The rings of (horse) power 🐎

Historic horse tethering rings in Portland, OR

Toy horses tied to a metal ring set into a concrete sidewalk.

Hold your (toy) horses by tethering them for others to see and enjoy. | Photo by Another Believer

Human history has been powered by horses for millennia. In Portland, you can find symbols of the horse’s contribution to society — if you lower your gaze.

Scattered around the City of Roses are discreet brass + iron rings bolted into curbs and sidewalks. They harken back to a time when Portlanders used horses to travel and transport goods.

The City of Portland installed metal rings throughout the city at the turn of the 20th century, requiring riders and wagon drivers to tether their unattended steeds to protect passersby if one should spook and bolt. Within a couple of decades, the rising popularity of automobiles had pushed horses out of Portland — and the rings fell to disuse.

A black and white image showing horsedrawn carriages and wagons surrounded by two-story buildings. — Portland’s old Front Street in 1910.

The city eventually started removing the rings after some people reportedly tripped over them. But a resident complained that the rings were worth preserving (read his colorful statement) — and the city agreed, reining in its efforts to remove them. In 1978, the city announced that residents could pay a $5 fee to have a tether ring replaced if it was removed during curb repairs.

Local artist Scott Wayne Indiana reunited the rings with horses, so to speak, when he launched the Portland Horse Project in 2005. He tied some toy horses to the rings, sparking a stampede of enthusiasm, including a marriage proposal + a documentary. People still hitch toy creatures to the rings today.

If you’d like to visit a piece of Portland’s horsey past, look for the tether rings in the Pearl District, inner Southeast, the Sellwood neighborhood, and in the West Hills south of Washington Park (though they’re scattered across other areas, too). And if you see one, snap a picture to share on Facebook or Instagram.

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Today

Bollywood Dance Class | Mon., Sept. 19 | 8-9 p.m. | 15181 NW Twoponds Dr. | $12 | Dance away your stress + learn new movement skills in a relaxed environment.

Tuesday

Latinx Heritage Month Happy Hour | Tues., Sept. 20 | 12 p.m. | Online | Free | Come for the dynamic talks about the tech industry, stay for the networking + community building.

Wednesday

Shemanski Park Market | Wed., Sept. 21 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Southwest Park Avenue + Main Street | Free | Shop from 30+ vendors selling farm-fresh seasonal produce and locally-made food. 🍅
“The Hombres” | Now-Sun., Oct. 9 | Times vary | Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave. | $20+ | This comedic-yet-sensitive story about three Latino construction workers explores male friendship + challenges stereotypes about masculinity. 🎭
Shroom Show: A Foraging Tour | Thurs., Sept. 22-Sun., Oct. 2 | Times vary | Tryon Life Community Farm, 11640 SW Boones Ferry Rd. | Pay as you’re able | Bring your farm shoes + a basket to this educational guided tour about fungi that’s part treasure hunt, part hero’s journey. 🍄

Thursday

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals | Thurs., Sept. 22 | 6:30 p.m. | McMenamins Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey St., Troutdale | $73+ | The rock band showcases lyrical honesty + social activism.
Beaverton Restaurant Week | Thurs., Sept. 22-Sun., Oct. 2 | Times vary | Downtown Beaverton | Prices vary | Dine at more than 40 participating restaurants + be entered into daily gift card drawings. 🍽️
Portland Arts & Lectures: Abdulrazak Gurnah | Thurs., Sept. 22 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall | $110+ | Listen to a Nobel Prize for Literature recipient + author of novels like “Memory of Departure” and “Paradise.” 📖

Plan Ahead

Amy Schumer | Thurs., Oct. 6 | 7 p.m. | Arlene Schnitzer Hall *

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

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PLAN YOUR WEEK

Your usual coffee could never 💅

Super Coffee is designed to impress your taste buds. | Photo provided by Super Coffee

Not-so-fun fact: One Starbucks Frappuccino contains 52 grams of sugar and 370 calories.

Fortunately, there’s a better option — meet Super Coffee, the nation’s No. 2 bottle coffee brand behind Starbucks.

Think of it as the latest + greatest in latte innovation: Super Coffee is just as tasty (and caffeinating) as Starbucks, but with ten grams of protein, zero grams of sugar or artificial sweeteners, and nearly 200 fewer calories.

Bonus: PDXtoday readers can try it for free — just pay shipping. ☕ *

SNAG YOUR SUPER COFFEE SAMPLE

Weather

84º | Here comes the sun | 4% chance of rain
The National Weather Service’s latest outlook favors La Niña to last through the winter, but what does that mean for Portland? At the moment, the Climate Prediction Center’s model is all but certain that we’ll see cooler temperatures + heavy precipitation through at least November. ❄️ (NWS)

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 6:54 a.m.
Set: 7:13 p.m.

