Last Friday, CAO Michael Jordan sent a citywide email that included a link to an employee survey. The City is asking for employee feedback to help shape the future of the City’s workplace models. Please take 10 to 15 minutes to complete this anonymous employee survey about your experiences and opinions. Questions will be tailored to your current workplace arrangement, whether you work onsite full-time, part-time or received an exception to work entirely remotely.  

If you have questions or feedback, please reach out to the City’s workplace reentry team at CityReentry@portlandoregon.gov. 

Note that the survey closes at 5 p.m. on Monday, June 27.  

Repost from heatweek.org 

Heat Week was initiated by CAPA Strategies, a climate adaptation and planning analytics company that is motivated by community collaboration and resilience. Based in Portland, CAPA staff were appalled but not surprised by the level of heat we had in 2021, and the subsequent repercussions our community has faced.

CAPA brought together a multisectoral panel of community groups and city leaders to co-develop, plan, and oversee Heat Week to commemorate the 2021 heat wave. The event has grown into a series that bolsters ongoing community events as well as founding new events to focus on the experience of and adaptation to heat in the Portland area.

Heat Week commemorates those lost in the 2021 Heat Dome, and brings us together to address heat concerns in our community. 

Event Schedule:  

Day 1: Kick-Off 

Sunday, June 26, 1 - 5 p.m., Leach Botanical Garden (Register)

To kick-off Heat Week, we will hold a commemorative event at the Gardens to remember those who passed away in the 2021 heat dome. This event will feature a lineup of speakers - including elected officials and staff from a variety of organizations in the region - who will share past experiences and new developments relevant to heat preparedness. Refreshments and networking to follow. 

Day 2: Climate and Mental Health Panel 

Monday, June 27, 6 - 7:30 p.m. (Zoom) 

This online event will feature three outstanding speakers working at the intersection of mental health and healing, justice, and climate: 

Dr. Thomas Doherty, a psychologist and thought leader, with mental health practice focused on eco-therapy and climate grief. 

Barbara Ford, an activist, therapist, facilitator, and artist with a focus on the environment and climate change. 

Tyesha McCool-Riley, a social worker and mental health specialist with extensive experience in anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice, include work around community education, organizing, and engagement. 

In the first hour, these speakers will present some of their approach on mental health, heat, and grief through short presentations and discussion.  Attendees will then have the opportunity for small-group discussion in a breakout group of their choice.  

Day 3: 350PDX Pedalpalooza Ride and Action Night Picnic 

Tuesday, June 28, 5 - 7 p.m. (ride) and 7 - 8:30 p.m. (picnic) (Begins at Lents Park) 

This ride will travel from Lents to Laurelhurst through neighborhoods with different levels of tree canopy and shade. We’ll end at Colonel Summers Park for snacks and a night of climate justice actions with 350PDX. More information online at https://www.shift2bikes.org/calendar/event-14838 

Day 4: Heat First Aid Training  

Wednesday, June 29, 6 - 7 p.m. (Zoom) 

This free online webinar will provide education about warning signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and how to assist people in distress. This event is free and open to the public, presented by the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management as part of Heat Week 2022. Registration is optional. Live captioning, ASL and Spanish interpretation will be provided. The Zoom registration form invites requests for additional accommodations. 

Day 5: Heat Week Committee Closing Discussion & Reflections 

Thursday June 30, 3 - 5 p.m. (Livestream) 

Tune in for a facilitated conversation as we reflect on the events of Heat Week both personally and professionally and strategize around next steps and ways to continue moving this work forward. A live video feed will allow for the public to follow along and send questions to the group. 

By Kailyn Lamb 

There are just a few weeks left to complete your chat with your first Coffee Talk partner. Your second partner will be hitting your emails by July 8. The second-round pairs will be slightly delayed in getting to you due to my own vacation. Questions? Let me know!  

Building in your backyard 

Four years ago, when the project was still gaining momentum, David would go on walks around the area with key stakeholders and members of the business community. Due to early and deep public involvement, trust was built within the community; David notes that this has allowed for more creativity with the project. David is also a St. Johns resident—this project will impact him just as much as the community stakeholders he meets with. This has added a bit of pressure given the high-stakes of managing a project in his own "backyard”, but has the added benefit of increasing the level of community trust for PBOT and the project.  

