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Stay Alert as Days Grow Shorter Multnomah County wants to remind all drivers to stay alert as Daylight Saving Time ends and the days grow shorter. Drivers are encouraged to slow down, turn on their lights, and watch for neighbors walking, biking, and rolling on the streets to help keep the community safe. Crash-related injuries and deaths spike in November, according to data from Multnomah County’s Draft East Multnomah County Transportation Safety Action Plan (TSAP).  The TSAP identifies safety improvements, programs and actions that agencies and partners can take to improve transportation safety for everyone. The project team reviewed more than 9,000 crash records between 2013 and 2022 in east Multnomah County to better understand where and how transportation safety can be improved. The crash data included roads in Gresham, Wood Village, Troutdale and Fairview.    During that time period, nearly 500 people were seriously injured and more than 100 people died in crashes in the study area. The number of people killed or seriously injured in crashes was nearly three times higher in 2022 than 2013.  Crash-related serious injuries and deaths tend to increase during the winter months across all modes of travel, including cars, trucks, cyclists, pedestrians, and those using mobility devices, with a particularly sharp spike in November. Vulnerable road users—people walking, rolling, and biking—are more likely to be involved in serious or fatal crashes in the study area. Additionally, crashes involving cars striking cyclists or pedestrians are more likely to occur during dusk and dawn, when visibility is lower. “The November uptick in crash-related serious injuries and deaths could be potentially linked to Daylight Saving Time ending and the days getting shorter,” TSAP Project Manager MaryJo Andersen said. “This can be an adjustment for drivers. We ask that you slow down and be on the lookout for all road users – it could save a life.”

Library Partners with Street Art Alliance for Artwork Kyler Martz  (Photo by Portland Street Art Alliance) Multnomah County Library (MCL) and the Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA) are expanding their efforts to bring community-centered artwork to libraries throughout Multnomah County. This work is part of the voter-approved 2020 Library building bond which will build, rebuild or expand eight library buildings. Smaller upgrades to 11 libraries are almost complete as part of the Refresh projects, which includes the beloved and active Hollywood Library.  The work at Hollywood Library provides smaller but still important upgrades on a shorter schedule than some other projects. Hollywood is expected to reopen in winter 2025/2026.  Exciting new features at Hollywood Library include improved shelf height to increase natural light, create more space for people, and enhance sight lines. The library also features an inviting children’s area with movable furniture, new reading room chairs with and without arms, and a Tech Bar where patrons can use the copy machine, scanner, and computers. Additional updates include new meeting room tables and chairs designed for flexible use, automated materials handling to speed up check-ins and sorting, fresh paint and new carpet for an updated look, new artwork, refreshed restrooms, and new LED lighting throughout the building. Hollywood Library’s Refresh includes some physical space changes to make room for a new Automated Materials Handling area near the library entrance. This technology is much needed, since Hollywood Library processes the highest number of holds in the system. The automation will get books and other materials to patrons much more efficiently. As a result of the physical change to the space, the library is removing a wall displaying a map of the streets referenced in Beverly Cleary’s beloved children’s books. This wall, which is not a mural or artwork, was created by the architects when Hollywood was last updated in 2002. The wall will be replaced by a vinyl transfer mural on the vestibule glass. The project team, along with Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA), is excited to announce an artist to reimagine the theme of the street map and create new artwork that will be an homage to Beverly Cleary and the library’s place in her world. The library and Portland Street Art Alliance are also working directly with Beverly Cleary’s estate and HarperCollins to envision this new artwork.  Announcing muralist Kyler Martz, a sculptor and tattoo artist living and working between Portland, Oregon, and Port Townsend, Washington. His prolific career has earned international recognition through commercial projects, large-scale public installations, gallery exhibitions, and tattoo art, all deeply rooted in the history and lore of the Pacific Northwest. Though most recognized for his work with several Fortune 100 companies, his interest lies foremost in accessible work, through public art, printmaking, and tattoos. Beverly Cleary's work was introduced to Kyler at an important time in his early life. Having fond memories of it when he was a child, his dad began reading   The Mouse and the Motorcycle  to him at bedtime. “My brother and I were so fascinated with the world of Ralph S. Mouse that we immediately checked out the sequels from the library, followed by every one of her other books,” said Kyler. “My desire to build my own worlds like that of Henry Huggins was a huge part of why I began drawing around the same time, and inspiration from Cleary's themes of anthropomorphic creatures and mischievous household pets is still clearly visible in my work today.” When Kyler