City Cast Portland
⬇️ Crime is down!
February 5, 2024
Spring continues — in February 🌷 Yes, it’s got to be a false spring, but I’ve been enjoying running in unexpectedly pleasant weather ☀️ How are you taking advantage of it? Please email me to share your false-spring joys!
What's CITY Talking About?
Portland Crime Is Down
Crime is down, according to Portland Police Bureau data, released last Monday. Homicides were down 20% in 2023, from the year before. “Business robberies were down by 21 percent, and there were 16 percent fewer carjackings, and 12 percent fewer reports of aggravated assaults,” the Portland Mercury reports. The decline in violent crime was part of a national trend, as was the increase that preceded it. [Portland Mercury]
- Related: Property crimes fell 13% from 2022, and “person” crimes, which include assault, rape and murder, dropped almost 5%. But with these declines, Portland is not back to historic lows. [Willamette Week]
Safety Fixes for 82nd Avenue
A new project on East Portland’s 82nd Avenue, set to begin this summer, aims to make it safer for people walking. The safety upgrades are possible now that the state transferred ownership to the city. They’ll include replacing the turning lane with a median in some places, to make it easier to cross, as well as lining the sidewalk with trees. [KGW]
RIP, Oscar-Winning Animator Mark Gustafson
The Portland animator who won an Oscar for co-directing “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” has died. Mark Gustafson, a preeminent stop-motion filmmaker, worked on a range of high-profile projects including the famous 1980s ad featuring Claymation “California Raisins” and more recently Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” His next project was to be an animated TV show called “Milepost 88.” [Oregonian 🔒]
- Related: Why Portland is a world-renowned animation hub. [City Cast Portland 🎧]
What To Do
Monday, Feb. 5
- 🐦 Understanding Waterfowl | 6 p.m. | $30 | Sauvie Island
- 💡🌲 The Lighting Of The Sequoias | 6 - 10 p.m. (through Feb. 12) | Free | Southeast Portland
- 💗 Story Time for Grownups: Love & Marriage | 8 p.m. | Free | Rose City Book Pub
Tuesday, Feb. 6
- 🐧 Oregon Zoo Wildlife Leaders (teen volunteer info session) | 5:30 p.m. | Free | Online
- 🫁 Science Pub: The Science of Breathing | 7 p.m. | $5 (suggested donation) | OMSI
- 💔 It's Not Me, It's You - Stories from the Dark Side of Dating | 7 p.m. | $31.25+ | Alberta Rose Theatre
- 🎹 Michelle Cann | 7:30 p.m. | $45+ | Patricia Reser Center for the Arts
Wednesday, Feb. 7
- 🪵 Intro to Wood Refinishing: Flooring, Furniture, and Other Surfaces | 5:30 p.m. | $90 | ReBuilding Center
- 🐉 Lunar New Year Tea & Lantern Viewing Evenings | 5 - 7 p.m. (through March 2) | $20 | Lan Su Chinese Garden
- 📚 ‘Come Together: The Science (and Art!) of Creating Lasting Sexual Connections’ (reading) | 7 p.m. | Free | Powell’s City of Books
Today on City Cast
Portland’s Best Romantic Restaurants
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. If you’re having trouble deciding where to take your sweetheart, you’re in luck. Eater Portland editor Brooke Jackson-Glidden is sharing her recommendations for the most romantic, date-worthy restaurants and bars in town.
Book the nook.
My latest favorite bumper sticker was in town from Eastern Oregon.
I hope Portland is finding ways to delight you! I’ll see you tomorrow.
— Rachel Monahan
Edited by John Notarianni
Free · Daily