2000: Still A Space Needle Odyssey Explosive evidence of a planned millennial assault on Seattle's Space Needle hasn't extinguished New Year's plans for a group of undaunted A-list Portlanders. After Ahmed Ressam's arrest last Tuesday for smuggling bomb-making materials into the country, authorities learned that the Algerian had reserved a room in a motel just steps away from the Space Needle and the Seattle Center. The resulting media attention has prompted many people to decide to stay home for the biggest New Year's Eve in the last 1,000 years. But the news doesn't intimidate Wendy Warren, the Prendergast family and other prominent Rose City citizens; they haven't canceled plans to ring in the new century across the river on the top three levels of the famous Seattle landmark. Warren, who recently lost three sons and her ex-husband, Macheezmo Mouse founder Tiger Warren, in a plane crash, began planning the gala back in 1992 and booked the space early. She could not be reached for comment, but one guest, Todd Prendergast, figures security will be airtight. In fact, he says, publicity over the arrest may make the needle one of the safest places in the country to party Dec. 31. --Deborah Rossiter Bragdon Rights It appears likely that David Bragdon will no longer be driving a cab through the streets of Portland. On Jan. 6, his colleagues on the part-time Metro Council will probably give him a full-time job as their presiding officer. The vote would double Bragdon's salary and mark a change of direction for the three-county agency that oversees growth, parks, garbage disposal and the Oregon Zoo. Does Bragdon, who has sat on the council only since January, have the four votes needed for a promotion? "I have folks telling me I do," he says. "You never really know until January." Councilor Rod Monroe has held the job for a year and is credited for establishing cordial relations with Metro Executive Mike Burton after the more tumultuous three-year reign of Monroe's predecessor, Jon Kvistad. For some councilors, the push for a change is based on their view that Monroe was too close to Burton and too often surprised his colleagues. "Rod probably tends to be more hands-off," says Councilor Ed Washington. "Rod probably tends to--and this is not a criticism--do some things and then share that with council a little bit later. Whereas David is probably a lot more like me--he tends to talk to people and keep people apprised." In addition, whereas Monroe says he has consciously not used the position to advance his policy views, Bragdon would most likely represent a more activist force at the helm of the Metro Council. The presiding officer manages and hires a small council staff, sets meeting agendas and represents the public face of the Metro Council. The salary is $56,867, twice as much as other councilors make. --Nick Budnick Mayor's Ball It looks like Vera Katz won't get a completely free ride into a third term. While no heavyweights have stepped up to challenge the mayor, a couple of fresh faces are preparing for runs. On Friday, Dec. 17, Robert Ball picked up the paperwork needed to file his candidacy. He's a political neophyte, but, he says, "You can't help but think about politics when you live across the street from the mayor." Ball, who lives in a Northwest Portland condo across from Katz, has been feeling out potential supporters and expects to make a decision soon. The owner of four apartment buildings, he says he's disturbed at neighborhood associations' lack of influence at City Hall, as well as what he characterized as Katz's "backroom deal making," such as her bid to bring Triple-A baseball to Civic Stadium. Ball, 33, does have one item on his résumé that could come in handy. After being robbed at gunpoint in 1995, he went through the police academy and has since logged 3,000 hours as a volunteer police officer, wearing a gun, badge and uniform, conducting patrols and responding to minor calls. If he jumps into the race, Ball plans to seek the support of the Portland Police Association--and actually could get it, if Tom Mack's personal opinion means anything. "I've known Robert for six or seven years," says the police union's secretary-treasurer. "I'd like to see him run. I'd like to see him win." The most serious challenger to Katz so far is Pomona College student Jake Oken-Berg (see Q&A). As for Katz, she still has not announced her final decision. Asked to comment on her neighbor's potential candidacy, the mayor's spokeswoman, Elisa Dozono, said only, "The mayor will be announcing her intentions in January." --Nick Budnick Seeking Shelter With just over a month until its closing date, the YWCA's SafeHaven Shelter for Families is scrambling to find funding to buy its building from the Archdiocese of Portland. SafeHaven is one of three shelters in Portland providing 24-hour, year-round services to homeless families. For