Illustration by Shiela Laufer Mayor Charlie Hales’ brand new budget has a nice gift for the parks bureau: $2 million in ongoing yearly funding the bureau didn’t even ask for. The money is part of Hales’ response to the gang-related violence that police say has come roaring back to the city in recent years, with […]
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Posted inFashion
This Week’s Style Events: Mothers’ Day Bonanza
—Saturday Market: It is what it is. Except for this week, when it’s also this: In preparation for Mother’s Day, they’re setting up 40 of their artisans at Pioneer Square with the familiar jumble of ceramics, stained glass, jewelry, birdhouses, and weird hats—for three days! Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW 6th & Morrison, Wed May 6-Fri […]
Posted inTech
Weird Timing on the Car2go Price Increase
Car2Go announced at the end of last week that they’re adding a $1 fee to every rental of those blue and white gocarts they leave lying around town. They did it in a Terms of Service update that tried its hardest to make it seem like the company was doing us a favor. “Good news, […]
Posted inNews
Just In Time For May Day, The Portland Parks Bureau Has Been Improperly Using Some of its Many Low-Paid Workers
Illustration by Shiela Laufer Some of the worst-paid city employees may be in for a sweet raise—despite City Hall’s best efforts. The City of Portland today was ordered to stop giving low-paid temporary and seasonal Portland Parks and Recreation employees tasks that are supposed to be carried out by union members. In a 25-page ruling […]
Posted inNews
Boom Times 3: Now The City’s Drowning in $49 Million of Sweet Green Bounty
Bear with me here. There’s a scene in Disney’s 1963 classic The Sword in the Stone where the cantankerous wizard Merlin prestidigitates a bunch of dining implements to do his bidding, and the sugar dish can’t get its act together. At one point in the film, Merlin gets distracted and forgets to tell it to […]
Posted inFashion
This Week’s Style Events: 811 E Burnside, Union Rose, and More
• Woolrich wants you to stop thinking of them solely as a resource for cold weather woolens: The brand is launching its spring/summer line of shoes, which include summer hiking kicks, canvas slides, and even clog heels—plus they created an apparel/surf line in collaboration with Almond Surfboards called Wax + Wool. So there. For further […]
Posted inNews
Nope, the City’s Not Going the “Fair and Moral” Route
Illustration by Alex Despain After largely ignoring it for 25 years, the City of Portland’s not ready to use a law that gives citizens their money back when the city’s wronged them, but isn’t legally obligated to pay. Portland City Attorney Tracy Reeve has denied a “fair and moral” claim filed earlier this month by […]
Posted inNews
Why the $15 Now Minimum Wage Movement is Catching Fire
Illustration: Ryan Alexander-Tanner KASIL KAPRIEL is a 52-year-old single mother and Portland resident who was born in Micronesia. She works in customer service at the airport and earns $9.25 an hour—Oregon’s minimum wage. Kapriel can’t afford to pay her $750 monthly rent at one time, so she’s got a deal with her landlord to pay […]
Posted inFashion
The Weekend Shopper: Halo Shoes, Union Rose, and More
In addition to weekend sales and festivities previously disclosed and featuring Eileen Fisher, AK Vintage, and Sara Barner, to name a few, some new things have come up: —Today only, Union Rose is offering 15 percent off all regularly priced dresses, just because it’s beautiful dress weather out there. Union Rose, 7909 SE Stark —Okay, […]
Posted inNews
New Seasons Board Member Will Raise Big Money For Jeb Bush Next Week
Endeavour Capital Stephen Babson: Peddler of arugula and right-wing politics Pass the rainbow chard! When (unannounced) Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush sits down in Portland on April 21— to a $12,500-per-person dinner held to swell the coffers of a Bush-friendly Republican political action committee—there’s a good chance the pricey comestibles he’ll schmooze over will have […]
Posted inBikes
Retort! PBOT Responds to Critics Who Say Portland’s Not A “Platinum” Bike City
Dirk VanderHart The protected bike lane on SW Moody. The Portland Bureau of Transportation says it’s not asleep at the handlebars. Following news Monday that a group of Portland cyclists want the League of American Bicyclists to downgrade Portland’s “bike friendliness” rating from a stellar platinum, PBOT’s fighting back. Its response to the online petition […]
Posted inPortland
#15NowPDX Rally Muscles Inside City Hall
Our Shelby King is currently following the #15NowPDX rally as it marches downtown and into City Hall—it’s expected to move on to PSU. Follow @shelby_king or @portlandmercury for the latest, and check back in to Blogtown later for a full report. Photo: Shelby King