More Durable Than A Blazers GM.

1. Attorney General John Kroger recently did some fundraising at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans, according to his campaign finance reports. Kroger returned home with a handful of checks boosting his cash on hand to $214,000, as he prepares for a re-election run in 2012. (Kroger’s campaign, rather than taxpayers, footed the bill for the trip). Meanwhile, two other statewide electeds also facing re-election next year are less aggressive. Secretary of State Kate Brown has less than $5,000 in her campaign account. And Treasurer Ted Wheeler shows a $217,000 campaign deficit, although $200,000 of his debt comes from money he loaned himself for his 2010 campaign to serve out the term of his predecessor, the late Ben Westlund. 

1. After Powell’s Books laid off 31 workers in February, citing shrinking sales, current and former employees were angry when the book giant this month posted a job notice on its website for about 12 full-time temp workers. Powell’s typically hires temps for the busy summer season. But after laying off full-time staffers, hiring temps to work without benefits created “outrage” among the staff, says Ryan Takas, union representative at ILWU Local 5. The union took the issue to management, and a deal was brokered May 20 to give the laid-off workers preference in filling the temp jobs. “It’s a principle of basic fairness,” Takas says. Powell’s confirms the union’s account.

1. If you’ll indulge a moment of self-congratulation: At the Society of Professional Journalists of Oregon and Southwest Washington annual awards banquet Saturday night, Willamette Week picked up 10 first-place prizes for stories we reported in 2010. Want to see us at our best? Go to wweek.com for links. In the category of large-circulation (above 8,000) non-dailies for Oregon and southwest Washington:

1. News feature: Beth Slovic, “Sext Crimes.”
2. Comprehensive coverage: Nigel Jaquiss for election coverage.
3. Investigative reporting: Nigel Jaquiss, “Oregon’s Scariest Cops.”
4. Social issues: James Pitkin, “Saving Ryan.”
5. Personalities: Nigel Jaquiss, “Dr. Do-Over.”
6. Lifestyle: Aaron Mesh, “Cartpocalypse!”
7. Arts reporting: Michael Mannheimer,  “Everyone Loves Menomena...Except Menomena.”
8. In the category of alternative news weeklies for the Northwest (Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Montana):
9. Education reporting: Beth Slovic,  “Extra Credit.”
10. Government and political reporting: Nigel Jaquiss,  “Dr. Do-Over.”
11. Investigative reporting: Beth Slovic, “Sext Crimes.”

1. Also on Saturday night, WW movies editor Aaron Mesh was elected president of the Oregon and Southwest Washington chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for 2011-12. In other news, the food at the banquet was better this year. (Steelhead!)

WWeek 2015