PORTLAND DRIZZLE

🍷Oh It’s Monday Mid-70s, minimal rain chance. April is trying to be nice. Let it. That was a nice weekend, huh? Measles is still working its way through the metro, now at 13 confirmed cases. The Mayor asks for money from the neighbors. Oh and also thee Trader Joe’s on 39th is open again and asbestos free.

Oregon has confirmed 13 measles cases so far this year, and Portland keeps showing up on the exposure list. The Safeway at SE Hawthorne, a Providence ER waiting room in NE Portland, a West Linn café, and a Gresham pho restaurant have all been flagged. The tricky part is that early measles looks a lot like a bad cold or flu. By the time the rash shows up, the person has already been contagious for about four days — which is why exposure sites like the SE Hawthorne Safeway end up being flagged after the fact rather than caught in real time. The OHA says measles is showing up in wastewater in counties with zero reported cases, which means the official count is almost certainly low. Oregon sits at 92% vaccination — below the 95% threshold for herd immunity. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective. If you're not sure you've had both doses, now would be a good time to find out.

Your Roof Is Grimier Than You Think. Yeti Softwash Can Fix That.

You've power-washed your deck. You've cleaned your gutters out (okay, maybe once). But when's the last time you looked up? Portland's legendary rain and shade are beautiful until they turn your roof into a moss farm. Yeti Softwash uses low-pressure soft washing that kills moss and algae at the root and safely treats the roof without damaging shingles — plus full gutter cleaning and pressure washing for the rest of the property. One call, whole house done. Before the next rainy season parks itself on your roof for six months, maybe let the professionals handle it.

Yeti Softwash — Roof cleaning, gutter cleaning, and pressure washing for Portland-area homes. Get a free quote at yetisoftwash.com

Portland has selected CAF USA to build and deliver 15 new streetcars, the city announced this week. The new fleet will run on hybrid battery technology, meaning they can operate without overhead wires — a first for the system. That matters because the planned NS Line extension to Montgomery Park in NW Portland won't have wire infrastructure. CAF will manufacture the cars in Elmira, New York; the company has built similar vehicles for Kansas City and Cincinnati. The current fleet, which has been running since 2001, is getting long in the tooth. Construction on the Montgomery Park extension is expected to begin in 2028.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson is asking Washington and Clackamas counties to chip in millions of dollars to help cover a $15 million gap in the city's homeless shelter budget. In a letter sent March 28, Wilson told Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington that Portland's shelter system is a regional resource, not just a city one — and the bills should reflect that. He's requesting $6 million from Washington County alone. The deadline he's set for a commitment: April 8. Washington County Chair Harrington appears cautiously open to the idea; a county document noted that "Portland is finally 'over the hump'" but needs a regional partner to cross the finish line. Clackamas County's number hasn't been publicly confirmed. Wilson's office pointed to several shelters it says serve residents of both counties, including the Northrup Shelter in NW Portland and the Grand Recovery shelter on the central eastside.

Hearth & Vine just opened April 2 inside the old Henry Weinhard Brewery building in the Pearl District (NW 12th & Burnside). Hospitality company Apicii debuted the New American restaurant and bar, positioning it as a neighborhood spot centered on seasonal Pacific Northwest ingredients, regional wines and beers. The building has sat largely underused for years, so this is a real signal about what's happening to the Brewery Blocks. There's a private event space attached that holds up to 225 standing. Outdoor patio still coming. WEBSITE

On April 6, 1984, Pioneer Courthouse Square opened in downtown Portland — a former parking lot turned into the city's living room.

Pioneer Courthouse Square is 42. Still the best parking lot this city ever lost.

by Michael Simpson Contact: [email protected]