You can see evidence of this trust when a decision had to be made about the removal of an ill-suited traffic signal at the intersection of N Lombard Street and N Philadelphia Avenue. Typically, there is resistance from neighbors when removing traffic signals, but thanks to the trust David was able to build within the community, it was deactivated, and the community was along for the ride. Philadelphia will remain an all-way stop intersection.  

Construction broke ground in September of 2021, with the first phase of work focusing on sidewalk improvements and ADA-compliant curb ramps. Part of this phase also involved tree removals along Lombard. In this case, removing some trees was necessary for better visibility on the street and because some were impeding the ability to create new ADA curb ramps.    New lighting along Lombard was also needed, which pushed some trees out. Ultimately, only 24 trees were removed, and 11 new trees will be filling their place. 

52 curb ramps have been installed at every corner as part of the sidewalk phase of construction to make the street more accessible and ADA-friendly. The curbs next to crosswalks have also been extended further into the street. Bumping these curbs into the street will mean pedestrians have less street to cross and makes the street safer overall. Additionally, the curb near bus stops have been bumped out so that buses can sidle up alongside the curb without having to cut across the street to pick up riders

I DIG St. Johns 

While sidewalk construction was happening, shops along Lombard remained open, it just took some extra patience from shop owners and extra signage telling customers how to navigate around the construction.  

One way that the St. Johns community helped support local businesses while construction was happening was to celebrate the ongoing work with a historical flair. The St. Johns Booster organization created a tote bag with the slogan “I Dig St. Johns”--a quote and graphic from a 1970’s construction project which has been repurposed for this project.  

100-year-old tracks become art 

The next phase of construction over the summer months will focus on removing old streetcar tracks, repaving the street, and installing concrete bus pads. David has already received a request from the St. Johns Museum (a volunteer-run organization that organizes pop-up events in the community to showcase the unique history of the St. Johns neighborhood) for a streetcar track donation to be made into an art piece. Once these tracks are pulled up, some will be donated to the museum and most will be recycled.  

Next, the street will be re-paved with asphalt, save for the area around bus stops, where concrete will be used to install “bus pads”. This concrete reinforcement is used to account for the heat and force exerted by busses when they stop. When this amount of heat is applied to traditional asphalt it can cause long-term deterioration to the pavement. The addition of concrete will help preserve the street pavement and require less maintenance in the long run.  

The summer work will require closing Lombard to any through traffic. David describes that the road will be divided into four “zones” of construction, limiting the number of detours needed to get around Lombard as crews cycle through working in these zones. The business district will have a few final months of disruptions before a smoother, safer North Lombard is revealed. But it’s clear from what we’ve seen so far that small businesses will continue to feel the support and love from the St. Johns community. 

Written by Judge Kemp.

As we come to the end of Pride Month, we are are sharing a personal blog post written by Judge Kemp. This is shared with permission from Judge’s blog, Judge Don’t Judge...Much. This article reflects Judge's lived experience and we believe it is important to share uncensored. 

So far 2022 feels like a poorly written science fiction reality show racing toward a season finale with a cliff-hanger that has us scratching our heads and asking what the hell just happened!  

It’s already June and according to the celestial calendars, the sun-kissed days and warm starry nights should be upon us. However in Oregon, Mother Nature’s seasonal timeline is in conflict with the astronomical influences leaving us throughout the state shivering with temperatures that feel like late fall or winter. This isn’t a complaint. I’ve personally been actually enjoying the cooler and yes, even the damper weather we’ve been having. I can already hear folks groaning (including Eric, the hubster) about these words. Now that the pandemic is behind us (right!?), we want to strip off our raincoats and long johns to run outside in our Birkenstocks (no socks please) dancing butt-naked in the glow of the seasonal warmth. I get it. It’s been a long and very wet winter. Let’s not forget it was almost a year ago that we were experiencing triple-digit temps (116 degrees 6/28/21) that left many seeking shelter anyway they could from the blistering and deadly heat. So for the moment, I’m enjoying nature’s gift for as long as I can. 

