Hype is on the way.

[August 4th, 2004] * Just before taking down its big tent in Boston, the Democratic National Committee announced Thursday that a pair of Oregon political activists had won the party's "American Made Convention" ad contest. That means "America's Party," made by West Linn adman Adam Klugman and Bus Project founder Jefferson Smith, may soon be coming to a TV set near you. In the meantime, you can check it out at www.democrats.org/amc.

* A long-simmering border war has boiled over in Southwest Portland. On July 27, the Southwest Hills Residential League filed a lawsuit against the city's Office of Neighborhood Involvement. The suit claims surrounding neighborhoods are staking claims to SWHRL's territory with ONI's blessing. League attorney William Goode says occupation tactics include the adjacent neighborhood of Hillsdale stamping its name on street signs inside SWHRL's boundaries. As a result of the enemy encroachment, SWHRLers in disputed zones don't receive notices regarding area land-use changes.

* Protesters marking the recent visit of Vice President Dick Cheney saw a familiar face--of controversial cop Mark Kruger (see "The Cop Who Liked Nazis," WW, Feb. 11, 2004). Not only is Kruger allowed to work protests again, he has been promoted to lieutenant--which might seem weird given the videos showing him shoving one young female protester by the face because she mouthed off; pepper-spraying a shrieking young woman point-blank in the face and laughing about it afterward; and wearing a Nazi uniform during a "reenactment." Responding to cop-critic concerns, Mayor Vera Katz said the promotion was based on Kruger's assurance to Chief Derrick Foxworth that "there is no truth to the inaccurate reports that have been published about him."

* Willie Fuller has not been much of a role model. Murmurs confirmed that the director of the Boys & Girls Club in North Portland has been behind bars since July 7, indicted on charges of raping his wife after allegedly holding scissors within six inches of her face. He denies the allegations.

* After two fruitless attempts to put Ralph Nader on the Oregon ballot, his organizers are waging a last-ditch campaign to round up 15,000 signatures by Aug. 24--and getting an unexpected helping hand. "We think Ralph Nader should have a voice in this campaign," says Russ Walker, Oregon director of Citizens for a Sound Economy, a corporate-funded Republican front that is diametrically opposed to everything Nader stands for. Walker says he has "a few dozen" volunteers circulating petitions for Ralph. "I don't want their help," snaps Nader campaign manager Greg Kafoury.

* The League of Women Voters has finally extracted a settlement from developer Homer Williams in a park-fee fracas. In 2000, Williams persuaded City Commissioner Jim Francesconi to give him $1.2 million in city park-fee credits for the conveyance of Jamison Square. The problem? Francesconi did so retroactively, using an ordinance that did not exist when Williams forked over the park as a city requirement placed on his development plans. That caused the feisty Leaguers to sue, alleging double-dipping. Nobody from the League would divulge terms, but little birds say the confidential settlement involves a $52,000 payment to the city Parks Foundation.