The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!
It's the final Friday of January, quite possibly the Friday-est kind of Friday you can have. Now... what's happening out there?
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• In a press conference today, state health officer Dr. Dean Sidelinger announced that Oregon will probably hit our Omicron COVID peak next Tuesday. Yay! But trust your mom friend Elinor and stay vigilant—I had one of those "mild" cases of COVID last week and it still sucked.
• And right on cue:
Yes, millions of free N95 masks will soon be available at thousands of pharmacies and health centers in the US https://t.co/1pCr18kS59
— KGW News (@KGWNews) January 28, 2022
• Good news: Portland Public Schools announced today that Harriet Tubman Middle School students will NOT be relocated to the Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School building (as people were justifiably freaking out about), and so it's back to the drawing board to decide on a new location—AWAY from the unhealthy I-5 corridor. Our Isabella Garcia explains it all for you.
Continue reading »
16 Lettuce locations including brand-spanking-new Electric Lettuce Holgate and Sandy Blvd.
Order Online for Pick-up or Delivery.
Mon Edibles | Tue Carts | Wed Topicals | Thu Tinctures |Fri Pre-rolls | Sat Concentrates | Sun Grass
Harriet Tubman Middle School, which sits next to the Interstate 5 corridor in the Rose Quarter, has long been polluted by the freeway. According to a Portland State University study, the air quality next to the freeway is so dangerous that students shouldn’t be allowed to play outside.
The Oregon Department of Transportation’s plan to widen the I-5 Rose Quarter corridor in an effort to address traffic congestion would move the freeway even closer to the school grounds. The middle school is currently about 50 feet away from the freeway, at the closest point. According to early design plans, the freeway project would move the wall separating the freeway from the school less than 25 feet from the building.
Concerned that the project will only worsen the air quality around the school, the PPS board pledged in July 2021 that if the state moves forward with the freeway project, it will “rebuild Harriet Tubman Middle School in a safe, healthy location.” Governor Kate Brown said she will seek $120 million for the relocation project during next month’s legislative session.
However, finding a new location for the school is a challenge.
Continue reading »
The Celery
This health-centric spot recently opened on North Williams, slinging juices, smoothies, oatmeal, açai and smoothie bowls, grain bowls, and salads.
Boise
Pickup, delivery, dine-in
The second was on a trip from Boston to New Haven. That time, the movie was AI, starring Haley Joel Osment as an uncanny robot child. Though the tape was intact, I couldn't watch the second half because I found the entire experience far too disturbing. A child that is not a child, adrift without a family, humans exposed as callous inhumane monsters — I could feel the panic attack coming on and scrambled for headphones to block the movie out. I was going through an awful several-months-long breakup at the time, and a story about the revoking of love was too distressing to watch.
But maybe it’s time for me to revisit that story, twenty-something years later, because I can’t process how much I enjoyed the similarly unsettling storyline of a new paperback out this week. When Made in Korea released its first issue last year, it was the only time I’d ever given a book a rating of six-out-of-five. Now I’m issuing the same rating for a collection of the first few issues.
Continue reading »
• A Short History of Portland's Long Road to Police Body Cameras
Portland's been waffling on equipping its officers with body cans for nearly a decade. Will it stick this time?
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Let's kick off Friday with some good news: Dr. Robin Holmes-Sullivan has been chosen as the first Black person and woman to be president of Lewis & Clark University. “It’s obviously something that is going to be, and is, very meaningful to me and to our school and also to the young people who will be looking at me as someone who they can feel inspired by,” Holmes-Sullivan said. “They can realize that they can dream big.”
🔥City employees represented by the District Council Trade Unions (DCTU) will strike starting at 9am on Thursday, February 10th. 🔥
Background: https://t.co/LoUU1l8Dv3
— Alex Zielinski (@alex_zee) January 28, 2022
• There's been a distinct rise in violence directed at TriMet drivers, inspiring the organization to start cracking down on asshole riders, and they're starting with lengthy-to-lifelong bans on butthole passengers who spit on drivers. Our Isabella Garcia has more!
• The Yamhill County Commissioner who threatened the county's health department has backed off after health officials refused to add wrong information—such as discrediting vaccines or other bullshit, crackpot cures that Republicans seem so fond of—to the county website.
• According to police, a Clackamas County Sheriff's Deputy shot and killed a 32-year-old man during a high-speed chase and crash on I-205 Wednesday night. A source within the department told OPB that the chase began following a domestic disturbance call—but we all know by now to wait until further details emerge.
Continue reading »UPDATE: Law enforcement sources tell OPB the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office began a vehicle chase with 32yo Wesley Chance after a domestic disturbance call. After a crash, a deputy shot Chance while he held what appeared to be a gun. The gun was fake. https://t.co/MXOwJFOUzA
— Ryan Haas (@ryanjhaas) January 28, 2022
Bear's Den
Revolution Hall (Mon Oct 3)
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Today in "whoa, that wasn't already a rule??" TriMet announced that it would permanently ban any rider who spits at a bus driver. A TriMet spokesperson also shared that there were reports of around 300 attacks of bus drivers in 2021. Shame on you, Portland! We're supposed to be the place that dramatically thanks every bus driver upon exiting a bus!
