The skanner., June 19, 2013, Page 3, Image 3

Local News
Equity
Pregnancy Fair for the Family
that affect criminal sentences or child wel-
fare, and when two legislators—a Republi-
can and a Democrat– request one.
Sponsored by, Sens. Chip Shields and Jack-
ie Winters.
The sponsors say the new law is needed
because of glaring racial disparities. African
Americans make up about 2 percent of Ore-
gon’s general population, for example, but
about 10 percent of Oregon’s prison popula-
tion. Sen, Chip Shields has been working to
pass a racial impact law since 2009.
“This bill gives legislators an important
tool to use in assessing whether policies we
propose give a fair shake to every Oregon-
ian,” Shields says. ”After years of hard
work I’m proud the bill garnered such broad
bipartisan support this session and I’m
thrilled to see it move forward.”
“Like in the State of Iowa, this bill will
allow Oregon legislators to make informed
decisions when crafting solutions to crime,
child welfare, and delinquency,” said Sena-
tor Jackie Winters, R-Salem, the co-chief
sponsor of the bill.
“This bill also helps to ensure that racial
justice costs are included in the public dia-
logue regarding criminal justice choices.”
House Bill 2668 Closes a loophole in Ore-
gon’s Public Accommodations Law of
1953. The bill bans discrimination by any
business on account of race, religion, color
or national origin. But a loophole in the law
meant that publicly owned facilities were
not covered. The bill would close that loop-
hole and “apply the same standard of non-
discrimination
to
publicly
owned
enterprises that commercial establishments
have been subject to for 60 years.” Spon-
sored by, Rep. Lew Frederick
HB 3409 A Natural Hair Care bill that
exempts stylists who work with braiding
and natural hair styles from studying for a
full cosmetology license. Sponsored by,
Reps. Lew Frederick and Alissa Keny-
Guyer, and Sens. Jackie Dingfelder, Tim
Kopp and Rod Monroe.
SB 833 The drivers license bill that
allows the Department of Transportation to
issue drivers licenses to applicants who
don’t have proof of legal residence, so long
as they have met other driving requirements
and have lived in Oregon for at least a year.
Sponsored by, Sens. Chip Shields, Arnie
Roblan, Chuck Thomsen, Bill Hansell, and
Reps. Jules Bailey, Chris Harker, Lew Fred-
erick, Jessica Vega Pederson, Mark Johnson
and Vic Gilliam.
PHOTO COURTESY ICTCMIDWIVES.ORG
continued from page 1
An Afro-Centric Pregnancy Fair is hosted by the International Center for
Traditional Childbearing on Saturday, June 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at
Lents Park, Southeast 92nd and Holgate. Moms, moms-to-be, dads, kids,
and the whole family is invited. Free of charge, with live drumming, games,
children’s face painting, food, family activities, headscarf-wrapping
lessons, childbirth classes in the park and more. The event is organized by
midwife and ICTC founder Shafia Monroe, above. For more information
call 503-460-9324 or go to www.ictcmidwives.org.
FBI
continued from page 1
recorded and caller ID is disabled.”
Feathers, meanwhile, watched the McCoy
scam wreck his parking meter enterprise.
Today, Feathers says he is almost out of
business.
“I’m still fighting the Portland Develop-
ment Commission, which continues to pur-
sue me to pay a loan that was provided for
the very parking contract that a parking offi-
cial was convicted for corruption over,”
Feathers says.
He thinks the FBI’s tipline is an excellent
idea.
“Given the consequences of the city’s cor-
rupt official that has destroyed my business,
and how difficult it was to gain any infor-
mation or bring it to light to our local city
government — the fact that people like me
and others can go beyond the local govern-
ment in the public arena and reach out to
someone who’s independent of the process
— I think is an excellent idea and should
prove to be very useful both for individuals
and small businesses like mine,” Feathers
says.
terms of shielding their identity.”
Specifically the bureau is looking for tips
on: bribery, extortion, embezzlement, rack-
eteering, kickbacks, and money laundering,
Local bureau also sets up email tipline for
turning in suspected government fraud:
PORTLANDTIPS@IC.FBI.GOV
For people with similar concerns about
government employees going forward, FBI
spokeswoman BethAnn Steele said Tuesday
that the public corruption hotline is not
anonymous.