moved to Northeast Portland, one of his first stops with his dad was the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden in Grant Park, followed by the self-guided Beverly Cleary walking tour at Hollywood Library. As part of a deep dive into everything Beverly Cleary, Kyler took an interpretive walking tour of the Irvington neighborhood with Portland State University Cultural Geography Professor Dr. Hunter Shobe. Many adventures for Cleary’s characters took place in this historic Portland neighborhood. The tour began at the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden in Grant Park, where Dr. Shobe gave a brief history of Cleary’s childhood in Portland. Next was a stop at Beverly Cleary School, which Cleary attended as a child, to view their display of Cleary artifacts, including their Henry Huggins neighborhood map and copies of some of Cleary’s most cherished works. Along the way, the group, which included Kyler’s family, learned about Beverly Cleary’s childhood in Portland and what life would have been like in that era. The tour also stopped at the two homes in the neighborhood where Cleary lived as a child.  In addition, as part of the research and design process, PSAA has obtained original paper doll illustrations and numerous physical copies of Beverly Cleary’s books to provide visual inspiration for Kyler’s original mural design that will include many of these beloved characters and places.

Cheney Expanded Vice Presidential Power & Championed the Iraq War after 9/11 President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney embrace following President Bush’s acceptance speech in Madison Square Garden during the final night of the Republican National Convention Thursday, Sept. 2, 2004, in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, file) (AP) Dick Cheney, the hard-charging conservative who became one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in U.S. history and a leading advocate for the invasion of Iraq, has died at 84. Cheney died Monday due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said Tuesday in a statement. The quietly forceful Cheney served father and son presidents, leading the armed forces as defense chief during the Persian Gulf War under President George H.W. Bush before returning to public life as vice president under Bush’s son George W. Bush. Cheney was, in effect, the chief operating officer of the younger Bush’s presidency. He had a hand, often a commanding one, in implementing decisions most important to the president and some of surpassing interest to himself — all while living with decades of heart disease and, post-administration, a heart transplant. Cheney consistently defended the extraordinary tools of surveillance, detention and inquisition employed in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Bush called Cheney a “decent, honorable man” and said his death was “a loss to the nation.” “History will remember him as among the finest public servants of his generation — a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position he held,” Bush said in a statement. Years after leaving office, Cheney became a target of President Donald Trump, especially after his daughter Liz Cheney became the leading Republican critic and examiner of Trump’s desperate attempts to stay in power after his 2020 election defeat and his actions in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. “In our nation’s 246-year history, there has never been an individual who was a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Cheney said in a television ad for his daughter. “He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He is a coward.” In a twist the Democrats of his era could never have imagined, Cheney said last year he was voting for their candidate, Kamala Harris, for president against Trump. For all his conservatism, Cheney was privately and publicly supportive of his daughter Mary Cheney after she came out as gay, years before gay marriage was broadly supported, then legalized. “Freedom means freedom for everyone,” he said. A survivor of five heart attacks, Cheney long thought he was living on borrowed time and declared in 2013 that he awoke each morning “with a smile on my face, thankful for the gift of another day,” an odd image for a figure who always seemed to be manning the ramparts. n his time in office, no longer was the vice presidency merely a ceremonial afterthought. Instead, Cheney made it a network of back channels from which to influence policy on Iraq, terrorism, presidential powers, energy and other conservative cornerstones. Fixed with a seemingly permanent half-smile -- detractors called it a smirk -- Cheney joked about his outsize reputation as a stealthy manipulator. “Am I the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his hole?” he asked. “It’s a nice way to operate, actually.” A hard-liner on Iraq who was increasingly isolated as other hawks left government, Cheney was proved wrong on point after point in the Iraq War, without losing the conviction he was essentially right. He alleged links between the 9/11 attacks and prewar Iraq that didn’t exist. He said U.S. troops would be welcomed as liberators; they weren’t. He declared the Iraqi insurgency in its last throes in May 2005, back when 1,661 U.S. service members had been killed, not even half the toll by war’s end. For admirers, he kept the faith in a shaky time, resolute even as the nation turned against the war and the leaders waging it. But well into Bush’s second term, Cheney’s clout waned, checked by courts or shifting political realities. Courts ruled against efforts he championed to broaden presidential authority and accord special harsh