Plus: Try your hand at fencing.
 
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The cat’s out of the bag

LAIKA Studios to blaze trail of ‘Coraline’ cats in downtown Portland
LAIKA_CCCT_Teri_04_Web.png
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 this week, the Hillsboro-based stop-motion animation house will unveil a new collaborative project that’s larger than life.

Get ready — Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail opens this Friday, Aug. 2 in downtown Portland, featuring dozens of nearly 5-ft-tall cat sculptures.

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 is accompanied by a snarky black cat known as — wait for it — 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 free, self-guided walking route featuring 30 statues of Cat. Each sculpture is unique, decorated by local artists with input from sponsors, and will be auctioned off in October to benefit OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

The statues will stick around for eight weeks and can be found with the help of maps and social media. Look for sculptures of Cat at familiar landmarks and in open spaces around the downtown area.

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.

|

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.”

Cat may be making its grand 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, July 30
  • Fencing Across America | Tuesday, July 30-Sunday, Aug. 4 | 2-7 p.m. | Director Park, 815 SW Park Ave., Portland | Free | If you’ve felt inspired by Olympic fencer and Portland native Magda Skarbonkiewicz, this is your chance to try the sport and meet local clubs.
Wednesday, July 31
  • Duckworth Summer Wednesdays | Wednesday, July 31 | 5:30-8 p.m. | Kevin J. Duckworth Memorial Dock, Eastbank Esplanade, Portland | Free | Cool off by cannonballing into “the best swimming hole in Portland’s central city” and listening to a setlist by Bike DJ PopCartPDX.
Thursday, Aug. 1
  • Portland Classic | Thursday, Aug. 1-Sunday, Aug. 4 | 7 a.m. | Columbia Edgewater Country Club, 2220 NE Marine Dr., Portland | $20-$250 | Players from around the world will tee off in Portland, continuing the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour’s “longest-running non-major tournament.”
  • Annual Dahlia Festival | Thursday, Aug. 1-Sunday, Sept. 29 | 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. | Swan Island Dahlias, 995 NW 22nd Ave., Canby | Free | The country’s largest dahlia grower invites you to explore nearly 40 acres of rainbow-hued blooms representing 370+ varieties.
  • Pickathon | Thursday, Aug. 1-Sunday, Aug. 4 | Times vary | Pendarvis Farm, 16581 SE Hagen Rd., Happy Valley | $205-$415 | Discover your next favorite artist at this “experiential music festival” that shines a spotlight on rising stars.
Friday, Aug. 2
  • Vanport Jazz Festival | Friday, Aug. 2-Saturday, Aug. 3 | Times vary | Colwood Golf Center, 7313 NE Columbia Blvd., Portland | $65-$195 | Grammy Award-winners Patrice Rushen and Esperanza Spalding headline this festival that commemorates its namesake city and those who lost everything in the 1948 flood.
Events calendar here
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News Notes
Transit
  • New electric scooters bearing Biketown branding have been spotted in Northwest Portland and the Lloyd District. Previously, Lime was the only company still offering the devices in the city. PBOT said Lime and Lyft (the owner of the Biketown scooters) will collectively have 3,000+ e-scooters in Portland in the coming weeks. (BikePortland)
Development
  • Metro, the city of Gresham, and Habitat for Humanity will celebrate the kick-off of a new affordable housing development today, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., at 17640 NE Glisan St. The development, dubbed Myrtlewood Way, will offer 20 income-restricted townhomes for purchase in the Rockwood neighborhood. (The Outlook)
Coming Soon
  • In late August, the owners of Café Olli will open a scaled-down version of the celebrated North Portland restaurant in a former bakery right next door. During the day, customers will find pastries, bagels, and coffee at Ollini; in the evening, the space will serve wine and snacks. (Portland Monthly)
Olympics
  • Former Oregon Ducks guard Sabrina Ionescu helped Team USA beat Japan in 5x5 basketball, while Grant High School alum Pieter Quinton and his men’s eight rowing crew qualified for the finals yesterday. Watch gymnasts Jordan Chiles of Vancouver and OSU’s Jade Carey compete in the women’s team final today at 9:15 a.m. (KGW)
Sports
  • Local sports legends will sign autographs at a new DICK’S Sporting Goods store opening in Jantzen Beach. Meet Clyde Drexler (6-7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2), Olivia Moultrie (12-1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3), and Golden Tate (2:30-4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 4).
Outdoors
  • Snow Peak Long Beach Campfield, a 25-acre “luxury” campground that recently opened on Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula, is one of TIME Magazine’s Top 100 World’s Greatest Places. It takes a little over two hours to drive from Portland to the campground, where you’ll find tent sites, “micro cabins,” and a spa. (TIME)
Concert
  • The French heavy metal band that shredded during the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony will bring their revolutionary energy to Moda Center later this year. Gojira is scheduled to open for Korn on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Tickets start at $27. (KGW)
Plan Ahead
Listen
  • Brandon Sprague of 1080 The Fan joined Locked On Blazers this week to talk about the Trail Blazers’ young core. Does Sprague still consider Shaedon Sharpe a “baby Kobe”? Tune in to find out.
Shop
  • Ditch the men’s dress pants — the Dealmaker Pant is the ultimate pant for work or play, with an impeccable fit and feel. Save 15% with code READ15.*
 
Real Estate

Grain silos + Portland’s ‘largest billboard’

What would you do with this 3-acre riverfront property near Moda Center?
A Google Street View image taken in 2024 of a large industrial building with a billboard of a soccer player that reads "This is Soccer City." The Steel Bridge is visible in the background.
The property, and its industrial grain silos, could potentially fit into Albina Vision Trust’s redevelopment plan. | Photo via Google Street View
A property along the east bank of the Willamette River with panoramic views of downtown Portland is for sale.

Located a stone’s throw from Moda Center and the east end of the Steel Bridge, the 3-acre site comes with its conspicuous concrete grain silos and currently serves as a storage and export site for scrap rubber. A California company bought the property five years ago for $164,000; it was sold again in 2021 for $2.9 million.

The property at 900 N. Thunderbird Way is now on the market for $6.5 million, with its listing highlighting the potential inclusion in Albina Vision Trust’s redevelopment plan.

Other features include:
  • A private deepwater dock
  • Industrial zoning + mixed-use surrounding zoning
  • Close access to public transit
  • “The largest billboard in the city of Portland”
So what would you do with this property if it was yours? Share your vision with us.
What would you do with the property?
The Buy

The Buy 7.30.24 (Affiliate)
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The Wrap
 
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Today’s edition by:
Cambrie
From the editor
Fellow pet lovers — if you’re ready to give a furry friend a forever home, check out the Humane Society for Southwest Washington’s adoption event this weekend. Adoption fees are being waived for all pets Friday, Aug. 2-Sunday, Aug. 4.
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