Standing at a podium in city council chambers on Friday afternoon, June 16, Mayor Tom Potter made an announcement that surprised no one: Police Chief Derrick Foxworth would be demoted, following an investigation into allegations that Foxworth misused city email by writing sexual notes to Angela Oswalt, a woman and coworker he had an affair […]
Amy Jenniges
Posted inUncategorized
Tastes Like Mush
A Baby Food Taste Test
Poor babies. Not only are infants forced to shit their pants, but they have to eat puréed fruits and veggies—”baby food”—for dinner. Ick. But if you are a baby—or a parent who cares which variety of crap you shove in front of your kid—the Mercury‘s here for you! We dutifully tasted a fancy organic variety […]
Posted inNews
Bashed on Stark
Police Investigate Anti-Gay Crime
Early Saturday morning, June 3, as most of Portland’s bars were shutting down, a group of friends left the Escape Night Club on SW Park and headed toward 10th and SW Stark to see what was going on at some of the other gay clubs. One of the four—all gay men in their 20s—was dressed […]
Posted inGeneral
The Baby Issue
Who Are They… Where Are They From… WHAT DO THEY WANT??
Pullout: The Baby Issue
Posted inMovies & TV
Angst in a Van
The Puffy Chair: Our Generation’s Road-Trip Movie
Though The Puffy Chair is the kind of movie that urgently, pathetically wants you to be “Our MySpace Friend!!!” (as the film’s website screams), this award-winning indie flick is worth checking out. An amalgamation of Garden State and… well, any road-trip movie you’ve ever seen, The Puffy Chair is a late-20s quarter-life crisis journey. Which, […]
Posted inNews
The Big Picture
Neighbors Should Think Beyond Their Own Backyard
On May 22, neighbors around North Mississippi Avenue declared victory after successfully sending developers of a new mixed-use condo project back to the drawing board. Neighbors’ complaints over the Mississippi Avenue Lofts’ size—it’s a four-story building—swayed the city’s Historical Landmarks Commission. The problem is that projects like the Mississippi Avenue Lofts are exactly the sort […]
Posted inNews
Sit Down
Sit-Lie Ordinance to be Extended, Possibly Reworked
Downtown Portland’s Sit-Lie Ordinance (or, formally, the Obstructions as Nuisance ordinance) was supposed to sunset on June 15. But thanks to a push from the Portland Business Alliance (PBA), the council will likely extend the law—which largely targets downtown’s homeless population, by prohibiting sitting, kneeling, or creating “a trip hazard or obstruction” on the sidewalks. […]
Posted inNews
Lofty Proposal
Mississippi Condos Get Neighbors’ Nod
Bill Jackson wasn’t expecting such a huge crowd. He’d only brought 100 handouts describing his Mississippi Avenue Lofts development project to pass out at the May 8 Boise Neighborhood Association meeting. As it turned out, nearly 200 people crammed into the windowless cafeteria at North Mississippi’s Albina Youth Opportunity School, eager to discuss the Lofts […]
Posted inExtras
Did Sten Actually WIN?
Late Numbers May Have Pushed Erik Sten to an Election Victory. Check the Latest at Blog Town, PDX!
Posted inNews
Who You Will Vote For 2006!
Welcome to Democracy
Primary elections during midterm, non-presidential years tend to be quiet affairs that attract little attention—but this year’s races have shattered that perception entirely. Not only is it the first election cycle to feature candidates taking part in Voter-Owned Elections, but several races could be decided on May 16 without advancing to the November general election. […]