Hello, sleepy people, of whom I am one. It’s Daily Drip time! We’re coming alive on a Monday, April 16, 2018. A wet mass of cold air that took its sweet time moving through the region is finally east of the Cascades, but lagging behind it is a trough full of showers, hail, thunderstorms, and snow down to 2500 feet. Today’s high should struggle up to 50. Our sunrise today comes at 6:23 AM, and sunset’s at 7:58 PM.
First off…best wishes to the Bush family…as former first lady Barbara Bush, in failing health at 92, has opted to end medical treatment, leave the hospital, and receive comfort care at home. Respected by all, she held views that sometimes differed those of her President husband and President son, whom she referred to as “my Georges,” and chafed against some of the trappings of office. She was afflicted with an autoimmune disease though her current ailment is undisclosed.
The cold April snow will keep blowing in the mountains for at least a day more, as a winter weather advisory for the Cascades remains in effect until 8 AM Tuesday. Studs were supposed to be off cars yesterday.
It’s rained in Portland 14 of the 15 days so far in April. The misery of others should never be a consolation, but parts of the country are having much worse weather than we are, with a foot or more of snow in Sioux Falls and Minneapolis, almost two feet in Green Bay, and freezing rain from Michigan to New York. PDX? Lemme check the reader board….OK. A couple of Minneapolis flights are canceled, and there’s a long list of delays.
A third of yesterday’s MLB games were rained or snowed out. But baseball hopes are popping up like daisies in Portland, where an unnamed ownership group has been meeting with the mayor and others, and The Oregonian’s John Canzano expects some kind of a progress announcement by midweek. Major League Baseball openly covets Portland’s young, progressive demographics. The Oakland A’s are up for grabs. There’s an MLB player salary tax already written into state law to help pay for a stadium. Our hearts have been broken before, but if this actually happens…we’re season ticket holders from year one.
The Portland Timbers and the Portland Thorns both won their home openers in a packed Providence Park.
Over the weekend the Portland Winterhawks were eliminated from the WHL playoffs. And the Portland Trail Blazers earned the Burnt Biscuit Award for stumbling out of the gate in playoff game one against New Orleans, with the second game tomorrow night.
Right in the middle of the Saturday night Blazer game, there was a 3.1 earthquake in the Willamette Valley.
Be on the lookout for a red Cadillac Escalade that was seen driving away from Bar Fly’s on Lancaster in Salem after 2 AM Saturday. Two men were shot to death and a third was wounded.
Starting today, you and I will be able to tour the USS Portland for free at Portland Marine Terminal #2, 3556 N.W. Front Ave. Tours will take place 2-5 p.m. every day but Thursday. The massive craft floated into Portland Saturday to the delight of thousands who lined the Columbia and Willamette banks, though it apparently steamed in early to beat the weather, and some folks showed up at Cathedral Park just after the big boat passed by. “No ship, Sherlock,” texted my sister.
James Comey’s book comes out tomorrow, and the former FBI director will be in Portland plugging it this weekend. ABC’s interview with him aired last night, maybe you watched, it was too late for me, but I found the transcript, and this jumped out. Said Comey: “I liken President Trump in the book to a forest fire. Going to do tremendous damage…But a forest fire gives healthy things a chance to grow that had no chance before that fire.” He also called Trump a “serial liar,” said he was morally unfit for office, and said Americans “are duty-bound to vote him out of office.”
A quick “what were you thinking?” to the Starbucks in Philadelphia, where the manager called the cops on a couple of African-American businessmen who were waiting to meet an associate, and had the temerity to ask to use the restroom even though they hadn’t ordered anything yet. Cops came and handcuffed these gentlemen just as their associate, a white guy, showed up. Starbucks has apologized, and the CEO is flying to Philly today to personally meet with the men who were arrested, and released without charges.
Saturday Night Live did a sketch about Rajneeshpuram, as the Netflix series about Oregon’s 1980s ordeal has revived a national fascination. Any time now we expect to see Ma Anand Sheela on Dancing With The Stars.
Tonight on PBS there’s a 3-hour airing of the Antique Roadshow’s smash hit (ooh, sorry about Grandma’s vase) visit to Portland last summer.
For those who saw Sixty Minutes last night…Allegiant Air does not fly into Portland. And its stock is down 8% ahead of the open. The network reported that the low-cost, high-profit airline that flies out of Las Vegas is plagued by mechanical problems from skimping on maintenance to save money.
Crazy scene on a San Antonio street as four baboons escaped their cages at a biomedical research facility, and staff members chased them down.
It’s Pizza Week, according to the Portland Mercury, whose website lists dozens of local shops where you can get a tasty slice for two bucks.
Two voices that carried America through troubled times, and still echo in our heads, made major debuts on this very day in 1962: Walter Cronkite took over the CBS Evening News. And Bob Dylan first sang in public “Blowin’ In The Wind.” Same day, 56 years ago today.
tmsg!
–“Tearful mom describes joy of seeing colorblind son experience ‘everything in Technicolor’ thanks to special new glasses.”
–“Foundation turns shelter dogs into first responders”
–“When the airport was fogged in, a pilot diverted his aircraft to a non-fogged airport, rather than returning to the airport of origin, to ensure 15 Irish patients en route to Wales for vital cataract surgeries would not end up back on the waiting list.”
–“Lost dog survives two weeks in crocodile infested mangroves to reunite with family in ‘miracle'”
–“After 76 years, children Holocaust survivors reunite”
–“Morning commuter helps family escape house fire”
Thanks to all those who came to our gathering at the Daily Drip Lounge in Tigard on Friday. Good times! We will do it again! OK Monday!
Portland's Daily Drip 