🌱 $2.4 Million For Safer Summer PDX + Extra Money For 911 Operators

Welcome to Friday, my friends! The day on which workers have been quietly quitting for decades. Today we've got:

• Three local hospital systems suing the OHA
• A Native American Powwow in Pioneer Square
• An online paranormal convention

Let me get this rodeo started!

But first, today's weather:

Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon with a high of 78.

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Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. Oh, thank God they're doing something about this intersection! If you've had to go through the confusing five-way intersection at Northeast Sandy Boulevard and Northeast Alameda Street, you know what I'm talking about. The Portland Bureau of Transportation has changed it so that drivers can no longer travel eastbound on Alameda for a stretch or turn left on the street. That stretch of road is now only open to one-way traffic moving westbound. Nearby residents are skeptical that this will make things better, but only time will tell. (KOIN.com)
2. Answering 911 calls in Portland can't be easy. In the past three years, the call load for 911 dispatchers in Portland has increased 25%, as staffing levels within the Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC) are shrinking. This has led to increasingly long wait times on the emergency line. BOEC is hoping Portland’s City Council approves a pilot program that would provide double pay for people who work overtime. The goal is to incentivize volunteer overtime, freeing up others to train new call-takers. But City Council has some misgivings about this increased pay. (KATU)
3. Legacy Health, Providence Health & Services and PeaceHealth are not happy with the Oregon Health Authority. These three Oregon hospital systems have sued OHA director Pat Allen in U.S. District Court in Eugene, alleging that OHA is failing to meet its legal obligation to serve Oregonians who have been civilly committed. These hospital systems say that OHA’s failure to accommodate civilly committed patients is leaving “hundreds” or most in limbo. (Willamette Week)
4. Opponents of city charter reform have decided to not participate in a debate hosted by Portland City Club. Portland City Club supports this reform measure, so Vadim Mozyrsky with the Partnership for Common Sense Government felt that there would be too much bias to have been treated fairly. City club board member Julie Davis disputes this, pointing to a history of fair debates and equal time. (KOIN.com)
5. When it comes to combatting gun violence, Portland is about to put their money where its mouth is. Nearly $2.4 million has been earmarked to address gun violence through the Safer Summer PDX initiative. Records outline a total of 18 grants—much of that covering grants for organizations providing mentoring and direct intervention of would-be shooters and people in their circles. Despite the investments, a group of people living in the Portland neighborhood with the most shootings this year, Hazelwood, said they aren't feeling the fruits of that work. (KATU)

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Today in Portland:

• Experience some Native American culture in Pioneer Courthouse Square at the 15th Annual Dancing in the Square Powwow. There will be a drum ceremony, performance and educational series on Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) programs and projects. It all starts at noon.
• If you have an interest in psychedelics, you may be interested in the documentary Salvia Divinorum: A Western Approach showing at Taborspace. This screening will feature leading experts in the fields of plant medicine, including leading medical researcher Dr. Peter Addy, whose work is showcased in the documentary. 6:00 - 9:00 PM.
• For a death-themed comedy experience, check out DEATH CULT: A Fun and Flirty Sketch Show at 21Ten Theater. "Death Cult is a sketch comedy show which seeks to answer all of your existential questions in exchange for your worldly possessions and unfaltering loyalty." Showtime is 7:00 PM.
• Do you want some fries with your mosh pit? Then listen to the drive-thru metal stylings of Mac Sabbath at Dante's. "Black Sabbath’s music, hilarious fast food lyrics, smoldering clown heads with laser eyes, a giant purple gumdrop bass player, and Tony Iommi with a giant cheeseburger head." Also performing will be Speedealer and The Latter Day Skanks. Doors open at 7:00 PM.
• Do you appreciate your metal a bit more serious? Then head to the Mission Theater for Metalesque Fest, Night One. "Portland is home to one of the nation's most active burlesque communities AND metal music scenes." Night One acts will feature brutal heavy metal burlesque performers from across the country! Doors open at 7:00 PM.

From my notebook:

• Travel Portland: "Pumpkin patch season is officially here! Hit the link in our bio for our full guide to patches in and around Portland. Locals: please drop your favorites in the comments below so everyone gets some love! #ThisIsPortland 📷: @juliacomfor..." (Travel Portland via Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "Do you have a love for nature and passion for conservation? Do you enjoy engaging on social media to share information you care about? We are looking for a Marketing and Social Media Associate to join the communications team in a newly c..." (Portland Audubon via Instagram)
• Take a pause in your search for cryptids, PanParacon starts today! The online convention about all things otherworldly. Experts in their fields will be speaking on everything from ghosts to UFOs. If you're into the paranormal, you just got your weekend plans. (Panparacon)
• If you thought the 2021 heatwave was a once in a lifetime event, you'd be wrong. It was more like once in a few hundred lifetimes. A new study finds the Pacific Northwest’s extreme heat wave last summer was a freak event that should only happen once in 10,000 years and it was even hotter because of climate change. (OPB)
• If you haven't been to the Portland Japanese Garden lately, now would be a great time for a visit. They're preparing for their biggest art exhibition in nearly 60 years. "Garden of Resonance" will showcase the work of internationally acclaimed artist Jun Kaneko between Oct. 1-Feb. 20, 2023. (YouTube)
• If you're looking for someplace swanky to sip your next cocktail, try Sousòl, the subterranean bar beneath celebrity chef Gregory Gourdet’s new restaurant, Kann. Gourdet, who has been sober for 13 years, had a hand in developing the bar’s zero-proof drinks, highlighting Caribbean spices, syrups and fruit. And if you do drink, they've got a fully stocked bar, as well. (The Oregonian)

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Thanks for reading, people. Now head out there and have a passive-aggressive day like only us Portlanders can. Here's Mac Sabbath!

— Dominic Anaya

About me: Doctor, educator and now a writer/artist, I'm just chillin' in Portland, OR with my wife, our ferrets, our chickens and our goats.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Portland Daily? Contact me at portland@patch.com