It's hard to imagine how Hollywood in 2009 could possibly continue to crank out such satisfying, comic book hero adventures one after another as it did in 2008, a year when we were treated to a quartet of outstanding offerings, including Iron Man, The Amazing Hulk, Wanted and The Dark Knight. Unfortunately, that impressive string comes to an abrupt end with the release of the Watchmen, an underwhelming splatter flick bound to be as well remembered for its casual display of  . . .

Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown visited The Skanner offices last week to talk about improving the auditing system, the citizens initiative system and how to reach traditionally disenfranchised communities of voters. . . .

James Faison, owner of Faison Construction, is one of five small minority and women-owned firms that are learning the details of hospital construction with large firms. The mentorship program is being coordinated by Kaiser Permanente for work on their new and old facilities.

Building hospitals can be tricky business. It's a specialized profession and if you're the owner of a construction company that doesn't have a hospital work history, you can virtually forget about getting those kinds of contracts. Kaiser Permanente is hoping to change all that.

Alyce Dixon, Gladys Schuster Carter, and Mary Crawford Ragland, all members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, were honored by the U.S. Army's Freedom Team Salute program at a ceremony at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Dixon is the oldest surviving member of the Battalion at 101 years old. . . .

You might not know it, but Oregon has a long history with the film industry. Thousands of films have been produced in the state and state officials say they'd like to see that number increase.
With "Coraline" already in theatres, a new untitled Harrison Ford film in the making and the TNT-produced "Leverage" series soon to be in production, the Portland area continues to grow in its reputation as a film town – and an area where jobs in the film industry can be sustained. . . .

The formation of a Major League Soccer franchise in Portland took another step forward this week.
The Major League Soccer Task Force approved a set of recommendations that would see the city refurbish PGE Park as a soccer-only stadium and constructing a new minor league baseball stadium elsewhere in the city.
In order to bring MLS soccer to the city, PGE Park would need a $38 million upgrade and the Beavers would need a new, smaller stadium that is better suited for its attendance levels. The Task Force recommends either destroying Memorial Coliseum to build a new stadium in its footprint or expanding the Walker Stadium baseball facility located in the Lents neighborhood . . .

What's happening for you in your city this week? Read here a day-by-day diary of free community events to fill your spare time. For a full calendar please click on "Read the complete article" below . . . .

What's happening for you in your city this week? Read here a day-by-day diary of free community events to fill your spare time. For a full calendar please click on "Read the complete article" below . . . .

The Skanner Annual Black History Edition is out now. The theme is using online resources to discover your history.
 Click here to read it.

A three-judge panel heard arguments Tuesday on whether a former member of the Black Panther Party, who is also one of the so-called Angola 3, should have a third trial for the 1972 slaying of a prison guard.
Lawyers for Albert Woodfox want the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a decision by a federal judge in Baton Rouge, who overturned Woodfox's conviction for the murder of Brent Miller, a 23-year-old guard at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. . . .