Landing On The Right Runway Every Week.

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Add the names of two more business leaders to the second effort to recall Mayor Sam Adams: As first reported on wweek.com, a fundraising email sent this week by chief petitioner Avel Gordly went out over the names of Andrew Miller, CEO of Portland-based Stimson Lumber, and Peter Stott, CEO of the local real estate investment firm ScanlanKemperBard. Also signing were previously reported big names such as Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle and car dealer Ron Tonkin.
An update on allegations that Portland Police Capt. Mark Kruger has Nazi leanings (see “The Ice Man Weepeth,” WW, Oct. 14, 2009): The city’s Independent Police Review Division has rejected a complaint by ex-Kruger friend Robert Seaver that alleged Kruger violated Seaver’s First Amendment rights by requesting YouTube pull a video Seaver made about Kruger’s past, including images of him wearing Nazi-era German uniforms. Kruger denies any Nazi beliefs. Also, our original story last week failed to include a 2004 court record in which Seaver says things completely at odds with what he told WW. In the deposition, Seaver says he didn’t know if Kruger had any prejudiced beliefs and he couldn’t recall specific instances of Kruger displaying racist behavior. Asked about this contradiction, Seaver says he had trouble remembering some events during the 2004 questioning by city attorneys, and says the remarks were taken out of context. For more updates and to see the document, go to here.
Two news bits outta The Oregonian this week: The paper’s daily circulation numbers fell 12 percent in the most recent six-month period to less than 250,000—and its paid Sunday circulation dipped below 300,000. Both are eye-catching plunges from past circulation heights, similar to the freefalls by other dailies. The second piece of news is that the paper has found a successor to longtime publisher Fred Stickel, who retired last month at age 87. The new publisher is N. Christian Anderson III, an Oregon native who is the former publisher and CEO of The Orange County Register. Anderson, who arrives as The O is hoping its latest buyout offer can stave off layoffs, left the Register in 2007 as part of a cost-cutting re-organization.

Stand for Children, the nonprofit schools advocacy group, hopes at least one candidate steps in to challenge State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo, unopposed so far in her bid for a third term next year. One possible candidate in the nonpartisan race was state Rep. Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay). He had considered running against Castillo, but has since decided to run for re-election in the House. “We’re interested in seeing a vigorous debate,” says Holly Pruett, executive director of Oregon’s branch of Stand for Children. “That would be healthy.”
A judge has struck a blow against Oregon’s rigid three-tier liquor control system (see “Boozy Brawl,” WW, May 6, 2009). Administrative Law Judge Alison Webster ruled last week that Grocery Outlet Inc. could continue shipping wine from its Clackamas warehouse to its 31 Oregon stores, thereby cutting out distributors. The decision, which came over the objections of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and the Oregon Beer Wine Distributors Association, threatens distributors’ lock on transporting wine within Oregon. The OLCC will consider whether to overturn Webster. In any event, distributors lawyer Paul Romain calls the decision “ludicrous” and says the case will end up in the Oregon Court of Appeals.
Multnomah County Commissioner Diane McKeel wants to create a safe house for girls younger than 18 who have been forced into prostitution, as one means of helping to stop local human trafficking. The facility, housing 20 to 25 girls, would cost about $600,000 both to refurbish and run for one year, says McKeel staffer Andrew Olsen. No word on where that money might come from. But Wynne Wakkila, executive director of Oregonians Against Trafficking Humans, hopes to raise funds through her organization. A similar effort by James Pond, who works with a group that counsels girls forced into prostitution (see “Traffic Report,” WW, Nov. 5, 2008), was postponed due to lack of funding.

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Landing On The Right Runway Every Week.