Portland City Hall rumbled with a handful of high-profile staffing changes this month. First, on Thursday, February 16, City Commissioner Amanda Fritz and Mayor Sam Adams announced their pick for the first-ever director of the new Office of Equity and Human Rights: Dante James, a political consultant from Denver who once did work for the Clinton administration. That same day, we learned that Adams—in his final 10 months in office—would soon be onto his third chief of staff. Warren Jimenez, a well-regarded aide who’d been running Adams’ office only since last January, has taken a job as assistant director of Portland Parks and Recreation. Adams’ deputy chief, Jennifer Yocom, will replace Jimenez. And replacing her? Adams’ spokeswoman, Amy Ruiz. DENIS C. THERIAULT
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Multnomah County Library unveiled its proposed budget cuts and the news ain’t good: Starting in July, all library branches in Portland will be closed on Monday and the system will lay off 43 full-time workers. Though Multnomah County has the second-busiest library system in the nation (after New York), its 10 percent budget cut is typical of county reductions proposed this year. Voters have two chances to boost the library: A property levy renewal goes to a vote in May and the formation of a library district will be on the November ballot. But even if voters pass both, extra money won’t come until 2013. SARAH MIRK
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Like a gay phoenix, Just Out has risen from the dead! The LGBT newspaper shuttered in December 2011 after nearly 30 years, but a small publishing company headed by local couple Eddie Glenn and Jonathan Kipp has plans to relaunch first the Just Out website and then the paper. Last week, a second queer-specific publication launched: PQ Monthly hosted its coming-out party at the Jupiter Hotel. SM