This time Jayme John Leon is accused of slapping a child in the face and dragging him home by the hair

Police arrested a Gresham man on allegations of assault and harassment after he reportedly slapped a 10-year-old neighbor boy.

Officers arrested Jayme John Leon, 51, of Gresham at 5:04 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at his home at 1051 N.E. 183rd Ave. on allegations of fourth-degree assault and harassment, both of which are misdemeanor charges.

He was released Monday, April 22, through the pre-trial release program and has a hearing scheduled for May 31.

His arrest stems from an April 13 incident in which Leon apparently was mad that children were playing in front of his house, said Lt. Claudio Grandjean.

Leon came out, yelled at the children and chased them, catching the 10-year-old victim.

“He allegedly slapped the kid and walked him home by the hair,” Grandjean said.

When the child's mother and other neighbors, who witnessed the alleged assault, told Leon they were calling the police, Leon slipped away.

When officers tried to contact him at his home that day, Leon either didn't answer or wasn't home, Grandjean said. A week later, police contacted him and took him to jail.

This isn't the first time Leon's temper has landed him behind bars.

Last September, he made headlines for allegations that he went into a "McFury" at a Gresham McDonald's when the restaurant refused to give him a refund.

Leon ordered a burger without onions, then called demanding a refund when he found onions on it. Initially, the restaurant said it would refund his money and give him a new quarter pounder without onions. But when Leon arrived for his refund, he'd already eaten the burger, so staff refused to give him his money back or provide a replacement burger.

Leon got so mad, he reportedly threw soda in the manager's face, broke some glass and smashed the cash register.

That time, police arrested Leon on allegations of first-degree criminal mischief, second-degree disorderly conduct and harassment. The case was dismissed Jan. 9, according to court records.

Deanna Swenson, a former Clackamas County elections worker, was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to official misconduct and tampering with ballots cast for the November election.

Besides the jail time, Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Susie L. Norby ordered Swenson to pay more than $13,000 in fines and perform community service. After working in several elections, Swenson is now banned from the Clackamas County Elections Office.

“This prosecution sends a strong message: Voter fraud will not be tolerated in Oregon,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown.

Swenson, 55, an Oregon City-area resident, was removed from her position processing county election ballots on Oct. 31 after another election worker saw her marking a partially filled-out ballot for Republican candidates. County officials alerted the secretary of state’s office, which sought an Oregon Department of Justice investigation.

At DOJ’s request and out of a desire to see the legal process through to its conclusion, Clackamas County Elections Clerk Sherry Hall said she had refrained from speaking on the allegations until a verdict was reached.

“I am happy this case has finally come to a resolution. It’s disappointing that one of our employees committed this act which compromises the public trust,” Hall said. “It was an isolated incident and one that does not reflect on the professionalism and dedication of the many workers and staff who contribute to elections in Clackamas County.”

Hall and Brown both made public statements saying their offices will seek to ensure the integrity of ballot processing systems at both the county and state legislative levels.

“Although this was a difficult situation, I am proud of the way it was handled and the quick and decisive action that followed the discovery,” Hall said. “While our ballot security plan (like those in other Oregon counties) is not public record, the voters of Clackamas County can be assured that steps are being taken and oversight procedures are being implemented to keep the ballot security system in Clackamas County strong.”

All counties must submit annual security plans. Brown said Clackamas County officials followed the plan in the Swenson case, the 13th to be prosecuted for voter fraud since Oregon went to all vote-by-mail elections in 2000. Since then, Oregon voters have cast 23.8 million ballots in statewide elections.

Senior Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. McCauley prosecuted the case.

“Department of Justice investigators and prosecutors took this case from the initial tip through investigation to indictment and guilty plea in less than six months,” said Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. “Anyone attempting to subvert Oregon’s elections should know from this quick and successful prosecution that such conduct is unacceptable.”

A new fee that was tacked onto utility bills starting in February not only prevented 34 police, fire and park positions from being cut from Gresham’s budget, but it also may be to thank for possibly preventing a rate hike next year.

With residents already being hit with an extra $7.50 a month on their utility bills, Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis asked the city’s budget committee if a proposed rate hike to take effect next year could be avoided through other cuts.

The increase was part of a three-year plan to raise utility rates an average of 5 percent per year to pay for ongoing maintenance and operation costs.

City staff explained the proposal last week when Gresham City Manager Erik Kvarsten outlined his proposed $384.3 million city budget for the fiscal year 2013-14.

On Tuesday, April 23, the budget committee - made up of Gresham city councilors and city finance committee members — approved the budget. City councilors will consider it further in June when the council is scheduled to adopt it.

The proposed budget called for a utility rate increase averaging about 5 percent each year for the next three years. The first increase would have taken effect next January and totaled 4.1 percent between the water, storm water and wastewater rates, costing a typical residential customer an extra $2.94 a month.

But Bemis last week voiced reluctance to increase utility rates.

Residents just saw their utility bills increase $7.50 a month starting in February. City councilors created the temporary fee last year to raise $4.7 million in order to prevent more cuts to Gresham’s police, fire and parks departments.

Residents will vote next year on a levy that would replace the fee.

To avoid financially overwhelming residents with skyrocketing utility bills, Bemis last week requested a list of alternative cuts that could be made elsewhere instead.

Steve Rancher, the city’s environmental services director, responded with a memo stating that the proposed budget does not depend on a utility rate increase. To forgo a rate increase, the waterwater division could reduce operating expenses, the water division could postpone capital projects, including “major maintenance or replacement of infrastructure,” and the stormwater division could do both.

Gresham city councilors will decide in June, when they are scheduled to adopt the budget, whether to hold off on a rate increase.

Gresham police are investigating an early morning robbery in which two men armed with a handgun and a Taser robbed a young woman waiting for a bus.

The victim, a 21-year-old Gresham woman, reported that she was waiting for a bus on the west side of the street at Northeast Second Street and Hood Avenue at about 4:40 a.m. Wednesday, April 24, when suddenly she realized two men were standing right next to her.

One of the men held a handgun in his right hand, which he had on his chest. He ordered her to “give me everything” before calling her a vulgar name.

“Really, you’re going to rob me at Second and Hood?” the victim challenged as she called 9-1-1.

That’s when the man pulled a Taser out of his waistband and made it spark.

The victim handed over her duffle bag, wallet containing $170 and a small laptop computer worth about $200.

Both men fled south on Hood, west on Powell Boulevard and north on Roberts Avenue. The woman chased them but lost sight of the men when they turned onto Roberts. So she flagged down a passing motorist, who gave her a ride to the MAX station at Northeast Eighth Street and Kelly Avenue.

Gresham and Troutdale police responded, along with a Portland police K-9 unit, but were not able to find the suspects. They did find her bag with everything still in it in a parking lot just west of where she was robbed.

Both suspects remain at large.

The first man who had the gun and Taser is described as a 25-year-old unshaven white male, who is 5 feet 8 inches tall, 150 pounds and was last seen wearing a black T-shirt with red flames, a dark hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. He was carrying a small black “chipped” handgun and Taser.

The second man is described as a “tweeker type” white male wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and a jacket.

Drink One for Dane

Dutch Bros. Coffee is inviting the public to “Drink One for Dane” and help raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).

On Friday, May 3, all 198 Dutch Bros. Coffee locations in seven states will donate 100 percent of their proceeds to MDA for research and family services funding. Last year’s event raised $174,000.

The company’s annual MDA Day honors Dutch Bros. co-founder Dane Boersma, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2005 and died in late 2009. Since aligning with MDA in 2007, Dutch Bros. has raised and donated more than $600,000.

There are four local Dutch Bros. Coffee locations:

• 16222 S.E. Stark St., Portland.

• 18710 S.E. Stark St., Portland.

• 17404 S.E. Division St., Portland.

• 328 N.W. Burnside Road, Gresham.

Dutch Bros. is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, visit dutchbros.com.

Sandy High School grads to gather

Graduates of the Sandy High class of 1973 can get caught up with classmates at a 40-year class reunion Friday, Aug. 16, and Saturday, Aug. 17.

A casual no-host, no reservation gathering will be held from 7-10 p.m. Friday at Mt. View Golf Course, 21795 S.E. Kelso Road in Boring. A buffet dinner, with live music and a raffle, is planned for 5-10 p.m. Saturday in the banquet hall at Riverview Restaurant, 29311 S.E. Stark St., Troutdale. Tickets are $35 per person or $20 per person for those who choose to skip the buffet.

Reservations and payment must be made by June 1 to Martha (McCarty) Gardner, 3265 S.E. 177 Ave., Portland, 97236.

For more information, call 503-762-2619 or email mitzymmg@yahoo.com.

Speaker to address changes in disability benefits

Geri L. Horning, with All Oregon Disability Entitlement Services, will be the featured guest speaker at the Fibromyalgia Support Group meeting from 6:30-8 p.m. Friday, May 10, at the Gresham Wellness Center, 333 S.E. 223rd Ave., Suite 206.

Horning is an independent benefits consultant in Portland who helps clients navigate the applications process for Social Security disability benefits. She will present information on a recent decision and policy interpretation by the Social Security Administration pertaining to the handling and documentation of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue and pain cases.

Reservations are suggested but not required.

For more information, call Loretta at 503-661-1302 or 503-522-7303.

Nonprofit to help low-income students prepare for college

College Possible, a national nonprofit group new to East County, is recruiting low-income high school sophomores interested in earning a college degree for an after-school program that will help them prepare for college.

Recruitment will continue at Reynolds, Sam Barlow and David Douglas high schools through Friday, May 3, while Gresham High students will have an extended amount of time to apply.

College Possible students meet twice per week in after-school sessions during their junior and senior years of high school to complete more than 320 total hours of programming.

To be eligible to join College Possible, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and qualify as low-income. Applicants also must have a desire to attend a four-year college and be willing to commit to after-school activities and some weekend events. Programming is free to all participating students and partner high schools.

Juniors prepare for the ACT and learn about the college application process, while seniors submit college and scholarship applications and secure financial aid. Students also attend campus visits and participate in service opportunities to give back to the community.

For more information, call 503-907-0248 or visit collegepossible.org.

Troutdale marathon runner believes angels were on familys side in Boston

In the immediate aftermath of the bombings at the Boston Marathon, Mark Dorrough and his family struggled to find solace in mayhem.

But sometimes, perspective comes from an unexpected source.

“There was a building across the river that night that was lit up in red, white and blue, like the flag,” said Dorrough’s 13-year old son, Joel. “It reminded me that we all faced pain that day, but we would unite and find hope to feel better.”

Dorrough, 44, is an intense marathon runner. He admits to running off and on for several years before seriously ramping up a stringent routine for marathon training five years ago. He qualified for the Boston event two years ago and traveled back to Boston on Thursday, April 11, to take his place at the starting line of the world’s premier marathon race. In tow were his wife, Jill, and two of their seven children, Aubrey, 17, and Joel.

Though shaken by their experience and still asking “Why?” Dorrough and his family returned home Sunday, April 21, with a deep appreciation of human nature and a profound sense of gratitude to the angels that kept them from harm’s way.

Dorrough, a Troutdale dentist, refers to the grueling 26.2-mile Boston course as the “Super Bowl” of marathon races. In search of a “sub-three-hour” personal best (completing a marathon in under three hours), Dorrough was looking forward to running with his brother Stephen from Hartford, Conn.

By 6 a.m. on race day, more than 26,000 athletes had arrived by school buses at the race’s starting point, 30 miles outside Boston in Hopkinton. They milled around on the grounds of two schools, performing their pre-race stretching and mentally preparing for what was before them.

The only thing out of the ordinary, Dorrough said, was the unusually large presence of police dogs.

