 I’m dedicating time to meet with District 4 constituents both virtually and in their own neighborhoods — to hear what’s on your mind and to provide information on a variety of issues. Please save these dates:
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Sellwood-Moreland Improvement League (SMILE): 7:30-9pm Wednesday, May 6th at SMILE Station, 8210 SE 13th Avenue.
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Ashcreek-Crestwood Neighborhood Association: 7-8:30pm Monday, May 11th on Zoom.
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Multnomah Neighborhood Association: 7-8:30pm Tuesday, June 9th at Village Grace, 6948 SW Capitol Highway.
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Forest Park Neighborhood Association: 7-8:30pm Tuesday, June 16th at Skyline Memorial Gardens, 4101 NW Skyline Boulevard.
 Mayor Wilson met with all City Councilors individually to hear our budget priorities, took what he heard, and crafted a proposal that makes the necessary cuts. It is painful but balanced.
I still want to hear your priorities! My District 4 budget survey is open through May 7th.
In addition, you’re invited to a District 4 Budget Listening Session from 6-8pm Tuesday, May 5th at Chapman K-5 School Auditorium, 1445 NW 26th Avenue. The event will begin with a brief overview of the budget to help get oriented to the fiscal year 2026-27 process. I will be there to hear your concerns.
You can address the budget for up to two minutes a person, with priority given to District 4 residents. You can register at the welcome table up to 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. For more information or to submit written comments anytime, please visit Portland.gov/Budget/News.
 This week I attended Re-Ignite the Pearl, a well-attended town hall, to map out the revitalization of this important neighborhood.
I announced a “sponsorship” of $20,000 to jump-start a weekly Pearl District Farmers Market. In addition, plans include yoga and fitness classes in the park; an art walk and summer concerts; bicycle races; and Cars & Corks on 13th.
Thank you to Portland Center Stage for hosting, and congratulations to the Pearl District Neighborhood Association for harnessing community energy to return vibrancy, safety, and foot traffic to this area!
 Did you know Portland has more art spaces within walking distance of each other than any West Coast city?
The inaugural Portland Arts Week will amplify that energy from July 9-12 with a series of openings, performances, and pop-up events across the central city. The theme is “Art & Sport,” inspired by the arrival of the WNBA’s newest team, the Portland Fire, to the epicenter of women’s sports.
This week Wieden+Kennedy hosted a launch event with leaders from the worlds of arts, sports, and politics, including The Sports Bra owner Jenny Nguyen (upper left) and longtime gallery owner Elizabeth Leach (lower left). As Mayor Wilson said, Portland Arts Week offers an opportunity to activate downtown and to draw new audiences into every creative corridor.
Our arts community is an economic engine that has the power to reimagine and re-energize downtown. Every dollar spent on art generates $5 for our broader economy.
 This week I joined Governor Kotek and Mayor Wilson for the ceremonial signing of legislation to modernize the Moda Center.
The state’s largest gathering place and busiest entertainment venue draws visitors from every corner of Oregon and far beyond. It’s a cultural hub and an economic engine.
The Moda is home to the Portland Trail Blazers and our new WNBA team the Portland Fire. It also hosts concerts, rodeos, and community events — programming that serves rural, suburban, and urban Oregonians alike. It brings people into our state who might not otherwise visit.
We do not want to lose the $670 million in economic activity and 4,000 jobs generated by the Blazers and Moda. It would make our challenge even harder. Renovating — rather than building new — will reduce carbon impact. This investment also arrives at a moment when Portland urgently needs good-paying construction jobs.
 As Portland’s representative on the League of Oregon Cities board, I attended their 2026 Spring Conference last week in Pendleton.
When these 241 cities across the state come together, we find that we have so many challenges in common. By collaborating with other jurisdictions, we can have a much more powerful statewide impact.
I participated in sessions about wildfire safety, artificial intelligence, overcoming divisiveness, and more. It was also great to network with municipal leaders from Fossil, Klamath Falls, Hermiston, Newport, Bend, Monmouth, and throughout the Portland metropolitan area.
 While in Eastern Oregon last week for the League of Oregon Cities Spring Conference, I visited the original Pendleton Woolen Mills, where their jacquard-patterned fabrics and blankets are still woven after 117 years.
You can learn about the company’s long history in the Pacific Northwest right in District 4! Pendleton operates a flagship store in the same Old Town building as their corporate offices that’s focused on interior decorating (210 NW Broadway), while their downtown location highlights “fleece-to-fashion” apparel (near Director Park at 825 SW Yamhill Street).
 Portland Parks & Recreation recently shared 4 photos of volunteers working in District 4. Please join them and get involved! Clockwise from top left:
- Every Tuesday morning, the volunteers at Pittock Mansion gardens help keep everything healthy, welcoming, and popping with color.
- In celebration of Earth Day, Solve cleaned up Tom McCall Waterfront Park. This partnership was a collaboration with National Recreation and Park Association and the Show Your Park Some Love initiative, made possible with support from Niagara Cares.
- In the heart of the Pearl District, Tanner Springs Park is home to native plants, ponds, and birds — and attracts many human visitors. A team from Dr. Martens recently joined the regular volunteer crew for weed pulling to clear space for native plants to breathe.
- The volunteers at MAC Trail Mondays help support the growth of native and food forest plants in Washington Park. This group gets to spend quality time in the great outdoors, filling their brains with plant knowledge and their lungs with fresh air.
