🌱 911 Still Slow + Homeless Shelters Don't Help Neighborhood

Hey, hey, Portland! This month keeps on bringing the holidays. We've got Kentucky Derby Day, Free Comic Book Day and who knows what other celebrations are lurking around the corner. Well, let get started about some of what's going on today.

First, today's weather:

Still rainy today, but it should only be the occasional shower. The high temp will be 51.

Here are the top five stories in Portland today:

1. On May 18, 2021, while still managing the fallout from the pandemic, staffing shortages and call volume that had recently started climbing rapidly, the Bureau of Emergency Communications transitioned to new, standardized scripts to dispatch fire and medical calls, known as ProQA. Immediately following the transition, hold times surged. The city says the $2.3 million software will reduce Portland’s liability for emergency calls and increase efficiency by making sure the right responders are being sent to emergencies. But an OPB investigation reveals ProQA was pushed through over loud objections from dispatchers, who say the software has gummed up the 911 system, causing longer hold times and putting lives in danger. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
2. Law enforcement and health leaders in Clackamas County are warning that fentanyl is becoming more and more prevalent there. At a public safety town hall Thursday, state Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas, invited leaders like Capt. Marcus Wold with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. “The point I really want to drive home here is this is happening in Clackamas County,” Wold said. One of the of statistics: More people died last year in Clackamas County from overdoses, than in car crashes. (KATU)
3. Just days after a leaked draft decision indicated that the United States Supreme Court appears ready to overturn Roe v. Wade, which guarantees a woman's right to an abortion, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra visited Portland to show support for keeping abortion legal. "Patients make their own decisions about their own bodies," Becerra said during the trip, which involved a meeting with the leaders of Planned Parenthood chapters in Oregon as well as Rep. Kurt Schrader who represents Clackamas County in the U.S. House of Representatives. "That's their right. (Portland Patch)
4. A KATU investigation uncovered shortcomings in how pretrial data is gathered in Multnomah County, including information on whether people even show up to court-ordered supervision. Of the more than 10,000 judicial referrals to pretrial supervision since 2019, the county cannot say how many of those people actually showed up. Pretrial release is just like it sounds: it’s when a suspect is released from jail after being arrested, with the expectation that they’ll show up for their day in court, but KATU found no one is consistently tracking how well this important part of the justice system actually works in Multnomah County. (KATU)
5. Leah Armstrong, Andy Pollack, Marta Guembes and Meka Webb are homeowners in North Portland. But they say the shelter that is supposed to help the homeless problem in their neighborhood has now made their lives intolerable. There’s been a lot of attention given to why it has taken the city of Portland and Multnomah County so long to open shelters and Safe Rest Villages. One of the big pushbacks from neighbors is the fear they will invite people to camp nearby where there are no rules. (KOIN.com)

Today in Portland:

• Join Satellite Tavern for its first ever Kentucky Derby viewing party! Help bring in the favorite equestrian sporting event and donate a portion of net proceeds from the event to Big Yard Foundation. Fancy attire is strongly encouraged! Tickets are available online. Doors open at 11:00 AM.
• Lumbertwink Portland has moved to a new location and it wants to celebrate! The next event is at the Spare Room Restaurant & Lounge in NE Portland. Join hundreds of Plaid Dads and Flannel Friends for the return of Lumbertwink! Music will be from DJs Sappho and Detour Dan (Eagle Portland). The event is hosted by Matt Bearracuda and Wayne Bund. Admission is $10 if you're wearing plaid, $15 if you're not. The fun starts at 9:00 PM.
• For a unique night of comedy, check out Dom-Prov at the Funhouse Lounge. Come see the improv company perform short-form improv sketches and vie for the affection of its very own Mistress who punishes and/or rewards them. Pay careful attention as the Mistress’s punishments and rewards are often very similar. Using suggestions from the audience, Dom-Prov is a fast-paced, painfully funny, improv showcase. It’s improv. . . with a safe word. Tickets are available online. Doors open at 9:30 PM.
• It's Free Comic Book Day at Cosmic Monkey Comics! Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) 2022 features an amazing selection of comic book titles for the industry’s most anticipated annual event. There will be more than 50 titles available on Free Comic Book Day (5 comics per person). 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
• It's National Homebrew Day at Threshold Brewing & Blending. If you’re a homebrewer, homebrew-curious or just like being around beer people, this is going to be right up your alley. Attendees will be joined by six local leaders and experts for a lively panel discussion - covering topics such as technique, leveling up, what a brew club can offer and competition advice from certified BJCP judges. There is no cost for entry, just bring your rad self and maybe your favorite homebrew to share and you can celebrate how so many Portlanders got their start in this beautiful world of craft beer. The beer starts pouring at 2:00 PM.
  

From my notebook:

• City leaders announced Friday they are making plans to ensure the famous fountain base returns with the Thompson Elk statue to downtown Portland. The entire elk statue was removed from SW Main Street in July 2020 after it was damaged during protests. Several fires were lit in the fountain’s trough — destroying part of the granite. When The Elk was removed so was its fountain base, there was concern the fountain would not return — but commissioners Dan Ryan and Carmen Rubio say they a filed a resolution this week for relevant bureaus “to take all necessary steps to fully restore and return the Thompson Elk Fountain to its original condition and location.” (KOIN)
• Everybody likes a deal. But many deals that sound advantageous at first often end up costing us in time and energy. In the case of the Danish app Too Good To Go — which seeks to eliminate food waste by connecting customers with leftover ingredients from restaurants and cafes — there are hiccups and benefits to the exchange. Overall, the idea works. Users find and reserve "surprise bags" from nearby businesses, and pay only a third of what the bag's contents would normally retail. In return, restaurants can recoup some of the cost of food they would otherwise have thrown away. (Portland Mercury)
• Last year, Portland Parks Foundation worked for months with a steering committee of BIPOC arts and social justice leaders to develop a celebration of creativity and community resilience to help heal downtown. It is called "Paseo." Just days before organizers were set to present and celebrate dozens of performers, artisans, food vendors, and grassroots mutual aid groups, the Delta variant of COVID surge pre-empted their plans. PPF pivoted to online with the Paseo Mutual Aid Challenge to showcase the talent and community that had come together. This year it's going to do Paseo for realz! (Paseo)
• Empty fire extinguishers, needles spilling out of sharps containers, inadequate training for staff are unsafe conditions at a Portland city-sanctioned homeless village that are driving workers to form a union. Nonprofit All Good NW operates three tiny house villages for the homeless in Portland: the Old Town Village at Northwest Sixth and Glisan, BIPOC Village at Northeast First and Weidler and Queer Affinity Village at Southeast Water Avenue and Main. (NW Labor Press)
• There’s still time to plan a great Mother’s Day for the moms in your life! FOX 12′s Ayo Elise stoped by Zupan’s to get some tips on how to make (or buy!) a stunning bouquet, along with a few ideas on some ways to spend time with mom on her special day. (KPTV)

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That's a lot of Saturday, even for Portland. Is it humanly possible to fit that much fun into one day? Probably not, but I'm going to have a great time trying. But no matter how much fun you have, don't forget your mom tomorrow! Oh, yeah, and meet me back here next week for more news of our favorite home town.

— 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