Willamette Week, December 2, 2020 - Volume 47, Issue 6 - "Can We Have a Pandemic Puppy?" by Willamette Week Newspaper

ì YOU CAN TRY AND MAKE A TWINKIE, BUT ITí S NOT GONNA BE A TWINKIE.î

WSWEEKLY

FALL ARTS ISSUE

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY

CAN WE HAVE A

PANDEMIC PUPPY?

CHANGE OF ART A pandemic has crippled Portland's biggest arts season. But that hasn't stopped local artists from creating. Page 11

PROTESTS

The Worst≠ Case Scenario Is Here. P. 9

BOOZE

Will Oregon Hike Wine Taxes? P. 10

FOOD

Beyond Avocado Toast. P. 23

ist, musician and odel Tazha Williams BLM Art Therapy

!"#$

!"##"$%&!'"()*+,#-&./ &

%&$'"(%&)) 0,'1&2-3-&/ .&

*&(+,

4,'5&4*61('$7-&/ /

THE FACEBOOK COAST Mark Zuckerberg is despoiling a tiny coastal village and to Oregon’s natural treasures. me lco P. 21 13 The stateWe invited him. . gle RY: TO Jun HIS Piz za the 24 S: y. P. rth ABI Wo NN CA unge Exp

WAR MOVIES

P. 21

#$"%&

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY

and voters are fed up with eeler. But are they ready for

-,3*)-4,-*5,0.-678*.(*90+:01*;:880,<= arah Iannarone?

WWEEK.COM

VOL 46/46 09.09.2020

$05-*>?

By Nigel Jaquiss | Page 13

COPS: TRUMP'S POLICE OCCUPY DOWNTOWN. NEWS: AN ELECTION? IN THIS ECONOMY?

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY

ì SHOCKINGLY, STILL SINGLE AND WAY TOO BORED.î P. 21

NOT TED

ì TIRED OF WHITE SUPREMACY? WELCOME TO THE CLUB.î

SHEí S

EEKLY SWEEKLY

FALL ARTS ISSUE

CHANGE OF ART A pandemic has crippled Portland's biggest arts season. But that hasn't stopped local artists from creating. Page 11

Dog breeders are among the businesses booming amid Oregoní s freeze. Page 13

PROTESTS

The Worst≠ Case Scenario Is Here. P. 9

BOOZE

Will Oregon Hike Wine Taxes? P. 10

A cadre of helmeted guerrilla filmmakers is coming to you live from Portland’s flaming streets.

FOOD

By Aaron Mesh | Page 12

Beyond Avocado Toast. P. 23

WWEEK.COM

VOL 46/45 09.02.2020

NEWS: Ted Wheeler Still Wants This Job. P. 9 • KAYAKING: Holy Toledo! P. 22 • CANNABIS: Strains for Late Summer. P. 25

Artist, musician and model Tazha Williams at BLM Art Therapy

P. 8

P. 10

CHANGE OF ART A pandemic has crippled Portland's biggest arts season. But that hasn't stopped local artists from creating. Page 11

to me lco P. 21 We . gle RY: TO Jun HIS Piz za the

24 S: y. P. rth ABI Wo NN CA unge PROTESTS Exp The Worst≠ Case

Scenario Is Here. P. 9

Will Oregon Hike Wine Taxes? P. 10

WWEEK.COM

VOL 46/46 09.09.2020

| Page 13

!"#$

FALL ARTS ISSUE

CHANGE OF ART A pandemic has crippled Portland's biggest arts season. But that hasn't stopped local artists from creating. Page 11

COVER PUP BASIL MYERS≠ PREWITT

WAR MOVIES

VOL 46/43 08.19.2020

!"##"$%&!'"()*+,#-&./ &

%&$'"(%&)) 0,'1&2-3-&/ .&

*&(+,

4,'5&4*61('$7-&/ /

Mark Zuckerberg is despoiling a tiny coastal village and Oregon’s natural treasures. The state invited him. 13

'()*+(,-*./01*-2-,3*)-4,-*5,0.-678*.(*90+:01*;:880,<=

WWEEK.COM

$05-*>?

VOL 46/45 09.02.2020

NEWS: Ted Wheeler Still Wants This Job. P. 9 • KAYAKING: Holy Toledo! P. 22 • CANNABIS: Strains for Late Summer. P. 25

!"#$

THE FACEBOOK COAST

!"#$"%&

WWEEK.COM

By Aaron Mesh | Page 12

Beyond Avocado Toast. P. 23

arah Iannarone?

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY

A cadre of helmeted guerrilla filmmakers is coming to you live from Portland’s flaming streets.

FOOD

and voters are 5 fed up with E1 PAG they ready for eeler. But are

tist, musician and odel Tazha Williams BLMBy Art Nigel Therapy Jaquiss

F U LL IS S U E S ALWAYS AVA ILA B LE ON LIN E

P. 21

BOOZE

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY

ì SHOCKINGLY, STILL SINGLE AND WAY TOO BORED.î P. 21

NOT TED

FALL ARTS ISSUE

-+(.$/!, (/%+0&11"2/3, "2/+(.$/")"4(+, !/51&6789/*8/:

ì TIRED OF WHITE SUPREMACY? WELCOME TO THE CLUB.î

EVER SS AN SUE SHEí S

WSWEEKLY WEEKLY

The Worst≠ Case Scenario Is Here. P. 9

BOOZE

Will Oregon Hike Wine Taxes? P. 10

FOOD

Beyond Avocado Toast. P. 23

Artist, musician and model Tazha Williams at BLM Art Therapy

COPS: TRUMP'S POLICE OCCUPY DOWNTOWN. NEWS: AN ELECTION? IN THIS ECONOMY?

NEWS: HARDESTY TAKES COMMAND. %&'()*+,-+,%&'(.,/*0(,11, COURTS: POLICE OUT OF CONTROL. 234THAT? FOOD: YOU WANT FRIES WITH 45(6(,#*7('8-9-'6, P. 7

P. 10

PROTESTS

P. 8

P. 10

P. 24

@<&6*A-,-+, B(9)-+7.,/*0(,=C

!"##"$%&!'"()*+,#-&./ &

%&$'"(%&)) 0,'1&2-3-&/ .&

*&(+,

4,'5&4*61('$7-&/ /

THE FACEBOOK COAST Mark Zuckerberg is despoiling a tiny coastal village and Oregon’s natural treasures. The state invited him. 13

ì IT'S A CATFIGHT, MAN. THE FUR WILL FLY.î P. 52

!"#$

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY

F U LL IS S U E S ALWAYS AVA ILA B LE ON LIN E

!"#$% #&'%()* Night after night, Portlanders confront Trumpí s violent police in downtown. It feels like a party, and the end of the world.

kely to catch COVID east of 82nd Avenue.

By Tess Riski Page 11

ortland's housing is the most overcrowded.

WILLAMETTE WEEK WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY

EVER SS AN MMED SUE #$"%& 42>?$

-+(.$/!, (/%+0&11"2/3, "2/+(.$/")"4(+, !/51&6789/*8/:

ì I WANTED THEM TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE SHOOTING AT.î P. 20

:-+;7,3<+.,/*0(,=1,,

WSWEEKLY

REA

DS:

SIR

'S S

!"##"$%&!'"()*+,#-&./ &

%&$'"(%&)) 0,'1&2-3-&/ .&

*&(+,

4,'5&4*61('$7-&/ /

Mark Zuckerberg is despoiling a tiny coastal village and Oregon’s natural treasures. The state invited him. 13

PAGE 9

$.#0$$,*

Cape Disappointment Does Not Disappoint PAGE 22

!"#$"%&

P. 8

P. 10

42>?$

ì I WANTED THEM TO SEEBACK WHAT THEY'RE SHOOTING AT.î P. 20 ì BRING THE HORSE COPS.î P. 4

45(6(,#*7('8-9-'6, :-+;7,3<+.,/*0(,=1,,

PAGE 11

MUSIC'S ROLE IN THE PROTESTS: 4 SCENE LEADERS SPEAK OUT

VOL 47/06 12.02.2020 PAGE 16

P. 10 P. 24

NEWS: HARDESTY TAKES COMMAND. COURTS: POLICE OUT OF CONTROL. FOOD: YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT?

REA

DS:

SIR

'S S

ONG

STIT

22 Y, PAGE CHER

Page 12

PLUS

PAGE 9

$.#0$$,*

Cape Disappointment Does Not Disappoint

P. 7

PAGE 22

P. 24

WWEEK.COM

!"%+'+$,!)+

VOL 46/34

PAG

WWEEK.COM 06.17.2020

Goodbye, BarFly

PAGE 10

P. 7

P. 10

ì IT MADE IT EASIER TO RISK IT FOR THE BISCUIT.î P

BRING BACK THE HORSE COPS.î P. 4

Think everything is canceled? Weí ve got 16 adventures that will help you salvage this season.

NEWS: HARDESTY TAKES COMMAND. COURTS: POLICE OUT OF CONTROL. FOOD: YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT?

P. 6

PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY

Distant Summer

VOL 46/39 07.22.2020

PAGE 24

NEWS: A LITTLE POLICE REFORM. P. 9 BUSINESS: LAST CALL, AGAIN? P. 23 FOOD: TONARI, WITH LOVE.

P. 10

MAITA

Seven queer black Portlanders speak out on what Pride means to them.

By Tess Riski Page 11

-).(&#%-$/!01

Boss Says "Too Bad"

WILLAMETTE WEEK

"THEY ARE KILLING US. AND Y'ALL MISS A PARADE?"

Night after night, Portlanders confront Trumpí s violent police in downtown. It feels like a party, and the end of the world.

WWEEK.COM

VOL 46.40 07.29.2020 WWEEK.COM VOL 46/36 07.01.2020

T W D

P. 7

P. 10

PAGE 10

ikely to catch COVID east of 82nd Avenue.

PAG

NEWS: HARDESTY TAKES COMMAND. COPS: TRUMP'S POLICE DOWNTOWN. COURTS: POLICE OUTINOCCUPY OF CONTROL. NEWS: ELECTION? THIS ECONOMY? FOOD:ANYOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT?

WILLAMETTE WEEK

Think everything is canceled? Weí ve got 16 adventures that will help you salvage this season.

Portland's housing is the most overcrowded. By Latisha Jensen | Page 13

$05-*>?

PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY

ì ITì MADE EASIER TOMAN. RISKTHE IT FOR IT'S A ITCATFIGHT, FURTHE WILLBISCUIT.î FLY.î P. 52P. 11

MAITA

'()*+(,-*./01*-2-,3*)-4,-*5,0.-678*.(*90+:01*;:880,<=

P. 6

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDí S NEWSWEEKLY

T Distant W Summer !"#$% D MMED+WWEEK.COM#&'%()* @<&6*A-,-+, B(9)-+7.,/*0(,=C

PAG

WWEEK.COM WWEEK.COM

VOL 46/39 VOL 46/43 07.22.2020 08.19.2020

PAGE 24

NEWS: A LITTLE POLICE REFORM. P. 9 BUSINESS: LAST CALL, AGAIN? P. 23 FOOD: TONARI, WITH LOVE.

COPS: TRUMP'S POLICE OCCUPY DOWNTOWN. !"#$ NEWS: AN ELECTION? IN THIS ECONOMY? %&'()*+,-+,%&'(.,/*0(,11, 234

!"%+'+$,!)+

Goodbye, BarFly

P. 26

-).(&#%-$/!01

Boss Says "Too Bad"

22 Y, PAGE CHER

!"#$

PLUS

WWEEK.COM

VOL 46.40 07.29.2020

$05-*>?

STIT

THE FACEBOOK COAST

By Latisha Jensen | Page 13

2-,3*)-4,-*5,0.-678*.(*90+:01*;:880,<=

ONG

"THEY ARE KILLING US. AND Y'ALL MISS A PARADE?" Seven queer black Portlanders speak out on what Pride means to them. Page 12

P. 24

P. 8

NEWS: Amazoní s Silent Nights. P. 10 BOOZE: Takeout Cocktails in the í Couv. P. 27 CANNABIS: A Stoner Advent Calendar. P. 31

Pink Martini Cabaret with China Forbes and Thomas Lauderdale Wayne Horvitz Harold Lopez Nussa “Live from Havana”

FEB 18-27, 2021 PORTLAND, OR LiveStream Tickets Only $5

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

Brian Jackson Teodross Avery Quartet Marcus Shelby Quartet Cyrus Nabipoor

Kassa Overall

JAZZ FILMS “Herb Alpert Is …”

Judith Hill

“Buster Williams Bass to Infinity”

Additional events to be announced! Tickets @ pdxjazz.com

FINDINGS MICK HANGLAND-SKILL

ZOOLIGHTS, PAGE 21

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM READING THIS WEEK’S PAPER An ounce of rhodium sells for $13,700. 4

Sunriver is Oregon’s most desired Zoom town. 19

The Joint Office of Homelesss Services has long-term leases on 409 hotel rooms. 8

Southeast Portland has the city’s best basketball hoops. 23

The price of an English cream golden retriever puppy increased this year by $500 a pup. 14 Full Sail Brewing pivoted to hard kombucha. 14 Portland interior designers sell color-coordinated book collections to add refinement to your Zoom background. 17

Sales of women’s sizes of Jeffrey Lebowski’s cardigan tripled during the pandemic. 19

ON THE COVER:

Mark Zusman

A prophetic headline appears in a pandemic-themed movie shot last spring: “President Has the Virus.” 29 Frank Zappa was a dream guest for writers of The Muppet Show. 30

A popular summer treat in Baltimore is a peppermint stick jammed inside a lemon. 31

Gov. Kate Brown announced new criteria for closing businesses due to COVID-19.

EDITORIAL

News Editor Aaron Mesh Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Singer Assistant A&C Editor Andi Prewitt Music & Visual Arts Editor Shannon Gormley Staff Writers Nigel Jaquiss, Latisha Jensen, Rachel Monahan, Tess Riski Copy Editor Matt Buckingham

WILLAMETTE WEEK IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY CITY OF ROSES MEDIA COMPANY

ART DEPARTMENT

Creative Director Joy Bogdan Art Director Jack Kent Illustration Intern Paola De La Cruz Photography Intern Mick Hangland-Skill ADVERTISING

Director of Sales Anna Zusman Account Executives Michael Donhowe, Justin Eulalio Thomas Marketing Coordinator Candace Tillery

2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Main line phone: (503) 243-2122 fax: (503) 296-2874 Classifieds phone: (503) 243-2122 fax: (503) 296-2874

Sufjan Stevens The Ascension

LP: $21.99

CD: $11.99

On her marvelous second album, Phoebe Bridgers defines her songwriting: candid, multi-dimensional, slyly psychedelic, and full of heart. Her music has become a world unto itself.

Andy Shauf The Neon Skyline

LP: $26.99

CD: $9.99

LP: $17.99

Exhaustive, dense, and The Canadian singer-songdetailed, Sufjan Stevens’ writer uses the concept album electro-opus is another huge to recreate the quietly stirring artistic leap that speaks scenes of a dead romance. plainly to complicated The Neon Skyline unfolds into emotions and attempts to a wistful, funny, and heartrebuild his sound from the breaking world of its own. ground up.

Turns out, illegally selling cocktails to go might get your liquor license revoked. 28

MASTHEAD EDITOR & PUBLISHER

Pheobe Bridgers Punisher

In Puerto Rico, pastry dough is a matter of fierce debate. 26

OUR MOST TRAFFICKED STORY ONLINE THIS WEEK:

Pandemic pup Basil MyersPrewitt, photo by Alex Wittwer.

Some of The Best of 2020!

CD: $11.99

VOL. 47, ISSUE 6

The owner of Vegas Chinese Restaurant has been asking since June for permission to install a drive-thru window. 12

Music Millennium’s

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Give!Guide Director Toni Tringolo TechfestNW Director Shelley Midthun Cultivation Classic Director Steph Barnhart Oregon Beer Awards Director Rachel Coddington Friends of Willamette Week Director Anya Rehon DISTRIBUTION

Circulation Director Spencer Winans Entrepreneur in Residence Jack Phan

M. Ward Migration Stories

CD: $9.99

LP: $17.99

The dusty twang of M. Ward’s guitar and his whispered singing paint a picture of souls in transition, hinting at the reasons people choose to leave their country for another.

Dream Syndicate The Universe Inside

CD: $9.99

LP: $19.99

The Universe Inside isn't a typical Dream Syndicate album. The verse/chorus structure has been neatly sidestepped in favor of a free-wheeling, improvised, truly experimental approach, and it's marvelous.

Poster Sale

Get some amazing Handmade limited edition posters by Gary Houston!

OPERATIONS

Accounting Manager Kim Engelke Staff Accountant Shawn Wolf Manager of Information Services Brian Panganiban OUR MISSION

To provide Portlanders with an independent and irreverent understanding of how their worlds work so they can make a difference. Though Willamette Week is free, please take just one copy. Anyone removing papers in bulk from our distribution points will be prosecuted, as they say, to the full extent of the law.

His work include gig posters, art prints, and politcal/social prints.

Willamette Week welcomes freelance submissions. Send material to either News Editor or Arts Editor. Manuscripts will be returned if you include a selfaddressed, stamped envelope. To be considered for calendar listings, notice of events must be received in writing by noon Wednesday, two weeks before publication. Questions concerning circulation or subscription inquiries should be directed to Spencer Winans at Willamette Week.

Postmaster: Send all address changes to Willamette Week, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Subscription rates: One year $130, six months $70. Back issues $5 for walk-ins, $8 for mailed requests when available. Willamette Week is mailed at third-class rates. Association of Alternative Newsmedia. This newspaper is published on recycled newsprint using soy-based ink.

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

DIALOGUE

WARM UP & CHILL OUT

BAR BAR 3939 MISSISSIPPI AVE

OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FOR TAKE-OUT & DELIVERY! EXPANDED, SOCIALLY DISTANCED PATIO RE-OPENS DECEMBER 3 PLACE ORDERS & BUY FRESH MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS MERCH AT MISSISSIPPISTUDIOS.COM

Traffic safety nonprofit Oregon Walks last week released new figures showing that, in the past three years, Black Portlanders were three times as likely to be killed by a car when crossing the street as white Portlanders. The nonprofit also found that the pedestrian fatality rate was three times higher east of 82nd Avenue, and that all 48 pedestrian deaths in Portland in the past three years occurred in low-income neighborhoods. An Oregon Walks board member told WW the fatalities were emblematic of larger systemic issues faced by underserved neighborhoods. Here’s what our readers had to say:

have to wait and make sure all cars are stopped at the flashing crosswalk, and even still you get drivers trying to zip around the stopped cars. It’s a whole different game.”

@Beermojoe via Twitter: “Bad lighting, limited sidewalk infrastructure, more spread out (leading to higher vehicle speeds), is just part of the problem. Always has been.”

John Foulston via Facebook: “I often go east of 82nd for my job and note that drivers are much more careless and aggressive in these areas. As stated, better lighting but also more photo-enforced ticketing for aggressive driving…especially in known danger spots.”

