Photo by Steve Wilkowske
Three-year-old Hannah Samaduroff of Colton swings from a plant rack at the Canby Grower's Market, which opened for business Saturday. The market will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through October.
Opposition hardens to
proposed mining operation
By David Howell
of the Herald
Campaigns
spark flurry
of spending
By David Howell
of the Herald
GLADSTONE - Money swiftly flowed into - and out of -
the campaigns of Clackamas County political candidates and education bond measures
featured in the May 16 mail-in primary election, county Elections Division records show.
A committee supporting passage of the Canby School District's $30.8 million maintenance
bond reported second-period contributions of $1,520, including $1,000 from the Canby
Telephone Association, and expenditures of $8,047.
The Committee to Protect Your Investment and Provide Opportunities for Our Children's
Future has received donations of $15,938 since the Measure 3-71 campaign began. The group
has spent $12,409.
A committee backing the county community college's $47 million construction bond reported
second-period contributions of $19,345, including $15,000 from William A. Brod of
Milwaukie. Expenditures for the period were listed at $23,693.
The Friends of Clackamas Community College has accepted donations of $53,985 since the
Measure 3-74 campaign began. The committee has spent $29,748. Committees supporting school
bond measures in Oregon City, Colton and Gladstone have reported spending the majority of
contributions received in support of their requests.
In the contest for the Republican nomination for Position 1 on the Clackamas County Board
of Commissioners, incumbent board chairman Bill Kennemer reported second-quarter
contributions of $17,081 and expenditures of $27,370.
In total, Kennemer of rural Canby has received $37,874 and spent $31,361. A committee
backing his bid for a second term on the board, Friends Advocating Campaign Truths,
reported $6,703 in contributions and $6,054 in expenditures.
George Abbott of Colton, Kennemer's opponent in the May 16 GOP primary election, reported
second-quarter contributions of $7,020 and expenditures of $11,714. In total, Abbott has
taken in $12,861 and spent $13,957.
Three men are contesting the Democratic primary for Kennemer's seat: Michael Schaufler, a
Happy Valley city councilor; Rob Kappa, a former Milwaukie city councilor; and Gerald
Dietz, a political newcomer.
Schaufler reported second-period contributions of $5,078 and expenditures of $3,784. In
total, he has received $9,798 and spent $8,202.
Kappa reported second-period contributions of $25, and expenditures of $987. In total, he
has received $2,585, and spent $1,942.
Dietz did not file a second-period report for contributions and expenditures by the May 11
deadline.
For Position 3 on the county commission, Commissioner Michael Jordan received $1,325
during the second period, and spent $2,237.
So far in the campaign, the former Canby city administrator, who is unopposed for the
Democratic nomination, reported receiving $15,060, and spending $11,310.
Mark Luedtke of Estacada, who is running unopposed for the Republican nomination for
Position 3, garnered $520 in contributions, and spent $310 during the second period. In
total, he has received $2,320, and spent $1,879 during the primary campaign.
In area legislative races, candidates have been attracting sizable contributions, and
usually have spent all they received.
In the Senate District 15 Republican primary to date, Roger Beyer of Molalla reported
receiving $109,601, and spending $117,375.
His opponent, Juley Gianella of Aurora, got $53,282, and spent $52,141. Both Beyer and
Gianella are state representatives bidding to become senators.
In the House District 38 Republican primary, Marilyn Shannon of Brooks reported
contributions of $51,977, and expenditures of $51,674.
Her opponent, Cliff Zauner of Hubbard, garnered $9,760, and spent $7,131. Shannon is
currently a senator and, due to term limits, is seeking to win the seat of Gianella, with
whom she has been running a joint advertising campaign. Gianella is hoping for Shannon's
seat.
In the House District 27 Republican primary, the gulf between two candidates from
Wilsonville could not be any wider - incumbent state Rep. Jerry Krummel, a former city
mayor, has received $42,036, and spent $40,130. His opponent, John Lee Jr., has received
and spent nothing.
Thefts lead to identity crisis
By David Howell
of the Herald
An innocent person's life can be turned upside down in just the few
seconds it takes to steal a piece of mail from a mailbox or a garbage bin.
Credit histories can be infiltrated and ruined by thieves who steal purses or wallets, and
then quote credit cards to buy goods and services, or they amend the names - but,
crucially, not the account numbers - on personal checks using computers, and then spend
freely.
As anyone who has had their identity stolen or impersonated knows, it can take a long time
to convince banks or creditors or credit agencies that the charges made were not by made
by you.
The tough-to-track crimes can hinder people from acquiring other credit, mortgages,
pensions, mutual funds and jobs.
Many times people feel they are perceived as guilty in the eyes of credit authorities of
excessive or luxury spending - until they can prove otherwise.
All it takes a thief is a Social Security number, or a credit/debit/charge card number, or
a home address - or even just a name.
Personally identifiable material or financial data is the sole goal of the identity thief.
Credit and charge card applications can then be made with the information stolen or
gleaned or traded, thus beginning the cycle of fraud and theft.
"A lot of times the crime is not known until long after someone becomes a
victim," said Canby Police Chief Jerry Giger. "We've seen it all happen as a
result of mail theft in this city."
Advances in technology allow criminals to act quickly, corrupting victims' data behind the
relative anonymity of laptop screen. And thieves continue to profit from thefts from
mailboxes.
