THE BULLETIN • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021 C3
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: On Sept. 14,
2017, you printed my let-
ter about my ex-husband
“borrowing” money from
my 13-year-old son’s piggy
bank. Soon after, you reached
out to tell me a gentleman
(the founder of an organiza-
tion that helps people who
have been wronged) wanted
to send my son twice the
amount of money that had
been taken from him. My son
was humbled, to say the least.
Not only did that gesture re-
store my son’s faith in people,
but he gained from it a friend
who made a lasting impres-
sion.
Bill, the man who helped
my son, told my son his own
father took money from
him when he was younger,
which forced him to drop
out of college. However, Bill
didn’t let that stop him from
becoming a success in life.
Decades later, he retired a
wealthy man. In retirement,
he started a philanthropic
foundation and turned his
own “adversity into opportu-
nity” by reaching out to oth-
ers less fortunate to make a
difference.
We were devastated to
learn recently of Bill’s unex-
pected passing from a stroke.
Our hearts are broken, but
my son’s is forever changed
and filled with gratitude for
having known Bill, even if
only for a short time.
Abby, thank you for print-
ing my letter three years
ago. Without it, none of this
would have been possible. We
would also like to extend our
sincere condolences to Bill’s
wife and family. His kind soul
touched my son so deeply
that his spirit will continue to
live on.
— Hoping to Pay it Forward
Dear Hoping: What a
beautiful tribute to a man
whose life was well-lived. I
hope his family sees your
letter. I have often said that
Dear Abby readers are the
most generous in the world.
Bill was an example of that,
and I am sure he will be
greatly missed. I would like
to extend my condolences to
his grieving family along with
your own.
Dear Abby: I’m one of
those sad, stupid women who
hang onto dreams of being
with the man I love. I will be
70 next year, and I have spent
more than 20 years waiting
first for his children to grow
up, then for the company to
grow, etc. It never ends. How
I got into this mindset, I can’t
explain.
It’s too late for me, but
I want to pass this on to
younger women: Get a life.
Expand your horizons. Go to
school. Be yourselves. Make
YOURSELF happy. Dreams
are dreams; life is reality. I’m
not asking you for advice,
Abby, because I now see the
light.
— Finally Knows in Illinois
Dear Finally Knows: Please
don’t call yourself names.
You have learned a valuable
lesson, and thank you for
wanting to share it. What you
wrote is true, and I hope it
will provide inspiration to the
women to whom you are ad-
dressing your message. And
one more thing: It is NOT
necessarily “too late” for you.
Your life isn’t over, and if my
life is any example, you never
know where the road will
lead you.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Madalyn Aslan
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
õ õ õ õ õ DYNAMIC | õ õ õ õ POSITIVE | õ õ õ AVERAGE | õ õ SO-SO | õ DIFFICULT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR SUNDAY, FEB. 21, 2021: Emotionally
deep, complex and honest, you have an intimate relationship with the world.
Following an extremely difficult childhood, you forged a successful path,
and this year, you triumph even more. Reaching out to others helps. If single,
you really need to get out more, which is impossible due to COVID. You don9t
commit this year. If attached, you9re on a perpetual high in your romance.
VIRGO is devoted to you.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
õõõõõ It9s very important to return all phone calls and emails promptly.
Take today to catch up with this and with neighborhood friends and siblings.
Let yourself meet 4 properly socially distanced 4 a new person who may
become a good friend. Tonight: Neighborhood celebration.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
õõõõõ Today gives you added energy to direct into financial matters. Your
enthusiasm and effort bring you profits. A long lost friend contacts you out
of the blue. This is the time when almost anything can happen. Tonight: Get
ready for a whirlwind of a week.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
õõõõõ Your warmth and confidence lead to a new opportunity coming
up. Push yourself forward; believe in yourself. Future travel, a career offer, a
new love, a new interest and heightened awareness are all highly likely. To-
night: Much depends on you.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
õõõõ You will enjoy peace and privacy. Discretion comes, and you will not
reveal secret information to prying eyes. You will feel concern for those who
have had a difficult time and can get involved in charity work. Tonight: Deep
satisfaction in making the world a better place.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
õõõõõ You have new insights into friendships and see how the people
you9re attached to are growing and changing. You get in touch with personal
goals and wishes, deciding on which priorities are really important. Tonight:
A great feeling of relief.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
õõõõ Accept constructive criticism gracefully today. You can turn a tense
situation into a chance to shine and strengthen your position if you study it
carefully. Everyone notices you. A time for tremendous growth and promise
commences. Tonight: Celebrate in gratitude.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
õõõ Today you will be exposed to those who have a different philosophy
of life. An open mind and tolerant attitude carry you a long way. A gathering
is a time to listen carefully when in conversation with loved ones. Tonight:
Escaping it all.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
õõ If there are addictive tendencies, keep them under control. Sweet, rich
deserts and other extravagances beckon. Analyze drives, appetites and
desires. Understand the moods and feelings of others as you could be a bit
intense just now. Tonight: Healing salt bath.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
õõõ You have to choose between friends. A compromise is possible. Others
are very responsive to any love and kindness you show. Be liberal with every-
one. Let them be themselves, and they will support you. Tonight: Date night
where you can forget the day.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
õõõõõ A co-worker is suddenly a better friend 4 a friend you would see
on the weekend. You putz around clearing out clutter and getting rid of
debris. Your health improves because the daily environment becomes more
nurturing. Tonight: Your partner really appreciates you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
õõõõõ You have a change of heart about old interests and attachments.
