GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY! It's the perfect time to catch up on some of the great reporting and stories the Mercury churned out this week! (PRO TIP: If you despise being "the last to know," then be one of the first to know by signing up for Mercury newsletters! All the latest stories shipped directly to your email's in-box... and then... YOUR HEAD.)
• After Years of Bureaucratic Pushback, Portland Street Response Finally Has a Chance at Success
Portland's Community Safety Division director says Portland Street Response is in "a rebuilding year." The mobile crisis response program has struggled to find financial and political support within City Hall, but now, with new city leadership, the program might finally be positioned for success.
• POP QUIZ PDX!
In this week's trivia game: local designer cocaine, Portland's Nazi past, and who would you like to be buried alive with? 🤔💀 See how well YOU score!
• Steel Bridge Skatepark Rolls Forward After Major Land Swap Approval
Portland's long-envisioned Steel Bridge Skatepark is closer than ever to actualization after a land swap between the city and state for the park's site. Skatepark advocates say the new spot will be an inclusive space for all skaters, and a way to revitalize a long-neglected Old Town lot.
• Can Portland Be a Music Capital Again?
City Councillor Jamie Dunphy is Portland's first elected official to make music a policy priority. Music editor Nolan Parker interviewed Dunphy about some ways we might make Portland a music capital again.
It's a bop, it's a banger, it's Mercury Music Picks! This week's edition of MMP is busting with some big names and local heroes, as well as the latest music news.
• Nail Art Is Art!
The first year of ManiFest celebrates the fine art we wear on our fingers. "Whether you’re just an admirer of nail art online and you would never get it yourself, it’s for you."
• THE TRASH REPORT
In this week's garbage-y TRASH REPORT: Getting the Goonies back together, Emma Stone's popcorn pockets, and the "Star-Spangled Banner” is a trash song if I’ve ever heard one!
• Portland's Unexpected Book Corridor
Two of the city's most beloved literary institutions—Literary Arts and Mother Foucalt's—just opened bookstores across the street from one another on SE Grand.
• This Horror Double Feature Is the Exploding-Head Crown Jewel of March's Women in Film Series
Even without star Kelli Maroney in attendance, this double feature of Chopping Mall and Night of the Comet is perfection. Content warning for robot violence and exploding heads.
• Darci Phenix Releases Her Dreamy New Album, Sable
Looking for the perfect soundtrack to this gloriously moody PNW spring we're experiencing right now? We suggest Darci Phenix's new dream-folk album, Sable.Â
• SAVAGE LOVE
"She finds sex too painful and no longer wants to have intercourse. But... what about me?" Dan Savage offers some solid advice about this sticky problem and more in this week's SAVAGE LOVE!
WOW, THAT IS A LOT OF GOOD READIN'. I hope you didn't have any other plans this weekend! Dig in, and remember: Producing all this hard work costs moolah—so please consider contributing to the Mercury to keep it all coming! Thanks!