the estimated 622 families (1,866 individuals) who are homeless at any given time, there are just 129 beds available in the winter and 84 year-round. SafeHaven can handle up to nine families, with up to 25 people. By all accounts, the Archdiocese is cutting the YWCA a deal, asking $410,000 for the former convent (now used as the shelter), rectory and two vacant lots at 4610 N Maryland St. The Y has already paid a $6,000 deposit and received a gift of $150,000 from the Collins Foundation. The Y has until Feb. 1 to come up with financing for the rest, and it looks like it will make it. Key Bank has offered to loan the Y the money at a low commercial rate, but Jean DeMaster, director of the YWCA, hopes to put together a package of below-market-rate loans from Portland Development Corporation and foundations. Such a financing plan, she says, would free up enough money to upgrade the property and enable the Y to shelter one more family. The Y also hopes to consolidate some of its other services at the site. Most of all, however, the purchase will allow families to stay together and children such as Daniel, 11, and his sister Maria, 6, to keep their World Wrestling Federation War Zone and teddy bear collections intact. It will allow them, as DeMaster put it, to "solve their problems as a family." Money isn't the only barrier to housing homeless families. Portland's strict land-use requirements make siting shelters difficult. DeMaster says that if Portland loses SafeHaven, which is already zoned for group living, it could be years before another location is found. --Rachel Graham The YWCA is accepting donations for its purchase of SafeHaven. Contact Jean DeMaster at 294-7486 for details. Ways of Giving If you're one of those who finished your holiday shopping weeks ago, we encourage you to quit smirking and use your free time to help people in need. And if you're one of those still scrambling to buy something--anything--for that bratty nephew of yours, we suggest you, too, could better put your energy elsewhere. Here's WW's list of favorite charitable causes. 1. Wallace Medical Concern (274-1277) and Apoyo Latino (223-5907): Both agencies provide medical services to the area's Hispanic populations and need donations and bilingual volunteers. Apoyo Latino is a program of the Cascade AIDS Project. 2. The Community Transitional School (916-5743) desperately needs classroom supplies. The northeast Portland School serves an average of 50 to 60 kids from preschool through the eighth grade whose families live in shelters, welfare hotels or worse. 3. The Community Cycling Center (288-8864) will refurbish any kids' bike you donate and give it to the Foster Parents Association for distribution to needy kids. You can drop bikes off at the center (2407 NE Alberta St.) or any Bike Gallery. 4. The Nature Conservancy (230-1221) buys land to help endangered species survive. 5. Boxcar Bertha's Coffee House (248-9231) at 1000 NW 17th Ave. helps support the activities of Sisters of the Road Cafe, which has been serving Portland's homeless and low-income populations for 20 years. The Little Thaw First the good news: Although the Dec. 17 contract mediation session between the Portland Police Association and the city didn't produce an agreement, both sides slouched closer together for the first time in recent weeks ("The Big Chill," WW, Oct. 6, 1999). The bad news? The movement was on matters of overtime and comp time, while the big issue in the 11-month-long negotiations remains salary, salary, salary. Portland police officers earn annual salaries that start at $31,304 and max out at $51,376 after five years. Once the best-paid police force in the state, Portland cops now earn 5 percent less than Multnomah County deputy sheriffs and Beaverton police officers. Salary was not even discussed Dec. 17. So what does each side want? "Our official offer is to be the highest-paid police agency in the state," says Greg Pluchos, president of the 980-member union. "No movement on wages is an insulting watermark." The city would like to stick to its offer of a 7 percent raise, pegged only to the Consumer Price Index, over three years. With contract negotiations under way with city firefighters, any movement away from that position would ripple through all future contracts. David Shaff, the city's employee relations manager, promises that salary will make it to the table at the final negotiating session on Jan. 24--one year after negotiations first began. "One side or the other is going to declare an impasse, I suspect," he says, which would kick-start a 30-day cooling-off period before binding arbitration begins. "Both sides have to move." Pluchos does not cheer the prospect of going to arbitration, but he agrees that's the arc right now. "I'm losing my optimism," he says. --Philip Dawdy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published December 22, 1999