Fanning the flames.

[June 1st, 2005] * Another detail to chew on while the Portland Fire Bureau investigation grinds onward into the 28 contracts manager Michael Speck awarded to his son (see "Fire Bureau Manager in Hot Seat," WW, April 27, 2005) and the bureau's generous purchase of a fire marshal's office (see "Smoking Out a Fire Building's History," WW, May 11, 2005). Turns out the bureau originally budgeted $47,000 for renovations to the fire marshal building in Southeast. The final tally came in three times as high, at $144,000.

* Across the river, a high-level Vancouver Fire Department official is under investigation for possibly misusing his position and city vehicle. Vancouver Chief Don Bivins says the department is looking at Ward Knable , head of training and safety for the VFD, after receiving an email with allegations from the ex-wife of Knable's son. She has custody of Knable's grandchildren and has accused Knable of using his official vehicle and statements about alleged influence with city police to intimidate her and her family as part of a visitation dispute. She also alleges Knable handled her roughly during one confrontation. The chief says Knable has denied the allegations.

* Here's a moneymaker for the entrepreneurial. Longtime Trail Blazers thorn Q Madp recently sold his domain www.BlazersSuck.com for $1,325.00 on eBay. Blazers spokesman Mike Hanson says the team now owns the domain as part of its ongoing "protecting the brand" effort (see WW's "Blazers Play Domain Name Game,'' Jan. 2, 2002). Q Madp still operates www.Blazers-Suck.com. Going once, twice....

* John Ball , chief of staff to Multnomah County Chair Diane Linn (see Q&A with Linn, page 12), will leave at the end of June to become county executive in Mendocino County, Calif. Ball's departure for the fairer skies (and perhaps calmer political climate) of Northern California comes as the county squabbles over its budget and Linn enters a tough re-election fight next year. It also comes just weeks after Linn flack Bob Gravely left for a private-sector job.

* Shitstorm warning! Expect an ugly scene when City Council sorts out the $400 million eastside Big Pipe sewer project on June 8. Impregilo , the Italian construction giant that's digging the west side's new sewage tunnel, is challenging bureaucrats' decision to hand the eastside job to Omaha's Kiewit and its German partners. "They want to win through lawyers and lobbyists ," claimed one Kiewit rep. Dave Bartz , Impregilo's attorney, responded that Kiewit's bid won because of "lies that hijacked the process." Also at stake (besides the biggest public-works project in Portland history): the credibility of the city's Bureau of Environmental Services , which made the call.

* The fight over school money in Oregon has escalated to the point that state Rep. Dennis Richardson (R-Central Point) is accusing an education lobbying group of employing kids as lobbyists and using "brainwashing tactics...scare tactics that would make North Korea proud." Richardson's charges against Stand for Children in a recent City Club speech angered Jonah Edelman, a top SFC exec. Edelman says Richardson is wrong when he says organizers told first-graders their schools would close if lawmakers didn't cough up more money. Edelman says such attacks deflect attention at a time when Oregon has one of the biggest average class sizes and shortest school years in the country.

Yet another exciting opportunity for the "creative class": The City is looking for a new name and logo for its Deferred Compensation Plan. (And really, can you blame them?) Five new names are already on the short list (including such livewire entires as "Smart Saver" and "PRIME Plan-Portland Retirement Investing Made Easy"). But so far, no logo ideas! To lend this dynamic project a hand, WW would like to offer a $50 gift certificate to Kells to the graphic-arts genius who can best capture the majesty, poetry and quiet dignity of this undeservedly obscure financial option for our hardworking city employees. Send entries to hstern@wweek.com.

William D. Schaub, former officer and corporate counsel of Capital Consultants (See WW's "The End of a Legend," June 28, 2000) has returned to the investment game. Schaub's former employers, the Grayson father-son duo, both pleaded guilty to felony fraud charges for their part in an elaborate Ponzi-like scheme that bilked union pension investors out of $350 million (See WW's "The Shell Game," March 9, 2005). Schaub has now taken up with convicted felon Michael Myatt and Pacific Security Capital, a Beaverton-based company promising investment banking services in the commercial real-estate industry. Myatt served time for his part in falsely reporting annual profits of between 171 and 422 percent while at PragmaCapital. Schaub says Pacific Security primarily acts as a broker and engages in some lending. Schaub joined Pacific Security six months ago and says he was brought in, in part, to ensure compliance with all rules and regulations.

For those of you following the Southwest Hills Residential League saga, or in need of some civic drama-check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SWHRL for updates or to download related documents. Get the latest from Pamella Settlegoode on her crusade (and lawsuit) to overturn the election removing her as leader of the neighborhood group. Or read the League of Women Voters' report judging the pissing match of an election as fair.