🌱 Phasing Out Gas Powered Vehicles + Oregon Deaths Outnumber Births

Hello and happy Saturday. We've got a wonderful summer day on tap. Our leaders are assuring us of their commitment to abortion rights, Betsy Johnson is officially in the governor's race and we've got a host of outdoor festivals going on. Let me tell you about today.

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First, today's weather:

We've got a mostly cloudy day with a high of 73. Wow, how the weather has changed!

Here are the top five stories in Portland today:

1. Planned Parenthood leaders in Oregon said there has been a surge in the number of people traveling from out of state for abortions, including from neighboring Idaho, where most of a near-total abortion ban has taken effect. Speaking at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Portland, Oregon, alongside Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Democratic U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette President Anne Udall said Planned Parenthood was “fully committed” to serving people from Idaho and other states. (KGW.com)
2. We've heard the news that neighboring states California and Washington have plans to phase out sales of new gas vehicles. Could Oregon be far behind? When Kate Brown's office was asked about it, a spokesman said that the state is already in the process of developing its own regulations of this kind — "similar," at present, to California's. (KGW)
3. It's official! Democrat turned unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson will officially be on the ballot in November. State elections officials announced Thursday that Johnson had submitted far more than the 23,744 signatures needed to appear on the November ballot as an unaffiliated candidate. Johnson’s nonpartisan, politically centrist campaign is aimed at both Republicans tired of losing gubernatorial races and disaffected Democrats upset by issues like crime and homelessness. (OPB)
4. It's an uncomfortable trend, but deaths in Oregon have outpaced births for the last two years. In 2020, for the first time ever, Oregon recorded more deaths than births. In a new analysis, the Oregon Employment Department noted this week that the trend continued in 2021, with 2,210 more deaths than births. But we're not alone. Federal Census numbers show half of all states had more deaths than births last year, but only three of 13 Western states did. (Willamette Week)
5. How's Portland's ban on homeless camping on school routes working? After Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler banned camping near schools and school bus routes, a local parent is saying that their routes to school are being missed. The mayor’s office has said that people can report the areas parents feel are unsafe to 311 or the PDX reporter app, but local parent Laura Bartloff said she has tried calling and hasn’t had success. (KOIN)

Today in Portland:

• Come see Anjali & The Kid present A Summer Sidewalk Party at Bar Carlo on SE Foster. Line up starts at 3:30 p.m. and includes a few of our fav local Portland DJs. This event is free for all ages. This event is possible thanks to a grant from the city of Portland's Vibrant Spaces Community Events Activation and the American Rescue Plan Act. 3:30 - 9:30 p.m.
• Wow, I guess summer is the time for sidewalk parties, because this one takes up the whole darn block! It's the Volume Bomb Block Party 5 on SE Hawthorne. Venues: Bar of The Gods, Mighty Moe's Tanker, Spaceroom, Quarter World and The Trough. It's 50 bands, five venues for 10 bucks. It all starts at 4 p.m.
• It’s happening again!! Concerts in the cemetery!! Last Words Cemetery Concerts will be at the Lone Fir Cemetery. Pack a picnic and create community around death through song and conversation. Special guests include youth song writers from the nonprofit My Voice Music. The My Voice Music musicians will open with their Death Jams!! 5 - 7 p.m.
• Satisfy your hunger at the Cully Central Street Food Fest. This will be a day full of popular Asian street foods, live music and fun activities! The goal is to bring communities together through their intercultural foods to celebrate different cultures with your family, friends and pets. The fun starts at 11:30 a.m.
• Get ready for Summer Square - a free outdoor festival at the Portland Community Warehouse and Estate Store on NE MLK! There will be vintage clothing, DJ's, live performances, a photo booth, art exhibition and more! 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

From my notebook:

• Portland Audubon: "The 10th annual Catio Tour is approaching on September 10 - do you have your tickets yet?😺 Come see creative catios across Portland and gain inspiration to make your own. It's the purrfect solution to keep both cats and wildlife safe." (Portland Audubon via Instagram)
• Portland Art Museum: "Happy birthday to the National Park Service (@nationalparkservice), founded #OnThisDay in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson—inspiring artists globally for over a century. Oregon has five national parks, monuments, or historical sites." (Portland Art Museum via Instagram)
• Portland Farmers Market: "The first episode of our 30th Anniversary Video Series drops today! We're kicking off the series by premiering the "Show Us Your Haul" episode. We asked shoppers to show us their haul of the magnificent summer bounty they had gathered." (Portland Farmers Market via Facebook)
• Portland is an arts town and we often color outside the lines. So it's not at all strange to see a DIY concert in random places. This time it's under the Hawthorne Bridge featuring local bands Mauve and Candy Picnic joined by Addalemon and Mastoids on tour from Sacramento talking music, chili dogs, and trains with the people. (YouTube)
• In the garden obsessed town of Portland there are many, many organizations focused on different plants. We may be the City of Roses, but those aren't the only flower that groups have dedicated their work towards. If you're into outdoor flowers, the Portland Dahlia Society should be on your radar. Here's a few of the garden related events happening in the area. (The Oregonian)
• After a local chef was laid off in 2020, he started cooking dinners for his friends and eventually several families — the number of which kept multiplying. Out of this grew the idea for a new non-profit that aims to help families who are struggling. Michael Casper did not plan on founding an organization or preparing close to 500 meals each week for families across the region. However, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. (KOIN)

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Have an awesome weekend, Portland. We've got a great day ahead, but the main goal is to have fun. I'll be having fun, too, but nothing is going to stop me from being back here next week and singing more of the praises 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Portland Daily? Contact me at portland@patch.com