🌱 Revitalizing 122nd Ave. + More Multnomah Shelter Beds

Dominic Anaya
Updated ·6 min read

It's a Thursday, peeps. And it's National Puppy Day! I think they mean National Cuteness Day. But squee on your own time, because I'm going to tell you about today.

First, today's weather:

Cloudy, but with no rain and a high of 64. I'll take it.

Here are the top five stories today in Portland:

  1. For decades, 122nd Avenue has gone nowhere fast. A drive down this north-south thoroughfare displays the effects of City Hall’s neglect of East Portland. The vista is dotted with used car dealerships, lottery delis and chain restaurants. It’s one of the roads where Portlanders most frequently die in traffic and runs through the neighborhoods where they are most likely to be shot. And it’s where the city’s economic development arm, Prosper Portland, is being offered a chance at renewed relevance and perhaps to revive its faltering finances. (Willamette Week)

  2. Bullseye Glass and Precision Castparts both had to put out millions of settlement dollars after they were involved in class action lawsuits regarding their air pollution levels. Those who received settlement money from the companies have, in part, moss and local researchers to thank. In 2016, the U.S. Forest Service released a report of its raw findings on Portland moss and air quality. It showed that some moss samples collected around Portland had high concentrations of multiple toxic metals. (KGW.com)

  3. As Oregon moves past the two-year mark of the coronavirus pandemic, the state’s overall economic picture continues to improve. The Oregon Employment Department released its latest figures Tuesday, showing the unemployment rate in the state ticked down to 4% in February, from January’s adjusted unemployment rate of 4.2%. Oregon’s overall unemployment rate was still slightly above the national average of 3.8% in February. An unemployment rate of 4% is the lowest Oregon has achieved since before the pandemic. (OPB)

  4. Multnomah County is opening up more shelter beds after two years of operating shelters at half capacity for social distancing. However, there’s a common misconception that the county cut the number of beds, when in fact there are more beds available today than before the pandemic. The visibility of Portland’s homeless crisis has increased amid the pandemic, but professionals on homelessness say the number of tents on the street doesn’t always correlate to the number of people sleeping outside. (KOIN)

  5. MAX riders who take the Red Line won’t be able to take the train for the first week of April due to a temporary stop in service. The 8-day service disruption, from April 2 to 9, is part of a much bigger plan to improve the red line called “Better Red Project.” The project will cost an estimated $215 million to improve the Red Line’s service, with almost half of funding coming from the federal government. (KPTV)

From our sponsor:

Today’s newsletter is brought to you in part by Ring, a Patch Brand Partner. We all know that Ring is the leader in video doorbells for home security. But did you know that Ring now makes a home security system that is getting raves from consumer electronic experts?

To learn more about Ring Alarm Pro, the system CNET called "the future of home security,” or to build your own custom system, visit Ring here.

Today in Portland:

  • Do you like table-top board games? From Connect 4 to Catan, the 4th Wall in SE Portland is taking over the tabletops tonight. Free to play! Proof of vax required. 6:00 - 9:00 pm.

  • Come to JaJa PDX for an evening of short films by local Portland filmmakers. Another ShortShort Cinema Night (part of a 4-day Showcase at JaJa PDX) will feature a collection of shorts from comedy to avant garde, animation, and more. Enjoy short films, chat with community and makers, tour artist studios, and have a little VR moment if you're so inspired. Tickets available online. The show starts at 7:30 PM.

  • XRAY.FM and Holocene present: Rose Tinted - Live Hip-Hop Band Playing Classic Cuts!
    Calling all hip-hop fans and beat heads! Rose Tinted is the hip-hop project you didn't know you needed. Opening up the night on this one-time showcase is beat producer Calvin Valentine and Portland MC, Milc. The two will be performing tracks from their most recent album, "Tiger Milc," for the first time live! Tickets available online. Doors open at 8:00 PM.

  • Monarch presents Meredith Lane at Kelly's Olympian in downtown Portland. Meredith Lane is a singer/songwriter who grew up playing music near the beautiful mountains of Joseph Oregon. She is known for her genre jumping tunes, soulful voice, and heartfelt lyrics. She'll be joined by singer/songwriter Leah Hueser. Tickets available online. Showtime is 9:00 PM.

  • DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid present Tropitaal - A Desi-Latino Soundclash. Take the sultry vibe of the Latin American Tropics, combine with the rhythm of India (“Taal”) and stir into Tropitaal, a Desi/Latino Soundclash where the hottest club sounds from India and Latin America go head to head in an all-night dance-off of epic proportions. Happening at the Goodfoot in SE Portland. Doors open at 9:00 PM.

From my notebook:

  • Portland Trail Blazers: ""This opportunity is not about basketball, this opportunity is about a legacy that started with a young girl and her father” - @coachednieshacurry #RipCityStrong #GirlDad" (Instagram)

  • Portland Audubon: "Have you ever thought of combining kayaking and birding? We’ve planned the perfect beginner-friendly kayaking trip complete with an easy dry launch and route paddling on calm backwaters adjacent to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. ..." (Instagram)

  • Nonprofit Association of Oregon: "The COVID-19 pandemic brought an existing healthcare crisis into focus: inequities with employer-sponsored health insurance. The traditional fully-insured model of employee health insurance is no longer cost-effective nor does it benefit..." (Facebook)

  • Comedy as a universal pick-me-up is reflected in George’s OPTIMISM! Comedy Showcase, which he hosts monthly. It’s named after a decade-old New York City MetroCard still stuck on George’s electric guitar (right next to a decal from George’s favorite band, The Thermals). The 35-year-old comic can’t remember why the NYC subway was branding its cards with random messages of positivity, but the idea “stuck” with him. (Willamette Week)

  • The Oregon Zoo’s first California condor chick of 2022 has hatched at their Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation. The zoo released video Tuesday that shows the fluffy little gray hatchling. Officials say this is a significant hatch in the effort to save the critically endangered species. Zookeepers are keeping a close eye on the hatchling with 24-7 security cameras.(KATU)

  • Since entering service in 1986 as one of Tri-Met's original MAX cars, train 120 has traveled over 2 million miles. Listen to Tri-Met worker reminisce about one of the longest running trains of the MAX fleet. (YouTube)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

Loving the Portland Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

So, it's a Thursday for appreciating your puppies, thinking more highly of moss and thinking about condor chicks. That's a jam packed day, but meet me back here tomorrow and we'll do it all again. I love you Portland and I'll see you tomorrow.

— 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