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1. Clackamas County Chairwoman Lynn Peterson is raising money and inching closer to an official announcement that she’ll enter the 2010 Democratic primary for governor. She’ll join a field that already includes former Gov. John Kitzhaber and onetime Secretary of State Bill Bradbury. Interest groups are also gauging the viability of former Hewlett-Packard exec Steve Shields of Corvallis (oregonaspirations.com), who has raised $37,000 so far and continues to pursue a bid. Betsy Henning, a Shields adviser, says Shields is “likely to enter the race.” Running against three men could buoy Peterson’s chances.
2. Big names and big bucks in a big race: Former 1000 Friends of Oregon chief Bob Stacey and Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder have both raised about $30,000 so far in the race next year to replace Metro Council President David Bragdon. Both candidates have attracted impressive lists of contributors. Burkholder is picking up bigger checks, including $10,000 from developer John Carroll and $5,000 from developer John Russell, while Stacey’s supporters include Democratic congressman Earl Blumenauer ($500), New Seasons owner Stan Amy ($500), and Oregon’s biggest environmental bankroller, Eric Lemelson ($2,000).
3. As employees at The Oregonian consider the daily’s latest buyout offer of two weeks’ salary per year of service an ad clerk at the paper has filed suit for being denied a more generous buyout offer last year. James Bixler, a third-generation Oregonian employee, claims in his Sept. 14 lawsuit that management denied him the earlier offer of two years’ salary and benefits because of a clause limiting the buyout to salespeople with 25 years’ experience or more (Bixler was told he had 24.82). The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, alleges the clause was written to exclude Bixler, and his suit seeks the buyout benefits. Calls seeking comment on the suit Sept. 17 were routed to retiring publisher Fred Stickel, whose assistant said he would have no comment. Stickel’s last day at the paper was the next day, and the 87-year-old publisher got a full-page ad tribute and was feted with a surprise party that included a brass band.

1. City Hall veteran Carmen Rubio is leaving her job as a senior policy adviser to Commissioner Nick Fish to become the new executive director of Latino Network, a nonprofit advocacy group. Rubio, 35, has been in City Hall for five years, serving before as community affairs director for former Mayor Tom Potter. “I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of some interesting and really amazing things,” Rubio says. “Now there’s an opportunity in my community to give back what I’ve learned.”
2. Portland State University hopes a projected 7.6 percent enrollment increase plus a 10 percent tuition hike will bring in enough money to restore some of the 68 jobs lined up for termination in president Wim Wiewel’s preliminary budget. PSU administrators and the school’s roughly 3,400 employees hope to learn by Oct. 12 just how many jobs may be saved. “A 1 percent increase in enrollment brings about $1 million,” says Michelle Gamburd, vice president of PSU’s American Association of University Professors. In the meantime, more than 75 administrators have taken voluntary 4.6 percent salary reductions.

WWeek 2015