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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 1996)
. • • » ^ mu 4 M L o m St«í&*SL¿£«i-.r ' P age B2 . ’ k .., M * m . ' -i— » D ecember 18, 1996 • T he P or i land O bserver “The Gift Club” pyramid scheme warning ( r im e S to p p e r s Attorney General Theodore R Kulongoski today warned prospec tive participants in an illegal pyra mid known as “The Gift Club’’ that they likely will lose their money and be without remedies when the pyra mid collapses. K ulongoski also warned current organizers in the scheme that they face up to a $25,000 penalty for each person they attempt to recruit and that any enforcement action by the Department o f Justice will seek the maximum possible pen alty. In March 1996, Kulongoski filed a lawsuit and later settled more than 80 c i v i I prosecutions oforganizers in Armed robbery Portland Police Bureau detec tives, in cooperation with Crime Stoppers, are asking for your help in identifying and apprehending the subjects responsible for an armed robbery. On Sunday, November 3, 1996, at approximately 2 : 10 in the morn ing, two suspects armed with kn i ves used a fire escape to gain access to the bathroom window o f a hotel room in the 700 block o f SW 15th Avenue. After entering, the sus pects assaulted and robbed a hus band and wife who were occupying the room A wallet, credit cards, and jewelry were stolen. Approximately ten minutes lat- er, a credit card taken in the robbery was used to obtain money from an A IM machine located at 900 SW 6th Avenue. A surveillance photo i avail able. Suspect # I is described as a male white in his early 20’s, 5 ’6" tall, 145 pounds, short black hair, wearing a dark colored sport coat, slacks and shoes. Suspect »2 is described as a male white in his early 2 0 ’s, 5 ’8" tall, 155 pounds, wearing a dark col ored sports jacket, slacks and shoes. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward o f up to $ 1,000 for informa tion, reported to Crime Stoppers, which leads to an arrest in this case or any unsolved felony crime, and you can remain anonymous. Call Crime Stoppers at (503 )823-HEI.P Investigator: Investigative Ser geant Lloyd Higgens, Portland Po lice B ureau/R obbery D ivision, (503) 823-0886 Alternative Crime Stoppers Coordinator: Officer John Wrigley, Investigative Support Unit, (503) 823-4357 or (503) 823-0830. westbound on Alberta Street and I stopped for the red light at Will iams Avenue. When the light turned green, n u -1 merous shots, from an unknown location or vehicle, striking the two | victims in the Cadillac. While the surviving individuals I admitted that all four had past gang activity, they claim to no longer be [ involved with gangs. Crime stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $ 1,000 for informa tion, reported to Crime Stoppers, I that leads toan arrest in this case, or | On Sunday, July 7, 1996, at ap- ! proximately 3:00 in the morning. Legacy Emanuel Hospital Security called 9 11 to report that a dark blue Cadillac containing four young black men, two o f which were suf fering from gunshot wounds, had I arrived at the hospital’s emergency ' Room One o f the gunshot victims, who I was shot in the right hand, was treated and released. The other vic tim, id entified as 2 8 -y ear-o ld I Michael Arvell West, died as a | result o f his wounds. According to investigators the Murder victim, Michael Arvell West four young men, who were all in their 20’s, had reportedly been out so c ia liz in g . T he fo u r w ere any unsolved felony crime, and you I do not have to give your name. If you have any information re-1 garding this case call Crime Stop-1 pers at (503) 823-HELP (4357). ( r i m e ^ ío p p e r f» Armed robbery Portland Police Bureau detec tives, in cooperation with Crime Stoppers, are asking for your help in identifyingand apprehending the subjects responsible for an armed robbery. On Sunday, November 3, 1996, at approximately 2 :10 in the morn ing, two suspects armed with knives used a fire escape to gain access to the bathroom window o f a hotel room in the 700 block o fS W 15th Avenue. After entering, the sus pects assaulted and robbed a hus band and wife who were occupying the room. A wallet, credit cards, and jewelry were stolen Approximately ten minutes lat- Oregon Outreach, Inc. Die Gladys McCoy Academy was presented with a check for $7,000 from the Trailblazer Wives Associa tion at the November 29 game in the Rose Garden. Each year, the Trail blazer Wives Association raises funds for two local deserving charities. Their 1995-1996 campaign targeted the Morrison Center and the Glads McCoy Academy as recipients of these fund raising efforts. The Gladys McCoy Academy is a private alternative school for middle and high school students in North east Portland. This program serves eighty students in a school setting which focuses on academic excel lence while providing a variety of supportive services, including day care, counseling, individualized in struction, and employing one teache for every five students. The Acade my is a program of Oregon Outreach, Inc., a local non-profit organization er, a credit card taken in the robbery was used to obtain money from an A I'M machine located at 900 SW 6th Avenue. A surveillance photo i avail able. Suspect # I is described as a male white in his early 20’s, 5 ’6" tall, 145 pounds, short black hair, wearing a dark colored sport coat, slacks and shoes. Suspect tt2 is described as a male white in his early 20’s, 5 ’8" tall, 155 pounds, wearing a dark col ored sports jacket, slacks and shoes. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $ 1,000 for informa tion, reported to Crime Stoppers, which leads to an arrest in this case or any unsolved felony crime, and you can remain anonymous. Call Crime Stoppers at (503 ) 823-H El.1’. Investigator: Investigative Ser geant Lloyd Higgens, Portland Po lice B ureau/R obbery D ivision. (503) 823-0886. Alternative Crime Stoppers Coordinator: Officer John Wrigley, Investigative Support Unit, (503) 823-4357 or (503) 823-0830. A Plea For Justice On June 14, 1996 a senseless killing took the lives of two young men, Dennis Keith Hester Jr. and Damon Darnell Johnson. The peo ple responsible had a powerful weap on in their hand. What a cowardly way to settle whatever transpired to force the bullets that ended the lives of someone’s son, som eone’s broth er, someone’s father, and someone’s friend. The person or person's responsi ble for this shooting has not yet been brought to justice. The Hester and Johnson family is still trying to un Dennis Keith Hester Jr. derstand the purpose of this brutal murder ol our loved ones. Although we may never find the answers in which we seek, we hope and pray that this plea for the arrest and conviction ol the murderers is heard not only in Portland, Oregon but around the world. Many African-Americans called the handful o f blacks who publicly supported theGaliforniaCivil Rights Initiative that bars affirmative ac tion in state programs racial Judas’s. They believe that the Initiative passed because angry white males voted for it, Pete Wilson and Bob Dole pushed it and the California Republican Party bankrolled it. How ever, almost unnoticed is that slight ly more than one out o f four blacks voted for the Initiative. Their more than 60,000 votes would have pushed the “no” vote total past 4 million. This would not have been enough to defeat the Ini tiative. Yet it would have narrowed the margin ofdefeat. Given the court challenges, even more political ur gency and legitimacy, and perhaps increase the chance o f getting an injunction against enforcement o f the Initiative and ultimately over turning it. Many insist that the blacks who supported the Initiative were con fused by it’s deceptive language, or were mislead by Republican trick ery. This is much too simple. Many blacks are convinced that they have achieved their success in business and the professions through hard during the Clarence Thomas Su work, education, and ability. They preme court nomination debate in agreed that affirmative action, like 1991. welfare, discouraged incentive and A USA Today poll found that unfairly stigmatizes blacks as social nearly half o f the blacks surveyed paupers eternally seeking govern supported self help and not govern ment hand-outs. They feel insulted ment quotas. During the recent pres that many whites claim they got ahead idential election, Haley Barbour because o f their color and not com Republican N ational C om m ittee petence. Chair claimed that 25-45 percent o f Many younger blacks did not ex blacks called themselves “conserva perience Jim Crow laws, have almost tive”. His low-side estimate pretty no knowledge o f the civil rights bat much matches the anti-affirmative tles that erased them, and only the action vote by blacks in California. fuzziest notion of how affirmative If blacks are becoming more con action benefits them. This deepens servative and more resistant to affir their feelings that affirmative action mative action, it’s because more laws have little relevance to them or blacks are prosperous. Since the aid white females. Latinos and Asians 1970’s, there has been a fifty-two more than blacks. percent increase in the number o f 1 he anti-affirmative action senti black managers, professionals, tech ment among blacks is also fueled by nicians and government officials. the new wave o f black radio com I’ll challenge those blacks who mentators, writers, academics and think that affirmative action and in politicians. I hey oppose affirmative deed all government programs are action, welfare, abortion, and gov lose-lose propositions whose time ernment spending programs. They has long since past. But if the