🌱 Mercy Corps To Aid Ukraine + Prison Workers Coerce Inmates

TGIF, am I right? There's just something about Friday that makes me want to have fun. But before I get into some fun, let me tell you about today. Not that that's not fun and all, but you know what I mean.

First, today's weather:

It's nothing but sun today, with a high of 48.

Here are the top five stories in Portland today:

1. The Portland Trail Blazers technically have 23 games left, but two announcements have made it clear the season is functionally over. One announcement came directly from the team — starting center Jusuf Nurkic is out for at least four weeks with a previously unmentioned foot injury. Meanwhile, Nurkic’s superstar teammate, Damian Lillard, dropped a parallel statement on Draymond Green’s podcast. When asked if he intended to play again this season as he recovers from a Jan. 13 abdominal surgery, Lillard bothered with only a bare minimum of obfuscation. (Willamette Week)
2. Portland-based Mercy Corps, is getting ready to help more than 1.5 million displaced Ukrainians. The non-profit focuses on helping people all around the world. In chaotic moments like this, it gets food, water, shelter, and other supplies to those in need, sometimes as soon as the next day. The organization told KOIN 6 that the 1.5 million displaced could become many more if the conflict spreads throughout Ukraine. (KOIN.com)
3. Ron Wyden just finished his 25th year representing Oregonians in the United States Senate. When he was first elected, he made a promise – which he has repeated every campaign – that he would host a town hall meeting for the residents of each of Oregon's 36 counties every year. Not only has he done that, Thursday, Wyden will have hosted his 1,000th county-wide town hall meeting over the past quarter-century. (Portland Patch)
4. Lawsuits accuse two Portland prison workers of coercing inmates into illegal sexual relationships in exchange for contraband and other favors — and one of the employees has stopped working at the prison as prosecutors mull criminal charges against her. A trio of civil lawsuits filed last month allege that Oregon Department of Corrections employees Heather Miller and Promise Parker were working as release counselors at the Columbia River Correctional Institution when they initiated the relationships with inmates. (The Oregonian)
5. On March 1, Portland will roll out a regulation change that will make a big difference to homeowners who live in the city’s historic districts. The rules will allow people to retrofit their homes to make them more resilient to climate change, and also to add additional housing units. Brandon Spencer-Hartle is the project manager for the Historic Resources Code Project, and talks to OPB about what this change could mean for the city. (OPB)

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Today in Portland:

• The Emo Night Tour is coming to the Hawthorne Theater in SE Portland. Imagine going to a show and hearing Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, My Chemical Romance and many more, all only playing their best songs...all night long. The Emo Night Tour DJs will be spinning all the angst your teenage dirtbag heart desires all night long and a special guest band will make you feel like you’re at Warped Tour ‘08 minus all the dust and melting in the sun! Tickets available online. Doors at 7:00 PM.
• It's opening night for the play Swipe Right showing at the Twilight Theater Company in North Portland. Synopsis: What if we talked to each other in real life the way people talk on dating apps like Tinder? Plug into a world where people introduce themselves OKCupid-style and Bumble their way in and out of love. Written and directed by Riley Parham. Produced by Blinking Eye Theatre. Get your tickets online. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
• Comedy Night returns to Al's Den in downtown Portland. Brandon Lyons and Chris Johnson host an ever-changing weekly line up of Bridge City's funniest! Nestled snugly under the Crystal Hotel, Comedy Night at Al's Den seeks to showcase a sectional of Portland's greatest growing comedic names every weekend. Tickets available online. Showtime is 9:30 PM.
• Get your punk on tonight as No Pants Records and Matt Danger present Ninjas With Syringes at the Kenton Club in North Portland. Also performing will be The Latter Day Skanks and Old Cross. Doors open at 8:00 PM.
• If it's a dance night you want, check out the Star-Crossed Lover's Ball at Holocene in SE Portland. The Star-Crossed Lovers' Ball is inspired by the classic 1996 hit, Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. Dress up as Romeo, Juliet, Mercurio or Tybalt and enjoy a performance inspired by Mercurio’s Drag number plus dance to all your favorite throwbacks and tracks directly from the soundtrack. Tickets available online. Doors open at 9:00 PM.

From my notebook:

• SheBrew, a Portland festival celebrating women and the beers they brew, returns in March for its seventh year after skipping 2021 because of COVID-19. The one-day festival, scheduled for Sunday, March 6, features a homebrewers competition plus at least 35 beers and ciders crafted by women in the brewing industry. For the second consecutive time, SheBrew will be held at Castaway, an events space in Northwest Portland. (The Oregonian)
• If you're in the mood for some tamales, now is the time to head to the Portland Mercado in NE Portland for its Tamale Festival. All weekend you'll be able to find a variety of tamales from all over Latin America in one place! Their vendors will be making their delicious versions of a Tamal which originate or are inspired by recipes from their culinary place of origin. Yum! (Facebook)
• Speaking of the Mercado, it has a new mural. Artist & architect Christian Tellez’s vibrant new mural spans the entire parking area fence, providing a striking tableau for patrons and passers by. This captivating new work evokes the feeling of being at a traditional Latin American Mercado, and is rich in color and cultural references. (Instagram)
• Check out the Vegan Sushi Masters of Portland! Mitate PDX specializes in amazing, elevated vegan sushi. Country Life Natural Foods is a 100% plant-based food company and Rated V for Vegan joined them in learning how 7 vegan restauranteurs in Portland turn simple plant-based ingredients into amazing vegan food. (YouTube)
• Speaking of food, the James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalist nominees for the 2022 Restaurant and Chef Awards, and seven Portland restaurants made the cut. (KOIN)
• There's just over a week to view the current artworks in “APEX: Sharita Towne & A Black Art Ecology of Portland.” It will be closed for 2 weeks, starting March 6, for the artist to install new works. (Instagram)

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I hope today is a fine end to a wonderful week. There's lots to do today, but don't get so caught up that you forget to meet me back here tomorrow for more news of Portland.

— 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.