After nearly two years of waiting, Portland’s second public toilet is finally accepting deposits. Will the next one take as long?
Denis C. Theriault
Denis C. Theriault is the Portland Mercury's News Editor. He writes stories about City Hall and the Portland Police Bureau, focusing on issues like homelessness, police oversight, insider politics, and civil liberties. Before arriving in Portland, Denis wrote and edited for the San Jose Mercury News, covering the California Legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as the city of San Jose—a real-live million-person town.
Posted inNews
A Really Stiff Chaser
No More Malt Liquor Downtown? No More Tallboys, Either.
Asking downtown markets to stop selling malt liquor was a bust, so this time city officials aren’t asking.
Posted inNews
War is Over? Operation Iraqi Freedom Draws to Close
It began in March 2003—with “shock ‘n’ awe,” an unmistakable display of overwhelming force. Now, more than seven years later, the end comes almost with a whisper, the last combat forces somberly crossing the border with Kuwait early Thursday morning local time. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy The […]
Posted inNews
Energy Firm Plans Green Palace in Pearl
If you haven’t been on the Twitter today, you might have missed this nugget from Mayor Sam Adams’ office: Wind-power giant Vestas is going to set up corporate shop in the Pearl District, turning the long-empty Meier & Frank Depot Building into a palace of green-technology palavering. Construction could begin as soon as October, with […]
Posted inNews
Park Ban Latest Fallout in New Columbia Shooting
Under an emergency ordinance approved this morning, anyone banned from the New Columbia development in North Portland would also be banned from the park that sits in the middle of it. Mayor Sam Adams made the proposal after the shooting this summer of Billy Moore, one of several violent incidents marring McCoy Park in recent […]
Posted inCity Hall
“I’m Here to Rehabilitate an Abused City.”
Slow start at this morning’s city council meeting. The first order of business was a florid proclamation by Amanda Fritz on behalf of the Willamette River. That was followed by another back-slapping proclamation, about the Portland Zine Symposium and how awesome Portland is. “It sounds like a very Portland-like event,” Mayor Sam Adams gushed. Then […]
Posted inNews
Public Meeting Tonight on Sidewalk Restrictions
Commissioner Amanda Fritz’s office is hosting a public hearing at 7 tonight on Portland’s controversial sidewalk rules, part of an ongoing process to make sure the law is working as planned. Issues on the so-called sit-lie ordinance are normally taken up the first Monday of the month, in afternoon meetings of the city’s Sidewalk Advisory […]
Posted inNews
Suit Seeks $3.7 Million in Pedestrian’s Death
THE OREGONIAN LINDSAY LEONARD The Oregonian is reporting that a lawsuit has been filed in the death last year of Lindsay Leonard, a 23-year-old Reed College graduate fatally struck by a car while crossing SE Foster Road with a friend. According to the O: The suit, filed by Leonard’s family Friday in Multnomah County Circuit […]
Posted inPolitics
Nerd Alert! Nerd Alert! Nerd Alert! Tax Chart!
Shaking off that Friday morning hangover? OK. This won’t help. But be sure to show this to your unreformed relatives out in the suburbs come November. More about it. WASHINGTON POST
Posted inPortland
Not the Green City Honor Everyone Wants. But It’s Cool. I Guess.
Lists are fucking stupid, and this one is no exception. But it has Portland on it. So we’re going to blog about it. Apparently, according to CNBC (sadly, the “C” does not stand for Cannabis), our humble city is the 6th best “marijuana travel destination.” In, like, the whole GODDAMNED WORLD. Is it a good […]
Posted inDrunk
A Drier Downtown: Meeting Tonight on Booze Ban
cvillain.com OH YEAH! Pretty like Kool-Aid. Portland’s pooh-bahs are taking another step down the road toward clearing downtown and its environs of all malt liquor, fortified wine and other beverage types popular with “street drinkers,” including tall-boys of regular beer and boxed wine (yum!). Tonight, right about when happy hour starts in most saloons, the […]
Posted inNews
Looky Loo! Second Downtown Toilet Now Open
Denis C. Theriault Great success! Roz Eisenstark emerges from the new loo. It was just about 1 o’clock this afternoon when the telltale WHOOSH issued through the vents of the new loo down on SW Naito and Taylor. Roz Eisenstark, visiting from Del Rey Beach, Fla., emerged shortly after to wash her hands and marvel […]