“I assumed they were bomb-sniffing dogs because they weren’t companion dogs or guide dogs,” Dorrough said. “They kept repeating an announcement over the loud speakers to not touch or talk to the dogs because it would disturb the training exercise they were doing. We knew about training exercises from TV and the movies, but that was no training exercise. There’s always security during the race, but this was a different level of security. It wasn’t until after the event was over that I put things together and wondered if there were hints that something was going down before the race began.”

Much farther down the course, on Boylston Street, Jill, her sister-in-law and their five children found prime viewing spots to watch as runners made their final stretch toward the finish line. They spent the entire day directly across the street from The Forum Restaurant, which by 3 p.m. would be rubble from the second bomb.

Aubrey people-watched as spectators shuffled up and down the sidewalks. A young boy, later identified as 8-year-old Martin Richard, caught her eye as he held a handmade sign calling for people to stop hurting each other.

“I’d been watching him and remember thinking, ‘Oh, no, he dropped his sign,’ when it fell into the barricade and he couldn’t reach it,” Aubrey said. “Then we found out he was the little boy who died.”

Waves of runners and security

Marathon runners are divided into three classes based on their qualifying times — elite, or world class runners; non-elites; and “the masses.” Dorrough and his brother, though both had decent qualifying times, were among “the masses” or third wave to take to the course. By early afternoon, word began to spread among the spectators that the elite runners were approaching the final leg of the marathon.

“It’s normal to see cops walk along the street when the elite and non-elite runners come through the finish line,” Jill said. “They’re there to keep people from jumping the barricades and getting near the runners. But all of a sudden, all these cops came out and stood along the street about 10 feet apart. There must have been about 50 of them. I didn’t think much about it at the time, in this day and age. But then I noticed the back of some of their jackets said, ‘Special Ops.’ I thought, this is weird; this is not normal. It seemed like overkill to protect the runners.”

Dorrough crossed the finish line at 1:15 p.m. His brother Stephen completed the course around 2:40 p.m. Dorrough had reunited with his family and his brother’s family less than two blocks from the finish line when the first bomb went off at 2:50 p.m. The group had no clue if Stephen was still on the course.

“He was a little disoriented when we caught up with him near the (family meeting area) after the bombs had gone off,” Dorrough said. “Running that long depletes all the sugar in your system, so not really knowing what’s going on isn’t unusual. But we had heard the blasts, so it surprised me when the first words out of his mouth were, ‘How was your race?’”

By Tuesday, April 16, as details about the bombings began to emerge, Stephen Dorrough learned of the FBI’s requests for race photos from the public. He had returned home to Hartford and contacted a bureau office to offer the photos his wife had taken to the agency. Mark Dorrough, Jill and their children left Boston Tuesday morning as well, headed to New York City for a pre-planned vacation. They met up with two Secret Service agents and one from the FBI at a Manhattan drug store, where they transferred the photos Jill had taken to a portable drive for investigators.

“I was worried they would take my camera card and we would lose everything forever,” Dorrough said. “I have a friend here at home who is with the Secret Service, and I asked him to call them for me, thinking they might be kinder about letting me keep the camera card. They were very polite about it, but did tell me not to delete anything off the card. I’ve got all the pictures on my computer, and I put the card in storage.”

Now home, and back at work and school, Mark, Jill and their teenagers are still trying to come to terms with what happened. Dorrough credits three moments in time during the day when he is convinced a higher power interceded on his and his family’s behalf.

“If I had run a little faster, we would have been waiting for Stephen at the finish line when the first bomb exploded,” Dorrough said. “If Stephen had run a little slower, he would have been on the street right at the time of the blasts. And if my niece hadn’t had to use the bathroom, Jill and the kids would have been right across the street from the second bomb. I have no doubt God was with us that day. It was a miracle.”

Jill expressed relief when the last suspect was apprehended outside Boston Friday night, and still wonders if the marathon bombings are “the tip of the iceberg” for future attacks. But on a boat cruise in New York Harbor a few days after the bombings, she was comforted by the fortitude displayed by people during an unimaginable time.

“I always get teary when I see the Statue of Liberty because of what it stands for,” Jill said. “We saw the statue, the flag was at half-staff on (Liberty Island) and the boat started playing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’ It was so powerful because I realized the worst in humanity brought out the best in humanity that day.”

Jason Servo says his alcoholism is a disease and disability thats protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act

A Gresham police officer who was fired after pleading guilty to drunken driving and crashing the unmarked police car he was driving home is suing the city for $6 million on the grounds that his alcoholism is a disability.

Jason Servo, 43, of Clackamas filed the suit on Thursday, April 25, two years after Gresham Police Chief Craig Junginger notified Servo he was being fired because of his misdemeanor conviction, according to the suit.

The complaint also alleged Servo was denied due process and that the police officers' union did not provide adequate representation and contends that his firing was a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which classifies alcoholics as a protected class.

Alcoholics are in fact covered by the ADA, according to the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division

under the U.S. Department of Justice.

“However, an employee can discipline, discharge or deny employment to an alcoholic whose use of alcohol adversely affects job performance and conduct,” according to an excerpt from ADA Questions and Answers by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Servo contends this does not apply in his circumstance because he was off-duty at the time of the crash that lead to the end of his law enforcement career.

He was the department's lead firearms instructor and had worked for the police department for 12 years when on Jan. 29, 2011, he crashed a city-owned undercover vehicle, a Chevrolet Blazer, in a ditch on Southeast 172nd Avenue south of Foster Road. He'd driven the vehicle to a department firearms training in Troutdale, after which he and his other off-duty coworkers had dinner and “several alcoholic drinks” at nearby McMenamins Edgefield. “This was a common practice among GPD officers and had become an inherent part of the culture of the GPD,” according to the suit.

After the crash, he refused to submit to breath or field sobriety tests. The Clackamas County sheriff's deputy who cited him testified before the state Department of Public Safety Standards and Training that Servo was one of the top 10 most intoxicated people he'd ever arrested in his 15 years in the field.

Due to the amount of alcohol consumed, Servo had no clear recollections of the evening.

