Long Hospital Stay+Laurelhurst Swept+Masks In School

Happy Saturday, Peeps! It's finally the weekend. Time to kick back and let my hair down. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to talk about Portland.

First, today's weather: The clouds roll in and give us a little relief from the heat. Even so, we're going to have a high of 91 today.

Here are the top stories in Portland today:

1. In the midst of a heatwave, access to a cooling center could mean the difference between life and death. For those that have transportation woes, Tri-Met is looking to help out. It is offering fareless rides to cooling centers for those who cannot afford the fare. (KGW)
2. No one said getting over COVID was easy, and there is one Portland-area woman who will agree with that wholeheartedly. She's just been released from Providence Portland Medical Center after a 440-day stay. (KPTV)
3. The city of Portland has made good on its promise and has swept the homeless camp that was in Laurelhurst Park. There was little resistance to the sweep, though about 20 protesters were in attendance heckling police officers. One protester was arrested. (Willamette Week)
4. School supplies this year are going to have to include masks, by order of Gov. Kate Brown. Students, staff and visitors in K-12 schools across Oregon will be required to wear COVID-19 face masks for the 2021 - 2022 school year. (Statesman Journal)
5. During Portland's civil unrest last year, several statues and monuments were toppled and, given that public sentiment hasn't changed much, the city is reluctant to restore them. Not everyone, however, feels that way. Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam announced he hopes to give the discarded statues of Portland a new life in Sandy. (KOIN)

Today in Portland

• Local rockers Tacos In Hell will be playing at Dante's in downtown Portland. They'll be joined by the Atomic Lords of Tokyo. Don't miss this night of double rock fun. Get your tickets online. Doors at 8:00 PM, show at 9:00 PM.
• SE Portland cannabis dispensary Mr. Nice Guy is having a grand opening. There will be food, raffles and up to 50% off the entire stock. There will also be a live glass blowing demonstration from Hephaestus Glass from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The fun starts at 9:00 AM.
• Parkinson's Resources and PeDal Support Cycling present an adaptive cycling fair in SE Portland. Adaptive cycles are bikes that are modified to fit the needs of an individual rider, which can really help someone with a movement disorder, such as Parkinson's Disease. The fine folks at Kerr's Bikes will be on hand to talk about DIY repairs and some of the fundamentals of adaptive bikes. 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM.
• There's a Heads Up pop-up today on NE Alberta St. Presented by Division Pharmacy and the Black United Fund of Oregon. It's being held in support of mental health awareness. 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
• The Portlandia Mermaid Parade, in collaboration with the Unipiper and Weird Portland United, presents a festival of all things mermaid and water related! It will be at Tom McCall Waterfront Park and there will be performances, art and even a live mermaid tank. Can you think of something stranger you can do on a Saturday? 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• Portland Trail Blazers: "We have acquired the draft rights to Greg Brown III. Double tap to help welcome @greg.brown03 to #RipCity!" (Instagram)
• Travel Portland: "This Saturday, Steeplejack will celebrate the grand opening of their brewery and restaurant. Meticulously transformed..." (Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "Belted Kingfishers have been around for a millennium (x 600). Pleistocene fossils up to 600,000 years old have been..." (Instagram)
• If you use tofu in your cooking, you're probably familiar with America's oldest tofu manufacturer right here in our very own Portland. Ota Tofu is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year and would like you to know about it. (KGW)
• I've talked about local artist Lemmy Koopa, AKA Mike Bennett before. You may remember him as the artist behind those crazy cut out creatures he would place around town. Now he's got a whole new line of cut outs, in the form of Slow Down signs. Check them out. (Instagram)

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Events:

• Free Family Mini Photo Sessions (July 31)
• What is PDP? Women's Connections & Collaborations (August 3)

That's a grand Saturday and there's still a whole other day after that. I hope you all have more fun than a sack full of ferrets, but make sure you join me back here next week and we'll talk some more about all things Portland. If you're loving these newsletters, consider bringing some friends and neighbors along for the ride. 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? Contact me at portland@patch.com.