A Boyle wins, A Boyles loses

[April 26th, 2006] WINNERS

In the big picture, last week's one-day legislative special session sure felt like a scripted "look how much we accomplished" ad for Gov. Ted Kulongoski, House Speaker Karen Minnis and Senate President Peter Courtney (see also Rogue of the Week, page 11). But let's be parochial: Portland Public Schools got extra millions out of the prepackaged deal.

OHSU gets bragging rights for nailing a new record. The hospital announced that it successfully removed 12 nails from an unidentified Oregon man's head. That breaks the previous world nail-gun-to-the-head mark of nine. Do we need to add, "Kids, don't try this at home"?

The feds can't wish away their own fingerprints in their arrest of local lawyer Brandon Mayfield. A federal appeals court rejected their attempt to scuttle a lawsuit by Mayfield, a Muslim wrongly held after the 2004 Madrid train bombing because of a faulty FBI fingerprint analysis.

Columbia Sportswear president and CEO Tim Boyle may have moved the biz from Portland to Washington County, but at least give him credit for returning to town with a $100,000 check in hand. The 100 grand for the upkeep of Sellwood Park is the first of 10 installments slotted for the park in Southeast.

LOSERS

Start rummaging through the couch cushions, Emilie. City Auditor Gary Blackmer demanded City Council candidate Emilie Boyles return nearly $145,000 in public funding after finding she blew the dough on such expenditures as a year's rent on a shuttered restaurant.

Portlanders may have to come up with another excuse besides "I thought this was Fareless Square!" when they get nabbed on Tri-Met without a ticket. The Portland Tribune reports one budget proposal under consideration would end subsidies for the free ride next year.

So what's going on in West Linn? Well, the fourth city employee in a year now stands accused of helping herself to city assets. Police have charged former city finance director Elma Magkamit with pilfering $750,000.