Putting the "mock" back in democracy.

[December 10th, 2003] * Records show that in the past 20 months, Police Capt. Greg Hendricks has racked up nearly $20,000 in travel expenses on the city dime. The man known as "the Commodore" has been jetting around the country to drum up support for deposed Chief Mark Kroeker's pet project--an institute for training leaders in feces-hits-the-fan situations ("Doomsday U," WW, Sept. 17, 2003). Hendricks holds the title of executive director of the proposed Critical Decision Institute, but his salary is still paid by the city. He maintains that his police workload has not decreased, but critics say he is spotted on the job about as often as a marbled murrelet. Hendricks says his trips have been a success--but the Commodore has been grounded. Last week, Chief Derrick Foxworth instructed him to get back to work.

* Good news and bad news for Portland's Adamidov family. Renata Adamidov, the 1990 Rose Festival Princess who's now a development executive with the movie company Hell's Kitchen, makes the credits of In America, the new Irish-immigrant film that drew a "two thumbs way up" from Ebert and Roeper. A federal judge, however, gave a thumbs-down recently to a lawsuit filed by Renata's nonagenarian grandmother, Fanya Gaerman. The suit sought damages over her frightening detention by the FBI during the arrest of Ilya Adamidov, the former Union Jacks manager and alleged "ringleader" of a Portland green-card scam (see "Snitch-Slapped," WW, Jan. 22, 2003). The family appealed the judge's decision on Dec. 5.

* Insiders say the city is close to transferring the operating agreement for PGE Park to Clevelander Andy Rayburn, who runs a single-A franchise in Daytona Beach, Fla. The current operator, Portland Family Entertainment, remains $2 million in arrears in its rent for the city-owned stadium. "Negotiations are continuing," says mayoral spokesman Scott Farris. "But we are hopeful."

* It's the most important agency you've never heard of: Metro, the tri-county agency that oversees planning, parks and trash. And its days of snoozefest council elections are a thing of the past. Conservationist icon Robert Liberty, former longtime honcho of the group 1,000 Friends, is taking on developer-friendly councilor Rod Monroe. Wilsonville Mayor Charlotte Lehan is running to depose Carl Hosticka. Councilor Rex Burkholder, the Don Corleone of Portland's bike mafia, has not drawn any challengers, but the filing deadline is March 9.

* We couldn't fit it in the WW Gift Guide, but Murmurs has the perfect stocking stuffer for fans of the new governor of Cahleefohneeya. Arnold is not ashamed of his pot- and hash-smoking past, and a new website, www.ForArnoldsSake.com, is now selling bumper stickers which feature a picture from the documentary Pumping Iron, showing Schwarzenegger holding a joint, apparently stoned out of his mind. The sticker reads "For Arnold's Sake, Legalize Pot!" At $4 a pop, Murmurs predicts this will soon be the most popular bumper sticker in Southeast Portland--and in the Blazers' parking lot.

* If you've got $5,000 burning a hole in your pocket, you and a group of friends can sit down at a table for some Frank and Bean. Democratic money man Terry Bean is opening his posh party pad Dec. 17 for an evening with Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank and other Democratic denizens. Actually, the staffers at Congresswoman Darlene Hooley's campaign office will let single supporter in the door for a mere $125, but you'd better hurry--tickets are going fast.