LEAD STORY SIDEBAR Citizen Neil back to BIG DOG

The ex-governor has a soft spot for kids, parks and Pill Hill.Although he wouldn't talk to WW for this story, Neil Goldschmidt can be very public when he wants. That's usually the case only when it comes to charitable causes. Probably the best example is his high-profile crusade for the SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) program he founded in 1991. The program pairs adult volunteers with underprivileged kids in Portland public schools to help them learn to read. Most SMART volunteers will tell you it's one of the more rewarding experiences of their lives. Goldschmidt continues to raise money for the program and give inspirational pep talks to volunteers. Other altruistic endeavors include Goldschmidt's pro bono work on statewide campaigns for libraries, light rail, gay rights and state parks. Goldschmidt's most dramatic return to the spotlight came two summers ago when he led a battle to stop the Goodman family from building a 12-story garage on Southwest Park Avenue between Yamhill and Taylor streets. In that campaign, Goldschmidt was like a Young Turk again, rounding up the troops to pack a city council hearing, admonishing the Goodmans with a quote from the Talmud and threatening to collect signatures to stop the garage with a referendum. When those tactics didn't succeed, he tried to broker a deal to put the parking underground; and when that didn't work, Goldschmidt kept at it like a "pit bull," says Greg Goodman. "There were several times when the Goodmans were at the end of the diving board, ready to jump, and Neil brought us back," he says. Finally, a deal was struck. Goldschmidt coaxed developer Tom Moyer to buy the Goodmans' parcel for $5 million and turn it into a public park named after Moyer. Not only that, but Goldschmidt sold Moyer on a larger vision: Now the former cinema magnate is interested in acquiring more property so he can create a string of park blocks reaching north to Burnside, similar to the park blocks running south from Salmon Street to Portland State University. Dr. Peter Kohler, president of Oregon Health Sciences University, is quick to praise the unpaid work Goldschmidt has done on OHSU's board of directors. Kohler's favorite story involves a crippling ice storm that hit Portland last January. Kohler was recruiting a new vice president for development, and the guy he wanted for the job, David Mitchell, was visiting from San Diego when the weather wreaked havoc on Kohler's plans. Travel was treacherous, and roads were closed, as was Atwater's, the restaurant where Kohler, Goldschmidt and other OHSU brass were going to wine and dine Mitchell. Not to worry. "Neil came out with Diana Snowden, and a few of us made it downtown in four-wheel drive vehicles," Kohler recalls. "The Heathman made a room available for a little dinner, Neil brought a bottle of wine--it was quite good, Oregon wine, I think--and he turned the tide right there. "His ability to express the direction in which OHSU was headed; his excitement for the institution; his combination of intellect, enthusiasm and entertainment--he's just fun to be with--make him someone you want to talk to. It was one of the reasons David Mitchell decided to join us," says Kohler. "It was quite a coup." --BY   originally published August 26, 1998