🌱 Big Money For Betsy Johnson + Oregon Addiction Rates Soar

It's finally the weekend, peoples. Time to relax and enjoy all that Portland has to offer. Well, maybe not all. There's only so much a body can do. Here's what's going on today.

First, today's weather:

It will be partly cloudy for most of the day with a high of 48. Splendid!

Here are the top five stories today in Portland:

1. The Portland Bureau of Transportation says that 70 percent of the pedestrians killed in 2021 were people living on the streets. That's spurring action by the city. Friday, Mayor Ted Wheeler announced an emergency order that will make it easier for the city to move homeless camps that are set too close to the road. (Portland Patch)
2. The Land Use Board of Appeals told the city of Portland on Thursday that it must make a stronger argument for denying a land use compatibility statement with Zenith Energy, creating yet another stalemate over whether the crude oil storage company will get the proper permissions to continue operating. (Willamette Week)
3. Nike co-founder and former CEO Phil Knight has made a $250,000 donation to former state Sen. Betsy Johnson's campaign for governor. It's one of the two largest individual contributions to any campaign in the race so far, the other being another $250,000 donation that Johnson received in November from heavy equipment company The Pape Group. Johnson also reported receiving a $100,000 campaign contribution from Columbia Sportswear CEO Timothy Boyle and a $125,000 donation from Schnitzer Properties LLC in the past few weeks, two of more than a dozen six-figure individual donations she has racked up so far. (KGW)
4. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown outlined her legislative agenda and priorities for her final year in office during her annual State of the State address on Thursday. The Democrat, who cannot run for governor again due to term limits, said that her priorities in 2022 include preserving and creating affordable housing, preparing for and recovering from climate-related disasters, bolstering the state’s workforce and providing accessible child care. (KPTV)
5. New data from 2020 shows Oregon has the second-highest alcohol and drug addiction rates in the nation and ranks last in treatment options. The report, created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, found Oregon’s rates had grown worse than they were in 2019. Oregon has not invested enough in services such as residential treatment centers and detox programs, according to Sommer Wolcott, the executive director of OnTrack Rogue Valley, a Southern Oregon nonprofit that specializes in substance abuse recovery. (OPB)

Today in Portland:

• The 33rd Annual WINTERFOLK is happening at the Alberta Rose Theater this evening. Winterfolk, Portland's largest annual folk music event, a benefit for JOIN, is celebrating its 33rd anniversary. JOIN is an organization pledged to assist folks find and maintain housing, throughout the Portland metro area. This year, there will be the option of attending the live show OR watching a Live Stream of the show, from the safety and privacy of your own device. Tickets are available online. Doors open at 6:00 PM.
• It's a night of tributes tonight at the White Eagle in North Portland. This triple bill brings together Beatles Unplugged (a Beatles tribute band), Harvest Gold (a Neil Young tribute band) and Fortunate Son (a Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band). Tickets are available online. The music starts at 8:00 PM.
• Come to the Jack London Revue for Burly-q-Revue, its late-night cabaret spectacular, hosted by the Mad Marquis and featuring some of the finest dancers from the Rose City and beyond. Treat yourself to a sensational evening of sultry and exotic delights, liberally spiced with old-fashioned spontaneous fun. The show starts after the evening's musical performance. Doors open at 10:30 PM.
• The Hollywood Theater will be screening the Sidney Poitier classic "In the Heat of the Night." A Black Philadelphia police detective (Poitier) is mistakenly suspected of a murder while passing through a racially hostile Mississippi town, and after being cleared, is reluctantly asked by the police chief (Rod Steiger) to investigate the case. Showtime is 7:00 PM.
• Native sons The Nash Brothers will be playing at the Ponderosa Lounge & Grill in North Portland. They were born and raised in The City of Roses, but their hearts beat to the sounds of country life. It began by going on road trips, camping, and fishing with their family, listening and singing to country music classics. Get your tickets online. Showtime is at 9:00 PM.

From my notebook:

• Portland Trail Blazers: 17 days on the road and some exciting home games produced some great photos. Here are our favs from the month of January 📸. (Instagram)
• Travel Portland: It's back! The annual @PortlandWinterLightFestival, a free, all-ages experience covering Portland with projection art, pop-up installations and so many lights runs February 4-12. Don't miss it! #ThisIsPortland 📸 @ralphdaub / @twinkle_t... (Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: Who’s up for a birdy quiz today? Okay, here it goes: Which bird has the largest wingspan in Oregon?

• Bald Eagle

• American White Pelican

• Sandhill Crane

• Great Gray Owl

The answer will be updated on the post Sunday! 📷 (Instagram)

• Portland Audubon: Legislation is advancing right now to create an Elliott State Research Forest. Portland Audubon and many other conservation groups have worked on this new plan for the Elliott for nearly three years. Bob Sallinger, Portland Audubon's Con... (Facebook)
• Nonprofit Association Oregon: "In celebrating #BlackHistoryMonth, we recognize both the achievements and struggles of African Americans in Oregon and across America. We join our colleagues across the state in paying tribute to the generations of Black Oregonians who s..." (Instagram)
• Portland's Winter Light Festival began last night and Bike Portland has put out this handy guide to biking to all the exhibits. Bicycling is the perfect complement to this event because it consists of over 100 works of illuminated art spread across the city. Jumping on a bike and checking out the outdoor displays makes for a perfect evening. The fact that it’s free, COVID-safe, and family-friendly is icing on the cake. (Bike Portland)

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Now if that doesn't kick your weekend into high gear, I don't know what will. Take it easy, my friends, and have fun with the day. I'll be back next week to talk about all things Portland.

— 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.