Page 4 The Skanner Portland & Seattle July 21, 2021
Events
News & Announcements
Portland & Seattle
News Briefs
Welcome Back to the Heart of
Portland Weeklong Event Kicks Off
Friday, July 23
The City will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sat-
urday, July 24 at 1:30 p.m. for the Cart Blocks food
cart pod on S.W. Burnside and Park. Later that day,
at 3 p.m., legendary local music group Pink Martini
will put on a free singalong in Pioneer Courthouse
Square.
During the weekend, visitors can also participate in
these free, all-ages events:
• Paint a mural with local youths and the Portland
Street Art Alliance
• Roller skate with the Rose City Rollers
• Help recreate the hit movie Princess Bride (cos-
tumes and wigs provided)
• Attend concerts from a variety of BIPOC and
LGBTQIA artists along Waterfront Park, Pride Pla-
za and other locations
• Explore a pop-up market and fashion show at the
Portland Art Museum
Under the citywide Here for Portland banner, the
City of Portland Action Tables, a group of roughly
300 community members dedicated to championing
Portland’s future, has partnered with local business-
es, artists and nonprofit organizations from around
the city to put on this series of events.
Visit the Here for Portland website for more infor-
mation and updates: https://hereforportland.com/
welcomeback.
Seattle Announces $10.4 Million to
Community Organizations Focused
on BIPOC Safety
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and the Seattle Human
Services Department (HSD) announced awardees
of the 2021 Community Safety Capacity Building
RFP. The City is providing $10.4 million in one-time
funding for 18 months for 33 organizations working
toward community-led solutions to end violence and
increase safety in Black, Indigenous, and People of
Color (BIPOC) communities. These investments will
support organizations providing an array of pro-
grams, services, and upstream investments meant to
improve outcomes and contribute to overall commu-
nity safety and wellbeing.
The community organization’s focus and work in-
clude several community safety strategies. The RFP
was designed to promote community-led solutions,
allowing community members and agencies to define
safety investments. Most applicants and awardees
self-reported in their applications that their agencies
work in spaces dedicated to interrupting the cycle of
community violence, expanding trauma-informed
practices, and youth, family, or community engage-
ment. Community organizations primarily submit-
ted proposals for prevention and restoration efforts
rather than creating alternatives to 9-1-1 calls and po-
licing.
33 organizations will be awarded funding through
the RFP. Funding awards will range between $123,068
to $585,410 per organization. The funded organiza-
tions span a range of services and focus areas, with
some agencies receiving City funds for the first time
and other programs expanding existing services.
HSD received over 70 applications, totaling $40 mil-
lion in requested funds. Many proposals also aligned
with other City of Seattle programs and investments
focused on food security, education, homelessness,
and re-entry.
In general, services and strategies include:
• activating neighborhood-based strategies to reduce
crime rates at hotspot
• de-escalation support in response to shots fired
• re-entry services
• case management
• community awareness about disproportionality in
criminal legal services
• family support to prevent youth from entering the
criminal legal system
• supports to address family and gender-based vio-
lence
All awards are pending final appeals, which will
conclude on July 27. Following the appeals process,
HSD will share additional information on program
details and final investment figures.
Wildfire Smoke Clouds Sky, Hurts
Air Quality on East Coast
GILLIAN FLACCUS, Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Smoke and ash from mas-
sive wildfires in the American West clouded the sky
and led to air quality alerts Wednesday on parts of
the East Coast as the effects of the blazes were felt
2,500 miles (4,023 kilometers) away.
Strong winds blew smoke east from California, Or-
egon, Montana and other
states all the way to oth-
er side of the continent.
Haze hung over New
York City, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania.
The
nation’s
larg-
est wildfire, Oregon’s
Bootleg Fire, grew to
616 square miles (1,595
square kilometers) -
just over half the size of
Rhode Island. Fires also
burned on both sides of
California’s Sierra Ne-
vada and in Washington
state and other areas of
the West.
