Plus: A trash bin PSA.
 
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39º | Rain + snow showers | 37% chance of wintry mix | Sunrise 7:48 a.m. | Sunset 4:49 p.m.
 

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A day on, not a day off

Local ways to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day
A bronze statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with three other allegorical figures of a man, a woman, and a young girl in front of an American flag and the state of Oregon flag on a pavilion.
“The Dream” sculpture outside the Oregon Convention Center depicts Martin Luther King Jr. and three people who represent the working American, immigration, and “intergenerational respect.” | Photo by Another Believer
Each year, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is observed as a federal holiday on the third Monday of January — Jan. 15 this year. The theme for 2024 is “Shifting the Cultural Climate through the Study and Practice of Kingian Nonviolence,” according to The King Center — a nonprofit founded by Coretta Scott King to continue her husband’s legacy.

If you have time to dedicate to our community, consider joining a SOLVE MLK Day cleanup or getting involved with one of these local social justice programs:
  • KairosPDX | Program ambassadors work to break down structural racism through policy advocacy, professional development services, and hands-on learning at the flagship community school and through family engagement programs.
  • Coalition of Communities of Color | Drive social change by helping conduct research to better understand socioeconomic gaps, institutional racism, and inequity of services.
  • Urban League of Portland | Make a positive impact in the Black community by pledging your time to one of Oregon’s oldest civil rights and social service organizations focused on housing, health, education, and jobs.
Looking for other ways to observe MLK Day? Here are some events taking place on Monday, Jan. 15:
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast | 8:30-10:30 a.m. | Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | $100+ | Join The Skanner Foundation in celebrating King’s life and work with a meal accompanied by live music and speeches from elected officials.
  • “Reclaim Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day” | 1 p.m. | 700 N. Rosa Parks Way | Free | Everyone is invited to join Don’t Shoot PDX’s annual march starting near Peninsula Park.
  • KBOO’s Annual MLK Day Live Special | 1-4 p.m. | Highland Christian Center, 7600 NE Glisan St. | Free with a suggested $5 donation or five cans of non-perishable food | Since 1976, Portland-based World Arts Foundation has hosted this family-friendly program featuring on-stage performances, speakers, and a marketplace. Masks are required.
  • 20th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute | 7 p.m. | Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St. | Free | Watch a screening of “King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis,” a documentary that follows King’s life from 1955 to 1968.
King's 1961 visit to Portland
 
