PORTLAND DRIZZLE

🦇 What a Wednesday. Cool and wet today — highs near 49, 65% chance of rain. April is keeping its promises. PCC teachers are back to work, TSA agents can afford groceries again, Portland just landed three James Beard finalists, and a new hospital is about to break ground in Clackamas.

The James Beard Foundation announced its 2026 finalists today, and Portland showed up. Scotch Lodge, the whisky-forward cocktail bar tucked in Buckman, is in the running for Outstanding Bar — a category it reached last year before losing to a Chicago spot. Chefs Ryan Roadhouse of Nodoguro and Thomas Pisha-Duffly of Gado Gado are both finalists for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific. For Roadhouse, it's his second consecutive finalist nod and his ninth career recognition from the foundation. For Pisha-Duffly, it's his third time as a finalist in the same category. The awards ceremony is June 15 in Chicago.

The man accused of shooting and killing Plaid Pantry clerk Ernesto Castellanos — a 57-year-old described by police as an innocent, hardworking guy, doing his job — turned himself in Monday night. Michale J. Paine, 21, is now at Multnomah County Jail facing charges including first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, and unlawful use of a weapon. Police say they also recovered the firearm. Castellanos was found dead just before midnight on March 27 at the store near NE Columbia Boulevard and 60th Avenue. Multnomah County DA Nathan Vasquez called it "a sickening, brutal act."

What happened: Portland Parks & Recreation let a three-year, $350,000/year contract with Leach Garden Friends expire in June 2025. That subsidy had been 27% of the garden's annual income. PP&R said the deal was always meant to be temporary — a bridge toward financial independence. But the gap was too big, and by February the garden announced it was nearly broke, laid off half its 22-person staff, and said closure could come as early as mid-March.

What happened next: The community showed up. After a fundraising campaign launched in mid-February, the garden raised more than $274,000 in one-time donations — plus new memberships and recurring gifts — and visitor numbers surged 346%. That was enough to keep the garden open through June 30, when Portland City Council will decide whether to restore funding for next year's budget.

Where it stands now: Open, but on borrowed time. The nonprofit is working with the city to restore $450,000 in annual operational funding starting July 1, 2026, but still needs to raise $50,000 per month through June to keep the gates open until then.

Leach Botanical Garden is 17 acres of Douglas firs, 2,000 plant varieties, and genuine quiet tucked into outer Southeast Portland. Johnson Creek gently ripples through the garden. It's open Thursday through Sunday and it’s beautiful. Go and support them. $8 for adults, Free for kids 5 and under.

On April 1, 1948, the Freedom Train — a traveling exhibit of historic American documents — made a stop in Portland as part of its national tour.

🌼 Wildflower season is peaking. PDX Monthly rounded up 9 hikes worth your weekend — from the Gorge to the metro. Read the full list →

PCC faculty are back, Portland has the best chef’s in the country (duh 😜), and spring has sprung.

by Michael Simpson Contact: [email protected]