opinion
june6
2013
Voices From the Crowd:
Parole Board Decision Makes No Sense
By Randy Sanders
On June 7th, the Oregon Parole
board will allow inmate #7430532, Sid-
ney Dean Porter a convicted cop-kill-
er, to walk a free man. He served just
20-years of a life sentence after beat-
ing to his death Officer Frank Ward -- a
John Day Police officer -- with a piece
of firewood, after the officer respond-
ed to a call that Porter was beating his
wife.
My initial reaction was: why
would a person with a history of docu-
mented violent attacks on many people
in local taverns, who is beating his wife
and goes on to beat to death a police of-
ficer, even allowed to be a candidate for
parole in the first place?
Just twenty years served for
violently busting open the head of a
policeman with a hunk of firewood,
even after the officer’s body fell limp
against the wood stove. Officer Frank
Ward was doing the honorable and
dangerous job of responding to a call,
aiding a woman in extreme distress and
the murderer gets just 20 years. Really?
Not much time when you consider how
long that is; 20 years ago NAFTA was
signed, Michael Jackson was the “King
of Pop” and the United States Navy al-
lowed women to serve on combat ships.
20 years... really?
Given that the Board of Pa-
role’s website describes that it’s deci-
sions are based on “...applicable laws,
victims’ interests, public safety and the
recognized principles of offender be-
havioral change,” it seems rather dubi-
ous that they would arrive at their deci-
sion based on evaluating psychologist’s
opinion of Porter: “Mr. Porter seems to
present the classic example of a per-
son who ought not to be released on
parole.” But here was the board’s final
statement: “Based on the information
the board is considering, including the
doctor’s report and diagnosis, the board
has concluded you do have an emotion-
al disturbance, but it is not so severe
as to constitute a danger to the health
and safety of the community,” Ummm,
wouldn’t the “doctor’s report” fall un-
der the “victim’s interests” and “public
safety” part of your description?
So when the Oregon Depart-
ment of Justice sent a worthy repre-
sentative to the hearing to represent
you, me and the rest of Oregon’s
tax-paying citizens, how exactly did
they defend our public safety? Well,
Kristin Winges-Yanez, Amber Kaatz
and Candice Wheeler -- the three
member parole board -- never both-
ered to invite them. Yes, that’s right,
The Oregon Board of Parole never
bothered to announce to the Oregon
Department of Justice there was to
be a hearing on this cop-killer’s pa-
role. To add insult to injury, one of
those parole board members said
directly to Sidney Dean Porter, “...
you whole-heartedly did not mean
for this to happen.” Really? I must
say, I am impressed with their talent
and ability to become ‘one in mind
and spirit’ with a cop-killer; perhaps
they might share with us mere mor-
tals, those fiercely guarded secrets
of their mind-reading sensibilities?
The sad news is, at this point
every police association in Oregon and
even a few federal ones, plus countless
citizens and even the Oregon House
Judicial Committee have weighed in
and it’s now a moot point. Come Fri-
day, June 7th, Sidney Dean Porter gets
to leave prison and go to work on a
relatives ranch, out in the fresh Oregon
air, with nature and horses and other
cool stuff, while we here in Columbia
County can only hope and pray the Or-
egon Parole Board doesn’t rear its ugly
head -- if and when -- that time arrives
for the killer of our dear Rainier Police
Chief, Ralph Painter.
Publisher and Managing Editor
Scott Laird
503-367-0098
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
Contributors
April Bamburg
Dr. Ken Cox
Lynn Berry
Marc Farmer
Nicole Glass
Bill Haack
Ms. Luna
Jennifer Reid
Gayle Rich-Boxman
Randy Sanders
Michal Smith
Sarah Wagner
Photography
Chris Barnes
Hannah Fleck
Silje Jacobsen
Scott Laird
Gayle Rich-Boxman
L.L. Stub Stewart State Park
is your source for outdoor
recreation and supplies
Items now available for purchase
at the Registration Station!
Want to advertise?
Have an article?
Contact: scott@vernoniasvoice.com
• Full variety of discs for disc golf
One year subscriptions
(24 issues) $35
$3.00-$29.00
• Disc golf bags & disc drying towels
Vernonia’s Voice is published
on the 1st and 3rd Thursday
of each month.
$8.00-$15.00
• Visors $15.00
• Bicycle helmets $10.00
Vernonia’s Voice, LLC
PO Box 55
Vernonia, OR 97064
503-367-0098
Questions? Call
503-324-0606 x 226
www.VernoniasVoice.com
Steve Calhoun
Top 10%
for 11
years
Real Estate Broker
Cell: (503) 706-2882
Email: stevecal2001@yahoo.com
(503) 429-4300
825 Bridge Street
BUY WITH KNOWLEDGE
3
SELL WITH CONFIDENCE
Featured Home
1142 Columbia St.
$79,000
DOLL HOUSE CUTE! Remodeled 3
bdrm Bungalow, complete w/ white
picket fence. Newer roof, cozy gas
stove. Affordable home - clean &
bright. Why rent? You could own!
18621 Oblack Lane
$107,000
HONEY STOP THE CAR! Enchanting home & surroundings.
Set among trees on large lot. Great effort to bring out the best
made in condition & charm. Gas heat, hardwood floors.
Spacious kitchen with oak cabinets. Slider off living room
opens to deck and large landscaped yard. Laundry room and
attic for extra storage. Easy to love this nicely remodeled 2
bedroom Bungalow with period charm.
$110,000 1307 Roseview Ct.
$119,000
Quality custom home - 3 bdrm, 2
ba mfg home. New knotty alder
cabinets in kitchen. Maple cabinets &
wainscot in bath. Flooring 5 yrs new.
$199,000 21046 Scappoose-Vernonia Hwy. 67825 Taylor Lane
$329,000
$265,000
Tranquil & secluded home -
Cozy Cabin - 4.02 country acres.
River frontage (Did not flood).
Sweeping views beyond. Cozy wood
stove in this custom log home. Newer
roof, septic and nicely landscaped.
260 Louisiana Avenue, Vernonia
175 North Street
2 bedroom, 1.5 bath, spacious
kitchen with garage/shop. 14x20
covered porch for entertaining.
13.64 acres w/ views - 1786 sf, 3
bdrm, 2 ba, den/office. Fireplace &
wood stove. 4 bay shop. Bring the
horse-good pasture & private setting.
Private retreat w/pasture & creek.
Beautiful 4 bdrm, 2 ba mfg home. Lrg
shop, barn & RV garage. Fenced &
crossed fenced - bring the horse.
Mellinger Rd.
$549,000
32.92 Acre Develop-
ment - 45 pristine lots
approximately 1/2 acre
each. Preliminary
approved Nehalem
View Planned
Development within
city limits. A place to
build your future!
Spencer Street, Vernonia
$80,000
Two adjoining lots - 11,551 and 8,542 sf.
Surveyed and ready to build. All services
available. Great location! Vernonia Lake nearby.
