Fares, please, and a job, too?

By Phil Stanford

The Portland Tribune, Feb 4, 2005, Updated Oct 30, 2009

The No. 14 bus was overflowing when it reached the intersection of Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and Grand Avenue Ñ but relax, folks. “Just remember,” announced the friendly driver, “next month there will be fewer buses per hour.” É “And in April there will be a 5-cent fare increase.” É “And in September,” he continued, “we’ll probably be asking you to bring washers and squeegees so you can clean windows for us.” The nice lady at TriMet says, yes, they are, in fact, considering a few measures to make up for increased fuel prices. But the part about washing windows? Don’t worry, he’s just kidding. É Nothing yet on the dude in hip-hop garb who grabbed a 6-carat diamond ring worth $100,000 and beat feet out of Margulis Jewelers last month. É Police say they haven’t ID’d him yet, but sources say it’s only a matter of time. After KGW (8) showed a surveillance video from the store, several viewers called in to say they recognized the malefactor Ñ meaning, of course, that he must be a local product.

• • •

Must be doing something right over at all those city-owned SmartPark lots. In the year since the Portland Business Alliance lost the contract to Star Park, costs to the city are down almost a million bucks and revenues are up. Who says this isn’t the City That Works? Finally. É The winner of last election’s special award for wittiest gubernatorial candidate, Jack Roberts, asks: “Based on your scheme to take advantage of the Clean Money initiative, can we assume you were one of Dan Doyle’s campaign consultants?” É Before I answer that one, maybe I’d better talk to my lawyer. É Dan Yost, who co-wrote the screenplay for Gus Van Sant’s 1989 breakthrough movie,“Drugstore Cowboy,” has since gone indie in a big way. Last month, he wrapped up a romantic comedy titled “Hank, Aaron and the Alien From Outer Space,” which he shot here with himself as the entire production crew. Now that’s what I call independent. É P-town’s premier divorce lawyer, Jody Stahancyk, has just been recognized by Apple computers for, among other things, increasing the size of her staff from two to 50, growing from one office to five Ñ and, oh, yes, buying 57 Macs to equip all those busy workers. É With Valentine’s Day coming up, Jody wants everyone to remember: “We mend broken hearts.” Ain’t she sweet.

• • •

Good to see dapper Paul Knauls get a little of what’s coming to him at the Blazer game Wednesday night. Good also to see the Blazers honoring members of the black community for contributions that sometimes slip under the radar. É Surely, everyone knows about Geneva’s Shear Perfection, Paul’s barbershop and beauty salon on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, where so many of the Blazers get their hair cut. But how many remember the Cotton Club, the very happening nightclub at the corner of North Vancouver and Tillamook, that he had back in the ’60s? É Don’t want to embarrass him or anything, but Paul, 74, could give everyone a lesson in looking good. His secret? “Working out every morning at the Matt Dishman Center with my wife, Geneva” Ñ who, now that you mention it, is looking mighty fine herself.

Contact Phil Stanford by phone at 503-546-5166 or by e-mail at philstanford@portlandtribune.com.

Facebook	Digg	Del.icio.us
Newsvine	Stumbleupon	Reddit