🌱 Even Longer 911 Wait Times + Portlanders Are Scared Of Portland

Happy Friday, Portland. And not just any Friday, but it's also National Dog Day! We've got Portlanders oddly frightened of Portland, an outdoor hip hop festival and even ice cream made specifically for your dog to celebrate this special day. Read on, my friends, read on.

First, today's weather:

Clouds move in and cool us down a bit for a high of 79. Yay!

Here are the top five stories today in Portland:

1. Dude, chill out! A man reportedly flashed a gun at last weekend's Sunday Parkways event during a road rage incident. The confrontation happened at 130th Avenue and Southeast Market Street, which was a closed-off as a part of Sunday Parkways. August 22, the event brought out 15,000 people to ride bikes and have some fun in the sun. However, witnesses say the event turned dangerous at one point when a man in a pick-up demanded to be let through. (Fox 12 Oregon)
2. Portland, once more, tries to limit fossil fuel terminals. The City Council’s 4-0 vote creates a zoning code change intended to prohibit nearly a dozen existing terminals along the Willamette River in Northwest Portland from adding fossil fuel storage capacity and limits any new terminals to two million gallons of storage. Whether you support this or not, you should know that this is the city’s third attempt to impose such restrictions in recent years. Two previous attempts to push through the zoning changes each failed to survive legal challenges. (OregonLive)
3. If you need to call 911, I hope you're not in a hurry. Wait times have gotten even longer. The latest report from Bureau of Emergency Communications director Bob Cozzie showed an average wait time of 77 seconds in July. The center serves all of Multnomah County. Last December, average wait times hit a high-point for 2021 at 65 seconds. Commissioner Mingus Mapps, the commissioner in charge of BOEC, was optimistic new technology and staffing would address the problem and bring call wait times “back into balance” by the end of 2022. However, so far, that hasn’t happened. (KATU)
4. Recent polling has revealed that many Portlanders are scared of their own city. City Hall asked DHM Research to assess attitudes about downtown, city services in neighborhoods, homelessness, policing, and housing prices. DHM surveyed 500 Portland adults from May 2 to 16, asking them to complete a 12-minute survey. Some of the results shows that only 41% of respondents felt “very safe” walking alone in their neighborhood during the day, and only 16% felt “very safe” walking alone at night. (Willamette Week)
5. The Regional Toll Advisory Committee held its first public meeting Wednesday morning for developing the tollway system planned for Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 at the Oregon-Washington border. The committee was formed in response to the Oregon Legislature passing House Bill 2017 — a $5.3 billion bill designed to improve transportation across the state through an array of taxes, fees and bond sales. In 2021, state lawmakers gave these projects more clarity by passing House Bill 3055. The legislation also outlined the implementation of “variable rate tolls” on I-5 and I-205. (KOIN)

Today in Portland:

• The first annual The Kidz Outside Festival is happening at George City Park in North Portland. Co-Founded by Portland Hip-Hop Artist Mat Randol & Writer/Artist Donovan Scribes, TKO Fest is the first step in activating efforts to improve North Portland’s George Park. This year’s performers will consist of J Prodigy & Mat Randol himself. 6 - 8:30 p.m.
• The Imperial Bottle Shop and Taproom will be celebrating their 9th Anniversary with the release of a brand new beer. It's Cold Pale Pils from Von Ebert Brewing. There will also be pizza, live music and mini-golf. Beat the owner (at mini-golf) and win a prize. 3 - 11 p.m.
• Stomping Grounds Arthouse invites you to Summer's End Variety Show. When you arrive, you'll have the opportunity to patronize some booths set up by local artists, connect with each other, and experience some amazing performances. 7 - 10:30 p.m.
• Come see The Traveling Vampire Show at Dante's in downtown Portland. There's a costume contest with amazing prizes from The Skeleton Key Vintage. Tarot readings by The House of Artemis. And of course, there will be fire. Snakes. Blood. Human sacrifice at midnight. You don't see that every day. At least, I hope you don't. Doors open at 8 p.m.
• It's like karaoke. But different. Join Favela Brazilian Café for its famous Musical Theater Sing a Long Night - Broadway and Beyond! They will have a live piano player so bring your sheet music and come sing your heart out at this magical night. 6 - 8 p.m.

From my notebook:

• Travel Portland: "We're not New York City or Chicago, but Portland is most definitely a pizza town. Special Heads Up: @sarahminnick_'s Lovely's Fifty Fifty pizza was just featured on @chefstablenetflix. Check it out! Locals: what's your favorite slice?" (Travel Portland via Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "How many Pacific Northwest species can you name from this beautiful mural by local artists Alex Chiu and Jeremy Nichols? 🐦🌲🦋🍓🌺 To see this mural in person, head to the intersection of SW 2nd and SW Salmon in downtown Portland. [I..." (Portland Audubon via Instagram)
• If you're in the market for an electric vehicle, you may qualify for up to $15,000 in rebates. The landmark Inflation Reduction Act recently signed into law is being celebrated as one of the biggest climate investments in U.S. history. It’s slated to invest $369 billion in clean energy and climate action. The bill allows households with low-to-moderate income to get up to $7,500 in federal tax credits for a new electric vehicle or $4,000 for a used one. (OPB)
• Oh, no, spiders! Don't freak out, but there are more than 500 species of spiders in Oregon, and soon they’ll be breeding. Every autumn, the Oregon Department of Agriculture sees an uptick in spider reports from concerned citizens. That’s because many spiders reach maturity in the fall and start seeking mates, State Taxonomist Josh Vlach told KOIN 6. (KOIN)
• If you've never been to SE Portland restaurant Malka, I highly recommend it. I haven't been to their latest incarnation, as they have switched to a prix fixe menu format, but I have had their Important Helmet for Outer Space and it was awesome! Co-owner Colin McArthur sat down to discuss which Portland restaurants are his go-to's when it's his turn to eat. Would you believe that one of them is 7-11? (Eater PDX)
• Leave it to Salt & Straw to never be satisfied and rest on their laurels. In celebration of National Dog Day, they've released their first ice cream for dogs. "We spent 11 years making incredible ice cream for humans, and we are super excited because for National Dog Day, we are launching Pup Cups," said Tyler Malek, co-founder and head ice cream maker of Salt & Straw. "Literally the first ever Salt & Straw dog ice cream." Salt & Straw worked with veterinarians to make something delicious, but still healthy, for dogs. (KGW)

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If you're a dog owner, you've got a great reason to celebrate man's best friend. If not, well, at least it's Friday and that's gotta count for something. Have fun with your day and you know that I'll be back tomorrow to help you kick your weekend off right.

— 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