No Man Is An Island

[October 11th, 2006] WINNERS

Coincidence? Yeah, right. Weeks before Portland voters consider a measure that would require independent experts to judge claims against the Portland Fire and Police Disability Retirement Fund , the city produces Exhibit A: charges against an ex-fireman who was receiving disability benefits while also serving as a medic in Iraq—two years ago.

No vast expanse of concrete ever smelled as sweet to Portland's skateboarders as the newly redeveloped Pier Park skatepark in St. Johns, which will be officially re-christened Saturday, Oct. 14. True joy won't set in until every man, woman and child leaves the big bowl in North Portland black-and-blue and screaming for more.

Say goodbye to surprise tuition hikes at Western Oregon University, which, beginning in fall 2007, will be the first university in the state to offer students four years of college with fixed tuition rates. Cool idea, but one piece of caveat emptor: Taking a page from the small-print practices of cell-phone hucksters, the initial cost of enrolling will jump 16 percent.

LOSERS

Neither Bob Pamplin nor the City of Portland covered themselves in glory with last week's announcement that Pamplin would give a far smaller chunk of Ross Island to the city than he previously promised. Pamplin looks like a chiseler and the city looks like it got taken.

Supporters of post-fire logging really have their biscuits in the fire now. A federal report released last week found the controversial logging that took place after the 2002 Biscuit fire in Southern Oregon cost taxpayers $2 million because sales of the timber failed to offset the cost of salvaging it.

The University of Portland women's soccer team now must defend its national championship without star forward Megan Rapinoe. The sophomore learned Monday that she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee.