02.27.2024

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Sunrise 6:52 a.m. | Sunset 5:54 p.m.
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Cat’s out of the bag

LAIKA Studios to blaze trail of ‘Coraline’ cats in downtown Portland

Teri Hatcher, the voice of Other Mother in “Coraline,” attended the trail countdown event on Feb. 22, 2024. | Photo courtesy of LAIKA

At LAIKA Studios, creating people, creatures, and film sets is usually a matter of scaling down. But the Hillsboro-based stop-motion animation house is working on something new — something that will be larger than life, literally. We’re talking about an urban trail featuring sculptures of nearly 6-ft-tall cats painted by local artists.

We get it, you have questions. Let’s back things up a bit.

LAIKA’s first feature film, released in 2009, was a dark fantasy horror based on a novella by Neil Gaiman. “Coraline” follows its eponymous, blue-haired heroine who discovers an alternate reality that seems pretty perfect, but turns out to be quite rotten. Along the way, Coraline is accompanied by a snarky black cat known as — wait for it — The Cat.

In honor of the Oscar-nominated film’s 15-year anniversary and LAIKA’s local roots, downtown Portland will host “Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail,” a self-guided walking route featuring 30 statues of The Cat hand-painted by local artists. The trail will be free for visitors to enjoy with the help of maps, a dedicated website, and social media. LAIKA, the Visit Downtown Campaign, Wild in Art, and OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital came together for a countdown event last week. The trail will open in August.

A man stands in front of a projector screen showing an image of Portland's Tom McCall Waterfront Park, superimposed with an image of a cat sculpture painted pink. — This rendering of a potential sculpture is giving Pink Panther.
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Photo courtesy of LAIKA

“In the memorable cast of ‘Coraline’ characters, Cat is a perfect fit for the trail,” said LAIKA’s Chief Marketing and Operations Officer David Burke. “We believe this experience will bolster Portland’s vibrant creative community and support OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.”

The Cat will make its debut, but Coraline (and Norman from LAIKA’s 2012 blockbuster “ParaNorman”) are familiar faces in Portland and have been spotted strolling the trails of Forest Park, the International Rose Test Garden, and Hoyt Arboretum.

Events

Tuesday, Feb. 27

Biamp Portland Jazz Festival | Tuesday, Feb. 27-Saturday, March 2 | Times vary | Locations vary | Prices vary | Talented local and visiting musicians are bringing surprising sounds of saxophone and trumpet to venues across the city, with free events available too.

Wednesday, Feb. 28

OMSI After Dark: Game On! | Wednesday, Feb. 28 | 6-10 p.m. | Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, 1945 SE Water Ave., Portland | $25 | From Dungeon Battle Karaoke to live gameplay from Ground Kontrol, level up your week (and explore the museum after hours) at this 21+ themed event.
Katherine Arden in Conversation With Laini Taylor | Wednesday, Feb. 28 | 7 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St., Portland | Free | Hear from the author of “The Bear and the Nightingale” and dive into her newest novel, “The Warm Hands of Ghosts” — a haunting and imaginative tale set during World War I.

Thursday, Feb. 29

Jim Gaffigan: Barely Alive Tour | Thursday, Feb. 29-Sunday, March 3 | Times vary | Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., Portland | $42-$106 | The seven-time Grammy-nominated comedian brings his unique flavor of humor and relatable life observations to the City of Roses.

Friday, March 1

Ticket to Dine | Friday, March 1-Sunday, March 31 | Times vary | Locations vary | Free | Whenever you eat at a participating location, you’ll get a ticket and a chance to win local prizes, like free drinks, a round of mini golf at Wonderwood Springs, concert passes, and more.
Portland Seafood & Wine Festival | Friday, March 1-Sunday, March 3 | Times vary | Portland Expo Center, 2060 Marine Dr. W., Portland | $13-$150 | Embrace the ocean’s briny bounty during peak Dungeness crab season at this festival featuring fresh Oregon seafood, breweries and wineries, and local craftspeople.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Biz

An additional 85,000 Portland General Electric customers are now eligible for discounts through PGE’s newly expanded Income-Qualified Bill Discount program. Launched in 2022, the program currently has 75,000+ enrolled customers. It previously capped monthly discounts at 25% but now offers up to 60% off. (KOIN)

Job

The Oregon Employment Department’s website will be offline starting today for updates. People won’t be able to file, restart, check, or make changes to claims until the agency’s new system, called Frances Online, is up and running on Monday, March 4. (KGW)

Civic

The city of Portland plans to replace 28 housing pods at its Safe Rest Village in Multnomah Village. Opened in 2022, the site will also be expanded; the city has already paid $1.5 million for 100 new pods that are “consistent and equitable for all participants.” (Willamette Week)

Eat

Readers, start your appetites. The Oregonian released its guide to Portland’s best 40 restaurants. The list is the culmination of a culinary odyssey undertaken by dining critic Michael Russell. Can you guess which eatery placed No. 1? (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Development

NW Natural plans to build a renewable natural gas production plant that would produce enough gas to heat nearly 10,000 homes every year. The Portland-based company will spend $43 million on the project at Washington’s Greater Wenatchee Regional Landfill. It’s expected to start operating by late 2025. (Portland Business Journal)

Sports

In the latest episode of Locked On Ducks, host Spencer McLaughlin and recruiting insider Brian Smith answer this question: What positions should Oregon football focus its recruiting efforts on for the class of 2025?

Read

Love to read in bed? Us, too. Some helpful tools we love: a rechargeable book light to clip on books or a remote control page turner for Kindle readers.*

The Buy

The Buy 2.27.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

Something from Six & Main’s Brands That Give Back collection, so you can shop your favorite coffee, jewelry, cards, and tees all while knowing you’re supporting brands that make a difference. Causes include: animal rescue groups, local water based incentives, and national parks.

Answered

Our readers’ 2024 predictions

Answered: Our readers’ 2024 predictions

All it takes is three in a row for “bingo!” | Graphic by 6AM City

What’s on your bingo card for 2024?

We polled our readers, and here are some of your zaniest predictions for 2024:

“Potholes will finally disappear.” — Sue W.
“New zoo animal! Maybe a cheetah.” — Mia A.
“Problems from ice/wind storm continue.” — Sarah M.

It is anyone’s guess what happens over the course of this year — but we like your guesses best. This is your last shot to submit your predictions for 2024. Otherwise, we’ll check back in around December to see what actually happened.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Cambrie

Dozens of pinball machines are in a line against a wall that's covered floor-to-ceiling in old lunchboxes. Blue lights glow on the ceiling and floor and a person plays a pinball machine partway down the line. — When your fingers need some rest, walk around and look at the floor-to-ceiling collections of lunchboxes, figurines, autographed movie paraphernalia, and more.
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Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday

From the editor

I can’t stop thinking about last Saturday when I visited Next Level Pinball Shop & Museum in Hillsboro. Admission is $22 and gives you free-play access to 475 (!) pinball machines and arcade games that are straight out of your childhood memories. There are food trucks on site, too, so you can stay the entire day and find out why it’s been voted the best place to play pinball in the world multiple times.

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