News briefs for May 20

The Gresham Outlook, May 20, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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Safety belt use target of blitz

Starting today, police from Fairview, Gresham and Multnomah County will participate in a “Click It or Ticket” safety blitz until Sunday, May 31.

The blitz is geared toward reducing injuries and deaths by promoting safety belt use and discouraging speeding and impaired drivers. The campaign is a federally funded enforcement program administered by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Lack of seatbelt use was a major factor in half of all Oregon motor vehicle deaths last year.

Another factor was children using adult seat belts instead of child safety seats appropriate for their size. More than 40 percent of children younger than 8 who were killed or injured in crashes, or 231 children, were using adult seatbelts last year. Sixteen children were using none at all.

State law, which took effect nearly two years ago on July 1, 2007, requires babies younger than 1 year old or weighing less than 20 pounds to be restrained in a rear-facing child safety seat. A child weighing less than 40 pounds must be restrained in a child safety seat. A child more than 40 pounds but younger than 8 or shorter than 4 foot 9 inches tall must be restrained in a booster seat to elevate the child so the lap/shoulder belts fit correctly.

Celebrities to flip pancakes

Corbett’s annual fire department breakfast, set for Saturday, June 13, has added celebrity pancake flippers.

Local TV weatherman Mark Nelsen and Multnomah County Deputy Sheriff Joe “Rocky” Graziano will help Sparky the Fire Dog cook breakfast from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Corbett Fire Station, 36930 Historic Columbia River Highway.

Nelsen, KPTV chief meteorologist, lives in the Corbett area and Graziano is the Multnomah County Deputy Sheriff Community Resource Officer.

Multnomah County Fire District No. 14 is also sponsoring a cruise-in at the breakfast. The department will meet car clubs at Lewis and Clark State Park, Milepost 18 on Interstate 84 at 9 a.m. and provide a fire engine escort to the station.

Breakfast costs $5 for adults and $3 for kids 10 and younger. All proceeds fund the Ferd Riehl Scholarship awarded to a student to study fire science or to be a paramedic.

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