🌱 Record Salmon Run + Local Squid Game + Elm Tree Costly

It's Friday, people, and that always puts a smile on my face. Which makes sense, since that's where my mouth is. I think I'd freak out if my hand started smiling at me. Okay, now I need to get that image out of my head, so let me just tell you about today.

First, today's weather:

What are the weather people calling it? An atmospheric river? Well, it's here. It's going to rain most of the day, sometimes a lot. Oh, and the high temp will be around 61.

Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. Portland City Council is in the process of planning how to spend its historic budget surplus of $62 million and residents want to weigh in. About 279 people signed up for public comment ahead of the meeting on how to spend the budget surplus, many of them expressing frustration over inaction by city leaders on the issues of homelessness and public safety. Mayor Ted Wheeler discussed some of his plans to address those concerns. (KOIN)
2. The NAACP and the ACLU have called upon the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate both the Vancouver Police Department and the Clark County Sheriff's Office. The groups claim that the two agencies have discriminated against people of color, the homeless and those with mental health issues while showing favoritism to known white supremacists. (KATU)
3. Good news for salmon lovers! A record number of adult, early-run coho salmon returned to the Upper Clackamas River by Nov. 9 this season. Nine thousand fish made it past the North Fork Dam, the highest number recorded since the dam was built and record collection started in 1958. Portland General Electric, which owns and operates the dam, says more salmon are returning because the utility has increased the number of juvenile salmon that make it past the dam and into the ocean. (Willamette Week)
4. While we're on the topic of seafood, it seems that Oregon is getting into its own squid game. No, not the hit Netflix series about a savage battle royale, but Oregon-based commercial fishers turning to squid as a new part of the fishing market. The crabbing industry is still the number one money maker for the state, but the squid harvest has been steadily increasing. More market squid means more fishing opportunity and prompted some fishers to upgrade equipment to adjust to Seine fishing, a method of net fishing used to capture species close to the surface of the ocean, like sardines and squid. (OPB)
5. A SE Portland resident has been hit with a surprise $11,000 bill as the city demands that she pay for the removal of a huge elm tree. And officials want it done quickly, since the tree is infected with fast-spreading Dutch elm disease. The city used to take responsibility for diseased trees and send crews out to remove them, but that changed in 2017 with a new policy that shifted the burden onto adjacent property owners. (KGW.com)

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Today in Portland:

• Register online for a free screening of the documentary What Doesn't Kill Me, a movie that looks at protective mothers and children who have experienced first-hand the devastating consequences when the legal system and other institutions fail to protect children from abuse. A panel discussion with Q&A will follow. 5:30 - 8:00 PM.
• Who doesn't like a sing-along? If you're in the mood for singing with others in a casual environment, check out the Meet-Up group '60s & '70s Sing-Along Harmony Circle. It's meeting up tonight at Friendly House in NW Portland. Sung in a song circle fashion, each person picks a song from a songbook of popular songs from this era for which their talented guitarist(s) will lead us through the verses. Afterwards, they move to the next person in the circle and repeat! This event is free, but online registration is required. 7:00 - 9:00 PM.
• Who's in the mood for a showdown? A Curious Comedy Theater Showdown that is, happening tonight at the Curious Comedy Theater in NE Portland. Six players enter the stage. Only one will survive. Often referred to as "The Hunger Games of Comedy" the Curious Comedy Showdown pits Curious Comedy's finest players against one another in competitive improv matches that will make you laugh until you cry. Tickets available online. Doors open at 7:00 PM.
• Have you found yourself feeling like you Won't Backdown? Maybe feeling like a Breakdown and that you might be Free Falling? Then you, my friend, may have Petty Fever. And if you want to catch Petty Fever, they'll be playing tonight at the Aladdin Theater in SE Portland. Petty Fever is a multi-award winning full production tribute to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, featuring the captivating guitarist/vocalist and 2016 Hollywood FAME/2017Hollywood Producers Choice Honors Award Winner, Frank Murray. Get your tickets online. Doors open at 7:00 PM.
• The Flavors of Punk Night is happening at The White Eagle in North Portland. Grimy post-punk? Post cold war punk? Garage punk? Cowpunk? Whatever it is, it's good. Featuring the Dagger Points, Atomic Rust, Desert Shame and The Wild Jumps. Tickets available online. Show is at 8:00 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• Portland Trail Blazers: "In this together. Let’s go, #RipCity!" (Instagram)
• Portland Trail Blazers: "@antsimons & @nassir fast break = guaranteed highlight 💥" (Instagram)
• Portland Art Museum: "After resetting the clocks and settling in for a dark winter, I am reminded of the many scenes of lamplight in the exhibition “Private Lives: Home and Family in the Art of the Nabis, 1889–1900.” Families gathered around oil lamps, candle..." (Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "Feeding birds is a great way to enjoy a variety of species from the comfort of your home, but there are things to know in order to attract birds and keep them safe. We are here to help! Join us for our online class on “Feeding Birds” De..." (Instagram)
• Catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise in the Portland metro area, but Fox 12 has your back with this helpful video on how to prevent these thefts from happening to you. Oh, gee, thanks guys. (KPTV)
• Van Gogh is coming to Portland in the form of a new exhibit. "Beyond van Gogh: The Immersive Experience," opens Nov. 19 at the Oregon Convention Center. The show uses three rooms: the Education Room, the Waterfall Room and the Immersive Experience Room. The first is a basic intro to the painter and has wall texts to read. The second has flowing colors pixels and almost abstract images. And the third is a large space with projections of the great paintings on the floor and walls, including three "monoliths" or extra walls you can walk around. Viewers are invited to linger, wander or sit, have no time limit and can move backward in the sequence if needed. (Pamplin Media)
• Many eyes are on Oregon, watching to see the outcome of the societal experiment that is Measure 110, the state's recent decriminalization of drugs. While some may be dubious of the effect this will have, Haven Wheelock, a overdose prevention specialist, believes we just need to give it some time. (The Oregonian)
• We're in the season for giving, so why not give to local, needy families who may not have the resources to actually have a Christmas? The Christmas Family Adoption Foundation is a non-profit that identifies families who may be struggling to meet monthly expenses and common household needs and tries to match them with individuals who would like to donate and help them out. This organization makes it easy to give during the holiday season. (Christmas Family Adoption)
• We've been hearing about the Oregon Department of Transportation's plans to replace the I-5 Bridge, but one group would like ODOT to reconsider. No More Freeways PDX feels that what is being proposed is more expensive than alternative plans and that, with the current concern about climate change, widening the freeway is a terrible idea. They make some valid points. (No More Freeways PDX)

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That's the day and a fine way to end the week. Now, on to the weekend! Tune in to this Bat Channel tomorrow and I'll give you the low down on Saturday. If you're liking these newsletters, consider bringing some more friends and neighbors on board. 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? You can reach me at portland@patch.com.