The smoke blowing to
the East Coast was remi-
niscent of last fall, when
large blazes burning in
Oregon’s worst wildfire
season in recent memo-
Community
Calendar 2021
Portland Metro
FRIDAY, JULY 23, 7 PM
MEASURE FOR MEASURE: Free Shakespeare in the park! Lord
Angelo takes over Vienna while the Duke’s in disguise, and sen-
tences Claudio to death for an out-of-wedlock tryst. Claudio’s
sister and the Duke-In-Disguise trick Angelo with a bedroom
switcheroo, save Claudio with an execution switcheroo, and
justice is served..? Irving Park, 707 NE Fremont St.
SATURDAY, JULY 24, 10:45 AM
MEDICARE FOR ALL: Portland will be one of dozens of cities
around the country holding events to demand Medicare for All!
Come out and join us - bring a friend, a mask and a water bot-
tle. Meetup at Waterfront Park (Oregon Battleship Memorial) to
march to the rally site. Rally at noon, family-friendly - speak-
ers, music, silk screening, and informational tables. Shemanski
Park, 1010 SW Park Ave.
MONDAY, JULY 26, 7 PM
VOCALIZE & SOCIALIZE: Join the Portland Symphonic Choir
outdoors at the Multnomah Arts Center for an evening of mu-
sical fun! All are welcome. Register at https://www.eventbrite.
com/e/psc-presents-vocalize-socialize-july-26-august-23-tick-
ets-158013670141. Proof of vaccination will be required. Mult-
nomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 4 – 8 PM
PARKS & REC POP-UP PARTY: This event is part of a series of free,
pop-up gatherings designed to help neighbors connect and have
fun while enjoying their local parks. There will be music, games
and crafts for the whole family. Attendees are encouraged to
bring blankets, chairs and picnic meals to enjoy during the fes-
tivities. Washington School Park, 2908 S St, Vancouver
Seattle Metro
SUNDAY, JULY 25, 9 – 10 AM
THE MARKET EXPERIENCE: Immerse yourself within the colorful
ever-changing soul of Seattle, our beloved Pike Place Market.
The 11-acre market district has a rich history and is brimming
with delicious food and vibrant characters. Expect local farm-
ers, lively venders, storied history, and a great guide to lead
you to the Market’s hidden secrets. Victor Steinbrueck Park
(Between the 2 totem poles), 2001 Western Ave. To reserve a
spot ticket, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-market-ex-
perience-tickets-156281138091.
THURSDAY, JULY 29, 8:30 – 10 PM
OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT: Join us for an outdoor movie night in
our beer garden! You can bring camp chairs and blankets to
make your viewing experience as comfy and cozy as possible.
Movie: Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Admission: Free,
all ages. Peddler Brewing Company’s beer garden. Food: Grab a
Mean Sandwich from next door or BYO! Movie Series webpage:
https://www.peddlerbrewing.com/movies.
ry choked the local sky with pea-soup smoke but also
affected air quality several thousand miles away. So
far this year, Seattle and Portland have largely been
spared the foul air.
“One of the things about this event that makes it so
remarkable is that the smoke is affecting such a large
swath of the U.S,” said Jesse Berman, an assistant pro-
fessor at the University of Minnesota School of Public
Health and an expert on air quality. “You’re not just
seeing localized and perhaps upstate New York being
affected, but rather you’re seeing numerous states all
along the East Coast that are being impacted.”
Oregon on Wednesday banned all campfires on
state-managed lands and in state campgrounds east
of Interstate 5, the major highway that is commonly
considered the dividing
line between the wet
western part of the state
and the dry eastern half.
The regulation includes
the designated fire rings
at campsites, as well as
candles and tiki torches.
The Oregon fire has
ravaged the sparsely
populated southern part
of the state and has been
expanding by up to 4
miles a day, pushed by
gusting winds and criti-
cally dry weather that’s
turned trees and under-
growth into a tinderbox.