PORTLAND DRIZZLE

💾Monday Let’s Go! Near-80 and sunny today a brief cooking before Wednesday's rain returns- which I already miss. The Portland Fire played their first WNBA game in 24 years Saturday night to a sold-out Moda Center. They lost. The crowd gave them a standing ovation anyway. Nine days until the Oregon primary.

The Portland Fire returned to the WNBA Saturday night for the first time in 24 years, in front of 19,335 fans at a sold-out Moda Center, dubbed "the Fire Pit" for the occasion, and a new attendance record for an expansion team's home opener. The Fire trailed by 17 at halftime but rallied to tie Chicago in the third quarter before the Sky pulled away for a 98-83 win. Kamilla Cardoso posted 22 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago. Carla Leite led Portland with 18. Governor Kotek, Senator Wyden, and Carrie Brownstein were in the crowd. Next home game: Tuesday against the New York Liberty. OPB

Rose City ProBuild takes care of the projects that have been sitting on your list—remodeling, drywall, painting, tile, and flooring.

Licensed, local, and serving Portland and the surrounding metro. No runaround. No ghosting. No mystery subcontractors. Just clean, reliable residential work done right. Built for homeowners who want it done right the first time.

📞 (971) 490-1462

🔨CCB #259274

Nine days before the Oregon primary, one ballot question is quietly creating heartburn for Democrats: the gas tax they passed last fall. The Democratic-controlled legislature increased the state gas tax and a range of fees to fund road improvements and plug a hole in the transportation budget. Now that tax is going before voters on May 19, at exactly the moment Democrats are running on lowering the cost of living. Having to defend a gas price increase while arguing about affordability is, as political strategists say, suboptimal. Early vote-by-mail ballots are already out. Columbian

Two Portland city councilors are demanding a written briefing from city administrators, deadline: today, about how the city oversees Urban Alchemy, the nonprofit that manages several Portland shelters. The request, from Councilors Candace Avalos and Sameer Kanal, follows an investigation that found 85 complaints against Urban Alchemy staff between 2023 and 2025, including allegations of sexual violence, drug dealing, theft, and retaliation. Councilors want answers before signing off on a budget that would continue the organization's contract. Urban Alchemy says it welcomes oversight but pushes back on language it calls inflammatory. KPTV

Adelleda is the plant-based pasta and cocktails restaurant from the team behind Portland's beloved vegan cheese shop Vtopian. Tucked into 103 NE Grand Ave in the Central Eastside, it runs on seasonal, local, and foraged ingredients with a modern-retro vibe. Early reviewers are raving about the gnocchi and the cardamom honeycomb cake. WEBSITE

On May 11, 1792, Captain Robert Gray sailed across the Columbia River bar aboard the Columbia Rediviva and named the river after his ship. Oregon before Oregon.

The Fire lost by 15 to a standing ovation. That's Portland.

by Michael Simpson Contact: [email protected]