🌱 Portland Thorns Win Soccer Title + Move-In Multnomah Program

It's Dia de Los Muertos, Portland. I hope you had a great Halloween. Aaand, sorry to drop the mood, but it is with a heavy heart that I tell you, this is my last Portland Patch newsletter. All good things must come to an end and I must move on to other things. I will miss bringing you stories like:

• Gonzalez blaming Hardesty for one more thing
• The science of being in the zone
• Witches on the Willamette

Let me sing this swan song.

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But first, today's weather:

It's a gray, rainy day with a high of 50. Yep, this feels like Portland.

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Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. If you think it's tough to be a police officer in Portland, try being a firefighter. "Persistent staffing issues at the Portland Fire Bureau are eating away at firefighter morale, according to the union that represents them." President of the Portland Firefighters' Association, Isaac McLennan, "said the current situation puts both firefighters and the community they serve at risk, in part because the Fire Bureau has taken to regularly closing two-person rescue units because there aren't enough firefighters to go around. McLennan said there have been more than 100 such closures since December." (Fox 12 Oregon)
2. Bibliophiles rejoice! Today, "the Central Library for Multnomah County in downtown Portland reopens to the public after being closed for three months for renovations." Restoration work was performed to restore the front of the library to what it had been like when it first opened in 1913. Inside renovations were done to make the library more accessible to people with disabilities. Don't celebrate too hard, though, a "second and longer closure will come in 2023 as the library continues to upgrade and modernize its facilities, systems and other branches." (KGW)
3. Gonzalez blames Hardesty for what? The headquarters of the Rene Gonzalez campaign were vandalized on Oct. 29; its windows and doors were smashed in. Gonzalez is accusing a Hardesty campaign flyer as being the culprit. "Although City Council seats are nonpartisan, the Hardesty campaign recently sent out a mass mailer identifying her as 'True Blue' — code for Democrat — and strongly suggesting Gonzalez is a Republican with far right ties, even though he is a registered Democrat." (KOIN.com)
4. The homelessness crisis has forced Multnomah County to get creative in its solutions. One attempt, the Move-In Multnomah program, tried to encourage more landlords to help reduce homelessness. It promised a year of guaranteed rent "to landlords who agreed to rent houses or apartments to homeless individuals, coverage for any damages and a supportive staff member to help landlords and newly housed residents navigate any challenges." And it worked; the program was able to move people into 214 homes. Now, however, it's running out of money to remain active. (OregonLive)
5. Soccer fans have something to celebrate: The Portland Thorns won the National Women's Soccer League over the weekend. This was made even more significant in light of the controversy surrounding the team. "Earlier this month, an investigation by the former Acting U.S. Attorney General showed systemic abuse and misconduct within the league, impacting multiple teams, coaches, and players. That included allegations of harassment and sexual coercion against Paul Riley, who coached the Thorns between 2014 and 2015." (KATU)

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Today in Portland:

• At tonight's Science Pub Portland, the topic is "What Happens In Your Brain When You Are In The Zone: The Neuroscience of Optimal Behavior." The speaker is Luca Mazzucato, PhD, Professor of Biology and Mathematics and a member of the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Oregon, who will discuss how "our performance is poor at low arousal (when drowsy) or high arousal (when freaking out), but we achieve optimal performance at intermediate arousal." Doors open at 6:00 PM.
• At a book launch party at Gigantic Brewing, "author Chris Forhan will appear along with musicians Charity Rose Thielen, Matty Gervais, and Mikey Gervais, of the bands The Head and the Heart and Mikey & Matty. Forhan will read from his new book, A Mind Full of Music: Essays on Imagination and Popular Song, published by Portland's Overcup Press." It happens at 6:30 PM.
• It's comedy night at Oaks Bottom Public House, featuring Charles Jr. See which comedians will be at this comedy showcase. 7:00 - 9:00 PM.
• Powell's City of Books will host its own version of Dia de Los Muertos to celebrate Katherine Dunn and her previously unpublished book, Toad. "Toad is Dunn's ode to her time as a student at Reed College, filled with the same keen observations, taboo-shirking verve, and singular characters that made Geek Love a cult classic. ... This special book launch event will feature a conversation between Toad editor Naomi Huffman and Lydia Kiesling, author of The Golden State." It starts at 7:00 PM.
• Jamband Blü Egyptian will perform at the Hawthorne Hideaway. They "play original music encompassing bluegrass, rock, funk, latin and reggae for the ultimate dance party!" Showtime is 9:00 PM.

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From my notebook:

• "Just a glimpse of what you could stumble upon during a stroll on Halloween weekend in Portland ... #ThisIsPortland #PDX #PDXNOW #TravelPortland #TravelOregon #PortlandOregon #HereForPortland" (Travel Portland via Instagram)
• "Each week, @slowfoodportland brings an activity for kids age 3-12, and this week the activity is learning about the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead altar. A central symbol of the Dia de Los Muertos holiday, these altars are cons..." (Portland Farmers Market via Facebook)
• Inflation is taking a toll on everyone, but many of us should be thankful we're in Oregon. As it turns out, our minimum wage is higher than that of most other states in the U.S. "In Oregon, the minimum wage was $13.50 an hour as of July 1, 2022, the fourth highest among states." (Portland Patch)
• As I mentioned, today is Dia de Los Muertos. Portland has a number of events that celebrate: "To be clear, Día de Los Muertos ("Day of the Dead") is not the Mexican version of Halloween. Many believe Día de Los Muertos serves as a passageway between the real and spirit worlds so that loved ones can cross over and visit with their families."
• Hey, all you witches, did you get on the Willamette this weekend? "On Saturday, hundreds of costumed witches and warlocks traded their broomsticks for paddles and took to the Willamette River for the fifth annual Portland Stand-Up Paddleboard Witches on the Willamette." (Portland Mercury)
• If you're conscious of climate change, but still love your dairy, there may be an acceptable option for you. "Neutral Foods, which claims to be the nation's first carbon-neutral food company, launched what it billed as a climate-friendly milk brand last year. The company says it's measuring the carbon footprint of its dairy suppliers, engineering ways to reduce emissions at the source and buying in carbon offsets." (The Oregonian)

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There's your Tuesday, Portland. I don't know who will be taking over this newsletter, but I'm sure that you'll be in good hands. Don't forget to love each other and know that, whatever I'm doing, I'll still be a cheerleader for our awesome city. Peace out.

— 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