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About Sandy post. (Sandy, Oregon) 1938-current | View Entire Issue (June 13, 1985)
The Vol. 75 No. 24 Trial date expected in kidnapping case Arraignment was set June 12 for two men charged with kidnapping and robbery following a series of events that occurred in the Hoodland area last week It was expected a tria l date would be set at that time Donald Darrold Tipton. 54. of Weed, Calif., and Thayer M. Smith. 58, possibly from Arizona, were a r rested June 3 in Hoodland on kidnap ping and robbery charges The pair allegedly robbed a couple who were picnicking June 2 in the " A lp in e S lid e -M irro r M ountain area," according to Wayne Kraft, Clackamas County deputy district a t torney John Bingham, police officer with the Oregon State Police, said they didn't get “ that much money,” He added he doesn't know if money was the motive The couple, who are not area residents, reported the theft from the Village Store in Government Camp The two men abandoned the cou ple's car, and went to the ZigZag Gun and Ammunition store in ZigZag. where a man was washing his pickup The man reportedly sur rendered the keys to his pickup at gunpoint. The second kidknapping involved a Brightwood man, Kraft said. They abandoned the pickup a short tim e later in the Wemme area and fl ed on foot Smith had hitched a ride and was discovered — riding as a passenger — at a police checkpoint located near the Inn Between Tavern The arrest wa made just after midnight on June Three men have been arrested in connection with bank robberies in Sandy and Boring and an attempted holdup in Gresham.taccordmg to law enforcement officials. The robberies occurred Friday, June 7. The Boring branch of the Clackamas County Bank, 28500 S E Highway 212, was robbed by a lone, white male, according to a press release provided by the Clackamas County sheriff’s department The man handed the teller a paper bag, demanded money and received it. and got into a dark blue, older model pickup, according to the press release No weapon was displayed during the incident The vehicle was last seen traveling north on Highway 212 About 10:30a m a related, attemp ted robbery occurred at the First In terstate Bank in Gresham, which is located at the corner of Burnside and 242nd Avenue A man entered the bank and "changed his mind, things didn’t look rig h t." according to Vicky Vieley, special agent in charge of the in vestigation for the FBI Vieley confirmed that the three men had consum ed a lc o h o l beverages the day of the robberies “ At least that's what they told us,” she said The three suspects are Buck Charles Short, 25, no address given; Richard Ray DeChenne, 25. of Gresham, and his brother Rodney Jay DeChenne. 20, also of Gresham About 1;45 p m the Sandy branch of the Clackamas County Bank, .38975 S.E. Proctor Boulevard, was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash According to Ed Storey, CCB senior vice president and cashier, a white male in his 30s, who was about 5 foot, 10 inches with blond-brown hair, received cash from a teller and Later that morning, about 9 or 10 a m., a homeowner called the Oregon State Police and reported someone on the back steps or back porch of her home, according to Bingham U w enforcement officials went and ar rested Tipton He was "h urt, cold and w et" when he broke into the home in Wemme, Bingham said Both arrests were made “ without incident,” he said “ That was a confusing mess up there. I 'll tell you th a t," said Bingham Asked if there were shootings, Kraft said, “ The defendants are not charged with doing any shooting." K raft said kidnapping in the second degree alleges that people are confin ed in a way that they are not likely to be found Tipton was charged with crim inal trespass in possession of a firearm , crim inal trespass in the first degree, unlawful possession of a weapon, two counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, three counts of kidnapping in the second degree, and three counts of robbery in the first degree Smith was charged with two counts of unauthorzed use of a motor vehi cle, three counts of kidnapping in the second degree, and three counts of robbery in the first degree left with one or more accomplices in the dark blue pickup described earlier "He apparently was not arm ed," Storey said “ We don’t know that for sure." Storey said he could not verify ex actly what happened as witnesses were "kin d of excited" following the robbery He said he would not describe his account of the incident as “ absolutely accurate." “ Our staff followed their assigned se curity procedures, which are designed to provide safety to our employees and customers," Storey added Storey said they don’t disclose the amount of money taken in a robbery because there is a “ cause and effect relationship between running a newspaper article with a dollar figure and bank robberies the next day." Vieley said after the report of the pickup was given at the Sandy branch of the Clackamas County Bank, an all-points bulletin was issued A law enforcement official saw the pickup, and the suspects were stopped abut 3 p m near Brightwood on Highway 26 where the four lane turns into a two lane The FBI, Oregon State Police, Clackamas County and the Sandy police department worked together on the investigation. Vieley said The case w ill be handled by the U S attorney's office in federal district court as bank robbery is a federal offense The DeChenne brothers Ire out on bail, Vieley said Short is s till at the M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty D e te n tio n Center. A detention hearing, at which time Short could be let out on bail, w ill be held Thursday, June 13, Vieley said Noted artist back at work Woman winning MS battle by PAULA