City Cast Portland

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about the safety issues facing Portland’s transit system, the aftermath of the PSU ceasefire protests, and the city camping ban that has been officially approved after many iterations. Joining executive producer John Notarianni on this week’s Friday news roundup are Portland Mercury news reporter Taylor Griggs and our very own producer, Giulia Fiaoni. Discussed on Today’s Episode: STREET VIEW: Public Transit Safety Concerns Deserve a Thoughtful Response [Portland Mercury]  Students in Oregon and Across U.S. Call for Divestment. It’s Not So Simple. [Oregonian]  Posts Called for Targeted Vandalism, Violence During Portland State University Protests, Police Say [KGW]  PSU Requests Portland Police Help in Clearing Library Occupied by Student Protesters [Oregonian] Portland Mayor’s Scaled-Back Homeless Camping Ban Approved, Enforcement Can Begin Immediately [Oregonian] Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here. Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Bon Coeur Home and Wellness with offer code BonCoeurCityCast20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four of the five seats on the Multnomah County Commission are up for grabs during this month’s primary election. Despite being under-the-radar for many voters, this race could lead to a significant shift in the priorities of county leaders. Today, Oregonian City Hall reporter Shane Dixon Kavanaugh is sharing his cheat sheet on who’s running and where they stand on the issues. And don’t worry if you’re not 100% sure what the county commission even does — we’ve got you covered. Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Bon Coeur Home and Wellness with offer code BonCoeurCityCast20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last year, Portland’s had alternative shelters spring up, a 90-day fentanyl emergency declared, Measure 110 rolled back, and a ton of money funneled into new affordable housing. But are any of these things changing the day-to-day on city streets? Today we’re asking Blanchet House executive director Scott Kerman about his ground-level perspective on the state of homelessness, addiction, and behavioral health.  Mentioned in this episode: What Portland Gets Wrong About Old Town [City Cast Portland 🎧] Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Bon Coeur Home and Wellness with offer code BonCoeurCityCast20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about the proposed $8.2 billion city budget that dropped last Friday, including some of the items the Portland Clean Energy Fund is throwing down for, as well as a couple of updates on some stories we talked about in last week’s Friday news roundup. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week’s midweek roundup is our executive producer, John Notarianni. Discussed on Today’s Episode: Mayor Ted Wheeler plans to fully fund Portland Street Response, cash-strapped Fire Bureau [Oregonian]  Mayor's Proposed Budget City of Portland, Oregon Fiscal Year 2024-25 [Portland.gov] U.S. Senate Dems Launch Renewed Push for Full Marijuana Legalization [Oregon Capital Chronicle]   Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Bon Coeur Home and Wellness with offer code BonCoeurCityCast20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Oakley is best known for his work as a showrunner for “The Simpsons”; he’s probably written some of your favorite lines from the show. But in recent years, Oakley has become Portland’s resident fast food expert. With National Hamburger Day coming up on May 28, Oakley is here to give us his honest takes on Portland’s fast food scene — from vegan junk food to the best burgers — as well as his expert opinion on where Homer Simpson would dine in town.  This episode originally aired on Nov 21, 2023. Restaurants Discussed in Today’s Episode: The Original Food Carts at John’s Marketplace The Hinterland Bar & Food Carts Gnarlys Boxcar Pizza Buddy’s Steaks Bottle Rocket Burgers Bunk Bar Canard Fuller's Burger Shack MidCity Smashedburger Farmer and the Beast Sure Shot Burger Hit the Spot! Wolfs Head Burger Champs Burger Los Burros Supremos Tight Tacos Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Bon Coeur Home and Wellness with offer code BonCoeurCityCast20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy 503 Day, everyone! Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about some of the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s planned greenway additions, what the upcoming federal reclassification of cannabis would mean to our local industry, and the participatory budgeting campaign currently gathering signatures. Plus, we reveal our new unofficial city slogan! Joining host Claudia Meza on this week’s Friday news roundup are Willamette Week’s Potlander column author, Brianna Wheeler, and our very own executive producer, John Notarianni. Discussed on Today’s Episode: Federal Cannabis Reclassification Could Bring Pharmaceutical Companies to Oregon’s Marijuana Industry [OPB] What Would You Do With $15 Million of City Money? Petition Would Give Portlanders a Say [Portland Mercury] News Release: Biking in Portland Grows by 5%, as PBOT Announces New Greenways and Retrofits Opening This Year [Portland.gov]  Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the past month, City Cast Portland has been campaigning to make May 3 an official holiday celebrating all that is Portland. But since it’s a brand-new holiday, host Claudia Meza and producers John Notarianni and Giulia Fiaoni have picked the best ideas for how to celebrate the inaugural 503 Day, with contributions from city leaders, regular contributors, and you — our amazing listeners. Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Portland community.  From checking out a mausoleum tour to getting outdoors with a NW forest pass, there’s no shortage of things to do this month in Portland. So the City Cast Portland team is here to narrow down your May bucket list to the must-dos, like this seasonal food guide.  One bonus suggestion from our episode archive: “Why Spring Is the Perfect Time To Visit Oregon’s High Desert” For even more tips on how to make the most of May in Portland, check out Hey Portland’s take on what to do this month.  City Cast Portland is powered by our members, who enjoy an ad-free version of the show. Find out more about how to become a member of City Cast Portland. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.  Reach us at portland@citycast.fm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re starting something new: neighborhood guides where we talk with notable Portlanders about the good, the bad, and the ugly of where they live. First up: potentially our most controversial neighborhood, Old Town Chinatown. Suzette Smith, from the Portland Mercury, has lived there for nearly a decade and has plenty of reasons why we have Old Town pegged all wrong. And a note to our ride-or-dies: our midweek roundup will be back next week. Places mentioned in this episode: Karaoke From Hell at Dante’s Sushi Ichiban Darcelle XV Showplace Kingsland Kitchen Little Peacock Hallway PDX Deadstock Coffee Cafe United Stumptown Kells Irish Pub Buranko Cafe The Society Hotel The Hoxton Lan Su Chinese Garden Sizzle Pie Voodoo Doughnut Pine Street Market Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: McMenamins UFO Fest May 17 & 18 in McMinnville Cake Hoopla in Tigard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite our iconic forests, mountains, and waterfalls, some Oregonians say the real adventure awaits us in the high desert, east of the Cascades. Out there, you’ll see landscapes unlike anywhere else in the Northwest, remnants of volcanic activity, aromatic brush and desert wildflowers, black-tailed jackrabbits, and a big ole crack in the ground. Today on City Cast Portland, Norther Emily of Wild Solitude Guiding fills us in on why spring is the perfect time to visit the high desert. Discussed in today’s episode: Maupin Lower Deschutes River Criterion Tract Smith Rock Gray Butte Painted Hills Natural Beef Christmas Valley Fort Rock Crack in the Ground The Lost Forest and Shifting Sand Dunes Summer Lake Hot Springs Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: McMenamins UFO Fest May 17 & 18 in McMinnville Cake Hoopla in Tigard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re talking about why a North Portland affordable housing development for seniors is sitting empty, which type of homeless shelters are most successful in moving people into permanent housing, and whether Metro should be diverting supportive housing services dollars to buy existing cheap residential properties. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week’s Friday news roundup are KOIN 6 investigative reporter Elise Haas, and our very own executive producer, John Notarianni. Stories discussed in today’s episode: Rosemont Court Residents Wonder, ‘What Is Our Fate?’ [KOIN] Study Finds Motels and Village Shelters Provide Best Outcome for Those Experiencing Homelessness [KGW] Portland Apartment Buildings Are Selling Cheap. Is That an Opportunity for Local Governments? [Willamette Week] Inside a Portland Micro-Village [City Cast Portland 🎧] What’s Working (and Not) in Portland’s Shelter Programs [City Cast Portland 🎧] Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On May 21, a primary election is likely to decide whether Mike Schmidt remains Multnomah County’s District Attorney or if instead the job will be passed on to Nathan Vasquez, a prosecutor working in the DA's office. Schmidt has appeared on the show a couple of times, so today we’re talking with Vasquez about why he thinks our city would be safer with him in office. Events mentioned in today’s episode: The Portland Night Market ‘Return of the Living Dead 3’ at the Clinton Street Theater ’Avatar: The Last Airbender’ in Concert at the Keller Auditorium Register to vote in the May primary election Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenny Nguyen is the owner of Portland’s Sports Bra — the first bar in America dedicated to playing only women’s sports. Following this week’s news that The Sports Bra plans to begin opening franchises nationwide, we’re revisiting a conversation host Claudia Meza had with Nguyen about her role in raising the profile of college and professional women’s basketball, in our city and across the country. This conversation originally aired on May 25, 2023 Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about a recent report on the health of the Willamette River and our local coastal waters. We also have updates on stories from last week, including Commissioner Rene Gonzalez’s backtracking on