• Last night's crazy winds got a barge stuck on the Columbia River just north of Portland near Fairview. Since no injuries were reported I feel okay gleefully thinking back on when that one ship got stuck in the Suez canal and the world was briefly united. This barge wasn't that ship, but still.
• I'm going to copy this whole headline because it's a journey: Oregon’s weekly COVID-19 report shows slight decrease in cases, significant increase in hospitalizations. Here is my impression of you reading that: :D :0 :(
Continue reading »Oregon's highest court is expected to determine soon if @NickKristof meets the state’s residency requirement to run for governor. Kristof, his allies and those who believe he doesn't qualify have made their final cases in court filings. By @LaurenDake: https://t.co/kJSXubHHHK
— OPB (@OPB) January 27, 2022
MUST-SEE:
This week's can’t miss upcoming show.
TriMet’s board of directors unanimously approved the code change at a meeting Wednesday. TriMet officials say that no specific incident caused the code change, but rather the board took action in an effort to support bus operators who have faced an increase in attacks throughout the pandemic.
“Most riders treat our operators and other frontline employees with respect, but those who don’t should lose the privilege to use our transit system,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue.
Spitting at and on people is a crime in Oregon and has always been in violation of TriMet code. Wednesday’s code change, however, classifies spitting on a bus driver or other TriMet employee as a “serious physical offense”—a level of severity needed to give TriMet the authority to ban a rider.
Continue reading »
But first... HOW DID YOU DO ON LAST WEEK'S QUIZ? Pretty damn excellent! And it's nice that you were able to "tell me what ya want, what ya really really want" when it comes to being reincarnated as a Spice Girl!
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!
In local news:
• The Portland Thorns have completed their investigation into how the club handled sexual misconduct allegations against former coach Paul Riley. However, no findings will be released to the public until additional investigations by the NWSL and US Soccer are complete. It's not clear when the two investigations are expected to finish.
• Portland officials are considering advocating for public records law restrictions after a years-long lawsuit ended in a $250,000 payout for a public records advocate. The records in question identified Portlanders who used a city service to report homeless encampments. The city denied the request in 2017 citing privacy concerns, but were forced to release the records this week after a judge determined the request valid under current public records law. City council members believe the state’s public records laws should do more to protect the identity of private citizens while public records advocates believe the city overuses exemptions already.
Continue reading »The beauty of Oregon's coastline can be explored by a trail several hundred miles long. But about 10% of the Oregon Coast Trail has some problematic gaps for hikers, so state officials want to resolve the issues. 🌊 https://t.co/w8iUQq3Eiy
— OPB (@OPB) January 25, 2022
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!
Good, sunny afternoon, Portland! It's another beautiful winter day. (Enjoy it while you got it.) Here are the headlines!
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Portland City Council is meeting this week to discuss selecting a vendor to operate the city's new police body camera program—a key step towards the implantation of an accountability measure that has been in the works for... (*checks notes*)... nearly a decade? Alex Zielinski has the story.
• Oregon's housing department is again taking applications for rental assistance, restarting its program after an eight-week hiatus thanks to new funding from the state legislature. A spokesperson said that the department estimates it has between $43 and $60 million to distribute to renters who apply starting today. (So get going!)
After several weeks of deliberate inaccessibility, Oregon's rental assistance program (OERAP) is now available! https://t.co/3XwBFFzlZA Providing proof of application can halt a non-payment eviction. Apply while you still can, it will only be open for 3-5 weeks!
— DontEvictPDX (@DontEvictPDX) January 26, 2022
• The Portland Clean Energy Fund is bolstering its proposal review process ahead of its second year of funding after last year giving $12 million to an organization whose executive director had spent time in prison for financial crimes. Isabella Garcia has more.
Continue reading »
“The concept really came out of how I like to eat, which is healthy and fresh. My daughter has a ton of pretty life-threatening allergies, so as a parent I’m super conscientious about giving people options without compromising flavor,” said Hughes. Everything is made à la minute (to order), so diners with dietary restrictions can request that ingredients be omitted.
Rotigo (the name is short for rotisserie to go) sources their pasture-raised chickens from Cooks Venture. Shipments come in thrice weekly, and the fresh—never frozen—birds are brined for 48 hours before going into the air chiller for 12-14 hours, which allows them to develop a crispy skin. From there, they’re rubbed with a mix of Mediterranean spices and head for the rotisserie. Rotigo’s rotisserie can roast up to 40 chickens at a time, with chickens always at the ready for folks wanting to grab and go.
The rotisserie chickens are available by the whole ($34), half ($19), or quarter ($10) and are accompanied by your choice of sauce (chermoula, salsa verde, garlic chili oil, chili-garlic aioli, and green goddess aioli), all of which are vegan. Once you make those selections, bolster your meal with à la carte vegan veggie sides (one portion feeds two) like smashed yukon golds, garlicky greens, roasted carrots, fried Brussels sprouts, and more.
Now, I’m one of the masses who is used to ye olde reliable five buck Costco rotisserie chicken, but I’m telling you now: don’t write off Rotigo because of the higher price point. It’s easily the most flavorful and succulent rotisserie chicken I’ve ever eaten, and has maybe even earned a spot in my top 10 most favorite chicken dishes.
Continue reading »
