🌱 Correcting Corrections + Big Pipe Project + Body Cameras

Wow, it's Wednesday already! This week is moving right along. I hope yours is going swimmingly. Today is quite the day, so let me tell you about it.

First, today's weather:

A cloudy day today, progressing to rain in the afternoon and a high of 52.

Here are the top stories in Portland today:

1. Emergency food programs are important safety nets for those at risk of not having enough to eat, but the pandemic has put a much heavier strain on such programs. One of these programs in Portland is the Northeast Emergency Food Program, an arm of the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. Pre-pandemic, NEFP served about 3,000 clients a month. In October, NEFP program manager A'Jay Scipio said it served 38,000, and in its busiest months, it served as many as 75,000 clients. (KGW.com)
2. For the past few weeks, a corrections grand jury has been reviewing correctional facilities in Multnomah County. Just this week, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office has released its report on those findings and recommendations for improvements. It has recommended increased staffing, a lower percentage in jail occupancy and more programming for certain facilities. (KOIN)
3. I can remember when I first moved to Portland, no one would have dreamed of swimming in the Willamette River. Prior to 2012, the river would regularly overflow. Sewage would cut into the current and flow downstream. However, in 2012, the Big Pipe Project pipes were completed. Those pipes were a part of a $1.4 billion project, funded by Portlanders, to help drastically cut back on the number of overflows. (KATU)
4. It's been decided: the Portland Police Bureau is getting body cameras. As part of a deal between the city of Portland and the U.S. Department of Justice, Portland police officers will be equipped with the devices. Other terms of the agreement include an outside consultant to review Portland police use of force, the hiring of a civilian dean of police training and making the officer complaint system more transparent. The agreement will open the city to at least another three years of monitoring by the Justice Department to ensure a voter-approved community oversight system of police actually works. (The Oregonian)
5. A new university is forming in Austin, TX, but it has a few ties to Portland. Namely two Portland-area professors who have claimed that the liberal atmosphere of most colleges and universities has stifled open intellectual discussion. These professors are Peter Boghossian, a former Portland State University assistant professor of philosophy who resigned in September after years of decrying what he saw as PSU’s “social justice factory,” and Heather Heying, an evolutionary biologist and former tenured professor at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., who, along with her husband and colleague Bret Weinstein, has made news with her skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines. (Willamette Week)

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Today in Portland:

• In this political climate, we all could use a laugh, so why not check out the Political Circus in NW Portland? Has anyone ever told you that you are funny? Then you should come to the political circus! Have you ever performed improv or would you like to give it a try? Then you should come to the political circus! The facilitator this week will be Joyce Nance, a very funny person who knows which buttons to push. Register online to attend. 6:00 - 7:30 PM.
• Bridges Collaborative Care Clinic is a student-run free clinic serving the Portland area. They're holding a fundraiser tonight at Oakshire Brewing in NE Portland. Support Bridges Collaborative Care Clinic's 2021 fundraiser, meet Bridges volunteers, and enjoy food and drink from Oakshire Brewing. $1 of every pint and 10% food sales will be donated to Bridges 2021 Give!Guide campaign. 3:00 - 9:00 PM.
• If you're in the mood for a little drum and bass, get yourself down to the Starday Tavern in SE Portland for Gnosis. Believe and Sonant (Josh D.) are back at Portlands Ok-est Bar. With so many unplayed tunes in their digital stacks that they are more than ready to ignite the dancefloor and get things moving! The music starts at 10:00 PM.
• Are you concerned about the rise of political extremists, like the ones the world witnessed storming the Capitol on Jan. 6th? Then you may be interested in the Collins Summit and tonight's presentation Christian Nationalism - Exploring the Dangerous Union of Church and State. Hosted by the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon it will be held at the Imago Dei Community in SE Portland. This presentation will also be livestreamed for those that would prefer to attend virtually. Tickets available online. 7:00 - 8:30 PM.
• Perhaps you just want to kick back and listen to some live jazz. If that's the case, then the Jack London Revue in downtown Portland is the place to be. Tonight's band is Electric Kif, a Miami-based power quartet that explore the boundaries between rock, jazz fusion and electronic drum & bass. They are a dynamic mash of hard hitting groove, high octane riffs and cosmic melody. Proof of vaccination required for entry. Tickets available online. Doors open at 8:00 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• Portland, Oregon: "The tree has arrived! 🎄 This last Friday, the 75-foot tall Douglas Fir was installed in the center of Pioneer Square. The tree will start to be outfitted with holiday décor over the next few weeks, leading up to the November 26th tree ..." (Instagram)
• Travel Portland: "It's Native American Heritage Month! Learn more about Portland's rich Indigenous history and culture in the link in our bio, including one of our favorite coffee shops in town: @bisoncoffeehouse! 📷: @kirstynimmo #PDX #PDXNOW #TravelP..." (Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "Over the summer, we raised a mix-matched litter of orphaned Striped Skunk babies. Skunks are amazing animals, and despite their notoriously stinky defense mechanisms, they are a favorite patient at the Wildlife Care Center because of the..." (Instagram)
• When discussing Portland superlatives, it's inevitable that someone will make the somewhat dubious claim of Portland having more strip clubs per capita than anywhere else in the world. I've never worked out if there's any truth behind it or not, but this town does seem to love its strip clubs. Now one of Portland's most famous and beloved strippers, Viva Las Vegas AKA Liv Osthus, has a documentary about her. In the documentary Thank You for Supporting the Arts , directors Carolann Stoney and W. Alexander Jones take Osthus/Viva's famous catchphrase—a farewell request often said following her performances — and employ it not only to highlight the eternal question of "what is art," but as a gracious nod toward the subtle beauty of this person who lives boldly and on her own terms.(Portland Mercury)
• Speaking of the Portland Mercury, you might be interested to know that it's their Shot & Beer Week right now. That's correct: For one glorious week, your favorite local bars and restaurants will be serving up a one-of-a-kind, creative "shot & a beer" pairing-and all for the low price of $8! (Portland Mercury)
• It's a family affair! Well, it is at the Oregon Zoo anyway. Amelia Gray, a 5-year-old polar bear, arrived last month from the Maryland Zoo. She joins Nora, who is one year older. The two share a mother but had different fathers. (Portland Patch)
• And to leave you with some funny, here's Portland comedian Ryan Danley performing a set at the Helium Comedy Club during their Portland's Funniest Person Contest. Enjoy! (YouTube)

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So much going on and it's only mid-week! I don't think it's showing any signs of slowing down, so meet me back tomorrow and I'll bring you up to speed. If you're loving these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. 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? Email me at portland@patch.com.