Safe Rest Village Locations+Tree Of Heaven+Oregon Drought

It's Saturday and that means the weekend. No, not the Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer, The Weekend, but the actual 2 days that we have off to be our best selves. There's a lot going on, so let me get right into it.

First, today's weather:

We've got a perfect Portland day going on today, with partly cloudy skies and a high temp of 69.

Here are the top stories in Portland today:

1. Commissioner Dan Ryan, who is leading the effort to construct six city-sanctioned outdoor homeless villages by the end of the year, announced the first three locations during a press conference Thursday. Three Portland neighborhoods — downtown, Brentwood-Darlington and Hazelwood — will soon be home to the city’s first “safe rest villages.” They will offer showers, beds, bathrooms and offer support services including case management and mental health support. (OPB)
2. I wrote about the invasive species known as the "Tree of Heaven" a while ago, but now one man has learned first-hand how dangerous they can be. Reggie Williams had a Tree of Heaven in his Northeast Portland yard. Four years into his ordeal, experts are saying his home may need to be torn down. (KOIN)
3. In case you haven't noticed, it’s been another dry year in Oregon, as the state continues to play catch-up on rainfall totals while facing widespread drought. September 30 marks the end of the rainfall year, which measures all the precipitation in the 12 months from October to October. A possible prolonged drought could be on the horizon. (KATU)
4. The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), a nonprofit that oversees public artwork in the city of Portland, endorsed a recommendation Wednesday to not return five statues that were toppled and removed during last year's protests in Portland to their original location, including those of former U.S. presidents. (KGW)
5. Good news for those who rely on government assistance to keep from going hungry. A permanent increase to the food stamp program was issued by the Biden administration to help low income households buy more groceries. The new plan will ensure that beginning this month, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients will receive a 25 percent increase. Benefits for the program are determined on a sliding scale. (Southeast Examiner)

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Today in Portland:

• Show your love for the Portland Trailblazers at Trailblazers Fan Fest 2021. Come celebrate with them as they tip off the 21/22 season at the Moda Center. Register now for a FREE TICKET and get the first look at the 2021-2022 Trail Blazers team with a behind-the-scenes peek at an open practice and exciting intra-squad scrimmage. Plus, there’ll be lots of food, fun and prizes for the whole family. Tickets available online. 3:30 PM.
• For Latinx Heritage Month, the Mercado in SE Portland is hosting “El Carnaval del Barrio,” a celebration at the Portland Mercado. 10% of the Barrio sales will benefit the DDHS Latino Student Union. Help them support students and join them for a night of performances, food, and community! All ages are welcome. This is an event for families and friends. 4:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Underhill Haunted House and Fearlandia have teamed up to present the Season of Screams! Two teams experienced in total terror bring three haunted attractions all under one roof at the Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in the Rose Quarter! Enjoys scares and thrills aplenty as you wander through the haunted halls of an ancient manor. Discounts & family offers available online only. All sales final. No refunds or exchanges. 7:00 - 10:00 PM.
• DOA Pro Wrestling celebrates it's 13th Anniversary with an absolutely STACKED card! DOA's past, present, and future stars are set to be featured as well as 3 championship matches! The excitement will be at the Jackson Armory in NE Portland. Tickets available online. Doors at 7:00 PM.
• Pop singer and songwriter Vega Black will be at Kelly's Olympian in downtown Portland tonight. From Portland, Oregon, Val Bauer writes songs of earnest confessionalism, following in the songwriter tradition but built on a pop-punk foundation. Val’s music is about the struggle, but also the optimism that it’s possible to not have to accept what’s given us; that we’re all fighting the same fight, and that we’re not alone. Get your tickets online. Show is at 9:00 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• Travel Portland: "Pumpkin patch season has officially begun! Hit the link in our bio to preview some of our favorites around the greater Portland area. #ThisIsPortland 📷: @vic.varanita / @thepumpkinpatch_sauvieisland #PDX #PDXNOW #TravelPortland #Tra..." (Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "Black-crowned Night Herons have returned to their evening roosts in St. John’s, and have been reported multiple times flying out at dusk in the direction of Smith & Bybee. As their name implies, these social birds feed in the evenings to..." (Instagram)
• There will be an out door performance at the Matt Dishman Community Center in NE Portland. Let'im Move You: Intervention is a series of works choreographed by Jumatatu m. Poe and Jermone Donte Beacham that stem from their decade-long research into J-Sette performance. Initial research for the series absorbed the artists’ curiosity about the performance of joy and the conundrum of Black joy. The route of this performance is approximately 1.2 miles long and does not end where it started. If you are unable to walk that distance back, we recommend that you plan to arrange for a ride back to the starting point. 6:00 PM.
• Outside the Frame (OTF) will premiere nine films directed by local homeless and marginalized youth for the organization’s gala screening at Hollywood Theatre on Thursday, Sept. 30. Through the lens of Portland’s underserved youth, ‘Riders in the Storm: Good films about a bad year,’ presents a variety of short films, documentaries, and music videos, highlighting the struggles and response of the city in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. (KOIN)
• If you need to get anywhere around town on Sunday, you should be aware that the Portland Marathon is happening that day. The race begins at 7:10 AM, but consult the route map to see which areas will be most affected. (Portland Marathon)
• As a goat owner, I know there's almost no vegetation that those adorable creatures won't chow down on, which is why they're often used to clear away brush and weeds. Portland General Electric has caught on to how useful that can be and has hired Healing Hooves to manage vegetation near their Oak Grove Powerhouse. (KOIN)

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That's your Saturday and what a Saturday it is. It couldn't be more fun, unless there was a squad of clowns pumping up the joy. Unless, of course, you're scared of clowns. In which case, forget I said anything. Have a great weekend and meet me back here next week and we'll talk all about Portland. And, I promise, no clowns. If you're liking these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow 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? Email me at portland@patch.com.