Gossip giveaways all year long.

[December 14th, 2005] He's in, he's out. What Murmurs does know is that former Gov. John Kitzhaber has had several conversations with environmental and labor groups seeking financial and organizational support for a Democratic primary challenge to incumbent Gov. Ted Kulongoski. We're pretty sure he's seeking a pollster to check numbers that show him even with the guv. But all that leaves us puzzled by a rumor that Kitzhaber told a key supporter earlier this week that he's not running. Doctor, doctor, give us the news—we've got a bad case of watching you.

The Portland Business Alliance (see "Minding Their Business,'' page 8) isn't the only group fighting publicly financed city elections. Don McIntire's Taxpayer Association of Oregon sent out a recent mailer to members echoing the PBA's call to support the First Things First Committee, which wants to kill public campaign financing in Portland. "Demand priority funding for critical government functions like police protection," says the mailer, which has a Tigard return address . The taxpayer association's concern for Portlanders' well-being is touching, considering it fought the 2003 Multnomah County income tax for schools, cops and other services, and then tried to repeal the tax after it passed.

Right-wing radio gabber Lars Larson is in arbitration over the sale of his Hayden Island houseboat. Susan Hill bought Larson's houseboat in March 2004 and claims to have found damage later that should have been disclosed before the sale. Both sides are lawyered up, with neither shedding light on the alleged damage beyond Larson saying the allegations total around a couple hundred thou (roughly the same as the $205,000 sale price of the property). Mediation efforts ran aground, so it's on to binding arbitration. Larson's take: Hill's claims don't hold any water.

About 15 bicycle activists staged a "super legal ride" last Thursday quite different from rambunctious Critical Mass rides. Instead of dozens of cyclists taking over entire Portland streets and often surging through red lights and stop signs, super-legal riders obeyed all traffic rules. They signaled at every turn and performed a repetitive "bike ballet" of deliberate left turns at the intersection of Southeast 26th Avenue and Clinton Street. The result: annoyed rush-hour drivers, which made riders' point that it doesn't always make sense for cyclists to follow the same road rules as cars. (For more about Critical Mass, go to WW's online Murmurs at www.wweek.com.)

Perhaps Gov. Ted Kulongoski has heard the critics who knock his appointments to boards and commissions for skewing heavily white, male and insider. Kulongoski this week appointed a longtime insider, former state Sen. Neil Bryant (R-Bend) , to the OHSU board, but don't judge too hastily. Bryant comes to the position with a handicap, according to the form he filled out: In the "disability" section, he listed "white/male."

There's still time to pony up for nonprofits in WW's Give! Guide (wweek.com/giveguide). Need some incentive to meet the Dec. 31 deadline? All donors get a discount coupon to American Apparel, a cup of joe at Stumptown, a tin of Powell's After Reading Mints, a booklet of Music Millennium New Year's coupons and, while they last, a copy of WW's Finder magazine. Publisher Richard Meeker stands ready to personally deliver a pound of coffee, a six-pack of beer, and a bottle of fine wine from E&R Wine Shop if you give $250 or more. Make the biggest gift and get dinner for two with Meeker and WW editor Mark Zusman at your favorite restaurant. All contributors also have an equal shot at the DeLuxe edition of the Johnny Cash box set (a $300-plus value from Music Millennium) and chef's dinners for two at clarklewis. So far, about $24,000 has come in from 400 donors.

^Web-Only Murmurs!

Local cyclists recently staged a cop-free Critical Mass ride, meaning they opted out of the traditional courtesy of informing police before they take to the streets. The riders say they don't need a babysitter to stage a peaceful protest, and perhaps the police should be thankful they weren't told. Bike advocate Eleanor Blue says a recent public-records request by Critical Mass participants revealed that Portland police spent between $2,000 and $4,000 a month policing Critical Mass between November 2003 and June 2005.

Call City Hall officials party poopers, but don't call them tardy. The Oregonian reported last week that the nixing of the city's Pioneer Square New Year's Eve celebration was a case of "tardy decision making." But John Doussard, spokesman for Mayor Tom Potter, insists the city knew the party was being slashed ever since budget negotiations last spring. And the "chance a smaller event could be organized," as reported in the O? Doussard has no idea where that came from, either. The bottom line: Make your own fun, Portland.

Portland cabbie David Yandell has long been a holiday Murmurs staple for delivering meals to needy families. And this year, Yandell aims to get 1,000 turkeys and fixings out to people in need. On Saturday, Dec. 17, people with an unemployment check stub can stop by Radio Cab HQ (1613 NW Kearney St.) to pick up a turkey. Military families and families on food stamps can come by for a bird on Sunday, Dec. 18. Cab drivers also will deliver to people who mail in their requests to Radio Cab for help. "I can't say no to those letters," Yandell says. And Murmurs can't say no to you, David.

Talented teen pianist Stanley Waters ("Untapped Waters,'' WW, Sept. 21, 2005) will be the subject of a benefit concert Sunday, Dec. 18, from 5 to 7 pm at Mississippi Pizza & Pub (3552 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3231). Local singer Anne Weiss (www.anneweiss.com) puts on a choir concert every season and decided to make Sunday's event a chance for Waters to get some financial help for his music-education fund. Donations will be collected at the door and all proceeds will go to the fund, which aims to help Waters, a student at Meek Professional Technical High School in Northeast Portland, get music training befitting his expert-dazzling natural abilities.