Morning, mates! It’s Wednesday, May 30, 2018, a partly cloudy day just like yesterday with highs around 65. Tomorrow could bring a light shower in the afternoon, but they’ve now removed the rain possibility from the Starlight Run and Parade. But it’ll be cool. Sunrise today is at 5:26 AM, and sunset’s 8:50 PM.
Did you get a text message or hear a broadcast bulletin last night about a civil emergency in Oregon…and that you should “prepare for action”…with no details on what that emergency may be? The Oregon Office of Emergency Management says: sorry about that. It was intended for Salem, about a water problem I’ll describe in a second, and they’ll try to figure out why they needlessly scared the whee out of everyone in listening range. The Salem situation is this:
A number of people, as well as pets, should avoid drinking the municipal water in Salem, thanks to the algae bloom in Detroit Lake. where low levels of toxins have been detected in the system that supplies Oregon’s capital city, the town of Turner, and some other areas. The don’t-drink-the-water warning applies to more than just little kids. From the Salem website: “Children under the age of six, people with compromised immune systems, people receiving dialysis treatment, people with pre-existing liver conditions, pets, pregnant women or nursing mothers, or other sensitive populations should follow this advisory.” An important point, that we’re not hearing in the media: Don’t boil. Boiling makes it worse. I’d pick up some bottled water at Costco ASAP.
A Hillsboro High School senior has won a judge’s OK to wear a T-shirt that reads, “Donald J. Trump Border Wall Construction Co. The wall just got ten feet taller.” The judge, overruling the school district, said, “The T-shirt is core protected speech, and walking down the streets of Hillsboro, no state official -petty or grand – would be able to do much about that T-shirt legitimately under the Constitution.”
The scene developing on the US-Mexico border in Texas, according to NPR, is that families escaping the violence of Central America are making it across the river into the US, where they hope to be granted asylum, but instead they are jailed–parents and children together–for several days, until they’re separated, with the adults being prosecuted for entering the US illegally and held for deportation, apart from their children, who remain in US care ostensibly to be placed with relatives in this country. The White House says they’d rather keep families together, but don’t have the facilities.
Oh-oh…last year’s Eagle Creek Fire in the Gorge? It’s still alive. Somebody spotted a reddish glimmer in the woods a few miles east of Cascade Locks, and the glow turned out to be a hot spot that flared up in the dry conditions. Firefighters jumped on it. There’ve been a couple of other fiery remnants this spring, which is about to turn into a whole new hot dry summer.
A 28-year old Hillsboro man was killed in a 3,000 to 4,000-foot fall while climbing Mt. Adams over Memorial Day, and recovering his remains turned out to be difficult because of snow and high winds. Three other climbers fell on Mt. Hood, and lived to tell.
“He deserved it”…is how a jailed Newport woman explains why she stabbed her six-year-old son. He’s recovering from wounds to his liver, lung, and chin. This poor kid and his baby brother were born addicted to drugs. Where’s dad? He’s a commercial fisherman, and he just got back. And has filed for custody.
Today is the 70th anniversary of the Vanport Flood. As every Portlander knows, or should, the Kaiser ship-building company town was wiped out when a dike broke and the Columbia River–running powerful and high with snowmelt, as it is today–rushed in and clipped the homes right off their shallow foundations. Fifteen people were killed, and the survivors were distributed to other neighborhoods by race. Severe redlining, a common practice. Back then, we’re told. Thus was an African-American population etched into Albina, or at least until the Coliseum was built and eventually gentrification took hold half-a-century later. Shame on Portland for that, and for not memorializing the historic grounds of Vanport in an indelible way. Somehow “Delta Park” just doesn’t get it said.
Nobody really believed that just 64 people were killed when Hurricane Maria mowed down Puerto Rico last year, and now a study led by Harvard estimates the death toll at close to 5,000. And much of the island is still without reliable water or power.
Asian stocks tumbled overnight, as American stocks did yesterday, largely because of rumblings within Italy that a break with the European Union may be in store.
So “Roseanne” is history: we’re sad for Laurie Metcalf and John Goodman and the countless behind-scenes people whose suddenly-revived careers have been just as abruptly dashed by the star’s tweet suggesting that President Obama’s chief aide was a Muslim and an ape. We all know that our standards of interpersonal decency, especially on the Internet, have been chucked out the window, and that words are now weapons in the cultural war. But someone who’s in a position to fill the national hearth with family laughter and entertainment, as she did in the 80’s, cannot send little winks to one hateful fringe without serious blowback. She later said she was “Ambien tweeting.”
One of Portland’s big contributions to 20th-century pop culture–actor Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig–was born on this day 110 years ago. His gravestone really does read, “That’s all, folks.” (Let’s not shortchange his bio. Mel also did Mister Magoo, Yosemite Sam, and George Jetson. And, like many nice people, he was a KGW alum).
The Mayor today declares May 30 through June 12 Great Blue Heron Week. That’s actually two weeks, but it’s a big bird.
The Beatles began recording The White Album fifty years ago today.
Today is Paul Simon and Edie Brickell’s 26th anniversary.
The series finale of “The Americans” airs tonight on FX.
Random factoid: do you know Emanuel Hospital in Portland…is based on a misspelling?
Also: A friend who just returned from Paris says the food on the flight back was much, much better than on the flight over. Croissants vs. hot doggish buns. She says the homeward food came from a French kitchen…while the food on the flight over was made in Seattle.
Today’s spoonfuls of sugar:
–“A 71-year-old woman has completed her mission of performing a headstand in all 50 states”
–“Couple goes to zoo, both bring a ring to propose”
–“All 12,000 Pret a Manger staff to get £1,000 each as chain is sold for £1.5bn”
–“U.S. high school dropout rate reaches record low, driven by improvements among Hispanics, blacks”
–“Weezer Fulfills Wish Of Fan-Led Campaign By Covering Toto’s ‘Africa'”
–“Sighting of a lifetime: Whale watchers find, rescue orphaned bear cub near Tofino, BC”
–“Firefighter rewarded for wooftop rescue”
Nothing to add to that! Good day friends!
Portland's Daily Drip 