🌱 Revelations In Portland Police Civil Trial + Thomson Elk Price Tag

Hello again, Portland. Happy Do Something Nice Day! Try to pay it forward as you go about your Wednesday. Today, we've got:

• A napping home invader strikes again
• Scary movies that are Darker Than The Night
• Halloween spectacles mapped all over P-Town

Hopefully the news I have to tell you won't be too frightening.

But first, today's weather:

Morning clouds give way to a sunny afternoon and a high of 76.

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Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. The people of Portland would like to see the iconic Thompson Elk Fountain restored and reinstalled, but it's not going to be cheap. The Portland Parks Foundation has completed its feasibility study, and estimates it’ll cost about $2 million to get it back to its former spot downtown. Following the feasibility study, PPF determined that 18 of the fountain’s 50 pieces will have to be remade, including all four of the fountain’s five-foot-long troughs. Street upgrades were also part of the study. (Fox 12 Oregon)
2. It's not really news that many Portland residents are unhappy with the state of downtown right now. But this feeling that downtown Portland has become dirty, unsafe and uninviting has evidence behind it, after the results of a recent poll were released. A poll of 600 people in the Portland metro area, commissioned by the Oregonian/OregonLive, asked participants their perceptions of downtown. Respondents frequently used words like “destroyed,” “trashed,” “riots” and “sad.” (The Oregonian)
3. Talk about a repeat offender! A woman who was recently arrested for entering a stranger's home and taking a nap is now accused of doing the exact same thing at a different home. "Court documents show Terri Lynn Zinzer has a long history of walking into homes where she does not live and making herself at home. Most recently, she’s accused of doing that Friday afternoon after a woman came home to find a strange woman napping in her bed and wearing one of her dresses." (KOIN.com)
4. "Portland police officer testimony in a civil trial last week suggests police in the city have an understanding of civil rights and use-of-force laws that stands in sharp contrast to that of the federal courts and of lawyers for the U.S. Department of Justice. The police officers who have testified and the attorneys for the city have so far suggested they are free to use force they deem necessary against protesters who are passively resisting and against people in a crowd who they believe may have committed crimes in the past or may commit crimes later in the protest." (OPB)
5. While much of Oregon remains in drought conditions, Portland actually is ending the water year above average. "The water year ended September 30 with Portland recording 41.16 inches of precipitation. The average amount for Portland is 36.91 inches of rain. Portland saw the second longest stretch without measurable precipitation this summer, lasting 67 days. The streak ended on September 12. The longest stretch without measurable precipitation came in 1967 at 71 days." (KATU)

Today in Portland:

• This Wednesday is dropping knowledge with an evening of lectures. At the Ledding Library is this month's edition of the Ledding Library Lecture Series: Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde: History and Demonstrations. Chris Rempel, a cultural education specialist for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, will educate the audience with a traditional presentation and a question-and-answer period with the audience. A livestream option over Zoom is available. The talk begins at 6:00 PM.
• The Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies Lecture Series presents Gabrielle Civil, "who will read from her most recent work of performance prose, the déjà vu, published by Coffee House Press. After the reading, she will be joined by the writer Janice Lee for a conversation about writing." 6:30 - 8:00 PM.
• Do you want the opposite of serious? "Homegrown Gameshows is back at the 4th Wall with THE NEWLY KNOW EACH OTHER GAME. Host Jason Thompson welcomes couples, spouses, BFFs, or even casual acquaintances to come and play our unique spin on the classic tv game. Attendance is free, contestant signup is $5, all ages welcome." 7:00 - 9:00 PM.
• Hmm, we've got knowledge, we've got laughs; what are we missing? How about terror! Church of Film presents DARKER THAN THE NIGHT at the Clinton Street Theater. "When Ofelia's estranged aunt dies, she is mysteriously willed a vast estate. She invites her three roommates to come live with her. But these things usually come with a catch." Showtime is 8:00 PM.
• Still want more? How about some music? The People's Jam will be happening at Show Bar. "A trio will play the first set. There is a sign-up sheet with 10 tunes picked out as well as openings for songs of choice and originals. This is not just a jazz jam. Any genre, style and flavors welcome! This space has an open floor plan with bistros with seating in the back." Doors open at 6:00 PM.

From my notebook:

• Portland Trail Blazers: "The energy was supersonic 😮‍💨" (Portland Trail Blazers via Instagram)
• Travel Portland: "If you're a fan of the movie "Halloweentown," then you definitely need to head 45 minutes west of Portland to St. Helens. The iconic flick was filmed there, and the town celebrates Halloween all October long with haunted tours, costume c..." (Travel Portland via Instagram)
• If you're a fan of the Motown sound, you may wish to plan a visit to the Oregon Historical Society, where the current exhibit is "Motown: The Sound of Young America." Curated by the GRAMMY Museum®, the exhibition includes stage outfits from many of Motown’s top performers, such as the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Miracles, Boyz II Men and the Supremes. (Oregon Historical Society)
• If you've been paying attention to your surroundings, you can tell that Portland is getting ready for Halloween. In addition to the haunted houses around town, certain Portland residents are going above and beyond when it comes to decorating for the season. If you haven't been to the Davis Graveyard, for example, then you're missing one of the best spectacles in the city. But they're not the only one. KXL listener Troy Crivellone put together a map of sights to see around Portland. (KXL)
• While it's not exactly local, Fat Bear Week starts today! What's Fat Bear Week? As House Stark would say, "Winter is coming" and the brown bears of Katmai National Park in Alaska take that as the signal to eat like there's no tomorrow and fortify themselves for winter hibernation. The park decided to gamify the event and you can play. (OPB)
• Parts of Portland are known for their ghosts. And we love it! This news segment from 2 years ago features local historian Doug Kenck-Crispin telling the many stories behind paranormal Portland. (YouTube)

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Wow, that's a lot for a Wednesday. But it's all in a day's work, my friends. Besides, we'll be too busy being nice to care. 'Til tomorrow!

— 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