Final chapter in Powell's epic contract odyssey The protracted struggle at Powell's Books over forging a union contract has finally ended. After a five-hour pow-wow in the Mediation Center inside the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building downtown, store owner Michael Powell and representatives of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union signed a tentative three-year contract at 3:30 pm Tuesday. For 10 months and 53 negotiating sessions, Powell has battled with the ILWU over the terms of the employment contract for the bookstore's 400-plus workers. The contract provides for wage increases of 18 percent over three years; maintenance and improvement of health benefits; union security; grievance procedures; retirement benefits; and childcare and education benefits. "The contract is the fruit of Powell's employees' hard work with the aid of the community and the union," said employee activist Mary Winzig. "I look forward to turning our attention to maintaining Powell's position as the best independent bookstore in the land," says Powell. The main bone of contention has always been the issue of a closed union shop, with Powell adamantly refusing to entertain the idea because he thought it unfair to employees who were against the union. But in the latest round of talks, leading up to the verbal agreements, a compromise was struck. The move toward a closed union shop will be transitional, with a mechanism that addresses most if not all of Powell's concerns. The contract gives existing Powell's employees the right to opt out of the union if certain conditions are met. Now the contract will go back to the employees for a ratification vote. The ILWU representatives hope to have summaries of the agreement copied out for all of the employees of the nation's largest independent book dealer by Aug. 2, and anticipate a vote on Aug. 9. If ratified, the contract will go into effect on Aug. 14. In view of the arduous contract negotiations and the loss of face Powell's as an institution has suffered as talks dragged on, both Michael Powell, union supporters, and many Portlanders will be breathing sighs of relief. --Steffen Silvis This Place Is a Zoo! Has the Oregon Zoo's Summer Concert Series become a victim of its own success? It certainly seemed that way last Wednesday night. Midway through Ottmar Liebert's first set, the only one having a good time was the elephant, who was happily swinging his trunk in rhythm with the bass line. The rest of the audience was either trying to squeeze into nonexistent spots on the lawn or frantically squawking into their cell phones to friends locked out of the show. Out at the gate, eight zoo employees were fending off a furious pack of about 200 would-be patrons. Many held tickets that they had waited in long lines to buy, only to be told at the entrance that the crowd had reached capacity. Others had dropped off friends and family at the gate and zipped over to park, only to find once they made it back that they couldn't enter. Still others learned that even though they had become members specifically to get access to zoo concerts, their spots had been sold. "It was really ugly," says Teri Dresler, the zoo's guest services manager. "In my six years at the zoo, this was one of the worst situations I've seen." The zoo's maximum show capacity is 5,000. But because the midweek concerts are free with zoo admission, with no advance tickets sold, it's impossible to predict how many people will turn up. On Wednesday, hundreds of people set up their blankets in the early afternoon. By six the parking lots were packed, lines were huge and tempers were running short. To make matters worse, Liebert was a dud--the Kenny G of flamenco. The next morning, zoo managers set a policy that no more people with tickets would be turned away at the gate. They were expecting another fiasco Thursday night at the Femi Kuti show, but things worked out. The show was crowded but not insanely so, and Femi rocked. --Ben Jacklet Waiter, another cup of hemlock It's out of the frying pan and into the fire for local restaurants as a quartet of eastside closures in the past two weeks left Portlanders with heavy hearts and empty stomachs. First to go was Rose's at Northeast 122nd Avenue and Glisan Street, the last Portland restaurant to operate under the historic moniker coined by Rose Garbow Naftalin, who opened her original northwest noshery in 1956. Adding insult to injury, Rose's closed its doors to make way for a Walgreens. The next victim was the North Portland eatery Cafe Marx (2251 N Interstate Ave.), which served its final chicken-fried steak last week, much to the chagrin of breakfast buffs who salivated over the hearty fare at this industrial strip hangout. Southeast has its casualties as well. The tap ran dry at legendary dine-and-drink spot the Garlic Gulch, a.k.a. Jeanne's Restaurant and Lounge (1101 SE Division St.), on Saturday after its landlord tripled the lease. At least some of the well-loved furnishings will continue to cushion the bums and elbows of other regulars: Some of the original Gulch booths will go to the Delta Cafe, while the eclectic watering hole's 50-plus-year-old bar will settle in at La Cruda. Finally, the partial closure of the Ross Island Bridge spelled curtains for Lulu's Diner (3200 SE Milwaukie Ave.). Lagging sales and construction headaches contributed to Lulu's parent company's last-minute decision to pull the plug on the '50s-style diner--leaving owners Charles and Lulu Barker 48 hours to close up shop. But don't count out a Garlic Gulch or Lulu's revival altogether. Jeanne's owner Pat