treatment to terrorism suspects. Bush did not fully embrace his hawkish positions on Iran and North Korea. From the beginning, Cheney and Bush struck an odd bargain, unspoken but well understood. Shelving any ambitions he might have had to succeed Bush; Cheney was accorded power comparable in some ways to the presidency itself. That bargain largely held up. As Cheney put it: “I made the decision when I signed on with the president that the only agenda I would have would be his agenda, that I was not going to be like most vice presidents — and that was angling, trying to figure out how I was going to be elected president when his term was over with.” His penchant for secrecy and backstage maneuvering had a price. He came to be seen as a thin-skinned Machiavelli orchestrating a bungled response to criticism of the Iraq War. And when he shot a hunting companion in the torso, neck and face with an errant shotgun blast in 2006, he and his coterie were slow to disclose that episode. It was “one of the worst days of my life,” Cheney said. The victim, his friend Harry Whittington, recovered and quickly forgave him. Comedians were relentless about it for months. When Bush began his presidential quest, he sought help from Cheney, a Washington insider who had retreated to the oil business. Cheney led the team to find a vice-presidential candidate. Bush decided the best choice was the man picked to help with the choosing. Together, the pair faced a protracted 2000 postelection battle before they could claim victory. Recounts and court challenges left the nation in limbo for weeks. Cheney took charge of the presidential transition before victory was clear and helped give the Republican administration a smooth launch despite the lost time. In office, disputes among departments vying for a bigger piece of Bush’s constrained budget came to his desk and often were settled there. Cheney held the post for 14 months, then returned to Casper, Wyoming, where he had been raised, and ran for the state’s lone congressional seat. In that first race for the House, Cheney suffered a mild heart attack, prompting him to crack he was forming a group called “Cardiacs for Cheney.” He still managed a decisive victory and went on to win five more terms. Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, son of a longtime Agriculture Department worker. Senior class president and football co-captain in Casper, he went to Yale on a full scholarship for a year but failed out. He moved back to Wyoming, eventually enrolled at the University of Wyoming and renewed a relationship with high school sweetheart Lynne Anne Vincent, marrying her in 1964. He is survived by his wife and daughters.

Danez Smith Leads Off Literary Lineup Danez Smith (Photo Courtesy of Clark College, Vancouver, WA) The Clark College Columbia Writers Series will begin its 2025-26 season with  poet Danez Smith , author of  Don’t Call Us Dead, Homie,  and most recently,  Bluff , which was a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize .  This event, which is free and open to the public, will start at  11 a.m.  on  Thursday, November 13  in  Gaiser Hall 213  on Clark College’s main campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver.   Smith’s work explores themes of race, identity, mortality, and social justice through unconventional forms of poetry  that blend lyrical intensity with influences from slam and spoken word. They are also the curator of  Blues in Stereo: The Early Works of Langston Hughes.    Their accolades include the Forward Prize for Best Collection, the Minnesota Book Award in Poetry, the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry, and the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. Smith has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation, and has been featured by  The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Guardian, Buzzfeed, Best American Poetry,  PBS NewsHour, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.   Smith earned their Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Michigan and currently teaches at the Randolph College MFA program and the Black Youth Healing Arts Center in St. Paul. They live in Minneapolis. Event details  Time:  Thursday, November 13, 11 a.m. – noon   Location:  Gaiser Hall 213, Clark College main campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98683   Parking:  Green or Red lots— view online map and directions here .   Accommodations:  If you need an accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, please contact: Clark College’s Human Resources Office. Phone: 360-992-2105 or email:  hr@clark.edu

Court says protests didn’t justify military deployment; final ruling expected Friday People protest outside a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland, Ore., Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) (AP) A federal judge in Oregon on Sunday barred President Donald Trump’s administration from deploying the National Guard to Portland, Oregon until at least Friday, saying she “found no credible evidence” that protests in the city grew out of control before the president federalized the troops earlier this fall. The city and state sued in September to block the deployment. It’s the latest development in weeks of legal back-and-forth in Portland, Chicago and other U.S. cities as the Trump administration has moved to federalize and deploy the National Guard in city streets to quell protests. The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, followed a three-day trial in which both sides argued over whether protests at the city’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building met the conditions for using the