🌱 Homeless Fires+School Meeting Disrupted+Clean Energy Fund

Hey, Portland, it's Dom the Artist here, dropping knowledge about what's going on today. Let's get down to it.

First, today's weather:

Rain all day long, but it will be a bit warmer with a high temp of 65.

Here are the top stories in Portland today:

1. There was grave concern over the fire risk posed by camp fires lit in homeless camps during the dry, hot summer. But Portland Fire & Rescue is more concerned that, as colder weather moves in, such fires will become more common as those campers try to stay warm. It was last winter that PF&R first noticed a huge spike in these fires. (KPTV.com)
2. Last year, Oregon voters backed a nation-leading experiment when they agreed to decriminalize drugs. Now, 8 months after its implementation, Measure 110 doesn't seem to be living up to its goals. Law enforcement agencies in many parts of the state have had little appetite to use a key component of Measure 110, a violation akin to a traffic ticket that can be dismissed if users call a hotline that can help them access treatment. (OPB)
3. In the culture wars which have been fueled by COVID mandates, Portland Public Schools have become the latest battle ground. In a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss a potential vaccine mandate on students 12 and older, a mob of mask-less protesters disrupted proceedings and forced the meeting to be held online. (Patch)
4. Over the past year and a half, the spotlight has focused on anti-racism and equity issues, with Portland often being front and center on the national stage. Unfortunately, a recent survey shows that city hall still has a long way to go. This summer, Portland city employees received a survey aiming to answer a basic question: How satisfied are City Hall’s Black staff? One hundred-three employees responded. Eight of them reported feeling supported in their jobs. (OPB News)
5. The Portland Clean Energy Fund seems to be paying off. With overwhelming voter support, local ballot measure #26-201 places a 1% surcharge on retailers with revenue of $500,000 here and $1 billion nationally. According to the latest revenue figures from this month, the PCEF fund balance has reached $169 million. That tally is divided into two pools: $96.3 million in unappropriated money, as well as another $72.8 million being held in contingency. (KOIN)

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Today in Portland:

• Join Global PDX for the virtual lecture When Women Ruled the World. Held over Zoom, it coincides with Portland Art Museum’s exhibition “Queen Nefertari’s Egypt,” which will run from October 16, 2021 – January 16, 2022. A woman’s power in the ancient world (and perhaps even today) was always compromised from the outset, and this lecture by Dr. Kara Cooney will address the root causes of this social inequality. Register online. 5:30 - 7:00 PM.
• Portland isn't just known for its love of spooky culture, but for its love of cocktail culture as well. And what cocktail could be spookier than the Zombie! If I've got your interest, check out The Haunted Sea: How the Zombie Cocktail Returned From the Dead. Ticket includes dinner and a cocktail served in a keepsake glass. And, of course, there's a costume contest, so dress appropriately. Tickets available online. 6:00 - 9:00 PM.
• It's the last Thursday of the month and that means art shows on Alberta Ave. Opening tonight is Dichotomy: Day and Night, featuring local artists Carson Abbert and Aleksandra Apocalisse, at the Alberta Street Gallery. Gallery is open from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
• If it's a night of table top board games you're craving, join PDX Gaymers at the Lucky Lab in NW Portland for Game Night. A Gaymer is anyone in the LGBTQA Alliance who wants to get their geek on! The meetups are open to everyone. Let’s play games! The fun starts at 6:30 PM.
• Portland-based Americana trio Yellow Birds will be playing at Steeplejack Brewing in NE Portland. The band is known for their soaring harmonies to their brand of sweet and haunting original songs. This is a free event, but masks are required. 7:00 - 9:00 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• Portland Trail Blazers: "Memory of a goldfish. On to the next " (Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "Watching these birds poke around in the mud at the water's edge with their extended bills is kind of a magical experience so it's easy to see why Wilson’s Snipes have captured the imaginations of so many, even inspiring a summer camp pra..." (Instagram)
• Travel Portland: "Portland’s queer community includes a Guinness World Record holding drag queen, gay dance clubs and sports leagues, community organizations, and dozens of LGBTQ+-owned businesses. Hit the link in our bio to learn more about it all! #This..." (Instagram)
• Portland strives to be an environmentally conscious city, always trying new ideas to reduce waste and resist climate change. One of these ideas has gotten some pretty big attention. Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Mark Cuban Companies have invested a combined $4 million in the Portland startup Neutral Foods. Neutral sells milk that it says is carbon neutral, accomplished by investing in emissions reductions at dairies and buying offsets. The company was founded in 2019 by Matt Plitch, a former Nike executive. (The Business Journals)
• Today's venture into spooky country involves Portland native Kimbra Kasch giving a brief talk about the haunted spots around Oregon and the rest of the country. (Google)
• Meet Stone Cold, a single, male rat up for adoption through Multnomah County Animals Services. Evidently, he doesn't play well with others, but he's smart, savvy and good looking. It's nice to see an animal with such self-confidence. (Multcopets)
• I love seeing videos shot around Portland, and it's even better if they're set to awesome music. Check out Falling Alice's latest creation, Sonder. (YouTube)
• I mentioned the Davis Graveyard a little while ago. Here's a great pic of it, posted by Redditor u/sirbubbles42. (Reddit)

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That's a fine Thursday for a rainy, fall, Portland day. There's only 3 more days until Halloween, so if you don't have your candy ready, now's the time to prepare. I'll be back tomorrow to talk about what an awesome Friday we're going to have, so ta ta for now. If you're feeling these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow 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.