By Damian Gessel
SELINSGROVE — Local real estate business owner Arthur Bowen is calling on a connected friend to help the Servanos.
His hope?
To bend the ear of the president.
Mr. Bowen, local philanthropist and founder of Selinsgrove-based Bowen Agency Realtors, developed a friendship with James Walker during a whitewater rafting trip in August. Mr. Walker, who is a journalist and war correspondent, shares a “W” with George W. Bush — his cousin.
“I’m going to send the articles (about Dr. Pedro and Salvacion Servano’s pending deportation to the Philippines) to (Mr. Walker). Hopefully he’ll talk to President Bush and help push it along,” Mr. Bowen said on Tuesday.
Mr. Bowen said he’s doing all he can to help the Servano family, who he says are long-time clients of his.
“I think it’s a travesty this is happening to good people who are here in this country contributing, buying property, raising a family,” he said. “It’s a 20-year-old item — a paper error. It should be overlooked and they should be given U.S. citizenship.”
Mr. Bowen added that several other local luminaries are tapping their own friends in high places to help the Servanos.
Immigration officials on Monday granted the family a 60-day reprieve. The Servanos’ lawyers are hopeful it will be time enough to gather political support — in the form of a successful private legislative bill — to keep them from being deported.
But while they’re not banking on receiving help directly from the president, attorney Gregg Cotler said he doesn’t believe it’s outside the realm of possibility.
“If the president on his own would make some kind of executive decision staying the Servanos, that would be outstanding, but it’s not something we’re expecting to happen,” he said. “That being said, I have heard this discussed. People are talking about it. People have said this is a worthy enough case.”
n E-mail comments to dgessel@dailyitem.com.
