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Sunday | March 13, 2011
"A Swirl Of Agencies" Manage To Cooperate
Despite a "hardware glitch" preventing Curry County from using its reverse 9-1-1 system to notify residents, and sirens in Tillamook County that didn't activate, "a swirl of agencies" managed to cooperate anyhow, "ensuring that thousands were evacuated to higher ground." There were no major accidents and no visible panic as improvised warnings were sent out by email, text and Twitter messages. Gov. John Kitzhaber thought "the response of the local folks was really quite remarkable." On the flip side, no massive quake had just severely damaged or completely destroyed emergency response infrastructure, as had just happened in Japan.
- Go to story: Tsunami triggered by Japan quake tests Oregon's emergency relief, showing need for education, communication
Saturday | March 12, 2011
Cascadia Rising! Or Maybe Sliding, Shaking Or Falling...
Japan's unfolding tragedy of a massive earthquake, immediately followed by a devastating tsunami, catastrophic nuclear power plant breakdown, and the quake's major aftershocks is a wake-up call for the Pacific Northwest. Does "the big one" lurk just around Cascadia's corner?
Friday | March 11, 2011
Big In Japan; Small In Oregon; Minuscule Along The Willamette
An "extraordinary powerful earthquake" struck a wide area of northeastern and eastern Japan including Tokyo on Friday at 2:46 p.m. local (Japan) time. At an estimated magnitude of 8.8 to 8.9, the massive quake "the biggest quake to hit Japan since officials began keeping records in the late 1800s."[1] The quake triggered "dozens of fires and a massive tsunami that swept away houses and cars...."[2] Estimates of the number of people killed during the quake and subsequent tsunami had already reached 1000 as PortlandWikiNews went to "press".[3] The first waves from the subsequent tsunami caused by earthquake reached the Oregon coast at Port Orford, Oregon "around 7:30 a.m. PST Friday" according to Geophysicist Gerard Fryer at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu.[4] Gov. John Kitzhaber issued a statement urging "all Oregonians along the coast to heed tsunami alarms and follow instructions from public safety officials about heading to higher ground."[5] Waves the size of a small ripple are expected to reach the banks of the Willamette River in Central Portland.
- Go to story: Tsunami Swamps Hawaii Beaches, Brushes West Coast
Thursday | March 10, 2011
National & international media continues breathless praise/stereotyping of Portland
While satirical TV show Portlandia still loudly echoes through the streets of Portland, national (and international) media attention to Portland's "quirky" culture continues to grow. Nearly all coverage of PDX praises and/or ridicules Portland as a haven for progressives, artists, foodies, hipsters, hippies, punks, and sex workers. Today's scrap of moderately accurate out-of-towner commentary comes from the UK's The Guardian, praising Portland's food scene.
- Go to story: Top 10 places to eat in Portland, Oregon.
Wednesday | March 9, 2011
Walls Of Pride
After gentrification managed to dislodge residents from whole Portland neighborhoods largely to make way for affluent newcomers, the city launched a "Restorative Listening Project" it said was "based on the principles of Restorative Justice which says that only when those most impacted are heard, acknowledged and efforts have been made to repair the harm can the community be made whole again."[6] Some of the gentrified folks, like Norma Trimble, weren't terribly impressed. "That's been our history. They take all you've got. They take your land. Now they want your stories," she observed.[7] Now Portlandians can "celebrate" some of that lost history with the release of Walls of Pride: A Tour of African American Public Art. "Walls of Pride provides a self-guided tour to 20 of the city's African American public artworks through color photos, a detailed map, mural descriptions and artist bios." The event includes brief talks and two short movies: a 16mm documentary on the Albina Mural Project and a piece on the history of In Other Words Bookstore. Refreshments will be provided by E’Njoni Ethiopian Cafe.
- What: Walls Of Pride Book Release
- Where: In Other Words | Portland's Feminist Bookstore and Resource Center
- Address: 14 Northeast Killingsworth Street, Portland, OR 97211-2624, (503) 232-6003
- Bus: N Killingsworth & Williams
- Day: Sunday, March 13th 2011
- Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
- Go to story: Walls of Pride Book Release
Tuesday | March 8, 2011
Trimet ticket dispensers treated as ashtrays
Beginning in January, dozens of Trimet's transit ticket vending machines have been taken offline due to a vandal or vandals stuffing the bill intake slot with cigarette butts. Trimet officials have yet to identify the culprit(s), despite heavy video surveillance.
Tuesday | March 8 & 1/2, 2011
Young Choreographers Compete In Lead-Up To International Women's Day 2011
On Sunday March 6th, dance students were invited to participate in a "unique opportunity to showcase their own choreography in a safe and supportive environment" in the lead-up to International Women's Day (internationally celebrated today, Tuesday March 8 & 1/2).[8] Each student's work was "adjudicated by dance professionals." Before sentencing was announced "choreographers receive(d) personal feedback from the judges." Exactly one third of the three judges were woman, in deference to International Women's Day. The private club with a dysfunctional web site[9] charged each young choreographer "only $25.00 to enter," warning that "space is limited." Performers from Groove Nation, Northwest Academy, Studio One Dance Academy, Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, Columbia Dance and Multnomah Athletic Club competed choreographically with one another. Parents, even International Women parents, were charged $4 to observe the choreographical competition, although grudging allowances were made for cashless parents. Even cashless Domesticated Men parents.
- Go to story: Young Choreographers Competition
Monday | March 7, 2011
Carefully Crafted Wealthfare For The Few[10]; Totally Botched "Health Care" For All
It's not entirely unreasonable to suspect that the primary purpose of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)[11], more widely known by its "Obamacare" pejorative [12], was to construct a piece of legislation designed to fail on every legitimate front. This same legislative travesty, however, succeeded brilliantly in key areas--providing opportunities for increased profiteering by private "health care providers," pharmaceutical companies, insurance corporations and so on. It also handed an even bigger gift to the multinational corporations not able to cash in as a direct result of its passage (major resource extractors, Wall Street casino operators, etc.) by giving them all the ammunition they could hope for to further befuddle an already terribly confused and horrifyingly ignorant public. Thus a Tea Party is born. Wall Street's major criminals get off scot-free for their part in unleashing a catastrophic global financial meltdown. Ultra-right Republicans take over Congress, despite having so totally disgraced themselves a short while earlier. And this list can just go on and on.
But not everyone stands idly, merely wringing helpless hands. The Oregon Single Payer Campaign is sponsoring a Legislative Action Day "to support HB 3510 & SB 888, Oregon's Single Payer Health Care Bills." Here's the lowdown:
- Legislative Action Day
- Friday, March 11, 2011
- To support HB 3510 & SB 888, Oregon’s Single Payer Health Care Bills
- State Capitol, Salem
- Go to info page: Oregon Single Payer Campaign
- Go to resource page: Oregon Single Payer Campaign Resources
- Go to story: Progressive Models For Health Care Exchanges Emerge
(Go to older news stories >>>)
References
- ↑ Situation Report: Disaster in Japan
- ↑ At least 59 dead, numerous others missing, injured after quake
- ↑ At least 1,000 dead in Japan
- ↑ First U.S. Mainland Tsunami Waves Hit Oregon Coast
- ↑ Tsunami warnings on US west coast has Oregon residents moving inland
- ↑ Restorative Listening Project - Gentrification
- ↑ Tensions of gentrification lead a U.S. city to dialogue
- ↑ Celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day
- ↑ You Must Login to View this Page.
- ↑ Nancy Price: End ‘wealthfare' system by asking more of rich
- ↑ H.R.3590 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
- ↑ Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act