military domestically under federal law. In a 16-page filing late Sunday, Immergut said she would issue a final order on Friday due to the voluminous evidence presented at trial, including more than 750 exhibits. The purpose of the deployment, according to the Trump administration, is to protect federal personnel and property where protests are occurring or likely to occur. Legal experts said that a higher appellate court order that remains in effect would have barred troops from being deployed anyway. “Based on the trial testimony, this Court finds no credible evidence that during the approximately two months before the President’s federalization order, protests grew out of control or involved more than isolated and sporadic instances of violent conduct that resulted in no serious injuries to federal personnel,” she wrote. The complex case comes as Democratic cities targeted by Trump for military involvement — including Chicago, which has filed a separate lawsuit on the issue — seek to push back. They argue the president has not satisfied the legal threshold for deploying troops and that doing so would violate states’ sovereignty. The administration argues that it needs the troops because it has been unable to enforce the law with regular forces — one of the conditions set by Congress for calling up troops. Immergut issued two orders in early October that blocked the deployment of the troops leading up to the trial. She previously found that Trump had failed to show that he met the legal requirements for mobilizing the National Guard. She described his assessment of Portland, which Trump has called “war-ravaged” with “fires all over the place,” as “simply untethered to the facts.” One of Immergut’s orders was paused Oct. 20 by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. But late Tuesday, the appeals court vacated that decision and said it would rehear the matter before an 11-judge panel. Until the larger panel rehears the case, the appeals court’s initial order from early October — under which the National Guard is federalized but not deployed — remains in effect. During the Portland trial, witnesses including local police and federal officials were questioned about the law enforcement response to the nightly protests at the city’s ICE building. The demonstrations peaked in June, when Portland police declared one a riot. The demonstrations typically drew a couple dozen people in the weeks leading up to Trump’s National Guard announcement. Federal officials working in the region testified about staffing shortages and requests for more personnel that have yet to be fulfilled. Among them was an official with the Federal Protective Service, the agency within the Department of Homeland Security that provides security at federal buildings, whom the judge allowed to be sworn in as a witness under his initials, R.C., due to safety concerns. R.C., who said he would be one of the most knowledgeable people in DHS about security at Portland’s ICE building, testified that a troop deployment would alleviate the strain on staff. When cross-examined, however, he said he did not request troops and that he was not consulted on the matter. He also said he was “surprised” to learn about the deployment and that he did not agree with statements about Portland burning down. Attorneys for Portland and Oregon said city police have been able to respond to the protests. After the police department declared a riot on June 14, it changed its strategy to direct officers to intervene when person and property crime occurs, and crowd numbers have largely diminished since the end of that month, police officials testified. Another Federal Protective Service official whom the judge also allowed to testify under his initials said protesters have at times been violent, damaged the facility and acted aggressively toward officers working at the building. The ICE building closed for three weeks over the summer due to property damage, according to court documents and testimony. The regional field office director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Cammilla Wamsley, said her employees worked from another building during that period. The plaintiffs argued that was evidence that they were able to continue their work functions.

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An arson investigation is underway after a car fire at the home of City Councilor Candace Avalos. On Sunday, October 26, 2025 at 2:40a.m., Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) responded to a fire in the Mill Park Neighborhood. Upon arrival they found several vehicles and a carport on fire. The vehicles were parked and unoccupied. Firefighters extinguished the fire, and no one was injured.   PF&R requested a Fire Investigator and Portland Police. East Precinct officers responded to the scene and assisted with the initial investigation. They determined that the vehicle of origin belongs to City Councilor Candace Avalos. The cause of the fire remains undetermined, but it is considered suspicious in nature. No arrests have been made. The Portland Fire Investigations Unit is investigating this case. If anyone has any information or tips related to this fire, please contact the PF&R Tip Line by phone at 503-823-3473 or by email at  arsontips@police.portlandoregon.gov .  Please reference PPB case number 25-293927. The Portland Fire Investigations Unit comprises fire investigators with Portland Fire & Rescue, who are sworn law enforcement officers, and a detective with the Portland Police Bureau. The collaboration leverages the specialized training and skills needed to investigate fires, including analysis equipment and accelerant detecting dogs.