Carroll says she might consider a comeback if there's a spot available in the same neighborhood, while the Barkers hope that once the bridge is finished, Lulu's just might crank up the jukebox once more. --Kelly Clarke Real Estate of Grace When Jesus told his disciples to minister to tax collectors, it's unlikely he had the city of Gresham in mind. In a new twist on an old story, however, that's exactly what New Beginnings Christian Center aims to do. Providing the first visible sign of redemption, the church--which adheres to the so-called "prosperity doctrine" (see "Prosperity's Preacher," WW, March 29, 2000)--has struck an estimated $12 million deal with developer Opus Northwest to bring American Honda Motor Company to its 84-acre lot in Gresham--and that's just the beginning. Instead of building a tax-exempt mega-church amid a sea of parking, New Beginnings intends to sell off parcels to Opus, which will in turn develop and sell the land for offices and industrial warehousing. The profit from the sale and a share of Opus' development fees will fund New Beginnings' own 20-acre, $20 million church complex at the Northeast 175th Avenue and Sandy Boulevard site. Honda is the first major, secular enterprise to sign on for a chunk of the project. The company's 200,000-square-foot, 17-acre facility--including distribution, training and office support --will be a regional hub for the company and a significant addition to Gresham's dwindling industrial tax rolls. Honda has also committed to building and operating the facility according to the latest eco-friendly techniques. For New Beginnings, making good deals is all part of a day's spiritual work. "Jesus said go down to the marketplace and see how they do it," according to Senior Pastor Larry Huch. "As you make more and more, God's kingdom will advance as you advance." --Rachel Graham Night Cabbie BY Willie Milkis willie_milkis@hotmail.com "ALL RIGHT CABBIE, take us back downtown." The couple hit the crack pipe some more on the way back from the West Hills and talk, all relaxed now that they have done the nasty in the back seat of my cab. I hear some money change hands. When we get back to town, they want to find someone else to party with, so we cruise down 23rd looking. They find a girl walking alone and we slow down. My fares tell me to pull over, and the blonde woman gets out and chases the girl down around the corner. She comes back a minute later. "She wasn't into it." The blonde gets out near 21st, and the black guy has me take him back to Broadway and Burnside, where I'd first picked them up. We wait to cross Burnside, and he points across the street. "You see that skinny guy in the shadow of that building? We're going to talk to that guy." Before the light changes a classy red Lincoln drives by, heading up Burnside. "I changed my mind," he says. "Follow that car." We catch up to it on 14th and follow it right for a deserted block. It pulls over and we pull up next to it. My fare hands some cash out the window and gets a small white baggie in return. Next stop is 2nd and Burnside. I'm just getting annoyed that he made a drug deal in my cab when he hands me a hundred bucks to hold onto. (To be continued...) Murmurs MORE BEAVERS THAN YOU CAN SLAP YOUR TAIL AT! Local pols aren't the only Portlanders trekking to Philadelphia and Los Angeles these days. The Portland Police Bureau is flying two captains, two lieutenants and an officer to the national conventions to pick up crowd-control tips. News of the trip is already inspiring wisecracks among the troops--in part because both cities have been made notorious by videotapes of police beating civilians. Police spokesman Mike Hefley says the trip will help the cop shop get ready for the next big event that comes to Portland. "Believe it or not, we really do try to prepare for these things," he says. "They're not out there vacationing, you know what I mean?" * Will Portland soon be home to ABC's latest millionaire? Network sources are mum, but Murmurs hears that former WW classical music writer David Maclaine will take the hot seat this week on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Although all participants in the taped show are sworn to secrecy, WW has ferreted out Maclaine's fate. We won't spoil the ending, other than to mention that it involves yet another former WWeeker and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. You can catch Maclaine's final answer at 10 pm Thursday on KATU-TV. * Proving that Nature heals itself, the Johnson Creek beavers have returned and are rebuilding the dam that was ripped out by city engineer Russ Lawrence last fall. Lawrence has since resigned; a lot of folks are hoping he doesn't make a similar comeback. * Portland is clearly losing its civic consciousness. Earlier this summer, the Civic Auditorium was renamed the Keller Auditorium after former philanthropist Ira Keller. Now it's the Civic Stadium's turn--its new name will be the less euphonious PGE Park. For a downpayment of $710,000, the 74-year-old ballpark will bear the electricity giant's initials for the next 10 years. No word yet on whether the Civic Apartments across from the stadium will become the PGE Suites. * A little over a year ago, WW named Gladstone High's principal, Pia Leonard, Rogue of the Week for her heavy-handed censorship of then-senior Kristi McKenzie's play, When You Finally See Us. But McKenzie's play, which is a frank and honest portrayal of teen life, will finally receive its premiere this Friday courtesy of the Northwest Academy, filmmaker C.J. Keys and gallery owner Elizabeth Leach. Call 223-3367 for further information.