Where We Gather Each Week To See How We Live.

[May 7th, 2008]

• The Oregon League of Minority Voters’ “Dinner of Hope” on May 12 will bring Bob Ball together with mayoral frontrunner Sam Adams for the first time since the two had a big blowup (see “Mayoral Race Off to Brutal Beginning, WWire, Sept. 17, 2007). Ball, an ex-Adams supporter, had considered a run against Adams. But Ball’s mishandling of concerns about Adams’ relationship with a 17-year-old legislative intern destroyed Ball’s political hopes as both Adams and the intern denied any physical relationship. Eight months later, Ball is co-chairing the OLMV event, which includes a forum for Adams and other candidates. Despite his deflated political prospects, Ball says, “I’ve moved on and I think Sam has also.” Tickets for the 5:30 pm event at the Oregon Convention Center are available by calling 289-7520.

• No more mumbletypeg in the cockpit: In response to a diktat from the Transportation Security Administration, PDX airport officials have stopped giving security badges to pilots and flight crews for Horizon Air and are about to do the same for SkyWest Airlines—the two airlines among the 16 at PDX that have Portland-based crews. PDX spokesman Steve Johnson says the new policy increases security by decreasing the number of badges in circulation. Responds one pilot in an online forum: “Any contact with the TSA puts me in a bad mood to start my day.”

• The endorsement that wasn’t: Until late Tuesday Oregon Bus Project co-founder Jefferson Smith ’s name was conspicuously absent from the list of state legislative candidates endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon. NARAL spokeswoman Laura Taylor says Smith, a D running unopposed in the May 20 primary for House District 47, asked for the endorsement to be “quiet.” One NARAL PAC member tells Murmurs that Smith’s request left people “shocked, offended and a little disheartened” because the district has a heavy D majority and incumbent Rep. Jeff Merkley, who’s running for U.S. Senate, never shied from NARAL’s name. Smith’s recollection is hazy, but he says he’s “proudly pro-choice.”

• Mission creep ? Metro—the regional government already responsible for solid waste, land-use planning, the Oregon Zoo and the Convention Center—is now helping schools. The council voted 4-3 last week to raise garbage rates by $1.3 million to provide funding for sixth-graders to attend Outdoor School. The increase, proposed by Councilor Rex Burkholder , will hike the cost of getting rid of garbage by $1.20 a ton. Council President David Bragdon , one of the “no” votes, says “In accountability terms , those government entities responsible for providing education should do so,” And we should focus on our core mission.”

• Paging Sho Dozono if he needs “pet project” ammo to lob at mayoral opponent Sam Adams. On May 7, the City Council is set to OK Commissioner Adams’ request to accept a $87,000 EPA grant—to be matched with $66,000 from the city for a car-free event June 22. The money will pay for PR, staff time and police OT to keep cars off neighborhood streets connecting four parks in North Portland. It’s all modeled on car-free days called ciclovías in Bogotá, Colombia, and will cap a “Carfree Cities” conference in Portland from June 16-20. (One project goal is to “place five media stories.” This count?)

• Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader returns to Portland, the city that helped launch his 2000 presidential campaign with a crowd of 10,000 fans at the Memorial Coliseum. The 74-year-old consumer activist will speak next week at the Benson High School auditorium at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, May 13. There’s a requested donation of $10 at the door, or $5 for students, to help Nader’s current presidential run.

• WW has noted that City Council candidate John Branam described himself as a “bi-racial black man” on his website john4pdx.org (see Trail Mix, WW, April 16, 2008). Turns out there’s good reason to be explicit: On speeding tickets Branam got in Oregon in 2001 and 2007, cops pegged his ethnicity as “caucasian.” Branam says he noticed the error when he paid the tickets. “It’s something the state should explore changing,” says the candidate, whose father was African-American. “The officers are just guessing.”