🌱Thompson Elk Fountain Returns + Portland, State Drought Remains

Well, hello there, Portland! How are you today? I'm fine, thank you very much! Have a seat and we'll talk about today.

First, today's weather:

Cloudy all day with a high of 48.

Here are the top five stories today in Portland:

1. The Rose City is taking the first step in bringing back its second-oldest piece of public art. The Thompson Elk Fountain was removed from downtown Portland in July of 2020. The statue and its fountain were damaged during the demonstrations that summer. (KOIN)
2. Early this year, two mysterious billboards rose above the city. The boards, at North Killingsworth Street and Interstate 205 and Southeast Division and 106th Avenue, went up Jan. 3 and 12, respectively. Both blare the same terse message: “Stop Having Kids,” in white text on a black background. The billboards say they are paid for by a little-known organization called Stop Having Kids. That same advocacy group put up a third billboard along Interstate 5 near Salem: “A Lot of Humans Wish They Had Never Been Born.”(Willamette Week)
3. After years of steady growth and booming tourism, Portland’s economy is at a "crossroads" and local leaders need to act with urgency, say the authors of a new study. "We've assumed positive population growth, we've assumed jobs recoveries from previous recessions. We've also assumed a good quality of life and a reasonably affordable place to live. Those assumptions are no longer valid," said Andrew Hoan, CEO of the Portland Business Alliance who released its 2022 State of the Economy report Wednesday. (KGW)
4. The news from the Oregon Health Authority may not be great – after all, people continue to die – but it does fall into the "positive" category. On Tuesday, 805 Oregonians woke up in the hospital. That's 60 below Monday's total. Of those hospitalized, 147 were in intensive care units, also a decline from Monday. (Portland Patch)
5. February hasn’t done any favors to mountain snowpack and it surely hasn’t brought in much rain in the weather forecast for the Willamette Valley and Portland. The Oregon drought will remain a problem through the winter and it is likely not going anywhere by the summer, although there could be potential improvements during the spring rinse. As of February 15, we have over 95% of the state in some level of drought. (KOIN.com)

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Today in Portland:

• With tensions growing regarding the U.S.-Russia standoff over Ukrainian sovereignty, people are keeping a nervous eye on the news coming from the Ukranian border. That's why the Portland-Khabarovsk Sister City Association (PKSCA) is presenting a free online forum on the Russia-Ukraine Relationship: Past and Present. Register online. The talk starts at 7:30 PM.
• NW Black Comedy Festival Presents: Sophisticated Ignorance at the Alberta Abbey in NE Portland. Hosted by Jamal Coleman. Tickets are available online. The show starts at 8:30 PM.
• Portland-based folk-rock songwriter Ronnie Carrier will be playing at Produce Row in SE Portland. Once described as Sarah McLachlan meets Nirvana, she's known for her powerful voice, warm stage presence, literary lyrics, and a touch of humor. 6:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Wren will be playing at Mississippi Pizza in North Portland this evening. Wren is a Portland based soul band that’ll make you forget your surroundings and fall into the moment. Chrissy Marie, a Portland native, and guitarist Andy Wilhelm out of New Jersey blend together the classic and modern feel of soul, funk and pop to bring a smile to your heart. Tickets available online. 8:00 - 10:30 PM.
• The Northwest African American Museum presents the Black History Month Keynote Program: A Conversation with the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Lonnie Bunch. In 2019, Lonnie Bunch became the nation’s first African American Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in its 173-year history. Bunch will discuss the past, present, and future of Black history. Dr. Quintard Taylor, retired history professor of the University of Washington and founder of the BlackPast.org, will moderate the conversation. This is virtual, free, and open to the public. Register online. 5:00 - 6:00 PM.

From my notebook:

• Portland Trail Blazers: "Coach Billups shared a powerful message of perspective with the team after our afternoon visit to the @ncrmuseum 🖤" (Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "The American Dipper is the only aquatic songbird in North America. Look for them along rocky streams as they search for invertebrates, either by dipping their head underwater or by diving in and swimming, often in fast moving water. Vide..." (Facebook)
• Oregon Repertory Singers: "A sneak peek at what's in store for Musical Mosaics — only 1 week away! https://www.avstream.me/orsgala2022" (Facebook)
• Portland is a pastry town. We have a national reputation for our bread and whole-wheat bakeries, using Oregon-grown flour for inventive croissants, cakes, and cookies. Portland pastry chefs have written celebrated and award-winning baking books, turning their patisseries and bakeshops into destinations. And some of Portland’s best restaurant kitchens churn out show-stopping desserts that develop their own cult following, be it a luxurious foie gras profiterole or a slice of bánh bò nướng. This map can help you find some of the best of the best. (Portland Monthly)
• Something completely unexpected is coming to Fairview Tuesday morning. It’s the world’s largest fork! At least they hope it will be once it’s up. The Guinness Book of World Records will determine if the fork beats the current record. The 37-foot tall fork will be arriving at the Fairview Food Plaza around 9 a.m. Tuesday after traveling from McMinnville where it was first created. (KOIN)
• It’s been over a year since Akadi, the West African restaurant featured on Top Chef: Portland and in our 2018 Best Restaurants issue, went on hiatus. In a December 2020 interview with Portland Monthly, chef-owner Fatou Ouattara promised that the restaurant would return bigger and better than ever, with new dishes from all over West Africa and other African countries, plus an educational component. This spring, she plans to deliver on that promise. (Portland Monthly)

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That's your Thursday in Portland. Have fun with it and meet me back here tomorrow for more tales of 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.