Willamette Week

Months of controversy over the renaming of 39th Avenue boil down to this simple fact: New street signs (like the one above) will be going up along the avenue starting next month. If you live on or near the street formerly known as 39th, adjust your directions accordingly for visitors. Related posts:City Council Approves Renaming 39th [...] Related posts: City Council Approves Renaming 39th ... Full Story »

Of the six Philip Glass operas I’ve seen live, 1993’s Orphée is the most conventional in structure, in part because Glass derived the story from Jean Cocteau’s screenplay for his celebrated 1949 film. Most of Glass’ other stage work, especially the legendary Einstein on the Beach and other operas with director/genius Robert Wilson, have eschewed [...] Related posts: Portland Opera Scores Philip ... Full Story »

A 400-foot section of the Eastbank Esplanade closed last Friday by Portland Parks & Rec will be off limits to the public for at least another month. City officials say the closure of the section about 500 feet north of the Morrison Bridge will allow them to figure out why a piece of the paved trail [...] Related posts: Section Drop Test —TES Another Blow To Cyclists: W. Offers His Endorsement ... Full Story »

In what a news release terms his “first bold move” as interim Multnomah County sheriff, Dan Staton has asked the state agency that oversees police to make a probe of his agency top priority. The news comes after WW first reported last week on allegations that Chief Deputy Tim Moore falsified his training records to gain [...] Related posts: DA’s Office Declines to Charge MultCo Chief Deputy Over ... Full Story »

For the second third issue in a row, The NW Examiner is taking a hard look [PDF] at ESCO, which produces steel in a neighborhood better known for boutiques and expensive housing. (ESCO has also long operated a dump for its foundry waste on Sauvie Island). The Examiner hired freelancer Paul Koberstein, a veteran environmental [...] Related posts: Esco Says Never Mind on a Bigger Dump at Sauvie ... Full Story »

The University of Oregon announced this morning that LeGarrette Blount will be reinstated for this Saturday’s game against Arizona State University. As I’ve opined before, I think this is the right —albeit belated— move for coach Chip Kelly to make since the original season-long punishment was too harsh. And it also makes sense to bring Blount [...] Related posts: Elizabeth Lambert vs ... Full Story »

Welcome, once again, to WW’s Blazer blog. In this installment, I plan to regail you with all the pictures of third year Timberwolves bigman Oleksiy Pecherov I can hunt down on the internet. Observe: Ah, another day, another game. I’m back as your host after a bout with back strain and a trip to the Oregon [...] Related posts: Almost Live: Thunder v. Blazers So is it g Almost Live: Blazers Vs ... Full Story »

Far from the spotlight of Oregon and Oregon State’s football teams, Portland State played its final home game of the 2009 season Saturday. And like much of this season -the third for Jerry Glanville as the Vikings coach-it ended in a loss. Glanville, a former NFL coach known for his colorful quips, came to PSU in 2007 with great fanfare and hopes [...] Related posts: Is Jerry Glanville Still Too ... Full Story »

Everyone I know seems to be panicking about the Blazers. My roommates are freaking out. My best friend was screaming “fire McMillan” the entire game on Tuesday against Atlanta. John Canzano is probably livid (what’s new). But after the first five games, during which the Blazers have played one of the hardest schedules in the [...] Related posts: Blazers Media Day: Jerryd Bayless Halts Any Andre ... Full Story »

You decide. College soccer player Elizabeth Lambert or Oregon’s LeGarrette Blount Related posts:LeGarrette Blount is Back The UniveOne Ducks Fan’s View of Chip Kelly’s Upcoming Blount Decision By all acLeGarrette Blount, We Hardly Knew Ye Or maybe Related posts: LeGarrette Blount is Back The Unive One Ducks Fan’s View of Chip Kelly’s Upcoming Blount Decision By all ac LeGarrette Blount, We ... Full Story »

Our story last month about Portland Police Capt. Mark Kruger’s history of wearing Nazi memorabilia received a mention in today’s edition of the police-union newsletter. Sgt. Scott Westerman, the union president, cites an email Sizer wrote supporting Kruger the day after the story came out. Westerman slams Sizer for failing to support the cops who arrested [...] Related posts: Rosie Sizer Tells ... Full Story »

A couple of weeks ago, WW chose Michael Ruppert —an author and conspiracy theorist whose topic interests include “peak oil” and who really caused 911— Rogue of the Week. That honor stemmed from an Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries finding against Ruppert’s company for Ruppert’s alleged harrassment of a young female employee while he was [...] Related posts: Rogue of the Week • Michael ... Full Story »

For those who missed it, here’s the original story on the October surplus sale at Portland Public Schools. Related posts:A Screaming Deal Portland PUpdated: Portland Teacher’s Union Reaches Key Deal With District Outside of Bargaining A three-dBiggi Family To Beaverton: We’re Not Playing Ball On A Stadium Deal So much f Related posts: A Screaming Deal Portland P Updated: Portland Teacher’s Union ... Full Story »

