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8A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016 Bandit: Folk-celebrity fugitive asked the public for $125K to pay for flight training Continued from Page 1A “I would have an outstanding job … that would enable me to pay my restitution decades before I otherwise would be,” Har- ris-Moore said. But Smith said flight school is out of the question until Harris-Moore fulfills his legal obligation of restitution. “I know he has this belief that if he pur- sues this education he can earn more money … We can discuss that, and discuss where that might go, but not until the victims are paid in full,” she said. Harris-Moore said he planned to chal- lenge the probation office in court. “It’s either this or you sit around for a couple decades as I make pennies toward these payments,” he said. “This isn’t a whimsical thing I want to do on the week- end for personal pleasure. This is my career.” Harris-Moore said the deal with 20th Century Fox to sell his story shows that he is serious about restitution. “It’s selling my soul to the devil. I never wanted the movie. I currently don’t want the movie,” he said. “I don’t get anything out of that deal. There’s the possibility 20th Century Fox is going to take my life and turn it more into a myth than it already is.” “He is not allowed to have a GoFundMe account to fund his wish to go to flying school when the victims aren’t whole,” said Connie Smith, chief U.S. probation and pretrial officer for western Washington. “The money in that GoFundMe account will need to go to victims.” Harris-Moore said he had made about $1,600 before he shut down the fundraiser, and announced in a tweet that his “dream has been crushed.” Most of his court-ordered restitution has been paid. In exchange for rights to his story, a Hollywood movie studio coughed up more than $1 million in restitution for Harris-Moore. The money mostly paid for the planes he wrecked. The victims Both John Miller and Scott Lancaster were victims of Harris-Moore’s crimes. Harris-Moore burglarized Lancaster’s Ace Hardware store on Orcas Island. “There’s just so much of the innocence here he took away. Nickels on the dollar won’t replace that,” Lancaster said in an interview before the fundraiser was ended. “It does not make me happy he’s trying to scam another $125,000 out of everybody to get flight school. He ought to work.” Miller, along with his brother, owned the Cessna Harris-Moore crashed in the Baha- mas. Miller has since struck up a friendship with the young man, visiting him in jail and talking on the phone about 12 times since Harris-Moore was released from prison this summer. “You know his story, you know about his upbringing. He’s had a bad hand dealt to him … He made a mistake, he served his time and he deserves a second chance,” Miller said. “It’s just an airplane — what the hell, they make ’em all the time.” When Miller visited Harris-Moore in prison, the two talked about flying, he said. “He’s a smart kid — very impressive. I think he’ll make a good pilot … He knows more about it than I do,” Miller said. “Heck, he’s already done a solo flight,” noting that is a requirement toward a pilot’s license. Miller said he was willing to donate to help pay for Harris-Moore’s flight school. Island County Sheriff’s Office This July 2009 file self-portrait provided by the Island County Sheriff’s Office shows Colton Harris-Moore. Bahamas police captured the teenage U.S. fugitive in 2010, bringing to an end the “Barefoot Bandit’s” two-year flight from U.S. justice. Flight fascination File Photo Ilwaco fishing boat Fat Cat was the subject of brief fame in 2010 after it was stolen by the Barefoot Bandit, who eventually stole an airplane and crashed in the Bahamas. Grant: County will study investor-funded preschool Investing in the future Local Way to Wellville Coordinator Sydney Van Dusen said the national well- ness group learned about the Pay for Success grants through an organizer on the East Coast. Pay for Success financ- ing partners service provid- ers, such as preschools, with philanthropic and private sec- tor investors to fund improved services. The government entity receiving the investment promises to pay the money back with interest to the inves- tors if the improved services lead to cost savings. If not, the investors lose some or all of the investment. Investment firm Goldman Sachs and venture capitalist J.B. Pritzker funded 600 spots in public and private preschool programs in 2013, according to the Salt Lake City Tribune. Of the first cohort of kids, 110 4-year-olds were expected to need special education. The investors were to receive 95 percent of any savings on spe- cial education for funding preschool. Only one student needed special education services after attending two years of pre- school. Utah’s public educa- tion system avoided $281,000 in special education costs, and a $267,000 check was cut to the investors. A similar funding model has been used for programs lowering criminal recidivism and homelessness. Implementation After six to nine months of studying the region’s needs, Gaffney said, organizers will engage with an organization that develops and manages Pay for Success projects and the social impact bonds that fund them. “Once we complete the fea- sibility study, we’ll be within six months of implementa- tion,” Van Dusen said. “In the middle of 2018 we’d be get- ting it ready to go.” The 2018-19 school year would be the earliest inves- tor-funded preschool could happen. Adopt a Senior Cat Give the gift of a home and family to a needy shelter cat this Christmas. With cat for comforter, how still the night. S PECIAL F EE 20 Lady $ (More on http://Petfi