🌱 Holiday Herd Immunity? + Green Line MAX Attack + PDX Crowds Up

Happy Tuesday, folks! Turkey Day is on the way and there's so much to do still. I've got the turkey and the guest list, but my side dish menu could still use some work. Hopefully you're more prepared than I am. Anyway, let me tell you about today.

First, today's weather:

We've got rain today, but that'll be clearing up in the late afternoon and give us a high temp of 49.

Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. With the holiday season here and the parties and gatherings that are being planned, risks due to COVID weigh heavy on the minds of Portlanders. Unfortunately, herd immunity is more complex than reaching a 70% vaccination rate. With COVID cases declining and the vaccine rate reaching 73%, many Oregonians are wondering when they can drop their face masks. Health experts say: not until early next year, if not longer. (OPB)
2. Just in case you've been avoiding the news over the weekend, the verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial is in and some Portlanders were not pleased. After Rittenhouse's acquittal on murder charges, roughly 150 protesters gathered at the Multnomah County Justice Center and pelted it with eggs. It was a small-scale protest by Portland standards, but as large as any per capita in the nation following the Rittenhouse verdict, as people shattered windows and Multnomah County sheriff’s deputies forcefully dispersed the crowd. (Willamette Week)
3. Two men were attacked over the weekend, by a man wielding a pair of scissors. Deputies were called out at about 6:45 p.m. Friday on reports of a fight on the Green Line MAX platform at 9225 Southeast Sunnyside Road. They found several people restraining an apparently intoxicated man, later identified as Joseph Haddenham. (KATU)
4. If you're traveling by air during the holidays, be prepared for some larger crowds at PDX. AAA predicts more than 55 million people will board a plane this year, up 13% from last year. A spokesperson for the Portland International Airport said it is expecting half a million passengers to pass through the terminal, up by more than 300,000 from last year. Officials with the airport said they're anticipating the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving to be the busiest days of the week, with nearly 50,000 passengers passing through the terminal.(KPTV.com)
5. The Oversight and Accountability Council created as part of Measure 110 last year has announced plans to distribute $270 million to the organizations that will treat those addicted to drugs. Measure 110 essentially decriminalized possession of user amounts of hard drugs by changing the relevant offense from a misdemeanor to a violation, similar to a parking citation, punishable by a $100 fine or completing a health assessment over the phone. “The collaboration taking place across the state with addiction recovery providers, the Measure 110 Oversight and Accountability Council, Oregon Health Authority and other key stakeholders signifies that we’re finally on track when it comes to supporting Oregonians struggling with substance use,” said Monta Knudson, executive director of the nonprofit Bridges to Change.(KOIN.com)

Today's Portland Daily is brought to you by L.L.Bean, a Patch Brand Partner. Planning a trip this holiday? Find your perfect luggage match.

Today in Portland:

• It's comedy tonight at Beulahland in NE Portland. Join the midnight show, StoolHumpin', hosted by Adam Pasi, Sam Whiteley, Ryan Danley and Tron 444. It's a monthly midnight comedy unlike anything you’ve seen before. 11:59 PM. to close.
• Seattle rapper Travis Thompson will be at the Hawthorne Theater in SE Portland. Thompson's playful sound is guided by rhymes that combine evocative description and candid emotion. A protégé of Macklemore, he released music independently beginning in 2015. After being featured on Macklemore's 2017 song "Corner Store," he made his major-label debut with the 2019 EP Runaways. This is an all-ages show. Tickets available online. Doors open at 7:00 PM.
• If you want to get a jump start on burning off those extra holiday calories, why not join tonight's street ramble, led by Mazama's members. Various leaders will lead walks every Tuesday and Thursday starting at REI in the Pearl. Multiple groups will be led at different paces. These rambles average 4 to 8 miles and 500- to 1500-foot elevation gain. Please bring a water bottle, flashlight and rain jacket. All rambles start promptly at 6:00 PM.
• In the mood for some grindhouse fun? Well, the Hollywood Theater understands and it's going to help scratch that itch with a screening of the 1981 cult classic "Burial Ground: Nights of Terror." A group of vacationers visit an old isolated manor in the country. Unfortunately, a professor has recently opened a crypt on the property, unleashing a horde of vicious zombies. Time for the blood to flow and the guts to spill! Tickets available online. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
• Want to hit up a farmers market to stock up on supplies for the holiday? The Lloyd Farmers Market may be your last chance before Thanksgiving. Held under the gazebo in the Oregon Square Courtyard, this year-round market has fresh produce, craft-brewed kombucha, locally roasted coffee, flower bouquets, hot sauce, baked goods, and more from a variety of vendors. 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• Portland Trail Blazers: "Still perfect in the new threads 🤩" (Instagram)
• Portland Art Museum: "Seneca artist Marie Watt created “Companion Species: Ferocious Mother and Canis Familiaris” with the help of over 200 people who participated in two sewing circles. These collective efforts generated a powerful piece filled with energy a..." (Instagram)
• One of the Pacific Northwest's most enduring and beloved mysteries is that of D.B. Cooper, the thief who parachuted out of an airplane with $200,000 and was never seen again. Amateur sleuths are still trying to solve this mystery and they convened in Vancouver, WA for the annual event that is CooperCon. (KOMO News)
• When the pandemic hit, the number of Americans having their groceries delivered to their doorsteps surged. But delivered groceries often come packaged in layers of plastic, laminated cardboard and other materials that pile up in landfills or end up elsewhere in the environment, says Adam Poverman. Green Truck Grocery, a new Hillsboro-based company founded by Poverman and two longtime friends, wants to offer sustainability-minded shoppers a solution. (KOIN)
• The pandemic has been stressful on those working in healthcare, with reports of burnout a common tale as many reach their breaking point. Luckily, Legacy Emanuel has a solution. Goats! Watch as these lovable fluff balls take the stress away and replace it with smiles. Who doesn't love goats? (KPTV)
• There's good news and bad news. The good news is that Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab season will open Dec. 1. The bad news is that an aggressive invader is encroaching on the Dungeness crab's habitat and driving down its population. Green crabs are native to Europe and showed up on the west coast in the late 80s. In the past five years, the new species started eating its way through local crab populations and harming marine habitat in Oregon and Washington. Perhaps green crabs should take a place on your menu once in a while? (The Oregonian)

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That's your day, peoples. I hope it's a laid back one and that you're not running around buying potatoes and cranberry sauce like I'll be doing. Still, it's all going to be delicious, so I don't mind. And I'll still be back here tomorrow to talk about a Wednesday in Portland. If you're enjoying 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? I'm all ears. You can contact me at portland@patch.com.