A California’s SNAP benefits shopper pushes a cart through a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., Feb. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner, File) (AP) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1, raising the stakes for families nationwide as the government shutdown drags on. The new notice comes after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November. That program helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries. “Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA notice says. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.” The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, is now the second-longest on record. While the Republican administration took steps leading up to the shutdown to ensure SNAP benefits were paid this month, the cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to a wider swath of Americans — and some of those most in need — unless a political resolution is found in just a few days. The administration blames Democrats, who say they will not agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act . Republicans say Democrats must first agree to reopen the government before negotiation. But a USDA memo that surfaced Friday says “contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits.” The document says the money is reserved for such things such as helping people in disaster areas. It cited a storm named Melissa, which has strengthened into a major hurricane, as an example of why it’s important to have the money available to mobilize quickly in the event of a disaster. The prospect of families not receiving food aid has deeply concerned states run by both parties. Some states have pledged to keep SNAP benefits flowing even if the federal program halts payments, but there are questions about whether U.S. government directives may allow that to happen. The USDA memo also says states would not be reimbursed for temporarily picking up the cost. Other states are telling SNAP recipients to be ready for the benefits to stop. Arkansas and Oklahoma, for example, are advising recipients to identify food pantries and other groups that help with food. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., accused Republicans and Trump of not agreeing to negotiate. “The reality is, if they sat down to try to negotiate, we could probably come up with something pretty quickly,” Murphy said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We could open up the government on Tuesday or Wednesday, and there wouldn’t be any crisis in the food stamp program.”

Fowler Road and Parking Project - ITB 4483   METRO Fowler Road and Parking Project ITB 4483   Metro is inviting bids to construct a gravel access road and parking area as per plans, specifications at location: 20721 S May Road, Oregon City, Oregon 97045. . Bids are due no later than 2:00 p.m. November 5, 2025 in Metro’s business offices at 600 NE Grand Avenue, Portland, OR  97232-2736, Attention: Yvette Lock, Procurement Analyst, ITB 4483.  Responses will be opened publicly at that time.    A Voluntary Pre-Bid Conference is scheduled for all potential prime and sub-contractors on October 24, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at 20721 S. May Road, Oregon City, Oregon 97045.  Per Metro’s Subcontractor Equity Program, Contractors that submit a bid for this project must solicit a sub-bid from ALL COBID certified businesses who attend the pre-bid conference.   Solicitation documents can be viewed and downloaded from Bid Locker ( bidlocker.us )   All bidders submitting a bid for public improvements over $50,000 certify that they will pay and comply with the minimum prevailing wage requirements of ORS 279C.800-279C.870 and if applicable 40 U.S.C.276a.   Metro may accept or reject any or all bids, in whole or in part, or waive irregularities not affecting substantial rights if such action is deemed in the public interest.    Metro extends equal opportunity to all persons and specifically encourages minority, women-owned, emerging small businesses and service-disabled veteran owned businesses to access and participate in this and all Metro projects, programs and services.  Metro Local Contract Review Board Rules require all Bidders to follow and document a specific outreach effort to State-certified Minority, Emerging. Women-owned and Service-Disabled Veteran owned Businesses.  Certification of good faith compliance and a declaration of any actual utilization pursuant to both programs are required at the time of Bid Opening.   Metro and its contractors will not discriminate against any person(s), employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, political affiliation or marital status.  Metro fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities.  For more information, or to obtain a Title VI Complaint Form, see www.oregonmetro.gov .

