PORTLAND DRIZZLE

Monday's shaping up sunny with a high near 83, a solid stretch of August weather. The big one today: Portland moves ahead with demolishing the fire-damaged Centennial Mills building, starting with a controlled detonation of its water tower.

The Washington Park Reservoir site reopened to the public Friday after construction and safety issues pushed the timeline back more than a year. The 12.4-million-gallon underground reservoir, located near the International Rose Test Garden, supplies drinking water to about 360,000 residents on Portland's west side. The newly opened upper plaza includes a mile-long promenade loop and two reflecting pools, along with restored 1894 stonework and globe lights. The project, which began in 2016, cost a total of $216 million. City officials called it a once-in-a-generation investment in both water infrastructure and public space. KPTV

Crews start the real demolition work at Centennial Mills Monday afternoon, beginning with a controlled detonation of the building's water tower. It's the first step in a process that could take two more weeks. The warehouse has sat unstable since a four-alarm fire tore through it on Aug. 2, and testing since found lead and asbestos in the debris. The city is asking residents nearby to stay indoors during and immediately after the blast. Naito Parkway will stay closed between 9th and 15th avenues until the walls are dismantled to half their current height. OPB

The Portland Fire closed out a four-game season sweep of the Seattle Storm with an 84-82 win Friday night at Climate Pledge Arena. Rookie guard Holly Winterburn scored a career-high 20 points, 18 of them in the first half, to help Portland build an early lead. Seattle chipped away late, cutting the deficit to one point in the final seconds, but a buzzer-beating three from the Storm's Natisha Hiedeman rimmed out. Bridget Carleton added 14 points and nine rebounds for Portland, now 14-20 on the season. KPTV

Thirty hand-painted crow sculptures have landed across downtown Portland for Wildwood: Follow the Crows, a free art trail tied to LAIKA's upcoming film Wildwood. Local artists painted each nearly five-foot crow. The trail runs through October 30, then the crows get auctioned off to benefit OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

1857: The Oregon Constitutional Convention gaveled in at Salem, kicking off five weeks of debate that produced the state's founding document.

Don’t tell your friends about the Drizzle- it’s our little secret club 😉

by Michael Simpson Contact: [email protected]