"We forget that in our society of convenience, where it's possible to order anything
over the phone or by computer, that we can give up a number of things, including our
privacy and the ability to protect our financial information," Giger said.
"In a heartbeat, someone can take valuable information and begin spending on your
account. By the time it's figured out, it's often difficult to find out who started the
trail . . . but it often starts with mail theft."
Theft of personal and financial information is a recurring problem for law enforcement,
locally, statewide and nationally, Giger said.
Credit reporting agencies confirm police intelligence. Trans Union credit bureau's fraud
victim assistance unit received 35,235 complaints in 1992. Five years later, the number of
people reporting fraud and identity theft skyrocketed to 522,922 - a 1,400 percent
increase.
The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse estimates there will be up to 500,000 new cases of ID
theft and fraud in 2000.
Its rise and spread have been exacerbated by the proliferation of versatile personal
computers and cheap, advanced software.
The worldwide growth of the Internet has allowed thieves to post victims' financial data,
thereby trading information and widening the use of the stolen data.
A U.S. House bill introduced recently by an Oregon representative seeks to make it easier
and safer for people by putting greater requirements on banks, creditors and credit
reporting agencies to protect consumer information.
The proposed legislation calls for credit card firms and credit reporting agencies to:
Confirm changes of addresses within 10 days, which would alert people should a thief be creating a new home address for a new card.
- Include "fraud alerts" in the file of a consumer at a consumer's request,
which would allow a fraud victim to "flag" their file.
- Requires credit agencies to investigate discrepancies between creditor information and
credit bureau information.
- Requires consumers are provided with one free credit report each year.
- Protects sensitive financial information collected by credit bureaus from being sold.
U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Salem, 12 cosponsors and
Paul LaLiberte of Clackamas, a three-time identity theft victim, announced House
Resolution 4311: The Identity Theft Protection Act last month.
"This legislation would not only empower consumers with protections, it also would
demand creditors and credit bureaus do their part to combat fraud," Hooley said in a
press release.
"Victims of identity theft never realize they are victims until they receive a bill
in the mail or, even worse, a notice from a collection agency for a purchase they never
made on a credit card in their name that they don't even own."
LaLiberte knows first-hand the impact the crime can have on someone's life because he has
been a victim on three separate occasions.
Twenty years ago, LaLiberte's wallet was stolen, and the thief ran up $8,000 in charges on
his credit card. The thief also used his identity when arrested for a felony, which then
went LaLiberte's record. Years later, LaLiberte was nearly turned down for a job because
of his false criminal record.
Just four months ago, three cellular phone accounts were opened in LaLiberte's name, and
$1,000 was charged to him.
Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers calls identity theft an "increasingly common
fraud," adding the proposed legislation would aid frustrated victims in their
dealings with credit reporting agencies. Similar House and Senate bills are believed to
have bipartisan support.
He has struggled to clear up his credit reports, and has had to order them repeatedly from
credit bureaus, one of which is charging him for a report - despite the fact they are
supposed to provide them for free to fraud victims.
The 1999 Oregon Legislature passed a bill, which took effect last October, classing
identity theft as a felony, as did a 1998 federal act.
Consumers are encouraged to order credit reports from each of the major reporting agencies
- Trans Union, 1-800-916-8800, www.transunion.com; Equifax, 1-800-685-1111,
www.equifax.com; Experian, 1-800-682-7654 - at least once each year to check from fraud or
mistakes.
For more information on the issue of identity theft, the following telephone numbers may
prove useful: The Oregon Department of Justice consumer protection section at
1-877-977-9392; the U.S. Social Security Administration fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271;
and the Federal Trade Commission identity theft hotline at 1-877-438-4338.
To opt out of receiving prescreened credit card applications, call 1-888-567-8688.
Aurora residents work
within the system
By Stephanie South
of the Herald
AURORA - Citizen volunteers gathered last week to remove gravel and pour
concrete in 10 locations along the residential part of Main Street.
The work is part of a community effort to complete Aurora's new sewer system.
Over the past few months, members of the Sewer Self-Help Volunteers have been replacing
sections of sidewalk that were removed when service laterals and sewer mains were
installed by sewer contractor Frank Dunn of Dunn Construction Inc.
Instead of having Dunn do the follow-up work at unit price, volunteers are doing the work
to save labor expenses.
Self-help volunteer Patricia Heid said the crew has trimmed thousands of dollars off the
sewer project cost.
"It's hard work, and the camaraderie is good for the community," said Heid,
who's been a self-help volunteer for four years. "We're doing this so the people of
Aurora don't have to pay more tax dollars."
About three years ago, the city of Aurora passed a bond election and was awarded a grant
of about $4 million to fund the new sewer system.
Until now, residents of the small town have relied on septic tanks. Heid said the septic
systems were inadequate, and the DEQ required that a new sewer system be installed.
"The septic systems were failing and producing wastewater on the ground, which could
contaminate the wells," Heid said.
Heid said that due to the small bond amount, Aurora citizens banded together to form a
self-help work group.
More volunteers are needed this summer to build the treatment site. Other needs include
fencing, farming (planting a poplar grove which is part of the sewage treatment system)
and landscaping. The project is expected to be complete by the fall.
After the treatment facility is finished, citizens will receive notices and instructions
in the mail on the new sewer system and its rates. To volunteer, call Heid at 678-1234.
