A quick stop for snacks and gum on the road to Justice.

[May 12th, 2004] WINNERS

For the bargain price of a couple of busted windows, coffee titan Starbucks struck a publicity gold mine last week. When anti-corporate monkeywrenchers tossed makeshift Molotov cocktails at the new Starbucks store on Southeast Division Street, they unwittingly opened a vein of sympathy from local media outlets, providing the chain with what amounted to free advertising.

Meier & Frank, Portland city officials and downtown business-types relished their combined triumph this week when a Denver-based development group announced plans to convert the upper floors of Meier & Frank's iconic downtown store into a hotel. Business soothsayers hope the $100 million project to renovate downtown's most glaring eyesore will bring new jobs and retailers to the area.

Cop critics polished up their protest signs for a new round of organized outrage after they learned of a federal magistrate's incendiary ruling that six Portland cops had used excessive force on a man who died soon after. People disagree whether the 29-year-old perished because of self-inflicted injuries or because of the pepper-spray, the beanbag rounds, and the cop who stood on his upper body and head.

LOSERS

An apology by Diane Linn, chairwoman of the Multnomah County Commission, fell on angry ears last week. Linn has lately been buffeted by controversy over a salary she promised the new library director, the payment of county workers for snow days and the commission's decision on gay marriage. Turns out this whole "public involvement in decision-making" thing is important to Portlanders, says Linn, who promised to turn over a new shroud of secre--um, leaf.

The axis of evil: North Korea, Syria, Iran...and Portland? After yet another terrorism-related arrest--this time of a lawyer allegedly connected to the Madrid train bombings--concerned citizens worried that the City of Roses is becoming the nation's preferred sanctuary for evildoers.

Will Jim Francesconi set a record for most money spent per vote in a Portland mayoral election? The heavily bankrolled city commish--his war chest more than 20 times bigger than leading rival Tom Potter's--has long been seen as the race's favorite, but according to a Portland Tribune poll released last week, his fat wallet has only landed him a quarter of likely voters. With over a third of voters still undecided and Francesconi sucking wind, the specter of a November runoff looms on the horizon.