 Last week I wore orange in recognition of Go Orange Day — part of Work Zone Awareness Week — when roadway safety professionals and supporters across the country show their commitment to work zone safety.
Every day, many of our colleagues work in and around roadways, construction zones, and other high-risk environments to keep Portland moving and our community safe. This work is important, and it comes with real risks.
Safety must be part of everything we do. Wearing orange reflects something meaningful: that we recognize our colleagues doing this work and that their safety matters.
 This week I read a mayoral proclamation in honor of Workers Memorial Day, which honors the lives of 37 Oregonians who died on the job or from workplace injuries last year.
On April 28th, 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect, promising every worker the fundamental right to a safe job. This annual observance offers a moment to join hands with the labor movement to rededicate our commitment to making work safe for Portlanders and to protecting Portlanders from workplace injury.
 Call to community members: You can help shape 9-1-1’s future by joining the Bureau of Emergency Communications User Board, which is seeking applicants from West Portland. Community members are needed to make guiding recommendations about public safety topics related to 9-1-1.
Your perspective will help shape decisions that impact how emergency services support a safe, responsive Portland — including 9-1-1 operations, budget priorities, and service improvements. The deadline is May 3rd.
Telecommunicators are the link between the community and fire, medical, mental health, and law enforcement agencies. 9-1-1 telecommunicators often provide lifesaving instructions over the phone and give first responders the critical information they need before they arrive on the scene.
 Portland International Airport celebrated the second phase of its renovation this week. The Port of Portland says 30,000 local professionals were involved throughout the life of this project!
The exit lanes now feature a 55-foot mosaic by Lakota artist Dyani White Hawk, new storefronts, meet-and-greet areas, and shorter walks to baggage claim! The 300,000-square-foot expansion, which made PDX the first major U.S. airport with a mass-timber roof, is expected to wrap by June.
(By the way: Did you know that Portland’s first airport was located on Swan Island — and dedicated in 1927 by Charles Lindbergh? Special thanks to District 4 resident and PDX 311 Supervisor John Dutt for his trivia knowledge!)
 Travel Portland celebrated our visitor economy this week at the Tourism & Hospitality Industry Awards. Mayor Wilson highlighted the particular importance of the hospitality community in the city’s ongoing revitalization.
Two of this year’s honorees are major destinations of District 4:
🪷 Lan Su Chinese Garden received the President’s Award for creating a lasting impact across Portland’s visitor industry. This Old Town Chinatown anchor, which draws 100,000 visitors annually, just celebrated its 25th anniversary last year by doubling its footprint with a major expansion.
🖼️ Portland Art Museum received the Portland Award, the event’s highest honor, for its transformative expansion and visitor experience, further elevating the city’s cultural landscape.
 Metro is setting the table to collaborate with cities, counties, communities, individuals, and organizations across greater Portland to build a shared 50-year vision for the future. Future Vision will set the course for the future on a wide range of topics: our economy, land use, transportation, housing, climate, nature, arts, and culture.
Our region’s first long-range plan was adopted 30 years ago. It helped guide the redevelopment of neighborhoods like the South Waterfront. But many topics are missing from that 1995 report, such as 21st century technology like artificial intelligence.
This effort needs a diverse range of voices. Please visit OregonMetro.gov/FutureVision to take a 10-minute survey by May 15th, then share the link with at least three people.
 Portland’s newest holiday, 503 Day, returns for 5 hours and 3 minutes (1-6:03pm) on Sunday, May 3rd!
The recently launched “Pink Light District” will host a free and family-friendly block party celebrating everything wild, weird, and wonderfully Portland along Ankeny Alley at Southwest Third Avenue. The afternoon will include a variety show, Karaoke from Hell, silent disco, beer garden, vendors, and raffle prizes.
Last year the podcast City Cast Portland created this new tradition — named after a number that has served as Portland’s area code since 1947 — “as a call to action for a more engaged citizenry and a greater and more prosperous Portland.” Special thanks to the Ankeny Alley Business Association and Portland Bureau of Transportation for their collaboration!
 ► The City is planning to close the NW Northrup overnight emergency shelter, which has provided 17,000+ safe nights of rest in the first seven months of operation. As I told KATU-TV: “While I am concerned about the humanitarian crisis on our streets, I’m also concerned about the public safety and public health impacts that this shelter has had on the surrounding dense urban neighborhood. The engagement zone promises were not adequately met, creating real problems for small businesses and residents walking on the sidewalks and using neighborhood parks and streets.”
► Economist and energy-sector expert Robert McCullough is calling for more surveillance cameras in areas of District 4 at high risk of wildfires: In addition to Forest Park, he says Oaks Bottom is an unrecognized area with 10,000+ vulnerable homes. Portland Business Journal also spoke with Portland Fire & Rescue, which offers the Firewise Community Program to help neighborhoods take proactive steps to prepare for an emergency.
► Portland Art Museum’s Center for an Untold Tomorrow will celebrate “Cinema Unbound Week” from May 27-31 with a series of events for movie lovers! Some highlights from The Oregonian: the Cinema Unbound Awards, which will honor filmmaker Titus Kaphar, comedian Maria Bamford, and Wildfang CEO Emma McIlroy; a live taping of the Criterion Channel original series Adventures in Moviegoing featuring Portlandia creators Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen; and the Criterion Mobile Closet, with 1,700+ of the world’s best movies packed inside an 18-foot traveling truck.
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