Monday, is how it feels, and Monday is what it is, as we hop to it on August 12, 2019. Portland’s weather looks sunny and warm, with highs of 80, but we enjoy, or not, another little taste of rain Thursday night into the weekend. Sunrise 6:07 AM, sunset 8:23 PM.
I want to start by showering confetti on the Portland Thorns..who sold out Providence Park for their Sunday game, setting a new single-game NWSL attendance record of 25, 218…and proceeded to defeat the North Carolina Courage 2-1 to seize first place in the race for the NWSL Shield! Timbers won, too. Great weekend for Soccer City USA!
Did you get drenched on Saturday afternoon? It totally missed a lot of us, but a torrential cloudburst extended from Sauvie Island to the NWS station near PDX, and Portland officially measured .80 inches, which–bizarrely for August–was the second rainiest day of the year, behind only a January Friday. It was more rain in an hour than we normally get in the whole month of August. Saturday’s rain was enough to cause a rare summer sewer overflow into the Willamette River halfway between the St. Johns Bridge and Sauvie Island—near a Linnton head shop called House of Pipes.
A twisty little finger of clouds corkscrewed down from the sky above wine country, in the Newberg-Dundee Hills. No sign that it hit the ground, or damaged any of the 2019 Pinot Noir grapes that’ll be ready for harvest very soon.
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Today is the two-year anniversary of the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, VA. Portland City Hall is afraid that this Saturday’s right-left clash could descend into something similar, and they’re intent on not letting that happen. Let’s hope it turns out like so many of our impending snowstorms and roadwork shutdowns–a week of foreboding media coverage, followed by Pfft!
A guy who yelled racial slurs at two kids last December, and antisemitic slurs at the Portland cops who arrived, will be sentenced today for intimidation, menacing, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Say, they caught the man who drove his van into the Clackamas River at Barton Park last week–with his wife in the passenger seat. She swam for it, and survived…and he was found two days later along Highway 224, about 3 miles downstream, in “disheveled condition” and begging to go to the hospital.
They’re back at work now, but the Burgerville Workers Union staged a one-day walkout at three stores supporting its contract demands, including a $5/hr. pay raise.
I hear that an attendant pumped two gallons of gasoline into a diesel-powered car over the weekend…the owner called a tow, and will be filing a claim against the company…and grumbling about the no-self-serve law…
Thousands of people wheeled their way across bridges that are typically not bike-friendly, for the 24th annual Providence Bridge Pedal. People had a wonderful time.
It’s been pelting the planet with stardust for a month, but the Perseid meteor shower reaches peak popcorn late tonight. It’s competing with an almost-full moon all night long, but if you can escape from the city, it’ll still put on a show. Skies should be clear. OMSI is hosting star parties starting at 9 at Rooster Rock and Stub Stewart State Parks.
Single-game tickets go on sale today for OSU Football’s August 30 opener against Oklahoma in Corvallis.
Finger-picking wizard Mark Knopfler began his walk of life in Glasgow 70 years ago today. He’s on tour; he’ll be at the Keller a month from tomorrow.
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Something good? Coming right up–in the Cup!
–“This FBI agent rescued a kidnapped baby in 1997. They met again on Friday.”
–“Lady Gaga to fund 162 classrooms in Dayton, El Paso and Gilroy”
–“Arkansas State Police troopers rescue escaped miniature cow, let her ride shotgun”
–“Smithsonian Scientists Are Using Ginkgo Leaves to Study Climate Change—They Need Your Help”
–“Teen gets piglet pet…Dad scores major points…”
–“I don’t post a lot of proposal videos…but this one’s pretty sweet..nice job by the guy’s wingman./”
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Let’s scramble into a Monday and have a fun and productive one!