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Rose Bak
As temperatures drop in the metro area, local jurisdiction open additional shelter beds for the homeless
Multnomah and Washington Counties gear up to protect the homeless during upcoming winter weather. Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran setting up shelter beds earlier this yearPhoto courtesy of Multnomah County.
How Portlanders can give back this Thanksgiving
Don't just talk about being thankful, try one of these great options to show your gratitude and help others. It's hard to believe, but next week is Thanksgiving already. With turkeys and cranberry sauce in short supply and the never-ending pandemic, your holiday may look a little different this year. Change is hard, but it's also a great time to do something different.
Will body cameras reduce complaints against the Portland Police?
Mayor's proposed public safety plan includes funds for body cameras for officers, but research on their effectiveness is mixed. In last week's $7.8 million public safety spending proposal, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler proposed a number of investments to reduce the dramatic increase in violent crime in the city. The mayor, who also serves as Police Commissioner in Portland's relatively unique commission form of government, wants to spend $2.9 million on a body camera program for police officers.
Plan ahead to get the most out of Veterans Day in Portland this year
Here's what you need to know about veterans and the Veterans Day holiday in the metro area. Veterans Day is this Thursday, November 11th. This annual event recognizes the sacrifices made by service men and women in service to their country. Like the rest of the country, the Portland metro area will offer a variety of ways to say thanks.
With a strike scheduled, Kaiser nurses prepare to walk out while patients scramble to prepare for closures
Nurses and other medical professionals plan to strike beginning November 15th to advocate for better wages and to protect patient care. After months of negotiations and a large rally in support of the labor union, it looks inevitable that Oregon will soon see one of the largest labor strikes in its history starting at 6:00 a.m. on November 15th.
Portland area will see shortages on Thanksgiving staples this year that may impact holiday dinners
Supply chain shortages are impacting Portland area stores and restaurants. Here's where to get your dinner reserved now. After last year's Thanksgiving holiday was mostly virtual thanks to the pandemic, many Portland residents have been looking forward to a "normal" Thanksgiving this year. With an estimated 80% of Oregon adults vaccinated, in-person gatherings feel significantly safer this year. But there's a new problem: food shortages.
City of Portland expands program that helps deescalate homeless and mentally ill populations and avoid police response.
Innovative program helps connect those in crisis with services more quickly than traditional models. After ten months of responding to mental health crisis calls in the Lents neighborhood, the Portland City Council has approved funding for Portland Street Response to expand its services.
City of Portland and Multnomah County pledge an additional $38 million to address homelessness, but will it really help?
New investments are made possible by unanticipated revenue coming to both jurisdictions. This week the City of Portland and Multnomah County unveiled a joint plan to designate $38 million in unanticipated revenue into solving the region's seemingly intractable homelessness crisis. Multnomah County is kicking in $19.2 million while the City of Portland is contributing $18.8 million.
Multnomah County Property Taxes are due soon, but what if you can't pay the huge increase?
Property taxes increased again this year, but help may be available. Here's what you need to know. It's the time of the year that makes many homeowners cringe: time to pay your property taxes. This week Multnomah County's Division of Assessment, Recording, and Taxation (DART) began sending out annual property tax bills to over 300,000 local property owners.
How many police officers does Portland really need to be effective?
Arguments for increasing or decreasing funding need to include consideration of the city's exponential growth. The debate over the Portland Police Bureau and its staffing levels is heating up as the police union, city council, advocates, and citizens grapple with the bureau's performance handling issues related to livability and public safety.
Here's how the Portland City Council could use the fall budget windfall to help average citizens get a break
There are lots of long-term needs, but the City could also try some new things that would help make a difference. The City of Portland is about to enter into its Fall Budget Monitoring process, commonly known as the "Fall BMP". Due to revenue that is higher than forecast in this year's city budget, the City Council is looking to spend millions of dollars on projects that they feel are important.
Traveling together for the first time can be a big test for a new relationship.
Going out of town together for the first time presents some challenges. Here's how to minimize conflict before you leave home. In every new relationship, there are milestones that test the fragile bonds of coupledom: meeting the family or kids, having your first fight, and your first out-of-town travel excursion.
What are those little white boxes popping up on porches all over Portland?
New service aims to help recycle items that can't go in the blue bins. Have you seen strange little white boxes on porches in your neighborhood?. My dog was eating grass when I noticed a white box on someone's porch, emblazoned with the name "Ridwell". As we continued walking, I noticed that there were several of these Ridwell boxes on porches all over my neighborhood so I decided to do some research. I figured they were a delivery service like Alpenrose, but it turns out that Ridwell is something totally new: a recycling pick-up service.
"People for Portland" is attracting some high profile supporters -- and the ire of homeless advocates
The organization appears to be focused primarily on the impact of homelessness. Social media is full of ads for a new non-profit social welfare organization called "People for Portland". According to its website, the organization, which seemed to appear out of nowhere this past August, has a broad mission.
Are you struggling to pay your rent in Portland? There's still help available.
Here's how to take advantage of pandemic rent assistance programs before you become homeless. Eviction court filings are increasing dramatically in Multnomah County. Fed-up landlords are taking advantage of the end of eviction moratoriums to send a clear message to their tenants: pay up your back rent or get out.
Having a baby can profoundly change relationships
The stress and lifestyle changes associated with a new baby may bring a couple closer together -- or rip them apart. For most people, having a baby is a happy time. Whether through birth or adoption, having a baby will naturally impact a relationship substantially. Some parents however underestimate just how much things will change when a baby is factored into their relationship.
He didn't want a partner, he wanted a mom
My relationship with a "man-baby" taught me a lot about what I wanted in a romantic partner. I remember the day I realized that was I was dating a "man-baby". My live-in boyfriend and I had gone for a hike. It was a rare sunny spring day in Portland. The hike was my idea, if it was up to him, he would have sat in the house with the drapes closed playing video games all day. I insisted we go outside and get some fresh air and exercise and he reluctantly agreed.
Has the homeless crisis killed people's sense of empathy in Portland?
The homeless and unemployed aren't the only ones who are hungry in Oregon. I recently wrote an article recently about the PDX Free Fridge program. The article highlighted a grass-roots community-based program that is aimed at reducing hunger in the Portland metro area. It seemed like a "feel good" story: neighbors helping neighbors navigate the complexities of food insecurity in a way that preserves dignity. What I wasn't prepared for were the comments.
Rose Bak
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Rose Bak is a freelance writer who lives in Portland, Oregon with her family and special needs dogs. She writes on a variety of topics including local news, homelessness, poverty, relationships, yoga, and aging. She is also a published author of romantic fiction. For more of Rose's work, visit her website at rosebakenterprises.com or follow her on social media @AuthorRoseBak.
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