Events
Friday, Jan. 12
  • Northwest Academy Winter Dance Showcase | Friday, Jan. 12 | 5:30 + 8 p.m. | Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland | $8-$12.50 | See middle and high school dance students perform tap, jazz, ballet, and modern works choreographed by their peers and faculty members.
  • Studio Ghibli Film Festival | Friday, Jan. 12-Sunday, Feb. 25 | Times vary | Empirical Theater at OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., Portland | $20 | Get “Spirited Away” to whimsical, animated lands imagined by beloved Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki; opening night kicks off with “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.”
Saturday, Jan. 13
  • Portland Haiku Group | Saturday, Jan. 13 | 12-2 p.m. | Sellwood Community House, 1436 SE Spokane St., Portland | Free | Haiku are not long, but they can be tough to write, practice will make perfect.
  • Sculpt Your Pet Instructed Clay Handbuilding Class | Saturday, Jan. 13 | 6-8:30 p.m. | Venvino Art Studios, 13329 SE Misty Dr., Happy Valley | $35 | Mold your pet’s likeness with clay and paint under the instruction of a studio artist while enjoying refreshments and snacks.
  • Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony | Saturday, Jan. 13-Monday, Jan. 15 | Times vary | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Portland | $25-$132 | First performed in Saint Petersburg in 1908, this inspiring piece of musical genius represents the legendary pianist-composer’s great triumph over his poorly-received inaugural symphony.
Sunday, Jan. 14
  • PCM Lion and Dragon Dance Academy with White Lotus | Sunday, Jan. 14 | 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Portland Chinatown Museum, 127 NW Third Ave., Portland | $5 | People 13 and older are invited to learn about the cultural heritage and performance basics of lion and dragon dancing featured in Lunar New Year festivities.
  • “Goodnight Moon” | Sunday, Jan. 14-Sunday, Feb. 11 | Times vary | Winningstad Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland | $22-$45 | Bring your little ones to see this treasured tale come to life on stage and bid goodnight to the three little bears, the pair of kittens, the young mouse, and the cow jumping over the moon.
Events calendar here
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News Notes
Weather
  • Bundle up. Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington will be under a winter storm watch starting Friday afternoon, with the National Weather Service forecasting 2-10 inches of snow followed by freezing rain Friday night through Saturday. Whatever form of moisture falls from the sky is expected to mostly clear by Sunday morning. (OPB)
Outdoors
  • Elevations above 6,500 ft on Mount Hood are at “high risk” of an avalanche, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center. The warning comes after the mountain experienced its first blizzard since December 2012. Timberline Lodge and the base of Mount Hood Meadows are both below the danger zone. (KOIN)
Pets
  • A permanent “no vacancy” sign is going up at Mittens Motel. The Northeast Portland business that boards and fosters cats will close at the end of the month and is looking for homes for its remaining residents. Those interested in adopting can send an email or call (503) 819-8177. (KOIN)
Open
  • Multnomah County Library has opened a new operations hub in Northeast Portland where books are processed and transferred to various branches. The new facility, which includes a public store selling used and affordable books, is part of Multnomah County Library’s voter-approved push to expand and renovate. (KGW)
Community
  • The owner of Old Town Chinatown’s Society Hotel wants to get more Portlanders interested in and involved with driving positive change in the neighborhood. Jessie Burke is planning a series of events — possibly kicking off this spring — that will focus on topics like the arts and better understanding “government sludge.” (Portland Business Journal)
Keep Portland Weird
  • You might wonder what exactly is going on in this clip. A quirky scene unfolded in Guilder Cafe yesterday, with local artist/entertainer Arnold Drake World — aka Portland Flower Guy — performing remarkable feats of levitation (unbeknownst to someone lost deep in the metaverse at the next table over). Just another day…
Closing
  • Rite Aid is shuttering some of its underperforming locations in the PNW as part of a “financial restructuring process.” The company’s locations in Vancouver (113511 SE Third Way) and Gresham (1555 NE Division St.) will close on Jan. 22 and 25, respectively. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)
Travel
  • For decades, the Oregon Department of Transportation has worked to make the Historic Columbia River Highway more accessible for drivers, hikers, and bikers. Though many trails and stretches of roadway have been created or improved, a final segment remains; once completed, the highway could become an international destination. (OPB)
Biz
  • Franz Bakery is getting a new CEO. The company founded in Portland by two brothers in 1906 announced Bob Albers will retire from the job after nearly five decades and be replaced by Kim Nisbet, Franz’s current president. (Portland Business Journal)
Finance
  • 2024’s “it card” is here. Not only does it offer a $200 bonus, but also unlimited 1.5% cash back and 0% intro APR until 2025. (Oh, and did we mention the annual fee? No — because there isn’t one.) Learn more + apply.*
Health
  • Anxiety can make every day a challenge. Connect with a therapist on BetterHelp + take the first step towards a calmer mind. Save 25% with BetterHelp’s New Year offer.*
 
Community

🗑️ Trash talk

Winter storm coming? Setting out your trash bin isn’t a waste of time
snow portland garbage bin.png
What did the trash can say to break the ice? “This stinks, but at least we’re litter-ally in this together.” | Photo courtesy of the city of Portland
With severe winter weather hurtling toward Portland, you might wonder if anyone will come and empty your curbside garbage bin. Should you bother pulling on boots (or hitching up the Croc plows) and dragging the bin (one wheel stubbornly frozen) through whatever the sky decides to coat your driveway with? Will it just sit out in the cold, dejected and alone — full of rubbish no one seems to want — silently screaming into the void?

The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability wants you to know that no trash bin will be left behind. (Unless of course, you’ve fallen behind on your service payments.)

Portlanders are asked to set out garbage, recycling, and compost bins on their normal collection day and, if bins aren’t emptied, to leave them on the curb until it’s safe for a collection driver to reach the area. Even if your neighborhood looks clear, drivers may have been delayed by dicey conditions in other parts of town. Safety is paramount, after all.
The Buy

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The Wrap
 
Cambrie Juarez headshot

Today’s edition by:
Cambrie
From the editor
Alright everyone — I need your recommendations for fun puzzles and tabletop games to help me stay sane while cooped up inside this winter. I’ll share your suggestions in a future newsletter if I get enough of them.
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