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🌱 Patch AM: What a $22 million project means for students in Portland’s Kenton

Coming up on the Portland Patch calendar: Interior Blue Print: An Evening Of Interior Design Inspiration

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Good morning to you Portland! Catch up on our news and events right here. Keep reading to stay in the know. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • What a $22 million project means for students in Portland's Kenton
  • Amtrak north of Portland is back—see what's changed for riders
  • Why Portland auditors say $650,000 in city contract spending got taxpayers nothing

Also on today's calendar: Interior Blue Print: An Evening Of Interior Design Inspiration and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: Why do fish live in salt water? 🤔 (Answer below!)

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Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: Mostly sunny and very warm, with a high of 90 and low of 62 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Friday: Periods of sun, temps: high: 81, low: 59.
  • Saturday: Low clouds, with a high of 78 and low of 61 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. New Trinity Academy building under construction in Portland (djcoregon.com) — A private Christian middle and high school in North Portland's Kenton neighborhood is finally getting a permanent home, with a 16,835-square-foot academic building now under construction on North Delaware Avenue. The $22 million project will add 12 classrooms, offices, and gathering space by July 2027, allowing Trinity Academy to grow enrollment to about 240 students.
   

2. Amtrak service resumes between Portland and Seattle (klcc.org) — If you rely on trains through Portland, Amtrak service between Portland and Seattle is running again after a more than two-week shutdown caused by a nearby warehouse fire. Trains from Eugene and Albany can now continue past Portland without bus transfers, after demolition work made the route safe for passenger trains.
   

3. City auditor finds 'waste and inefficiency' in Portland's management of $650K contract (kgw.com) — Portland's city auditor says a new internal department wasted $650,000 on contractors who couldn't fix a backlog in the city's time and payroll system, leaving the work delayed by a year. City Operations disputes that the money was entirely wasted but agrees to tighten contract planning and coordination, a key concern as Portland faces budget shortfalls.
   

4. Vaux's Swifts just weeks away from roosting in Portland (koin.com) — Portlanders can start planning for the annual Vaux's swifts spectacle, with watch parties at major city chimneys expected by mid-September. After shifting away from Chapman Elementary in recent years, the birds have favored spots like Abernethy Elementary and other large chimneys, drawing evening crowds to watch thousands swirl into roosts around sunset.
   

5. 50 cats rescued from 'hazardous' conditions in Southern Oregon ready for adoption in Portland (koin.com) — Fifty cats rescued from severe neglect in Southern Oregon are now ready for adoption at the Oregon Humane Society's Portland campus, where their care has already cost over $250,000. Staff say the cats have "blossomed" and are eager to match them with Portland-area adopters after months of recovery from hazardous living conditions.
   

📸 Around Portland

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Albertsons Companies, Inc. posted a job opening for Night Crew Stocker in Portland. Apply here.
  • Latino Network posted a job opening for Garden Extended-day Instructor in Portland. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Portland here.

Ok Portland! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Pepper makes them sneeze (Thank you Karla H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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