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--> --> Associated Press The showcase of weapons and patches in the office of Clatsop County Sheriff John Raichl includes a carbine carried by a member of a civilian beach patrol during World War II. Oregon sheriff taking names for civilian force By Joseph B. Frazier Associated Press Writer ASTORIA - On the wall behind Sheriff John Raichl's desk is a carbine that was carried by a member of a civilian beach patrol during World War II, when some expected the Japanese on Oregon's shores on the first foggy morning. Six decades later, Raichl plans to put together a volunteer force of armed civilians to counter a different threat: terrorists. Armed with their own hunting weapons - easily done in a rural county where deer and elk hunting border on a sacred rite - they would watch over Clatsop County bridges, power lines, gas lines, fuel dumps and other potential terrorist targets. "The Northwest may never be a target, but there is no assessment out there that says so," says Raichl, who's been repeatedly re-elected since 1986. Since Raichl proposed the volunteer force, about 35 people have called him asking to be put on his list. He wants to sign up 125. With its long stretches of Pacific shoreline and isolated areas, Clatsop County might not seem like an obvious potential target for terrorists. A columnist for The Oregonian newspaper questioned the need to drum up "125 unemployed deer hunters to guard the Seaside Skeeball arcade." Seaside is a tourist town south of Astoria, the county seat. The office of Gov. John Kitzhaber says what Raichl has in mind could well be illegal, since only the governor has the power to create an armed militia. Raichl is proposing a force of armed civilians who would patrol and guard sites thought to be vulnerable. The force would be in addition to an already existing unit of armed civilian reserves who help out the Clatsop County Sheriff's Department. That reserve unit gets about 400 hours of training - the same given a regular deputy. Raichl says he doesn't expect the new unit to be the last line of defense, but to carry communications equipment that will let them alert authorities to anything they see that is suspicious, then withdraw. "We're not trying to train these people for entanglement or confrontation. We're not training them for law enforcement," Raichl said. Yet there is concern at the official level and on the street about putting armed people in the field with only a few hours of training. Frederick Carry, 51, of Astoria, said Raichl's idea is a good one - if proper training is given. "These guys have got to know when to squeeze one off and when not to," he said. "I see nothing wrong with it." Raichl says he has identified 43 potential targets in this rural, blue-collar county of 35,000 perched on the banks of the Columbia River and the edge of the Pacific. Among those who have already signed up for Raichl's defense force is dentist Philip Bales. "It's a logical thing" after Sept. 11, said the 49-year-old Bales. Raichl's wants to have his defense force put together by December. He's already named Bales to be head of what Raichl calls the "Astoria garrison," one of five he envisions. "He asked me to help because I have not done anything bad, and he wants responsible people," Bales said. Bales favors a shotgun. He also has a concealed weapons permit, and says that others with similar permits might be a good place to start looking for defense force members. "They have already gone through background checks," he said. Volunteers would have to be at least 21 years old, have military or law enforcement experience, undergo a background check and know gun safety, says Raichl, who has military experience from service in the Air Force in the mid 1970s when he served in Asia, occasionally in Vietnam. Some residents worry that an armed civilian force could attract trigger-happy people on the political fringes. But Raichl says he is on guard against white supremacists and others who may want to join for the wrong reason. Still, Raichl's plan has been ridiculed in some quarters. Radio call-in host Sheila Hamilton on Portland station KPAM called it "absurd" and "bizarre." The Daily Astorian newspaper said in an editorial: "Movies make the use of firearms in tense situations look simple. It isn't." At this point, it's not clear what's going to happen to Raichl's plans. He and the governor's office are supposed to try to work out their differences before volunteers are posted in the field. Raichl said he's not trying to "undermine the governor's authority" but "we would like some extra sets of eyes in areas we are concerned about." Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing