🌱 Wild Year For Weather + Toxic Lead In Portland Water

Happy National Milk Day! Not sure I'll be celebrating this, but it's more exciting than the usual Happy Tuesday. That being said, this isn't too bad of a Tuesday. Let me tell you all about it.

First, today's weather:

Early rain turns into afternoon clouds with a high of 52.

Here are the top five stories today in Portland:

1. 2021 was a significant year, not only for Portland, but for the Pacific Northwest. Several records were shattered for high temperatures and 2021 featured major weather events like the snow and ice storm in February, as well as June's historic heat wave. According to the National Weather Service - Portland, January 2021 was the sixth warmest on record. (KATU)
2. As Oregon breaks records for daily coronavirus cases, more people are having to delay surgeries and other treatments because of hospital overcrowding. The labor shortage is affecting the entire medical field, making it difficult for hospitals to treat patients who need ongoing care. (KGW)
3. It’s been six years since Dr. Marc Edwards first identified toxic levels of lead in the water in Flint, Michigan. Since then, the Virginia Tech Professor — credited alongside his colleague with calling the world’s attention to a brewing water crisis in Flint — has grown bewildered by lead levels in a different city: Portland, Oregon. Edwards, who specializes in water treatment, is blunt: “This is worse than Flint.” (OPB)
4. TriMet has reduced service on 20 of its 84 bus lines across the Portland metro area as the agency battles the most severe driver shortage in its history, officials said. The agency cited employee attrition and a lack of new job applications as being responsible for the staffing crisis. TriMet said it will decrease service by about 9%, returning it to a level not seen since the start of the pandemic. (KOIN)
5. The Sunshine Division and Kaiser Permanente announced Monday that it will host a free food box distribution day in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 17. Last year, the Sunshine Division and Kaiser Permanente handed out 3,000 food boxes on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Thanks to another $90,000 grant from Kaiser, the organizations will hand out free food boxes once again to those in need. (KPTV)

Today in Portland:

• Want to go out, yet still learn something? Why not go to the Clinton Street Theater for its Documentary Tuesdays? Tonight it's showing Faya Dayi. In her hypnotic documentary feature, Ethiopian-Mexican filmmaker Jessica Beshir explores the coexistence of everyday life and its mythical undercurrents. She has constructed something dreamlike: a film that uses light, texture, and sound to illuminate the spiritual lives of people whose experiences often become fodder for ripped-from-the-headlines tales of migration. Showtime is 7:00 PM.
• Know your Frodo from your Bilbo? Your Gandalf from your Gollum? Test your knowledge of Middle Earth and The Lord of the Rings at The 4th Wall PDX in SE Portland as it presents Tolkien Cinema Trivia night. It's FREE to play! The winning team will receive a 4th Wall PDX Gift Card and their choice of LofR movies to play on the big screen. Trivia starts at 6:00 PM.
• Critical Race Theory - How did a methodology taught in law school make its way into protests at school board meetings across the country? If you're curious, tune in to RACE TALKS virtual forum as they discuss Critical Race Theory. Join them as they bring together experts to look at the evolution of Critical Race Theory and how it is impacting Oregon schools. Tickets available online. 7:00 - 9:30 PM.
• There's a Tuesday night open jam happening at the Big Legrowlski in downtown Portland. No cover, just music with some drinks and vegan grub. If you wish to play, they have a beautiful instrument collection. 7:00 - 11:59 PM.
• Don't want to head downtown for your musical fix? The Alberta Street Pub will be hosting their Ladies of the Rose Open Mike Night. If you're interested in performing, just email them your name and up to two songs you wish to play. Or just head over, grab a beer and some food and enjoy some local music. 6:00 - 9:00 PM.

From my notebook:

• Portland Trail Blazers: "A beauty from the Beast 🌹" (Instagram)
• Portland, Oregon: "Who else is happy to see the mountains on this sunny PDX day? Hope you were able to enjoy this beautiful ☀️Day! - Photo by: @snickersv" (Instagram)
• Portland Art Museum: "During the exhibition and programming for Queen Nefertari's Egypt, audiences and scholars continue to raise questions around the roles of women's power and influence within ancient Egyptian forms of governance. Join us for a closing pane..." (Facebook)
• Portland Art Museum: "We are venturing into a new year, and while our resolutions may not last, our intentions can, especially with the help of a pen and paper. Danish artist Jeppe Hein is known for creating playful, interactive works. His “Please Participate..." (Instagram)
• Who's a good boy? These are good boys! Over 6 million pets and other companion animals are given to rescue organizations each year nationwide, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Here at Patch, with a little help from our friends at Petfinder, we've compiled this week's list of animals available for adoption near you. Whether you're looking for cuddles or companionship, one of these animals could be the perfect fit for your family. (Portland Patch)
• The new year has started, which means you may be in need of a new calendar. If you have a love of chickens, consider this calendar of chicken daddies. A photographer in Southeast Portland, Danielle Brock, put together a calendar celebrating the viral trend of chicken daddies, and a familiar face landed the spot as Mr. May. (KOIN)

Loving the Portland Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

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• Send me a news tip or suggestion at portland@patch.com

That sounds about right for a Tuesday in Portland. Meet me back here tomorrow and we'll do this all over again. For now, I just might go grab myself a cold glass of milk.

— 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.