Gresham police placed Servo on paid administrative leave following his arrest. He went to an in-patient alcohol treatment program through Serenity Lane and was diagnosed as an alcoholic. One month after his arrest, the city converted Servo's leave to unpaid leave and began an internal affairs investigation.

The investigation also examined unsecured weapons and confidential documents related to a closed homicide investigation that Servo had in his vehicle at the time of the crash. The suit alleges that although Servo had asked for a lockbox for weapons and case files, the city refused to pay for one.

On March 24, 2011, Servo pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants. But because it was Servo's first offense, he was eligible for the diversion program.

Here's how it works. Once the program's requirements are met, the charge is dismissed.

But before he could complete the diversion program, which Servo successfully did, Gresham Police Chief Craig Junginger terminated him effective May 11, 2011, citing Servo's misdemeanor conviction.

“This is false and represents a profound lack of knowledge about Oregon criminal law,” according to the suit. “Junginger also admitted he does not consider alcoholism to be a disability and further he does not believe there is such a thing as alcoholism, he believes it is a choice.”

The suit also alleged that Junginger “used unconstitutional reasons for intervening with the investigation namely to force Servo out in order to save money on personnel.”

Servo said his position was never filled, saving the city money. The suit also alleges that a captain who conducted the internal affairs investigation “made false statements of facts not supported by the interviews or evidence as a pretext to fire Servo” and created new rules regarding carrying weapons and investigative notebooks that did not exist as a basis to find that Servo violated those rules.

In addition, the suit claims that Junginger violated law by ordering the captain “to write a false report, create facts, invent rule violations and disregarded exculpatory evidence.”

“He (Junginger) had his mind made up, and he just needed evidence to support it,” Servo said.

Junginger deferred comment on the lawsuit to the city's spokeswoman, who also speaking on behalf of City Attorney Dave Ris, declined to comment on pending litigation.

As a result of Servo's termination, the state revoked Servo's three police certifications, making it impossible for him to work as a police officer in the state of Oregon. He is now self-employed as a private investigator.

Servo's attorney says he is the first officer in the state to have been fired for a diversion-eligible charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants and to be decertified as a police officer.

“To discard an officer with my training and experience is a disservice to the community, proven I can stay sober,” he said.

Servo also said he doesn't want another officers to be treated as he was.

“The lack of leadership by Chief Junginger has forced addiction into the dark and created an environment where no officer will seek help for his or her addition — and I know there are guys who need it,” Servo said. “Other departments recognize and support addiction issues with officers and have safeguards in place to ensure that good officers are not lost.”

Work to replace the driving surface and joints on four bridges along Interstate 84 in the Columbia Gorge has begun with estimated completion in mid-August, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

The overlay of new pavement on bridge decks will eliminate ruts and potholes, provide a smoother ride and help preserve the bridges’ structural integrity, reducing the need for future, more costly repairs, according to ODOT, which has hired a contractor to complete the $1.7 million job funded by state and federal dollars.

For a total of six weeks, travelers can expect periodic, single-lane closures at the bridges, located along a 7-mile stretch of I-84 beginning in the Bonneville Dam area.

Bridges receiving the first round of work are the westbound bridge at Ruckel Creek (milepost 42) and the eastbound bridge at Eagle Creek, (milepost 41.5), both scheduled for completion by May 24.

Lane closures for these bridges may cause traffic to backup westbound on the weekends and affect bicyclists, according to ODOT.

Bicyclists are encouraged to use the Historic Columbia River Highway multi-use path since there will be no shoulder on I-84 due to the lane closures.

The remaining bridges to receive work are the eastbound and westbound bridges at Dodson (milepost 35), scheduled to begin after July 4 and completed around Aug. 15.

Most of this project will occur at night, and there will be no daytime lane closures.

For more information, contact Community Affairs Coordinator Susan Hanson at susan.c.hanson@odot.state.or.us or call 503-731-3490.

A woman who agreed to have her yard “flamingo-ed” in a fundraiser for the Reynolds High School all-night senior party was startled to find the 25 plastic pink flamingoes placed in her Troutdale yard at 120 S.E. 40th St. stolen Tuesday, April 23.

“Are you kidding,” thought Erika Harnar, parent member of the Reynolds Senior All-Night Party committee, who has been “flocking” the front yards of willing donors twice a night since Easter, raking in $1,100 in funding toward the all-night party on June 7.

“I thought it was a joke,” she said, when she was told one of the two flocks of 25 birds was stolen.

Harnar is asking the community to help find the lost flock. Police were notified of the theft, but no suspects have been identified.

Last year the party committee forked out $16,000 for a night of bowling at Big Al’s.

Back at zero dollars this year, parents chose a less costly option to rent Reynolds Middle School for $300 a night, planning to entertain seniors with a hypnotist, music, food, games, inflatables and a photo-booth.

With the mid-term election coming up May 21 and many important issues on the table, Mt. Hood Republican Women has invited political analyst Jim Moore of Pacific University’s Department of Politics and Government to share his knowledge on ballot measures.

The lecture and meeting convene at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 8, at Francis Xavier’s Restaurant, 1933 N.E. 181st Ave. at San Rafael Street, and is open to everyone.

Other issues up for discussion include Clackamas light rail, Portland’s water fluoridation proposal, Metro’s open space maintenance and Portland’s libraries, as well as bond requests and board positions in the area.

For May, Mt. Hood Republic Women’s community service projects include food items for the Salvation Army and small toiletries for the Pregnancy Resource Center. Any donations can be brought to the meeting.

Visitors are asked to arrive early to visit before the meeting. Parking is plentiful, and a full service menu is available. Reservations are not necessary.

For more information, contact Clarice Moss at 503-658-5227  or claricemoss@yahoo.com.

— Cari Hachmann

Troutdale Mayor supports petition, states concern for safety of pilots, communities

The Port of Portland is petitioning on multiple fronts to rescind the Federal Aviation Administration call to close the Troutdale Airport’s air traffic control tower.