BURNS 3. Three men arrested after bank robberies SANDY, OREGON, THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1985 Sunny Eicher, a Sandy area a r tist, has started painting again after being forced to give up her work about three years ago because of multiple sclerosis There used to be a card in the window of her silver Accord LX car that allowed parking in han dicapped areas. But the card isn’t there anymore “ because there just hasn’t been much need for it the past six months." She said it feels good to park farther away from a store and be able to walk norm ally again. Eicher, a strong-willed and determined woman, spoke con fidently about her recovery after a three-year struggle with MS She was told she had MS on Oc tober 29, 1981 Eicher had gone to six different doctors in the course of a year because of excruciating muscle spasms in her legs, and exhaustion. F in a lly she was diagnosed correctly by D r Roy Shank, professor em eritus in neurology at Oregon Health Science University. "When I was seeing all those doctors, they kept saying it was my nerves — I knew deep in my heart I had MS " Eicher said when the diagnosis was made, “ that day marked the beginning of a challenge for m e." After nine years of commission work, with 515 paintings scattered throughout 18 states and six coun tries, she was forced to give up her work for what she thought would be forever " I felt like so meone had cut off m v right arm .” During the next six months, she suffered with muscle spasms, double vision, numbness in both legs and right arm, and the dragg ing of her right leg At times she was confined to a wheelchair and lied N in e m on ths a fte r the d ia g n o s is , h e r 1 9-ye a r-o ld daughter. Renee, was told she also had MS Renee was forced to go on the same low fat diet her mother had been on since MS struck They were told that the diet, prescribed by D r Swank, wouldn’t cure MS, but if patients were placed on it early enough, there was a 95 per cent chance of keeping them from developing significant disability. " I am so thankful to have been where I could see Dr. Swank so Sunny Eicher and painting of the Northern Cascades. early in my illness — to have got ten on the diet as soon as I did. I have no doubt at a ll if it were no, for the diet, I would be totally helpless from my neck down, as fast as I was (regressing).” During the next two and a half years there was gradual improve ment in both Eicher’s and Renee's lives. Swank told them the diet would reach its full potential after three years Eicher said the last six months have proven Swank correct Her daughter was recently m arried* and is also working part time. The only MS symptoms Eicher has are “ the fatigue tha, goes along with MS and occasionally some numbness in my right arm and legs But that acts as a warn ing sign to me that I ’ve been too busy, and after 10 hours of sleep, iha, goes aw ay." She said it feels good to be ac tive again. “ I walk one or two m ile s a d a y , do m y own housework and some yard w ork." Eicher, who lives on five acres in a large, split-level home that her husband built 20 years ago. said the amount of $8,213 20 The com plaint alleges vacation pay is due for approximately 10 days (two weeks) per year for eight years, and 15 days (three weeks) per year for three years, or 120 days total. Swails was earning $24,000 a year at the tim e of his resignation, or $92 29 based on 2176 working days per month, according to the com plaint Included on a check sent about July 20 was 40 days of vacation time at $71 54 per day, or $2,861 60 The complaint says that Swails submitted his resignation June 26, 1984 Angus Anderson, business manager, reportedly asked Swails for his keys and relieved him of his duties Swails claims to have been “ available and w illing to work " again, ‘You won', know if you can paint again until you try." So I tried and it ’s s till there — all of it.” She is dedicating her recent painting of the Northern Cascades to her son, with an inscription on the back tha, w ill read, “ Never underestimate the power of sheer determ ination." Eicher said her youngest son, Ryan, makes her feel almost the same way she did five years ago. “ When he comes home from school he asfe, "Mom, what have you done on yo ur p aintings today?’ — jus, like he used to ask before MS struck.” Eicher plans to continue pain ting and is tentatively scheduling a showing of her work this fall People used to ask her all the tim e how she felt, and she would usually say fine. “ They would say, ‘You ta n ', mean that, and I would tell them it wouldn't make them feel any better if I said I fel, lousy, and it cetainly wouldn't do me any good " She smiled and said m atter of factly, "Now I can say "fine." and mean it.” ZigZag author hooked on helicopters by TAM I CISSNA "Listen to the voices of experience, of those who have seen strange lands, excitement, fun. and adventures without precedent. . .” reads the book jacket The book is titled, “ L ift Is Where You Find It.” The subject is no, helicopters but helicopter people, said Joe Stein, the author Between its covers lies the meaning of helicopters, no, merely its uses. Stein is a weathered pilot, ye, none the worse for the wear He is as spry as ever His life seems one big adventure; yet he is unaffected by a life of suc cess He is more interested in com mon folk than the "e lite .” He has logged more than 4,500 hours as a career pilot in civ il and naval aviation His career as a pilot began before the modern helicopter came into use. “ I'm older than helicopters," he teased Stein became a commercial pilot before World War II. He was an in structor and u tility pilot in the Navy, flying many types of airplanes In 1946, he signed on as aviation editor of the Oregon Journal and flew