Ever wish you could go back in time and relive some of the greatest performers in history?  An original Shakespeare at The Globe . . . Abbot and Costello in the Catskills . . . The Rat Pack at the Sands . . . 

Well ring-a-ding-ding, The Chairman of the Board convenes another meeting . . . in the Rose City?  It’s true.  The Rat Pack Live at the Sands opens in April at the Keller (tickets on sale today).  

GoodNewsPDX doesn’t usually endorse hack knock offs or poorly executed impersonations, but this Rat Pack is nothing of the sort.  The trio who recreate Sammy, Frank and Dean-o, are truly spot-on (and have a four year run on London’s West End to prove it) and they focus strictly the hits during the two-hour spectacular.

At a time when we could all use a pick em up, do yourself a favor and grab tickets to this unbeatable evening.

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Seattle sports fans are a bit delirious this morning.  After months of nothing but mouth-souring news for our friends up I-5 (UW/WSu/Seahawks football, the Sonics leaving while the BLAZERS are in line for a playoff spot), Washingtonians finally have something to root for.

He’s back.  Ken Griffey Junior will be playing in Seattle this summer.

Anyone know where we can get some Mariners tickets this season?  

After launching a hall of fame career with the squad in Seattle twenty years ago, Griffey wants to cap off his career dressed in the gray and green.

He shrugged off an attractive offer from the Braves and waved good bye to the Cincinnati Reds (his current team) to accept a one year deal along the I-5 corridor.

The 2-million dollar (plus bonuses) bargain brings back, arguably, the greatest player in Seattle sports history and pumps a barrel of caffeine into a city that has been deprived of some Good Sports News for far too long.

Now, about those tickets . . .

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Still holding the 4th-best record in the West, the Blazers added another symbolic trophy to the display case: Sending Darius Miles home with an L.

Miles made his return to the Rose Garden wearing a Memphis jersey after a tempestuous relationship with management and fans while on the Blazer’s squad and since leaving the team last season.

A few clutch shots down the stretch sealed the 94-90 win for the boys from the Rose City, while fans made their dislike for Miles known with heavy boos throughout the game.  For his part, Miles landed six points and four blocks against three turnovers in his 17 minutes on the hardwood.  Then again, boos don’t seem to phase Miles that much.  After the game he pointed out he got plenty of boos while dressed in the red and black.  I guess you can go home again.

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A messy hunter will have to pick up his venison, bear, and other wild meats at the store for the next two years after not cleaning up on a recent trip.

It seems Ronald Cecil killed a Bighorn Sheep a couple months ago and took all the trophy parts (head and horns) but left the . . . . remains . . . behind. Hunters are required to remove the entire animal and process the meat on a kill or else it’s called Waste of Wildlife.

Tracking Cecil was relatively easy because there were only ten tags released this year to hunt big horn sheep this year and Cecil was one (it’s common to only get one chance to hunt the animals in a lifetime).

But Cecil can put his rifle and camo outfits in the closet for a while.  Like a teen that wouldn’t clean up his room, Cecil has been “grounded” from hunting for two years (suspended license).  He also got hit with some hefty fines.

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Today’s GoodNewsPDX “Stud of the Day” is US District Court Judge Ancer Hagerty. 

Judge Hagerty oversaw the plea deal of C. Wesley Rhodes this morning, a man who admits to ripping off dozens of investors for somewhere between $22 and $40 Million. 

Of course, Rhodes had a good reason for swindling these innocent people out of their retirement.  He had to bankroll his own hobby of restoring luxury cars.  (No, he didn’t really use that as a defense but that is where a chunk of the money went).

So why is Judge Hagerty our favorite person today?  It starts with the fact that Rhodes will spend the next decade in a federal prison (a very steep sentence for this type of crime by the way).

But perhaps even snazzier, some of the victims spoke during Rhodes’ sentencing.  Typically, these are emotional pleas that occasionally get a little heated.  Dick Helmberger took it to a new level, lacing into Rhodes in a tirade that drew cheers from the peanut gallery.

Here’s where Judge Hagerty is cemented as pure, unadulterated awesome.  Rhodes lawyer tried to object to the tirades, claiming his client didn’t deserve that kind of abuse. 

Judge Hagerty overruled the objection.

In court speak, that means “absolutely your client deserves it!  Now sit down!”

Enjoy your luxury suite at Chez Sheridan, C. Wesley Rhodes!  

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In all of the talk of bailouts and stimulus plans, it’s easy to miss out on all the little pieces that add up to the 800, 900, or 1 trillion dollar price tag.

One of the lesser-reported pieces that has a direct impact on Oregon, is the “budget squeeze” provision.  Of the $787 Billion proposed stimulus plan, nearly $54 Billion is earmarked for state budgets.  The idea is that cash will help stabilize things on a local level where budgets may have gone topsy-turvy due to the economy.

Oregon is looking at an $800 MILLION shortfall which has threatened schools and public works but the bill gives us about $560 million to keep things afloat.

Even better, the original plan cracked open the federal wallet in July which is way passed Oregon’s budget cycle (like getting a paycheck in July, but the rent is due in March).  But, a late change to the proposal frees up that cash a lot sooner.  So, when president Obama signs the proposal today in Denver, Oregon can start spending the money right away.

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Fantastic news this morning about one of the victims in The Zone shooting last month.  Susanna De Sousa is up and around, walking, talking, breathing on her own and even talking about attending prom at Clackamas High.

While the teen still isn’t ready to talk about the ugly night four weeks ago, her outlook on the future is bright.  You can read more about her road to recovery here.

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How far would you go to help a worthy cause?  Most of us are willing to donate our money.  A good number of us will donate our time.  But it takes a special breed of human being to sign up for the Polar Plunge set to take place on the banks of the Columbia this weekend.

Hundreds of people will climb out of their warm vehicles, take one last sip of Starbucks, shed their wintry clothes down to a bathing suit and RUN into the icy Columbia River.  The Polar Bears are taking the frigid plunge to benefit Special Olympics and expect to raise about $100K.

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Four execs in the Sherwood School District, including the superintendent, are offering to forgo salary bumps this year.  The salary freeze will save the $24,000 this year.

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Oregon celebrates its 150th birthday tomorrow (stop it!  150?  You don’t look a day over 125!).  There’s an all day party planned at the capitol to celebrate the day Oregon became state number 33 in the Union.

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