Old Year, New Blurbs.

[December 26th, 2007]

Mayoral candidate-to-be Sho Dozono is grabbing some enthusiastic pre-endorsements. The juiciest so far: Mayor Tom Potter’s wife, Karin Hansen . As first reported on WWire, Hansen confirmed that she posted on showyoursupportforsho.com, a website registered to his company, Azumano Travel. (Don’t forget to report that in-kind contribution!) “Sho, just tell me when and where , and I will gladly be one of your many foot soldiers!” Hansen wrote. Her husband hasn’t endorsed yet, though he’s a friend of Dozono’s and has been glad to chat up challengers against the front-runner to succeed him, Commissioner Sam Adams.

Portland Public Schools’ new email marketing campaign , PPS Pulse, has a high-tech feature Big Brother would love. Emailed for the first time earlier this month to 34,000 inboxes, the online newsletter going out to parents and others has a tracking feature that lets school officials monitor how many people open the newsletter and what they read. And if they use the forwarding feature embedded in the newsletter, PPS can tell how many times and to whom recipients forward PPS Pulse. All of this is possible through the software program Emma, which is similar to CoolerEmail (see “Mail Trail,” WW , July 11, 2007). The most popular item in December’s newsletter? A story about the Trail Blazers’ slapping logos on the floors of PPS gyms. And next month? Wild guess: How to spy on your kids.

A new lawsuit turns up the heat on Portland General Electric and U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.). Salem journalist-activist Peter Bergel is suing PGE for $200,000 after he was arrested March 16 outside Smith’s Portland office for protesting the Iraq war. Smith’s local office is at the PGE-managed World Trade Center building. And the lawsuit claims PGE had Bergel arrested to save Smith from political embarrassment and to advance PGE’s political and financial interests by winning Smith’s favor. PGE spokesman Steve Corson declined to comment. And Smith’s office didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment. Bergel’s attorney, Greg Kafoury, planned to file the lawsuit Wednesday, Dec. 26, in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

The Lincoln-Douglas debates took less time to organize: Since House Speaker Jeff Merkley entered the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in August, candidate Steve Novick has been pushing for a series of joint appearances statewide. Merkley spokesman Russ Kelley says Merkley would do one per month but wants all six candidates included. Merkley has deputized former state Sen. Charlie Ringoas his “debate negotiator. ” Ringo’s counterpart in this fandango from the Novick side: Barbara Warner-Smith, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). “We’ve been going back and forth for a month and a half,” says Novick spokesman Jake Weigler. “The secretary of state candidates are already doing joint appearances and we’re wasting time .”

Ten, nine, eight…the countdown begins for readers to donate to WW ’s annual Give!Guide. Yes, we’ve shattered last year’s record of $228,000, pushing past $300,000 (and a huge thanks for that). But you still have until midnight, Dec. 31, to contribute to the awesome 49 local nonprofits by going to wweek.com/giveguide. Donate, then party; or party, then donate—either way, you’ll really be helping.