Evictions Continue + COVID Declining + I-84 Closing

Helloooo, Portland! It's Friday and that means it's time to put on our party shoes and boogie. But before we get down, let me tell you about today.

First, today's weather:

Morning clouds give way to afternoon sun and a high of 60.

Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. We're still facing an eviction crisis in Portland, not to mention the rest of the state, too. Rep. Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, and Sen. Kayse Jama, D-North Clackamas/SE Portland sent a letter to Gov. Kate Brown this week, urging her to extend the statewide 60-day pause on evictions to 120 days for those struggling to make rent payments due to economic conditions caused by the pandemic, or to extend the pause only in counties with large backlogs of unprocessed applications for assistance. While many Oregonians are now back to work and have the ability to begin paying their back rent by the February 2022 deadline, they are still in need of assistance to pay rent they’ve begun accumulating since repayment began in July. (OPB)
2. According to the latest report from the Oregon Health Authority, the number of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are declining. There were 462 new COVID-19 hospitalizations, down from 512 last week, which marks a 10% reduction and the fourth consecutive week of declines. (KPTV)
3. If you use I-84 to get around town, you should know that the stretch between I-5 and I-205 will be closed this weekend. Crews will be lifting and rolling the approximately 450,000-pound, 400-foot-long bridge into place over Sullivan’s Gulch. This work will require a complete closure of the freeway at all hours from 10 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 8-11. (Oregonian)
4. We've been hearing about Safe Rest Villages for the past few weeks, but what will they actually look like? City officials say there will be plumbed bathrooms, laundry spaces and electricity. A manager will be there to keep the residents and surrounding community safe. The site may not have tiny houses, but instead simpler prefabricated pods similar to other outdoor shelter sites in Portland. Denis Theriault with the Joint Office of Homeless Services told KOIN 6 News that someone must be referred from a service provider or emergency responder in order to get a bed at a Safe Rest Village. (KOIN)
5. While one does not normally associate Portland with earthquakes, there are multiple fault lines that run through the Portland region. The upside to that? We are a city that prepares. Crews have started a $400 million improvement project on the city's main wastewater treatment plant. One of the biggest pieces of the project is making the facility safe in the event of an earthquake. (KATU)

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Today in Portland:

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Musical will be showing at the Funhouse Lounge in SE Portland. This is a live musical stage parody of the 1992 cult classic film Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Funhouse Lounge presents its unique take on this cult classic film that inspired the hit TV series, jammed to the max with humor, dance numbers, pop culture references and a totally rad soundtrack of familiar pop hits. Tickets available online. Doors open at 6:30 PM.
• Tonight is opening night for 1989, an international group exhibition by nine multimedia contemporary artists. This will be at the MinEastry of Postcollapse Art and Culture in SE Portland. This is the first in a series of exhibitions unfolding the resonances of the year, 1989. This event is free, but space is limited, so online registration is a must. While tonight is opening night, the show does run through to Nov. 28th. Gallery is open today from noon - 5:00PM.
• The Laurelthirst Pub in SE Portland present Coopfest this evening. Pete Krebs and Casey Neill play a show in celebration of our departed pal Chris Cooper, original founder of Cavity Search records! The show is 6:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Need a few laughs to kick off your weekend? Why not head over to Rogue Ales & Spirits in SE Portland and catch a comedy show from the Dead Comic Society? Join your host Chase Brockett alongside Portland comedy favorites: Jake Silberman (WW Funniest 5 winner), Wendy Weiss (Helium Comedy Club) and Adam Pasi (Portland's Funniest Person 2019). Early show is at 7:00 PM and the late show is at 8:30 PM.
• Go to the Suite Spot in downtown Portland for a night of Adulting. An evening of painting, dope music and an infused dinner. In collaboration with Tasty Therapy, Painted ENT. is bringing the first ever Paint & Infused dinning experience to Portland. Tickets are available online.8:00 - 11:00 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• If you are morbidly fascinated by the possibility of a major earthquake hitting Portland in the near future, you can keep track of the tremors happening in our area by checking out the Oregonian's Real Time Earthquake Map. It shows every earthquake recorded over the last 30 day by the U.S Geological Survey. (Oregonian)
• Did you know that there is an Oregon Music Hall of Fame? Neither did I. But not only is it a thing, but there are some big names being inducted into our Hall of Fame this year. The Dandy Warhols for one, the band Courtney Taylor-Taylor and Peter Holmstrom started in 1994. Also the Livesavas, one of Portland’s first successful hip-hop groups. The ceremony is this Saturday at Southeast Portland’s Aladdin Theater. For more information, visit this website. (KOIN)
• Colder, wetter weather is on the way, but cyclists in Portland still have some beautiful, bikable days ahead. If you're looking for a new ride to check out, read this piece by Josh Ross as he shares the Classic Tour of East Portland that's just under 100 miles long. (Bike Portland)
• Portland has garnered a number of superlatives of late. Best pizza in America, #1 coffee city, gold medals of our beer. Now we've been dubbed the #1 foodie city, according to WalletHub. Portland ranked high for diversity, accessibility and quality, but lower on affordability in the study. That was still enough to put it ahead of Orlando, Miami, San Francisco and Austin, that ranked #2-5 respectively. (Portland Business Journal)
• As far as media outlets go, it's pretty hard to do better than your Portland Patch right here. But if you do need an alternative for some extra amusement, check out Portland's answer to The Onion, The Stumptown Scallion. It's a satirical website skewering local subjects far and wide. (Stumptown Scallion)

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I could go on, but we've got a weekend to start. So put a smile on that face and make the most of today and meet me back here tomorrow for more gab about Portland. If you're into these newsletters, consider bringing some more friends and neighbors on board. 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 contact me at portland@patch.com.