Port representatives spoke at Tuesday’s Troutdale City Council meeting. Council members expressed their support in the effort.

“I am going to do everything I can to support continued use of the airport,” Mayor Doug Daoust said. He plans to draft a letter to the government expressing the city’s need to keep the air traffic tower open.

The Troutdale Airport, owned by the Port of Portland, is used by hobby pilots, instructors conducting flight training and for business class aviation. Last year it hosted 93,000 flights, making it the third busiest airport in Oregon behind Portland International Airport and Hillsboro airport.

It is one of 149 air traffic control towers at small- and medium-sized airports across the country that were scheduled to close over a four-week period from April 7 to May 5. The FAA has postponed Troutdale’s tower closure until June 15.

Closures are the result of the sequestration in Washington and the federal government’s call for reduction as the FAA lost $637 million in the automatic budget cuts.

A risk for the safety of pilots and airplanes, closures throughout the country are not being taken lightly.

The U.S. Contract Tower Association, which oversees all contract towers in the country, has filed a petition to FAA to request a review of all 149 towers scheduled to close, a suit supported by the Port of Portland.

Joining a dozen other airports across the country, the Port of Portland is also filing their own petition to the FFA to get review of Troutdale’s case.

Port of Portland’s General Aviation Manager Steve Nagy is not certain the FAA is aware of the complexity in shutting the Troutdale tower.

“We are certainly optimistic that they will review our case, whether they find favorably for us or not is hard to tell,” Nagy said.

Mainly, he said, the FAA needs to look at not only how shutting the Troutdale tower will affect the people who use it, but also the planes flying in and out of PDX International.

“The consequences of closing Troutdale’s tower would not only make Troutdale less efficient it would make PDX less efficient,”said Nagy.

Troutdale’s airport is essentially 8 miles from Portland International airport, said Nagy.

“Airspace is tightly integrated and woven together,” he added.

Because Troutdale’s airspace is knitted with PDX, air control at Troutdale is in constant communication with their towers, in addition to helping sequence their own planes efficiently and safely to arrive and depart from Troutdale.

If Troutdale’s tower shut down, PDX could expect consequences, like delayed flights, to their arrivals and departures.

“The FAA really needs to look at not just Troutdale airport and what it means to people who use it, but also planes that fly in and out of PDX,” Nagy said.

He said the Port of Portland is working with Oregon’s congressional delegation to make them aware of what sequestration is doing and what it means locally when an air traffic tower closes.

Nagy hopes these talks will lead to a restoration of funding for Troutdale’s program, if not now, in future federal budgets.

“We and other airports across the country would like to see this funding restored,” he said.

Mayor Daoust expressed his concern for the safety of pilots and aircraft flying into and out of Troutdale’s airport.

Private companies or contractors operate all of the towers being shut down, not the government, according to a previous article written by the Gresham Outlook on April 16.

He also is worried about the economic impacts on businesses at the airport if people decide to fly elsewhere.

“We want to make sure the businesses at airport remain highly viable,” he said.

Three other tower closures in Oregon include Southwest Oregon Regional Airport in North Bend, Eastern Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton and McNary Field in Salem.

Troutdale city councilors made it clear at Tuesday’s council meeting they would like to move forward with the demolition of the old police station as quickly as possible, with hopes the lot eventually will become a parking lot.

The city plans to take timely advantage of the demolition equipment that Bremik Construction and two other developers will use in a couple weeks in a separate project to demolish several old, decrepit buildings on the Marino Block in downtown Troutdale.

The developers have put forth a tentative bid also to tear down the old police station, just across the street, for an estimated $46,000. Mayor Doug Daoust said the developers also would like to use the concrete in the old police building to fill a giant hole they need filled.

Before giving the go-ahead, Daoust said the council is reviewing the bid to make sure it complies with the city’s “proper contracting rules.”

Daoust said the bid is “very competitive” and, if used, would save the city money and the task of searching for another contractor.

But until the city makes a decision to move forward, the demolition date is up in the air.

Troutdale citizens passed Bond Measure 26-16 in 2010, which designated $7.5 million to build a new police facility. Troutdale police have settled into the new facility at 234 S.W. Kendall Court.

Daoust confirmed the bond measure specifically included funding to “demolish the existing police facility,” which the city rendered useless and derelict, and “make site improvements.”

Keeping the station operational would have required substantial investments, the city reported in the September 2012 issue of the Troutdale Champion, the city newsletter.

The structure has obsolete plumbing, electrical, heating, venting and air conditioning systems, and significant structural issues including a failing roof, dry rot, and hazardous materials such as lead paint and asbestos.

The site will serve as a parking lot while the City Council considers its best long-term use.

Fairview police department accepts applications for reserve officers until May 31

Interested in pursuing law enforcement as a career? Or are you citizen who simply wants to donate time to make the community safer? Join the Fairview Police Department as a volunteer reserve officer.

Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and able to pass an oral interview, a thorough background investigation, drug test, psychological test and a 220-plus-hour police academy.

Applicants also must successfully pass a written and physical fitness test.

The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Friday, May 31. Find applications online at www.fairvieworegon.gov or at the Fairview Police Department, 1300 N.E. Village St., Fairview.

Applications can be hand delivered or mailed to Fairview Police Department, Attention Reserve Applications, P.O. Box 337, Fairview, 97024.

For more information, call Sgt. Gary Kirby 503-674-6229.

Friends of Fairview launches website to set effort in motion

To ensure the chili festival gets the green light to go on this summer, the Friends of Fairview is rallying community support and sponsorship through the organization’s newly launched website, friendsoffairvieworegon.com.

Friends of Fairview took official responsibility of the formerly city-sponsored festival in early April when the Fairview City Council endorsed the group’s request to co-sponsor the event with the local nonprofit Reynolds Youth Football Association.

Off to a late start because of the council’s delayed decisions and final approval, fundraising for Fairview on the Green and its popular chili cook-off is now in full swing, said Brian Cooper, former city councilor and Friends of Fairview president.

