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Job-Related Loophole Cited in Cell Phone Ban
(AP) — Oregon police officers
may hear some arguing when they
pull motorists over for violating a
new law banning them from talking
on hand-held cell phones while driv
ing.
The new law, which took effect
Friday, exempts motorists who are
on their hand-held cell phones "in
the scope o f the person's employ-
ment if operation o f the motor ve
hicle is necessary for the person's
job." The exemption was intended
for taxi drivers, delivery trucks, tow
trucks and the like.
Law enforcement officials are
getting ready for some motorists to
try to drive through that legal loop
hole by insisting, for example, that a
call to a co-worker who also hap
pens to be a friend is really for busi
ness purposes.
"There is a gray area," Oregon
State Police Lt. Gregg Hastings said.
"It doesn't clearly define what jobs
fall under the exemption. Ultimately,
maybe judges are going to have to
clarify that."
With the new law, Oregon joins a
half dozen other states that ban
drivers from talking on hand-held
cell phones while driving. Police
officers can pull someone over un
der the Oregon law and violators
face a minimum fine o f $ 142.
However, the Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety says that only
Oregon has included such a broadly
worded exemption. Other states that
ban cell phones allow use by emer
gency responders or tow truck driv
ers, the industry group says.
"It doesn't make sense to carve
out this exemption if you want the
law to have some bite," spokesman
Russ Rader said. "You just make it
more likely that drivers will believe
that even if they are stopped by a
police officer they can get out o f
getting a ticket."
it I
L i f e ' s
W
ent transportation options.
The group experienced a setback
ing to St. Johns and eventually Kelly last year when the city released a
Point Park, where the Willamette draft of the Portland Bicycle Plan for
meets the Columbia River.
2030 that designated the north
The cost o f trail is unclear, but greenway as a second tier project.
will probably be in the millions, and M embers o f npGreenw ay were
money is tight at almost any layer of present at the public comment pe
government. Also sizable chunks riod, and Royce thinks they made
o f the proposed trail extension are enough o f an impression to make it
privately owned, including a stretch more o f a priority in the final draft.
owned by Union Pacific Railroad But it might jio t even matter be
that is marked with a "no trespass cause there are other avenues for
ing" sign, and several Environmen the creation o f the trail. In 2005,
tal Protection Agency Superfund Metro allocated nearly a half million
sights are near the trail.
dollars for a study that would create
"It's tough right now at the mo a comprehensive plan for the trail.
ment," said Royce, who serves as
Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder
the acting director o f npGreenway. said that work on the study will
However, there are currently a couple commence in the next fiscal year,
o f stretches along the proposed and will provide a guiding docu
route for the trail that are more en ment, which would be a big step.
couraging.
He added that there are a couple
A completed portion o f the trail other gears that are steadily churn
begins in the industrial section ing on the trail’s creation. Metro is
alongside the Willamette River in looking into purchasing Baltimore
north Portland just above the Rose Woods, a property along the river,
Quarter, and ends in Swan Island and a bridge is being built between
near the offices of the Daimler T ruck- Chimney and Pier Parks, providing
ers. On a cloudy weekend after a crucial connection.
noon, people toss tennis balls on
“That’s how these things get
the trail for dogs eager to fetch them built,’’ said Burkholder o f the piece
while others fish sturgeon off the meal process. But one of the big
banks o f the river. Royce, and her gest opportunity to make the trail
group, hopes to see similar scenes happen could be in the city's River
all along the banks o f Willamette.
Plan. The ambitious initiative aims
For Royce, the creation o f the to make the Willamette River the
greenway is a matter of fairness. It will centerpiece o f the city, and seeks to
create access to walkable places in a change the balance between indus
part o f town that has a large swath of trial construction and environmen
the 1-5 freeway running through it, tal concerns. Diane Hale, an asso
she said. "It's a social equity trail," ciate planner with the city, said that
said Royce, who explained that hav the River Plan could lay out the trail
ing easy access to serene walkable alignment, which would provide a
spaces gives residents an opportu solid foundation for its creation
nity to get exercise. Lenny Ander
Royce's group seeks to persuade
son, the manager o f Swan Island the city to help negotiate easements
Transportation Agency and member on properties along the Willamette
o f npGreenway, has been taking a allowing for construction of the trail.
daily walk along the stretch of trail
Coasting along on his green
near his office for nearly 20 years. He mountain bike on the completed part
said that in addition to providing a o f the trail, Maresh, a lifelong Port
place for people to take breaks it land resident, was skeptical o f the
could also serve as a means for people idea when he first heard it.
to make it to work, clearing up needed
"At the time it was a great pie-in-
space on the road for freight vehicles. the-say idea, but it would never
"You can't just have MAX lines," happen," he said.
said Anderson of the need for differ-
He might be wrong.
continued
m o s t u r g e n t q u e s t io n is :
h a t a r e y o u d o in g f o r o t h e r s ?”
Martin Luther King Jr.
from Front
B e c o m e A P o r t l a n d F ir e f ig h t e r !
A p p lic a t io n s
am
w il l be a v a ila b le
J a n u a r y 11—2 5 , 2 0 1 0
a
FO R T H E P O S IT IO N S O F :
F ir e f ig h t e r EM T
F ir e f ig h t e r T r a in e e
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Applications will be available online at www.ci.portland.or.us/jobs
or at the following locations:
Portland Fire & Rescue — Training & Safety Division
4800 NE 122nd Avenue
Portland, OR 97230
8:00 am - 4:30 pm
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1120 SW 5th Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
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Applications must be submitted to
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1120 SW 5th Avenue, Room #404
by 4:30 pm on Monday, January 25, 2010.
For additional information, please visit our website at
www.portlandonline.com/fire/jobs.