Winners & Losers

[March 7th, 2007]

WINNERS

Rose Festival traditionalists scored a royal victory when organizers declared the century-old extravaganza safe for Disney-style stereotypes after all. Beginning this year, teenage "ambassadors" will once again be called princesses. Glass slippers not included. Glass ceilings sold separately.

Portland State' s hiring of ex-NFL coach Jerry Glanville gave the Vikings this rare distinction last week: status as the state's biggest football story. But can Glanville, a walking PR hound who has reserved game tickets for Elvis and bragged about his teams' injuring opponents, actually win over polite Portlanders? (For more, see page 18.)

Give the last laugh to Portland police Det. Willie Halliburton , who performs stand-up comedy in his free time. Last week Mayor Tom Potter, who initially killed Halliburton's TV dreams, gave the detective the OK to star in a reality show called "Willie, the Comedy Cop."

City officials say we're fast on the road to ending homelessness. The evidence? Results of the second annual Street Count, which shows Portland and Gresham's homeless population has fallen 39 percent since 2005 to 1,438 people. (One caveat: Some service providers say they haven't noticed such significant changes since last year.)

LOSERS

The Trail Blazers' now-ex president and general manager Steve Patterson lost the latest power struggle in Paul Allen World when the Blazers owner didn't pick up the option on Patterson's contract. Gee, that's weird, given that Patterson was a big player in the team's collapse on and off the court.

Many Oregon businesses got a swift kick in the bottom line when legislative leaders patched together a proposal that raises their minimum $10 tax to help create the state's rainy-day fund.

There could be disorder in the court following Gov. Ted Kulongoski's re-appointment of Judge Youlee You to the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Her new colleague is Judge Leslie Roberts (see Rogue of the Week, Sept. 13, 2006), who was unopposed in the election last year after getting You, a neighbor and former friend, kicked off the ballot.