nder.com/ ) Sponsored By C LATSOP A NIMAL A SSISTANCE C LATSOP C OUNTY A NIMAL S HELTER 1315 SE 19 th Street, Warrenton • 861 - PETS www.dogsncats.org Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat Train: Former prison shop teacher keeps layout ready for 30-plus years Continued from Page 1A “Our first layout in 1984 was really sort of modest, and someone asked, I think it was in the paper, someone asked Gov. Atiyeh what he thought of this,” Curtis said. Atiyeh said he liked the layout, but that he couldn’t wait to see models of historic Salem homes the next year, Curtis said. “Guess what we did the next year?” Curtis said. “We made the models of historic Salem homes.” There’s a model of Salem’s Victorian-era Deep- wood house, and the railroad station is a replica of the one in Salem around the turn of the century. Claire Withycombe/EO Media Group The model railroad that runs under the Capitol Christmas tree each year has morphed and changed over the years. licas of historic buildings to scale, Curtis raised some eye- brows when he went up to the bank building in Independence with a tape measure. He began sizing up the building’s fea- tures and, after some inquiries from the bank manager, even- tually was invited in for a tour. The trains themselves are antique American Flyer mod- els, most of them from the 1950s, Curtis said. Curtis said they chose the From scratch The structures are built from scratch — no kits involved. Curtis also made the natural features. Azalea branches are especially good for making tiny trees, he says. Devoted to making the rep- American Flyer trains because the company was owned by A.C. Gilbert. Gilbert, a doctor who was born in Salem and went on to develop a host of classic children’s toys, is the namesake of the Gilbert House Children’s Museum in Salem. There are a number of locomotives available for use — if the one that is currently running around the tree “gets tired,” Curtis says, another can take its place. The seasons in the Christ- mas layout have changed over the years, Curtis said. It was a summer scene for a while, then winter for about 20 years. But it was hard to keep all of the fake snow clean, so Curtis redid the set to depict autumn. The whole structure sits on plywood boxes and can eas- ily be packed up when the sea- son’s over. Curtis works with Alan Bennett, a train enthusiast from Keizer, to put the scene together every year. After more than 30 years, what keeps him setting up the miniatures? “Well, you know, it’s just a real joy to see the reaction of the children when they come to the Capitol building, and not only to see the tree, but they come to see the train and operate the train underneath the tree,” Curtis said. “So that’s sort of an encourage- ment to us.” T HE D AILY A STORIAN ’ S C UTEST B ABY C ONTEST W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A If your baby was born Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 H OLIDAY B OOK S ALE Post-prison “No. 1, this will be based upon curriculum that is research-based,” Gaffney said. “And we also want to make sure we have good involve- ment by families.” Gaffney said researchers will reach out to existing pre- school providers to gauge their interest in taking part. The grant could also help with pre- school in Columbia County, part of a regional Early Learn- ing Hub also covering Clatsop and Tillamook counties. leaves him with very little to save for flight school or for repaying victims. “GoFundMe is really my only realistic option,” Harris-Moore said. “It’s ironic. If I earned these (pilot) licenses and certifica- tions or endorsements and ratings, it would qualify me to work for a charter company. Browne said Harris-Moore did not con- sult him about posting to GoFundMe. “I have nothing to do with it, and would you put that in caps, please,” Browne said Tuesday. Harris-Moore said his office job with Browne’s firm is meant to be temporary and Since leaving prison, Harris-Moore has been working part time for his high-profile Seattle attorney, John Henry Browne. Continued from Page 1A He said he has always had a fascination with airplanes. “When I look at an airplane, I can liter- ally feel the endorphins firing in my brain,” he said. “This is 100 percent a career focus.” Luke Lysen, who owns The Flight Academy, a pilot instruction company, said he spoke with Harris-Moore about his plans recently and believes he is genuine. “He was educated enough to research what it takes. He was asking about the length of time, the lesson and the costs,” Lysen said. “He certainly strikes me as an apt pupil.” Harris-Moore said life after prison has been lonely. He is planning to move from his halfway house soon. “Everything professionally and person- ally is going slower than the speed I want to move at,” he said. Harris-Moore said he’d go to great lengths to realize his lofty dream. “I have the email address of Kelly- anne Conway,” he said, referring to Presi- dent-elect Donald Trump’s campaign man- ager and counselor. “If it comes to this, I’ll get this taken care of from the top down.” 2 G REAT B OOKS O NE L OW P RICE Astorians Eccentric & Extraordinary $ 12 95 or drop by one of our offi ces in Astoria or Seaside and we can scan in the photo for you. 25 s* for both you can submit your newborn’s picture either via email at: CLASSIFIEDS @ DAILYASTORIAN . COM e Pric Sale $ January 1st & December 31st , 2016 , between title Deadline to enter is Eminent Astorians $ 12 95 Special available only at The Daily Astorian Offi ce 949 Exchange Street | Astoria, OR 97103 or by calling 503-325-3211 Wednesday, January 25 th at 5 pm Entries will be printed in The Daily Astorian on January 31st. *while supplies last *Human babies only please!*