Trail Band returnsPopular settler-themed musical act hits Hillsboro

— See A7

Libraries digitizeNew chip-based inventory system should speed checkout

— See A3

WEDNEsDay, JuNE 6, 2012 • makiNg a DiffErENcE iN WEstErN WashiNgtoN couNty siNcE 1886 • WWW.fgNEWstimEs.com • vol. 128, No. 21 • 5o cents

INSIDECommentary ................... A4Education........................ A5Calendar ......................... A6

A&E ................................. A7Obituaries ..................... A10Home & Garden .............. A8

Sports ............................. B1Classifieds ...................... B5Weather .......................... A6

Make your house fire safeTips from Forest Grove’s fire marshal on protecting your home from wildfires — A8

BrAveS win AT STATeSoftball shutout gives team first state title since 1999Banks senior Melissa Masters sheds tears of joy after accepting the OSAA Class 4A state softball championship trophy on Saturday. Masters pitched a five-hit shutout to lead the Lady Braves to a 2-0 victory over Cascade at the Oregon State Softball Complex, giving Banks its first state title since 1999. For complete coverage of the Braves’ victory, see page B1.newS-TiMeS PHOTO: ZACK PALMer

Critics charge Forest Grove is violating law that restricts funds

City utility spending under fire

By LAUrA FrAZierThe News-Times

When Jeff King was hired as Forest Grove’s first eco-nomic development director, many people in town were afraid he’d be too successful.

Back in 2005, the city had nearly 20 subdivisions in vari-ous stages of development, the state economy was racing and Forest Grove, with its pastoral views, solid schools and cheap water and electricity seemed poised for a boom.

While some community members were calling on city leaders to slow the growth, King’s marching or-ders were to lure prospec-tive employers to Forest Grove and goose the city’s sleepy downtown.

Since then, the economy tanked, devel-opment ground to a halt and the city saw major employers,

such as Times-Litho, Cedar Canyon Water and Gray & Co, shut down local operations.

Few would argue with the no-tion that King’s job is more im-portant than ever. But in recent weeks, a debate has kicked up over how to pay for it.

A legal question markFor the past seven years, a

portion of King’s paycheck has come out of the budget of For-est Grove Light & Power, the city’s electric utility. The ratio-nale is that by promoting de-velopment, the office ensures a stable base of electricity users, which helps keep costs down for everyone.

Now, however, the city is pro-posing to pay for King’s job

See POwer / Page 11

“To bet on something as nebulous as economic development in hopes that it will somehow provide benefits to them, is a real stretch.”

— Dave Bouchard,

former Light & Power director

By CHriSTiAn GASTOnThe News-Times

A woman suing Washing-ton County in federal court claims that a county sheriff’s deputy used excessive force when he broke her arm while he was arresting her for

DUII in Washington County.In a complaint filed May 30,

Dixie Guthrie, 52, alleges that Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy David McPherson first contacted Guthrie while inves-tigating a car fire the evening of May 31, 2010, but soon began asking Guthrie if she was in-toxicated.

As McPherson took Guthrie into custody, the lawsuit al-leges, he threw her to the ground and while on top of her snapped her left arm and wrist,

fracturing her radial arm bone.McPherson then placed the

broken arm in handcuffs, Guth-rie alleges.

In the complaint, Guthrie says she didn’t receive medical treatment for her injuries, but instead was booked and lodged in the Washington County Jail. After she was released, she went to Tuality Hospital in Hill-sboro for examination where her bone fracture was diag-nosed. According to the com-plaint, Guthrie suffers perma-

nent scarring, physical injury and emotional trauma from the incident.

Washington County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Bob Ray said the department doesn’t comment on ongoing litigation.

M. Christian Bottoms, Guth-rie’s attorney, didn’t respond to a call and e-mail left for him Monday.

Following her arrest, Guthrie was charged with DUII, resist-ing arrest and interfering with

a peace officer. The DUII charge was dismissed this year after she successfully complet-ed diversion.

Guthrie was found guilty of resisting arrest and acquitted of interfering with a peace offi-cer during a jury trial held in September 2010. She was sen-tenced to two years of proba-tion.

This spring, Guthrie ran into police again after she failed to appear at a March 5 court date. She was arrested March 14.

Dixie Guthrie claims Sheriff’s deputy used excessive force

Woman sues deputy for breaking her arm

■ Student favorite Howard Sullivan retires after 33 years in classrooms

Five days before graduation, and the clock is ticking.

Seniors stream in and out of Howard Sullivan’s room

on the second floor at Forest Grove High School, asking him to sign forms acknowledging they’ve paid all their fees and returned all their books to the library so they can walk with their class on Saturday.

They tell him funny stories about their parents and pepper him with questions related to a flurry of activities planned for their last formal week of classes.

What time does commencement start? Do I have to go to Baccalaure-ate? Can I still get tickets to the se-nior breakfast?

Sullivan interrupts what he’s do-ing to tend to each student’s concern, whether it’s a case of nerves over a grade on their final project in his

Advanced Placement Government class or confusion about where to pick up a cap and gown for this weekend’s commencement ceremony at Hillsboro’s Liberty High School.

Every one of them seems to under-stand that opportunities to catch the man’s ear, at least in the official sense, are waning.

Next year, the hall-ways at the high school will no longer resound with the fa-miliar raspy voice Howard “Butch” Sul-

livan first introduced to students in Forest Grove more than three de-cades ago, when he signed on as a history and geography teacher at Neil Armstrong Middle School.

After four years at NAMS, 14 years at Tom McCall Upper Elementary School and 15 years at FGHS, the man many students simply know as

Story by

NANCY TOWNSLEY

See SULLivAn/ Page 5

‘hE’s Not Just a tEachEr’

Howard “Butch” Sullivan, who brings as much

personality to his job as he brings smarts, is retiring this

year after more than three decades on the job.

newS-TiMeS PHOTO: CHASe ALLGOOD

The Intel Foundation donates $200 for every 20 hours Intel employees volunteer in Oregon

The result:$2.2 million inDonations to870 Oregon schoolsand community groupsfor 2011

415476.060612