black advocate school prayer, more police vote against affirmative action in and prisons, self-help and personal California is any indication almost responsibility. surely their ranks will grow. I he early warning signs that more Responses may be sent e-mail to blacks are part o f the growing con Earl Hutchinson: servative political sea change came ehutchi344@ aol.com. One-year mark shows half the number of accidents in curves It’s been in place for a year now Although the accident rate has and transportation officials say so far dropped significantly, some drivers a campaign to reduce speeds and continue to put the pedal to the m etal. accidents on Interstate 5 in the The majority o f speeders in the curves Terwilliger Curves is a big success. is clocked at 65 to 69 mph and the According to police reports, acci fined $99. dents in the curves have dropped by Nelson said officers are not only approximately 50 percent since the citing drivers who are exceeding the safety effort began last November. speed limit but have also nabbed a During that time, police issued near significant number o f motorists for ly 5,500 citations. More than 4,200 driving without a license, insurance o f those were for violating the new or under the influence ofintoxicants. speed limit. Marianne Macina, a task force A growing number o f major acci member representing the Western dents and resulting traffic snarls Insurance Information Service, said prompted the Oregon Department o f insurance companies are also seeing Transportation, Portland Police Bu a reduction in the number o f claims reau, Portland Office o f Transporta from wrecks in the curves. tion, Western Insurance Information “Fewer accidents coupled with Service and Southwest Neighbor fewer injuries and less damage to hoods, I nc., to k ick oft the Terw i 11 iger property will equate to lower insur- Curves Enhanced Safety Project last fall. The project included a reduction in the speed limit from 55 to 55 mph, more and better-illuminated warning signs, a series o f parking pads for patrol cars to safely monitor traffic and stepped-up police presence in FROM THE HOME LAUNDRY the curves. None o f the accidents in the past ance rates,” Macina said. Elwood Hedberg, a representa tive o f Southwest Neighborhood, Inc., has spent many hours as the link between the local neighborhoods and the task force. “I would encourage people that if they have the opportunity to become involved with local traffic manage ment issues to do so,” Hedberg said. "It’s very noticeable that most driv ers cutting through our neighbor hoods to avoid the traffic jam .” Nelson said though police proba bly will not spend as much overtime on the project as in the past, he prom ises that commuters will still see po lice cars along the two-mile section o f freeway. “Just when you think it’s safe to again speed in the curves...” he said. RENT YOUR NEXT WASHER & DRYER year have involved serious injuries, according to police reports. “ Most drivers are heeding the warning and have decided that slow ing down and driving safely in the curve is the right thing to do,” said Capt. 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Washington 1st year Mom & Dad, Family and the Portland Observer w on’t.” The Department o f Justice no long er will accept anonymous complaints about the pyramid, and will not give priority to actions to attempt to re coup money for players who did not profit from the scheme “ We only will seek civil penalties against those people who attempt to continue the pyramid by recruiting new members,” call the Attorney G eneral's consumer hotline at (503) 378-4320 or (503) 229-5576 (Port land only), 8:30 a.m. to noon, Mon day through Friday or write Finan cial Fraud, 1162 Court Street, N.E., Salem, OR 9 7 3 10. Why do so many blacks oppose affirm ative action? BI JE a KI O f a RJ H t TCHIIXSON.P h .D . Homicide/Shooting Portland Police Bureau investi- I gators, in cooperation with Crime Stoppers are asking for your help | in solving a murder. “The Gift club." Reports o f the pro gram subsided for several months, but recently resurfaced. In the past two weeks, the department received a dozen reports regarding the scheme Many callers asserted that the scheme is lawful and asked the Department’s staff to approve o f their plans to participate. ‘ People who participate in this program ought to know better than to believe that they can get something for nothing,” Kulongoskie said. “Tax payers don’t expect the Department o f Justice to spend their money to protect people against the conse quences o f their own greed — and we LOCAL PICK-UP AVAILABLE 291-9393 » K 10004 S.W. CANYON RD. TRAVEL STOPS 621 S.E. MLK, Blvd. awt/620 S.E. Grand Ave. (503) 238-7343 or (503) 238-7347 • Open 24 hours • Great gas prices • Convenient store • Propane • Wet & dry ice Serving the greater Portland area for 50 years.
