Love—and news—is in the air.

[February 13th, 2008]

»Don’t worry too much about Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Giusto after his planned retirement later this year—he’ll still be receiving plenty of your tax dollars to spend. The 57-year-old sheriff, who makes $116,453 a year, will get at least $50,000 a year from the state Public Employees Retirement System. In more good news for Giusto, the state Department of Public Safety Standards and Training’s police policy committee recommended Feb. 12 that Giusto not lose his badge for allegedly lying to the public (see WWire for more). But they also opened a new investigation into whether he lied to his bosses at the Oregon State Police about his affair with Margie Goldschmidt , the ex-wife of former Gov. Neil Goldschmidt.

»When is a special interest not a special interest? Answer: when the group in question has no business before the Oregon Legislature, according to the campaign manager for Sen. Kate Brown (D-Portland), who is running for secretary of state against three fellow Senate D’s. Brown campaign manager Treasure Mackley told Murmurs two weeks ago that Brown would take contributions only from individuals during the February session, not from “special interests.” Brown did return $500 from the Oregon Medical Association given after session began on Feb. 4. But Brown took $15,000 Feb. 8 from the Washington, D.C.-based Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. Mackley says the group had endorsed Brown months ago but called the contribution’s timing a “surprise.” None of the other three candidates—Sens. Brad Avakian (D-Bethany), Rick Metsger (D-Welches) or Vicki Walker (D-Eugene)—has taken a check from a group during session.

»Take the canola: Last week, two studies in the journal Science concluded that the production of many biofuels generates more carbon emissions than burning gasoline because biofuels require land conversion. Murmurs wondered what Portland Commissioner Randy Leonard thought about the studies, given that he passed a citywide requirement last year for diesel pumps to put out a blend of 5 percent biodiesel. Bio-Randy notes that not all alterna-fuels are equal. He promotes biodiesel refined from Eastern Oregon canola, an already existing wheat rotation crop that didn’t have a big market before. The City Council mandate allowed blends from corn-based ethanol but excluded biofuels derived from palm oil, both of which the new Science studies frowned upon.

»Amid the financial uncertainty Murmurs reported last week at the Oregon Council for Hispanic Advancement and its community-based alternative high school, LISTOS Academy, comes this news: Academy Director Jocelyn Bigay is leaving LISTOS for Portland Public Schools’ central office. Bigay, who has a background in marketing as well as teaching, will be PPS’s new “student voice coordinator,” a position that reports to the superintendent and comes with a salary between $40,000 and $55,000. Bigay says she doesn’t have a start date yet.

»Wild Oats’ buyout last year by Whole Foods looks to be local Portland customer-owned co-op Food Front’s gain . The $565 million deal resulted in the relocation and closure of some Wild Oats stores, such as the one in the Hillsdale section of Southwest Portland Food Front General Manager Holly Jarvis says Food Front has considered opening a new store at that former Wild Oats location at 6354 SW Capitol Highway since the building became available last October. Food Front’s plans will become reality if the Co-op’s board of directors OKs the location in March.