Image provided by: Friends of the Sandy Public Library; Sandy, OR
About Sandy post. (Sandy, Oregon) 1938-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1981)
Voi. 71 No. 3 Bird dogs Book worms Basketball page I, sec. II page 2, Sec. II page 1, Sec. Ill The SANDY, OREGON THURSDAY, JAN. 15, 1981 »USPS481 1801 Single Copy 20' Building department continues to prosper by DAN DILLON While communities throughout the United States sing the blues about the apparent paralysis of the construction industry, Sandy has maintained an even keel — gradually growing in its monthly valuations. One possible answer to the seeming steadiness is the current swing to smaller, more affordable homes by local contractors. “ One thing that has happened,” said Sandy Building Official Tom Day earlier this week, “ is that the guys who were building splits and tn-leveLs are building smaller houses.” Those smaller houses, in the $50,000 to $55,000 price range, are easier to finance and the current trend shows it. D uring December, 32 perm its were issued; five building, four plumbing, two miscellaneous, seven mechanical, three water and sewer, and eight plan reviews for the state Department of Veterans Affairs. Although this represents a slowdown for the first tim e since the national economy slumped. Day said he knows of 30 to 40 buildings going rig h t now in Sandy. “ The high cost of money for housing has stopped building except for Farm Home or Veterans, but commercial w ill probably keep going,” he said in a monthly Building Department report. As of Jan. 2, the city had a valuation on new buildings of more than $3.2 m illio n at the halfway m ark in the fiscal year. “ Our income through the Building Department at the fiscal halfway point is $138,935.12, for all perm its including water and sewer and system development charge,” the monthly report said. Day said that the amount collected exceeded what was anticipated. But that is getting to almost be expected at the Building Department. He said that although the city tries to be conservative in its estimates of what revenue w ill be generated, “ the Building Department has never cost the taxpayers one cent.” “ A ll in all, it has been a very good year," Day said in the report. Portland man accused of Boring homodde A 19-year-old Portland man has been charged w ith the murder Saturday night of a Sam Barlow High School counselor who was shot to death at the Boring home of his form er wife. Thomas Johnson, 42, of Troutdale, died instantly when he was struck once in the chest by a bullet fired from a rifle , according to the Multnomah County medical examiner Johnson was shot about 8 p.m. Saturday at the home of his form er wife, Lou Ann, at 10170 Eastmont Drive in Boring, according to Ross Cravens, Clackamas County's chief deputy d istrict attorney. Arrested at the home in connection w ith the shooting and accused of m urder was Michael John Hendrix, 19, of Portland. He was being held without bail in the Clackamas County J a il in Oregon City. Cravens said Johnson went to visit his form er wife about 6:15 p.m. Saturday. Cravens alleged that Hendrix, who reportedly worked at the same store w ith Mrs. Johnson, was at Mrs. Johnson's home. Two persons witnessed the shooting, he said. The rifle used in the shooting did not belong to the Johnson household. No other details were being released by the Clackamas County sh e riffs office or d istrict attorney’s office, pending completion of a police in vestigation Johnson was employed by Sam Barlow High School in 1972 as a fu ll tim e counselor and head boys basketball coach. He was the counselor for some 350 seniors this year, having counseled the same group of students since the beginning of their freshman year 3 4 years ago. “ There’s such a feeling of loss, especially among the seniors,*' said Barlow P rincipal Bob Taylor. He described students’ and staff reactions to Johnson’s death as ranging from shock and disbelief to “ compassion” for Johnson’s fam ily. Johnson's two oldest daughters attend Barlow, he said. Jack Gleason, a U S. History teacher at Barlow who worked with Johnson to develop a college and career counseling program at the school, said he was “ shocked greatly . . . I think we an are. I t hasn't really quite hit us.” “ I had a great deal of respect for T om ," said Gleason. “ I remember he always had the tim e to talk to you . . . especially to students. He was a very caring, open individual.” Jim Babson, a counselor for Barlow's freshman class, said Johnson's death was “ a terrible irony, really. He’d spent most of his life tryin g to help people. . . he was a real com passionate guy. It doesn't seem just, somehow.” Johnson came to Barlow from Knappa, a small community near Astoria, where he had been a full-tim e counselor and head basketball coach at the high school. He also taught social studies and counseled at Glide and Gaston High Schools and at Medera High School in California. He is survived by his four daughters, Linda, Kathy, Gayden and K risty. No funeral arrangements have been made because of the police in vestigation Photo by Uan Dillon With the unseasonal sunny weather, Kelso School blocked off the parking lot during recess and created a roller skating rin k. Even an occasional sit-down, like first grader Walter D illard's, doesn't cast a shadow over the good time. ESD cuts would hamper local services The superintendent of Clackamas County Education Service D istrict (ESDI has prepared a $6.2 m illion proposed levy for 1981-82 and a pretty gloomy budget message fo r the D is tric t’s budget committee. The gloom in that message could spill over into services at both Sandy Union High School and the Sandy Elem entary School D istrict if the ESD levy is rejected by voters at the M arch 31 election. According to Bob Bums, the superintendent of ESD, the D is tric t’s “ future is in a state of uncertainty. Since 1977, their responsibilities have burgeoned while during that same period of tim e their financing capabilities have deteriorated.” The ESD w ill ask for approval of a $6,228,274 levy that would provide stable funding fo r the ESD through 1985 If the levy fails, the ESD w ill be thrown back on last year’s levy plus the 6 percent increase allowed by law. A t SUHS, the defeat would mean “our whole operation would have to shore up,” said Superintendent Jack Peters. “ We think ESD is an essential arm of our school d is tric t.” He said the district gets a “ tremendous service” from the ESD film lib ra ry on a daily basis, and Deadline for plan appeals draws near by DAN DILLON The city of Sandy has set a deadline for appeals by landowners who feel they did not get a fa ir opportunity to address the city before their property was rezoned with the adoption of the updated zoning ordinance. This is not to say that the city is re opening the ordinance fo r public scrutiny, City Planner Don Wilson said, but rather, it is bringing the document back fo r some minor fine tuning.” The city w ill review any appeal that is received before Feb. IS, if the land- owner feels the zoning was changed without his getting a proper chance to testify during the adoption process From then on, the plan w ill be reviewed only on an amendment basis which requires the appellant to pay a fee. Since the adoption of the city's u p dated zoning ordinance, the city staff has received several form al and in form al requests for changes in the zoning of particular parcels or amendments to the text of the zoning ordinance itself, according to Wilson The approach of the staff has been to accumulate the requests and bring them before the Sandy Planning Commission at one tim e A t its Jan. 7 meeting, the commission decided to hold public hearings at its Feb. 4 and March 4 meetings to handle the various requests A t the February meeting, the com mission w ill hold a public hearing on a zone change and comprehensive plan change request from V.J. Keating of Baker who owns the site of the previous M t Hood Anim al Clinic at 37820 High way 26. He wishes to change the property's zone form high density residential back to general com mercial. A m odification of the home oc cupation provisions of the zoning or dinance w ill also be considered B illie McNutt, who operates a hypnosis center at her home, 38336 Hood Street, requested a small identification sign which is not perm itted under the present standards The commission w ill also consider a zone change for properties between Pioneer Boulevard and McCormick Drive. These properties offer good op portunities for commercial develop ment for frontage on Pioneer, ac cording to Wilson The area also has unique problems due to the topography and dual frontage onto McCormick Drive. Potential for conflict arises if the properties north of McCormick Drive develop under the present zoning standards City Attorney Jack Hammond is expected Feb 4 to offer his in terpretation of the c ity ’s zero side-yard standards to see if the ordinance allows each half of a duplex to be sold separately, splitting an 8.000-square- foot lot into tw ........ «.».».ips As currently applied, the c ity ’s zero- side yard development standards offer no bonus in density, in that the technique may not be used to decrease average lot size or increase density. pointed out that services including career education and classes for the trainable m entally retarded would be curtailed. The d istrict also uses the date processing service through ESD. "W e certainly appreciate the ser vices they bring to a small school d is tric t,” Peters said. A t its Monday night meeting the SUHS School Board passed resolutions authorizing the ESD to continue providng special services fo r the high school such as instruction for mentally retardeddevelopmentally disabled students, student assessment, services for handicapped students and educational media services. "W e are