Dreams and intuition provide insights to help you make choices. Your vivid
imagination is an asset if you direct creativity constructively. Tonight: You
catch up with a child in a serious, charming talk.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
õõõõ You want to break from routine patterns at home and also have a
more modern residence. There may be new family or extended family mem-
bers coming in, and others voice the need to move on and live their own
lives. Tonight: A household dinner.
e
e
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Portland businesses are navigating
wave of window smashing, burglaries
BY JAMIE GOLDBERG
The Oregonian
Hanh Truong arrived at Fu-
jiyama Sushi Bar & Grill early
Jan. 28 to find the floor of the
restaurant covered with broken
glass.
Security footage showed
someone driving up to the
Southeast 82nd Avenue su-
shi bar before hurling a rock
through the window. The same
person threw another rock
through the window of the nail
salon next door before driving
away, said Truong, the store
manager at Fujiyama.
For a restaurant already
navigating the economic fall-
out from the coronavirus pan-
demic, the damage dealt an-
other severe blow.
Truong was forced to close
the restaurant for half a day to
clean up the damage and throw
out any food that might have
been contaminated by broken
glass. She said replacing the
window will cost $1,000, a bill
the restaurant will pay out of
pocket because its deductible is
too high to make an insurance
claim worthwhile.
“We’re staying afloat, but
this will definitely put a dent in
things,” Truong said. “It’s very
stressful.”
The Portland Police Bureau
says its staffing isn’t adequate
to respond to a sharp rise in
burglaries and vandalism
Mark Graves/The Oregonian
Work crews clean up damage and board up windows in Northeast Port-
land’s Hollywood District on Nov. 21 after protesters the previous night
damaged and vandalized 27 businesses and workspaces, police said.
across the city. Some victims
say a portion of the attacks ap-
pear racially motivated.
A city fund established last
year to help finance repairs is
out of money and there are no
immediate plans to replenish
it, leaving businesses to scram-
ble and open their own wallets
to repair the damage.
“The city needs to step up
and figure out how to help
businesses,” said Ahmed Abra-
ibesh, the CEO of local shoe
chain Clogs-N-More, which
suffered expensive vandalism
and a separate burglary in the
past few months.
Limited support
The Portland Police Bureau
doesn’t track window smashing
as its own crime, but businesses
across Portland and local glass
repair companies say there has
been a notable rise over the last
year, creating added stress for
small business owners trying to
survive the pandemic.
Window smashing crimes
can fall under several different
categories, including property
damage, vandalism, criminal
mischief and burglaries. Port-
land has seen a spike in reports
of both vandalism and burglar-
ies since the start of the corona-
virus pandemic last March.
Burglaries across the city
were up nearly 32%, while
vandalism was up almost 43%
from March through Decem-
ber 2020 as compared to the
same time period the year prior.
Portland has offered few
solutions to prevent the dam-
age, nor offered businesses the
financial support many need
to take down boards and move
on.
The city created a $550,000
fund last fall to help businesses
repair broken windows and
other damage. The money went
to approximately 150 busi-
nesses across the city before the
funds were exhausted, accord-
ing to Jim Middaugh, a spokes-
man for Mayor Ted Wheeler.
But there isn’t any similar fi-
nancial support available from
the city for businesses that have
been targeted recently.
“We don’t have any brand-
new initiatives,” Middaugh said.
“But there’s ongoing conversa-
tions about how we can provide
additional support to struggling
businesses and that would in-
clude those that have suffered
vandalism.”
In mid-January, Tim Becker,
a spokesman for Wheeler’s of-
fice, said that police were in the
process of increasing the num-
ber of patrol officers, with the
hope of having 365 available
within the next few months.