Nisse Gulker Keenom via Facebook: “Well, I’m sure it has nothing to do with all the gentrification forcing folks out past 82nd to Rockwood.” Doug Klotz via wweek.com: “One factor is lighting, but another factor is the width of the road to be crossed. Most of the arterials east of 82nd are wider than the roads closer in, so a walker is exposed to traffic for longer, and/or you’ll have to wait much longer for a big enough gap in traffic. Plus, because the streets are wider (and in many cases the individual lanes are wider), drivers generally go faster, feeling unconstrained by narrow lanes or roadways. And then, of course, there’s lack of enforcement to ticket drivers who fail to stop, and the fear at [the Portland Bureau of Transportation] that if enforcement was increased, the police would target people of color, as they have been known to do in many segments of policing. (They even discussed that in the first Vision Zero documents.) Additional lighting seems like the easiest thing to address, but it’s not the only one.” @Chizzops1 via Twitter: “The main east-west thoroughfares, once they get east of [Interstate] 205, become like highways. My kid and I always

Dr. Know

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

@geenei via Twitter: “I knew that nearly all of the most dangerous intersections in the city were out here in East Portland. I hadn’t known that all 48 pedestrian deaths 2017-2019 were out here too. Tragic neglect.” @doctorLURK via Twitter: “It’s a crime how (comparatively) few bike thoroughfares there are east of 82nd/205. And a lot of neighborhoods don’t have sidewalks (though that’s also an issue in non-downtown Southwest). Outer Southeast deserves a better shake than what it usually gets from City Hall.” @CeliaBarlow1 via Twitter: “Maybe because PDX doesn’t give a fat rat’s a$$ about folks living beyond 82nd. Remember Chloe Eudaly stating she forgot that PDX extends beyond 82nd? Reprehensible. Hopefully, Mingus Mapps will do better.” LETTERS TO THE EDITOR must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Email: mzusman@wweek.com

BY MART Y SMITH @martysmithxxx

This week I had the catalytic converter stolen out of my ’07 Prius. Why is it so easy for the thieves to sell these things? If I sell a used battery, I have to show ID and get a check in the mail. Why isn’t there some similar law for catalytic converters? —Tina T. At the risk of besmirching my liberal bona fides, Tina, there’s a difference between passing a law and eliminating a problem. Cocaine, for example, is 100% illegal—and yet, I have some right here. Just kidding! (Probably.) Anyway, now that I’m invincible, I can tell you that Oregon does have laws to foil would-be catalytic converter thieves. However, in the same way that taking the Sudafed out of my beloved DayQuil did not bring the crystal meth trade to a grinding halt, these requirements are little more than a speed bump for a trade where even a black-market unit can bring $200 or more. Scrap dealers buying used converters are supposed to get a copy of the seller’s ID, a photo of the seller, the license plate number of the seller’s car, and video of the transaction itself. Payment by check must be mailed, and only after a mandatory three-day waiting period. 4

PDXBill via wweek.com: “I have always felt that Portland underinvested in pedestrian safety and education. The glaring inequality that bicyclists and cars have over pedestrians in this city is certainly concerning. Underinvestment in the eastside in general is also an issue. We need to reevaluate our priorities.”

However, plenty of out-of-state scrapyards will happily buy a catalytic converter from you through the mail with just a photocopy of your (or, really, anyone’s!) driver’s license. Catalytic converters work their magic by passing emissions through a honeycomb impregnated with a few grams of platinum, palladium and rhodium, in varying proportions. You’re familiar with platinum, so you won’t be surprised to learn that it’s currently $966 an ounce. However, you might not have known that an ounce of palladium is $2,246—and you probably won’t even believe that an ounce of rhodium goes for $13,700. Given that just two years ago rhodium was a paltry $2,300 (chump change, amirite?), you can see how this dirty muffler-looking thing on the bottom of your car might be more tempting now than ever. What to do? Well, for a few hundred bucks, you can buy a shield kit to protect your converter—not cheap, but better then the $2,000 to $5,000 it’ll cost to replace a stolen one. Do these kits make stealing your catalytic converter impossible? No. But they do make it more trouble than just stealing somebody else’s. QUESTIONS? Send them to dr.know@wweek.com.

This Black Friday, Internet & Mobile meet awesome savings. During the Xfinity Black Friday Sales Event, you can save up to $500 when you get Xfinity Internet and Mobile together. That’s huge savings on fast, reliable Internet and Mobile with nationwide 5G included on the most reliable network. And that means more of the family-calling, video-gaming, bingewatching, viral-videoing awesome you love. Now that’s how you do Black Friday right. The Xfinity Black Friday Sales Event ends December 7. Go to xfinity.com, call 1-800-XFINITY, or visit an Xfinity Store today!

Xfinity Internet and Mobile

/mo. together

Equip., taxes, and other charges extra and subj. to change. See details below.

Includes Internet

for 12 months w/ 1-year agmt. Paperless billing and autopay required and

1 GB wireless data option

Ask how to

save up to

500

when you get Xfinity Internet & Mobile and purchase an eligible phone

Internet offer requires enrollment in both automatic payments and paperless billing. Must enroll within 30 days of placing order for advertised offer. Without enrollment, service charge automatically increases by $10/mo. 12-month automatic payment and paperless billing discount appears on bill within 30 days of enrolling. If either automatic payments or paperless billing are canceled during the 12-month period, or if services are added or Internet tier changes, the $10/mo. discount will be discontinued. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Limited to new residential Performance Starter Plus 25 Mbps Internet customers only. Early termination fee applies if all Xfinity services (other than Xfinity Mobile) are cancelled during the agreement term or promo. Equipment, installation, taxes and fees extra, and subject to change during and after agreement term or promo. After agreement term or promo, or if any service is canceled or downgraded, regular rates apply. Comcast’s service charge for Performance Starter Plus Internet is $50/mo. (subj. to change). Service limited to a single outlet. May not be combined with other offers. Internet: Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. For factors affecting speed, visit www.xfinity.com/networkmanagement. Mobile: Xfinity Mobile requires residential post-pay Xfinity Internet. Line limitations may vary. Equipment, intl. and roaming charges, taxes and fees, including regulatory recovery fees, and other charges extra, and subject to change. Pricing subject to change. Minimum $15.00 charge applies per month, per account regardless of data usage. Charges apply to each GB or partial GB of shared data. No rollover data. For Xfinity Mobile Broadband Disclosures, visit www.xfinity.com/mobile/policies/broadband-disclosures. Up to $500 savings offer ends 12/7/20. Requires (1) activation of new Xfinity Mobile line and porting of number within 90 days of Internet activation for $200 prepaid card and (2) up to $300 off device with the purchase of an eligible mobile phone. Xfinity Mobile utilizes the highest ranked network from RootMetrics® 1H 2020 US report. WiFi networks not tested. Results may vary. Award is not endorsement. The Xfinity Mobile logo and “o” marks are trademark of Comcast. Call for restrictions and complete details. © 2020 Comcast. All rights reserved. Individual programs and marks are property of their respective owners. NPA233814-0011

139123_NPA233814-0011 Black Friday WEST 9.639x12.25 Willamette.indd 1

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

11/16/20 6:05 PM

MURMURS WESLEY LAPOINTE

Now Open for Walk-In Shopping - Space Permitting

1433 NE Broadway St Portland • 503 493-0070 Tues-Sat 10-5pm

PROVIDENCE PORTLAND MEDICAL CENTER

BUDGET RAISES BOOZE TAX FLAP: Gov. Kate Brown released her proposed 2021-23 budget Dec. 1, and conspicuously absent were increases in taxes on alcoholic beverages that the advocacy group Oregon Recovers and its allies wanted. As WW reported in September, the Oregon Health Authority had included tax increases on wine and beer in its proposed budget for next year in response to pressure from Oregon Recovers and several allied groups. Those would have been the first such increases in 40 years. Supporters of the taxes said in a Nov. 29 Oregonian op-ed that Brown would deliver them. But after vigorous opposition from the alcohol industry, long a powerhouse in the Capitol, Brown released a budget that left taxes on alcohol unchanged. “The governor’s recommended budget for 2021-23 does not include an increase on beer and wine taxes,” said Brown’s spokesman Charles Boyle. The Oregon Beverage Alliance, a trade group, applauded Brown for skipping “harmful tax increases.”

For more than four decades, Willamette Week has made a difference in Portland. Our reporting has changed lives for the better, held the powerful accountable, removed a few people from elected office, and along the way, made hundreds of thousands of Portlanders aware of the best in this city's culture. Quality local journalism takes time and talent and resources. You can help by becoming a Friend of Willamette Week.

wweek.com/support

Where do you read Willamette Week? #READWW Tag us to be featured

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

HOSPITALS SICK OVER BROWN’S BUDGET: Gov. Kate Brown’s budget also brought cries of pain from Oregon’s hospitals, which are currently dealing with an unprecedented number of COVID-19 patients. (Five hundred seventy-seven patients are hospitalized with COVID as of Dec. 1, up from 171 on Nov. 1). The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems spent heavily to pass Measure 108 in November. That measure increased the tax on cigarettes by $2 a pack and will generate more than $100 million a year in new revenue for the Oregon Health Authority, which provides funding to hospitals through the state’s Medicaid program, the Oregon Health Plan. Brown’s proposed budget would reduce hospital system revenue by a similar amount through reduced reimbursement rates and a lower assumed medical inflation rate. Becky Hultberg, CEO of the hospital association, says Brown’s budget, released Nov. 30, takes money away from OAHHS members when they need it most. Hultberg said hospital revenue dropped 21% during the first six months of the year. “[Brown] has chosen to propose direct cuts to hospitals in the midst of the biggest public health crisis in a century,” Hultberg said in a statement. “Cuts of this magnitude could force hospitals to reduce services to Oregonians during a pandemic. These cuts cannot be justified.” Brown’s spokeswoman Elizabeth Merah responded: “Our hospitals are absolutely critical. However, with 150,000 Oregonians joining the Oregon Health Plan rolls since the pandemic, we can’t protect the plan, cut taxes and not pursue any cost savings in the health care system all at once.”

NO CHARGES YET IN THANKSGIVING VANDALISM: A Multnomah County Circuit Court judge dismissed criminal charges against three suspects arrested amid an early Thanksgiving morning vandalism spree, court records say. Shortly after 1 am on Nov. 26, the Portland Police Bureau responded to reports of a black-clad group breaking windows and vandalizing businesses along Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, including the New Seasons market and a Bank of America. Police later located a group they say “carr[ied] evidence connecting them to the vandalism,” and arrested three people believed to be affiliated with the damage: Chester Hester, 24 Nicole Noriega, 38, and Bailey Willack, 23. All three were booked into the Multnomah County Jail on 10 counts of criminal mischief. On Nov. 27, Circuit Judge Benjamin Soude dismissed all of the charges, court records say. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said it rejected the cases and referred them back to law enforcement for further investigation. “We expect that upon the completion of that investigative follow-up, these cases will be resubmitted and rescreened for prosecution,” Brent Weisberg, a spokesman for the DA’s office, tells WW. GOVERNOR’S RACE BEGINS: Dr. Bud Pierce, the Salem cancer physician who spent $1.7 million of his family’s money in a failed challenge to Gov. Kate Brown in 2016, announced Nov. 30 he’s trying again for the open governor’s seat in 2022. “The citizenry is frustrated and unsettled, and I am a far stronger candidate than I was in 2016,” said Pierce, 64, in an email to supporters. Numerous Democrats are also considering a bid, including Meyer Memorial Trust chief investment officer Rukaiyah Adams, Secretary of State-elect Shemia Fagan, Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle, Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury, House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland), Metro Council President Lynn Peterson, State Treasurer Tobias Read, and Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. (Disclosure: Rosenblum is married to the co-owner of WW’s parent company.) TECHFESTNW STARTS TODAY: TechfestNW, WW’s three-day celebration of the entrepreneur in all of us, has moved to its natural home: online. Originally scheduled to host its ninth year in the spring, TechfestNW is now a virtual event starting Dec 2. Speakers include Facebook’s No. 1 enemy; the founder of Siri; the new president of Oregon’s most storied tech company, Tektronix; and a Portlander who is one of TikTok’s bigger stars. Tickets are $20 and all proceeds go to three local nonprofits. Visit techfestnw.com for tickets and details.

NEWS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK

WESLEY LAPOINTE

9 QUESTIONS FOR

You would support liability protections for hospitals, schools and nursing homes? To provide some certainty. And that’s based on our values, and it’s not based on throwing workers away. I believe we have to center workers’ needs first and foremost, but I also think that we have to provide some certainty. And every day that we don’t provide certainty, we trouble our economy, and that has ripple effects for the next 10 years to me. Speaker Kotek called on Rep. Hernandez to resign after he was accused of sexual harassment. What part did that play in your decision to run? I disagree with putting your thumb on the scale. But in terms of having a significant impact on my decision, no: I’m not really driven necessarily by what other people do. I’m driven by the systems that create those opportunities. What system makes it OK for us to take a long time to resolve a complaint? What system makes it OK for us to not have a victim-centered approach? And what system makes it OK for a person to have a more difficult time to defend themselves if they say that they are innocent of whatever they’ve been accused of?

RISING: Rep. Janelle Bynum on the floor of the Oregon House during a July special session.

Rep. Janelle Bynum

We asked how the Oregon House would be different under her leadership. BY R AC H E L M O N A H A N

rmonahan@wweek.com

Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-Clackamas) is waging an extraordinary battle in the Oregon Capitol. The three-term representative is challenging House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) for her job running the lower chamber of the Oregon Legislature. It’s a powerful post, from which the speaker doles out committee assignments to members of the House and sets the policy agenda. An open floor fight for House Speaker is expected in January. That’s rare: It hasn’t happened since Kotek took the job in 2013, becoming the longest-serving House speaker in Oregon history. But Bynum is interested in making history: She would become the first Black lawmaker to serve as speaker. Her bid also contains complicated political dynamics. A businesswoman who owns four McDonald’s restaurants with her husband, Bynum has championed police reform and racial justice in the Legislature while remaining moderate on fiscal issues. Because of that, the prospect of Bynum seizing power may hold some appeal for Republicans who feel silenced by Kotek—who has passed historic, progressive policies, including family medical leave, an increase in the minimum wage and an expansion of school funding via a tax on the revenues of large companies. The power struggle is also playing out amid rancor among the Legislature’s BIPOC Caucus for the way Kotek handled allegations of sexual harassment against one of its own: Rep. Diego Hernandez (D-East Portland). We asked Bynum why she’s challenging Kotek and what she would do with the job. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. A video of the full interview can be found at wweek.com.

WW: What will it mean if Oregon has its first Black speaker of the House? Janelle Bynum: I think it would be meaningful for everyone. I am Black, but that’s not all that I am. I think it would be meaningful for people, especially those that went downtown [to protest] in Portland, who were not African American and said that they wanted to live in a place where they felt like everyone could be free and everyone deserved a fair shot. When they say representation matters, it does—it really, really does—to see what’s possible and to know that your voice can be included in a conversation and to know that someone may understand your position. That’s huge. Where do you fit on the political spectrum compared to Speaker Kotek? I think it depends on the issue. So, like: Equal pay, I’m there all day. Criminal justice reform, [I’m] super, super progressive on that. Do I believe we can tax our way to prosperity? Nope. I believe that targeted investments in education are the key to our success. I believe [in] creating a sense of stability in how we do our lawmaking with respect to tax policy. I know that’s different.

Why did you donate to his reelection campaign? To me, he maintained his innocence, and the caucus pledges to defend its members and, absent a finding of anything in our country, you are given the benefit of the doubt. There’s a burden of proof, right? Rep. Hernandez’s experience, I would say, mirrors a lot of experiences that have been reported by men of color in the justice system. Now this is not a real justice system type of process, but it looks horribly familiar to me. What’s the criminal justice bill that you would prioritize for the next session? The bill that I’m promoting is a [police] misconduct database that would be maintained at the state level. In order to build a system that everyone can trust in and believe in, especially when law enforcement has the authority to kill you, we need to grant that authority very carefully, and we need to hold people to account when it is abused. What was your reaction to the WW story of the police officer who allegedly hit an East Portland resident in the back of the head while he was conversing with another police officer? So my reaction to that was actually to ask the city of Portland if any one of those officers in that incident had utilized the “duty to intervene” statute that we just passed [requiring police officers to report misconduct by their colleagues]. I have not gotten an answer on that. What’s your reaction to that lack of response? It’s not OK. It’s disturbing. I think it also just points to the fact that they have had turnover in leadership. Training has not kept up and that we haven’t had the hard conversations or made the changes that we should have had in terms of accountability for a long time.

How would your policy priorities be different? As a business owner, [I felt] we needed to focus on a COVID recovery that not only centered different racial groups in different communities, but also centered our economy and what we’re going to do to get back on our feet. I was just in an email conversation with a couple of my colleagues about the liability questions, how we look at [occupational safety and health] requirements. One of my colleagues was trying to put [those] things in different buckets. And I had to push a little and tell them, from a business owner standpoint, it is all one big bucket. Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

NEWS RECEIPTS

BLACK AND WHITE IN OREGON

Room at the Inn

Whose Teachers Look Like Them?

Portland motels are surviving with contracts to shelter the houseless each night.

In Portland Public Schools, a far higher proportion of teachers than students identify as white. BRIAN BURK

LEAVING THE LIGHT ON: The Joint Office of Homeless Services has booked eight hotels for refuge from COVID-19.

The Joint Office of Homelesss Services booked 409 hotel and motel rooms to house people who need special shelter from the COVID-19 pandemic—at a cost of $26,441 per day to taxpayers and more than twice that amount for support services. The city’s homeless camps have largely been spared from the pandemic so far. But on Nov. 30, KGW reported that 18 of 27 men in a recovery program at the downtown Union Gospel Mission, along with two staff members, appeared to have contracted the virus. County health officials have long feared that houseless and otherwise economically marginalized Portlanders would be susceptible to COVID. That’s why they’ve booked long-term leases— most of them through the end of next June—at eight hotels and motels. “We want to give folks who are vulnerable their own space, including their own bathrooms,” says joint office spokesman Denis Theriault. Two of the hotels serve people who have COVID -19 or have been referred by a medical facility because of a specific susceptibility to the virus. Support service costs at those two hotels total $800,000 a month. Five of the hotels, operated by nonprofits that run shelters for the joint

NUMBER OF ROOMS

COST PER ROOM

SW Barbur Blvd.

81 40 58 53 47 43 42

$69 $65 $64 $64 $64 $64 $64

SE Portland

$60

HOTEL

LOCATION

Jupiter

E Burnside St.

Days Inn

82nd Ave.

Chestnut Tree

SE Stark St.

Banfield

SE 37th Ave

Redacted

North Portland

Motel 6

Gresham

Portland Value Inn Redacted

Source: Joint Office of Homeless Services 8

office, house people who would otherwise stay in congregate shelters but need extra space because they are particularly vulnerable to COVID due to age or underlying medical conditions. Support service costs at those five hotels total $1 mllion a month. In late October, the Joint Office of Homeless Services inked an agreement for an eighth hotel—its first in Southwest Portland—bringing the total rooms for which the joint office has a long-term lease to 409. (The agency has an option to buy one of the hotels: a 40-unit facility it could acquire for $4.2 million.) The properties range from onetime hipster hangout the Jupiter Hotel on inner East Burnside to less glamorous digs on North Interstate and Southeast 82nd avenues and as far east as 183rd Avenue in Gresham. The daily rates the joint office is paying don’t vary much: They range from $69 a room at the Jupiter to $60 at an 82nd Avenue motel. With hotel occupancy rates in Portland hovering at around 30%, it’s clear that owners of the properties cut smart deals. Theriault says the hotels are working well for the joint office so far, but he wishes they weren’t necessary. “The best medicine,” he says, “would have been prevention.” NIGEL JAQUISS.

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

Portland Public Schools severely lacks teachers of color. White-identifying teachers make up 89.2% of all PPS teachers while Black teachers make up less than 1%, according to a 2019-20 report by the district. Yet students of color make up 38.5% of PPS’s enrollment, while only 10.8% of teachers identify as nonwhite. Hispanic teachers make up the largest nonwhite demographic, at 5.2%. However, this group still has the biggest percentage gap in representation, because Hispanic students make up 23.7% of the student population. Black children make up 2.3% of the student population, and white children make up 61.5%. The percentage of white teachers exceeds that of white students by 27.7 points, and every nonwhite racial demographic is underrepresented. WW has reported the lack of representation in other areas, such as mental health providers and doctors, where the patient-provider relationship is vital. The same dynamic can be found in public education. Nichole Watson, principal of Prescott Elementary School in the Parkrose School District and a former PPS teacher, said the lack of diversity among Portland’s educators overlaps with other issues. One example is PPS’s inability to retain teachers of

color—one reason Watson, who is Black, left the district in June. “I thought I’d teach there forever, but I also needed to be safe, and I also deserved elevation and [for someone] to put the support around me for me to be successful,” Watson says. “All the things we know don’t happen and ultimately why teachers of color leave any district.” Lack of diversity among teachers also goes hand in hand with the disproportionate rate at which Black children are disciplined. “We are criminalizing behavior that is not criminal,” Watson says. “I don’t criminalize that behavior; I see that through the lens of my own experience. I can contextualize it.” When children of color have teachers with shared backgrounds, they can develop deeper relationships with them, Watson says, and relationships are crucial for student success. “When you have educators of color in a space, their culture brings a different perspective in your building, and that different perspective also sees children and serves children differently,” Watson says. “That lens has often been missing from the conversations that really deeply impact how our children, especially children of color, experience school.” LATISHA JENSEN.

Race/Ethnicity of PPS Teachers 2019/2020 WHITE

NATIVE HAWAIIAN

BLACK

NATIVE AMERICAN

HISPANIC

MULTIRACIAL

ASIAN

Winter Overhaul Special! 50% off Regular Bike Overhaul 20% off Suspension & Pivot Package December 1-February 15

www.fattirefarm.com Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

NEWS

Lost in the Amazon Workers risking the COVID-19 outbreak at Amazon’s Troutdale warehouse signed a strict confidentiality agreement.

PACKAGE DEAL: The Amazon packages arriving on Portland doorsteps this holiday season are shipped via a warehouse in Troutdale. BY TE SS R I S K I

tess@wweek.com

On June 10, the Oregon Health Authority announced a COVID-19 outbreak at Amazon’s Troutdale warehouse that has now lasted 25 weeks and infected 97 people with the virus, making it one of the largest workplace outbreaks in Oregon. It’s understandable why a reporter might want to reach out to some of the 4,500 employees at the warehouse to discuss working conditions at Amazon. The New York Times reported last week the online retail giant has hired more than 427,000 new employees worldwide, the largest hiring spree in American history and one driven by COVID’s acceleration of the move to e-commerce. But a reporter would have difficulty. Because WW has learned that entry-level workers at Amazon’s Troutdale warehouse have for some time been required to sign nondisclosure agreements, legally binding contracts restricting what information employees can and cannot share publicly. Nondisclosure agreements are rare for warehouse workers. But Amazon’s NDA, which WW obtained, is so stringent that some lawyers believe it’s the kind of contract you would expect between an employer and a software developer working on highly proprietary code, not one for a warehouse job where the primary requirement is an ability to lift heavy objects. 10

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

The NDA, available on wweek.com, prohibits employees from acquiring, using, publishing, disclosing or communicating “any Confidential Information except as required in connection with Employee’s work without the prior written approval of an authorized officer of Amazon.” “I haven’t [previously] seen an entry-level warehouse employee be asked to sign an NDA,” says Jess Giannettino Villatoro, political and legislative director at the Oregon AFL-CIO. “I would say that Amazon’s is pretty egregious.” Amazon workplaces in Oregon have generated 54 COVID-related complaints from employees to Oregon Occupational Safety and Health since March. Those complaints triggered two Oregon OSHA inspections: one in Salem that concluded in August and did not result in a citation, and another at its Troutdale warehouse that began in late September and is still ongoing. Separately, a Troutdale worker filed an OSHA complaint Nov. 12, claiming Amazon asked employees to sign additional confidentiality agreements before sending them home for reasons related to COVID-19. “Employer is exposing employees to potential COVID19 infection by failing to notify employees who have been in close contact with [a] sick employee that possible COVID-19 exposure has occurred,” the employee said in the complaint. “Multiple employees have been told to sign a confidentiality agreement before being sent home.” Amazon says its policy helps protect customers. “As

with many other companies, non-disclosure agreements are signed by Amazon employees when they are hired to help ensure customer privacy and for other business purposes,” Amazon spokeswoman Anne Laughlin Carpita told WW. “The company has no requirements for employees to sign a non-disclosure document when they are notified they have a positive COVID test.” The Troutdale warehouse has consistently placed near the top of Oregon’s list of COVID-19 workplace outbreaks since the Oregon Health Authority started publicizing those numbers in May. The state started disclosing such locations after WW first reported on the outbreak at the berry processor Townsend Farms in east Multnomah County. OHA’s latest weekly COVID outbreak disclosure, on Nov. 25, says Amazon’s Troutdale warehouse is the source of 97 COVID-19 cases, making it the fourth-largest workplace outbreak in the state. The three larger outbreaks are all in state prisons. In Oregon, Amazon employs over 9,000 people, KATUTV reported in September, and is one of the largest tenants downtown, where both Amazon Web Services and Elemental (a division of Amazon) have offices. The company’s stock price is up 74% this year, giving it a market capitalization of more than $1.6 trillion. Amazon required Troutdale warehouse employees to sign NDAs that prohibit them from sharing confidential information, which it defines as “proprietary or confidential information of Amazon in whatever form, tangible or intangible, whether or not marked or otherwise designated as confidential, that is not otherwise generally known to the public, relating or pertaining to Amazon’s business, projects, products, customers, suppliers, inventions, or trade secrets.” It’s not clear whether discussing health and safety conditions at Amazon—such as mask-wearing, which several Amazon workers have complained about—would violate the NDA. The document does make exceptions, saying that wages, hours and working conditions are not considered confidential. Still, Portland lawyers describe the contract as “overreaching.” “That kind of wording puts almost no limit on it. Amazon could determine that anything is business and financial information,” says David Sugerman, a civil lawyer in Portland who also teaches at Lewis & Clark Law School. “This is another tool that can really chill working people in protecting themselves in the workplace in not being exploited.” The threat of legal action for violating an NDA may be more psychological than tangible, however. “The short answer is, in most cases, nothing happens,” says Michael Fuller, a Portland attorney who has represented employees in several whistleblower lawsuits. “An employee who intentionally violates an NDA out of spite or for their own financial gain may face legal consequences. However, an NDA attempting to prohibit an employee from reporting unlawful workplace conditions is likely in violation of public policy and legally void. In my experience, large corporations like Wells Fargo and Google use NDAs largely as a deterrence.” Sugerman says managers can still wield the documents as a threat to employees who seek to speak out. “A manager can use an NDA when it’s not legitimate and say, ‘You talk, we sue,’” Sugerman says. “I would definitely be concerned about whether a worker who signed this agreement might feel at risk for reporting.” Giannettino Villatoro says the NDA Amazon places in front of workers is particularly troubling in a job market where workers have fewer options. “Any time when we have high unemployment, workers are at a greater risk for being exploited,” Giannettino Villatoro says. “Especially if we’re talking about entry-level warehouse workers, putting these contracts in front of them is often pretty intimidating.”

Downtown Portland’s Business Community is Done Passively Waiting For Help — We Are Here to Help Each Other, Clean Up Downtown And Work With Elected Officials to Make it Happen. Dear Portland: 2020 has been a painful and difficult year, especially for our communities of color. COVID 19 has affected every single person in the city. Unemployment numbers are at an all-time high, local businesses owned by our community members have been forced to close or hang in the balance. No one could have prepared us for this horrible pandemic and this important civil rights movement. We are the Rose City Downtown Collective, an open group of downtown Portland businesses, organizations and nonprofits of every size and focus. We are still here and need your support to help keep and rebuild jobs, the local economy and the spirit of downtown. Just like its citizens, Downtown Portland is hurting right now. The pandemic has forced many of our great restaurants, local retailers, and local businesses to shutter, stay closed, and even relocate. The repercussions left by COVID 19 paired with over five months of nightly vandalism will affect business and life downtown for years to come. Our elected officials let us down this year, but we are hopeful that the new City Council will step up. The hard reality is that some local businesses won’t make it to January to see new council members take their posts. The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated. Our mission is to connect downtown businesses to the resources they need, as well as helping to physically clean up the downtown area. Between COVID 19 and the ongoing unrest, downtown Portland is at a historic crossroads and at risk of becoming another abandoned and dormant city center that once was. Our economy as a state and a city will not be the same, and will not be able to rebuild without intentional support of our downtown area. We need your help and support. We plan to do this by:  Supporting and promoting cleanups of the downtown area by SOLVE  Creating a sign-up for businesses that have been vandalized to connect them to funds, materials, resources and volunteers that can help repair damages, paint over graffiti and ultimately take boarding off windows.  Help connect businesses downtown to city, state and county officials with a clear action plan on how to help downtown.  Create other channels for volunteer opportunities to aid downtown businesses. We are fighting for the future of Portland. The Rose City Downtown Collective Signed by: Mark, Jim - Melvin Mark Arthur, Jeff - CENTRL office Bishop, John - Pendleton Woolen Mills Blank, Owen - Tonkon Brandt, Jason - Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Brown, Matt - Bunk Sandwiches, Title Bout PDX Cardinal, Michelle - Rain the Growth Agency De Maria, Michael - The Society Hotel Delaney, Justin - The Standard Endorf, Erica - AC Hotel Portland Downtown Fortgang, Andrew - Le Pigeon & Canard Francesconi, Jim - Moda Health Gibson, Stacey - Subway Franchisee

Golub, Mike - Portland Timbers and Thorns Goodman, Greg - Downtown Development Group Hammer, Jake & Tiffany - Everett Street Autoworks Hattar, Ramzy - River Pig Hoan, Andrew - Portland Business Alliance Keitges, Vanessa - Columbia Green Technologies Kilbane, Thomas - Urban Renaissance Group Laban, Jake - Skin by Lovely LaLonde, Michael - Deschutes Brewery Laski, Maleaha - Kasbah Moroccan Cafe Liu, Michael - Fubonn Shopping Center M, Farshad - Doubeltree by Hilton Portland Mahler, Richard - Packouz Jewelers McCanles, Kurt - Cycle Portland

McGowan, Chris - Portland Trail Blazers Miline, Adam - Old Town Pizza & Brewing Niknabard, Michelle - Parking NW Plummer, John - Doug Fir Pollin, Dave - Canopy Hotel Portland Pearl District Recillas, Antonio - University Place Hotel / Portland State University Schweitzer, George - The Benson Hotel & Portland Lodging Alliance Sturgeon, Vanessa - TMT Development Weaver, Anne - Elephants Delicatessen Wessel, J. Craig - Former Publisher - Portland Business Journal Zupan, Mike - Zupan’s Markets & More

View our open letter in it’s entirety and see all 300 signatures please visit: www.rosecitydowntowncollective.com/openletter

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

WESLEY LAPOINTE

NEWS

Rear Window A Chinese restaurateur’s quest to install a drive-thru window during COVID crashes into the city’s climate goals.

DRIVE AROUND: John Ma says installing a drive-thru window would cost him $30,000—and save his restaurant. BY L ATISH A J E N S E N

ljensen@wweek.com

On Nov. 18, John Ma closed Vegas Chinese Restaurant. For the second time in a year, Gov. Kate Brown had shuttered restaurant dining rooms across Oregon. That left Ma the option of serving customers takeout boxes of fried rice and kung pao chicken—either in the restaurant lobby or the parking lot of a shopping plaza on the corner of Southeast Division Street and 125th Avenue. Ma says those options don’t work: Without alcohol sales in the bar, he can’t turn a profit on his current takeout volume. He sees one possible salvation: a drive-thru window. “I’ve invested $230,000 into this business. I like having my business, it is my life,” he tells WW in Cantonese through a translator. “A drive-thru window is more safe for people and for the business. Taco Bell has good business with a drive-thru window.” Since June 16, he’s been asking Portland transportation officials to let him install one. They’ve said no. Ma’s lifeline conflicts with the city’s climate goals. In 2018, the Portland City Council voted to ban the construction of new drive-thrus in commercial zones to reduce carbon emissions from idling cars and improve walking safety on city streets. The brunt of this rule falls east of 82nd Avenue, where the preponderance of the city’s commercial zones lie.

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

All over Portland, a city that professes to loathe cars is finding them newly useful in the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses from Lucky Devil Strip Club to Shine Distillery and Grill have pivoted to drive-thru models. Their improvised drive-thrus are allowed while Vegas Chinese Restaurant’s request is rejected because they don’t require modifications to their buildings—so they don’t need a city permit. Yet the end product is the same: Both kinds of drivethrus result in idling cars spewing greenhouse gases while drivers wait for their orders. Arlene Kimura, land use chair for the Hazelwood Neighborhood Association, agrees that climate change is a real issue that needs to be addressed. But she wonders why the city hasn’t modified its rules so a first-generation immigrant can keep his business afloat. “If [Portland has] outdoor dining and you could move your restaurant’s seats outside into the parking area,” Kimura says, “there’s no reason why they could not permit a temporary drive-thru for pickup.” The city’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability is one of three city departments that rejected Ma’s appeal, along with Portland Bureau of Transportation and the Bureau of Development Services. BPS spokesperson Eden Dabbs says limiting drive-thrus is crucial to slowing climate change.

“I understand businesses are really hurting right now. It’s tragic collateral damage,” Dabbs says. “They’re just not allowed anymore. It’s for pedestrian safety. It’s also a climate issue. It’s kind of a bummer.” PBOT offered Ma two alternatives to a drive-thru window: a designated parking spot in the parking lot for food pickup and outdoor seating. Ma says neither of those provide the volume he needs to replace the closing of the barroom at Vegas Chinese Restaurant. “I don’t want outdoor seating because of the lack of security,” he adds. His business is located next to Division, a busy, four-lane main drag. Spokesperson Dylan Rivera says PBOT has worked with organizations that want to distribute goods outdoors. The bureau helped the Salvation Army, for example, use an entire parking lot at Lloyd Center for a weekly food box giveaway on Monday mornings starting back in May. “Basically, if people are not driving up to a window of a building in their cars and getting a service, such as fast food or items from Salvation Army, then it is not a drive-thru and very likely would not require a permit,” Rivera wrote in an email. “It is just a change in operations and how the business uses the parking lot.” In other words, city bureaus don’t trust that Ma’s plan is temporary—and they aren’t willing to approve installation of a permanent new car-centric feature on his business. Neighborhoods east of 82nd Avenue are among the places in Portland hit hardest by the pandemic. They are also some of the most car-dependent in the city—which means struggling businesses there could protect employees and get an economic cushion by installing drive-thru windows. Kimura says the business community in outer East Portland is often overlooked, which is particularly harmful during COVID. When PBOT issued permits this summer for dining areas in parking lots, on sidewalks and in parking spots, for example, only seven businesses east of 82nd took advantage of the program. Kimura also mentioned how East Portland businesses have to compete for COVID-19 funding with other, more sophisticated parts of town that speak English because “they do not fit into the corporate model that makes is simpler for bureau employees to work with.” “People don’t want to get creative in East Portland because that’s the low-rent district, so why should we bother? It becomes a frustration for our business community,” Kimura adds. “A lot of us are small; we’re just trying to keep afloat.” City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, who oversees transportation, didn’t respond to WW’s requests for comment. Ma’s quest for a drive-thru appears to be a lonely one. City officials said they weren’t aware of any other permit applications to install a drive-thru since the pandemic began. Neither was the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. Ma looks across his parking lot a block west and sees a Burger King, which has closed its lobby and now serves all its Whoppers out of a drive-thru window. That fast food joint was grandfathered into the city’s rules because it operated its drive-thru window before the ban was enacted. “I am waiting to see what happens after the freeze is over, and I will reconsider my options,” Ma says. “I’m scared I am going to lose my business.”

CAN WE HAVE A

PANDEMIC PUPPY?

Dog breeders are among the businesses booming amid Oregon’s freeze.

A funny thing happened on the way to a pandemic recession: Oregonians kept spending money. This September, as state economist Josh Lehner examined retail figures, he braced himself for spreadsheets showing calamity. The virus that emptied the streets of Portland and turned Pioneer Place into a ghost town had surely mowed a swath through the American economy. That’s not what he saw. In fact, consumer spending nationwide had dropped by just a handful of percentage points. Instead of declining, purchases changed. Lehner says the difference between this economic shutdown and the last recession is that, once the shock wore off from the stayhome orders, many people realized they still had paychecks but none of the usual places to spend them. “What we’ve really seen is this shift in what we’re buying—and really, what we’re allowed to buy,” Lehner says. “We can’t go out to eat, we can’t get our hair cut. So what do we do?” We changed our habits. Couples who once planned date nights at their favorite bistro instead picked recipes to cook. Living rooms turned into movie theaters, and the movies were a backdrop for hours of knitting. Home repair projects became ways of saving sanity. In short, people who could no longer purchase social experiences bought physical objects: vegetables, yarn, and cedar planks for backyard fences. And for people in the position to supply those goods, the new habits were a bonanza. Dozens of industries didn’t just survive 2020—they were swimming in cash. Some Portland small businesses saw demand triple in a matter of weeks. “The incomes for the vast majority of Americans aren’t down,” says Lehner. “They’re up or they’re flat. So we’ve seen a big boost in sales of any physical product that doesn’t require a lot of

in-person interaction. Those sales are not only up relative to last year. They’re up up.” Think about it this way: You probably know someone who bought a puppy or kitten for company during the pandemic. Maybe a couple people. Multiply that across the state. Then think about the ongoing needs those animals have: dog chow, chew toys, litter boxes. That’s an entire industry that just saw its annual sales spike by 12%. For many of us, this was a year without any such silver linings. Oregon’s hospitals are nearing capacity, and more people will soon die of a virus we failed to control. People lost their jobs without warning; others saw the dreams they worked for years to fulfill dashed because customers stayed home. Many of our favorite bars and restaurants won’t return from the latest freeze. But a picture of the year—and the outsized role COVID -19 played in it—isn’t complete without a look at the unanticipated winners. In the following pages, we examine eight Oregon industries that thrived in 2020. (We kick off each profile with the nationwide yearover-year upswings for each consumer spending sector, according to October figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.) We found people dazed by their good fortune, scrambling to meet demand, and feeling a little guilty about their windfall. It’s not clear how long that luck will last. One of the most interesting questions created by the pandemic is whether the new habits it formed will stick. Lehner doubts it. “After a vaccine, we’re going to go back to eating and vacations and haircuts,” he says. But America’s biggest shopping season opened last week. And for now, this is what Oregonians are buying. —Aaron Mesh

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

PUPPIES

WINE

Sector spending increase: 12%

Sector spending increase: 16.6%

DOGS, GONE: Salem dog breeder Judy Lowery (below) and family (above) with their English cream golden retriever puppies. She charges $3,500 per pup.

The COVID-19 pandemic has flattened growth for Oregon brewers. Sales volumes reported to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission by breweries are down about 28% from last year, and the number of breweries reporting has dipped by 25, a nearly 10% decline. One of the state’s oldest brewers, however, Hood River-based Full Sail, has shifted its business model to meet the moment. The OLCC’s monthly report released Nov. 20 shows that Full Sail is far and away the largest producer of alcoholic beverages taxed as “wine” in Oregon. (Oregon law defines any fermented alcoholic beverage not made from grain and containing less than 21% alcohol as wine.) Through September, Full Sail has produced more than 1.5 million gallons of alcoholic product taxed as wine this year. That’s more than the five largest Oregon wineries combined. And it’s about twice the amount Oregon’s largest wine producer moved in 2019. Although best known for its beer, Full Sail also produces a hard ginger ale and a hard kombucha. Full Sail marketing director Sandra Evans says the explosive increase in the company’s sales is attributable to its KYLA Hard Kombucha, which contains up to 6.5% alcohol—about the same as an IPA. It comes in eight flavors and is distributed in 18 states. “Of Full Sail’s volume taxed as wine,” Evans says, “the bulk is fermented alcohol products.” Full Sail, whose brewery overlooks the Columbia in downtown Hood River and helped put that city on the map, started making beer in 1987. But its rank among 250 Oregon craft brewers has drifted from fifth in 2017 to 15th today. For most brewers, the most lucrative part of the business, the on-premises pub, has been closed or limited in service since March. And few have the bottling capacity to sell big volume on grocery shelves. That makes products that companies can sell in grocery stores, such as kombucha, all the more attractive. Wine volumes are up 17% statewide. OLCC figures show that Full Sail began canning products classified as wine in a big way in 2018, but its production has exploded this year. It produced 403,000 gallons in 2018 and 513,000 gallons last year, and has already tripled that volume through September of this year, according to the most recent data available. NIGEL JAQUISS. TOP 6 OREGON WINE PRODUCERS OF 2020 Full Sail Brewing 1,512,392 gallons

At the start of the pandemic, Judy Lowery assumed she was screwed. Lowery and her husband, Doug, run a dog breeding program out of their home in Salem, producing litters of English cream golden retrievers that sell for $3,000 a pup. She had a female going to breed in March and decided to hold off. With so much economic uncertainty, how many people would be clamoring for another snout to feed? It immediately proved to be a miscalculation. “Requests just came pouring in,” she says. “It’s phenomenal.” The waiting list at Oregon Mist Goldens, the breeding program the Lowerys started in Montana in 2011, now extends for nearly the next year. She has one litter already born and two planned for spring, all reserved in advance. Adoption requests have quadrupled from previous years, she says. And the phone keeps ringing. “If and when we have another litter,” Lowery says, “it’ll be snatched up in 48 hours.” In her nearly 10 years as a breeder, Lowery, 53, has never seen demand so high. She’s hearing the same thing from others in the industry: In her main job at a pet nutrition company, she’s in contact with animal professionals across the country. 14

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

Everyone is reporting huge numbers. It’s not just purebreds attracting interest, either. A spokesperson for the Oregon Humane Society says that while adoption numbers are down due to restrictions on in-person shelter visits, inquiries have spiked in 2020. Lars Schroeder, a Labrador breeder also from Salem, says for many of his recent clients, it’s a matter of filling the extra time at home. “Puppies take a lot more work than a grown dog,” says Schroeder, who sold off his last litter almost as soon as they were born. “It’s great if you can be home with them instead of coming home to a chewed-up dining room table.” In other cases, it’s a diversion of funds. One of Lowery’s customers told her the dog was a replacement for a planned European vacation. They named it London. Whatever the reason, business is booming and the demand is driving up prices. Lowery now charges $3,500 for a retriever puppy—a less significant increase than she’s seen from some other breeders. “People are desperate to buy pets, so [the price] goes hand in hand,” she says. “I’ve tried to keep it within reason.” MATTHEW SINGER.

Argyle Winery 211,339 gallons

The Great Oregon Wine Company 253,094 gallons

King Estate Winery 266,851 gallons

Union Wine Company 286,611 gallons

Willamette Valley Vineyards 342,255 gallons

FAST FOOD

BAKED GOODS

Sector spending increase: 3.6%

Sector spending increase: 9.5%

State Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-Clackamas) and her husband, Mark, own four McDonald’s restaurants in the Portland metro area, including one on Southeast 82nd Avenue and another in Oregon City. “I say JP Morgan Chase has four, because we have loans,” says Bynum. Drive-thru restaurant visits increased by 26% over three months this spring as COVID-19 cratered the rest of the industry. Bynum misses the older patrons who would arrive at her McDonald’s for a breakfast club, and she worries for her employees. But business has increased. “We have seen an uptick in business. I think part of it is the longer we go along in this, the more tired people get. The fatigue is starting to set in. You can feel the fatigue, people just wanting to get out and get some fresh air. “We have a philosophy: more of a community-minded approach. So we left our lobbies open. A lot of people did not. I think that was for liability reasons, and that was kind of a gamble, so to speak. “We had mobile ordering before. Once you come onto the property, you can [order]. It’s geofenced, as like a fancy term or whatever, but we’ve seen an uptick in mobile ordering. “[With] Uber Eats, people have been ordering very large orders. My baby son, he’s 10. He’s been ordering a lot—not from our store because the closest [McDonald’s] to us is not ours—but he’s managed to order $20 worth of [food], while I was working. I just wasn’t paying attention. And I went back and looked at the bill, and there’s like an $8 tip. So there were probably a lot of 10-year-olds ordering stuff, too.” —As told to Rachel Monahan

ORDER

PRINCE IS KING: Jovani Prince and his family, with his line of gluten-free crackers.

A few years ago, Jovani Prince got tired of leaving his fate in the hands of others. “Being African American, I got tired of being the first one to be fired and the last one to be hired,” Prince says. “I wanted to do something that no one could take away from me.” Around the same time, he visited his mother in California and drove home with a bag of the crackers she’s been making for years. He and his wife couldn’t stop eating them. “The light bulb went off,” Prince says. He reformulated the flour to make it gluten-free and started a company called the Cracker King. He bootstrapped the business, selling his crackers by the bag at farmers markets and in a small number of stores. Prince, 56, says he was confident he made the best gluten-free cracker in the world, but people were passing by his bags, which feature him and his family on the front.

Then, George Floyd was slain. “All of a sudden, people wanted Black products and they gave us a shot,” Prince says. “Another Black man had to die to give me the opportunity. It’s a bitter pill.” They saw the picture on his product and snapped it up. More people tasted them, and a lot more people started buying them. “They tried them and went crazy,” Prince says. Prince had also wandered into a market that was heating up like an oven. As restaurant spending cratered this year, grocers benefited—and sales of bakery goods rose, too. Now, he can barely keep up with demand. He recently got a business development loan from New Seasons, and Cracker King goes into Whole Foods stores later this month. ANTHONY EFFINGER. Number of stores selling Cracker King in May: 18 Number of stores selling Cracker King in December: 72

GAMES Sector spending increase: 27.8% Like other shops in Portland, Cloud Caps Games in Sellwood had to adapt in the face of the pandemic. The store now takes online reservations for curbside pickup; four or five customers are allowed inside at a time, instead of dozens. The product line that saved the store: jigsaw puzzles. Stuck at home, 20- and 30-somethings have joined the traditional customer base of seniors, buying up puzzles to keep them occupied at home. “It’s been challenging ordering puzzles from our distributors,” says Alex Babakitis,

CLOUD CAP GAMES’ THREE BESTSELLERS 31, who bought the shop in July with a partner after working there for five years. He’s stocked the big companies, but also Pomegranate Puzzles: “They’re local, so they’re easier to get.” Cloud Cap managed to match last year’s sales figures for the month of November, thanks to a decent Black Friday and a better Saturday. “We managed to have a better Small Business Saturday Jigsaw puzzles than last year. I keep looking at the Ravenswood Puzzles are the numbers,” he says. “It’s just awesome to most popular brand. But see how the community has turned out customers typically choose a to support businesses like us.” puzzle because the RACHEL MONAHAN. like the image.

Chess sets These saw a boom in popularity after the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit became a hit.

Two-player games Popular editions include Jaipur and Aqualin.

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

SUPPORT

LOCAL

Finger food for the holidays

Visit our website to make an appointment or shop online 717 SW 10th Ave Portland, OR 97205 503.223.4720 www.maloys.com

You can now shop online, or book an appointment to visit for fine antique and custom jewelry, or for repair work. We also buy.

YOU NEED WILLAMETTE WEEK, AND WW NEEDS YOU

“Trump scares the hell out of me, so we need independent journalism.” – Valerie

I’ve read WW forever, but in 2020, your reporting is more than critical.” – Jan

“Willamette Week has broken important stories that no one else did or could. The only investigative journalism left in Oregon.” – Bob

Become a friend of Willamette Week. visit wweek.com/support

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM BECOME A FRIEND OF WILLAMETTE WEEK WWEEK.COM/SUPPORT

HOME REMODELING Sector spending increase: 13.2%

MAKE ROOM: Amy Carnahan and Noelle Harvey saw business at their Old Town design firm triple since pandemic lockdowns started.

Amy Carnahan looks out the windows of her Old Town office and sees plywood. Then she goes back to sprucing up the places where Portlanders now do business: their homes. “I have this survivor’s guilt,” she says. “We’re pumping out stuff and there are people shutting down around us. That’s not lost on us.” Carnahan, 38, co-owns Sunday House Design, an interior design firm. For her clients, the living room now doubles as an office, school, gym and common space—and those who have the money to reinvent their homes to match their new homebound lifestyles are doing just that. So Carnahan’s business has tripled since March. “People now understand the function of their home,” she says. “So many of us are in and out all the time normally, so things that bother you, you can live with because you’re not in that space. People are just like, ‘I can’t look at this anymore, I can’t live in this anymore.”’ Common requests this year, according to interior designers? Accessory dwelling units, fully functional basements, lots of kitchens and home office spaces— and, of course, Zoom rooms. Anne Good, who runs Good Life Interiors, says her clients are now “conscious of what’s behind you in your little camera.” One of the top requests is spruced up bookshelves to subtly flaunt refinement during Zoom meetings.

“I actually have a source that I get colored books from, so you can pick the colors and design a color palette,” Good says. “You can pick greens and grays, reds or pinks and fuchsias.” And the books themselves? “That doesn’t matter, it’s all about the color. They’re just random books.” Desia Graybill sees weightier requests. At her firm Atomic Design, she says she’s seen a rise in demand for fully-functional living spaces such as finished basements. One of her clients requested a full basement conversion so they could house a grandmother who was formerly in a nursing home. They wanted her closer to home—but separate from the rest of the family. Graybill has also seen married couples requesting master bedroom renovations to escape their children, and a wave of in-home gyms. “I thought for sure our industry would get hit hard, and we weren’t,” says Graybill. “We can’t keep up with people.” Though Portland’s housing market suffered early on in the pandemic, it picked up again this summer. Any talk of Portlanders fleeing protests to the suburbs is just that: chatter. In reality: Home sales in North Portland are up 12.3% this year, and every quadrant in the city saw an increase. That translates to homeowners feeling comfortable investing money into home improvement, says Carnahan. “There’s this dichotomy of what’s going on in other places, and then in Portland—it’s weird. Our properties aren’t being affected by this,” says Carnahan. Portland’s interior designers are aware that their clients are among the privileged. When others are wondering if they’ll be evicted next year, these folks are planning Zoom rooms. Yet the designers also get an intimate look into a stranger’s home life that many aren’t afforded. And they say they sense a deep loneliness in many clients. Graybill was biking to the gym in October when she stopped by a client’s house on her way. “She just has the weight of the world on her shoulders,” says Graybill. “What used to be a bottle of wine on the counter is now a box of wine on the counter.” SOPHIE PEEL.

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MOST IMPORTANT STORIES SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX

SUBSCRIBE NOW WWEEK.COM/NEWSLETTERS 18

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

BLANKETS Sector spending increase: 9.1%

Little surprise that Portlanders have been cuddling up in wool blankets during the pandemic. But COVID-19 has also inspired people to buy luxury pet beds and dress like the Dude in The Big Lebowski. As the home linens market rises nationwide, a prime beneficiary in Oregon is Pendleton Woolen Mills, one the state’s most iconic brands. The Portland-based company’s apparel sales are down, but its cozy wool blankets are selling at quadruple prepandemic rates. A similar trend applies to pet beds: Those pandemic puppies have to sleep somewhere. “Pendleton’s web business has been robust, and has exceeded our sales budgets and forecasts,” says Bob Christnacht, the company’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. The bad news? “Our apparel stores are challenged with less traffic due to the pandemic.” Yet one piece of clothing defies the trend, selling better than ever: the cream-colored, lambswool Westerley Cardigan, best known as the sweater worn by Jeff Bridges’ titular character in The Big Lebowski. Here are the Pendleton products that saw the biggest increase in sales year over year. SHANNON GORMLEY. National Park Blankets: 4x the rate of last year Eco-Wise Washable Wool Blankets: 3x the rate of last year National Park Dog Beds: 3x the rate of last year Spa Towels: 3x the rate of last year WARM FEELINGS: Sales of Pendleton blankets are up, along with many linens.

VACATION HOMES Sector spending increase: 3.9% Parvaneh Kalantari usually finds Sunriver relaxing. She enjoys the Central Oregon resort town so much, she hoped to buy a second home there—a place to escape her job as a Portland real estate broker. But it’s hard to find solitude in Sunriver now. For the past two weeks, Kalantari, 36, has been shopping in the middle of a vacation home-buying frenzy. “There is not one single listing under 650 in Sunriver right now,” she says. “It’s the perfect storm of historically low interest rates plus zero inventory, and people that are going a little stir-crazy in the Portland metro area. When something pops up, it grabs everyone in the market who’s looking. Which is me, unfortunately.” Across Oregon, vacation towns are running out of housing stock. It’s true in Hood River, in much of Deschutes County, and along the Oregon Coast. They’re part of a phenomenon known as “Zoom towns”: When you work from home, home can be anywhere with a strong Wi-Fi signal and a house you can afford. And no place in Oregon is experiencing this trend as intensely as Sunriver, a planned resort community in the Ponderosa pines 15 miles south of Bend. “I’ve been doing real estate here for five years,” says Alexandria Bolden, a Sunriver broker. “It’s never been like this. Things are just flying off the market. They’re going for over asking price, multiple offers, a lot of cash buyers—in the first week. It is incredible. People are going, ‘Oh my gosh, I can finally live in this place where I’ve vacationed.’”

Lindsay Morin, who works with Bolden at Fred Real Estate Group, says many of her buyers are selling their homes in large cities, keeping a condo, and taking advantage of the flexibility provided by remote work. “I had a buyer a couple of months ago, and he works for Netflix. They basically have been told that they will be working from home until July 2021,” Morin says. “They’ve got these San Francisco incomes, but they can work remotely. So why not move to Central Oregon?” This raises a question: Are most of these buyers from California? Bolden and Morin burst into laughter. “Overwhelmingly, it’s California,” says Morin. “More than 50%.” Sunriver has already seen a steady influx of newcomers: 21% of homes in the town have been owned for less than two years. But the third quarter of 2020 in Sunriver saw the most home sales since 2007, just before the housing bubble burst. So Kalantari is spending her winter vacation in an idyllic torment: She’s in a beautiful place where every available property gets plucked away. “My kids haven’t been anywhere since March, and I have four,” she says. “It’s just nice to be away, and there’s snow here. It just reaffirms the reasons we want to have a second home here. And everybody else does too, clearly.” AARON MESH.

Westerley Cardigan: 3x the rate of last year for women’s sizes, 2x for men’s

THREE MEASURES OF THE SUNRIVER HOUSING MARKET MEDIAN HOME PRICE Third quarter of 2019: $506,000 Third quarter of 2020: $550,000 NUMBER OF HOMES SOLD Third quarter of 2019: 46 Third quarter of 2020: 83 AVERAGE DAYS ON THE MARKET Third quarter of 2019: 48 Third quarter of 2020: 8

OPEN HOUSE

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

STREET

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS ZOO Scenes from Black Friday and ZooLights.

Photos by Alex Wittwer On Instagram: @_wittwer

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

Photos by Mick-Hangland Skill On Instagram: @mick.jpg

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

STARTERS

T H E MOST I MP ORTANT T H I N G S TH AT H A PPE N E D I N P ORT L AND C U LT U RE TH I S WE E K , G R A PH E D .

RIDICULOUS C H R I S T M A S S H I P S PA R A D E

RE A D M ORE A B OU T T H E S E STORIE S AT WW E E K .COM .

ANNA N N

The Christmas Ships Parade: still on!

E M I LY J O A N G R E E N E

Alpenrose Dairy will now deliver pizza from Renata, Blue Star doughnuts, and breakfast from Gravy. Poke Mon goes out of business.

AWESOME

AWFUL

JASON QUIGLEY

KEMURI HOT DOGS

Afuri launches a delivery-only spinoff specializing in Japanese-style hot dogs.

THOMAS TEAL

Old Gold decides to shut down for the winter.

G O F U N D M E . C O M / F/ M ATTHEW-CHOI039S-MEMORIAL.

Darcelle XV, Portland’s oldest drag club, is added to the National Register of Historic Places.

A suspect in the killing of Choi’s Kimchi co-founder Matt Choi is indicted on murder charges.

SERIOUS 22

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

HOTSEAT

GRANT LEMONS

GET...OUTSIDE?

WHAT TO DO—AND WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING—AS PORTLAND REOPENS.

Did the scouting process change at all once you decided you were curating a book? Nguyen: I definitely started to take new, longer routes whenever I walked somewhere just to put myself on different streets or in different neighborhoods. Eventually, we learned that we should skip over some of the more hilly areas if we’re just walking around. It’s common sense to us now, but the steep neighborhoods don’t have a lot of hoops. Lemons: One fun thing we did was build a Google map on the back end of this where we keep track of all the hoops we’ve run into. Over time, we’ve built up this small community of people that have an eye out for us and will send us coordinates for leads on interesting hoops. We have this digital map of over 350 hoops all plotted in different colors based on what neighborhood they’re in, what’s special about them, etc. Which neighborhood has the coolest hoops? Lemons: I’d say the eastside overall generally kills it. Southeast is the heaviest hitter. Nguyen: On the westside, I like the hoops we find near the hills or near all the parks—they speak to nature a bit more, there’s a lot of foliage.

CRATE AND BASKET: In Buckets, Grant Lemons and Phillip Nguyen collect images of their favorite basketball hoops from all around Portland.

Shoot Your Shot A new coffee table book documents Portland’s ephemeral basketball culture, one hoop at a time. BY SAM H I L L

@samahill

Every basketball hoop tells a story. Whether it’s a city park staple, a neighbor’s driveway home court or mounted to a seemingly random utility pole, the hoops you’ll find in practically every Portland neighborhood tell you a lot about the players who put up shots there: Trailblazer old heads mimicking Bill Walton, sometime-shooters who let nature take back the backboard, wannabe slam dunk champions who’ve had to replace a rim or two. But no hoop stays up forever. A family might move away, or perhaps a rainstorm takes out a loose rim. Maybe the crew just doesn’t get together to ball anymore. It’s part of the reason why photographer Grant Lemons and designer Phillip Nguyen have spent the last three years zigzagging across Portland, to document Rip City’s makeshift hoops before they disappear. So far, the duo has photographed over 350 hoops around town, throwing the images up on their Instagram page. Many of them are gone. But every time a hoop falls, another one seems to pop up. This fall, the project has come to a head with the publication of a coffee table book called Buckets, an eclectic collection of the best pick-up hot spots and private H-O-R-S-E hideaways they’ve photographed so far. WW spoke to Lemons and Nguyen about the best hoops in Portland and the nostalgia of pickup basketball.

WW: How did this project get started? Grant Lemons: I was running daily at the time, all over the city, and I started noticing more and more really unique hoops. The first one I photographed was just two blocks down from where I used to live on Southeast 24th and Ankeny— it’s just this simple wood backboard mounted to an electrical pole with a red crate for a hoop, but it was all askew. Then there was this cleancut hoop near Coca Cola North America, the syrup plant on 28th Avenue. I put them up just on my Instagram story. But soon after, I learned that Phillip had been doing the same thing on his own. Phillip Nguyen: Grant reached out about combining our efforts and turning this into a passion project of sorts. We both love basketball, so attempting to show our city through this lens of its different neighborhood basketball hoops was perfect. What makes for a memorable hoop in your eyes? Lemons: That’s definitely changed over the past couple years. When we first started, we didn’t have an understanding of what was just a normal, cool hoop versus one that’s really custom. I definitely gravitate towards ones that are handmade now. Being in Oregon, there are plenty that are in trees. Any that have something particularly off about them, like a super-oversized backboard or a smaller or strange rim—hoops that aren’t perfect.

