City Cast Portland
Get it together on addiction, Portland!
July 20, 2023
Good morning, Portland! There was a brief bit of smoke passing through yesterday because of a couple of fires in the area 🌬️ Here’s how you can keep an eye on air quality 🫁
What's CITY Talking About?
Urgency Needed on Portland Addiction
Gov. Tina Kotek and Congressman Earl Blumenauer requested in May that Portland and Multnomah County assign a drug czar to act with urgency on Portland’s addiction crisis. That hasn’t happened yet. One example of the problem: the years-long delay in creating a new sobering center. [Willamette Week]
5-Month Streak for Unemployment Decline
For the fifth month in a row, Oregon’s unemployment has fallen. It’s now at 3.5%, which is close to the state’s record for lowest unemployment: 3.4% set in 2019. The current jobless number is slightly below the national average of 3.6%. [Oregonian]
Delay for Ritz Hotel
The surprise may be that this is the first significant delay in the Ritz-Carlton’s development downtown. The Portland Business Journal spotted a decision to push back the date for the first hotel reservations — from Aug. 15 to at least Oct. 15. The developer cited supply chain issues in the final stages of development. [Portland Business Journal 🔒]
- Related: Is Portland ready for the Ritz-Carlton’s ultra-luxury?
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A quintessential Portland experience
One of the best ways to dine in Portland is cruising on the Willamette River while taking in a beautiful sunset! Book a dinner cruise on the Portland Spirit and enjoy a 2 1⁄2 hour cruise, three-course dinner and live piano music. Perfect for a romantic night out or a celebration with friends.
What To Do
🎥 ‘Lyle, Lyle Crocodile’ | Thursday | 7:30 p.m.
The PG-rated family-friendly movie is part of Portland’s Summer Free for All. [Free, Wellington Park]
🎵 Viennese Revolutionaries | Thursday | 8 p.m.
Some of the top classical musicians play old and new compositions from the classical music capital. (They’re also playing in Portland on Saturday.) [$39+, Beaverton]
🎶 Opera a la Cart at The Square | Thursday | Noon - 1 p.m.
Check out Thursday outdoor performances by the Portland Opera on your lunch break. [Free, Downtown]
Today on City Cast
Why Portland Youth Are Leading the Anti-Highway Expansion Fight
Last month when Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek announced that the state wouldn’t toll highways until at least 2026, the Oregon Department of Transportation pumped the brakes on a billion-dollar plan to expand I-5 through Portland’s Rose Quarter. That was big news for Adah Crandall of Sunrise Movement, a national youth climate justice organization. Adah, 17 and a leading voice against the I-5 expansion, explains why the younger generation sees the issue so differently from most adults.
I hope you have a good day!
— Rachel Monahan
Edited by John Notarianni and copy edited by Giulia Fiaoni
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