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.