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Kidnap victims aren't forgotten Bob Pennell photo Yellow ribbons tied around oak trees line the entrance to Erickson Air-Crane north of Central Point Monday. Erickson and residents in Gold Hill, home of three Erickson employees who were kidnapped in Ecuador on Thursday, are displaying the ribbons to show support for the hostages and their families. By Melissa Martin GOLD HILL � Yellow ribbons are hanging at the city park in honor of three Gold Hill men who were part of an Erickson Air-Crane crew kidnapped in Ecuador last week. "We want to let the families of these men � and these men � know that the community is here for them and we support them," said Cheryl Joseph, president of the Gold Hill Nugget Club. Students at Hanby Middle School also are tying yellow ribbons to honor the hostages, Steve Derry, 40, Arnold Alford, 41, and Jason Weber, 29. The three Erickson employees were working for a Spanish oil exploration company about 150 miles from Quito when they were seized by gunmen last Thursday. Yellow ribbons were flying from the Erickson Air-Crane headquarters outside of Central Point Monday. The company would not disclose additional information, saying the men�s safety, speedy return and privacy for their families were its primary concerns. News of the hostages has shocked Rogue Valley residents. But community members should remember that in a hostage situation, much is being done behind the scenes to bring about the victims� safe return, a hostage expert says. "It�s a horrible time for communities," said Robert Klamser, executive director of Crisis Consulting International of Ventura, Calif. He works with non-profit agencies whose personnel have been kidnapped. "A community that�s supportive without being intrusive will be a wonderful help to the family," Klamser said. "The nature of these cases is that so much work has to be done behind the scenes, quietly, without any publicity. And that is frustrating for people. But there is almost always a tremendous amount going on that can�t be made public." An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people are taken hostage each year, although only a small portion involve foreigners, according to former Wall Street Journal reporter Ann Hagedorn Auerbach, author of "Ransom: The Untold Story of International Kidnapping." In Colombia, rebels raised $328.9 million from kidnappings between 1991 and 1994, according to a Colombian government report issued in 1995 and cited in Auerbach�s book. Klamser said kidnappings are cyclical and create copycats. "We�re in a heavy cycle right now, both worldwide and in this region where this is happening," he said. He�s working with Florida-based New Tribes Mission for the release of three missionaries, Dave Mankins, Mark Rich and Rick Tenenoff, who were kidnapped Jan. 31, 1993, from their homes near the border of Panama and Colombia. The captors demanded $5 million in ransom within a few days, but New Tribes has a no-ransom policy because it wants to protect other missionaries from similar fates and because it doesn�t want to contribute money to groups that violate human rights principles, said Scott Ross, New Tribes spokesman. While New Tribes avoided media attention when the kidnapping first occurred in 1993, they later helped with interviews for Larry King, the "Today Show" and other news agencies as a way of putting pressure on the U.S. State Department to continue working on the case, Ross said. "Sometimes heavy media attention can make the people seem more valuable in the captor�s eye," Ross said. "Other times, the media can force pressure and help get a response." But even when information is scarce, communities can do much to offer support to the wives and children of the hostages, he said. "A friend or a family member can cook a meal or send a card and say, �We�re thinking about you today,� especially if it runs into a long period of time," he said. "Those things are really important. "We have thousands of Christians around the world praying for Dave, Mark and Rick and sending notes to their families reminding them they are not forgotten. "Sometimes we try to get the families to talk on large radio stations like HCJB in Quito as a way of letting the hostages know they haven�t been forgotten." Families need to beware of the roller coaster of emotions they may experience and need to disregard rumors that can crush hope, he said. Walden to meet with Ecuadorean foreign minister on captives� behalf Congressman Greg Walden said he plans to talk about the release of the Gold Hill hostages when he meets with the foreign minister from Ecuador, who is scheduled to be in Washington, D.C. this week. "I will continue to do everything I can to provide a communication link, if necessary, and to make sure our government at every level is making sure it�s doing everything it can to secure their release as soon as possible," Walden said. He spoke at the Medford airport, where he flew in Monday for a quick campaign stop before returning to Washington in time for congressional hearings on Tuesday. Walden said he doesn�t know whether the kidnappers have asked the Gold Hill men�s employer, Erickson Air-Crane, for ransom. He said the U.S. government has a policy against paying ransom because it doesn�t want to encourage kidnapping. Walden vowed to play "the squeaky wheel" until the hostages are freed. "You�ve got to make sure these folks stay on the map because there are so many other things going on around the world that our State Department is engaged in," he said. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.