Celebrating 20th Year Anniversary of Cinnamon Bear Cruises Kids and baby on Cinnamon Bear Lap Photo by Aaron Greene Two decades ago, Portland Spirit  had a radical idea: What if we bring back the Cinnamon Bear, Portland’s slightly creepy -but-endearing holiday mascot?  The Cinnamon Bear story, originally broadcast in 1937 as a national radio production, became a cherished local tradition when Lipman & Wolfe department store adopted the lovable bear as its Christmas mascot. For decades, meeting Cinnamon Bear was among Portland families’ favorite holiday rituals until the early 1990s, when the character disappeared from the holiday scene. Today, children are once again lining up to meet Cinnamon Bear. This time aboard a boat. Portland Spirit revived this iconic holiday figure in 2005. Now, in 2025, the Cinnamon Bear Cruise celebrates its 20th year anniversary, continuing a beloved local tradition that has delighted thousands of families and rekindled childhood memories for parents and grandparents who once met the bear themselves as children. “We’re honored to keep this Portland legacy alive, especially for those parents and grandparents who grew up with Cinnamon Bear and want to share the beloved story with their grandkids,” said Dennis Corwin, General Manager of the Portland Spirit. “Cinnamon Bear isn’t just a holiday cruise, it’s a bridge between generations.” The Cinnamon Bear story began in 1937 as a holiday radio serial created by Glanville and Elizabeth Heisch. Portlanders first met the bear through a 26-episode program that aired between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Lipman & Wolfe department stores later brought the character to life in-store, complete with photo sessions and cinnamon bear cookies. In the 1950s, Lipman’s introduced Cinnamon Bear Breakfasts, featuring musical performances. Frederick & Nelson continued the tradition when it acquired Lipman’s in 1979, until the company’s last Oregon location closed in 1991. Just over two decades later, Portland Spirit acquired the rights to produce Cinnamon Bear cruises, reviving the character for a new generation. The inaugural cruise took place in 2005 and was met with great success, with many cruises selling out. The first cruise featured only Cinnamon Bear, but over time more Maybeland characters were introduced, including Queen Melissa, Captain Taffy, Crazy Quilt Dragon, and Jack Frost. Local composer Rick Lewis produced five original songs for the cruise, and Portland Spirit even published a children’s picture book , along with a range of themed merchandise available for sales online and onboard during the cruises. The cruise took a two-year hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic — though Cinnamon Bear continued in a smaller capacity as part of an outdoor drive-through show at Oaks Park. Portland Spirit brought the cruise back in 2022 with a reimagined format. Today’s Cinnamon Bear Breakfast Cruise features reserved seating and a plated hot breakfast, replacing the previous general-admission seating and light continental breakfast. Guests can also look forward to: Story time with Queen Melissa A live magic show with Jack Frost A printed souvenir photo with Cinnamon Bear for every child A cinnamon bear cookie for all youth, a nod to Lipman’s original tradition Character meet-and-greets and photo opportunities throughout the cruise The enchanting Cinnamon Bear tale follows Jimmy and Judy Barton on their quest to find the Silver Star for the top of their Christmas tree. Guided by Cinnamon Bear, they travel to Maybeland and encounter a host of charming characters, including the mischievous Crazy Quilt Dragon, who has stolen the star. The Dates for the cruise are November 29–30, December 6–7, 13–14, 20–24, and 26–27.Boarding Time is 9:00 a.m. at Salmon Springs Dock, 1010 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97204 Tickets start at $70 for adults, $50 for children (12 and under), and $15 for babies (includes souvenir photo). Reservations are available at portlandspirit.com/cinnamonbear  or by calling 503-224-3900.   Portland Spirit operates a fleet of four boats, including the Explorer Jetboat, and offers a variety of cruises year-round including brunch, lunch, dinner, sightseeing and holiday cruises for both public and private events. The yachts have been equipped with an onboard galley to offer freshly prepared Northwest cuisine on cruises in addition to the ever-changing views. The company has been locally family owned and operated since 1994. For more information, visit portlandspirit.com .

