Page 10, Portland Observer, September 17, 1986
Portland Police Break Cocaine Operation
M A X Ticket Machines Using Susan B. Anthony Dollars
by Jerry Garner
The Portland Police Bureau nar
cotics unit claimed they broke a
major cocaine distribution ring last
week and arrested seven people in
Portland, Milwaukie, and gresham
Police also seized more than
$200,000 in property, including
$25,000 in cash
According to Lt. Chuck Karl,
commander of the Bureau's drug
unit, the distribution ring has been
in operation since 1982 and was sel
ling a pound of cocaine a week and
earning more than $100,000 a
month on the illicit drug Lt. Karl
said the bust will have a tremendous
ripple effect on the availability of
cocaine in some areas of the
county
One of those arrested. Michael
Oale Brookes, 38, of Milwaukie,
was formerly the owner of Gresham
Honda
Tho police also seized
seven vehicles, handguns and two
ounces of cocaine
Lt Karl said it was his policy to
seize the property of drug dealers
because, due to lack of jail space,
many dealers are freed pending trial
"If we can catch them with cash or
things they buy with drug money,
we will seize them
The state has
good seizure laws My preference is
to get into ^heir pocket books, if I
can. until jail space is available to
lock them up," Karl said
In other related news, fourteen Io
cal government and law enforce
ment officials met last week at Port
land City Hall to discuss pending
federal anti drug laws and ways to
combine their war on drugs efforts
During the meeting the group en
dorsed the federal Omnibus Anti
drug Bill The bill was passed by the
U.S. House of Representatives on
Wednesday Under the bill, the fed
oral government will put $600 mil
lion a year over the next five years
into military interdiction by air and
sea in an effort to stop the flow of
heroin, cocaine, pot. and other illicit
drugs into the U.S.
The bill will also provide econ
omic assistance to countries which
are dependent on drug money as in
come and sanctions against those
countries which do not cooperate in
the eradication program
The federal legislation would also
provide $100 million for drug treat
ment programs and $50 million for
anti drug education annually Ore
gon stands to receive about 1 per
cent of the funds
Wake up little Susie
W e re put
ting you back to work
Ticket machines along the MAX
lion is that "Susies
are thought to
be extinct." says Lana Nelson, Ma
nager of Consumer Programs
"But
M AX riders, confused about the
coins, may first think that they are
being short changed because the
(Metropolitan Area Express) route
the truth is they continue to be used
are using Susan B Anthony dollar
and that they are easier to use m
coins in making change, Tri Met
coin operated machines that are re
Susies have been used in the four
officials reminded its customers to
quired to return dollars in change
Tri Met ticket machines in place on
day
The coins are commonly used
"The MAX ticket machines ac
by other transit systems which fea
cept $1. $5. $10 and $20 bills and
ture ticket vending machines
return as much as $8 50 in change,"
'We realized the public percep
Nelson emphasized.
“Their checking fees
were low. And they’ve
kept them that way.”
coins haven't been in common use
in the Portland area, Nelson said.
the Portland Mall the last three
years, she added
dollar coins may be used to pur
chase bus and train tickets.
“I wanted to refinance
They were one of the
few who would work
with me, even though
they were so busy.”
“I thought they should
put in more parking at
my branch. They did.”
PCC Offers Telecourse
ForG .E.D . Preparation
A fall quarter telecourse for stu
dents preparing to take the General
Educational
Development
test
(GED) will start September 23 under
auspices of Portland Community
College.
Instructor Joan Gravenites said
the course will begin with on cam
pus orientation that includes regi
stration, reading placement testing
and a question answer period
Students may choose between
orientation sessions scheduled for
6 30 to 8 30 p.m Tuesday. Sep
tember 23, and 10 30 to 12 noon
Saturday, September 27. Students
need appear at only one of the
meetings, Gravenites said.
They
will be held in the library of the
PCC Southeast Center. 2850 S.E.
82nd Ave
PCC Offers New Class In
Free Lance W riting
A new Portland Community Col
lege class in free lance writing will
meet for the first time Thursday,
September 25. at the PCC Cascade
Campus, 705 N Killingsworth
The eight week class will cover
writing techniques, marketing and
selling tips for aspiring and publish
ed writers
Instructor will be Sharon Wood, a
correspondent for The Oregonian
whose stories are frequently pub
lished in that newpaper's Science,
Forum and Portland sections. She
is presently a student at Linfield
College, McMinnville
The class will meet from 7 to 9
p.m in Room B 46 of Cascade Hall
on the Cascade Campus
Tuition
will be $23
Further information is available
from Cascade Community Services.
240 5303
C ultivating bacteria instead o f trees
ami cotton plants io produce cellulose
mas one day lead to cheaper paper,
clothing and medical supplies V<i
li n n , il It ih llitr magazine reports that a
researcher at (he University of Texas at
Austin has discovered a strain of has
tena which produces cellulose requir
ing much less processing than wood
pulp Io produce paper
I he most poisonous animal alive,
according to some scientists, is the
arrow poison fro g, says N atio n al
W ild life f ederation’ s K anitrr Ki, k
magazine
These insect eating frogs
live in the ram forests o f Central and
South America
And, as its name
suggests, the frogs' poison is carefully
spread by hunting Indians on their
a m » tips
M innesota has been cleaning up
toxK dump sites four times faster than
the Environmental Protection Agency.
The reason: a stale law passed by M in
nesota that allows private companies
lo be held liable fo r personal injuries
caused by exposure to leaking toxic
chemicals. The law, passed in 1983,
was the first o f its kind in the United
Stales, and may be the model fo r
tougher federal Superfund legislation
I
\b u TMked.We Listened.
Since M arch of 1985, we’ve been making
changes. We ve added more tellers during peak
hours. Streamlined procedures for opening new
accounts Developed regional lending centers to
meet local needs Renuxleled one third of our
branches to make T h e Benj. Franklin a better
place to bank. Instituted HX) policy changes that
have made banking easier. And more. All part of
our commitment to “ Plain Talk, Easy Banking”
A lot of these changes were a result of our “Talk
Back program .! his direct line to our chairman
let customers tell us how we could improve. Or, as
in many cases, why we should keep doing the
things they liked.
VV iscly, we listened. And uill continue to listen.
Because Plain Falk Banking isn't a one-wav street.
Plain talk. Easy banking.
The
Franklin M
11 M HAl SAVINGS AND IO A N ASSN
D eposit, iiuured lo $100 000 by the E S I.1C
O v e r JO offices in th e greater P o rtla n d area to serve yo u .
The Anthony
sa