CHEERS to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and not just because they have one of the cooler nicknames in the gov [I mean, HUD – c’mon, that’s nifty]. No, they deserve cheers because they are sending Oregon $422 million to help rebuild after the wildfires we had [you remember those, right? the big hot things that killed trees, destroyed homes and businesses, and polluted the skies all summer?]. The Oregon Housing and Community Service will be responsible for figuring out what money goes where and when, but it’s nice to see some blue skies through the rain clouds, isn’t it?
JEERS to Salt & Straw ice cream. They are building new shops in Beaverton [okay, close to Portland, lots of techies looking for a scoop, we get it] and Eugene!? It’s pretty much the Eugene location that’s causing us to jeer, because Corvallis needs ice cream too! And S&S makes really good stuff [aside from the pear and blue cheese, which is just bleh! inside of cold, sweet milk]. Why does the universe of good food keep disparaging us? How do all the fine establishments [like In’N’Out, jussayin’] keep throwing our love and admiration to the winds? When, oh when, shall we ever have the wondrous joy of being chosen as the special place in this state that gets the goodies?
Moving on…
BOOS for the deferred decision about the location of the new Justice System in Benton County. It’s not that we want to see the fight between the different possible locations [although it would be epic, what with the masks and the Zoom name calling and the hand sanitizer being dispensed all over the place], it’s that we’d like to see this thing on the ballot. We haven’t even decided who to vote for yet, but the suspense is just killin’ us.
SOLEMN CHEERS for Oregon State University for teaming up with the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to do something classy and important on November 18 for Holocaust Remembrance. A panel discussion titled “Battles for Belonging: Race, Citizenship, and Inclusion in the Pacific Northwest and Nazi Germany” will be held at 6:00 p.m. and will include a ‘Who’s Who’ of smart people talking about the horrific stuff some other people did nearly 80 years ago in hopes it will never happen again. [And, yes, it feels wrong to call Nazis people.]
HEARTACHE over Corvallis’s Intersection From HELL! This crossing of two roads that just keeps on giving has provided the city with a lawsuit. Where 3rd meets Chapman was the site of three deaths over two years – Eric Austin in 2018, Jeremy Gruver in 2019, and Rhianna Daniel in 2020. While the intersection has been modified to improve things, the father of 11-year-old Rhianna is suing both the city and the Oregon Department of Transportation for over $9 million. This one’s a puzzler, because if the city had fixed things after Austin died [or even after Gruver died] then would a little girl have had to die? All we know for sure is that no amount of money will let this kid see her twelfth birthday, but maybe enough money will make the state and city pay more attention in the future.
JEERS TURNED TO CHEERS for Democratic Rep. Brian Clem of Salem. He’s leaving his office as the representative of District 21, just leaving it like it never did a thing for him, like he could get all the offices he wants with his liberal and principled thoughts [Sheesh!]. He’s only leaving because he wants to take care of his mom… who has Alzheimer’s disease… because he’s a good son… well we feel like asses now… move along, already!
CHEERS for kids! You see, the kids in question are from Roseway Heights Middle School in Portland where they staged a walkout in response to the fact that they have been “touched, grabbed, or punched by their classmates, and catcalled or called inappropriate names.” They reported the events to zero avails given [and by avails we mean a different and more four-lettery word]. They had had enough of the principal and teachers not doing anything, so November 3 they walked! [Consider for a moment the fact that girls between the ages of 11 and 13 have been made to feel unsafe and unsupported by the adults in the room, and they did something about it, then cheer with us for their moxie and badassness. And if you’re a parent, ask your kid about their day in middle school to make sure they’re not going through the same darned things.]
HOWEVER SIGHS because the walkout turned into chaos when a mob of people began to attack the protestors. Several students were hit by other students, and additional security was required in the school the next day. Many students are saying they will walk again because they simply don’t feel heard at this school. [Dear Portland Public Schools, Do Better!]
RAISED EYEBROWS in the direction of The Dalles and their Google plant. The DA over there in Wasco County decided that Google should make its water usage public to The Oregonian, then stomped their feet insisting The Dalles do so, BUT the city is suing the paper and judges have been invoked [that’s how the judicial system works, right? kinda like witches and spells?]. Now, the city and the assumed water-waster are trying to get an official okee-dokee on a $28.5 million water pact before anyone else can try to mess things up. Hmmmm…
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