Celebrating National Drive Electric Month with $5.8M in Grants PDX Diaper Bank To celebrate National Drive Electric Month, Portland General Electric is recognizing the impact electric vehicles have on communities through its 2025 Drive Change Fund awardees, who are providing vital care, human connection and food for people and their families.   The Drive Change Fund  is a grant program made possible by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Fuels Program  and administered by PGE, empowering grant recipients to invest in electrification projects across its service area with a focus on benefitting communities.   For 2025, PGE announced a total of more than $5.8 million to more than 30 organizations, including Oregon Food Bank, Meals on Wheels People, and the PDX Diaper Bank, to partner on electrification projects.   Through the Drive Change Fund, the PDX Diaper Bank will purchase its second electric cargo van, allowing them to replace a smaller, aging vehicle, increase cargo space for diaper pickups and deliveries, and maximize overall efficiency while reducing emissions throughout its route.   “Our partnership with the PGE Drive Change Fund has been pivotal to the growth and sustainability of PDX Diaper Bank,” said Rachel Alston, PDX Diaper Bank Executive Director. “Thanks to this grant program, PDX Diaper Bank can optimally meet our essential mission with increased efficiency, allowing us to support even more children and families in need.”   2025 recipient, Meals on Wheels People is also using the Drive Change Fund for electric transportation, adding a fully electric, zero emissions refrigerated truck to deliver meals to seniors throughout the Portland-metro area. The new truck will not only help keep food cold for delivery and pickup, but it will also lower costs, allowing the organization to reinvest funds toward more meals and services for the community’s most vulnerable older adults.   “Collaboration makes our work possible, and we’re so grateful for this vital partnership with PGE,” said Suzanne Washington, CEO of Meals on Wheels People. “This support helps us meet urgent needs today while building a healthier, more sustainable future for our community.”   In addition to funding electric vehicles, the Drive Change Fund can also be used toward other electrification projects like electric forklifts. This year, Oregon Food Bank is investing in new energy-efficient forklifts with support from the fund. Every week, the food bank moves roughly one million pounds of food. Oregon Food Bank Facilities Manager, Kira Harrow says electric forklifts will reduce costs, downtime and improve operations overall.   “Our fleet of forklifts are a vital component of this massive food movement operation, running up to 16 hours a day to keep fresh food reaching families across the state. Keeping this aging fleet running requires significant power consumption and ever-increasing maintenance costs," shared Harrow. “This investment strengthens our ability to serve communities across Oregon and Southwest Washington while increasing the environmental sustainability of our operations."   As PGE celebrates National Drive Electric Month, these partnerships demonstrate how electric transportation drives positive change far beyond individual vehicles—creating healthier communities and a more sustainable future.   Applications for the 2026 Drive Changes Fund open in February.

Daniels Expresses Gratitude for Team and Supporters Pat Daniels, Executive Director - Constructing Hope Pre-Apprenticeship Program (Photo Courtesy of Constructing Hope) As retirement approaches at the end of the year, Pat Daniels expresses deep gratitude for the support, commitment, and shared belief in Constructing Hope’s mission. Daniels has led and grown Constructing Hope with dedication and passion. Looking back, this work has not just been her career, but her calling. She is deeply proud and grateful to everyone who has been part of the journey. Together, they have built a unique program that has launched hundreds of successful careers and transformed lives. The organization has created opportunities and broken barriers, and every milestone reached stands as a testament to the collective effort and heart of the community. Daniels has often said, “There is no ‘I’ in team.” That belief has never felt truer than it does today. The team at Constructing Hope is strong, passionate, and deeply committed to the mission, and she has absolute confidence in their ability to carry the vision forward and continue to expand the organization’s impact for years to come. Guided by that same confidence in the organization’s future, the board undertook a thorough and thoughtful process to assess, evaluate, and support the upcoming leadership transition. The successor to the current leadership role will be Noah Koné, the organization’s Deputy Director. Since joining Constructing Hope, Koné has demonstrated deep passion and genuine pride in the work. He brings a clear vision for the future of the organization, and with his thoughtful leadership, there is full confidence in his ability to guide Constructing Hope to even greater heights. To all Constructing Hope graduates, thanks are extended for believing in the dream, in the mission, and in what is possible. Though stepping away from day-to-day operations, there will remain a lifelong commitment to championing Constructing Hope.