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October 16, 2002
The Clackamas Print
Students become
victims of fraud
Editor-in-Chief
Students have been fooled into
giving up their personal information
and money to a man pretending to be
an
associate
of
Clackamas
Community College during the first
week of school.
On Sept. 3, two students showed
up to the Harmony campus believing
they were registered for an English
as a Second Language (ESL) class.
Much to their surprise, they were
not. As Gloria Castaneda, secretary
for the department, spoke in further
detail with the students, she discov
ered that a man had approached the
students at their homes with the
promise that if they provided,him
with their personal information and
$20, they would be registered in the
classes offered this term. He speci
fied to the students to speak with
Castaneda.
“I also feel that I was victim
ized,” said Castaneda. “I had noth
ing to do with this. I hate to think
people think I am affiliated with
this.”
Immediately, Castaneda contact
ed Rene Zingarelli, associate dean of
Extended Learning Services, and
together they called Clackamas
County Deputy Sheriff David
Howard. According to Howard, only
two people have come forward to
press charges, but according to
Castaneda, seven to nine other vic
tims were contacted.
CCC is not the only place that has
been targeted. One man who lives in
Gladstone was told that the
Gladstone Library was running simi
lar classes.
“He was very convincing. He
made it sound so awesome,” said
Castaneda. The imposter told the
“I also feel that
I was victim
ized. I had
nothing to do
with this.”
Gloria Castaneda
secretary
ESL department
Gladstone resident that he might
even qualify for a scholarship.
“A lot of these victims are afraid
to talk to the police,” said Howard.
“But we have a person of interest,”
he said.
Howard identified the person of
interest as Sergio Benitez Miranda.
He is Hispanic, very dark complect
ed, 5’9”, 180 lbs, and 20-35 years
old.
“We are about 90 percent positive
he is our suspect,” said Howard.
One of the witnesses recognized
Miranda from working at a restau
rant at Clackamas Town Center.
Another victim wrote a personal
check to Miranda. He no longer
works at the restaufant and Howard
was able to get his information. It
turns out Miranda has been arrested
once before in Washington County,
and Washington County will be
mailing Howard a photograph of
Miranda. As soon as the photo is in
his hands he will get a positive ID
from the two students who came for
ward. With a positive ID, he will be
able to make an arrest based on prob
able cause.
Howard hopes that after the posi
tive ID is made, more victims will
come forward. A crime alert flyer
has been sent out to all the sites the
ESL classes are offered in three dif
ferent languages. The information
has also been relayed to most of the
community newspapers.
If you are approached at home do
not give out:
Your name
Social Security Number
Bank account number
Credit card account numbers
Photos
Drivers license numbers
Date of birth
Birth certificates
Money
You can only register for,
Clackamas Community College
classes at the college itself, through
phone registration and online
through the college. If anyone has
any knowledge of this case, they
should contact Deputy Sheriff David
Howard at 503-655-8218.
Finances force
budget cuts; college
gets creative
Budget from page 1
positions that are vacated may be
left open. However, no employees
will be fired due to budget cuts in
the near future.
Erdman assures that the college
“will make every effort to protect
full-time employees.” A lot of col
leges across the state have frozen
hiring completely, but Erdman said,
“I know that’s not the right thing to
do.” Instead, the board is evaluat
ing positions as they come open to
decide when and if they need to be
filled. Currently, the college has
about 20 open positions, which may
or may not be refilled.
Several other suggestions have
been made by various departments
in effort to save money. A parking
fee was proposed, but according to
Erdman that will not be enforced.
Parking will continue to be free at
Clackamas for the time being.
Also, charging $5 for school cata
logs was discussed, but that sugges
tion was refused as well. The col
lege may try to increase revenue by
actively recruiting international stu
dents and students that leave other
schools and programs. Information
on these budget suggestions can be
accessed on the college’s website.
In some departments, big
changes are already taking place.
The Clackamas Print has changed
from printing weekly to printing
every other week. The Speech
team was only able to bring five
members on their next trip.
Previously, they have taken’more
than
twenty
students.
Extracurricular programs like these
will probably continue to experi
ence similar changes.
Some of the changes may be
improvements for students and fac
ulty. Many departments are reor
ganizing or merging to make things
run more efficiently. Erdman said
they are considering combining
registration and cashiering so stu
dents can register and pay at the
same place.
“People are really coming
together,” Erdman said. “They-take
whatever they have and do the best
job they can.” He said that that the
faculty has a say in what goes on,
and that they have been kept well
informed. A budget suggestion hot
line has been opened up so faculty
can call in their ideas.
“All of us depend on having the
institution be as strong as it possi
bly can,” Erdman said.
The budget adjustments will be
finalized at the Board of Education
meeting Nov. 13.
Information about the budget is
available to the public at
www.clackamas.cc.or.us/budget/.
Costumes to be sold for cheap
Staff Writer
MEGAN COBB The Print
Christine Quinlan (left), and Chris Walker show off costumes for sale that range in
price from one to five dollars. The sale will be held in the McLoughlin Hall Theatre
this Friday. All proceeds go to the Theater department to buy more props and cos
tumes for future productions.
*
The
Clackamas
Theater
Department will be holding a huge
sale in the McLoughlin Hall Theater
on Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
They have picked numerous items
from their overflowing collection of
costumes, props and other acces
sories, and are offering to sell every
thing they have for between $1-5 per
item.
All proceeds will go back to the
Drama Club (some of the people
who are organizing the sale) so that
they can continue to buy more props
and costumes for future plays and so
they can continue to entertain us with
their fun and lively shows.
Aside
from
supporting
Clackamas’ Theater dept., this is a
one-time opportunity for anyone to
get their hands on some really unique
items. Not only is this sale, open to
the college’s staff and students, but
to the public as well, so feel free to
spread the word to your friends and
• family..
This sale has a little of'every
thing- from vintage clothes and
shoes hard to find anywhere else, to
odd little knick-knacks .like a tam-
borine, no matter" who you are there
will probably be something you
would like there. Even if you usual
ly don’t display a flair for spectacular
and outlandish outfits, the perfect
time to dress loudly and proudly is
coming up here at the end of the
month. A person could get very cre
ative and come out shining from this
sale and it doesn’t cost much more
than pocket change for all this
incredibly cool, unique stuff.
If that doesn’t interest you, just
think how entertaining it could be to
go and watch the people of the
Theater dept, out there trying to sell
Sale will be
Friday, Oct. 18
9a.m.-5 p.m.
all those various and one of a kind
objects, possibly even modeling
some costumes for the public. Even
if you decide not to take advantage of
the extremely affordable prices and
you don’t buy anything, you just
might get a kick out of the whole
scene.