Open

Zupan’s Market on West Burnside has opened a private dining venue in its basement. Cellar Z will showcase rare + fine wines paired with seasonal bites prepared by Pazzo Ristorante’s former executive chef , John Eisenhart. Seated events in the space can accommodate up to 14 people, while receptions have room for 25. (Eater Portland)

Cause

Portland + Clackamas community colleges will host free legal clinics for National Expungement Week (Mon., Sept. 19-Sat., Sept. 24). People with criminal records can learn whether they’re eligible for expungement + get help filing the necessary paperwork, which can ultimately help unlock doors to earning degrees, finding jobs, and qualifying for loans. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Closing

Get your feline cuddles + playtime meow, because Purrington’s Cat Lounge plans to close in November. The owners said the Northeast Portland cat café has helped build community and find loving homes for hundreds of cats since opening in 2015 — and they hope to find a buyer who will continue its legacy. 🐈 (KOIN)

Eat

Southeast Portland restaurant Kachka will celebrate Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year) with a special menu of holiday dishes. Place your take-home order now for fresh challah bread, short rib and carrot tsimmes, lekach + more; orders will be ready for pick up Sat., Sept. 24-Sun., Sept. 25.

Award

Eleven restoration projects in Oregon, six of which are located in Portland, have been chosen by Restore Oregon to receive a 2022 DeMuro Award for Excellence in Preservation, Reuse, and Community Revitalization. Local projects include early 20th century churches, the Phoenix Pharmacy building + post-WWII buildings in the Lloyd District. 🔨 (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Drink

CJ McCollum is still blazing trails, even though he’s left Rip City. The former Blazer’s wine partnership with Adelsheim Vineyard, McCollum Heritage 91, releases its sixth wine today. Fifty 12-bottle cases of the 2016 Sparkling Blanc De Blancs will be up for grabs starting at 9 a.m. 🍷 (Portland Business Journal)
Stop and smell the rosé. The Willamette Wine Walk returns this week after a two-year hiatus. Hosted by Historic Willamette Main Street, the event will feature tastings of local wine + cider in West Linn’s business district from 5-8 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 21. (West Linn Tidings)

Theater

“The ripple, the wave that carried me home” by 2022 Tony Award-nominated playwright Christina Anderson will open in Portland fresh off its world premiere, telling the story of a family’s struggle to integrate swimming pools in a fictional city in Kansas. Performances run Sat., Oct. 8-Sun., Oct. 30 at Portland Center Stage. 🎭

Outdoors

Officials confirmed a third group of wolves is living in the northern Cascades. First spotted in December on the reservation of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs ~100 miles southeast of Portland, the two adults + two pups will be named the Warm Springs Pack if they still number four members by the end of 2022. 🐺 (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Ranked

Portland is the second-best beer city in the US, according to vacation rental company HomeToGo. Seventeen cities were ranked based on the number of bars, breweries, beer + accommodation prices — with Chicago beating us for the top spot. For Portland, the list found 65 top-rated bars, 52 breweries + an average pint price of $6. 🍺 (HomeToGo)

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Development

Oregon’s last coal-fired power plant gets explosive sendoff

Demolition charges implode a building and smokestack.

Explosives toppled a 19-story boiler building + a 656-ft smokestack. | Courtesy to PDXtoday

Explosives toppled Portland General Electric’s (PGE) shuttered coal-fired power plant last week — the last plant of its kind in Oregon. Crews expect to complete the demolition project within a year or so.

The Boardman Coal Plant operated from 1980-2020 about 170 miles east of Portland in the Columbia River Gorge. At peak output, the plant reportedly burned through five-and-a-half tons of coal per minute, producing enough electricity to power about 500,000 homes.

PGE is investing in more renewable and non-polluting power sources, with plans to replace the power generated by Boardman Coal with wind and solar power generated by the nearby Wheatridge Renewable Energy facility.

THE WRAP

Today’s edition was written by Cambrie.

Editor’s pick: It’s been several weeks since I spent any considerable time in my gardens, but now fall prep is in full swing. I’ve been pruning, preserving, seeding cover crops, and laying down mulch to help put the beds to rest for the year — with guidance from the OSU Extension Service.

Missed Friday’s newsletter? Our German colleague can show you where to eat + drink like a true German around Portland.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Cambrie Juarez, Ben McBee, Trevor Peters, Britt Thorson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea, Eva Limmer | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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