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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2018)
8 Wednesday, February 21, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Former priest charged for pornography By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief PHOTO PROVIDED Fire Corps volunteers are available to install free smoke alarms or replace batteries across the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District. Fire district offers free smoke alarms Sisters firefighters and EMTs respond in a hurry when there is a fire or medi- cal emergency in Sisters. But they’d rather head off an emergency before it hap- pens — or fight a fire when it’s small. Twenty-two Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Fire Corps volunteers are avail- able to assist homeowners with free services within the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District. In 2017, Fire Corps members volunteered 2,352 hours to the District through many of their service pro- grams including: smoke alarm testing/installation, blood pressure screening, and child safety seat checks. • Smoke alarms: Volunteers are available to check smoke alarms by appointment. New battery powered alarms are available for free, as well as replace- ment batteries for wired units while supplies last. If your alarms are older than 10 years, they should be replaced. Last year, volunteers from the Fire Corps and American Red Cross performed resi- dential smoke alarm testing in 29 homes and installed 91 smoke alarms. • Blood pressure screen- ing: Fire Corps members staff a blood pressure clinic at Bi-Mart in Sisters on the third Tuesday of each month and the senior luncheon at Sisters Community Church. Community members are also able to stop in at the main fire station at 301 S. Elm St. during regular busi- ness hours and have a free blood pressure screening. Blood pressure readings for last year totaled 416. • Child safety seat checks: A team of six certified child safety seat technicians are available for free car seat safety checks. Various clin- ics are held each year, but drop-in appointments are also available. Last year, a total of 51 car seats were checked. To schedule an appoint- ment or for more information call 541-549-0771. Live Life Better! 55 & Over • Pets warmly welcomed • Independent living Chef-prepared meals included • Transportation services No long-term commitment Learn more: Free gift & chef-created lunch for you and your family when you mention this ad. Rev. W. Thomas Foucher, 72, who served as par- ish priest at St. Edward the Martyr Catholic Church in Sisters for six years end- ing in 2002, was arrested on February 2 in Boise, Idaho, on multiple charges involving child pornography and drugs. The Idaho Statesman reported on February 5 that Faucher, now retired, “is charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, and two counts of distributing sexually exploitative material involving children. His last two charges are both for drug possession. All of the charges are felonies except for both drug counts.” Faucher was arrested on a warrant from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, and a search warrant was served on his home in Boise, which he rents from the Catholic Church. According to the Statesman report, “Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Kassandra Slaven … said some images on Faucher’s computer involved young children, including infants and toddlers. The images included children being sub- jected to different sexual acts and torture, she said. “Slaven also described email conversations where Faucher reportedly traded images and talked about his ‘sexual interest in children.’ She said Faucher has a ‘very sophisticated knowledge’ of exchanging and viewing child pornography. And in certain chats investigators viewed, she said, he expressed a desire to molest children. One such chat screen was open on his computer when police served the search warrant, she said.” Faucher was held on $250,000 bail, which he has subsequently posted to obtain release. Faucher’s attorney Mark Manweiler argued for his release citing a lack of any criminal record and an “impeccable reputation,” the Statesman reports. Faucher arrived in Sisters in 1996 to become par- ish priest at St. Edward the Martyr Catholic Church, which at that time had been without a priest for 2-1/2 years. Faucher was “on loan” from Boise. He stayed in Sisters for six years. During that time, he doubled the number of families attend- ing the parish and oversaw the creation of St. Winifred’s Garden and a building addition. When the national scandal involving sexual abuse in the church broke in 2002, Father Faucher led some 70 people in a deep and sometimes emo- tional discussion of the mat- ter. As The Nugget reported at the time, Faucher “empha- sized the need for reform in the church. He argued that there is something system- atically wrong with the way the church handled cases of molestation by priests. “Every time abuse occurred, it was looked at as an exceptional case,” Faucher said. “When you look at something that hap- pens over and over again as an exceptional case, then somebody is not looking at things right.” Faucher noted, the church often focused far more of its concern on the molesting priest than on the victim. “This was the biggest mistake the church made,” Faucher said. “We tended to focus all our attention and all our concern on the priest who did it, not on the person who was violated.” The Idaho Statesman has also reported, “Until his recent arrest, Catholic Church officials say they didn’t investigate any complaints about the Rev. W. Thomas Faucher because they had none.” In the wake of the arrest, however, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise reported that Faucher has now been accused of sexually abusing a minor more than 40 years ago. Year-round FIREWOOD SALES — Kindling — — — SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS 541-410-4509 SistersForestProducts.com Don’t miss Dr. Wattenburg’s weekly talk radio show, YourCare ~ YourHealth Every Sunday 4-5 p.m. on KBND Call in and join him during the show at 541-388-1110. Livestream on www.kbnd.com 541-548-2899 3818 SW 21st Pl., Ste. 100 Redmond • Open every day yourcaremedical.com WALK-IN • URGENT CARE • OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE • X-RAY Get Your Spring on with Tula Pink! Aura quilt kit featuring “Spirit Animal” fabrics by Tula Pink - $138 541.549.6061 | 311 W. Cascade Ave. 541-460-5323 | 1460 NE 27th Street, Bend | stonelodgeretirement.com
