Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 Over the past eight years, 12 people have drowned in the Sandy River at Troutdale's Glenn Otto Community Park. A vote by this week's rogue, the Troutdale City Council, means that swimmers will continue to brave the Sandy without lifeguards. Earlier this year, the Troutdale Booster Club approached mayor Paul Thalhofer with a proposal to pay for lifeguards with privately raised funds. So far, the group, which includes teriyaki-sauce king Junki Yoshida, has raised $32,000-- more than enough to pay for four lifeguards for a summer. "At this point, lifeguards won't cost the city anything, even in administration," Thalhofer says. The problem is that five of the seven city council members voted against taking the boosters' money--only Thalhofer and councilor Doug Daoust supported the proposal. Naysayers, led by councilor David Ripma, argued that lifeguards would encourage more people to swim, and that if a private group wanted lifeguards, it should run the program itself. "The idea that the citizens of Troutdale should take care of the kids down on the beach offends me," Ripma said. Thalhofer says Ripma's argument is illogical, like saying safety belts are a bad idea because they encourage more people to drive. The city, he points out, owns the beach and has limited liability, whereas the booster group lacks the expertise to run the program and would be fully liable. The council will again discuss the boosters' proposal on July 27. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published July 21, 1999