Mayor Sam Adams has still not responded to our request for comment last Friday afternoon, offering him the opportunity to expand on the prepared statement about the convention center hotel that he put out with Metro Regional Council President David Bragdon and County Chair Ted Wheeler. Mayor, we’re not in the habit of quoting statements: […]
Matt Davis
Matt Davis was news editor of the Mercury from 2009 to May 2010.
Posted inNews
Breaking: Convention Center Hotel Is Dead
Portland’s prospects for a convention center hotel are dead, at least for the time being. Mayor Sam Adams, County Chair Ted Wheeler, and Metro Regional Council President David Bragdon have been in a meeting at county headquarters this afternoon, discussing whether or not to continue the development deadline for a convention center hotel on Portland’s […]
Posted inNews
Senate District 22—Collymore’s Late Surprise
There’s been a last minute surprise in the race for North Portland’s Senate District 22 since the Mercury interviewed all five candidates and endorsed Jo Ann Bowman for the seat two weeks ago. County Commissioner Jeff Cogen’s communications director Karol Collymore entered the race late, filing on Wednesday afternoon at 4:45, just over 24 hours […]
Posted inNews
18,000 Homeless Schoolchildren In Oregon
The Oregon Department of Education has released new numbers this morning showing a 14% increase in homeless schoolchildren across the state. A total of 18,000 schoolchildren are now homeless, up from 15,851 last year. That’s up from 8,143 in 2003-4. “Over the last couple of years we’ve seen rental home prices continue to rise, and […]
Posted inPortland
Meeting People In The Park
So we’re down here on the sidewalk outside city hall. One of the best parts of being here is the folks who just come by to talk. We just met Jonah Levy, who comes from a family of tour guides in New York. He flew in last night from Brooklyn, and rented a commuter bike. […]
Posted inMedia
Mercury, City, Takes Over Parking Spaces
Update, 4:03pm: Some great photographs by Will Radik here. Original post: The Mercury has moved its news room to a “park” in a parking space outside city hall this morning to celebrate National Parking Day. The idea is to reclaim parking spaces by turning them into little parks. You can follow similar events all over […]
Posted inNews
Mayor Asks For Feedback On Free Sidewalk Plan
Here’s the draft. I like it. You? Update, Wednesday September 22, 5:14pm Activist group Soapbox Under The Bridge has emailed the following response to city commissioners. Dear Mayor and City Council Members, We at Soapbox, a non-profit organizing project around homelessness, would like to thank you for your efforts around our community’s continued emergency, homelessness. […]
Posted inNews
Read The Goddamn News
Just a quick local wonky film plug before you do: Portland Architecture critic Brian Libby is screening a series of films by local directors tonight like Matt McCormick, Rob Tyler, and Karl Lind at Design Within Reach in the Pearl, from 6:30pm. WE MEAN IT THIS TIME Nick Fish and Sam Adams kill the sit-lie […]
Posted inMedia
Wyden Confuses On Health Care In The NYT
It’s probably appropriate that the so-called “Democratic Senator From Oregon” has an opinion column in the city where he’s rumored to spend most of his actual time this morning, but from over here in the West, this Oregonian is still bloody confused by Ron Wyden’s efforts at “health reform.” And I’m not alone. Wyden’s chief […]
Posted inMedia
Jim Chasse—When A Story Dies
It’s September 17, which is now etched on my brain along with my birthday (next week, I’d love a new tie, thanks for asking) as one of the most significant dates in the calendar year. “I was downtown this afternoon and I picked up this week’s Mercury, and I don’t see any mention of James […]
Posted inNews
Hall Monitor
Some Friends You Are
Legal settlement green lights Portland’s Resource Access Center for the
homeless.