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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. Patrick Nelson, Traffic Divi
sion commander. “As a result, we are
not seeing the major accidents and
traffic tie-ups that we frequently ex
perienced in the past.”
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December 12, 1996
Happy Birthday
Destini J. 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
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