Murmurs

[May 21st, 2003] * A local grand jury has let Portland police officer Scott McCollister off the hook, but he's still got to deal with the feds. On Monday, the grand jury decided not to charge McCollister for killing Kendra James as she drove away from a traffic stop. Under state law, McCollister could simply say he feared for his life. But under federal law , any fear must be shown to be objectively reasonable. According to investigative documents, McCollister had his left leg and most of his body in the car as he held his pistol near James' head and yelled, "Get out of the fucking car!" Then, he claimed, as the car rolled forward he felt himself falling backward and worried that he would be sucked under the car. That's why he fired, he said. By his own account, however, he was able to extricate himself successfully from the car immediately after the one shot was fired even though the vehicle kept rolling. It's also unclear from McCollister's account whether he actually fell to the ground. One Portland cop told WW, "The information doesn't seem to add up."

* It took more than 11 months, but Christopher Swain is finally back in his home state. The man who's seeking to be the first to swim the entire 1,243-mile length of the Columbia River hit the Oregon border the evening of May 15, with "only" 309 miles to go before splashing into the Pacific. He hopes to complete his historic eco-swim in early July. And if he needed any more incentive, he's got a big one: He and his wife are expecting their second child in the middle of that month.

* Hating the French may be in vogue in some parts of this country, but not in Portland, where epicures can't resist gallic charms. To wit: Pascal Sauton, the full-blooded Frenchie who was recently let go from Lucere, is set to open a new Parisian bistro called Carafe at 200 SW Market St. in July. In about three weeks, look for the French/Mediterranean eatery Casanis to bid you bonjour at 1639 NW Glisan St.; this place is a side project from nos amis behind Le Bouchon cafe.

* You've watched Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto skewer opponents with a mouth-watering deftness. You've heard about his restaurant in Philadelphia and thought about hopping a plane to feed your culinary jones. Well, Morimoto-San is closer than you think. Earlier this month, Oregon's own Rogue Ales released two brews created with the help of the great chef--Morimoto Hazelnut Ale and Morimoto Soba Ale--and you don't have to go to Kitchen Stadium to sample them. Chug-a-lug at the Rogue Ales Public House at 1339 NW Flanders St.

* High tech may still be in the toilet, but indicators point to a rebound in the important modern-dance fundraising industry. Bedecked in a feathery boa, Terry Bean, a real-estate investor and queer ally of Sen. Gordon Smith, plunked down 15 grand during dance presenters White Bird's kicky Cockatoo Cotillion last Thursday night at the Crystal Ballroom. He shelled out $14,000 during the dinner auction for a future concert with Thomas Lauderdale and Pink Martini, and kicked in an extra $1,000 to ensure that a friend, queer pro-footballer Esera Tuaolo, could take the stage for one song that night. After performing Sarah McLachlan's "Angel," the big bruiser joined Bean and other attendees in helping set a purported "can-can" world record.