🌱Private Security + Governor's Race Heats Up + City Charter News

It's Veteran's Day today, so I'd like to extend a big thank you to all the individuals who have served. I'm actually part of a sizable military family, with relatives in every branch. Mad respect to you all. Let's talk about what today is going to be like.

First, today's weather:

The forecast for today is anything but shocking. Rain, rain and more rain, with a high of 61. Well, we're in Portland, so we know what the deal is.

Here are the top stories in Portland today:

1. The housing crisis is one of the most important issues facing Portland, but one Portland State University researcher says the city's policies may be part of the problem. Dr. Gerard Mildner of the PSU Center for Real Estate believes that Portland has created an environment that discourages investors from developing more housing and that we should work on utilizing existing property. He thinks that the most efficient plan is to give low income people cash or vouchers. (KOIN.com)
2. Crime is up and the Portland Police Bureau is overworked, so what's a business owner to do? They've been taking action by hiring private security firms to protect their investments. Jeromy Hasenkamp owns Pac-Tac Protective Solutions and he said he's seen an increase in demand nearly 50% since opening his business two years ago. He started off with a handful of employees but is now up to 75, doing business across the Pacific Northwest. (KPTV)
3. Former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has announced his gubernatorial bid and his campaign has hit the ground running. He's already raised more money than his competitors for the governor's seat with more than $1 million in the bank. Some of his critics have pointed out, however, that 40% of those donations come from out of state. (Portland Patch)
4. One of the mayor's solutions to Portland's rising crime rates is to hire more cops, which seems to make sense, but an exploration of the Portland Police Bureau's own data tells a different story. Using data acquired through public records requests to PPB and PPB online data dashboard, the researchers found that “additional officers do not correlate with a decrease in crimes.” Instead, the monthly number of officers employed by PPB over the past five years has had an insignificant impact on the city’s monthly crime rate. (Portland Mercury)
5. Portland's charter commission has been working hard these past few months and has come to a few decisions about what the city government will look like in the future. So far, the subcommittee has agreed to increase the size of city council, remove the role of commissioner-in-charge of bureaus from commissioners and shift to a form of voting that allows for a result in one election and captures people’s preferences. Community members will have an opportunity to learn more about the charter review and issues currently being researched by the commission in two different listening sessions, one on Nov. 13th and the other on Nov. 16th. (KOIN)

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Today in Portland:

• Do you have an interest in poetry? Have you ever wanted to participate in a spoken word event? Now you can do it from the comfort of your own home. The Meet-Up group North Portland Spoken Word Writers Group is holding an online Open Mic event this evening. So share your work! Poetry, prose and music are all welcome. 7:00 - 9:00 PM.
• It's a night of burgers and music tonight at the Bethany Public House in NW Portland. Enjoy the groovy tunes from Parisian Americana artist, Eric John Kaiser! Also, there's a free burger for all active and veteran military members. Now that's a thank you for your service. 6:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Stephanie Strange and Tim Karplus will be playing at Swift Cider in NE Portland. Strange won RAW Artist of the Year in 2011, and performed at SXSW in 2019, Siren Nation Festival, and at the Crystal Ballroom for Folkfest. Strange & the Familiars released their first album, Pretty Deadly, in 2016. You have no idea how badly I want to make a Dr. Strange joke. 7:00 - 9:00 PM.
• Tomorrow's Verse - taproom and bottle shop in NE Portland will feature the acoustic music of The Dead Band. It'll be playing an all-acoustic set of Grateful Dead covers. Tap your toes while choosing from Tomorrow's Verse's extensive tap list! Tickets available online. 8:00 - 10:30 PM.
• Popular downtown club Tube is back and tonight it's offering an evening of EDM with Modulation. Tube is one of THE BEST venues for House music in the city; if you've travelled abroad and got a taste of the international dance music flavor you'll be sure to love this venue and music. The event is free, but if you register online, you also get a free Tecate or White Claw. 8:00 PM to 2:00 AM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• Portland Trail Blazers: "THE SLAM DUNK CHAMP HAS ARRIVED 💥" (Instagram)
• Travel Portland: "Downtown's Park Blocks are so beautiful in the fall. If you think it's pretty from above, wait till you're looking up at these trees from below! #ThisIsPortland 📷: @sanjay_pdx #PDX #PDXNOW #TravelPortland #TravelOregon #PortlandOrego..." (Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "You may have seen crows mobbing or harassing a raptor before, but have you ever seen a Bald Eagle doing it? Bald Eagles will often harass smaller raptors who have caught something until the smaller bird drops it. They might even take pre..." (Instagram)
• As I mentioned, it's Veteran's Day today, which may mean some businesses will be closed. There will also be parades and celebrations, so it's a good thing that you have Portland Patch to put you in the know. Check it out and let us help you plan your day. (Portland Patch)
• The I-5 bridge is a vital part of the infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest, so I get why there has been intense discussion about its future. This article, however, focuses on what would happen to the bridge if the oft predicted mega-earthquake were to strike. There's even a video of it. Yikes! (Columbian)
• Growing concern about the environment has fueled the Zero Waste movement and I'm happy to see Portland getting into the swing of it. This video is about how the Zero Waste movement intersects with coffee shops and local coffee purveyor Nossa Familia shows what it is doing to help. (YouTube)
• The Portland Book Festival is well underway and one talked about feature is a vending machine. What makes this vending machine different is that, rather than candy and soda, this machine dispenses strange delicacies like the West African Miracle Berry that confuses your mouths’ tastebuds and makes sour things taste sweet or a loaf of steamed New England bread that you can buy in a can. (Willamette Week)

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That's your Thursday, Portland. I hope it's a good one. Oh, and if you're a veteran, remember that, since this is your day, there's a ton of places offering free food and the like. Be good to each other out there and meet me back here tomorrow for more news about Portland. If you're feeling these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— 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.