City Cast Portland
The Portland summer bucket list ☀️
June 14, 2023
Hi, Portland! Summer arrived with May’s heatwave, at least if you judge by the weather. But today one bit of summer fun begins: Portland parks will now turn on the splash pads every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
What's CITY Talking About?
Date Set for 1st Portland Ritz-Carlton Condos Sales
The city and the developer of the Portland Ritz-Carlton have reached a deal. No affordable housing is part of the project, so a penalty of $7.76 million is due by December 31. Condo sales can begin closing Aug. 15. [🔒 Portland Business Journal]
- Related: Is Portland ready for the Ritz-Carlton’s ultra-luxury? [City Cast Portland 🎧]
Sen. Wyden’s Connection to Crypto’s $500K Donation
It appears that executives at the bankrupt cryptocurrency firm FTX wanted to influence Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) with the record-breaking $500,000 donation to the Democratic Party of Oregon. Two long-time Wyden staffers were kept in the loop on the donation, and an FTX political consultant referred to the party’s fundraiser as “all things Wyden.” Wyden’s office has denied involvement with the donation. The Democratic Party of Oregon has since paid a fine over failing to identify the donor and returned the donation. [Oregonian]
Portland’s 1st All-Electric Fire Truck
Portland Fire and Rescue rolled out its first electric fire engine. It can still holds as much water as the diesel engines it replaces and can hold a charge for 10 hours. It’s the second electric fire engine in the country; the first is in Madison, Wis. [KGW]
- Related: Listen to Madison firefighters on the first electric fire engine. [City Cast Madison 🎧]
Portland Chatter
I put out a call yesterday asking how you enjoy Portland summer, and two readers have shared their summer fun.
☀️ “My summer, and much of this year, has involved long bike rides. Think 40, 60, 70 miles a day, four days a week. My motivator for this amount of exertion is the second weekend of July. That is when I will be among over 5,000 riders doing the annual Seattle to Portland group bike event. This will be my second year doing this on my eight-foot-long recumbent and over 70 years old.” — Stephan Vertal
⚾ “I am moving to Eugene in the fall for a grad program at U of O and thus have begun to think seriously about what I want to get done this summer. Here's the working list, but I am eager to see what else you hear from readers:
- Swim at least once in the Willamette, the Sandy, and the Clackamas.
- Try every good slice of pizza in town – currently about halfway through my list but I've got a ways to go.
- Go to Bike Play in July (and lots and lots of other Pedalpalooza rides).
- Go to a Pickles game and dress up in costume/theme.
- Watch a movie outside at OMSI.” — Mark Ferguson
What To Do
🐉 Nights of the Dragon Boat | Thursday - Sunday | 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Celebrate “Duanwu" (the Dragon Boat Festival) with a traditional dragon dance and the debut of a new 6-ft tall lantern from China. [$25, Old Town-Chinatown]
🏳️🌈 Portland Pride Run | Saturday | 9 a.m.
Run, walk, or roll up to 4.5 miles for Pride. [$40 for nonmembers, Eastbank Esplanade]
🎨 Street Art of Portland's Eastside Bike Tour | Various | 2:30 p.m.
Plan ahead: Get a guided tour of Portland’s murals next month on a two-hour, 8- to 10-mile ride. [$34, Eastside]
Today on City Cast
Why Portland Is a World-Renowned Animation Hub
When the film “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature this year, it greatly validated Portland’s animation industry. Now a new exhibit at the Portland Art Museum highlights the artistry behind the film. ShadowMachine co-founder Alex Bulkley is here to tell us more about why our city continues to be the perfect place to make animation.
We’re getting a break from summer heat. Enjoy!
— Rachel Monahan
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