🌱 Portland Public School Budget + Oregon Candidates On Gun Control

It's Saturday, my peeps, and an action-packed weekend at that. The Rose Festival, the Multnomah County Fair and the Hollywood Farmers Market 25th Anniversary? Looks like we've got a lot on our plates. Let me tell you about today.

First, today's weather:

We've got a rainy Saturday today, with a high of 58.

Here are the top five stories today in Portland:

1. It's been a tough time to be a teacher, but Portland Public Schools just gave us a little good news. They've approved a $1.89 billion budget for the 2022-2023 school year. This means that an anticipated round of layoffs won't be necessary. Instead, the district won't replace teachers who retire or resign, officials confirmed to Patch. The announcement that there would be no layoffs is a tentative one. The final approval of the budget won't happen until the PPS June 14 meeting. (Portland Patch)
2. Rene Gonzalez narrowly edged Vadim Mozyrsky out of the race for Position 2 on Portland City Council meaning he'll face off with Jo Ann Hardesty in November. How Portlanders vote will likely be determined by how they feel about the Portland Police Bureau. Hardesty has championed police reform and accountability, helping to develop Portland Street Response Team, as well as repeatedly calling for greater civilian oversight of the PPB. Gonzalez has portrayed himself as an ally and cheerleader for the PPB. (Willamette Week)
3. Not only is COVID still around, it seems to be making a comeback. The Oregon Health Authority reported nearly 12,000 new cases last week and the state is averaging 1,685 new cases a day, which are some of the highest numbers since 2020. State health officials said that this new wave has been primarily because of the BA.2 version of the omicron variant. Hospitalizations continue to lag behind the rising case numbers and remain far below previous pandemic highs. (KGW)
4. The primary elections are over, with most of the results of who won or lost already known. But besides the candidates themselves, a number of other winners and losers can be seen from these results. Among the winners are Oregon Democrats and police reform advocates. Among the losers are Betsy Johnson and downtown property owners. (Willamette Week)
5. The rash of gun violence that has plagued both Portland and the nation has thrust our politicians' positions on gun control into the spotlight. Portland station KGW reached out to the three candidates running for governor of Oregon – Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan and unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson – to get their thoughts about gun control laws in Oregon and how they would approach the issue if elected. (KGW)

Today in Portland:

• The Hungry Hungry Hip Hop Showcase is at Mississippi Pizza in North Portland. Hungry Hungry Hip-Hop is a monthly showcase dedicated to spotlighting the many flavors and styles in Portland's hip-hop community, including live music, spoken word and audio/visual art. This time around, the mic will be handed to local rhyme wizards Lana Shea, Refugio and Cuddie Whompus. Get your tickets online. 8 - 11:30 p.m.
• Come to Workers Tap in SE Portland to watch Alt-Right: Age of Rage in celebration of the life of Heather Heyer and the militant resistance against fascism and white supremacy. "Alt-Right: Age of Rage" is a documentary that follows Daryle Lamont Jenkins, an anti-fascist activist, as he combats the rise of the alt-right movement during the first year of Donald Trump's presidency, while Richard Spencer, an alt-right leader, fights to gain ground, culminating in a tragic showdown in Charlottesville. This event starts at 7 p.m.
• Want to buy stuff for free? Come to the Really Really Free Market at Gateway Discovery Park in NE Portland. A buy nothing group but as a market! Bring stuff to give away for free, bring the family, bring yourself. The Really Really Free Market is a gift economy marketplace that relies on community members to share activities, skills or resources with the community. We live in abundance so why sell when you can give away for free. 3 - 6 p.m.
• The Portland Chinatown Museum is pleased to announce the launch of a new Artist Talk series highlighting PNW Asian American artists working in the intersections of community, history, and culture. Today will be PCM's Creative Heights resident artists: Alex Chiu, Shu-Ju Wang, and Sam Roxas-Chua 姚. They will share their recent explorations into the richly complex and compelling history of Chinese American communities in Oregon, with artist and PCM artist residency director Horatio Law as moderator. 1 - 2:30 p.m.
• Come to Tabor Space in SE Portland to see Comedy in the Time of COVID. There is always time to laugh! What happens when an Italian and a Brazilian get into comedy?
  AN IMMIGRANT IMPROVISATION SHOW! Tickets available online. 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.

From my notebook:

• Travel Portland: "As part of our new Portlanders series, which focuses on the real people who make Portland’s heart beat, we’re digging a little deeper with DJ Ambush (@skambeezy ) Scroll thru to learn about him and his projects with @thenumberzfm. (Instagram)
• Portland Public Schools: "TODAY - You're invited to a FREE Museum Night! Portland Public School District and Oregon Historical Society in collaboration with educators, our community and author Fawn Morosky have created two educational readers." (Facebook)
• When KOIN 6 Meteorologist Kelley Bayern went to the Duck House in Portland, she got a chance to make baos with dim sum artist Dan Dan. Kelley, who has family in Beijing, grew up making baos. Though her amateur efforts were laudable (and quite tasty), Dan Dan’s had that professional look. A “bao” literally means to wrap. The treat Dan Dan made, xio long bao, means “little basket bao.” Cheung bao is steamed buns. (KOIN)
• Gregory Gourdet, the Portland-based chef who has become nationally known for the culinary prowess he’s displayed on “Top Chef,” is getting more time in the spotlight. Gourdet will be among the challengers set to compete with a group of Iron Chefs on “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend,” a reboot of the popular series coming to Netflix on June 15. (The Oregonian)
• For the first time in two years, the 250-pound solid bronze doors to the most exclusive crypt in town will reopen at Wilhelm’s Portland Memorial Mausoleum. The century-old Rae Room, holding the marble sarcophagi of a lumber baron and his scandalous second wife, is closed to the public 364 days of the year, opened only on Memorial Day. The past two years, it has remained closed even then because of the pandemic. (The Oregonian)
• Memorial Day weekend is here, which means the summer travel season has officially begun. Summers in Oregon are gorgeous (albeit occasionally smoky) and there are so many places to explore. If you think a day brewery-hopping in Bend or hiking at the Oregon coast is only accessible by car, think again! It’s possible to see a lot of Oregon’s scenery without driving yourself there. In case you missed it, Bike Portland has recreated a comprehensive guide from TriMet that details all the ways to reach destinations throughout the state using transit. Scroll down to find your destination of choice, then see how to use transit to get there… (Bike Portland)

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That's your Saturday, my friends. I hope your weekend is awesome. It's a Memorial Day weekend, so I won't be back until Wednesday, but don't forget to take a moment to appreciate the sacrifices that our friends and family in the armed forces have done for us. Bye for now.

— 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