Determined to see the homey, family-focused festival return to the community for good, Cooper said this year is the most important for its future. “If we don’t put it on this year, all the momentum (from past years) will be gone,” he said.

But he is optimistic the community will come through with support.

So far, the group has raised $6,000 of the $20,000 needed to put on the late August festival.

People will be able to donate on Friends of Fairview’s website, still under construction until later this month. However, community members interested in volunteering, getting involved or learning about coming events can still visit the website and subscribe to the Friends of Fairview newsletter.

Donations for the event will go to the Reynolds Youth Football Association until Friends of Fairview becomes a nonprofit organization, hopefully by the end of the year.

Sponsors who have lent support thus far include the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde, Portland General Electric, Comcast, Brasher’s Auto and several individuals.

As for the city, it has agreed to allow use of Fairview Community Park for the festival, waive event permit fees, and lend equipment and the city’s original festival logo.

Fairview on the Green was launched in 2006 by former Fairview City Councilor Barb Jones but was canceled in 2011 because of a lack of funding. During its four-year run, it drew nearly 5,000 people to the park, attracting chili contestants from throughout the Northwest and as far away as Montana.

The festival returned last year, albeit with smaller attendance, thanks to a grassroots effort by the Save the Chili Festival committee, many members of which formed Friends of Fairview.

It's difficult enough witnessing the aftermath of terrorist bombings at the finish-line of one of world's most prestigious marathons.

Now, nearly two weeks after the Monday, April 15 explosions, Kyle Kersey of Gresham is processing a new development.

A photo taken by a hobby photographer shows the two brothers accused of the bombings in the background.

In the foreground is Kersey. He's on the far right of the frame, wearing dark blue shorts and a grey shirt with orange stripes on the shoulders. His sunglasses sit perched on the bill of his cap.

Behind him runs a young woman in a pink headband.

Lurking just over her shoulder are two young men later identified as the bombers – Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, both of Cambridge.

The news that this image exists stuns Kersey.

“These guys are on the sideline as I was running by?” he asked incredulously when told about the picture. “Oh my gosh. That kind of gives me the chills knowing it. That freaks me out.”

Bob Leonard, an electrical engineer from Taunton, Mass., about 40 miles south of Boston, took the picture along with hundreds of photos of runners finishing the race and the crowds of onlookers cheering them forward on that horrible day.

Three days later, grainy surveillance video of the two suspects went public as police asked for help identifying them.

Leonard searched through his photos, using the time stamp on the surveillance images to narrow his search for the two men – one wearing a backwards white baseball cap, the other wearing sunglasses and a dark baseball cap with white trim.

“I thought I might have one or two of them,” Leonard said.

Instead, he found eight shots, which he cropped and enlarged to zoom in on their faces.

Then he uploaded them to the FBI's website, which by the early morning hours of Friday, April 20, had released one of Leonard's photos to media outlets.

This week, Leonard's photos were referenced during the surviving suspect's arraignment as evidence that the two brothers were at the scene. The older brother died following a police shootout on Thursday, April 19, after the brothers allegedly shot and killed a police officer in his car at MIT. After the ensuing manhunt that put the entire city of Watertown on lockdown all day Friday, April 20, police arrested the younger brother hiding in a boat in storage for the winter in a backyard.

“It gives closure,” Leonard said of his photos. “These were indeed the guys who were there. They were there.”

For Leonard, it's not creepy or eerie to think he was standing just across the street from the two alleged killers.

The thought that gets to him is of the victims. “Those who are no longer with us and those who will have both physical and mental memories for the rest of their lives,” Leonard said. “... It's just a true shame. I'm just happy to help with all the senseless loss.”

A total of three spectators died in the blasts including an 8-year-old boy, a 29-year-old woman and a 23-year-old graduate student from China studying at Boston University.

Estimates of those injured has sharply risen from 170 to 282, as victims who delayed treatment seek medical attention for injuries that have failed to heal on their own, according to the Boston Public Health Commission. Thirty-one remain hospitalized, many with lost limbs, as of Wednesday, April 24.

For Kersey – who shared his experience of being in the marathon's finishing area when the bombs detonated in the Tuesday, April 23, issue of The Outlook – finding out he's in such an iconic photo is another aspect of being at the Boston Marathon that he's coming to terms with.

“I'm still processing this,” said Kersey of the anger, grief and gratefulness he feels to have survived physically unscathed. “And this is another thing to process.”

Donations for survivors and victims can be made to The One Fund Boston, Inc., which will help those most affected by the bombings. The fund accepts online credit card donations of at least $10 at www.onefundboston.org, and many organizations have pledged to match some totals.

Audiences are in for a show filled with sword fighting, strangling and door slamming.

The Gresham High School Theatre Arts Department is presenting “Moon Over Buffalo,” a Ken Ludwig farce, May 1-5 in the high school auditorium, 1200 N. Main Ave.

The comedy set in the 1950s brought Carol Burnett back to Broadway in 1995 for the first time in 30 years and makes Sara Dempsey, adviser and director, feel like she’s in a comedy every day in rehearsal.

“I love Ken (Ludwig),” Dempsey said. “His sense of timing and characters are fun to direct.”

“Moon Over Buffalo” centers around George and Charlotte Hay, two fading actors who have one last shot at becoming stars. During a time when everything needs to go right for them to impress a movie director, it goes hilariously wrong.

One of the play’s themes is how passionate people can be, and Dempsey hopes audience members realize through the play they have have a passion that makes them go as crazy as George and Charlotte.

Junior Lily Cichon plays Charlotte, an ambiitous leading actress who was formerly on Broadway and created a traveling company.

One of the fun parts of the play for Cichon was making up situations tailored to the cast and thinking about how far people will go to do what they love.

“Usually I’m more backstage,” she said. “I was the dancer in a musical, but this is my first on-stage lead.”

Senior Austin Joseph plays Richard Maynard, a lawyer madly in love with Charlotte, whom he can never be with.