You both have played a lot of basketball. Did checking these hoops bring back childhood memories of pickup ball? Lemons: My parents live in the same house they’ve been in for like 30 years in Salem, a small house with a pretty normal basketball hoop. But growing up, that was the house where my friends would congregate, to hang out and hoop. So many foundational memories all around the hoop. For me, visiting new courts just reminds me of good times. Nguyen: With a handful of hoops we’ve seen there are elements that definitely remind me of hoops from the past. Like this one in the book had electrical tape keeping the net attached to the rim. I definitely did that as a kid when the clips on my rim broke. It’s like, wow, someone else had to do the exact same thing. Also, the cinder blocks thrown on the back of portable hoops so they don’t fall over. We all grew up in different areas and played on different quality hoops, but there are these threads that connect everyone who has ever shot hoops at home or the local court. You can’t help but get nostalgic for that.

BUY IT: Buckets is available for preorder at bucketsbook.co. $55.

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

GET...OUTSIDE? ALL PHOTOS BY GRANT LEMONS

SE 30th & Salmon

N Interstate & Albina

NE 75th & Halsey

NE 8th & Stanton

SE 16th & Manchester Place

N Interstate & Bryant 24

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

FOOD & DRINK

TAKE ME OUT

Hotter Pockets

With Aybendito, chef Cristina Baez brings Puerto Rican home cooking home to Portland—including the snack that divides her own home. BY E L I Z A R OT H ST E I N

@saltynectar

There is an intra-island rivalry in Puerto Rico over the best plantilla, the dough that cocoons the beloved handheld treat the pastelillo. Pastelillos are folded pockets of pastry, stuffed to the edges with sweet or savory filling then fried. Across Puerto Rico, three primary brands fight to gain allegiance with their signature pastelillo dough—Titan, Mayagüezanas, and Kikuet—and one’s plantilla preference can fuel familial rifts. Such is the case with chef Cristina Baez. Though her sister vehemently disagrees, Baez chooses Titan every time. Now, Baez ships the bright yellow pastelillo dough from Puerto Rico to the door of her new Portland tiendita, Aybendito. This true-to-source dough is critical to the flavors Baez is after. At Aybendito, Baez cooks food that hits what she calls “the pocket”—that intangible space we each have, close to the heart, that’s itching to be filled with a comforting bite of food.

It’s for that reason she sources her plantillas from Puerto Rico instead of making them herself. “You can try and remake a Twinkie,” she says, “but it’s not gonna be a Twinkie.” Aybendito doesn’t sell Hostess snacks, but rather the street food Baez grew up with. The online marketplace is stocked with sofrito canéles to replace your stale bullion, chimichurri, limited-availability pernil and pollo guisado, flan, and the staple pastelillo. The juicy, crunchy snack is ubiquitous in Puerto Rico. They’re sold at public schools for 50 cents a pop, on the beaches from carts—and they’re great for a hangover. Pastelillos is also the food she associates with home, of island barbecues and inviting neighbors and family to share in a fried bite. Appropriately, a sense of family underpins the food and methods of Aybendito. Baez was classically trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and can whip up, in her words, “fancy food, whatever that means.” Indeed, along with husband Jose Chesa, she co-owns two of Portland’s fine-dining Spanish

establishments, Ataula and Masia. But her newest venture is an intentional nod to the homey stuff everyone loves. It’s the food Baez’s mother made her, and it’s what she makes for her kids. “As a mom, I identify with parents who are buying this food,” Baez says. “I have two little ones and I have to work.” The goal of feeding families inspired her pandemic-ready take-and-make model. Customers can browse the small online store that Baez stocks and place an order for pickup once every two weeks. All items come vacuum-sealed with instructions how to quickly cook them at home or freeze until ready. For Baez, there are joyful moments to be found amid this shift to a new dining experience. Her personal cellphone number is on the website so customers can ask questions about cooking techniques and share photos of leveling up their Hot Pocket game by ripping into a steaming pepperoni pizza pastelillo. “Some people might not consider it fine dining,” Baez says, “but like, it’s so fucking good.”

THE PICADILLO PASTELILLOS

The Olives

The Crust

Spanish olives are added just before the stew is stuffed into the pastelillo to retain texture and chew. A proper pastelillo should be fully stuffed–“ningún pastelillo ciego,” as the saying goes—and Baez is as serious about this structural note as her mother is. She stakes her reputation on the claim that there will be zero air pockets in her pastelillos.

Pastelillos are not empanadas and they cannot be baked—pastelillos must be fried. Their dough is made to hit hot oil and create a bubbling outer skin. Baez likens the process to pork crackling. Before she vacuum seals pastelillos for freezing, she lets them air dry for a few minutes to develop a skin that turns into the perfect crust when fried at home.

The Beef

The base of Baez’s picadillo is sofrito, which you can buy in canéles in her tiendita. From there, she adds ground beef from Nicky USA, roasted yellow and red bell peppers, tomatoes in varied forms, and a slew of spices, including must-have cumin. Traditional picadillo has raisins inside, but Baez opts instead for homemade raisin simple syrup, to impart flavor without the pop of whole raisins.

The Dough

Baez sources her pastelillo dough from Puerto Rico, and opts for one of the island’s dough giants: Titan. The dough gets its yolky color from achiote, the oil that comes from bright red, earthy annatto seeds.

C O U R T E S Y O F AY B E N D I T O

ORDER: See aybenditopdx.com for ordering information. 26

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

FOOD & DRINK R A L LY P I Z Z A

DRINKS

TOP 5

BUZZ LIST

Where to drink outside this week.

Wyrd Leather & Mead 4515 SE 41st Ave., 503-305-6025, wyrdleatherandmead.com. At Wyrd Leather & Mead, you can wear your horn and drink from it too—it is both a meadery and artisan marketplace, with décor that blends Norse history and medieval fantasy, and Middle-earth with modern-day environmental pleas. Pick your own flight of four regionally brewed meads, or “cast the runes” and have the bartenders choose for you.

I crossed the Columbia River for the thing that Portland restaurants are desperate to offer: mixed drinks to go. BY JAS O N CO H E N

@cohenesque

On the weekend after Thanksgiving, people usually come to Oregon from Washington to buy stuff without paying sales tax. I drove from Oregon to Washington to get around state liquor laws. My destination: Rally Pizza. My order: a fennel sausage pie, Caesar salad, roasted vegetables, and two “Little Italy” cocktails. That’s bourbon, Aperol, Amaro CioCiaro and fresh lemon juice, premixed in a single Mason jar and packaged in a stapled paper “Cold Sack.” Portland bars and restaurants have been desperate for Oregon to legalize takeout booze. Gov. Kate Brown insists her hands are tied. The ban is written into state law—ORS 471.175 states that “all alcoholic beverages…must be consumed on the licensed premises.” While many states, including Washington and California, were able to loosen similar restrictions via emergency executive orders, it’s the position of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission that neither the agency nor Brown can do anything without legislative action to revise the statute. But businesses are getting impatient. Last week, Pearl District gin bar the Botanist threatened to commit an act of “civil disobedience” and sell cocktails to go without state approval. It never happened: The owners called off the protest because simply announcing their intent raised awareness of the issue, and because they could have lost their liquor license. Co-owner Matt Davidson says he is now putting his hope into House Speaker Tina Kotek’s call for Brown to hold a “catastrophic special session” of the Legislature. But there’s no guarantee anything will come of that, if it happens at all. So here I am in Washington, where Gov. Jay Inslee made takeout cocktails legal in May, as part of a larger overall stay-home order. Any establishment in the state with a “spirits, wine and liquor restaurant license” can include cocktails in a takeout order that also includes a “complete meal.” The drinks also have to be in a closed container—anything from bottles to Mason jars to sealed bubble tea cups. Rally Pizza co-owner Shan Wickham says the booze is just an add-on for most customers, not only to their dinner, but to other items Rally sells as a quasi-grocery: eggs, coffee, yeast. 28

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

“It has come back a little bit the last couple of weeks, but it’s still not a huge part of our revenue stream,” she says. “It’ll add $20 to $40 to a check that would otherwise have been a couple of pizzas and a salad. It’s not a make or break thing for us, but I will certainly take it.” My two Little Italy cocktails totaled $18, transforming what would have been a $42 check to $60, plus a 30% tip. Rally also specializes in boozy milkshakes that go for $20. That’s not rocketing any restaurant back into the black, but those extra sales help keep people employed. Among the forces holding up cocktails to go in Oregon, politically speaking, is the advocacy group Oregon Recovers, which fears it’ll cause an increase in alcohol abuse and/or drunken driving. For one thing, Washington law states the drink must be placed in the vehicle out of reach of the driver. And to properly consume my Little Italy—according to instructions tied around the Mason jar—I had to shake it over ice for 20 seconds until “diluted and chilled,” pour it over either fresh ice or straight up into a coupe, and finish it with one of two provided dehydrated lemon slices. I was not going to be doing that in Rally’s strip mall parking lot—or anywhere else—before popping onto Highway 14 west and I-5 south. If I just wanted to get hammered, that same $18 would already buy me a whole bottle of bourbon on either side of the Columbia. For restaurants and their customers, being allowed to sell takeout cocktails isn’t about getting people drunk, and it’s not even about the money. It’s more about replicating whatever social and creative elements of the food business that we possibly can right now—preserving just a little bit of that restaurant experience, both as a customer and a bartender. Drinking a cocktail you didn’t make yourself is delightful. The Little Italy is especially refreshing for a whiskey drink—citrusy, sweet and bitter all at once, with at least one ingredient, the amaro, I’d never have at home without a little forethought. The only other thing I needed to make it feel like I was at a restaurant was the Spoon Pandora channel. It’s just too bad I had to pay Washington sales tax on the order. EAT AND DRINK: Rally Pizza, 8070 E Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, Wash., 360-524-9000, rallypizza.com. 3-8 pm Monday-Thursday, noon-8 pm Friday-Sunday for curbside pickup or delivery through DoorDash.

IAN STOUT

Interstate Cocktails

Shine Distillery and Grill 4232 N Williams Ave., 503-825-1010, shinedistillerygrill.com. Big family gatherings might be canceled, but this holiday season doesn’t have to be somber. Every night starting at 4:30 pm, you can watch drag performances at Shine Distillery’s “drag-thru” while you wait for cocktail kits to go and bottles of housemade booze.

Threshold Brewing & Blending 403 SE 79th Ave., 503-477-8789, threshold.beer. The Montavilla brewery has built itself a shelter from the storms. To fortify his expanded streetside taphouse, the owners built a raised deck, put up three walls and a corrugated roof now adorned with dangling string lights. It’s a work in progress—but then, so is most of the city’s bar scene as it prepares for a COVID-ravaged winter.

Baerlic Brewing 2235 SE 11th Ave., baerlicbrewing. com. Ranch Pizza and Baerlic’s new “pie hall” are closed for the foreseeable future, but you can still order the taproom’s brews for pickup or delivery. And Baerlic has plenty of festive cans, from its crisp and piney Yippee-Ki-PA to a Mexican hot chocolate imperial stout.

Enoteca Nostrana Bottle Shop 1401 SE Morrison St. 503-236-7006, enotecanostrana.com. One of the most beloved wine bars in Portland has assembled a six-pack of holiday wines. And at barely over $20 a bottle, it’s a pretty good deal for a high-end, highly curated shop that’s open for pickup and delivery.

TOP 5

HOT PLATES Where to get takeout this week.

República 721 NW 9th Ave., 951-206-8237, @ republicapdx. 11 am-3 pm and 4-8 pm daily. República is a casual yet ambitious place built around guisados—the stewed fillings that go in tortas and tortillas—and corn masa. It also has a not-so-secret weapon in tortilla maker Doña Chapis, who does her own quesadilla pop-ups several days a week.

Kemuri Hot Dogs kemuri.us. Afuri, the celebrated Japanese ramen chain, has started a delivery-only “ghost kitchen” focused on hot dogs. These aren’t typical ballpark franks, though. At Kemuri, the dogs are cooked over charcoal and include fixings such as kimchi, spicy ground pork, tonkatsu sauce and kizami nori, or shredded seaweed. It will deliver in Portland beginning Dec. 4.

Fills Donuts 1237 SW Washington St., 503-4775994. 8 am-2 pm WednesdaySunday. If you thought Portland didn’t need another doughnut maker, this one introduces a new style to the culinary scene: the Berliner, traditional German pastries with no center hole and a filling of fruit, chocolate or custard.

SSET

Cooperativa 1250 NW 9th Ave., 971-275-2762, cooperativapdx.com. 7 am-8 pm Tuesday-Saturday. Cooperativa is perfectly suited to our current takeout, cook-athome reality—it’s a grocery store, a coffee shop, an ice cream place, a sandwich shop, a bar, a restaurant and a pizzeria, infused with the vibe and flavors of Bologna, Florence, Rome and the Italian “slow food” movement.

First Street Dining Commons Southwest 1st Street between Watson and Washington avenues, downtownbeaverton.org/blog/dining-commons. 7 am-8 pm daily. Beaverton has been quietly amassing a collection of the Rose City’s best spinoff restaurants in the heart of its Old Town. At the outdoor dining hall, you can get the unfettered thrill of plate-hopping some of Portland’s best spinoff restaurants—Ex Novo Brewing, Big’s Chicken, Top Burmese, and lauded ramen spot Afuri Izakaya.

MOVIES

GET YO UR REPS I N

Editor: Andi Prewitt / Contact: aprewitt@wweek.com JON GARCIA FILMS

SCREENER

While the local rep theaters are out of commission, we’ll be putting together weekly watchlists of films readily available to stream. To celebrate the Dec. 4 release of director David Fincher’s new drama Mank, here are five films to get you in that gin-soaked Old Hollywood spirit. And also Gone Girl. Because Fincher directed Gone Girl. And because Gone Girl rules.

Mank (2020) The great David Fincher’s first film in six years tells the tale of alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) as he scrambles to finish his magnum opus, Citizen Kane. Shot in dazzling black-and-white that pairs well with the sleazy glamor of 1930s Hollywood, Mank is generating rave reviews and Oscar buzz. Netflix.

Citizen Kane (1941) To prepare for Mank’s premiere, check out the classic that inspired it all. Widely touted as one of the greatest films of all time, Orson Welles’ iconic drama chronicles the rise and fall of narcissistic newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane (Welles) and the mystery of his last word before his death: “Rosebud.” Amazon Prime, Google Play, HBO Max, iTunes, Vudu, YouTube.

ROAD BLOCK: Distancing is just one challenge for anyone trying to date during a pandemic.

Crushing During COVID Portland director Jon Garcia’s Love in Dangerous Times provides a glimpse of pandemic dating in all of its glory and awkwardness. BY C H A N C E SO L E M - P FE I FER

@chance_s_p

SEE IT: Love in Dangerous Times streams on Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube.

Fincher’s last film before Mank was this blistering adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s ice pick-sharp mystery novel. When Amy (Rosamund Pike, in an Oscar-worthy performance), the wife of Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck), suddenly goes missing, he instantly becomes the prime suspect, finding himself at the center of an insatiable media circus. But did he really do it? Amazon Prime, Google Play, Hulu, iTunes, Vudu, YouTube.

The Other Side of the Wind (2018) Cobbled together from almost 100 hours of footage, Orson Welles’ final feature was filmed throughout the ’70s, but sat tragically unfinished for 48 years. This documentary-style drama centers on the last day in the life of an aging infamous director (John Huston) before a fatal car accident and his struggle to complete his final film. Art imitates life! Netflix.

LETTTERBOXD.COM

A pandemic’s approach to character building (real or fictional) is hardly uniform. How could it be? You are trapped with you—that and whatever insecurities wriggle out, bounce off the walls and land at your feet. That’s the narrative paradox of Portland director Jon Garcia’s Love in Dangerous Times, a socially distant romance set mostly on screens. In spring 2020, Portlanders Jason and Sorrell are going literally nowhere, while also wildly revising their visible outlooks and identities. March’s COVID-19 doubts become April’s crippling fears, which then become May’s calculated risks. The same is true on their video dates: Last night’s spark is today’s overreach. “Depending on the input at a given moment, our beliefs are going to get shook,” says co-writer Ian Stout, who plays Jason, a playwright cooped up in his Pearl District studio apartment. Even the artists behind Love in Dangerous Times say the past eight months have imparted sometimes divergent lessons. Stout is taking more risks with his creativity; he jokes the pandemic is a great excuse should a project fail. Garcia, by contrast, is trying to put family ahead of work for now, after averaging about one feature film a year since 2012 (The Falls trilogy, Tandem Hearts and others). And Tiffany Groben, who plays Sorrell, is working on the perpetual mission of self-love. “Trying so hard is not always necessary,” Groben says. “Lead with your heart and know the right people will stick around for that.” These morals more or less compose the main themes of Love in Dangerous Times, though all involved are aware that making a COVID-19 movie directly after the virus’s onset was, you know, a real choice. “There are some times where I ask myself, do people need a reminder of what they’re going through on a regular basis?” Garcia says. “That’s valid. But there is a feeling of catharsis seeing other people being weirdos in their apartments, dancing for nobody.” Love in Dangerous Times opposes escapism in a couple senses, electing instead to explore the eeriness of single

lockdown life. Physically, that manifests in some irreplicable scenes of a deserted downtown Portland circa April. At one point, Jason even lies down smack in the middle of Southwest 3rd Avenue and Salmon Street. “Cinematically thinking, whenever you see something outside the norm, or a once-in-a-lifetime moment, that jumps out as production value,” Stout says. On an emotional level, the film seems to invite discomfort, and “awkward” doesn’t do justice to dating-app courtship, especially when Jason and Sorrell know they’re being awkward, call it out by name, and heighten the tension all the more. “No, sorry, I just…” becomes a favorite refrain. Cringing is allowed, but don’t look away. Garcia says investment in Jason and Sorrell’s relationship is a barometer for the whole film’s success. “If we could create a situation where the two of them could connect in a way the audience could sense it, we’ve done our job,” he says. “As cheesy as it sounds, love knows no bounds.” In some ways, Love in Dangerous Times is already a period piece. There’s a verve, an inspiration to its “buddy for the apocalypse” search that feels distinctly First Wave, shall we say. But as epidemiological history repeats itself this winter, the artists wouldn’t change a thing. Anecdotally at least, Stout calls this month’s situation “cookie cutter.” “My friends and I are having the same conversations,” he says, “the same meltdowns, the same ‘How dare they?,’ the same ‘This sucks,’ the same ‘Why aren’t enough people taking this seriously?’” Though Love in Dangerous Times concludes its realtime COVID documenting around early May, one prophetic insight lurks within a scene of idle iPad scrolling. “President Has the Virus” reads a once-fictional headline. Garcia says graphic designer Jamie Daniels was mostly just amused at the idea, but it’s still quite the Easter egg. “Maybe we were betting on it,” Stout says. “Maybe we were hoping for it. Either way, it made it in there.”

Gone Girl (2014)

Sunset Boulevard (1950) If Mank leaves you craving more old Hollywood razzle-dazzle, look no further than Billy Wilder’s seminal film noir. When a down-on-his-luck screenwriter (William Holden) happens upon reclusive silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), she hires him to doctor a script she wrote for her return to the silver screen. How could he have known this would lead to his untimely demise? Amazon Prime, CBS, Google Play, iTunes, Pluto TV, Vudu, YouTube. Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

MOVIES

IMDB

TOP PICK OF THE WEEK

Light Years Vermont, 1999: A hot pink lacrosse cap, a fistful of psilocybin mushrooms—things are obscure in Light Years before the actual obscurity even kicks in. The third indie dramedy from writer-director Colin Thompson (Loser’s Crown, It’s Us) employs mushrooms as an informal time machine, transporting mid-30s Kevin back to the first night he ever partook, at 16. The result is a bit like if Charlie Kaufman directed (and interrogated) a Mike White comedy for less than $100,000. Thompson himself quite charmingly plays most characters on Kevin’s trip—man, woman, young, old—but it’s Russell Posner as Kevin’s loopy, almost telepathically synced best friend, Briggs, that cements the film’s pathos and justifies the flashback in the first place. We’re swept into Kevin and Briggs’ teenage idiolect, borderline nonsense about Burlington rock bands and NBA draft busts to everyone else. But the love wrapped up in their shared language is enough to sustain and choke Kevin for the rest of his life. Even if the superimposed animation of the trip feels more obligatory than valuable and Thompson’s acting isn’t as strong in wholly dramatic scenes, the theme hoists this indie above its weight class. Selective memory is its own kind of drug, and you can always travel back one way or another. TV-14. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. On Demand.

