Portland officer honored for life-saving effort (04/18/06)

A local police officer was honored with tears and a plaque for recently saving a Portland man’s life.

Portland patrolman Josh Stephenson was given a distinguished service award by Portland Police Chief Bob Sours at Monday’s meeting of the Portland City Council.

After Stephenson received the award, an emotional Jerry Adams embraced him and thanked him for saving his life by using a defibrillator a little more than three weeks ago.

Adams kept his arm around Stephenson as he told council members he wouldn’t be alive if not for the officer’s quick thinking. Both men were brought to tears.

After Adams spoke, his wife, Bea, and Stephenson also hugged. Several council members were emotional.

The policeman used a defibrillator to bring Adams back to life.

While on patrol on March 27, Stephenson responded to a report of a fallen man at Barnett’s Downtown Parts and Service, 124 1/2 W. Walnut St. When Stephenson arrived at the scene, he found Adams on the floor, not breathing and without a pulse.

“I didn’t even think about it. I just did what I had to do,” Stephenson said after the city council meeting. “I don’t consider myself a hero.”

Stephenson was given the award for “saving the life of another” Sours said, clearly choked up. “I’m just really surprised,” Stephenson said of receiving the award.

In other business Monday, members of the Portland City Council tabled action on a Portland man’s request until they could consider all of the

Chris Butcher, 821 E. Walnut St., asked the council to make Pierce Street one-way north.

Butcher said portions of the street are too narrow for large trucks and school busses. People have to drive through his yard to safely pass other vehicles and to turn onto Walnut street, he said.

Council president Glen Bryant suggested the radius at that intersection be made larger so it would be easier for larger vehicles to turn.

Butcher said that might work, but the street also is too narrow at other places.

“My request for one-way would be the easiest,” Butcher said.

Also Monday, the council voted to change a city ordinance, making an alley one-way east instead of west.

The request for the change came from Jeff Harker, city street and park department superintendent.

Harker said he has been posting signs along the alley stating it is one-way east, although it is one-way west. The alley is located in between Water and Main streets and runs between Ship and Harrison streets.

Harker said he put the signs up to make it easier for people to drop off their mail. Drive-up mail drop boxes are temporarily re-located in the alley behind Ohio Valley Gas Co. The boxes are on the north side of the alley, making it easier to deposit mail in an eastbound direction.

Harker asked for the portion of the alley which runs next to the gas company and continues to Water Street to be changed.

The proper signs stating the alley is one-way west have not been posted for several years, he said.

Also Monday, council members:

•Gave approval to three requests recommended for approval by the Portland Planning Commission.

John Fisher, owner and operator of Fisher Packing Company, asked for a lot located north of his 300 W. Walnut St., business to be rezoned to central business from its current residential status. Fisher plans to raze the home currently standing on the lot and expand his business.

John Witt, owner of Witt’s Busted Knuckle Garage, 611 S. Meridian St., asked for the location of his business to be changed to highway service from neighborhood business, so he can sell vehicles.

Also, Gregory Bubp and Phyllis Williams of The Estate Gallery, 215 W. Main St., asked for auction houses to be added to the zoning ordinance as a special exception so they can periodically have auctions at the rear of the building on Saturday afternoons. This special exception will be for areas zoned highway service, neighborhood business, central business and industrial.

At the commission’s April 6 meeting, commission members recommended the requests be approved by the council.

•Tabled a Portland man’s request for the city to vacate portions of an alley and street.

Terry Robinette, 326 W. Ninth St., presented his request at the April 3 council meeting. He owns property located on the north side of Ninth Street, along an abandoned railroad bed. He asked that the portions of the alley and street be vacated to keep local youths from driving all-terrain vehicles on the street to access a lane across the railroad bed.

Robinette did not attend Monday’s council meeting.

Before the council decided to table the matter, city attorney Bill Hinkle said Linda Kennedy, the city’s clerk-treasurer, has not received the list of adjacent property owners so she can notify them of the vacation petition.

After the meeting, Kennedy said she would try to contact Robinette and find out if he still wants the alley and street to be vacated.

•Heard Hosier announce that work on the Gerber gravity sewer project was temporarily halted after workers unexpectedly found a fiber optic telephone line while digging.

The work was halted for about a week and is expected to resume this week, Hosier said. Officials with Sprint plan to move the line, he said after the meeting.[[In-content Ad]]