June also marks the start of Pride season. A time for celebration of Queer (this word is used broadly to include all LGBTQIA+) communities across Oregon and the rest of the country acknowledging who we are. The time of year when community members, churches, and corporations dust off the rainbow flags (D. Quasar’s design is my flag of choice) and march down boulevards to show support for our neighbors, family members, and colleagues. The past two years have forced us to stay in our homes, shelter in place, and kept us reluctantly separated from one another. Our once vibrant City of Roses, having been absent of activity, is now tagged with graffiti and boarded up buildings resembling a ghost town rather than a modern-day west coast destination. During the pandemic we lost many of our favorite Queer places (Hobos, Roxy, CC Slaughters (briefly) too. The few remaining spaces that have survived, are clinging to life support and hanging onto the edge of obscurity. Under such circumstances it’s hard to be joyful, but Pride is something we do need more than ever.  

Right now, we deserve something to celebrate. Even if it’s in the rain, but preferably in sunshine, we should celebrate. Pride for me was never about street parties or parades and I’ve participated in a few from Portland to Amsterdam. Pride has always been about the unification of community and not being afraid or ashamed of being who we are. Some choose to “hide from Pride” because it can be a bit overwhelming and sometimes feels superficial. Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with how you choose (or don’t) to celebrate. If you want to hit every Pride party and event that Portland has to offer to relive those circuit party days, go for it. Just remember, as the slogan goes “enjoy yourself but please be responsible” (concerned citizen speaking). If you do have the stamina, kudos to you and thank you for supporting the local businesses. These days, I have difficulty staying awake past 9pm and the idea of dancing all night sounds like a distant dream. My body has sadly grown accustomed to the lack of social activities these past few years but I’m working on breaking this habit!    

Someone said that laughter heals all wounds and we all could use a good laugh. I’m not talking about a courtesy chuckle. It should be a guffaw. One of those belly-aching-snorting-teary-eyed laughs that makes our faces hurt. This guilty pleasure of enjoyment releases endorphins, exercises our hearts and lungs, and feeds the soul. Making us, albeit briefly, forget about the challenges of today and tomorrow. A laugh is medicine that can’t be politicized and it forces us to be in the moment. I feel the Pride festivities, in all of its various forms, can provide us all with this medicine. So bring on the spectacle of mirrored disco balls, glitter, and feather boas. I’m greedy, and want a double helping of this prismatic goodness.  

I know that Pride is generally observed one month a year and is dedicated to all things GAY (except if you live in Florida), but there is more to our existence than the 30 days allocated to us living our true selves, just like Black History month is for me too. We Queer folks are everywhere. Some of us just are fortunate enough to live in a place (Portland) that is more accepting than others. That’s not to say that Portland is a utopia of Homodom. We too have our share of yahoos (excuse me, folks) who will be present at the festivities who believe because we love who we love, we are doomed to the fiery pits of Hell in the afterlife. To that I say, at least I’ll be in good company!  

I wish these extremists would rally around creating unity and community. Or better yet, putting their energies to ending gun violence, addressing the mental health crisis, and houselessness; something that is too prevalent in our city and state right now. I can’t help but be emotionally impacted by the amount of devastation and despair these days, especially when so many of the victims look like me. Truthfully, these are the things that have been steadily chipping away at the core of my generally sunny and positive temperament creating a sense of fractured Pride within me. I’m fortunate to have the love of my handsome husband and support of our amazing friends (the Posse), to provide balance, perspective, and hope for brighter days ahead. There is something to be said about the power of community and Pride is a reminder that we are not on this journey alone. 

In the coming months, the Supreme Court will be hearing cases that will decide if businesses can discriminate against same sex couples for wedding services, and whether or not a foster care agency can deny LGBTQIA+ people from being foster parents. With the conservative majority leading the court, there are definitely uncertain times ahead.  

Luckily, it’s not all gloom and doom. Even as the rain falls, there will always be a rainbow. We are a colorful and resilient group of people with fabulous drag queens/kings to entertain us, dykes on bikes to empower us, and studly muscle bears to excite us by living large. As long as we can laugh, our determination and Pride will drive us to fight for what’s right.  

We will persevere.