now at a point where we’ve cut every comer, rounded every rough edge, streamlined every program and gone after every grant to provide services,” Russ Nelson, of ESD told The Post. “ There ain’t nothing else to do — we’U have to cut programs or pass a levy.” Failure means the proposed levy would have to be reduced by $3,086,856 or nearly half. Most of that reduction — $2,620,935 — would come from the Handicapped Child Fund which is in tended to help county school districts cope w ith the rapid increases in new programs and rising costs in special education. I f the levy fails, the ESD w ill have to cut staff and services as well as the Handicapped Child Fund to stay w ithin last year’s levy plus the 6 percent growth factor, Burns said. Cuts w ill be based on a prio rity study completed last month by the Superintendent’s Council. The council is a group made up of superintendents from nine of the 28 school districts in Clackamas County served by the ESD. Peters serves on the council. The cut list for both personnel and programs w ill be finalized during the first two weeks of January, according to Bums. It w ill go to the ESD Board at the February meeting along with the proposed budget. "We hope we won’t have to institute the staff and program reductions," Bums said. "However, if the levy doesn’t pass in March, we w ill have to be ready with a plan to live within the budget we w ill be allowed.” He added tlia t the school districts in Clackamas County served by the ESD are involved in the planning wherever possible Law project aids local seniors The possibility of facing a large bill has tra d itio n a lly been a deterrent to persons in need of legal advice. I f the problem turns out to be in consequential, they are faced with a b ill for consultation. I f they don’t seek the advice and later wish they would have, the problem ends up being com pounded For senior citizens living on a fixed income, the possibility of a b ill for a half hour of a lawyer’s tim e is prohibitive. But that needn’t be the case anymore. The Clackamas County Senior I^ w Project, begun through the Clackamas County Area Agency on Aging, offers an alternative. Once a month at the Sandy Senior Center, an area attorney offers a free half hour of consultation to any senior member of the community. The philosophy of the program, ac cording to Sandra Potter, Community Services director, realizes that many seniors do not know when they need legal advice. It understands that they are a fraid if they approach an attorney, they may be strapped with legal fees Thus, it gives the senior citizen an opportunity to get his or her legal m atters straightened out Subsequently, they may be able to save additional money when they get into the actual legal matters as a result of th e ir free prelim inary consultation. Sandy attorney John Pefley is one of five area lawyers who have volunteered time and he is sold on the project. “ I believe community service is im portant in the legal profession,” he said, “ and you meet a lot of interesting people.” Generally, three things bring the seniors in fo r consultation, Pefley said. W ills and estate reviews, real estate problems and landlord-tenant problems make up the bulk of the inquiries. "T h is provides an opportunity so they know they get a half hour of a law yer’s tim e without getting nicked,” he said. " I f they do need a w ill, then I charge my standard rate Rut a lot of people's papers are in order and they get some peace of mind finding that out.” One case that is an outgrowth of the Senior l,aw Project involves the Sandy Golden Age Club The group, founded in 1970 to give help and assistance to senior citizens and to further interest in the com munity in m atters relating to senior citizens, is tryin g to change its non profit status. Faced with trying to cut the bureaucratic red tape, they haven’t even been able to get the Internal Revenue Service to send them an ap plication for the change Pefley has gone to bat to help them out C urrently, the group’s status prevents donors from claim ing tax deductions on their donations A change in status would allow that to happen Pefley said, the directors and himself approach the task of changing with "high hopes, but a level of skepticism.” The Senior I-aw Project began in September, 1980 with all Clackamas County senior centers participating A part-time coordinator lined up the volunteer attorneys and helped each center establish an operational framework. The service is available ui Sandy on the first Thursday of each month To make an appointment to consult w ith an attorney, call the center, 668-5569. Index SECTION 1 E ditorials, le tte rs 6 Senior (Center N e w s ....... .........7 .........7 Keeping Pouted 8 School Menus SECTION I I Area News .........1 Around the County .........2 Classified ................ . 9-13 Home and Garden . . . 14 SECTION 111 Sports. Recreation Television D irectory ....... 1-3 ..u 1