OUR KEY

: T H I S M O V I E I S E X C E L L E N T, O N E O F T H E B E S T O F T H E Y E A R. : T H I S M O V I E I S G O O D. W E R E C O M M E N D YO U WATC H I T. : T H I S M O V I E I S E N T E R TA I N I N G B U T F L AW E D. : T H I S M O V I E I S A P I E C E O F S H I T.

ALSO PLAYING Collective When Bucharest nightclub Colectiv burned in 2015, 27 people died—and that was just the beginning. In the following weeks, 37 injured survivors of the fire perished, a loss that led to the exposure of a sweeping conspiracy that had corrupted the Romanian health care system. That scandal is the subject of Collective, a mesmerizing and enraging documentary directed by Alexander Nanau. The film focuses on Catalin Tolontan, a journalist at a sports newspaper who reported on the use of heavily diluted disinfectants in Romanian hospitals, and former Minister of Health Vlad Voiculescu, whom we watch soberly struggle to reform the institution he serves from within. Devoid of didactic narration and expert interviews, Collective trusts that images of horrendous injustices (like a neglected patient’s maggot-covered face) will speak for themselves. The greed, lies and apathy revealed are almost too much to bear, but there’s no turning away from a film this morally urgent, thoroughly researched and beautifully paced. When Tolontan declares, “All I’m trying is to give people more knowledge about the powers that shape our lives,” it’s as if he’s speaking for the filmmakers. Collective is the embodiment of his words—a masterpiece that is both cinematic and journalistic. NR. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. On Demand.

On the Rocks When your second film is a universe of compassion, wit and wonderment, it’s not easy for the rest of your career to keep up. Yet On the Rocks is one of the most intelligent and moving films that writer-director Sofia Coppola has 30

made since her transcendent Tokyo odyssey Lost in Translation. It’s the kind of movie that gets you guessing about what a great director is up to, then surprises and pleases you when she doesn’t go where you imagined. On the Rocks stars Rashida Jones as Laura, a writer who suspects that her husband, Dean (Marlon Wayans), is cheating on her. Since Laura’s father, Felix (Bill Murray), is eager for an excuse to spy on his son-in-law, the two embark on a shambling investigation of Dean, which culminates in a surreal sojourn in Mexico. Murray suavely sells the contradictions of Felix, a decrepit playboy who defends his daughter’s honor but delights in demeaning women. Felix can be a mesmerizingly phony charmer, but On the Rocks is about Laura awakening to the emptiness behind his incandescence—an awakening that sets the stage for her spiritual rebirth. That journey may not match the visual and emotional heights of Lost in Translation, but On the Rocks triumphs on its own terms by telling the story of a woman who, scene by scene, gradually claims the movie as her own. R. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Apple TV+.

Higher Love To say that Hasan Oswald’s debut documentary is a snapshot of America’s opioid crisis implies something too quick. There’s nothing snappy about spending 10 minutes cramped in a room of New Jerseyans endlessly shooting up. The camerawork is graphic and unsteady, and you can feel the lack of control permeating every inch of squalor. Despite this grotesque intimacy, Higher Love finds its more interesting subject idling outside the trap house. We first meet Daryl, a 47-year-old printing press owner and father of

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

eight, trolling dilapidated industrial parks in search of his pregnant girlfriend, Nani. If she’s depicted as one of the opioid crisis’s ceaseless tragedies (her mother died of an overdose), Daryl is one of its memorable supporting characters. You couldn’t script his boundless patience with Nani or his explosions of contempt at how deep her addiction runs. Secondary stories of other Camden residents battling the needle aren’t as layered, though they do reveal untold absurdities of the recovery system, like needing to score one final time in order to receive a suitably high dose of Suboxone for detox. In that light, Higher Love reveals utter extremity becoming dismally banal. For Daryl, the burning question becomes, when is giving up the only rational response? NR. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. On Demand.

American Dharma An eerie reversal kick-starts legendary documentarian Errol Morris’ sitdown with Steve Bannon. In Morris’ genre-altering The Fog of War (2003), he played the junior interlocutor to Robert McNamara and prodded the former U.S. defense secretary with his generation’s burning Vietnam War grievances. In American Dharma, it’s Bannon who professes to admire Morris. The Fog of War, the former Trump adviser says, was a life-changing look at how elite politicians betrayed everyday Americans. Hard to argue with that; it’s just 95% of the conclusions drawn afterward that make Bannon an eminently troubling subject. After that curious moment of bonding, Morris and Bannon never really speak the same language again. Bannon rails against globalism but keeps all the hatred and white supremacy wrapped up in that discourse entirely euphemistic. Unfortunately, Morris keeps his rebuttals to a career minimum in American Dharma—bad timing, considering his subject is an active fire-starter, not a regretful, driedout war hawk. That said, Morris depends on the audience to under-

stand what they’re watching. He’s constructed a glimpse into Bannon’s mind, channeled through the John Wayne and Gregory Peck movies that defined the proud nationalist’s worldview. Some may call American Dharma platforming hate. Morris would probably call it knowing your enemy; he’s still taking lessons from McNamara. R. CHANCE SOLEMPFEIFER.

Sound of Metal If a noisecore drummer loses his hearing, should anyone care? Sound of Metal presents a remarkably empathetic portrait of that rare beast—the working hardcore percussionist committed to sobriety and a girlfriend/bandmate—yet shows just a taste of the goodish life Ruben (Riz Ahmed) and Lou (Olivia Cooke) share while touring in a cozy Airstream before his sudden loss of hearing tears their plans asunder. While the plotline might seem eerily similar to the 2004 indie flick It’s All Gone Pete Tong, this story isn’t about punishing hubris. Ruben, unlike Pete Tong’s superstar DJ, has already dealt with his substance-abuse issues at the film’s start, and he tries his damnedest to embrace the silence suggested by deaf guru Joe (Paul Raci) at a cultish American Sign Language camp. Unable to abandon his eterna-gigging life plans, our hero neither hears nor listens to the increasingly gloomy diagnoses en route to affording the semblance of hearing promised by cochlear implants, which prove a maddeningly false tease. This directorial debut from The Place Beyond the Pines screenwriter Darius Marder exploits next-gen soundcraft and Ahmed’s electric vapidity to its best advantage while ignoring moralistic conventions, but there’s a troubling condescension pegged to the protagonist’s chosen genre and instrument. Would a talented singer-songwriter be so blithely expected to accept medical practicalities rather than further damaging health in pursuit of doomed passions? Would Beethoven? At the end of the day, this is an expertly crafted labor of love champion-

ing the abandonment of dreams. What’s the sound of one hand clapping? R. JAY HORTON. Amazon Prime.

Zappa Possessed of an abstruse, willfully difficult muse that bled impossible time signatures and dark humor into even the most approachable sections of his daunting discography, Frank Zappa effectively evaded commercial success until late-life novelty single “Valley Girl” inexplicably cracked the charts. But his fame as an iconoclastic counterpop-cultural figure somehow still burns bright a quarter-century after his 1993 death from prostate cancer at the age of 52. How, exactly, did an avantrock misanthrope best resembling a cross between social activist Abbie Hoffman and Beaker ever end up becoming one of The Muppet Show writers’ dream guests anyway? Zappa, the long-awaited doc that began streaming Nov. 27, doesn’t much care and may be offended by the question. While nearly all authorized rockumentaries shelve criticism of the man for access to the music, Zappa leans into the infernal bargain with generic platitudes and overtold anecdotes scattered throughout 120-plus minutes of performances, interviews and home movies—family keepsakes plus the artist’s own experimentalist collages—stitched together from the evidently overflowing estate vaults. It’s all sure to be a treat for fans and seems fitting tribute to a largely unknowable polymath whose creative oeuvre, which includes a stint writing greeting card copy as a teenager and a final turn as a symphonic composer, survives largely through sarcastic quips and critical reputation. Still, so much of his life story—growing up near a chemical weapons plant, arrested for recording a fake sex (audio) tape, signed by a distracted label rep hoping for a white blues band—feels sufficiently compelling if only the nonstop miasma of footage would get out of its own way. NR. JAY HORTON. On Demand.

POTLANDER

23 Days of Kushmas How to make your own stoner Advent calendar. BY BR I A N N A W H E E LE R

An Advent calendar traditionally tells the story of the days leading to Christ’s birth via a large wooden card with tiny “windows” that are opened each day to reveal a small candy. Over time, they have become a largely secular, mostly cardboard holiday fixture. So it can hardly be considered sacrilegious to propose replacing those treats with cannabis-infused edibles. The cannabis industry has been effectively absorbing the artisan chocolate scene for a while now, so it seems high time to cobble together a medicated Advent calendar for the modern cannabis enthusiast. Maybe we can make the days leading up to the year’s end feel more like an epic climax and less like a floppy conclusion.

DEC. 3

DEC. 8 Brenda’s Edibles

Peanut Butter Bombs No variety pack of chocolates is complete without some variation of chocolate and peanut butter.

DEC. 13 Serra x Wood-

block Chocolate THC Dark Chocolate Discerning stoners have been celebrating this marriage of awesome local cannabis and awesome local chocolate for a minute.

DEC. 9 Honu Dark Chocolate Cherry Medallion If sucking on Queen Anne cordial cherries is your idea of a festive good time, these medallions are your speed.

DEC. 10 Periodic Edibles

Balance Caramel Advent calendars are usually all chocolate, but caramels fit cozily in a variety box.

DEC. 14 Elbe’s Edibles Triple Chocolate Cakeballs Cake balls are a bit of a stretch if we’re pitching treats that are easily stuffed into the carcass of an evacuated drug store Advent calendar, but…cake balls!

The deep, bittersweet chocolate’s grassy cannabis notes are a superb example of chocolate-weed synthesis.

DEC. 23

Leif Goods Mint Hibiscus Bar Leif’s flagship is an effigy to a unique summer treat popular in founder Carrie Solomon’s hometown of Baltimore: a peppermint stick jammed into a smooshed lemon.

The dusky pink hue of this chocolate bar is the natural result of processing rare ruby cacao.

DEC. 18 Toro Ma Toro Bar Black

Golden Cookies & Cream Chocolate Blasts Here’s another gimme for white chocolate aficionados, with bitesize pieces perfectly sized to slip into an empty Advent window.

DEC. 5

DEC. 4 Grön Ruby Cacao

Laurie + MaryJane Fudge Yourself Chocolate Mint Fudge The perfect dense holiday treat to kick off your adventures in being high all day.

DEC. 19 Crop Circle Choco-

lates Orange-Yuzu Zest Truffles These chocolates are so fancy they deserve an Advent calendar to themselves.

DEC. 24

Grace Notes Apricot & Coconut Milk Chocolate The tropical suggestion of this lowdose edible lends a certain “Holidays in Paradise” flavor profile to this otherwise traditional chocolate collection.

DEC. 6 Junk Marshmallow

Bon-Bons A perfect mouthful of soft marshmallow, bittersweet dark chocolate and chocolate sea salt.

Cannacubes Pea-sized, sea salt-finished chocolate formulated to either chill, uplift or sedate users.

DEC. 12 Peak Extracts

DEC. 11

Hapy Kitchen S’mores Any of Hapy Kitchen’s chocolate bars would be at home in your stoner Advent calendar, but my personal affinity for tiny cereal marshmallows make this bar an all-time fave.

DEC. 15 Wyld Blood

Orange White Chocolate For lovers of white chocolate, this is a necessary inclusion. Bonus: They’re shaped like little pink pot leaves.

DEC. 20 Delta 9

DEC. 7 Edibology Calming

Confections Muddy Buddies A Midwestern suburban mom has entered the chat and she is begging you to include Muddy Buddies in your holiday celebrations.

DEC. 16 Chalice Farms

Mocha Chocolate Blast Clear the day for an adventure just in case the higher-caffeinated dose hits with extra festiveness.

DEC. 21 Smokiez Dark

Hash Herer Dark Chocolate A few wild card windows will level up your calendar from cautious stoner to Rihanna levels.

DEC. 17 Laurie + Mary-

Jane Fudgy Brownie Bites These Fudgy Brownie Bites remain a stash box staple—the gooey, fudgy mouthfuls are edible perfection.

Chocolate English Toffee Just north of the border, prolific Oregon gummy purveyors Smokiez is selling all manner of chocolate bar confections, including holiday-friendly English toffee.

DEC. 22 Hapy Kitchen Coffeelicious Caramel This 50 mg mouthful is enough to keep the whole day both chilled out and euphoric.

DEC. 25 Mellow Vibes Double Chocolate

This crispy rice treat ain’t fitting in your storebought calendar, but eating it with your Christmas morning tea sure seems like a fitting way to commence one hell of an Advent calendar.

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

PERFORMANCE

Editor: Andi Prewitt | Contact: aprewitt@wweek.com N I K K I W E AV E R

2. Coffee with my husband We love going to Albina Press, which is just in our neighborhood. I almost always drink an Americano with a little bit of soy milk, and he almost always drinks a cappuccino with whole milk. We often sit on our front porch and watch neighbors walk by. It’s almost always the quiet time before the kids are awake and the day kicks into full gear. 3. Sunrises Even if I’m up till 9 or 1 the night before, even if I’ve been drinking a lot, I still make myself get up and go [watch the sun rise], and I always look forward to it, even if it means I have to nap or drink a bunch of water later. I think it’s a reminder that you can start again in any moment every day—and especially during COVID, I’m like, “Oh yeah, I need that reminder.”

My Essential Seven: Nikki Weaver From caffeine to RBG, the Portland Playhouse co-founder knows where to find bliss. BY BE N N E T T C A M P B E L L FE RGUS O N

What is the nature of silence? That question loomed over Nikki Weaver and Matthew Kerrigan as they made a list of moments characterized by either a literal or metaphorical absence of noise, which included Neil Armstrong striding across the lunar surface and the respective elections of Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The brainstorming blossomed into Weaver and Kerrigan’s short film Sound of Silence. With its fusion of dance, dialogue, dreaminess and therapy, the film defies categorization—not unlike Weaver, who is a yoga instructor, a founder of Portland Playhouse and the executive director of On the Inside, a nonprofit arts group dedicated to empowering incarcerated women. With the recent release of Sound of Silence, now seemed the perfect time to ask Weaver about the people and passions that have shaped her excitingly eclectic journey as an activist, artist and athlete. 1. Running I started running competitively when I was 12 in Sydney, Australia, which is where I grew up. I ran at state level, and then I ran in the 2000 Sydney Olympic trials and I missed the team by just three-tenths of a second, and so that was sort of my running world colliding with my theater life. I got on a plane and I flew to Vietnam and thought, “Do I want running to be my life?” and realized that I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love the competition and didn’t want to go any further. That’s kind of when I dove more fully into theater. 32

Willamette Week DATE 2020 wweek.com

4. Hot baths We have an old clawfoot tub that we painted bright blue when we bought our old Portland home. I’m a huge lover of candles, so I use lots of candles, and as many essential oils as I can gather and dump in there. What I like to do is lock the door so my husband and my kids will give me space. 5. Books, right now Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown What’s interesting is just listening to how [Brown] speaks about how we can shape and change our world, just through different forms of leadership. I think for years, I felt super guilty if I was picking [any book] up that wasn’t theater-related. And now my favorite things to read are memoirs mostly. I’ve been sort of slowly thumbing through Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s book, because in my head, I don’t want her to die just yet. I feel like if I read it too quickly, then she’ll be gone for real. 6. Creating work Portland’s always felt like the creative entrepreneur’s dreamscape to me—that you can arrive in our city and make anything. But I remember, years ago when we first moved here, I was teaching so much yoga that I sort of thought all the theater companies around town didn’t recognize me as an artist. It felt like an identity crisis, you know?

7. My daughters and Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble’s co-artistic director Margot and Elliette, they’re my two daughters. Margot’s 8, Elliette’s 6. They keep me on my toes in a daily way—lots of surprise, lots of arguments and joyful moments. And then Cristi Miles, she’s a wonderful theater artist in town. Often I go and see [PETE’s] shows and then afterwards, we’ll hang out and she’ll say, “What did you think?” and I’ll be like, “I thought it was beautiful and I didn’t understand or see any kind of storyline.” I’m glad they’re here and I’m so glad that Cristi always challenges my ideas, too. SEE IT: Sound of Silence streams at portlandplayhouse.org/ shows-events/sound-of-silence.

BOOKS

Written by: Scout Brobst Contact: sbrobst@wweek.com

FIVE NEWLY RELEASED BOOKS YOU MUST READ

Perestroika in Paris, Jane Smiley Author Jane Smiley, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in the early 1990s with A Thousand Acres, has now turned to charming the masses with a cast of animal characters who somehow manage to find adventure in the densely populated Parisian cityscape. A 3-yearold filly nicknamed “Paras”—“Perestroika” would have taken too much effort— escapes from a racetrack to experience the world as the humans do, albeit with higher stakes. The fable is a gift for children and parents alike.

Mediocre, Ijeoma Oluo Ijeoma Oluo is perhaps best known for her book So You Want to Talk About Race, which graced the lists of nearly every “must read” compilation in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. Her follow-up, Mediocre, strikes a similar nerve, addressing the pervasive toxicity of white male power, a force that props up even those who stumble at the first hurdle. In clear, accessible prose, Oluo works her way through over a century of American history, beginning with the cowboy mythology of the West and ending with the divisiveness around modern protests.

Agaat, Marlene van Niekerk South African novelist Marlene van Niekerk first published Agaat in 2004, a work of creative discomfort that Toni Morrison called “as brilliant as it is haunting.” Now translated into English by Michiel Heyns, American readers have access to van Niekerk’s saga working through the stretch marks of loyalty and betrayal in a lifetime. Set in 1940s apartheid South Africa, one family’s kindness lapses into cruelty along lines of race, power and justice, a dynamic that moves and shifts as the years pass on.

Big Girl, Small Town, Michelle Gallen Michelle Gallen’s chatty, hard-edged debut begins with tragedy: Her misanthropic protagonist is left to fend for herself after the death of her grandmother, forcing a ruthless initiation into the type of social cameraderie she least enjoys. Set in post-conflict Northern Ireland, Gallen carefully balances the nuances of autism spectrum disorder, late-20s bedlam, and the mundanities of small-town life, each cloaked under the lasting effects of political unrest. The premise is bleak, but the payoff is deeply rewarding.

Love Poems for the Office, John Kenney To be fair, few people are working in an office right now, so John Kenney’s collection of poems may have lost their relevance. On second thought, maybe the release is perfect timing—if readers want to fantasize about falling in love over lukewarm coffee and barely legible spreadsheets. In his fourth anthology—following love poems for married people, people with children, and anxious people—Kenney turns his gaze to the politics of Zoom and Slack, distilling years of interpersonal eccentricities into just a few lines.

PERFORMANCE COURTESY OF SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

HOTSEAT

Murder Was the Case Journalist Santi Elijah Holley dives into Nick Cave’s bloodiest album for the 33 ⅓ series. MURDER HE WROTE ABOUT: Author Santi Elijah Holley. BY R OB E RT H A M

@roberthamwriter

When Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released Murder Ballads, the band’s ninth studio album, in 1996, they were ready for it to be dismissed or reviled by even their staunchest fans. Filled with descriptions of 15-year-old mass murderers, rapist gunslingers and numerous crimes of passion, the record was, as Cave told Rolling Stone, “designed to offend…where people just go, ‘What the fuck is this load of crap?’” Instead, Murder Ballads was a huge success, with one single—“Where the Wild Roses Grow,” a haunting duet featuring pop goddess Kylie Minogue—scoring Song of the Year honors at Australia’s ARIA Awards. With the rich backstory of its creation and its various musical and literary inspirations, Murder Ballads was an ideal candidate for the 33 ⅓ book series, which takes a deep dive into the making of a single album—and with his passion for the history of folk and blues, local author (and occasional WW contributor) Santi Elijah Holley was the ideal person to write it. He talked to WW about digging into the source material and the recording of each song on this blood-soaked entry in an already grisly discography.

