🌱 Mysterious Nonprofit +Water Treatment Plant Damaged + Tax Hike

Happy humpday, friends and neighbors! It's a great day to be alive here in the City of Roses. It's a big day, so let me tell you all about it.

First, today's weather:

It looks like another nice day today with partly cloudy skies and a high of 50.

Here are the top stories in Portland today:

1. The local non-profit People for Portland has made a big splash in the city, putting up billboards and putting out television commercials, but the mystery of where its funding comes from has some residents concerned. People for Portland is set up with the tax designation of a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, which allows it to keep donors secret as long as it doesn’t explicitly endorse candidates running in an election. (Psuvanguard.com)
2. The increase in crime that Portland has been experiencing has put extra pressure on the Multnomah County District Attorney's office, so its bringing in extra manpower. An influx of money from the county has allowed the office to hire four new prosecutors and two investigators. "The volume of homicides this year has quickly outweighed the resources our office has to handle resolving them," said District Attorney Mike Schmidt, who said the new prosecutors will start working in December. (Portland Patch)
3. Portland is getting its water from a different supply after a falling tree damaged a treatment plant. According to the Portland Water Bureau, the tree fell into the roof of the Lusted Hill treatment facility damaging the interior of the building, including corrosion treatment equipment. Because of the damage, the bureau switched over from the Bull Run watershed to the Columbia South Shore Well Field supply system on Nov. 15. (KOIN.com)
4. At the start of next year, Oregon residents will start paying more at the pump. House Bill 2017, also known as Keep Oregon Moving, is expected to bring more than $5 billion by 2027. That money has been and will continue to go to fund necessary transportation projects. The state gas tax will increase two cents per gallon in 2022. With gas prices currently at $3.89 per gallon, it costs the average driver, with an 18-gallon tank, $70.02 to fill up. If you fill up every week, you'll be spending $1.44 more a month with the new increase. (KATU)
5. It's been a pretty dry year for Oregon, but the recent rainfall we've seen has almost made up for the deficit we saw earlier in the year. While this is welcome news, there can be too much of a good thing. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch last Thursday through Friday as Oregon was deluged by heavy rains. The storm brought between 3 and 4 inches of rainfall at Portland International Airport and up to 8 inches along the Oregon Coast. (OregonLive)

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Today in Portland:

• PDX Contemporary Art is excited to invite you to come along on its slow, but sure journey of creating a new gallery space in a Skylab creative community project. Tonight is opening night for Jeffry Mitchell’s exhibition: I Have a Winter Friend, happening at the space in NW Portland. Register online. 4:00 - 7:00 PM.
• Another day, another drag show. That's just Portland for you. This one is at downtown bar Kelly's Olympian. This is a variety drag show with diverse and talented performers. Special guests will be Syra St. James and Babylon Brooks. Hosted by Feather Dusted. Tickets are available online. Show starts at 9:00 PM.
• It's comedy night at NW Portland venue the Botanist. This is an outdoor show; it's in a heated tent, but please dress appropriately. Tickets are available online. 7:00 - 9:00 PM.
• Singer-songwriter Deb Never will be playing at Lola's Room in downtown Portland this evening. Deb Never lives and makes music with her WeDidIt Collective “homies” in Los Angeles, but the gray skies of her lonely youth in Washington state have shaped her dreamy, melancholy music more than the sunshine and palm trees that surround her now. Tickets are available online. Doors open at 6:00 PM.
• If you have any connection to the cannabis industry, you shouldn't miss Cannabis Colloquia, an Exponential Deep Dive Into Global Hemp - Trends, Developments & Opportunities - Within Oregon. Featuring expert panels with the industry’s foremost global thought leaders, and virtual expo booths with top global brands. This virtual event is free, but you must register online. 3:00 - 7:00 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• Portland Trail Blazers: "So…..who gets credit for this block 👀😂" (Instagram)
• Travel Portland: "Visiting Portland soon? Awesome! Our Instagram Guides are a great resource to help you plan. Look for the book icon just above our photo feed. And as always, don't hesitate to DM us if you're looking for recommendations for places to eat..." (Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "This week we will be showcasing a sampling of the amazing artists and authors who will be at Wild Arts Festival this weekend at PSU Viking Pavilion at 930 SW Hall St, Portland. Today, take a peak at a few of the ceramic artists’ work: •..." (Instagram)
• Do you want to have a say in how the Portland police engage with the community? You may wish to attend the virtual meeting hosted by the Portland Committee on Community Engaged Policing. Its looking for public opinion and now is your chance to speak. 5:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Do you have cooking fanatics on your holiday shopping list? Take a look at PDX Eater's Holiday Gift Guide. They're sure to have something to make them very happy. (PDX Eater)
• Inflation? Supply chain problems? It seems like there so many things getting in the way of this gift giving season. It's all just a reminder to get your gift lists checked off extra early this year. Need more convincing? Check out this story about the coast to coast adventure of a CD sent through the U.S. Postal Service. (KGW)

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That's your Wednesday, Portland. You make the most of it and join me tomorrow for more news about our town. If you're liking 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.