Yesterday, I wrote how former Vice President Al Gore will do a fund-raiser in Oregon for Bill Bradbury, who’s running in the Democratic gubernatorial primary next year along with ex-Gov. John Kitzhaber and former Hewlett-Packard exec Steve Shields. The Bradbury-Gore connection makes sense because Bradbury has been one of the folks who’s traveled around to highlight [...] Related posts: Al Gore ... Full Story »

Ed Garren, a family therapist who in 2008 ran unsuccessfully for former Commisioner Erik Sten’s seat, is gearing up for the May 2010 primary election. This time the Hayden Island activist is running for the seat of Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who has said he will wait until January to make an official announcement about his candidacy. [...] Related posts: The Post-Sten Shuffle: Popenuk To Dump ... Full Story »

Bill Bradbury, who’s running in the 2010 Democratic primary for governor, has gotten a party heavyweight in his corner for a fund-raiser. Bradbury’s campaign announced this afternoon that former Vice President Al Gore will appear in Portland on Nov. 19 with Bradbury at what the campaign is billing as “A conversation with Climate Change Pioneers.” Gore [...] Related posts: Al Gore, John Kitzhaber ... Full Story »

Don’t have any plans tonight? You ought to get over to Mississippi Studios and see Uprising, a short performance that a handful of talented Oregon Ballet Theatre dancers have created with achingly wonderful local folk band Horse Feathers. It is well worth it’s $15 ticket price and tonight is the last of its three shows. Uprising [...] Related posts: Oregon Ballet Theatre: $750,000 or bust ... Full Story »

People do weird things with their copies of Willamette Week. We were so intrigued by the photos a local artist named Klutch sent us earlier this summer showing the artworks he created by doodling on his new copy of WW at Meat Cheese Bread each week that we decided to mount an entire gallery show [...] Related posts: WTF of the Month: Thermals and YACHT at Backspace…and it’s Free!? God damn, TBA ... Full Story »

At the same time that the heavy wind and rain roll in to Portland, Multnomah County is announcing this year’s plan to provide shelter for those caught in the fall and winter storms to come. Nearly 600 shelter beds are available year-round for families, adults, youth and those fleeing domestic violence. But up to 422 beds [...] Related posts: Shelters and Red Cross open severe winter shelters for ... Full Story »

Shortly after Lt. Dan Staton was sworn in as interim sheriff this morning, a fourth candidate filed to run for sheriff in the May 2010 primary. Corrections Sgt. Muhammad Ra’oof, who made an unsuccessful run against outgoing Sheriff Bob Skipper last year to complete former Sheriff Bernie Giusto’s term, filed his paperwork (PDF) today with the [...] Related posts: Sheriff Skipper Announces ... Full Story »

Multnomah County prosecutors announced today they will not pursue criminal charges against Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Tim Moore over allegations he failed to complete the field training for his state police certification. A memo (PDF) from the DA’s office says Moore did not physically demonstrate some of the knowledge areas as required, but there was no evidence [...] Related posts: DA’s Office ... Full Story »

Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer has signed a letter of proposed discipline for the cops who arrested James Chasse Jr., despite a public disagreement with Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman over the punishment he recommended. Officer Chris Humphreys and Sgt. Kyle Nice got letters on Wednesday proposing 80 hours of unpaid leave for their role in Chasse’s [...] Related posts: BREAKING: Chief Sizer ... Full Story »

This photo got forwarded to me by my brother-in-law from Seattle. And while neither of us knows when or where it was taken, it’s certainly worthy of a statue somewhere outside Autzen Stadium. Related posts:Blog Crush Alert: Here’s The Offseason Place To Be For Ducks Fans So anotheA Fresh Toast to This Saturday’s Ducks Game As [...] Related posts: Blog Crush Alert: Here’s The Offseason Place To ... Full Story »

In a surprise move, Multnomah County Undersheriff Tom Slyter today filed (PDF) to run for sheriff in the May 2010 primary. The move is startling because Slyter is a close friend of Sheriff Bob Skipper but is now running against Skipper’s own hand-picked successor, Lt. Dan Staton. “Dan’s a nice guy, (but) I’ve got a few things [...] Related posts: Sheriff Skipper Announces Retirement Multnomah ... Full Story »

As you might have heard, celebrated local baker Kir Jensen’s cute-as-pie downtown dessert cart The Sugar Cube—home of the addictive Highway to Heaven and Amy Winehouse cupcakes—is back from the dead after a seven month absence. But, oh what, you ask, does she have in stores for Portland’s sugar and fat junkies this time around [...] Related posts: Too Sweet: Smart Cookie Opens Downtown Dessert ... Full Story »