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The Mid-county Memo is your newspaper. We want to hear from you. Discuss an important issue or address a concern you want to call to the attention of the community. We prefer e-mailed letters to the editor sent to Darlene Vinson at editor@midcountymemo.com. Please put “Letter to the editor” in the subject line. You may also mail your letter to 3510 N.E. 134th Ave., Portland, OR 97230 or fax it to 503-249-7672. Deadline for the February issue is Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Memo reporting gets bank wheels turning
To the Editor:
Today I spoke to Jeremy Acker with Wells Fargo Customer Care and Property Recovery corporate offices in Des Moines, Iowa. Our discussion regards the house directly across the street from me. The house was vacated more than two years ago when the occupant died. The occupant's parents wanted nothing to do with the house and simply took the keys for the house to the local branch office of Wells Fargo.
The first week of July, a group of squatters and drug dealers moved into that property. My neighbors living on this street did not know how to deal with this situation. As neighbors, we speculated what these people were doing and how long they may stay and conduct their activities. Weeks passed. On Sept. 12, the leader of the group was arrested and charged with three felony counts involving heroin. The leader later pleaded no contest to all charges and is serving 34 months in prison. The squatters stayed and continued to sell drugs. The Portland Police Bureau and the Multnomah County Sheriff hesitated to take any action. Their excuse about dealing with the squatting issue was that the owner of the property must request their assistance to evict the squatters. Their excuse about not dealing with the drug dealing is that members of their own departments must witness the drug activity and cannot rely on statements or complaints from citizens to take action. Months passed. Neighbors became more concerned.
During these months, I contacted Wells Fargo Bank; the Portland Police Bureau; the Multnomah Sheriff; the Parkrose Neighborhood Association; the Portland City Water Bureau. I discussed the situation with neighbors. I passed out flyers to neighbors hoping to raise awareness of the problem of squatters and drug dealers in the neighborhood. None of these efforts seemed to make a difference.
What did make an apparent difference was when I sent a letter to the Mid-county Memo. Your freelance reporter Nathan Gilles contacted me and others in the neighborhood; he contacted Wells Fargo; he gathered background information.
What has made a difference was when Wells Fargo felt some heat from Nathan's reporting. I appreciate what he has done. Nobody listened to individual citizens' complaints but Wells Fargo's eyes opened when Nathan contacted them.
Wells Fargo committed to me that they are placing that property on an expedited foreclosure sale schedule. The problem has not been resolved, but I feel that the problem now can be resolved.
Thank you,
Ron Van Cleave
Parkrose
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Another Glendoveer supporter concerned about Metro
To the Editor:
Metro! BUSTED! Kudos to the recent submissions regarding the management of Glendoveer Golf Course [Letters to the Editor December 2013]. The current issues are indicative of our governmental bodies ignoring the best interests of the people in favor of their own.
I grew up on Southeast 148th Avenue and Stark Street, and as kids, the four of us dragged our sleds to then unfenced Glendoveer for snowy thrill rides through the towering fir trees. In later years, we walked the course with our parents who golfed an affordable and easily navigable 18 holes well into their senior years.
Now I have come full circle, living nearby Glendoveer again on 148th Avenue and as a senior enjoying the accessible walking trail as well as the first-class restaurant, Ringside East. In addition, my son drives frequently from the west side of Portland to golf Glendoveer's beautiful park-like setting.
It would be very disappointing to lose this valuable resource that is so treasured in this community. Hopefully, Metro will take heart and hand it over to Portland Public Golf who will give it the respect it deserves and east county residents won't again feel like they've gotten the “shaft!”
Respectfully,
Joy Beldin
Glendoveer
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Drug dealers use Parkrose MAX Station for dope deals
To the editor:
I wanted to comment on the article “Unlawful Occupants squat in Parkrose neighborhood” December 2013 issue. I have much empathy for the neighborhood. This incident would not be happening if it wasn't for the explosion of drug activity happening in the Parkrose community during the last several years and with no support from officials.
With that in mind, since owning my property, I have been able to video tape, post pictures and bar those individuals from my property involved in selling and purchasing drugs. Ages range from the 20s thru 60s, selling meth, heroin or oxy. It has been trying and stressful on the staff and myself because it is continuous, and the police only get involved if the individuals are in the process of distributing, so from the time you call police and they come out, everyone is gone. We have had to post restrictions in order to be able to maintain identifying individuals. TriMet's Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center Station is the perfect hub, with access from the freeways and bike path. I have dubbed Bus Line 21 ... “The Meth Express” because that line's drivers see a lot of the activity; it runs out to Gresham and people come from the Max or another bus line.
This past summer, there was a fairly large group of individuals staying in the Econo Lodge motel across the street who were busily going back and forth to the transit center (We could see which rooms were the most active). When the concern was mentioned to the motel's onsite manager, it was met with disbelief, and the activity continued. These individuals pay for their rooms, thus bring in the money.
Portland is known for its active bike community. We see a completely different bicycling scenario from our vantage point. When we see bicyclists with backpacks, we see drug couriers. When we see the man with the gas can, we see a drug courier. When we have people sitting in their cars, watching the transit center, or waiting for someone to pull in, we see the drug user.
Currently, there is a big push to revitalize the Parkrose business community using state/city funding. Where do you think that's going to go if nothing is done to address our drug epidemic?
We at Jim Dandy Drive In continue to address this problem to make our environment safe for employees and customers. Having lived in this community 38 years, owned my business for 28 years, sent my kids to Parkrose schools, what is most disturbing for me is when the 16-year-old boy down the street can point out the drug dealers and drug users and know their names. Then what happens?
Sincerely,
Jim Dandy Drive-In owner and employees
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