PORTLAND DRIZZLE

☄️Tuesday for You. Cloudy skies and a 45% chance of rain today with a high around 55°F — classic late-March Portland. PPS teachers ratified a furlough deal to avoid layoffs. Portland City Council is eyeing a new monthly road fee on your utility bill, and so far ICE is avoiding PDX.

Early risers got a surprise Monday morning when a brilliant green fireball blazed across the Pacific Northwest sky at 6:06 a.m. Several people reported seeing the flash, and OMSI's Jim Todd confirmed the reports, explaining that a fireball is simply a particularly bright meteor — with sightings stretching from Portland all the way to Snohomish, Washington. The American Meteor Society logged over 100 reports from across Oregon, with additional sightings as far north as Bellingham, as far south as Sacramento, and as far east as Boise. The green color wasn't a special effect — a green glow indicates the presence of burning copper. The rock had been drifting through space for millions of years before Portland commuters got a five-second light show out of it. If it hit the ground somewhere, someone's backyard just got a lot more interesting.

Portland's political protest circuit is gearing up for round three. Dozens of "No Kings" demonstrations are planned across the Portland metro area on Saturday, March 28, organized by the Portland Metro Indivisible coalition under the theme "Everybody, Everywhere, All at Once." A centralized rally for Portland participants is scheduled at the Battleship Oregon Memorial on Southwest Naito Parkway from noon to 4 p.m., with a separate labor-organized march beginning near the Oregon Convention Center. More than 60 events are planned statewide, and organizers say participation has grown steadily, with millions attending nationally over the past year. If you're driving downtown Saturday, plan accordingly. If you're walking, bring the poster you've been saving since January.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation is in its eighth consecutive year of budget cuts, with a maintenance backlog that has now grown past $6.6 billion and 64% of busy streets rated poor or very poor. The city's fix? Add a line to your utility bill. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee gave strong preliminary approval to a Transportation Utility Fee of $12 per month for single-family homeowners — about $8.40 for renters — which the city estimates would net $47 million annually. A separate Street Damage Restoration Fee would hit utility companies that tear up roads. Committee chair Olivia Clark, who is driving the proposal, put it plainly: she's appalled that neighboring cities have better streets and more funding. The full package heads to the Committee of the Whole on April 2. Portland residents who already felt nickel-and-dimed may have feelings about this.

Vya landed on SE Division in the old Palomar space, bringing Barcelona-style tapas and paella to a city that's been missing both. Chef Connor Gallaher leads the kitchen; open Wed–Sat WEBSITE

Hayley S gives ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ on Yelp:

“The food was delicious! We had the jamon croquetas, shishito peppers, oxtail empanada, and Valencia paella. Everything was amazing. We also tried the two gin and tonics, the sangria tinto, and Esmeralda cocktails. Omg, they were all so good! We closed out the meal with the chocolate cheesecake which literally melts in your mouth. Also, the service was amazing. Everyone checked on us throughout the meal and made sure we were taken care of. Finally, we absolutely loved the space. We'll definitely be back!”

On March 24, 1998, Oregon made history nobody wanted to make — the first two deaths occurred under the state's Death with Dignity Act, making Oregon the first place in the U.S. to legally permit physician-assisted suicide.

Watch out for falling rocks, neighbors! by Michael Simpson Contact: [email protected]