“We do try to get people to leave their
information,” she said. “When they contact
us they can ask what the options are in
as well as wire, mail, bank, and tax fraud.
“It is a violation of federal law for any
federal or state government official to ask
for or receive anything of value for or
because of any official act,” the bureau’s
statement on the tipline says.
“Under federal law, the person who offers
or pays a bribe is also guilty.”
ates had to overcome steep barriers to
achieve academic success. Many have chil-
dren and families, who watched with pride
as their parents received diplomas.
Graduate Myldred Sylvia urged her fel-
low students to continue their journeys
toward success. Graduates are eligible for a
free year of college.
“Go out there and live lives of impeccable
rectitude and integrity,” Sylvia said.
Stroschein says that’s exactly what he is
trying to do.
“When I got incarcerated, I told myself I
really wanted to be a better man when I
came out so I wouldn’t make the same mis-
takes,” he said. “So it means a lot to me to
get my degree and get my life back on track
to become a pro-social member of society
instead of a menace,”
Released from prison on April 26,
Stroschein spoke at his own graduation
from Chemeketa, Tuesday evening. Now,
he’s working as an assistant to criminal
defense attorney Jeffrey Dickey, his partner
of 10 years. But he made sure to take time
to attend the Londer Learning Center grad-
uation, where he shared his story with the
graduates.
Other speakers at the event included:
Judge Henry Kantor; Truls Neal, assistant
director of the Department of Community
Justice, Multnomah County Chair Jeff
Cogen; Multnomah County Commissioners
Deborah Kafoury and Loretta Smith, Carl
Goodman, retiring assistant director in the
Department of Community Justice, and
Londer Center manager Carole Scholl.
Judge Kantor spoke about the value of
education and what he’d learned from his
mentor, attorney John Ryan, who co-found-
ed the Londer Learning Center with Judge
Donald H. Londer. He said Ryan’s love of
books and reading influences him to this
day. Ryan’s widow, Virginia Ryan, also was
Interestingly, however, the Florida busi-
nessman who was accused of paying bribes
to McCoy, George Levey, remains a free
man.
Meanwhile, Cale Parking Systems USA
has been sold to Cale Parking Systems
America and continues to sell Smart Meters
to other municipalities.
The State Attorney’s office confirmed
Tuesday that McCoy himself has not yet
been sentenced and remains out of custody.
If you call or write the FBI with your tips
on suspected public corruption, expect to
leave your name, telephone number, and a
brief description of your “concerns and
observations.”
“Agents will review voicemail and email
daily, and they will contact individuals for
follow-up as needed,” the bureau says.
For
more
information
go
to
www.fbi.gov/portland.
Gowns
continued from page 1
through the College Inside program. In one
of his final classes, communications
instructor Michele Dishong McCormack
asked students to complete a service learn-
ing project.
Stroschein proposed raising money for
caps and gowns for inmate GED graduates
and Londer students. Within a month, his
group had raised close to $1,300, most of it
from inmates. The group donated 40 caps
and gowns to Londer graduates and 21 to
graduates from Oregon State Correctional
Institution.
“It really touched my heart because the
guys who gave weren’t in school, and they
didn’t have much money. But they really
wanted to help and support the graduates,”
Stroschein says.
The ceremony brought families, friends,
supporters and county staff to honor the
graduates for their achievement in passing
the seven-hour GED exam. All the gradu-
at the ceremony and helped present the
awards.
Jaymes Young-Liebgott, Christopher
Walker and Nikki Callahan received honors
awards for scoring 650 or higher on average
across the test. Jim James and Myldred
Sylvia were honored for excellence in atten-
dance and for putting in more than 300
hours to prepare for the test.
The GED exam will be changing at the
end of 2013, so anyone working toward a
GED should aim to finish it this year, to
avoid losing any credit they already have
earned. Contact staff at Londer for referral
to one of many special programs across the
city available this summer to help you pass
the test this year.
For more information, contact Londer
Learning Center at 503-319-1899.
June 19, 2013 The Portland Skanner Page 3