Seven Days Of Hesitantly Optimistic News.

[February 11th, 2009]

• BOTTOM CORALINE: The first feature from Phil Knight’s Laika animation studio earned a higher-than-expected $16.8 million in its first weekend.

• CAGE MATCH: A federal investigation into the deaths of six sea lions trapped in cages last year near Bonneville Dam concludes the animals weren’t killed by humans. However, three of the six pinnipeds had been shot at some point in their lives.

• BURGERBOOZE: “Fast-food restaurants are filled with young customers and young employees. That’s a mix you don’t want when you are considering the sale of alcohol.”—Pete Schulberg, communications director of Oregon Partnership. The drug-abuse prevention group objects to the liquor-license application of a Burgerville in Clark County.

• THE RON-AROUND: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) gets a brief mention as President Obama’s potential new candidate for secretary of Health and Human Services when nominee Tom Daschle flames out.

• MAYBE GOOD ENOUGH: The Trail Blazers recovered from an embarrassing loss to the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder with a last-minute win against the slightly less lowly New York Knicks. The Blazers also announce they’re raising some ticket prices next season.