éÍMNl^tMI J uly 2. 1997 • T hf P or h and O bsi rvi r age A2 D JD * i * i r J ■ i ■ c i an UL o I - l I U d ¿4 P O L IC E N EW S r j r ) c j EJ o ö X I ndustry <•*.*•* h » M M I T X /v ó v íy Chinook Winds Casino and Convention Center In 1977 the Siletz Tribe was restored to federal recognition. In twenty short years the Tribe has come full circle, always with a vision for a better future for it’s members. Chinook Winds Casino and Convention Center, owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes o f Siletz Indians of O r­ egon, made possible through the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and the dedication o f Siletz Tribal leaders, is a benchmark of progress for the Tribe. The Indian Gaming Regula­ tory Act (IGRA) requires that: “net revenues from any tribal gaming are not to be used for purposes other than ( I ) to fund tribal government operations or programs; (2) to provide for the general welfare of the Indian Tribe and it’s members; (3) to promote tribal economic devel­ opment; (4) to donate to chari­ table organizations; or (5) to help fund operations o f local government agencies." Chinook Winds offers the op­ portunity to build a brighter fu­ ture for generations yet to come, while at the same time provid­ ing employment for Tribal Mem­ bers and members o f the com­ munity today. The Portland Police Bureau in cooperation with Crime Stoppers, is asking for your help in locating and apprehending Sergio Lara Martinez. An arrest warrant is on file charging Martinez with Rape and sodomy. Bail on the warrant has been set at $520,000 The charges stem from an inci­ dent which began in February. 1996. when Martinez, looking tor work, contacted a Northeast Portland fam­ ily. Over a period of time. Martinez not only worked for the family, but also became a trusted family friend. But on the afternoon of March 26, Sergio Lara Martinez 1997, Martinez went to the resi­ dence where he raped a young teen­ age girl who was home alone Martinez has not been seen since Sergio Lara Martinez is a 37- year-old Hispanic, with a date of birth o f D ecem ber 29, 1958 Martinez is 5’9" tall, weighing 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Crime Stoppers is ottering a cash reward of up to $ 1,000 for informa­ tion which leads to an arrest in this case or any unsolved felony crime, and you can remain anonymous. Cal I Crime Stoppers at (503) 823-HEl.P Give crime a going away party! There is no time like the present to do something about crime in your community. Why not start by plan­ ning an event in your neighborhood for this summer’s National Night Out Against Crime? Always the first Tuesday in Au­ gust, this year’s National Night Out celebration is August 5. On this night, neighborhoods in Oregon and across the U.S. hold block parties to boost neighborhood spirit, learn about crime prevention and strengthen community/police partnerships. People are encouraged to lock their doors, leave their porch light on, and spend the night outside get­ ting to know their neighbors. In past years, parties have included barbe­ cues, games, entertainment, parades, bike registrations and neighborhood walks. As a sponsor of National Night Out, PGE will once again donate door prizes to area block parties. The company’s involvement in NNO represents its commitment to foster­ ing safe and caring neighborhoods, the objective of PGE’s “Our Neigh­ borhoods First" program. This year. Kinder Vision, a child safety education program sponsored by KINK and PGE, will bring its 1 99 6 /1 9 9 7 Siletz Royalty (left to right: Honorary Princess Katie Thompson, Little Miss Siletz Sissie Rilatos, and Junior Miss Siletz Sash Shoemake. price of the item far above its true retail value. A Portland area Rent- A-Center charged $408 for a 19" 1 V that retailed for around $200. Used items are also sold at a much higher rate A Portland Rentown USA store charged $419 for a used 27" TV, hundreds of dollars more than the market value. When coupled with the high interest rate, a consumer could pay a RTO store 3 to 8 times more than the items retail value. A Iso in each of the stores OSPIRG surveyed, the interest rates were nowhere to be found. When OSPIRG calculated the Annual Percentage Rates, it found that the Oregon stores charges as high as 123% APR. Com­ pare this to credit cards which have an average of 20% APR. Berndt advises that consumers are much better off using even a high interest credit card than purchasing through a RTO store. Plus, unlike the retail market, RTO stores have a very lim­ ited selection of goods, restricting the consumer's ability to choose and shop for the best bargain. The most frightening aspect of these incredible interest rates is that the RTO industry admits it targets consumers who are low income or who have poor credit histories. The industry claims it helps these con­ sumers establish credit and pur­ chase items they normally couldn’t. Counters Bernt, “ The R I O stores will only help the consumer go further into d eb t" RTOs generally don't report anything to credit bu­ reaus, so a purchase through a R TO store w o u ld n 't im prove a customer’s rating. OSPIRG and consumer groups nationwide are pushing tor federal legislation that would subject the RTO industry to the same rules that apply to all other forms of credit. OSPIRG advises consum­ ers to: Buy the item off the retail mar­ ket; Use one of the wide variety of purchasing plans stores offer, like I layaway or instore credit cards; Use a bank credit card like Visa or MasterCard. If a consumer needs financial planning advice, the Consumer Credit Counseling Bureau (800- 338-CCCS) is a non-profit agency which can help those having credit difficulties. Until consumers enjoy protec­ tion from the outrageous and mis­ leading practices of the RIO in­ dustry, OSPIRG advises them to avoid RTO transactions altogether. safety message to North Portland s Columbia Villa National Night Out celebration In an effort to prevent random child abduction. Kinder Vision rep­ resentatives will distribute valuable safety information to families and will videotape, voice record and fin­ gerprint children for parents’ safe­ keeping. A National Night Out kick-off party will precede the main event in downtown Portland’s Pioneer Court­ house Square on Monday, July 21. For more information on how to organize a block party in your neigh­ borhood, call (503) 823-4519. S tatement B y M ayor V era K atz R egarding P ortland P olice B ureau ’ s G ang E nforcement T eam Mr. Kenneth Wayne Taylor arrested for child abuse Rent to own stores gouge consumers Oregon State Public Interest Re­ earch Group(OSPIRG) released a eport which examined the outra- ;eous interest rates the Rent To )wn (RTO) industry is charging is customers, a large majority of vhoin are low income citizens with oor credit histories. The report urveyed 124 RTO stores nation­ wide, including 5 here in Oregon, nd found that the industry charged )regon consumers an unbelievable verage of 115% interest just to buy household appliance This was igher than the national average of 05% The RTO industry in Oregon nd 45 other states, unlike other etail and credit businesses, is not ubject to mandatory interest rate aps and is not required to disclose tie sky-high interest rates it is harging. “The Rent fo Own in- ustry, through past lobbying, has ieen able to dodge out from fregon’s disclosure and consumer protection laws,” said Matthew lerndt. an OSPIRG consumer re­ earcher, thus, it can charge con- umers hundreds, or even thou- ands of dollars more in interest In addition to the high interest harges the R IO stores collect, bese stores also set the initial cash Wanted rape subject I.* The following statement was re­ leased by Mayor Vera Katz regard­ ing the status of the Portland Police Bureau’s Gang Enforcement Team (GET). My office and I have spoken to many people regarding their con­ cerns about the proposed cuts to the Portland Police Bureau's Gang En­ forcement Team I want to assure everyone I have not only heard those concerns, but I also share many of them. Recent events have been tragic, but our city is generally safe. However, we all need to make it safer. Both Chief Moose and I have said that restoring the Gang Team alone will never solve our On June 6, 1997, the Multnomah County Child Abuse Team received inform ation that Mr. Kenneth Wayne Taylor may have engaged in sexual activity with a male subject under 14 years of age. The alleged incident occurred over the last year. Subsequently, an investigation was conducted and Mr. Taylor was ar­ rested at his home on June 17, 1997. Mr. Kenneth Wayne Taylor was charged with ten (10) counts of Sex Abuse in the First Degree and was lodged in the Multnomah County Detention Center. Investigators from the M ult­ nomah County Inter-Agency Multi- Disciplinary Child Abuse Team are concerned that there is potential that additional children might have been abuses. To facilitate an exchange of information, investigators spoke with parents of children who may have been at risk. The Child Abuse Team asks if you, or a child, has had direct con­ tact with Kenneth Taylor and sus­ pects that the contact resulted in, or might have led to, sexual contact of an unwanted nature, please contact the Multnomah County Child Abuse Team at 248-5249. Call To Advertize With (Tlje Jilortlanït (lihscruvr At 503-288-0033 I r i À i n ; i \ Í 4 ' Neighborhood crime prevention volunteers promoted National Night Out in the Rose Festival PGE/SOLV Starlight Parade. Portland General Electric the U.S Army Infantry from 1969 to 1971 2 Y On August 5, thousands of Oregonians will hold block parties, barbecues, flashlight walks and bike registrations. It's National Night Out— America's annual night out against crime. You can get to know your neighbors, make your neighborhood safer and have fun! Patrick Borunda land, and Urban Indian Council. Inc. He also served as a lieutenant in T Join a Night Out against crime, August 5. Borunda joins The Community Advisory Board of Union Bank of California Union Bank ofCalifornia, N.A. JBOC) has announced that Port- ind resident and Executive Di- :ctor of the Oregon Native Ameri- an Business & Entrepreneurial letwork, Patrick Borunda, has lined its Community Advisory ioard(CAB). Borunda, along with me existing board members, will dvise the bank's executive man- gement on the financial needs of aw income and undeserved com­ munities. He is fulfilling the unex- ired term of former California iupreme Court Justice Allen E. iroussard Borunda. a Certified Manage- nent Consultant and MBA gradu- ite of Wharton, has 17 years of trategic management consulting experience in diverse industries. Mong with his work at the Native \merican Network, he has worked vith The Navigator Group. Arthur Andersen & Co., the City of Port- problem; we need the involvement o f community leaders, parents, teachers, and friends to give these kids something to do and some­ thing to be proud of, so they don't have to turn to the streets to boost their self esteem. My highest priority has always been to maximize the number of officers on the street; moving the officers from special units back to the street enabled us to do that. That said, we have additional re­ sources from Ballot Measure 50 that I am working with the Council to allocate. It is my hope that a portion of that will go towards a public safety package. «MEiGHBORMOODSa nanKmaBMMi PGE proudly sponsors National Night Out because we share your concern for strong, safe neighborhoods. Plan now—contact your neighborhood association or call 823 4519. sytOWM » ' •