You have to hand it to the drug dealers in Old Town/Chinatown, says Howard Weiner, owner of Cal Skate Skateboards at 210 N.W. Sixth Ave. They know how to adapt to changing circumstances. And those changing circumstances ? including one of the largest police missions in years aimed at ...

Howard Weiner, one of the volunteers extraordinaire who helped Tom Potter get elected mayor in 2004, tells WWire that he's thinking of running for City Council next year. Weiner, the 56-year-old owner of Cal Skate Skateboards in Old Town, says he's considering joining the increasingly crowded field for Commissioner Sam Adams' council seat. Now that Adams is running for mayor, his open council seat has drawn a great deal of interest. Weiner is making the rounds of exploratory talks about a run and hopes to reach a decision by the end of the month. Among those on Weiner's list of peoplehe's spoken with?or is planning to speak with?are Commissioner Randy Leonard; Bob Durston, Commissioner Erik Sten's former chief of staff; and Karin Potter, the mayor's wife. Weiner is among many former Potter volunteers who felt shut out after the mayor took office, but he would be able to make a case as a candidate who's a longtime small business owner (31 1-2 years) with deep roots in the community of neighborhood activists.