Pandemic Hope + MAX Fatality + Portland Migration

Hello, everyone! We're back to another week and I feel great! You know why? Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. And what could be more Portland than coffee? And now I'm guaranteed not to shut up about today. Strap in, because here we go!

Are you a local business owner or marketer in Portland? Our premium local sponsorships will keep you at the top of inboxes around town every morning. Contact us here for the lowdown.

First, today's weather:

Sunny and mild today with a high of 81, as we enter our last few days of summer. Is that a rumor of rain I hear for the end of the week?

Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. Since we're still in the midst of a pandemic, I figured I should revisit the subject and check in on how Oregon is doing. Well, I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is that we are still seeing high rates of infection with the Oregon Health Authority reporting 2,453 new cases and 20 more deaths. The good news is that, according to recent models, the OHA is predicting an upcoming drop in new daily cases and hospitalizations. Fingers crossed! (KXL)
2. If you were wondering what that large, grey airplane was that was circling the skies of Portland, don't worry. It was merely a military aircraft that was preparing for its flyby at the Portland International Raceway. The raceway was hosting the Grand Prix of Portland this weekend and the flyby was one of the events at the race. (KATU)
3. Oregon adult entertainment clubs are getting sued by a group of dancers alleging that the establishments violated mandatory minimum wage provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. They allege they are treated as independent workers through their compensation arrangements even though the clubs require them to act as employees by setting their work hours and working conditions down to the music. (MSN)
4. A woman was stuck and killed by a MAX train yesterday near Northwest Burnside in Gresham. Investigators said the woman was sitting against the tracks when she was hit by a train traveling west between the Civic Drive station and Ruby Junction. Police said the portion of the track where the crash happened is fenced and not intended for pedestrian traffic. (KGW)
5. Californians keep moving to Portland and the surrounding regions, but Portlanders are moving to Seattle. That'll show them. Charles Rynerson, coordinator for the Oregon State Data Center, and Josh Lehner, an economist for the state of Oregon, take a deep dive into the most recent census data and what it may mean for employment and housing for our state. (Evergreen Gazette)

Today's Portland Daily is brought to you by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in Portland!

Today in Portland:

• I really like hearing about all the virtual courses that Portland Audubon offers and if you're a bird lover, there's a great one tonight. Birding Oregon Hotspots: Columbia Estuary explores sites from the massive Fort Stevens State Park east through Hammond and Warrenton to the Youngs River. This class will introduce you to some of the best birding spots near the mouth of the Columbia River, showing you how to get there and what species to expect at each site. The instructor will be local author John Rakestraw. Register online. 6:00 - 7:00 PM.
• The Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber would like to invite you to its 27th Hispanic Heritage Dinner celebrating the work supporting the Latino community in Oregon and SW Washington. This will be a virtual event. Keynote speaker will be Marcelino Alvarez, Chief Product Officer at Fresh Consulting. This year, you will not only be able to bid for great prizes during the annual Silent Auction, but you will also have the opportunity to purchase a raffle ticket for two Alaska Airlines coach roundtrip tickets! Each main cabin ticket is valued at $1,250. Only 150 raffle tickets will be sold! So buy your raffle tickets before they’re gone! 6:00 - 9:00 PM.
• If you read my newsletter, you know that Portland does not have a lack of drag shows. The Local Lounge, however, is featuring what may be the most Portland of drag shows, or the most nerdy at the very least. Tomorrow it presents a New Mutants/X-Men themed drag show titled Cult Of! And, honest to God, it doesn't give much more information than that, but maybe that says it all. 7:00 - 10:00 PM.
• The Coffin Club, formerly the Lovecraft Bar, will be celebrating its 10th anniversary and it will be doing it in style with a special night of Burlynomicon - A Darkly Decadent Burlesque Revue! Produced and hosted by Natasha Riot, tonight's event features Paige Rustles, Lola Coquette, Diva Dott, Dahlia Kash and Izohnny. Get your tickets online. Doors at 7:30 PM.
• If you're a fan of old school martial arts movies, the Hollywood Theater in NE Portland is featuring Kung Fu Theater. Showing tonight will be Invincible Kung Fu Legs (1980). A kick-fighting expert is challenged to a Kung Fu duel, and accidentally kills a man in self defense. He is then hired to train a princess and her servant in his martial arts style. Meanwhile, the brother of the man killed, also a master of ferocious footwork, sets out for revenge. Get ready for high-kicking, leg-fighting Kung Fu excitement! Directed by Lee Tso Nam. COVID precautions will be in effect. Show at 7:30 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• Portland, Oregon: "Around this time each year 10k+ of Vaux’s Swifts rest in Portland during their migration south. This event happens at sunset each night for almost a full month! One of their favorite places to stop is at the local Chapman Elementary Sch..." (Instagram)
• Portland Art Museum: "This still life painting by Jean-Baptiste and Antoine Monnoyer captures a richness of color, texture, shadow, and light. The blossoms and fruits evoke a bountiful energy that invites us to step further into the scene. Our own lives also ..." (Instagram)
• As I may have mentioned, the Rose City Comic Con happened over the weekend. One considerate attendee posted this series of photos from the event. Take a look. (Imgur)
• Local Artist Kett McKenna just finished his first mural. It was for Tamale Boy on North Russel Str. and has an Aztec theme. It's gorgeous! (Instagram)
• I'm not sure how adventurous you are when it comes to drinking an unknown beverage, but the Food Innovation Center will be holding a paid beverage taste test in downtown Portland today and tomorrow. You need to take a survey to see if you qualify, but if you do you could earn $60 for 45 - 60 minutes of your time. (All Events)
• It's a Cat-tastrophy! Well, not really, but how often am I going to get to use that pun? Purrington's, Portland's only cat café, has reopened and immediately had 10 of its 11 cats adopted. But not to worry, it can get more. Purrington’s sources its cats from an an adoption-guarantee shelter in Sherwood—Cat Adoption Team—with whom it has a long history. It hase had to pivot its model of operations, because of the pandemic, but has adopted several COVID precautions. (Willamette Week)
• Given that this is ending up being an image-filled notebook section, here are some photos of a bizarre cloud formation that was taken by Justin Forbes at Vista House in the gorge. Strange stuff. (Twitter)

You can get your local business featured here in the Portland Daily for just $79 per month. Click here to get started.

Well, I got that newsletter done in record time. Now what to do with the rest of the day? Clean the house? Wash the car? Why am I shaking so much? I'm not sure if I'm going to get any sleep tonight, but rest or not, I'll be back tomorrow to talk about another beautiful day in Portland. 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? Reach out anytime to portland@patch.com.