Dungeness hunters - WINNERS

A welcome ray of light illuminated Portland's battered tech industry last week, when chip-making beacon Intel announced it will relocate its flash-memory production force--and about 300 jobs--from California to Hillsboro.

Early reports confirm that Oregon has a serious case of crabs. As of this week, Dungeness hunters from Astoria to Brookings have hauled in around 16.7 million pounds of crab, on track to top the 18.2-million mark set almost 25 years ago.

After an epic legal battle with Native American tribes, the allied forces of science won custody of Kennewick Man, a 9,300-year-old skeleton found in the Columbia River in 1996. Tribes claimed K-Man as an ancestor, while scientists demanded to study the remains. A federal appeals court upheld a Portland judge's ruling: Modern tribes can't claim the remains, which bear some resemblance to modern-day Asian peoples.

LOSERS

Oregon's political establishment--Democrats, moderate Republicans, Gov. Kulongoski, all of 'em--took a shot right where it counts when voters incinerated Measure 30. The revenue-raising measure, a budget compromise between Dems and centrist Republicans with Guv K's tepid support, fell victim to well-funded anti-tax crusaders and voters' ire.

Portland commuters tumbled into a miniature age of anxiety this week. Aside from the fiery, tragic pile-up that claimed two lives on I-405, they confronted news that most Portland bridges don't pass seismic muster. Add reports of a pipe bomb at a Hillsboro bus stop (false alarm) and the Bush administration's plan to knife $16.5 million out of Interstate MAX funds, and it was a jitter-plagued week for mobile urbanites.

Researchers in Seattle announced that 90 percent of Northwest orchard workers--and their families--carry measurable levels of pesticide in their bodies. Think about the five-year study, which focused on Yakima Valley laborers, next time you enjoy a juicy Braeburn.