The Rose Quarter and Memorial Coliseum must become "authentically Portland," declared Mayor Sam Adams last week as he kicked off the first meeting of the citizen group tasked with helping redevelop the area. But it might be tough for the 32-person committee to agree on what "authentically Portland" actually looks like. "There are ways that stadiums have been developed that are quasi-authentic, in a fake downtowny sort of way that I'm not really interested in pursuing," said real estate agent Walter Valenta at the meeting. Only one idea is set in stone: The exterior of Memorial Coliseum will stay. Adams called out for coliseum reuse ideas via Twitter and received dozens of ideas of varying quality. Giant shark tank, anyone? SARAH MIRK.

***

Just 24 hours before the filing deadline last week, Karol Collymore declared her candidacy for Northeast Portland's open Senate seat. Formerly of NARAL Pro Choice Oregon and now with County Commissioner Jeff Cogen's office, Collymore joins an already tough race for the District 22 seat after the retirement of Oregon's sole African American Democrat legislator, Margaret Carter. "This is about what I want to do for my neighbors," says Collymore, when asked about her chances of winning. "That's my life, that's my career." The other contenders for the seat, Chip Shields and Jo Ann Bowman, both have experience as politicians in Salem. County commissioners—possibly including Collymore's current boss Cogen—will choose the senator on Thursday, September 24. SM