“He’s so passionate about her in the same way the actors are so passionate about theater,” Joseph said. “This play was an absolute blast. It’s very free and collaborative. I hope audiences have a laugh and change their day in some way to have a positive impact.”

“Moon Over Buffalo” will be staged at 7 p.m. May 1-4 and at 2 p.m. May 5.

The play is best suited for ages 13 and older.

Tickets — $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors and $5 opening night — are available at ghsdrama.yolasite.com.

For more information or to buy group tickets, call 503-674-5516.

Cyndy Lou Lane

July 30, 1954-April 19, 2013

East County resident Cyndy Lou Lane died Friday, April 19, in Portland. She was 58.

A celebration of Cyndy’s life was held Thursday, April 25, at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home. 

Cyndy was born July 30, 1954, in Oregon City to Robert and Joyce (Grimson) Lane. She grew up in the Portland area and graduated from David Douglas High School in 1972. She later earned her associate’s degree.

Cyndy worked as a manager for Wells Fargo for 30 years. She enjoyed movies and music, as well as spending time with her friends and family. 

Cyndy is survived by her partner, Jeff Stoneburg; mother, Joyce Lane; brother, Robert Lane; and niece, Cindy “C.J.” Orr.

Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Oregon, ovariancancerosw.org.

Robert “Bob” Dale Sattergren

Jan. 20, 1930-April 21, 2013

East County resident Robert “Bob” Dale Sattergren died Sunday, April 21. He was 83.

A celebration of Bob’s life will be held at a later date. 

Bob was born Jan. 20, 1930, in Sanish, N. D., to Nels and Louise Sattergren. He served as an infantry commander in the Oregon National Guard until retiring in 1986 at the rank of captain.

On Feb. 20, 1955, he married Shirley Boland. He worked as a carpenter at James River, retiring in 1994. Bob was a past member of the Gateway Elks Lodge.

His wife, Shirley, and brother, Raymond, both preceded him in death.

Bob is survived by his children, Bonnie Howser, Bob Sattergren, Dale Sattergren and Cindy Weaver; brother, Douglas “Bud” Sattergren; sisters, Mavis Sattergren and Marlis Ostlund; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. 

Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

June Marlene Gluth

June 18, 1934-April 16, 2013

East County resident June Marlene Gluth died Tuesday, April 16. She was 78.

A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday, April 29, at Willamette National Cemetery.

June was born June 18, 1934, in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, to Robert and Ida Smith. She moved to the United States in her pre-teen years and attended Franklin High School in Portland.

She married Loren Gluth in April 1954. The couple opened their home to care for newborn foster babies and neighborhood children, hosting many functions and holiday celebrations.

June was preceded in death by her husband; sons, Jeff and Greg Gluth, who both died in 2012; and brother, Bill Smith.

She is survived by her sister, Shirley Allen; son, Steven Gluth; daughter, Lorene Schnell; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and three step-great-grandchildren through a granddaughter’s spouse.

Thread Gills Memorial is handling arrangements.

Grace Barbara Sheller

May 3, 1917-April 22, 2013

East County resident Grace Barbara Sheller died Monday, April 22, in Portland. She was 95.

A funeral service was held Thursday, April 25, at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home. Private interment was at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.

Grace was born May 3, 1917, in Albany to Arthur Leroy and Gladys Romona Williams. She was a homemaker through the Great Depression and World War II.

Grace and her husband Alvin were married for 74 years and traveled around the United States with their Caveman camper and burnt orange pickup, from the Pacific Northwest to the space grounds in Florida to Mount Rushmore. It was hard to keep track of Grace and Alvin once they retired.

Alvin died in 2011. Grace is survived by her two sons, Alvin and Jerry Sheller; three grandchildren; one step-grandchild; three great-grandchildren; three step-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Sondra Jean Mendell

June 9, 1939-April 21, 2013

Troutdale resident Sondra Jean Mendell died Sunday, April 21, in Troutdale. She was 73.

A memorial service will be held at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, May 2, at Gresham Memorial Chapel.

Sondra was born June 9, 1939, in Glendale, Calif., to Floyd and Mildred Smith of Pasadena.

The family moved to Sandy, and she graduated from Sandy High School. In 1959, she attended beauty school in Eugene where she met her husband of 40 years, Robert Mendell, at a Valentine’s Day dance. The couple married Dec. 12,1961.

Sondra was preceded in death by her husband. She is survived by her daughter, Verda Sargent; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; brother, Larry Smith; and sister, Peggy Wachline of Troutdale.

The family suggests contributions to the American Cancer Society.

Marie M. Burros

Feb. 28, 1921-April 20, 2013

East County resident Marie M. Burros died Saturday, April 20. She was 92.

A private funeral service will be held.

Marie was born Feb. 28, 1921, in Poplar, Mont. She graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, Wash., in 1939 and moved to Oregon as a young adult.

She married Rudolph “Rudy” Burros in 1952 in Portland.

Marie was preceded in death by her husband. She is survived by her daughters, Helen and Donna; son, Paul; and four grandchildren.

obituaries

Marlene Actor Lowe

June 28, 1931 - Apri1 15, 2013

Marlene Actor Lowe, 81, went home to be with her Lord early Monday morning, April 15, 2013, surrounded by her loving family.

Marlene was born to Elmer and Hazel Reed on June 28, 1931, in Albany, Oregon. She grew up in Portland, Oregon, graduating from Grant High School in 1949. She married the late Daniel Lowe, and they raised two daughters, Debbi and Laurie. Marlene worked for over 30 years at the Multnomah County Education Service District. Upon her retirement, Marlene spent time with her grandchildren and was very active in her church. She was a member of Grace Community Church in Gresham, Oregon.

She is survived by a brother, Bruce Reed, her daughters Debbi (and husband, Joe) Stadler, Laurie (and husband, Herb) Geeslin, and her three grandchildren, Amanda Stadler, Allison Geeslin, and Ben Geeslin.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the “Kitchen Fund” of Grace Community Church.

