🌱 PDOT Takes Control Of 82nd + Washington County Copies Ridwell

Well, hellloooo, Portland! I'm back and refreshed after a long weekend! And we're not just back into a new week, we've got a whole new month! But before I let the excitement overtake me, let tell you what's going on today.

First, today's weather:

It's a cloudy day, but we'll still have a high temp of 74. Wonderful!

Here are the top five stories today in Portland:

1. It'll be official by Thursday. A seven-mile-long, high crash corridor, 82nd Avebye, will belong to the Portland Bureau of Transportation. Residents have long advocated for the city to take over this state-managed road, also known as a Highway 213. Now it's up to PDOT to make improvements to 82nd Avenue which it intends to do in two phases. The first phase will use $80 million to repair pavement, install better lighting and add pedestrian crossings, plus new sidewalk ramps. The second phase will use more than $100 million to make additional improvements based on community input. (KOIN.com)
2. TEDxPortland is apologizing for a gaffe over the weekend. They presented an unannounced interview with Oregon gubernatorial candidate Betsy Johnson at its event at the Moda Center on Saturday. Even this may have been excused had the conversation not turned to gun control, which Johnson addressed reluctantly. The crowd was not pleased and TEDxPortland has been accused of giving a political candidate preferential treatment. (KGW)
3. Clackamas County is still working on counting ballots after a printing error caused difficulties. It currently reported that roughly 90% have been counted, as of Tuesday. The only election still in doubt is the Democratic nominee in Oregon House District 38. As of Monday morning, the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office reported Neelam Gupta, a Lake Oswego School Board member, leads Daniel Nguyen, a Lake Oswego City Council member, by just 26 votes districtwide. (KOIN)
4. The city of Portland, and its police bureau, is under fire once again. Three federal civil rights lawsuits have been filed, stemming from actions taken during the 2020 protests. The lawsuits describe multiple violations of protesters’ first, fourth and fifth amendment rights stemming from incidents involving alleged enforced disappearances, retaliation, assault, battery and negligence. While members of the Portland Police Bureau are among those named in the lawsuits, there are also members of the Department of Homeland Security, as well as regional and national leadership of the Federal Protective Services, Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Marshals Service who are being sued. (OPB)
5. Earlier this year, Washington County drove out the Seattle-based recycling company Ridwell, threatening it with civil penalties if it continued operations. The county argued Ridwell was intruding on the turf of the county’s franchised trash haulers, which have exclusive rights to trash and recycling pickup. Now the county has crafted its own recycling program that appears to be a mimic of Ridwell. It’s set to launch July 1 of this year. (Willamette Week)

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Today in Portland:

• Need some excitement? Why not see RRR at the Hollywood Theater? RRR is an exhilarating, action-packed spectacular, mythologizing two real-life freedom fighters who helped lead India’s fight for independence from the British Raj, Komaram Bheem (N.T Rama Rao Jr., aka Jr NTR) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan). If you want big and loud and over-the-top, this movie is it. Showtime is 7 p.m.
• The PSU Vocal Collective will recreate the exciting atmosphere of a 1950s-era radio variety show on the Lincoln Hall performance stage at Portland State University. You can be a part of the live studio audience during this simulated national broadcast — it's free and open to the public. Marvel at the musical talents of the PSU students and staff as they turn back the clock to the glory days of radio, right in front of your ears. 7 - 9 p.m.
• Today is the first day of Pedalpalooza, Portland's annual festival of all things bicycle related. And what better way to start the festivities than with a kick-off bike ride. Cyclists will meet at Laurelhurst Park in SE Portland. The ride will start on the northern trail towards SE Ankeny Street and taking Ankeny to SE 6th Avenue. Then heading north to NE Couch Street back westward to connect to the Burnside Bridge. Once over the bridge, it will take right turns to get onto SW Naito Parkway and take that to NW Overton Street. This path crosses the tracks three times, so please be careful! The ride starts at 6 p.m. sharp!
• Feeling nostalgic ... for the 30s? Come see The Newport Nightingales at Corkscrew Wine Bar in SE Portland. The Newport Nightingales are a three part harmony group ala Boswell Sisters. They aspire to create an authentic vintage sound that transports you back to the 1930s and keeps you swinging on the dance floor. 8 - 10 p.m.
• It's disco night at the Coffin Club! Come experience the Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love with DJs spinning Italo Disco! With DJ 45 Girl, DJ Ghoul Lucciante and DJ Queen Amygdala. The fun starts at 10 p.m.

From my notebook:

• Portland Art Museum: "Memory, life, celebration, the Divine: What does candlelight symbolize to you? In the 1960s, Gerhard Richter embarked upon his series of Photo-paintings, sourcing images from publications. Candles have been depicted for centuries in va..." (Instagram)
• When Nanea Woods went to St. Mary's Academy in downtown Portland, her love of books inspired her to start a newsletter of book reviews to share with her classmates. Not content with this, her started a book club for women of color called Prose Before Bros. Now she’s launching her biggest effort yet to combine books and community: Portland’s first Black literary festival, the Freadom Festival, a tribute to freedom and reading that’s taking place in Peninsula Park on Saturday, June 18. (The Oregonian)
• Beloved local artist Mike Bennett has done it again. He's been hard at work creating a collection of plywood dinosaurs to make Dinolandia! The immersive walk-through two-story museum features more than 50 species of dinosaurs, ranging from the chicken-sized Compsognathus to the massive floor-to-ceiling T. Rex! Grammy nominated children’s artist Billy Kelly provides original music for the exhibit. Dinolandia takes place in the beautiful 22,000 square foot corner retail space located at 710 SW Yamhill St. across from Pioneer Square. (Mike Bennett Art)
• I've already told you about the Pedalpalooza Kick-Off Ride going on this evening, but the festival is so, so much more. Since 2002, Pedalpalooza has been a season of fun for the bike community to make Portland better and brighter with community rides across the city. Lasting all the way into August, Pedalpalooza consists of secret, nighttime rides, performances and seminars that celebrate bikes and the cyclist lifestyle. Seriously, Pedalpaloolza is crazy fun and I can think of few things more Portland, so check it out. (Pedalpalooza)
• Need even more festivals for it to feel like summer? Portland's got you covered! Starting today, the Mercury Festival at Pioneer Courthouse Square is a weeklong festival of in-person concert stagings of new plays developed by ART during the 18 months that the theatre was closed due to the pandemic. This event is free and open to the public. Is that not enough? Complimentary beer will be provided by Deschutes Brewery. (Artists Rep)

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How's that for a welcome-to-June day? It's so fun that you'd think that summer was already here. But as we count the days down to the solstice, I'll be right here with you to keep you well informed about Portland happenings.

— 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