television and vendor contracts, NHL and Canadian Hockey League issues as they pertain to the WHL and other various agenda items.

Gallacher, who has rarely attended since purchasing the Hawks in 2008, will be there this time with Piper and Johnston.

“We’re going to this meeting,” Piper says. “We’ve been talking with the league office. We feel like we’re in a good place with the league on this.

“We’re going to the meetings optimistic that we’re moving in the direction to a solution we can all live with.”

Have the Hawks been given indication by Robison — who has said he made the decision on the Portland sanctions unilaterally — that they will be allowed to present their case before their WHL brethren?

“They’re working on a mechanism by which we will have some opportunity,” Piper says. “That’s all I can really talk about that at this point.”

That’s more than Robison will say. I called Flett on Tuesday, and to my surprise, he responded soon after I left a message. I asked if he could tell me the status of Portland’s formal request for an appeal of the sanctions, and he said he wasn’t in the loop on that. He could find out, he said, unless I wanted to talk directly to Robison about it.

Sure I did, I told Flett.

Flett said the commissioner was in a meeting “for the next 30 minutes,” and indicated he thought we might be able to speak after that, and he would get back to me.

I never heard again from Flett, even after leaving him multiple messages over the next three days. (Yes, you got it right — he’s the WHL’s director of communications.) Perhaps both Flett and Robison have been out of commission with that nasty flu bug that has been going around. Probably not.

I don’t share Piper’s optimism about favorable results from next week’s BOG meeting. I can’t see peers who would benefit from their opponent’s demise rising to the Hawks’ defense here, even as the sanctions are way over the top.

Maybe Robison will have a change of heart and trim the fine or the number of forfeited draft picks, or allow Johnston back for the playoffs. I don’t see it happening from a guy who won’t even answer legitimate media questions on the subject.

And by the way, the Hawks will not only be in the playoffs, they’ll be the favorite to win the WHL championship and represent the league in the Memorial Cup. At 41-7-1-2, they own the league’s best record. Since Johnston was banished, assistant coach Travis Green has guided them to a 21-3-0-2 mark.

The players I’ve talked to say they have a chip on their shoulder about the league’s treatment of their coach and their team, just a little added motivation in their drive to make it to major junior hockey’s pinnacle.

The Hawks have engaged in preliminary talks with counsel concerning possible legal action against the WHL. They want to avoid that if at all possible. They don’t want to damage the league or their relationship with clubs they’ll have to go to battle against in the future.

If only they got that kind of respect back from Robison and the league itself.

kerryeggers@portlandtribune.com

Twitter: @kerryeggers

An Estacada man is behind bars accused of being in possession of nearly 7 pounds of marijuana.

Brandon Jon Stavenjord, 39, of Estacada, and Thomas Daniel Salinas, 30, of Bend, are each being held on $40,000 bail on allegations of second-degree possession and delivery of marijuana at the Multnomah County Inverness Jail. They also are accused of violating their paroles on unspecified convictions.

A Multnomah County Sheriff's Office deputy at about 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, stopped a Honda Civic eastbound on Interstate 84 just past a construction zone east of 257th Avenue in Troutdale, said Lt. Steve Alexander, Multnomah County Sheriff's Office spokesman. During the stop, the deputy's canine officer, a dog named Spencer, indicated that drugs were in the vehicle.

Police searched the car and reportedly found nearly 7 pounds of marijuana inside.