🌱 Former Mayor Bud Clark Dies+Portland Rents Skyrocket

Dominic Anaya
·6 min read
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Happy First Thursday, Portland! Whether you're celebrating local art or not, let me fill you in on what's going on today.

First, today's weather:

Rainy in the morning and cloudy all day with a high of 47.

Here are the top stories today in Portland:

  1. Neighbors in Multnomah Village have more questions than answers about a Safe Rest Village site in southwest Portland. The Sears Armory parking lot on Southwest Multnomah Boulevard could be the home of one of six Safe Rest Villages to address the homeless crisis in Portland. "People who live directly adjacent to the property still haven't been reached out to, they can't get their phone calls returned.," Kylie, a neighbor who wanted to be identified by only her first name, said. (KPTV.com)

  2. Former Portland Mayor Bud Clark, who stunned an incumbent mayor with his election in 1984, has died. He was 90. Despite his two terms running Oregon’s largest city, Clark may be best remembered as the model in the famous “Expose Yourself to Art” poster. The poster, which showed Clark in a trench coat flashing a sculpture in downtown Portland, captured the same insouciant style that drove him to a surprising mayoral victory over Frank Ivancie in May 1984. That win was enough of an upset that it earned Clark an appearance on the iconic Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. (OPB)

  3. Providence Portland Medical Center has opened a new 48-bed emergency health center for low-acuity COVID patients on the unfinished ninth floor of its cancer center tower. The first patient has already been taken into the floor, according to Providence Portland Medical Center Chief Executive Krista Farnham. The update was completed in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) as part of an effort to increase hospital capacity statewide. (KGW)

  4. The cost of rent is continuing to rise across the U.S. According to real estate firm Redfin, the average cost of rent nationwide rose 14% compared to last year. In Portland, the average cost of rent rose by 29%. A study using 2018 census data shows about a quarter of Americans spend more than half their monthly income on rent. (KATU)

  5. Student access to in-person classes remains under serious threat, Oregon state health and education leaders said Tuesday. With the hospital surge still underway, state health and education leaders say now is not the time to lift the mask mandate in schools. The mask requirement for Oregon students, teachers and other staff will remain place until March 4 to keep schools open by lowering the risk of COVID transmission. (KOIN)

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Today in Portland:

  • The Hollywood Theater in NE Portland will be showing the classic B&W film The Thin Man. Nick Charles (William Powell), a former private detective who spends most of his time consuming copious amounts of alcohol and trading witty banter with his beautiful socialite wife Nora Charles (Myrna Loy), is reluctantly brought out of retirement to help find a missing inventor suspected of murdering his mistress. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

  • For a laid-back evening of music, head to Parker's Hideout in SE Portland for The Juicy Jam. The Juicy Jam’s only goal is to jam, and The Juicy Jam’s only rule is no covers. Instrumentalists can blast off on space jams and be the backing band to songwriters from all over the place! Songwriters can find their band and explore new material in an environment that’s soaking wet with excitement! 7:00 PM to Midnight.

  • If you want some laughs, check out the Cruz Room in NE Portland for Cruz Control Comedy. Local stand-up talent to put some humor in your evening. 7:30 - 9:00 PM.

  • Kelly's Olympian in downtown Portland is featuring their First Thursday hip hop showcase, The Thesis. Tonight there will be performances by Karma Rivera, Dreemy Alpha, Trox, Alana Rich and Verbz. Tickets available online. Doors open at 8:30 PM.

  • It looks like tonight is a night of hip hop, as SE Portland spot No Fun brings you performances by Playboy Smooth, Aaron Fairchild and OAFS. This is a cash only venue. Proof of vaccination required. The music starts at 7:00 PM.

From my notebook:

  • Portland Trail Blazers: "Happy Black History Month, Rip City! Join us as we support locally Black owned restaurants, share exclusive content, host our annual Celebration of Black History and so much more. 🖤" (Instagram)

  • Travel Portland: ""@WordIsBondPDX is a leadership program serving young Black men. The tours are designed to highlight the voices, dreams and experiences of rising black men..." The "In My Shoes" walking tours take place in Lents, Cully, Mt. Scott and man..." (Instagram)

  • Portland Audubon: "📣Will you take a few minutes to protect the Elliott State Forest?All you need to do is email the Oregon legislature today to tell them you strongly support Senate Bill 1546 (-1), which would turn the Elliott into a Research Forest wit..." (Instagram)

  • Portland Public Schools: "Colby O'Leary ('22), Ida B. Wells High School - Portland, OR senior, will complete his PPS education a semester early. O'Leary completed 4 years of the Construction Technologies Career & Technical Education (CTE) program! Congrats Colby!" (Facebook)

  • Friends of Family Farmers: "Wondering what the Farmworker Overtime Bill is all about? Here is what is included in HB 4002: 5 year transitional period to get to the 40 hour threshold - In 2023 and 2024, overtime would kick in at 55 hours In 2025 and 2026 it would ki..." (Facebook)

  • Charter Commissioners have been making progress in charter review. Between summer 2021 and January 2022, the two subcommittees determined desired outcomes for charter reform; established initial research questions; built an understanding about current conditions and alternatives; agreed to early reforms; analyzed options for reforms; and heard from Portlanders through public comment and community listening sessions. This week, the Form of Government and City Council Elections subcommittees met for the last time. Here's some of the changes that have been agreed upon. (portland.gov)

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That's it for today, my friends! See you all tomorrow morning for another update.

— Dominic Anaya

About me: Doctor, educator and now a writer/artist, I'm just chillin' in Portland, OR with my wife, our ferrets, our chickens and our goats.

This article originally appeared on the Portland Patch