🪓 Where to cut your own Christmas tree

👠 Iconic Drag Venue Saved

Darcelle XV Showplace teased on Facebook that the venue had been sold — though it did not identify the new owner — and would remain open in 2025. The club had been managed by the children of the late Walter Cole, aka legendary drag queen (and club namesake) Darcelle XV, and had recently faced financial struggles. [Portland Business Journal 🔒]

⛰️ One Final Plea for Oregon’s ‘Grand Canyon’

Governor Tina Kotek is urging President Joe Biden to designate more than 1 million acres of the Owyhee Canyonlands in Eastern Oregon as a national monument to help protect the area from wildfires, overgrazing, and invasive species. Legislative protection efforts have stalled, leaving the Antiquities Act as a last resort before year’s end. [Oregonian]

A Gap in Understanding Ranked-Choice Voting

A recent poll found that 91% of voters citywide had a comfortable understanding of the city’s new ranked-choice voting system, but confusion was much more common with voters of color and in lower-income areas of East Portland. According to the poll, half of voters in District 1 had issues understanding the new system, compared to only 32% citywide. Voters of color were also twice as likely to be confused by their ballot as their white counterparts. [OPB]

📈 Whales, Milkshakes, and Memes: The Portland Moments That Went Viral

Portland is no stranger to meme-worthy news. From exploding whales to cement milkshakes, these are Portland’s most viral moments. [City Cast Portland 🎧]