Blackface In Newberg+Redistricting Shananigans+City Council Race

It’s a very special Wednesday today, people of Portland. It’s the Autumnal Equinox, when night and day are of equal length and we shift from summer to fall. I hope you enjoyed the Harvest Moon that has been gracing our skies. Let’s see what’s going on in Portland today.

Are you a local business owner or marketer in Portland? Our premium local sponsorships will keep you at the top of inboxes around town every morning. Contact us here for the lowdown.

First, today's weather:

A mix of clouds and sun that looks to be more sun than clouds and a high of 82.

Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. The Newberg School District is in the news again, this time because of an employee that came to school in blackface. The school district first made headlines due to its policy of banning the display of Black Lives Matter signs and Pride flags. After that, it was discovered that some of the students were involved in an online “slave trade” where they would joke about how much they would pay for their Black classmates. According to a staff member who spoke to the Newberg Graphic on condition of anonymity, the school employee claimed to be wearing blackface to protest Oregon’s COVID-19 vaccination mandates, and was attempting to look like civil rights icon Rosa Parks. (OPB)
2. I-5 near Delta Park is getting a make over, courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation. Its placing boulders to dissuade homeless campers from setting up their tents there. ODOT said the landscaping with boulders is meant to move people to safer locations that are farther away from busy roads or highways. (KATU)
3. Oregon lawmakers are currently in the process of redrawing the state’s congressional districts, based on 2020 Census data, which will add a new sixth district. House Speaker Tina Kotek had originally agreed to cut a deal with Republican lawmakers to give them an equal number of seats on the redistricting committee in exchange for Republicans agreeing to stop slowing down the legislative session. That gave the GOP an equal say in a process that could determine which party’s candidates get elected where. She changed that deal this week, creating a new committee, consisting of 2 Democrats and 1 Republican. Republicans have threatened to leave, denying the Democrats a quorum, but then the decision may fall into the hands of Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, a Democrat. (Willamette Week)
4. There appears to be growing support by Portland city commissioners
   for police body cameras. Commissioner Mingus Mapps recently penned an op-ed on the subject, Commissioner Carmen Rubio has stated her support and Commissioiner Dan Ryan has been advocating for them since last year. Even Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who had been skeptical, has changed her tone and appears open to the idea. What’s the barrier stopping a body camera program? A $2.9 million price tag, with another $1.8 million in ongoing costs. (KGW)
5. Let the race begin! The 2022 primaries are in May and the first two candidates have qualified for City of Portland offices in the May 17, 2022, primary election. They are Jamila Dozier and Brandon Farley, who have both qualified for City Council Position 2, which is currently held by Dan Ryan. Other offices up for election are City Council Position 3, currently held by Jo Ann Hardesty, and City Auditor, currently held by Mary Hull Caballero. (KOIN)

Today's Portland Daily is brought to you by our friends at GoodRx — the best way to save money on your prescriptions. GoodRx helps you locate the lowest prices for medications at local pharmacies, so you're not overpaying. Works for pet medications too! To see how much you can save, go to GoodRx.com.

Today in Portland:

• Have you ever thought about creating a graphic novel? What a silly question. You live in Portland so the answer is obviously yes. Literary Arts wants you to know, it heard you and it delivers with the webinar Creating the Graphic Novel: Inception to Publication. Join them for a lively panel discussion about graphic novels and their creators. Moderated by Jonathan Hill, author of Odessa, and featuring winners of the Oregon Book Award in Graphic Literature. Register online. 7:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Steven Lynch, songwriter, comedian and Tony award-nominated actor, will be performing tonight at the Aladdin Theater in SE Portland. His songs are known for their haunting melodies, complex and Lord-pleasing chord structures and insightful lyrics, often exploring the universal themes of heartbreak, family strife, and forgetting one’s safe word during a particularly brutal S&M session. Tickets available online. Doors open at 7:00 PM.
• There ain’t no party like a Star Party and Ecliptic Brewing has teamed up with OMSI to deliver you an evening of delicious food, cold beer and a celestial viewing of the starry night sky above. Join OMSI’s Director of Space Science Education, Jim Todd, as he leads you through an educational presentation of the cosmic realm. Get your tickets online. Table opens at 6:30 PM.
• Take a trip to the past when car culture was king at Beaches Weekly Cruise-In at Portland International Raceway in North Portland. Live music provided by Return Flight, a rocking horn-driven show band that's as much fun to watch as it is to listen and dance to. Wander the track and take in the pristine pre-1978 vehicles. 3:00 - 9:00 PM.
• Upbeat, lyric band Jukebox the Ghost will be playing at the Wonder Ballroom in NE Portland. For entry, The Wonder Ballroom is now requiring proof of FULL COVID-19 VACCINATION or NEGATIVE COVID-19 TEST (Timestamped within 24 HRS for RAPID Tests or 72 HRS for PCR). While indoors and outdoors, patrons MUST also adhere to the current mask mandate. Tickets available online. Doors open at 7:30 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• Travel Portland: "The next Rooftop Roller Disco is coming up this weekend! Join the @rosecityrollers for an outdoor, masked and socially distanced, open-air skating session on the rooftop at @shoplloydcenter. Beginners are welcome and advance tickets are ..." (Instagram)
• Portland Art Museum: "The fourth floor of our Main Building is bursting with energy these days. Adjacent to the APEX: Sharita Towne & A Black Art Ecology of Portland exhibition is the Aux/Mute gallery presented by The Numberz FM. Currently on view in this..." (Instagram)
• That pesky pandemic is still going on out there and those in the know know the vaxx is the way to go. If you still want to get your drink on, but want to know that you're around the vaccinated, check in with the website vaxed.bar. It has a map that shows all the bars that currently require proof of vaccination in the Portland area. Check in with it and imbibe with confidence. (vaxed.bar)
• Last week the Oregonian Editorial board sent each Council office a series of important questions in advance of an opinion piece it published on Sunday about Portland's response to gun violence and community safety. City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty wants to be completely transparent about her answers to these questions and has published them to the Portland.gov website. Here they are if you want to know what she has to say on the matter. (portland.gov)
• The Portland Fresh Hop Pop-Up Beer Fest returns for it’s 6th year at Portland’s “top food cart pod” the Prost! Marketplace on N. Mississippi Ave. The beer garden features ten food trucks and ten rotating taps. Each day of this 17 day fresh hop marathon will feature seasonal rare seasonal beers with special tappings nearly every day celebrating some of the best and brightest breweries and regions. Sounds like the perfect place to get a tasty beverage! (Fresh Hops)

You can get your local business featured here in the Portland Daily for just $79 per month. Click here to get started.

That's your Wednesday and it's the perfect mix of action and relaxation, just like an equinox should be. A big shout out to my fellow Libras out there. It is our season now! So strike that balance. Peace. If you're feeling these newsletters, consider bringing some friends and neighbors into the fold. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— 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? I'm all ears. You can email me at portland@patch.com.