🌱 Race For OR Governor Seat Wide Open + 500 New Citizens

It's Saturday, Portland, and that means the weekend is here! There's lots to do, but let me tell what the day is like first.

First, today's weather:

It's a gray, drizzly day with a high temp of 50.

Here are the top five stories in Portland today:

1. Portland city commissioners voted against giving $225,000 to a project aimed at bringing a public ferry to Portland amid tension between TriMet and the nonprofit Friends of Frog Ferry. The plan to bring a ferry to Portland has been building for about five years, with Frog Ferry leading the way. Now tensions between the transit agency and Frog Ferry have boiled over. TriMet accused the nonprofit of inappropriate spending and billing practices, writing that "[Friends of Frog Ferry] submitted certain expenses that do not qualify for reimbursement, included invoices that didn't add up and kept changing, and management costs that could not be considered reasonable or necessary." (KGW.com)
2. The Oregon primaries are coming up May 17 and more than 30 candidates are running for governor. FM3 Research, a firm out of California, conducted a poll paid for by Democrat Tobias Read's campaign. It showed a wide open race between Read and rival Democrat Tina Kotek. On the Republican side, Public Opinion Research Firm, N-R Research asked likely Republican voters who they would vote for currently and Bud Pierce had 6.5% of the vote, while Christine Drazan had 6.3%. (KATU)
3. Portland City Council has unanimously approved the Budget Monitoring Process for this spring. The package includes $1.4 million for fighting gun violence in the city, and $500,00 to help the city’s food carts and small businesses. The package also adds $500,000 to help move homeless people towards shelters or housing, along with $1 million towards the Bybee Lakes Hope Center. (KOIN)
4. Preschool for All enrollment is now open in Multnomah County for next school year. There are over 670 slots available for any child who will turn 3 or 4 years old by Sept. 1. The Preschool for All program is aimed at addressing a lack of child care openings — a statewide problem that preceded COVID-19, according to research by Oregon State University. Researchers and state officials say the shortages got worse during the pandemic. Some of the Multnomah County programs are open for the full year, others just for the school year, with various hours offered. All programs are free. (OPB)
5. Five hundred people were recognized as new U.S. citizens Thursday at a ceremony at the Oregon Convention Center. Event organizers said it’s the largest naturalization event ever to be held in Portland. As part of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ceremony, citizenship candidates stood up when speakers named the countries they were from, showing the diversity of the class. There was no louder or longer cheer than the one for Ukraine, as Evghenia Sincariuc stood proudly. (KGW)

Today in Portland:

• It's A Drunken Night Out at Kelly's Olympian in downtown Portland. Welcome to A Drunken Night Out! Comedian Ken Hamlett of Chicago hosts a lineup of comics from all over the country as they discuss their worst drunken nights out, do standup, and eventually end the night and perform a set…not so sober with an additional catch. The comics will be forced to do improv on crowd sourced topics. Get your tickets online.9:00 - 11:00 PM.
• The 4th Annual SPLIFF Film Festival is here and screening at Revolution Hall! At SPLIFF, you’ll see films that will make you laugh, films that will make you think, and films that will make you ask, “WTF was that?!” SPLIFF is a film festival by stoners, for stoners. Tickets available online. Doors open at 8:00 PM.
• The book launch of AMERICAN, US by Andres Mendoza and Emilly Prado will be happening at the Mercado in SE Portland. Presented by Morpheus Youth Project. Hosted at Barrio. Ft. Noche Libre DJs! American, Us is a battlecry exploring boundaries, migration, and resilience through poetry, prose, and illustration. Register online for this free event. 2:00 - 5:00 PM.
• Raise a Pint for Pups at Threshold Brewing & Blending in SE Portland, as they celebrate the release of their new Good Dog Guava. Featuring BBQ from local Heartbreaker PDX pop-up, representatives and raffle prizes from all 3 collaborators, Good Dog Guava merch and swag, and OHS pet adoption information. Grab your Pup Passport, bring your own good dog and make a day of it in support of the OHS! Draft and 16-ounce cans of Good Dog Guava will be available. 12:00 - 5:00 PM.
• Creative Culture, a new family-friendly DIY craft studio, plant bar, and gourmet milkshake bar will open in Oregon’s Sullivan’s Gulch neighborhood. Creative Culture will host a spring-themed Grand Opening Celebration to welcome the neighborhood into their space. In addition to their own DIY crafts and milkshakes, the opening party will feature live music, artists and a variety of creative activities in their new Portland studio. The Grand Opening is free to attend and open to the public. 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

From my notebook:

• Portland Trail Blazers: "we had the tough task of narrowing our favorite photos of the year to 10…what’s your fav?" (Instagram)
• Portland Art Museum: "Now through the end of May, a second mural is coming to life in our galleries! IDEAL PDX (@ideal.pdx) is a local collective of Latin American artists who have come together from different backgrounds, professional careers, and discipline..." (Instagram)
• Portland Flea: "Very excited for our FL-EASTER market this Sunday. Come work off your big brunch by shopping and hunting for eggs filled with treats and prizes! 🥚 Don’t forget to check out the beautiful pieces from @lindsayannewatson 👆who will be with..." (Instagram)
• Portland Parks & Recreation: "Ummm, excuse me. Otter than shellfish, what else do like to eat? All puns intended today 😄" (Facebook)
• This is Portland in 1917, footage from U.S National Archives. Original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: Washington Street, Streetcar, pedestrian traffic, in business district - theater marker with sign, ‘June Caprice, A Small Town Girl.’ “Broadway.” Building, sign, ‘Baker Theater’ - automobile traffic and Hotel Benson. “Multnomah Athletic Club." (YouTube)
• PORTLAND’S OBSESSION WITH THE ROSE began when the local Rose Society planted 20 miles of the flower in honor of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in 1905. Ten years later, the president of the society, Jesse Currey, successfully persuaded the city to create a test garden to save and cultivate rose varieties from Europe during World War I. Dubbed the International Rose Test Garden, the resulting rose garden is now nurtured within Portland’s Washington Park. From April through October, it exhibits over 10,000 rose plants that bloom from 650 varieties. (Atlas Obscura)

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How's that for the start of your weekend? I plan on seeing a bunch of friends, throwing a few darts and generally having fun. I hope you have just as much fun, but don't forget to join me here next week when I give you the low down on Stumptown.

— 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.