Juneteenth
City offices will be closed tomorrow in observance of Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation was ordered in Texas on June 19, 1865, and Juneteenth has been celebrated since. Wishing you all a weekend of community, contemplation, and connection!
 Moda Center Feedback
I have been pushing hard for official ways to get community voices integrated into the Moda Center process. Finally, this past weekend there were city-wide pop-up listening sessions, as well as a city-wide survey that closed on Thursday. I was able to attend both of the District 3 pop-ups, and heard from constituents across the spectrum of opinions. Some constituents want the City to provide the money with no strings attached. Others want community benefits included, like street pricing or fair labor standards. Many think Dundon should invest more himself. Some worry about Portland’s reputation with developers, while others care more about concerts than sports (I’d love to see Beyoncé here, too!). And some Portlanders don’t want any public money going to Dundon at all.
I truly loved hearing everyone’s perspectives and am grateful folks came out to talk to us. Here are some takeaways: People are hungry for ways for their voices to be heard. Community showed up ready to engage earnestly and generously. I watched people shift opinions as they listened to each other and gained more information and perspective. I’m also learning that people often don’t know they can ask for community benefits, and they are interested in learning about what is possible. I am listening, and your City Councilors want to hear from you.
After the City released its survey about the Moda Center, I heard from the community that they have more to say. My team put together a supplemental survey; we’d love to hear from you by next Thursday, June 25th!
Passing the 2026-27 City Budget
On Wednesday, Portland City Council passed our 2026-27 budget. It was a tough budget to solve – changes at the federal level have major impacts, including decreased revenue for our city. I’d like to extend gratitude to everyone who has engaged with me and my office and helped fight for programs and positions that benefit all of us. Thank you to everyone who completed surveys, sent e-mails, attended town halls and community meetings, and testified at City Hall. Because of your advocacy, we were able to restore jobs to protect our tree canopy, protect programs like the personal trainers that support many of our vulnerable neighbors, and fulfill a historic promise to rebuild the Montavilla Park picnic shelter.
I’d also like to shout out and thank Council President Dunphy and former Council President Pirtle-Guiney. Council President Dunphy built on the foundation that Councilor Pirtle-Guiney laid last year, and I want to thank them both for the often unrecognized and underappreciated work of organizing the budget process. I also want to recognize that there’s room for improvement. I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues and city staff to continually make city government more accessible to everyone.
 Commencement Ceremony
The end of the school year is always a special time of reflection and celebration for me, and I was beyond honored to deliver the keynote at Portland State University’s School of Education Commencement Ceremony last Friday. I got to celebrate the hard work of new teachers, counselors, and leaders. In my speech, I wanted to contextualize their work in the world – amidst the genocides in Gaza, Sudan, and Congo; in the face of ICE abductions; and within the context of the prison industrial complex. Their classrooms, schools, and counseling offices will be reflections of the larger world around them. They are going to come right up against inequitable systems, and they’re going to have to make hard decisions about how to move forward and prepare future generations.
In The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paolo Freire said: Education can either be a tool for conformity with the oppressive systems – OR – it can be “the practice of freedom,” the means to transform the world. I asked the graduates to sit with the words: Education as the practice of freedom. I believe this with all of my heart. In writing my speech, I came across author Kim Samuel’s work on belonging, in which she explains philosopher Isaiah Berlin’s ideas of “negative liberty,” the freedom to be left alone (no taxes, no regulation), and “positive liberty,” the freedom to realize our fullest potential, which depends on others. To promote positive liberty, Samuel writes, “We need public goods like education and healthcare, as well as the love and care of a community.”
I’m not a career politician. I don’t see myself moving through the ranks into other positions. In fact, I hope to go back to teaching some day. Until then, as a City Councilor, I am committed in mind, body, and spirit to shaping our local government into an institution that promotes belonging, community, and positive freedom. And I believe in this next generation of graduates to make this world a better, safer, more free place for all of us. I wish the new graduates of 2026 – from the College of Education and beyond – the biggest congratulations! (You can watch the full speech here.)
 Bauman’s on Oak
I have many great memories of events I’ve attended at the beautiful space at Bauman’s on Oak, 930 SE Oak St. On Monday this week I got to meet there with Christine Walter, the owner and head cidermaker of Bauman’s Cider Company, to talk about the joys and challenges of running a small business on Portland’s inner east side. It was really helpful to hear about her experiences – and an unexpected treat that it was bottling day, when they bring in special machinery to can their products for distribution!
Summer Free For All
The Summer Free For All season is here! Portland Parks and Recreation’s (PP&R) official Summer Free For All Free Lunch + Play starts this Monday, June 22. Everyone 18 and under can come to share a free meal together Monday through Friday at a variety of locations, including Lents Park, SE 92nd Ave and SE Steele (11:30 am to 1 pm); Montavilla Park, NE 82nd Ave and Glisan St (11:15 am to 12:45 pm); Ventura Park, 460 SE 113th Avenue (12:30 to 1:15 pm); Creston Park, 4454 SE Powell Blvd (noon to 1:30 pm); Essex Park, SE 76th Ave and Center St (11:45 am to 1:15 pm); and Mt. Scott Park, SE 72nd Ave and SE Ramona St (11:15 am to 12:45 pm). In addition to lunch, there are sports, games, arts, crafts, music, and other activities led by trained staff and community partners. The program is delivered in partnership with Portland, Centennial, David Douglas, and Parkrose public school districts.
Weekly free swim sessions are available at several PP&R outdoor pools, which opened today! Locations include Creston Pool on Mondays 6:30 to 8 pm and Montavilla Pool on Tuesdays 6 pm to 8 pm. You can find full schedules and more information here.
PP&R's Fitness in the Park returns at ten parks across the city, including Rose City Park, Laurelhurst Park and Lents Park, starting Monday, June 22. Free, drop-in outdoor group fitness classes are available. You can find the schedule and more information here!
Sunnyside Shower Project Fundraiser
The Sunnyside Shower Project (SSP) is hosting “WildHeart II: A Party With a Purpose” from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, June 25 at Foxtrot, 3244 SE Belmont. The fundraiser celebrates SSP’s fifth anniversary. Raffle prizes, a silent auction, and music will be featured. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10 at the door. I’ll be there, and I hope you’ll join me!
Self-Defense Workshop
SE Uplift’s Community Care & Safety Task Force is hosting a free Rose City Self-Defense Workshop from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Friday, June 26, at SE Uplift, 3534 SE Main Stt. Snacks will be provided and registration is required. Get more information and register here.
Electrify Portland! Fair
The fourth annual Electrify Portland! fair will be held from 11 am to 3 pm Saturday, June 27 at The Redd, 831 SE Salmon St. Topics will include high-efficiency heat pumps and water heaters, e-bikes and electric vehicles, and other technology. The free event also features ice cream and a bouncy castle! You can learn more and get tickets here.
|