A memorial service for Marlene will be held at 2:00p.m., Saturday, April 27, at Grace Community Church, 800 SE Hogan Road, Gresham, Oregon.

Thomas Alfred Townsend

Thomas Alfred Townsend (January 27, 1934 – April 20, 2013), a resident of Damascus, passed away Saturday in his home after a long battle with lung cancer.

Mr. Townsend was born in1934 in Oakland, California to George and Thelma Townsend. Upon graduating from Oakland Technical High School in 1952, he joined the navy serving on the USS Benham during the Korean War. After his discharge, he took a job with Pan American Airlines in aircraft maintenance in San Francisco. In 1960, he settled in with United Airlines where he worked until his retirement in 1994.

While living in Oakland, he met Patsy Jordan whom he married in 1962. In 1969 he took his wife and two small boys and moved from the Bay area to Damascus, Oregon, where he was able to begin fulfilling his lifelong dream of owning property and farming. He continued to work nights in the early years, while with the help of his family, built his property from bare land to the small farm that is recognized today. Throughout his life, he raised many animals ranging from chickens and ducks to pigs, goats, and cattle. He was active in 4-H with all four of his sons.

Thomas is survived by his wife of 51 years, Patsy. They have four sons, Matthew of Wilder, Idaho; Michael of Lake Oswego, Oregon; Steven of Portland, Oregon; and, Timothy of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He also has 5 grandchildren and 1 great-grandson.

Services will be held April 29, 2013 at 1:00 pm at Willamette National Cemetery.

Teachers, families heartbroken over the early departure of popular principal Tom Klansnic

Shock, sadness and anger swept over North Gresham Elementary School on Wednesday, April 24, as students, teachers and parents learned it was Principal Tom Klansnic’s last day.

As they were released, students filed into the front of the school with hot pink signs reading “I (heart) Mr. K.”

Klansnic, who announced his sudden departure at the end of an afternoon assembly, circulated among tearful staff members and families, saying goodbye to the school he had called home for the past decade.

“It’s like the loss of a family member,” said Capri Parker, a parent and president of the North Gresham Parent Teacher Association. “It felt like a funeral all day. We were expecting it at the end of the year, but not today.”

The Gresham-Barlow School District announced Wednesday a settlement with Klansnic, who accused the district of dismissing him because of his sexual orientation.

The agreement followed a mediation session between the principal and district representatives on Monday and included a provision that Klansnic would leave his position immediately. Full terms of the agreement were not made public.

In March, Klansnic’s attorney went public with the principal’s claim that the school district had declined to renew his contract for next year because he is gay.

The district denied it had discriminated against Klansnic because of his sexual orientation, but his story made international headlines and prompted protests from many parents and students.

On Wednesday, Gresham-Barlow Superintendent Jim Schlachter reiterated that the district “is fully aligned with its nondiscrimination policies.”

Because state law prevents the district from disclosing information in personnel files, the district is unable to disclose to the community why Klansnic’s contract was not extended.

Assembly announcement

Teachers learned of Klansnic’s departure Wednesday morning, and students learned during a weekly assembly that was moved from the morning to afternoon.

While the students didn’t hear the news until the end of the assembly, their teachers organized special performances in Klansnic’s honor, with fourth- and fifth-graders singing “Friends Are Like Diamonds” and “See Me Beautiful.”

“When my mom was still alive, she told me, ‘Tommy, the good Lord doesn’t give you a cross to bear that you can’t handle,’” Klansnic said Thursday. “I looked up during the assembly and said, ‘Help me with this one.’”

At the assembly, Klansnic thanked the students and told them there was something beautiful in each of them. He reminded them that a new principal was scheduled to arrive during the next school year and said an interim principal was coming sooner than anticipated to finish out this school year.

Students gasped, many of them breaking into tears.

“There was just a shock in the room,” said Denise McCloud, a parent and advocate for Klansnic who helped garner 1,000 signatures on a Change.org petition that was delivered to the Gresham-Barlow School District last week. “So many little faces started crying. He made it about the kids the whole way through.”

Two Parent Teacher Club members distributed the hot pink signs for students to carry out of the school. Students chanted “Mr. K!” repeatedly and left on school buses still waving their signs for Klansnic.

“I’m at a loss for words,” McCloud said. “My heart hurts for all these kids.”

Saying goodbye

Students took home pink letters from the Gresham-Barlow School District to their parents. The letter stated, “Both Mr. Klansnic and the district desire that the focus continue to be on teaching and learning, and ensuring that staff and students have a positive conclusion to the year.”

The letter noted an interim principal would be named in the near future and thanked Klansnic for his many years of service.

But the letter was cold comfort for many families.

Judie Kissinger and Mamie Westphal, two grandmothers, said they were filled with questions and thought it was wrong Klansnic was being let go.

“I would tell Logan (her kindergarten grandson), ‘If you’re not good, you’re going to have to go to Mr. K’s office,’” Kissinger said. “He’d smile and say, ‘That’s OK!’”

Sue Anderson, the mother of a kindergarten boy, said students and parents were filled with questions, and losing their principal was devastating.

“How do I explain it to him?” Anderson said. “They don’t handle separation well, especially at the kindergarten age. It’s like a divorce. They’re going to ask, ‘Are you going to leave now? Is my teacher going to leave?’ They’re going to ask all sorts of questions.”

The district had planned to hold a press conference Wednesday afternoon but canceled it pending the approval of a final statement that was released shortly after 5 p.m.

The statement said Klansnic was going on paid leave for the rest of the school year. It said the agreement would show the dispute was resolved “without an admission or finding of liability or wrongdoing on the part of the school district.”

Klansnic declined to comment on the terms of the agreement but said he was moved by the display of support Wednesday.

“In the 25 years of my career, I have never felt like I did yesterday,” Klansnic said Thursday. “I was overwhelmed with the love, caring and support from families and community members. It just saddens me to end my career like this.”