It’s a lot of close reading of the lyrics. I picked up a number of books that compiled lots of English and Scottish folk ballads, and pored over those to trace the history of how they evolved over time. I was also poring over interviews with Cave from when the record was being made or after it was released, looking for clues about authors and songwriters. It also helped to be able to interview [Bad Seeds members] Mick Harvey and Jim Sclavunos. They helped explain what books Nick was reading and what songs he was listening to and pointing my research in those directions. Cave had written plenty of songs about murderers and death by this point. Why did he decide to focus an entire album on that theme? When they started out, they didn’t have this idea of a whole record dedicated to murder songs. It really happened organically with a couple of songs. “O’Malley’s Bar” and “Song of Joy” had this dark, violent theme. At some point, they just decided, “Why don’t we do a whole record with just murder songs?” It was sort of a joke, but once they started doing it, they just kept going.

WW: Why did you want to write about this particular album? Santi Elijah Holley: It was the first Nick Cave record that I ever purchased, back in 1999. I didn’t know anything about it. I was immediately floored by it and I’ve listened to it ever since. I also suspected there was more to it, something deeper. The more I learned about what went into the recording of it, the more I wanted to investigate the stories behind the songs. There are so many stories within each song that it seemed perfect for this kind of project.

What are some of the more surprising things you learned from your interviews with Harvey and Sclavunos? It was surprising that with “Stagger Lee,” they were trying to emulate [hip-hop artists] the Geto Boys and Scarface. It’s funny to think about a song that has evolved and been interpreted in so many ways growing out of this hip-hop beat. I was also surprised to learn about PJ Harvey’s contribution. Nick wanted her to sing a whole song by herself, and she was the one that came up with singing “Henry Lee” as a duet, which is perfect. Stuff like that just showed how collaborative and fun and open and spontaneous the whole recording was.

It is a very deeply researched book that spells out the songs and stories that Cave used as source material for his lyrics. How was it to do that legwork?

The biggest shock for fans of the group was the appearance of Kylie Minogue on the album. What did you learn about how that came to pass?

I learned that Kylie was dating Michael Hutchence of INXS at the time and Nick was friends with Michael. He reached out to Michael first to get in touch with her. She had never heard of Nick Cave, didn’t know anything about him. And now they’re such close friends. Nick intentionally wrote the song with her in mind. He needed her on this. I’m still surprised that “Stagger Lee,” the filthiest, most grotesque song on Murder Ballads, is so beloved and has become a mainstay of the band’s live shows. What do you make of that? It’s unfortunate because there are so many better songs on the record than that one. But I think it’s the same reason “Stagger Lee,” the ballad itself, has lasted so long and been interpreted so many times. We love these characters who are not guided by the same sort of ethical or moral rules that the rest of us follow. We’ve always celebrated those stories. Cave’s version is so over the top that I think it’s fun for people to lose themselves in this fantasy of depravity.

BUY IT: Order Murder Ballads at bloomsbury.com. $10.46.

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

ART N’ COMICS!

Be a Willamette Week featured artist! Any art style is welcome! Let’s share your art! Contact us at art@wweek.com.

FEATURED ARTIST: David Friedman David Friedman @friedart is an eclectic artist living in NE Portland. His work ranges from papercutting, painting and printmaking. David’s work can be seen daily at the Artistic Portland Gallery on NE Fremont and 42nd Ave. He and his dog Poppi @poppipdx can be found often at the off-leash dog area in Wilshire Park.

JACK KENT’S

Jack draws exactly what he sees n’ hears from the streets. IG @sketchypeoplepdx kentcomics.com

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

JONESIN’

Week of December 10

by Matt Jones

"You're Getting Sleepy"--some ways to get there.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

According to Taoist scholar Chad Hansen, "Western philosophers have endlessly analyzed and dissected a cluster of terms thought to be central to our thinking," such as truth, beauty, reason, knowledge, belief, mind, and goodness. But he reports that they've never turned their attention to a central concept of Chinese philosophy: the Tao, which might be defined as the natural, unpredictable flow of life's ever-changing rhythms. I think that you Aries people, more than any other sign of the zodiac, have the greatest potential to cultivate an intuitive sense of how to align yourselves vigorously with the Tao. And you're in prime time to do just that.

When author Ernest Hemingway was working on the manuscript for his novel *A Farewell to Arms*, he asked his colleague F. Scott Fitzgerald to offer critique. Fitzgerald obliged with a ten-page analysis that advised a different ending, among other suggestions. Hemingway wasn't pleased. "Kiss my ass," he wrote back to Fitzgerald. I suggest a different approach for you, Libra. In my view, now is a good time to solicit feedback and mirroring from trusted allies. What do they think and how do they feel about the current state of your life and work? If they do respond, take at least some of it to heart.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) What's the cause of the rumbling at the core of your soul? How do we explain the smoke and steam that are rising from the lower depths? From what I can discern, the fire down below and the water down below are interacting to produce an almost supernatural state of volatile yet numinous grace. This is a good thing! You may soon begin having visions of eerie loveliness and earth-shaking peace. The clarity that will eventually emerge may at first seem dark, but if you maintain your poise it will bloom like a thousand moons.

GEMINI (May 21-June20) Author and student Raquel Isabelle de Alderete writes wittily about her paradoxical desires and contradictory qualities. In accordance with current astrological omens, I encourage you to ruminate about your own. For inspiration, read her testimony: "I want to be untouchably beautiful but I also don’t want to care about how I look. I want to be at the top of my class but I also just want to do as best as I can without driving myself to the edge. I want to be a mystery that’s open to everybody. A romantic that never falls in love. Both the bird and the cat." ACROSS 1 Raccoon relative 6 BTS or Blackpink genre 10 Lawn mower's spot 14 "It's just _ _ _ those things" 15 Edison's middle name 16 Jekyll's alter ego 17 Make yourself sleepy, in a way 19 "1917," for one

57 Egyptian fertility goddess with a cow's head

29 Warm, in a way

59 Rice-A-_ _ _

31 Service with an "Eats" offshoot

60 Chemical in turkey that makes many people sleepy 63 Pueblo dwellers

33 Method

64 "Once Upon a Time in the West" director Sergio

37 Early bird's prize

65 Email app folder

39 George's sitar teacher

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

42 "The Hollow Men" poet

Novelist Tom Robbins says you have the power to change how you perceive the world. You can change reality—and how reality responds to you—by the way you look at it and interpret it. This counsel is especially useful for you right now, Leo. You have an unparalleled opportunity to reconfigure the way you apprehend things, and thereby transform the world you live in. So I suggest you set your intention. Vow that for the next two weeks, every experience will bring you a fresh invitation to find out something you didn't know before.

21 Thicke of "Growing Pains"

67 "Melrose Place" actor Rob

22 _ _ _ Domingo (capital of the Dominican Republic)

DOWN

26 "Whose _ _ _ was this?" 27 "Well done" 30 Got angry 33 Concave cooker 34 Title said by Zazu in "The Lion King" 35 Tall prez, for short 36 Clothing item that I suppose could make you sleepy (if it's really comfy) 40 Poseidon's realm 41 Soften up 43 Acne medication brand 44 Tank covering 46 Synthpop duo that released an album of ABBA covers 48 Transport 50 Senatorial stretch 51 Snarky, but less fun 54 Lagoon locale 56 "Star Trek: TNG" counselor Deanna

What would it take for you to muster just a bit more courage so as to change what needs to be changed? How could you summon the extra excitement and willpower necessary to finally make progress on a dilemma that has stumped you? I'm happy to inform you that cosmic rhythms will soon be shifting in such a way as to make these breakthroughs more possible. For best results, shed any tendencies you might have to feel sorry for yourself or to believe you're powerless.

32 Supplement that can help make you sleepy

20 Writer Vonnegut

25 Gp. with a Brussels HQ

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

62 ZZ Top, e.g.

66 "Let's Roll" blues singer James

23 Seed for flavoring soft drinks

30 Prominence

1 Scar 2 Actress Aimee of "La Dolce Vita" 3 Brain surgeon's prefix 4 "Be honest"

38 Application file suffix

45 "Follow me for more _ _ _" (snarky meme of late) 47 Website necessity 48 Nearsightedness 49 "Get Down _ _ _" (Kool & the Gang song) 51 Burial vault 52 "It's worth _ _ _!"

5 Back, on a boat

53 "Big Little Lies" author Moriarty

6 Liqueur used in a Black Russian

54 Sunday newspaper section

7 Feature of some khakis

55 Ripped (off)

8 Major kitchen appliance

56 Relaxed pace

9 Soft food for babies

58 1990s game console, initially

10 Sword holders 11 Demonstration where you might hear the line "You're getting sleepy ..."

60 Chance _ _ _ Rapper 61 Cheer for Cristiano Ronaldo

12 Fix 13 Style from about 100 years ago 18 "Aladdin _ _ _" (David Bowie album) 22 Give in to gravity 24 Tacks on to a friends list 25 "Swoosh" company

last week’s answers

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reelected in 2019. During his campaign, the Virgo-born politician arranged to be photographed while wearing the saffron robes of a Hindu priest and meditating in an austere Himalayan cave. Why did he do it? To appeal to religious voters. But later it was revealed that the "cave" was in a cozy retreat center that provides regular meals, electricity, phone service, and attentive attendants. It will be crucial for you to shun this type of fakery in 2021, Virgo. Your success will depend on you being as authentic, genuine, and honest as you can possibly be. Now is an excellent time to set your intention and start getting yourself in that pure frame of mind.

HOMEWORK: What's the one thing you don't have that would help you make the biggest improvement in your life? FreeWillAstrology.com

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Mistletoe is a parasite that grows on trees, weakening them. On the other hand, it has been a sacred plant in European tradition. People once thought it conferred magical protection. It was called "all-heal" and regarded as a medicine that could cure numerous illnesses. Even today, it's used in Europe as a remedy for colon cancer. And of course mistletoe is also an icon meant to encourage kissing. After studying your astrological potentials, I'm proposing that mistletoe serve as one of your symbolic power objects in the coming months. Why? Because I suspect that you will regularly deal with potencies and energies that could potentially be either problematic or regenerative. You'll have to be alert to ensure that they express primarily as healing agents.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) I'm envisioning a scene in which you're sitting on a chair at a kitchen table. At the center of the table is a white vase holding 18 long-stemmed red roses. The rest of the table's surface is filled with piles of money, which you have just unloaded from five mysterious suitcases you found at your front door. All of that cash is yours, having been given to you no-strings-attached by an anonymous donor. You're in joyful shock as you contemplate the implications of this miraculous gift. Your imagination floods with fantasies about how different your life can become. Now, Sagittarius, I invite you to dream up at least three further wonderfully positive fantasies involving good financial luck. That's the medicine you need right now.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Boisterous Capricorn novelist Patricia Highsmith (1921–1995) once made the following New Year's Eve Toast: "To all the devils, lusts, passions, greeds, envies, loves, hates, strange desires, enemies ghostly and real, the army of memories, with which I do battle—may they never give me peace." Right now I suspect you may be tempted to make a similar toast. As crazymaking as your current challenges are, they are entertaining and growth-inducing. You may even have become a bit addicted to them. But in the interests of your long-term sanity, I will ask you to cut back on your "enjoyment" of all this uproar. Please consider a retreat into an intense self-nurturing phase.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) In the French city of Strasbourg, there's a wine cellar built in the year 1395. Among its treasures is a barrel filled with 450 liters of wine that was originally produced in 1472. According to legend, this ancient beverage has been tasted on just three occasions. The last time was to celebrate the French army's liberation of Strasbourg from German occupation in 1944. If I had the power, I would propose serving it to you Aquarians in honor of your tribe's heroic efforts to survive—and even thrive—during the ordeals of 2020. I'm predicting that life in 2021 will have more grace and progress because of how you have dealt with this year's challenges.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) There are too many authorities, experts, know-it-alls, and arrogant ideologues trying to tell us all what to do and how to do it. Fortunately, the cosmic rhythms are now aligned in such a way as to help you free yourself from those despots and bullies. Here's more good news: Cosmic rhythms are also aligned to free you from the nagging voice in your own head that harass you with fearful fantasies and threaten you with punishment if you aren't perfect.

27 Go off in the kitchen? 28 Cookie with a jokey November tweet showing itself in mashed potatoes

©2020 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #JNZ990.

Check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes & Daily Text Message Horoscopes

freewillastrology.com The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at

1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700

Willamette Week DECEMBER 2, 2020 wweek.com

MICHAEL DONHOWE

503-243-2122 mdonhowe@wweek.com

Having physically witnessed logging on the Elliott SF since the 1970's, I've been continually vexed by the sale of our high quality mature timber to local mills for 30 cents on the dollar of real market value and ODF's primitive logging practices. Here's a down-to-earth image of typical "forestry" I took a few years back on the eastern ESF. - Roy Keene

Portland, OR / Est. Since 2010

SERVING TWO LOCATIONS | OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

3906 SE Division St.

503-894-8001

Do you have questions about sex?

CASH for INSTRUMENTS Tradeupmusic.com SE 503-236-8800 NE 503-335-8800

TRADEUPMUSIC.COM

Buying, selling, instruments of every shape and size. Open 11am7pm every day. 4701 SE Division & 1834 NE Alberta.

FREE Pre Roll | Purchase 5 Pre Rolls Get 1 FREE

In 2020, everyone is struggling with mental health. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our guide to finding peace. Page 12

For all your lightbulb ďŹ xtures & parts to me lco P. 21 Y: We le. OR Jung HISTPiz za the

NEWS: OREGON IS ON FIRE.

P. 24 IS: rthy. AB NN e Wo CA ng Expu

3901 N Mississippi Ave | 503.281.0453 P. 6

VOL 46/48 09.23.2020

WAR MOVIES A cadre of helmeted guerrilla filmmakers is coming to you live from Portlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flaming streets.

Portland voters are fed up with Ted Wheeler. But are they ready for

WWEEK.COM

VOL 46/46 09.09.2020

By Nigel Jaquiss | Page 13

A pandemic has crippled Portland's biggest arts season. But that hasn't stopped local artists from creating. Page 11

In 2020, everyone is struggling with mental health. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our guide to finding peace. Page 12

The Worst-Case Scenario Is Here. P. 9

BOOZE

Will Oregon Hike Wine Taxes? P. 10

THE FACEBOOK COAST Mark Zuckerberg is despoiling a tiny coastal village and Oregonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural treasures. The state invited him. 13

VOL 46/48 09.23.2020

A V

A TE

LO W

O VI

WWEEK.COM

VOL 46/42 08.12.2020

O A

N N

JAMMED

INTO THE GAS Night after night, Portlanders confront Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s violent police in downtown. It feels like a party, and the end of the world.

People are more likely to catch COVID east of 82nd Avenue.

D EV EN RO TH LL ER EP SK AN AT YO DE ING UR MI C. GU IDE . PA GE 11

By Latisha Jensen | Page 13

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

By Tess Riski Page 11

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also where Portland's housing is the most overcrowded.

PLUS

WWEEK.COM

VOL 46.40 07.29.2020

CAUGHT COVID?

WWEEK.COM

OUTDOORS

Cape Disappointment Does Not Disappoint

Boss Says "Too Bad"

VOL 46/41 08.05.2020

PAGE 9

COPS: TRUMP'S POLICE OCCUPY DOWNTOWN. NEWS: REMEMBER TERESSA RAIFORDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NAME. P. 9 NEWS: AN ELECTION? THIS ECONOMY? RESTAURANTS: WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LLIN STOP THE RAIN? P. 21

P. 8

P. 6

to me lco P. 21 Y: We le. OR Jung HISTPiz za the

MAITA

P. 24 IS: rthy. PAGE 11 AB NN e Wo CA ng Expu

LOCAL MUSIC INSIDERS

MUSIC'S ROLE IN THE PROTESTS: 4 SCENE LEADERS SPEAK OUT

Essential Business Hours SAY YOU'VE GOT TO HEAR. PAGE 10

WWEEK.COM

VOL 46/47 WWEEK.COM 09.16.2020 VOL 46/37 07.08.2020

Portland voters are fed up with Ted Wheeler. But are they ready for

Sarah Iannarone?

PAGE 16

By Nigel Jaquiss | Page 13

WILLAMETTE WEEK

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

Distant Summer

Think everything is canceled? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got 16 adventures that will help you salvage this season. PAGE 10

WAR MOVIES A cadre of helmeted guerrilla filmmakers is coming to you live from Portlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flaming streets.

WWEEK.COM WWEEK.COM

VOL 46/46 VOL 46/36 09.09.2020 07.01.2020

NEWS: Ted Wheeler Still Wants This Job. P. 9 â&#x20AC;˘ KAYAKING: Holy Toledo! P. 22 â&#x20AC;˘ CANNABIS: Strains for Late Summer. P. 25

A TE

LO W

O VI

O A

N N

JAMMED

to me lco P. 21 Y: We le. OR Jung HISTPiz za the

NEWS: OREGON IS ON FIRE.

P. 24 IS: rthy. AB NN e Wo CA ng Expu

P. 6

People are more likely to catch COVID east of 82nd Avenue.

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

By Latisha Jensen | Page 13

EN RO TH LL ER EP SK AN AT YO DE ING UR MI C. GU IDE . PA GE 11

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also where Portland's housing is the most overcrowded.

GRIEF In 2020, everyone is struggling with mental health. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our guide to finding peace. Page 12

INTO THE GAS Night after night, Portlanders confront Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s violent police in downtown. It feels like a party, and the end of the world.

WAR MOVIES By Tess Riski Page 11

WWEEK.COM

CAUGHT COVID?

Boss Says "Too Bad" PAGE 9

By Aaron Mesh | Page 12

OUTDOORS

Seven queer black Portlanders speak out on what Pride means to them. Page 12

PROTESTS

FULL ISSUES ALWAYS AVAILABLE O NLINE

OUTDOORS

THE MAGIC IS IN MELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOLE. page 22

PAGE 11

PAGE 16

W A

A V

A TE

LO W

O VI

O A

D EV EN RO TH LL ER EP SK AN AT YO DE ING UR MI C. GU IDE . PA GE 11

NEWS: BLOODSHED ON THE SIDEWALK. FOOD: PIZZA! AT THE STREET DISCO. MOVIES: MARCHING WITH JOHN LEWIS.

THE MAGIC IS IN MELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOLE. page 22

JAMMED

THE FACEBOOK COAST Mark Zuckerberg is despoiling a tiny coastal village and Oregonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural treasures. The state invited him. 13

RESPECT W A

WWEEK.COM

A V

A TE

LO W

O VI

O A

People are more likely to catch COVID east of 82nd Avenue.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also where Portland's housing is the most overcrowded.

EN RO LL ER EP SK â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AN AT YO DE ING Lillard.UR GU MIC. IDE . PA GE 11

Now more than ever, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re grateful to Damian Page 10

By Latisha Jensen | Page 13

VOL 46.40 07.29.2020 WWEEK.COM

VOL 46/41 08.05.2020

VOL 46/38 WWEEK.COM 07.15.2020 VOL 46/42 08.12.2020

THE MAGIC IS IN MELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOLE. page 22

INTO THE GAS B

CAUGHT COVID?

Boss Says "Too Bad" PAGE 9

OUTDOORS

Cape Disappointment Does Not Disappoint PAGE 22

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

REA

DS:

SIR

'S S

ONG

STIT

22 Y, PAGE CHER

PORTLAND

O A

BEST NEW BAND JAM 10 ARTISTS

PLUS By Rachel Monahan Page 13

People are mo

LOCAL MUSIC INSIDERS

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also whe SAY YOU'VE GOT TO HEAR.