the first news helicopter, which was also the firs, used in executive travel. It had a city roof, the Journal building, as its base — another firs,. In 1954 Stein joined the the staff of NACA, the federal a ir research agen cy, now NASA, at its Washington, D C ., headquarters He became deputy director of public affairs In Board member-elect files lawsuit Jerry Swails, former maintenance supervisor at Sandy High School and board member-elect, has filed a com plaint against the district for back vacation pay, penalties for violating state statutes and attorney's fees The Sandy High School board of directors was briefed on the com plaint in executive session Monday evening, and acknowledged the suit during the regular, open session. Swails was elected to the board in March and w ill be sworn in at the Ju ly meeting He worked at Sandy High School from 1973 until June 30, 1984, according to the complaint, which was filed in Clackamas County c ir cuit court. Swails, the plaintiff, alleges that the school district, the defendant, failed to pay him for vacation pay in she also takes tim e to feed all the chipmunks, racoons, squirrels and flock of wild pigeons who ap pear on her back porch daily. “ And we have a new rabbit fam ily that we’re so tickled about " She does know her physical lim its and said, “ When it ’s tim e to quit, it ’s tim e to q u it.” Eicher attributes the diet, sheer determination and her supportive fam ily to her recovery. Her hus band. Ronald, a carpenter and construction worker, has sup ported her throughout the illness. “ He has been super great about letting me do the things I felt I could do, and yet being there to keep me from doing things I couldn't without making me feel he was holding me back." She has painted 10 projects dur ing the past two weeks Her 23-year-old son, Ron, who lost par* of his ¡eft hand in a construction accident five years ago, encourag ed her to start painting again Ron said he has spent the last three years doing carpentry work to prove he can do what anyone else can do with a "whole" hand. “ He kept telling me over and over Photo by Paula Burns Swails seeks $276 87 for the three days Swails claim s Oregon Revised Statutes 652 150 were violated, and he seeks $2,000 as a penalty. The statute requires a person to be paid within 30 days The Sandy High School D istrict sent Swails a check for wages and vacation pay on or about July 20 The complaint alleges that "when the defendant did pay, (it) w ilfully failed to pay all compensation earned and unpaid at the tim e of resignation ” Since endorsement would have constituted acceptance as full and final payment, Swails returned the check The complaint also alleges the district failed to compensate him for responding to alarms at (he bus garage and stadium, a duty assigned to him in June, 1981 While other employees were paid for answering alarms, Swails was not, the com plaint alleges The “ defendant's violation was an intentional viola tion.” reads the complaint Failure to pay him was contrary to district policy and the F air Labor Standards Act, the complaint alleges He seeks an unspecified amount of overtime pay The co m p la int also asks for "reasonable" attorney's fees and for “ further re lie f as may be warranted after (the) tria l " Swails, a 1940 graduate of Sandy High School, was elected in March, 1985 by 30 votes over Paul Buss (555 to 525; Bryan Toile, 291) It was Swails' second attempt at a position on the board 1971, he retired and returned to Oregon. He has since been w riting free lance for newspapers and magazines and was a correspondent for the Washington Post for about two years The concept of " L if t ” is explained in his introduction. "Y o u can go anywhere in a helicopter. It flies straight, direct from point to point, not jus, to the a ir port outside of town It has that uni que go-anywhere character because rotor-blade wings turn free in the a ir without otherwise moving They create lift, and lift gives travel a ver tical dimension "W ith free-turning wings, copters can fly slow or stop, high or low , they demand no special facilities — and so, (they are» more like the birds and bees with that dimension They are unique among vehicles with "lift Joe Stein anywhere.'" His book telis of the helicopter per form ing many tasks successfully insecticides, no, to exterm inate throughout the world today through pests bu, to "c o n tro l" them the first-hand accounts of people • Public services such as law en Many of its uses are unknown. forcement, and fighting brush tires Some of the ground he covers in • The Mount St. Helens eruption cludes: helicopters serving scientists, film • Seven presidents who have makers, foresters, law officials, gleaned benefits from the use of the newsmen, w ea th er s p e c ia lis ts , helicopter — door-to-door service, sightseers and others. privacy, security, safety Each hav • lagging helicopters lift logs ing their own personal style and with a minimum of damage to forests pretense • Rescues of different natures; • Patrolling vital lines for the exiting and clim actic Where the Bonneville Power Administration, helicopter “ mocks the impossible" to the Alaska Pipeline, and General make the splendid rescue com Telephone; details of people behind monplace Stein unfolds the dramas the scenes at the BPA • Emergency Medical Service as • The Armed Forces. i, brings critica l care The helicopter The book includes the history of coming for one prime reason, trauma helicopters as well, and the appendix — the physical psychological "re ac explains how they work tio n " to inju ry or sudden illness Ac For the last six years Stein has counts of those who credit their life to traveled across the country par the helicopter • The spraying of fertilizers and Please turn Io Page 4.