Mayor Ted Wheeler’s updated camping ban, and redemption for a maligned executive producer. Joining host Claudia Meza on our midweek roundup is our very own producer, Giulia Fiaoni. Discussed in Today’s Episode: Oregon Could Place Limits on River Trash, Ocean Acidification [OPB] The Portland Spirit Turns 30 Years Old [Willamette Week] Gonzalez’s Punitive Camping Ban, Unfinished City Projects in SE, and Changing Public School Funding [City Cast Portland] Gonzalez Pares Back Camping Ban Proposal [Willamette Week]   High-Visibility Crossing at SE 80th and Stark [Montavilla News] Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Joint Office of Homeless Services was created in 2016 to centralize planning for homelessness programs and coordinate services between the county and the city. But despite a budget of $279 million a year, critics say it’s been slow to act and ineffective. There’s been enough controversy that the city auditor’s office just released a comprehensive look at the office. Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking with KC Jones, the city’s director of the audit services division, about what’s working in shelter programs, what’s broken, and how it’s getting fixed. Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about delayed and unfinished city infrastructure projects in Montavilla, how parent fundraising for Portland Public Schools might be changing, and Commissioner Gonzalez’s surprise camping ban proposal. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week’s Friday news roundup are City Cast director of digital strategy, Bryan M. Vance, and our very own executive producer, John Notarianni. Stories Discussed on Today’s Episode: $5M Update to SE Portland Park Will Include New Skatepark, Playground [FOX12]  Is Portland’s Tradition of Parent Fundraising to Add Teachers at Their Child’s School Near an End? [Oregonian]   Rene Gonzalez, Candidate for Portland Mayor, Pitches More Punitive Approach to Homeless Campers [Oregonian]  Vans Staffed with Medical Workers Bring Physical, Mental Health Care to Unhoused Portlanders Where They Are [Oregonian 🔒] No Sidewalk? Your Problem. [City Cast Portland 🎧] City Camping Ban Revised and Portland’s Giant Powerball Winner. Plus, Plans for 503 Day! [City Cast Portland 🎧] Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Camps at the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This tax season, $5.61 billion is headed back into our pockets, courtesy of Oregon’s largest-ever “kicker” tax credit. Why were our state economists so far off? And why don’t they just use that money on all the stuff Oregon really NEEDS, like mental health services, housing, or schools? Today on City Cast Portland, OPB politics and government reporter Dirk VanderHart is walking us through the hows and whys of the Oregon law — and hopefully sharing with us how he’s spending his rebate. Discussed in today’s episode: Oregon’s massive kicker is spurring a fresh look at the state’s unique tax rebate law [OPB]  Events mentioned in today’s episode: Earth Day ReUse Craft Fair at the ReBuilding Center, Saturday Portland Mercury’s Pizza Week, through Sunday One Moto Show, through Sunday Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Camps at the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking with WeShine, a neighbor-organized nonprofit that builds and runs micro-villages in our city. Executive Director Jan McManus and facility coordinator Hunter Burkett are sharing how their micro-villages address the ongoing housing crisis and how their model fits in with the city and county’s larger efforts to address homelessness. Volunteer at WeShine: https://weshinepdx.org/about/join-us/ Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Camps at the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about how Pho Gabo owner Eddie Dong is preparing to sue the city after an odor ordinance forced him to close his restaurant. Plus, we play our new one-star review game, where we read some hilariously brutal one-star reviews of very popular outdoor spaces and attempt to name the establishments. Joining host Claudia Meza on the midweek roundup is our very own executive producer, John Notarianni. Discussed in Today's Episode: Pho Gabo Owner Eddie Dong Prepares to Sue City [Willamette Week] Why a Portland Restaurant Closed for Smelling Like Food [City Cast Portland 🎧]   Portland’s 25 Best Patios and Rooftop Bars for Soaking up the Sun [Oregonian] The ‘Nasal Ranger’ Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here. Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Camps at the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some Portlanders seem to have a bit of a superiority complex regarding our suburbs, but over the past decade or so, areas like Beaverton and Hillsboro have become serious foodie destinations. Today on City Cast Portland, Eater Portland editor Brooke Jackson-Glidden is sharing her picks for the best places to eat west of the city. Restaurants discussed in this episode: Coredam Always Spring Restaurant The Korean Mama Yvette Ciao India Sweets and Spices Yuubi Sushi Oyatsupan Bakers Jollibee Magna Kubo Best Baguette Ome Calli Frozen Treats Hapa Pizza Don’s Favorite Foods Bootleggers Whiskey Bar Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Camps at the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices