🌱 Gonzalez Faces Another Fine + A New Veterinary Hospital Opens

It's Saturday, my friends, and that spells happiness in my book. I know it's the weekend, but this is Portland, where the action never stops. Here's what's going on:

• There's been a surge in apartment construction.
• Frankenstein, and his comic books, are invading Lloyd Center.
• A 9-year-old proves himself smarter than me.

Trust me on this, because you know I wouldn't lie to you.

But first, today's weather:

Rain in the morning and possible thunderstorms in the afternoon with a high of 56.

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Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. We got some possible good news when it comes to Portland's housing crisis. "The Portland area had more than 8,300 apartments under construction in the summer, a 34% increase from a year earlier and the biggest annual percentage increase since 2015." That's quite the turnaround from the sharp decline we saw even before the pandemic. Don't get your hopes too high, though. These new apartments had already been planned for years and are just now being constructed. "Now, with inflation soaring, the Federal Reserve is rapidly hiking interest rates to put a cap on prices. As borrowing becomes more expensive, so does the cost of building." (OregonLive)
2. There was a deadly crash at the Portland International Airport, but fortunately, it didn't involve a plane. "At about 10 p.m., Port of Portland Police responded to a report of a crash in the 8000 block of Northeast Marine Drive. Officers arrived and found a vehicle that had rolled off the roadway, overturned and crashed through an airfield fence." The driver was the only occupant found in the vehicle and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Portland Police Bureau’s Major Crash Team is investigating. (KPTV)
3. Rene Gonzalez faces another fine after the City's Auditor's Office determined his campaign had allegedly accepted "in-kind contributions for six months of parking at his downtown Portland office rented from Schnitzer Property Management." This comes after his campaign was fined for accepting an in-kind contribution for its rented office space. "In a statement, the Auditor’s Office pointed out the office space donation is not a violation of city campaign finance regulations. However, the office determined that the donated parking spaces from May through October were unlawful in-kind donations, officials said." (KOIN.com)
4. And now, some good news for pet owners: "The New Road Ahead expansion project to the Oregon Humane Society officially opened on Thursday with a ribbon-cutting celebration. The expansion will allow thousands of animals to get care amid a nationwide veterinary staff shortage." This new hospital will have "five full time veterinarians and four support staff for every veterinarian. The hospital is 14,000 square feet with ten exam rooms, a full dental suite, six surgery tables and ICU." (KGW)

Today in Portland:

• The mid-'90s indie rock band The Mommyheads will be doing a live, in-store performance at Music Millenium. "As The Mommyheads approaches their 40th Anniversary as a band, they are only getting better with age. The band’s 14th album “Genius Killer” finds the band more creative alive than they’ve ever been." The music starts at 4:00 PM.
• Hey, comic book fans, Frankenstein's Comicbook Swap is returning! Today at Lloyd Center there will be vendors with thousands of comic books. They will "be in the old H&M location, southwest of the ice rink. Across from All American Magic Shop, Hot Topic and Zoomies" 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
• It's time to get gussied up for the Fall Fling Art Show, Dance and Dinner at Building 5 at NW Marine Art Works. This is an "Elevate Unity Music Benefit celebrating emerging local artists at a cool new venue." Music by jazz band Beacon Street Titans and soul/R&B artists Yugen Rashad and Brika De Tar. Doors open at 4:00 PM.
• Come to the "Benefit Music Concert for Pilgrim Featuring Steve Adams" at Pilgrim Lutheran Church. This will be "a solo guitar concert featuring Steve Adams. Donations accepted for Pilgrim Lutheran Church, which will be used for roof repairs." Showtime is 4:30 PM.
• If you're looking for comedy, look no further than ROYGBIV’s Comedy Show at Crush Bar. Hosted by Delaney Malone and featuring "amazing queer comics! October’s show will feature Sagan Genesis, Mary Grall, Connor Smith, and Julia Corral!" The laughs start at 8:00 PM.

From my notebook:

• "Trail Blazers sign John Butler Jr. to a two-way contract." (Portland Trail Blazers via Instagram)
• "Is it a duck? Is it a tiny submarine? No — it’s a Pied-billed Grebe! These small birds are full of marvelous surprises. Here’s a quick rundown of things they can and can’t do: They CAN: • Dive like there’s no tomorrow. They dive to eat ..." (Portland Audubon via Instagram)
• "🚧 Pssst! There’s something you should know. The American art galleries are closing for renovations on November 7 for up to eight weeks. 📷 @michaelhtaylr [ID: Figure whispering to marble sculpture with framed works behind.]" (Portland Art Museum via Instagram)
• Slow down, brainiac! A 9-year-old Portlander is making the news for getting a near-perfect score on the math section of the SAT. "He’s home-schooled and is currently enrolled in online classes at Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth." He would practice SAT tests and his dad decided that he should try the real thing. He "scored 750 on the math portion, which is just shy of a perfect 800. That score is higher than most high schoolers taking the test to get into college." (KPTV)
• Sometimes, just sometimes, the street signs in Portland can be confusing. Here are a few signs that make everything simple. (Facebook)

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Have a fantastic weekend, Portland. I'll be back next week to tell you everything I know about what's happening in the city.

— 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