Fumin' When Kim Hamblin returned to her Southeast Portland gallery during the early morning hours of Jan. 28, she was greeted by the pungent smell of petrol. Perhaps, she thought, she had accidentally knocked over a can of paint thinner earlier that evening, or more likely her cat was to blame for the spill. But a quick search of the Q-Hut Gallery could not locate the source of the noxious fumes. Later that morning a friend noticed a liquid trail leading from Hamblin's nearby truck to the front of the building. The liquid turned out to be gasoline. Normally, Hamblin might have attributed the spill to inept thieves siphoning gas. But Hamblin immediately wondered if there was a connection to the artwork inside her gallery and the pool of flammable liquid outside. The previous week, to mark the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, Hamblin mounted a mixed-media exhibit displaying artwork from 12 artists, all with a decidedly "pro-choice" bent. Fearing that the splashed fuel was some sort of threat, Hamblin called the police. Officers investigating the incident confirmed that gas had been spilled near the front area of the door but found no indication that arson was the motive. "If [the gas] was meant to convey a message or spilled while siphoning, we don't know," says Police Bureau spokesman John Wrigley. Hamblin, however, is convinced the incident was intentional, viewing it as an attack not only on her freedom of choice, but also her freedom of speech. "A lot of people take their rights for granted," she says. "We still have a right to voice our opinions." --David Walker Money Business The race for state treasurer turned ugly last week as the two Democratic primary rivals clawed through the mud in search of the moral high ground. Randall Edwards started it by making the media rounds vowing to shun Wall Street money and challenging Gary Bruebaker to do the same. The timing was no accident: Bruebaker, the deputy state treasurer, had already planned a $500-a-plate New York fund-raiser for later this week. Wall Street contributions to state treasurer candidates, while legal, have always been controversial. After all, the treasurer is the keeper of the state money and hires New York firms to manage public investments. Problem was, Edwards had already sent out his own solicitation letter to about 100 money managers in New York. Oops. Bruebaker came out roaring, defending his fund-raising strategy and accusing Edwards of hypocrisy. "I wasn't being deceitful," Edwards now says. "The issue is Wall Street and this race. A hypocrite is someone who says something and then does something else. I haven't taken any money." Edwards says he had a change of heart about East Coast money and decided it had no place in the treasury race. Bruebaker will return Thursday from the National Association of State Treasurers conference in Washington, D.C., but not before making a side trip for his New York fund-raiser. While the state paid for his trip to the conference, his campaign picked up the tab for the D.C.-to-New York leg. Meanwhile, the mudslinging continues. WW has obtained a copy of a campaign letter Bruebaker faxed Jan. 24 from the treasurer's office to the Northwest Oregon Labor Council. Bruebaker says that, following office practice, he pays a dollar per page for the personal faxes he sends out during his lunch hour or on break. The treasurer's office has recorded reimbursements for 18 pages since Jan. 1. --Patty Wentz When You Finally See It It's not unusual for plays to inspire films. But a never-performed work by an Oregon high-school student? That's what could happen to Kristie McKenzie. Last spring the Gladstone High senior penned the script to When You Finally See Us, which tackled topics such as eating disorders, drinking, sex and child abuse. The play was rehearsed, but censored by principal Pia Leonard just before performance (Rogue of the Week, WW, April 21, 1999). Although McKenzie's work never saw theater lights, it lives on, thanks to two Portland brothers, Charles and Robert Keys, who read about McKenzie's plight in WW and decided to take up her cause. "We're tired of seeing people treat kids without any respect," says Robert Keys, who works for a construction company. His brother, Charles, is a teacher and filmmaker with credits from Disney and the recently completed Hollywood film No Alibi. Together, the two decided to make a documentary about McKenzie's experience. They began raising money this winter with help from gallery owner Elizabeth Leach, who organized a fund-raiser at the Bijou Restaurant. In addition, the brothers reeled in a substantial contribution from Steve McGeady, an Intel executive. The Keyses are still raising money, but they plan to start filming next month even if they haven't achieved their budget. As for McKenzie, she's taking classes at Mount Hood Community College and keeping her fingers crossed that the play may yet be staged. Mary Folberg, director of education at Portland's Northwest Academy, has expressed strong interest in producing When You Finally See Us this summer as part of a monthlong workshop, which would include discussions about the topics dealt with in the play. "We really want to do it," Folberg says. "The play captures what kids are really thinking about." Folberg's stumbling block is money--she needs a couple of thousand dollars to provide scholarships for the workshop. The Keys brothers say they've encountered a different obstacle--despite repeated requests, they say, Leonard and other Gladstone officials have declined to appear on camera to explain why they pulled the plug on McKenzie. Turns out they're not just camera-shy: Neither Leonard nor Superintendent Bob Stewart returned WW's calls. --Nigel Jaquiss Murmurs SCUTTLEBUTT WITH AN EDGE