Veterinary Delays + 1000 Shootings In 2021 + Tricky Car Thieves

Hey there, Portland! I'm back and I couldn't be happier. Every time I leave our humble little town, I'm reminded just how much I love this place. But enough of me gushing, let's talk about what's going on today.

First, today's weather:

Partly cloudy skies and a high of 66 make for one fine autumn day.

Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. Many businesses are being struck with staffing shortages and veterinary offices are no different. Pet owners are seeing this in all-time high delays in getting medical care for their animals. Ron Morgan, the CEO of DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital said before the pandemic, wait times were about 45-minutes, but now pet owners and their pets could wait as long as a week for non-life threatening injuries. (KGW)
2. Portland’s rising violence reached a new milestone Saturday. Police Chief Chuck Lovell said the city has now had more than 1,000 shootings in 2021. The Portland Police Bureau is still working on building the Focused Intervention Team, which aims to de-escalate and lower tensions in the community that are contributing to what Lovell called “the contagious gun violence crisis.” (KOIN)
3. Car thefts are on the rise and some thieves have adopted a tricky new tactic to obtain vehicles. According to police, victims described between two and four teenage boys running up to their car, yelling and sometimes banging on the vehicle. In the ruse, they frantically yell that something is wrong with the car or that something is hanging off the back, police said. When the victim gets out of the car to investigate further, the suspects jump in the car and drive off. At least four people have been victimized in the past week. All of the thefts occurred in Southeast Portland. (KATU)
4. People from the Kenton neighborhood attempted a block party intended to irritate people living in RVs and other vehicles on a North Portland street. Unexpectedly, their efforts to inform residents of their anti-homeless efforts, through the website Nextdoor, also garnered the notice of a group of counter protesters who descended upon the neighborhood. For the next two hours, as more counter protesters arrived, about 10 neighbors in support of the block party approached at different times, occasionally verbally sparring with the counter protesters, according to several people who observed the interactions firsthand. (Willamette Week)
5. Yesterday was the deadline for many Oregon workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The Employment Department estimates that more than 1.1 million Oregonians will need to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to comply with either federal, state or local vaccine mandates. That’s three out of five working Oregonians. This piece by Oregon Public Broadcasting discusses the local, state and federal mandates, their legality and the consequences of not getting vaccinated. (OPB)

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Today in Portland:

• It's Pagan Tuesday at the Laurelthirst Public House in SE Portland as it hosts the Pagan Jug Band. Join these longtime Portland jug/hokum/country/roots rowdies as they spread the word of fun, which is its own religion here in Stumptown. The show is free, but proof of vaccinations is required for entry. 6:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Celebrate the spooky at the Hollywood Theater in NE Portland as it shows the 1968 horror classic Night of the Living Dead. A ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a bloodthirsty, flesh-eating breed of zombies who are ravaging the East Coast of the United States. George Romero's haunting original was crudely filmed in stark black and white in a cinema verite style and has lost none of its power as a truly shocking nightmare vision. Show is at 7:30 PM.
• Stop by the NE Portland watering hole Mad Hanna as it celebrates the return of Bad Album Night. Join DJ What?Not and DJ Titan Strohmburg III E.S.Q. as they spin Halloween horrors, aural oddities and spooky sounds. This will be very frightening in it's own special way... BOO! 8:00 PM to midnight.
• If you're in a literary mood this evening, consider stopping by the Rose City Book Pub in NE Portland for Talismans, a live reading from the Hermetic Order of Clandestine Urban Scribes, AKA HOCUS. HOCUS is a community of writers dedicated to the liturgies of literature, the creeds of creation, the sacraments of the synonym. Its themed readings emphasize prose and poetry of all lengths (from prose poems to novel excerpts) with an emphasis on still-emerging writers. The event is free, but online registration is required.7:30 - 9:00 PM.
• Jeffery Trapp and his friends Joe and Alena will be playing a free, outdoor show at the Lucky Horseshow Lounge in SE Portland. This trio will be playing flamenco music to honor the seventh anniversary of the Lucky Horseshoe Lounge, so grab a beer and join the party. 6:00 - 8:00 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• Travel Portland: "This has to be one of the coolest and most unique exhibits to hit Portland in a long time. Don't miss @mikebennettart's Crypto-Zoo, an immersive museum filled with 26 life-size Cryptids, Monsters and Mythical Beasts! Play games, win priz..." (Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "Portland Audubon educator, Brodie Cass Talbott, shares his advice on enjoying fall migration." (Facebook)
• Portland Art Museum: "All forms of creative expression invite us deeper into ourselves, with opportunities to reflect, to be changed, to feel inspired. Today we invite you to bring some energy from David Park’s “The Cellist” into your creative writing, and se..." (Instagram)
• It's that time of year for the Davis Graveyard to strut its stuff. For over 10 years, it has created a creepy crawly yard haunt that has attracted people from all over the Portland area. This year it is giving you a rare opportunity to not only get to see behind the scenes but also to have drinks, snacks, a creepy gift bag and chat with the Davis Graveyard crew. Saturday, October 23rd, tickets are $55 each (21+ only). Put on that costume and come join us for a creepy good time at the DG. (Davis Graveyard)
• Not sure what your Monday was like, but, as this tweet will attest, it was probably pretty weird for the Portland police. (Twitter)
• As I had mentioned before, the days of Fright Town are long gone, but in a town that loves Halloween as much as Portland does, there will never be a shortage of haunted houses. Check out this website, which is a quick and easy way to find all the exciting Halloween attractions in the Portland area for 2021! (Portland Haunted Houses)

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There you have it, Portland, a sublime October Tuesday, for your enjoyment. And now that I'm back, you just know that I'll be here tomorrow, talking about all things Portland. If you're liking these newsletters, consider bringing some of your 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? Reach out anytime to portland@patch.com.