🌱 Portland Public School Violence + Guns stolen from cars

Happy Wednesday, Portland! Are we ready to make the day all it can be? Only you can answer this question, but let me do my part and tell you what’s going on in the city.

First, today’s weather forecast:

It will be cloudy for most of the day, but the high will still be 74, so that will be fine.

Here are the top stories in Portland today:

1. Nearly 1,400 people woke up in the dark in southwest Portland on Tuesday morning. Portland General Electric reported 1,394 customers without power as of 5:35 a.m. The company initially estimated crews would have power restored by 8:00 a.m., but as of 8:05 a.m., 1,394 customers were still reporting an outage. The outage was reportedly caused by an equipment problem just after 2 a.m. (KOIN.com)
2. A Multnomah County Circuit Judge decided on Monday that the lawyers of Metro, the regional government of the Portland areawere right to say that an initiative of the advocacy group The people of Portland to reallocate hundreds of millions in tax dollars to homeless services could not be put on the ballot in November. (Willamette Week)
3. Educators across the country have been saying for months that this school year has been particularly difficult and that returning to school full-time after so much distance learning has been difficult for students and teachers. Colin Hawkins is a science teacher at Roseway Heights Middle School in the Portland Public School District (PPS). He and his colleagues have seen a lot this year. The first months of the school year included a big fight and a school trip.(KGW.com)
4. Cities across the country are struggling to staff parks and recreation agencies. As summer approaches, the parents of Portland are looking forward to enrolling their children in swimming lessons. Classes are rare due to lack of staff. Since June 2021, Portland Parks & Recreation held job fairs and used social media to hire more staff. He is trying to hire 100 more lifeguards and swim instructors for the 2022 summer season. Alaina Bott, PP&R Aquatic Director, says the department is frustrated and wants to be able to teach every kid in town to swim. (Fox 12 Oregon)
5. Police across the Portland-Metro area say felons are stealing guns from legal gun owners. But what people may not realize is that a lot of legal firearms in the area are stolen from unattended cars, which is becoming a major problem, according to the police. With the increase in violent crime, police across the subway station tell legal gun owners that leaving a gun in a car is a dangerous way for guns to end up in the wrong hands. (KOIN)

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Today in Portland:

• Holocène and Bogmonster Events present the 7th edition of POP + PUPPETRYan interdisciplinary spectacle for the eyes and ears! Three teams of puppeteers of varying styles will be paired with three inventive Portland-based pop/rock bands. Each puppeteer will present an original puppet show created especially for this event and synchronized with the band’s music. The results should be dazzling and help elevate the experience of both art mediums when combined. Tickets available online. Doors open at 8 p.m.
• It’s Miami Vice Fest at the Hollywood Theater. Watch two episodes from seasons two and three of the super-stylish, MTV-influenced crime show produced by Michael Mann (THIEF, HEAT, MANHUNTER). Under the stern command of police chief Castillo (Edward James Olmos), detectives Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Rico Tubbs (Philippe Michel Thomas) Infiltrate the gritty, neon-drenched underworld of drug dealers, arms dealers, and terrorists. Get your tickets online. Show time is at 7:30 p.m.
• Join Surfrider Portland Chapter in partnership with Evo, Up North Surf Club, Poler, Migration, Good Fins and Sensi Swim for a night of fun at Evo. There will be short films focusing on surfing and sustainability, as well as amazing opportunities to connect with great people and local businesses, plus pop-up sales and prizes to be won! 7 p.m.
• Join OMSI After Dark to learn about cider makingdiscover the new featured exhibition, Vinci’s world, and sample local ciders. There will be science demonstrations, more food and cider vendors than I can mention here and Juggling! Tickets available online. 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
• Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade is hosting its Free Game Night last Wednesday. With over 100 playable classic arcade and pinball games with unlimited credits for just $10 in coverage! Full bar service and food is available all day, with vegan and gluten-free options too! Noon to midnight.

From my notebook:

• Portland Audubon: “Saw-whet Owl may be difficult to see, but they are easy to hear. Keep an ear out for their too-too-too distinctive song in Oregon forests. 🎶 ➡ Tap the link in bio to go to a page with recordings of Saw-whet Owl‘…” (Instagram)
• Are you ready for some real crime, Portland? At the end, it was a drink at the Horse Brass Pub in southeast Portland that led to a break in the murder of an airport worker who disappeared more than 20 years ago. Court Cases Filed By Multnomah County Prosecutors shed new light on the case against Christophe Lovrien, 55 years old, who was arrested two years ago in the murders of Mark Dribin, 42, in 1991, and Kenneth Griffin, 53, in 2000. (The Oregonian)
• Thanks to a partnership between Portland State University and Tactical Planners Group Better block PDX, dreams really can come true for people who dream of making changes to the Portland cityscape. This year, the program will tackle design ideas that include converting a cul-de-sac into an outdoor plaza space, work with urban design expert Cathy Tuttle to refine and operationalize a plan for a car-free downtown in Portland and more. (Portland Bike)
• neighbors along alberta rally around a man known for his kind heart and murderous barbecue, after his smoker was robbed from his home, leaving him unable to earn money. And it couldn’t have come at a worse time. James Dixon and his BBQ catering business “Dixon’s Rib Pit” is a staple at events like Last Thursday, and he knows all the families on the street. (KPTV)
• After a two-year hiatus, Oregon’s famous Brewers Festival returns to Tom McCall Waterfront Park for its 33rd year. The 2022 festival will take place from From Thursday 28 July to Saturday 30 July, in downtown Portland. The festival will feature 40 beers from 40 Oregon brewers, with 80% of the beers exclusive to or debuting at the festival. Two Oregon ciders will join the lineup and Crater Lake Root Beer will be available to designated drivers and non-drinkers. (Washington Beer Blog)
• Interested in becoming a foster volunteer for a Multnomah County Shelter Animal? Why not take the first step by completing a increase the demand for volunteering? It might help to spend some time at a shelter to help bottle-feed kittens or give anxious dogs some attention. Check them. (Animals of Multnomah County)

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It’s the middle of the week and we already have puppets, bottle-fed kittens and stolen weapons. But that’s just Portland, folks, and we’ve learned to go with the flow. Ride this wave, my friends, but let it bring you back here tomorrow for other daily events.

— Dominique Anaïa

About Me: Physician, educator, and now writer/artist, just chilling out in Portland, OR with my wife, our ferrets, chickens, and goats.

Do you have a news tip or a suggestion for an upcoming Portland Daily? Contact me at portland@patch.com