Vancouver, B.C., writer Douglas Coupland (Generation X) has posted an electronic note detailing his recent perfidious Portland adventures. On the way to his reading at Annie Bloom's Books earlier this month, Coupland writes, his media escort (Sandra Refalik, whom he doesn't name) "flipped out, like Annette Bening in American Beauty," when her Volvo wagon died in I-5 rush-hour traffic. After hitching a ride to the reading with a kindly U-Hauler, the writer discovered the mic-less arrangement at the bookstore and proclaimed himself "Mr. Guy with a Projecting Voice." (The full account can be found online at www.coupland.com.) A source familiar with the visit nominated Coupland as "Cry-baby Writer of the Millennium." Gov. John Kitzhaber has hired former Metro councilor and political strategist Patricia McCaig to lay the groundwork for his two ballot-initiative campaigns and to figure out how to beat Bill Sizemore at his own game on the tax initiatives. McCaig, who last year started her own firm, Clí Strategies, says she's avoiding political campaigns and will be handing the reins over to someone else when her six-week contract is up. She's not out the door, but she is off the public payroll. Effective Feb. 11, Sherrill Whittemore, the embattled director of the city's Bureau of Emergency Communication, is on unpaid leave. Word is that she will plead her case to Commissioner Dan Saltzman later this week. Ivan Maluski, spokesman for Cascadia Forest Alliance, has landed a paid gig as a full-time forest activist working as the Northwest organizer for the American Lands Alliance, a national forest-activist group. The Oregonian's "national search" for a new sports columnist continues to be stuck in California. Sources say Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Examiner is considering a trip north in the next week or so to see what's being offered. (L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke reportedly turned down a $150,000 offer.) Ratto is considered a longshot but has in-laws in Portland. The new state Blue Book site is spiffy, but what's with the "up against the wall" photograph of Secretary of State Bill Bradbury? Is it supposed to be hip? Is it supposed to be casual? You decide: www.bluebook.state.or.us. Ever since WW reported that Cirque Du Soleil was coming to town, our phones have been ringing off the hooks. Relax. Tickets for the Montreal-based entertainment troupe's Portland performances go on sale this week and range in price from $20.75 for the cheapest kid's spot to $60 for the best seats. To order tix for the initial 21Ž2-week run beginning May 11, go to www.admission.com or call 800-678-5440. The Portland Public Schools Foundation raised some eyebrows when it solicited donations of taxpayers' kickers this year. "Once again our schools need your help," said the independent foundation, "because they're not getting it from our politicians." The campaign provoked outrage from some politicos but apparently appealed to taxpayers. Although this year's kickers were only a third of the amount given back last year, the foundation received $400,000--nearly two-thirds what it took in last year. Overheard "Contrary to popular belief, not every person in New Delhi is a leper." --One employee to another at the Southwest 5th Avenue Radio Shack What a difference a month makes. Just a few weeks ago, America Online was teaming up with City Commissioner Erik Sten in the fight to force AT&T to keep its cable lines open to competing Internet service providers. Now, with the AOL/Time Warner merger a month old, AOL has toned down its demands, perhaps reflecting Time Warner's ownership of many cable companies. "They're doing what's in their best corporate interest," says Sten. . Cryin' Out Loud Has the New Millennium glow faded? Did that box of Valentine chocolates fail to lift your spirits? Is your neighbor off to Puerta Vallarta while you're stuck in Tigard feeding his stinkin' cat? We can help. Take all that mid-February anxiety and put it to good use. That's right. It's almost time for Willamette Week's annual Kvetchfest. Give us your major gripes, minor bitches and pet peeves. The only requirement is that they be local: Willard Scott's down-home hokeyness annoys you? We don't care. Matt Zaffino's perky prognostication drives you to drink? We feel your pain. Put your best bellyaches into 50 words or less and send them to us by Feb. 25. We'll sort through them all and publish our favorites, with due credit, in our upcoming Kvetchfest 2000 issue. HERE'S HOW TO REACH KVETCHFEST WORLD HEADQUARTERS: Mail: 822 SW 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97205 E-mail: kvetch@wweek.com Fax: (503) 243-1115 P.S. We already know about the goateed cads who wear Levi's to the symphony and the painful lack of Krispy Kremes. To avoid repeating last year's laments, check out Kvetchfest '99. Go to the search function and type "kvetchfest." You'll find links to our staff-written cover story as well as reader responses. Corrections Last week's Scoreboard (Feb. 9, 2000) reported that Oregon Gun Owners' gun-show bill would set up voluntary background checks. That is incorrect. The OGO bill would require mandatory gun-show background checks. Checks for private-party gun transfers would be voluntary. In addition, in last week's Visual Arts story about new galleries in the Standard Dairy building ("Busy Town"), we mistakenly identified one of them as the Artisan Gallery. The correct name is Talisman Gallery. Finally, a story in our Feb. 2 issue ("Their Cup Runneth Over") referred to Chicago's Moody Bible Institute as "Billy Graham's alma mater." Graham actually graduated from nearby Wheaton College. WW regrets the errors. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published February 16, 2000