Well, we’ve knocked out most of the week, and now it’s Thursday, August 8, 2019. Yesterday morning’s clouds took their sweet time clearing out, and Portland reached only 73, way short of the predicted 82. Today the cloud surge looks even heavier, so it might not clear at all. Looks for highs of 75. Might be a morning shower at the coast as well as the Cascade foothills, and possible lightning zipping around in the Cascades and points east. Sunrise 6:02 AM, sunset 8:29 PM.
Mayor Ted Wheeler is all over YouTube and Twitter with “A message to anyone who plans on using Portland on August 17th to commit violence and spread hate: We. Don’t. Want. You. Here. Stop using our beautiful city and our home to spread fear and disrupt our lives.” Worth watching. His level of concern is indicative of how nasty that day could be.
It’s reported that the mother of the El Paso shooter contacted police worried about her son buying a gun. Police told her that he’s 21, and has the right.
Our friends at KOIN report that a half-dozen Vancouver-based WSP troopers are suing Ford Motor Company, saying their patrol vehicles gave them carbon monoxide poisoning. The suit claims Explorer model years 2011 through 2018 have a defect which allows exhaust fumes to be sucked into the passenger compartment, and that some troopers have suffered permanent neurological damage.
KGW reports that the refurbished Grant High School will reopen with a really nice new baseball field, which is great–but no softball field at all, which is not. It was cut from the budget. The Grant girls will instead take the bumpy and fenceless field at Wilshire Park, where Little Leagues play. You’re in for a Title IX fight, PPS. Ask Lakeridge.
Forty-five years ago tonight, President Richard Nixon–knowing that he’d been caught obstructing justice and was ripe for impeachment–delivered a speech announcing his resignation, which took effect the following day.
The Salem Airport–McNary Field–was dedicated on this day 90 years ago. Though it currently has no commercial flights, I remember only a decade or so ago, you could catch a Delta nonstop to Salt Lake City there. United, Horizon, and the late SeaPort Airlines also flew from Salem. Now? National Guard choppers, charter flights, and cargo planes use its runways.
The Portland Timbers fell 2-1 to Minnesota in the US Open Cup semifinals, while the Portland Thorns lost 1-0 to the Seattle reign.
The most storied Blazer in history, Bill Walton, is America’s tallest Deadhead, and today he’s the regularly-featured guest percussionist of a Grateful Dead tribute combo that will perform at San Diego’s Petco Park ahead of a Padres game. Bill’s group is the Electric Waste Band, and showtime is 4:20 PM.
Hey, I see that former Oregon State Beaver ballplayer Michael Conforto–who’s now a starting outfield for the New York Mets–just hit major league career home runs number 100 and 101! I believe that puts him just behind Jacoby Ellsbury for most MLB home runs by an Oregon State Beaver…but I might be forgetting someone. I remember when he was in the Little League World Series in 2004. Practically yesterday!
The Little League Softball World Series is underway for the next week at Alpenrose in SW Portland. A year ago, the kids were playing under orange and smokey skies. This year it’s almost perfect. Air quality today looks excellent.
The Seattle Seahawks play their preseason opener against the Denver Broncos at CenturyLink Field tonight at 7 on Fox 12!
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Good news in the Coffee Cup?
–“A quirk of copyright law means that millions of books are now free and easily downloadable”
–“Winston is one lucky pooch”.
–“Supertramp Singer ‘Gives a Little Bit’ Inviting Teens With Autism on Stage to Perform with 39 Piece Orchestra”
–“Bitcoin expert scams a scammer, donates the money to charity”
–“Garrison Keillor’s Birthday Message. A little PG13, but why not?”
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And now…into a Thursday! What do you think about stuff?
Portland's Daily Drip 