Tuesday, September 12, 2006
"I need help," Says Politician
And, on a happier note, here’s something that I think should happen to 98% of our politicians….
Astoria, Ore., mayor checks into alcohol treatment program
9/12/2006, 9:45 a.m. PT
The Associated Press
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-16/115807944773420.xml&storylist=orlocal
ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) — Saying "I need help," Astoria's mayor has checked into an alcohol treatment facility after being arrested a third time on a drunken driving charge.
"I sincerely apologize to all of the citizens of Astoria. I love our city. It hurts me deeply that my personal issues have reflected poorly upon and embarrassed my home town," said Mayor Willis Van Dusen in a letter addressed to the "Citizens of Astoria."
While he's at a residential treatment center, City Council President Russ Warr will be the acting mayor.
Van Dusen will appear on the Nov. 7 general election ballot seeking his fifth, four-year term as mayor. He faces two opponents in the nonpartisan race.
Van Dusen was charged with drunken driving in Umatilla County in 1989 and in Astoria in 1994. He completed a diversion after the first arrest. He pleaded guilty to the second one and was sentenced to a mandatory one-year license suspension, a fine and community service in lieu of a two-day jail sentence.
Van Dusen, 53, was slightly injured on Labor Day when his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck at an intersection. A state trooper who interviewed Van Dusen at a hospital said he was visibly intoxicated and refused to give a blood sample.
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Information from: The Daily Astorian, http://www.dailyastorian.com
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Astoria, Ore., mayor checks into alcohol treatment program
9/12/2006, 9:45 a.m. PT
The Associated Press
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-16/115807944773420.xml&storylist=orlocal
ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) — Saying "I need help," Astoria's mayor has checked into an alcohol treatment facility after being arrested a third time on a drunken driving charge.
"I sincerely apologize to all of the citizens of Astoria. I love our city. It hurts me deeply that my personal issues have reflected poorly upon and embarrassed my home town," said Mayor Willis Van Dusen in a letter addressed to the "Citizens of Astoria."
While he's at a residential treatment center, City Council President Russ Warr will be the acting mayor.
Van Dusen will appear on the Nov. 7 general election ballot seeking his fifth, four-year term as mayor. He faces two opponents in the nonpartisan race.
Van Dusen was charged with drunken driving in Umatilla County in 1989 and in Astoria in 1994. He completed a diversion after the first arrest. He pleaded guilty to the second one and was sentenced to a mandatory one-year license suspension, a fine and community service in lieu of a two-day jail sentence.
Van Dusen, 53, was slightly injured on Labor Day when his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck at an intersection. A state trooper who interviewed Van Dusen at a hospital said he was visibly intoxicated and refused to give a blood sample.
___
Information from: The Daily Astorian, http://www.dailyastorian.com
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