EP A

PAGE 10

ND IN YMEMORIAM O E UR

Goodbye, G BarFly UID PAGE 24

PA GE

AT IN

WWEEK.COM VOLWWEEK.COM 46/37 WWEEK.COM

VOLVOL46/39 07.08.2020 46/41 07.22.2020 08.05.2020

P. 6

P. 23 P. 9

P. 23P. 27

WILLAMETTEWEEK WEEKPORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE NEWSWEEKLY

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;IT MADE IT EAS â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M GETTING

G Night after night, Portlanders confront , Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s violent police inSKdowntown. It feels A H like a party,WA and the A endTof E the world.

B T By Tess L O Riski In a nation succumbing toRDI G 11 OW N Page E G COVID-19, where does Oregon N stand? T AN U M P O you. D These 9 charts will show D V E

NEWS: A LITTLEONPOLICE REFORM. NEWS: BLOODSHED THE SIDEWALK. BUSINESS: CALL, DISCO. AGAIN? FOOD: PIZZA! ATLAST THE STREET FOOD:MARCHING TONARI,WITH WITH LOVE. MOVIES: JOHN LEWIS.

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;YOU DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T FEEL LB â&#x20AC;&#x153;BRING

STIT

Now more tha

WILLAMETTE WEEK

OUTDOORS

P. 8

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M GETTING

ONG

People are mor

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also wher

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

FEDS VS. A FIRESTARTER. page 9

P. 27

'S S

Page 12

P. 27

NEWS

P. 23

NE MI JAM ISS RES

Seven queer black Portlanders speak out on what Pride means to them.

P. 8

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

, PAGE 22 HERY

22 Y, PAGE CHER

"THEY ARE KILLING US. AND Y'ALL MISS A PARADE?"

VOL 46/41 VOL 46/43 VOL 46/34 08.05.2020 08.19.2020 06.17.2020

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

WWEEK.COM

STIT

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

WWEEK.COM WWEEK.COM WWEEK.COM

â&#x20AC;&#x153;IT'S A CATFIGHT, MAN.INTHE FLY.â&#x20AC;?P.P.852 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M GETTING GASSED MYFUR OWNWILL HOME.â&#x20AC;?

OUTDOORS

ONG

P. 8

WWEEK.COM

FEDS VS. A FIRESTARTER. page 9

VOL 46/43 08.19.2020

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I WANTED THEM FEEL TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE SHOOTING AT.â&#x20AC;? P. 20 â&#x20AC;&#x153;YOU DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T LIKE YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE KILLING YOUR BRAIN.â&#x20AC;?

Â Â? Â?

'S S

P. 23

P. 26 P. 28 â&#x20AC;&#x153;WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D SPRAY AND VACUUM, BUT NOTHINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PERFECT.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

NEWS

Po Ted W

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

SIR

P. 6

FULL ISSUES ALWAYS AVAILABLE ONLINE

SIR

08.12.2020

DS:

PAGE 10

VOL 46/44 WWEEK.COM WWEEK.COM 08.26.2020 VOL 46/36 VOL 46/42 07.01.2020

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

Think everything is canceled? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got 16 adventures that will help you salvage this season.

WWEEK.COM

P. 8 P. 10

WILLAMETTE WEEK

DS:

P. 6

NEWS

FEDS VS. A FIRESTARTER. page 9

REA

VOL 46/45 VOL 46/47 07.22.2020 09.02.2020 09.16.2020

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;YOU DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T FEEL LI â&#x20AC;&#x153;IT'S A CATFIGHT

Â Â? Â?

WWEEK.COM

VOL 46/37 07.08.2020

COPS: TRUMP'S POLICE OCCUPY DOWNTOWN. NEWS:AN BLOODSHED NEWS: ELECTION?ON IN THE THISSIDEWALK. ECONOMY? FOOD: PIZZA! AT THE STREET DISCO. MOVIES: MARCHING WITH JOHN LEWIS.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I WANTED THEM TO SEE W

â&#x20AC;&#x153;WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D SPRAY AND VACU

Beyond Avocado Toast. P. 23

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

SAY YOU'VE GOT TO HEAR. PAGE 10

FOOD

Artist, musician and model Tazha Williams at BLM Art Therapy

VOL 46/34 VOL 46/38 06.17.2020 07.15.2020

LOCAL MUSIC INSIDERS

Will Oregon Hike Wine Taxes? P. 10

MAITA

MUSIC'S ROLE IN THE PROTESTS: 4 SCENE LEADERS SPEAK OUT

PORTLAND

BOOZE

By Rachel Monahan Page 13

ISSUE

10 ARTISTS

The Worst-Case Scenario Is Here. P. 9

In a nation succumbing to COVID-19, where does Oregon stand? These 9 charts will show you.

WWEEK.COM VOL 46/44 WWEEK.COM 08.26.2020 VOL 46/45 WWEEK.COM WWEEK.COM 09.02.2020

ON LI N E

A pandemic has crippled Portland's biggest arts season. But that hasn't stopped local artists from creating. Page 11

PAGE 24

NEVER BEST Distant NEW MISS AN Summer BAND +

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

FALL ARTS ISSUE

CHANGE OF ART

"THEY ARE KILLING US. AND Y'ALL MISS A PARADE?"

WWEEK.COM WWEEK.COM WWEEK.COM VOL 46/39

Goodbye, BarFly

NEWS: A LITTLE POLICE REFORM. P. 9 BUSINESS: LAST CALL, AGAIN? P. 23 FOOD: TONARI, WITH LOVE.

P. 7

P. 24

IN MEMORIAM

Cape Disappointment Does Not Disappoint

22 NEWS: Ted Wheeler Still Wants This Job. P. 9 â&#x20AC;˘ KAYAKING:PAGE Holy Toledo! P. 22 â&#x20AC;˘ CANNABIS: Strains for Late Summer. P. 25

VOL 46/46 09.09.2020

NEWS: OREGON IS ON FIRE.

A cadre of helmeted guerrilla filmmakers is coming to you live from Portlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PLUS flaming streets.

VOL07.29.2020 46/44WWEEK.COM 08.26.2020VOL 46/48 09.23.2020

Sarah Iannarone?

VOL 46/47 08.05.2020 09.16.2020

GOOD

WWEEK.COM WWEEK.COM VOL 46.40

Portland voters are fed up with Ted Wheeler. But are they ready for

WWEEK.COM WWEEK.COM VOL 46/41

P. 10 P. 27

THE MAGIC IS IN MELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOLE. page 22

A V

P. 23

WWEEK.COM

OUTDOORS

NEWS: BLOODSHED ON THE SIDEWALK. NEWS: TAKESDISCO. COMMAND. FOOD: PIZZA!HARDESTY AT THE STREET COURTS: POLICEWITH OUT OF CONTROL. MOVIES: MARCHING JOHN LEWIS. FOOD: YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT?

VOL 46/42 08.12.2020

FEDS VS. A FIRESTARTER. page 9

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

NEWS

IN H

By Nigel Jaquiss | Page 13

P. 6

â&#x20AC;&#x153;WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D SPRAY AND VACUUM, BUT NOTHINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PERFECT.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; P. 28

â&#x20AC;&#x153;DO I WANT TO DROP DEAD NEXT WEEK? NOT REALLY.â&#x20AC;? P. 29

NEVER sunlanlighting.com MISS AN ISSUE

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

PAG

By Aaron Mesh | Page 12

Sunlan cartoons by Kay Newell "The Lightbulb Lady"I SFUS ULLE S ALWAYS Facebook / Twitter Instagram / Google AVA I LA BLE

VOL 46/44 08.26.2020

W A

NE MI ISS

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; WILLAMETTE WEEK WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NE PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;IT MADE IT EASIER TO RISK IT FOR THE BISCUIT.â&#x20AC;? P. 11

NEWS: OREGON IS ON FIRE.

NEWS: A LITTLE POLICE REFORM. P. 9 BUSINESS: LAST CALL, AGAIN? P. 23 FOOD: TONARI, WITH LOVE. WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

9:00 to 5:30 - Monday thru Friday 11:00 to 4:00 - Saturday

WWEEK.COM

Page 12

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE WEEK

VOL 46/38 07.15.2020

to finding peace.

NEWS: REMEMBER TERESSA RAIFORDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NAME. P. 9 RESTAURANTS: WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL STOP THE RAIN? P. 21 CANNABIS: WHAT WE LOST IN THE FIRES. P. 25 WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE WEEK

â&#x20AC;?

WWEEK.COM

Â Â? Â?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

BEST NEW BAND

NOT TED

10 ARTISTS

In a nation succumbing to COVID-19, where does Oregon stand? These 9 charts will show you. By Rachel Monahan Page 13

, PAGE 22 HERY TITC GS SON N'S IRE everyone is In 2020, S: S EAD struggling with mental HR TT Shealth. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our guide

P. 26

P. 26 VOL 46/48 09.23.2020

GRIEF

THE MAGIC IS IN MELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOLE. page 22

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M GETTING GASSED IN MY OWN HOME.â&#x20AC;? P. 8

â&#x20AC;&#x153;GOOD THING CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HOAX LIKE COVID.â&#x20AC;? P. 4

â&#x20AC;&#x153;MY BUDS ARE WRECKED.â&#x20AC;? P. 22 â&#x20AC;&#x153;YOUTASTE DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T FEEL LIKE YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE KILLING YOUR BRAIN.â&#x20AC;?

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

PORTLAND

WWEEK.COM

OUTDOORS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;SHOCKINGLY, SINGLE AND WAY BORED.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;IT MADESTILL IT EASIER TO RISK IT FOR THETOO BISCUIT.â&#x20AC;? P. 11 P. 21

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

WILLAMETTE WEEK

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

Page 12

GOOD

NOT TED

FEDS VS. A FIRESTARTER. page 9

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T FEEL LIKE YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE KILLING YOUR BRAIN.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;DO I â&#x20AC;&#x153;YOU WANT TO DROP DEAD NEXT WEEK? NOT REALLY.â&#x20AC;? P. 29

SHEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WILLAMETTE WEEK

In 2020, everyone is struggling with mental health. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our guide to finding peace.

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

NEWS

P.29 28 â&#x20AC;&#x153;WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D SPRAY AND VACUUM, BUT NOTHINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S â&#x20AC;&#x153;DO I WANT TO DROP DEAD NEXT WEEK? REALLY.â&#x20AC;? P. BRING BACK THE HORSE COPS. NOT P. 4 PERFECT.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

P. 27

â&#x20AC;&#x153;TIRED OF WHITE SUPREMACY? â&#x20AC;&#x153;BRING BACK THEWELCOME HORSE COPS.TO â&#x20AC;? P. THE 4 CLUB.â&#x20AC;? P. 21

P. 23

GRIEF

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

P. 8

NEWS: REMEMBER TERESSA RAIFORDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NAME. P. 9 NEWS: BLOODSHED ON THE SIDEWALK. RESTAURANTS: WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL STOP THE RAIN? P. 21 FOOD: PIZZA! ATWE THELOST STREET DISCO. CANNABIS: WHAT IN THE FIRES. P. 25 MOVIES: MARCHING WITH JOHN LEWIS. WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

GOOD

SHEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WILLAMETTE WEEK

WWEEK.COM

PAGE 24

Por Ted W

Now more than

P. 8

CANNABIS: WHAT WE LOST IN THE FIRES. P. 25

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY WILLAMETTE WEEK

VOL 46/48 09.23.2020 WWEEK.COM WWEEK.COM VOL 46/39 VOL07.22.2020 46/42 08.12.2020

IN MEMORIAM

Goodbye, BarFly

PAGE 22

RES

WWEEK.COM

â&#x20AC;&#x153;GOOD THING CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HOAX LIKE COVID.â&#x20AC;? P. 4

P. 6

WWEEK.COM VOL 46/43 VOL08.19.2020 46/47 09.16.2020

â&#x20AC;&#x153;IT'S A CATFIGHT, MAN. THE FUR WILL FLY.â&#x20AC;? P. 52

NEWS: OREGON IS ON FIRE.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;SHOCKINGLY, STILL SINGLE AND WAY TOO BORED.â&#x20AC;? P. 21

Page 12

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

Page 10

â&#x20AC;&#x153;DO I WANT TO DROP DEAD NEXT WEEK? NOT REALLY.â&#x20AC;? P. 29

W A

In 2020, everyone is struggling with mental health. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our guide to finding peace.

TASTE BUDS ARE WRECKED.â&#x20AC;? P. 22 â&#x20AC;&#x153;TIRED OFâ&#x20AC;&#x153;MY WHITE SUPREMACY? WELCOME â&#x20AC;&#x153;I WANTED THEM TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE SHOOTINGTO AT.â&#x20AC;?THE P. 20CLUB.â&#x20AC;? P. 21

GRIEF

Now more than ever, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re grateful to Damian Lillard.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;GOOD THING CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HOAX LIKE COVID.â&#x20AC;? P. 4

THE MAGIC IS IN MELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOLE. page 22

â&#x20AC;&#x153;IT'S A CATFIGHT, MAN. THE FUR WILL FLY.â&#x20AC;? P. 52

OUTDOORS

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

FULL ISSUES ALWAYS AVAILABLE O NLINE

WWEEK.COM

â&#x20AC;&#x153;MY TASTE BUDS ARE WRECKED.â&#x20AC;? P. 22

NEWS

FEDS VS. A FIRESTARTER. page 9

WILLAMETTE WEEK

GOOD

â&#x20AC;&#x153;MY TASTE BUDS ARE WRECKED.â&#x20AC;? P. 22

VOL 46/45 09.02.2020

â&#x20AC;&#x153;GOOD THING CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HOAX LIKE COVID.â&#x20AC;? P. 4

NEVER MISS MISS AN NEVER ISSUE ISSUE RESPECTAN

WWEEK.COM

NEWS: REMEMBER TERESSA RAIFORDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NAME. P. 9 RESTAURANTS: WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL STOP THE RAIN? P. 21 CANNABIS: WHAT WE LOST IN THE FIRES. P. 25

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

VOL 46/44 WWEEK.COM 08.26.2020 VOL 46/43 08.19.2020

â&#x20AC;&#x153;WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D SPRAY AND VACUUM, BUT NOTHINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PERFECT.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; P. 28

Â Â? Â?

By Aaron Mesh | Page 12

NEWS: Ted Wheeler Still Wants This Job. P. 9 â&#x20AC;˘ KAYAKING: Holy Toledo! P. 22 â&#x20AC;˘ CANNABIS: Strains for Late Summer. P. 25

WWW.BROTHERS-CANNABIS.COM

P. 10

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I WANTED THEM TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE SHOOTING AT.â&#x20AC;? P. 20

â&#x20AC;&#x153;WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D SPRAY AND VACUUM, BUT NOTHINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PERFECT.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; P. 28

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

@BrothersPDX

WWEEK.COM

VOL 46/46 09.09.2020

By Nigel Jaquiss | Page 13

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

Sarah Iannarone?

Artist, musician and model Tazha Williams at BLM Art Therapy

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

A cadre of helmeted guerrilla filmmakers is coming to you live from Portlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flaming streets.

Portland voters are fed up with Ted Wheeler. But are they ready for

Beyond Avocado WWEEK.COM VOL 46/47 Toast. P. 23 09.16.2020

WWEEK.COM

WAR MOVIES

WWW.FB.COM/BrothersDispensary

P. 24 IS: rthy. AB NN e Wo CA ng Expu

P. 6

FOOD

FU LL ISSUES ALWAYS AVA I LA BLE ON LI N E

to me lco P. 21 Y: We le. OR Jung HISTPiz za the

NEWS: OREGON IS ON FIRE.

PROTESTS

VOL 46/45 09.02.2020

â&#x20AC;&#x153;DO I WANT TO DROP DEAD NEXT WEEK? NOT REALLY.â&#x20AC;? P. 29

â&#x20AC;&#x153;DO I WANT TO DROP DEAD NEXT WEEK? NOT REALLY.â&#x20AC;? P. 29 VOL 46/44 08.26.2020

GRIEF

VOL 46/48 09.23.2020

NEWS: Ted Wheeler Still Wants This Job. P. 9 â&#x20AC;˘ KAYAKING: Holy Toledo! P. 22 â&#x20AC;˘ CANNABIS: Strains for Late Summer. P. 25

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE

WWEEK.COM

CHANGE OF ART

WWEEK.COM

Sarah Iannarone?

VOL 46/47 09.16.2020

GOOD

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

NOT TED

FALL ARTS ISSUE

WWEEK.COM

By Aaron Mesh | Page 12

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

THUR - Topicals 15% OFF SAT - Shatter Day 15% OFF SUN - 15% OFF (Selected Items) WILLAMETTE WEEK

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;GOOD THING CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HOAX LIKE COVID.â&#x20AC;? P. 4

GRIEF

SHEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;MY TASTE BUDS ARE WRECKED.â&#x20AC;? P. 22

NOT TED

(Excludes Selected Cartridges)

NEWS: REMEMBER TERESSA RAIFORDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NAME. P. 9 RESTAURANTS: WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL STOP THE RAIN? P. 21 CANNABIS: WHAT WE LOST IN THE FIRES. P. 25 WILLAMETTE WEEK

WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;SHOCKINGLY, STILL SINGLE AND WAY TOO BORED.â&#x20AC;? P. 21

GOOD

PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWSWEEKLY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;SHOCKINGLY, STILL SINGLE AND WAY TOO BORED.â&#x20AC;? P. 21

SHEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WILLAMETTE WEEK

MON - Edibles 10% OFF TUE - Top Shelf 10% OFF WED - Vape Day 15% OFF

Sunlan Lighting

Complete Yard Service Senior Discounts

We do it all! Trimming, hedges & shrubs, pruning, bark dust, gutter cleaning, leaf cleanup & weeding, blackberries and ivy removal, staining, pressure washing & water sealing 503-235-0491 or 503-853-0480

HAPPY HOUR | 15% OFF | 5pm - 8pm | Mon - Thur

â&#x20AC;&#x153;TIRED OF WHITE SUPREMACY? WELCOME TO THE CLUB.â&#x20AC;? P. 21

â&#x20AC;&#x153;MY TASTE BUDS ARE WRECKED.â&#x20AC;? P. 22

Pruning and removals, stump grinding. 24-hour emergency service. Licensed/Insured. CCB#67024. Free estimates. 503-284-2077

EARLY BIRD | 10% OFF | 9am - 11am | Mon - Thur

HELP CHANGE THIS ON: SATURDAY DEC. 5TH AT 2:30 WITH FOREST MONITORS, GREENS AND CONCERNED OREGON CITIZENS. CONTACT: pacificgreens.org webpage to register to help finalize the allies action plan then link to join the Zoom meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83206412220 â&#x20AC;&#x153;TIRED OF WHITE SUPREMACY? WELCOME TO THE CLUB.â&#x20AC;? P. 21

Steve Greenberg Tree Service

503-206-4461

DAILY SPECIALS

Sadly, this image could also be from some of the OSU "forestry" ops I've seen. It amazes me and the progressive loggers I work with that ODF and OSU folks get big bucks to do this kind of unskilled and degrading work. This site had also been aerially poisoned. Given the leadership and make-up of the advisory board, I suggest that politics and timber dollars will dominate on the ground logging practices and harvest volumes in the Elliott, regardless of public inputs, policy claims, or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;best scienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. As overworked as this public forest has been, I think it has earned a jubilee and should be left alone for at least fifty years.â&#x20AC;?

Send your query to: askshebop@ sheboptheshop.com Select questions will be answered in Ask She Bop's next sex advice column

1326 SE Morrison St.

TO PLACE AN AD, CONTACT:

Save The Elliott Forest

CLASSIFIEDS

"THEY ARE KILLING US. AND Y'ALL MISS A