Hillary Watch Any time a first lady comes to town, you can expect a crowd of admirers. But these aren't just any times, so Hillary Clinton's visit last week drew even more attention than usual. While the national media were picking over her husband's dirty laundry, Mrs. Clinton came to Portland to praise both Portland State University (for its new student-funded child-care program) and Democratic congressional hopeful David Wu. But it was the prospect of the first lady falling into a tabloid trap--and losing her cool in public--that attracted at least one spectator, who drove from Eugene just for the event. "I want to see how she handles herself now," said University of Oregon student Allison Higgins. "So far she has taken a very stoic approach, and I'm waiting to see her break." Unfortunately for Higgins, Hillary managed to keep it together, at least for one more day. --Lauren Rubin "Excuse Me, Ms. Lewinsky, did you say a CIGAR?"? The stained dress, the phone sex, the presidential stogie--you've heard it all. In fact, you've probably heard it so many times you're sick of it. If so, imagine how local lawyer Karin Immergut must feel. She took a six-month leave from the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office to join the other lawyers on Kenneth Starr's sleaze patrol. For months she's lived and breathed nothing but presidential scandal. In fact, the former federal prosecutor played a prominent role in the investigation of the Big Creep. Immergut was the lawyer responsible for questioning Monica Lewinsky before the grand jury. She also questioned the president's secretary, Betty Currie. The two women's statements, portions of which have been widely broadcast, have become the most important pieces of testimony in the Starr investigation. But what most people don't know--and what Immergut must--is the full story. Some of Lewinsky's testimony has not been released to the public. Immergut returns to the DA's office on Oct. 28, when she will probably become a hot commodity on the cocktail-party circuit. --Maureen O'Hagan Chain Reaction Last week's death of forest activist David Chain--who was crushed by a felled tree in Northern California--was a grim reminder to Oregon activists that saving the earth is not always fun and games. Chain was killed while protesting the Headwaters timber sale in federally owned old-growth forests near Ukiah. He was using a tactic called "cat and mouse," in which activists dash and yell through the forest. The intent is to make loggers aware that there are people in the forest so they will stop cutting down trees, at least temporarily, to avoid hurting someone. According to Ivan Maluski, the volunteer coordinator for Cascadia Forest Alliance, which trains and organizes protesters, the hundreds of activists working in Oregon forests routinely use cat and mouse--along with tree sitting and chaining themselves to equipment and timber-road gates--to protect the forests. He says that the cat-and-mouse tactic is legal because public land is open to anyone, even during timber cutting, unless the U.S. Forest Service officially closes off an area. Chain's death is the first casualty in the war between the Forest Service and forest protesters. In Oregon, Maluski says, the violence has been limited to the vandalism of protesters' cars during the Clark timber sale near Eugene. A Portland memorial service for Chain--one of several on the West Coast--is scheduled at Terry Schrunk Plaza (Southwest 3rd Avenue and Madison Street) from noon Thursday, Oct. 1, to 1 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2. --Patty Wentz Fast Times In 1965, when Sandy Koufax wanted to celebrate Yom Kippur, Los Angeles manager Walter Alston simply juggled his playoff pitching rotation to allow the Cy Young Award Winner to shed his Dodgers cap for his yarmulke. Jewish high-school soccer players in Portland are not so lucky. On the eve of Yom Kippur, local soccer games and practices will follow their regular schedule, much to the dismay of parents and rabbis in the community. "It's wrong to put a child in the position of having to choose between sports and the holiest day on the Jewish calendar," said Baruch Melman, assistant rabbi of Congregation Sharee Torah. Melman says the issue comes up almost every year at this time because, unlike the Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter, Yom Kippur usually falls on a day when school is in session. "This has been an ongoing issue, and we wish that the schools would pay attention to the needs of the Jewish community," says the mother of a local varsity soccer player. "Even if our son just misses a practice due to the high holidays, he won't be allowed to play in the next game." Calvin Green, the assistant athletic director for the Portland Interscholastic League, says scheduling has not caused an uproar. He says the potential conflict for some athletes is unfortunate, but "we are not going to be able to please everybody." --Lauren Rubin FOLLOW-UP Match Game '98 When adoptees and birth parents are looking for each other, they often don't know where to start. While the state of Oregon provides a confidential registry, it has a couple of drawbacks. First, there is a fee. Second, only people adopted in Oregon can sign up ("Bastard," Sept. 16, 1998). This weekend, however, people around the country will be introduced to a much larger registry that covers the world. The International Soundex Reunion Registry, based in Carson City, Nev., is a massive database--the largest of its kind--for anyone who wants to find missing blood kin, specifically adoptees and birth parents. The service is free and has been running as a nonprofit organization since 1975. ISRR processes 1,000 to 1,500 applications every month. Last year there were 603 matches. Saturday is International Registration Day. In Oregon and 35 other states, volunteers will pass out registration forms to people 18 and over. In Portland, there will be a table set up in front of the Lloyd Center Mall Waldenbooks. Call ISRR ([702] 882-7755) to request an application. --Patty Wentz FOLLOW-UP Trouble in the House District Last week's story about Martin Gonzalez's legislative bid sparked a dispute between two former political allies. The story ("Political Race") stated that Gonzalez, the independent candidate running in House District 18, had the backing of Democratic state Rep. Jo Ann Bowman. That information was based on a list of current endorsers provided to WW by Gonzalez's campaign manager. Bowman could not be reached for comment before the story was printed, but after publication she called to say she is supporting Democratic candidate Deborah Kafoury. Bowman says she did endorse Gonzalez when he planned on running against Kafoury in the Democratic primary but withdrew her support when he failed to qualify for the May primary ballot. Bowman said she made this clear to Gonzalez several times. Gonzalez, who is running as an independent candidate in November, maintains that Bowman never rescinded her endorsement and still considers her a supporter. "I have not been told that I need to take her name off my endorsement list," Gonzalez says. Macceo Pettis, a member of Gonzalez's strategy team, says he is shocked at Bowman's "turnaround" and is attempting to set up a meeting between Bowman and leaders in the African-American community who support Gonzalez. --Josh Feit     originally published September 30, 1998