🎩Wednesday July 1 Cool and cloudy again today, high near 65 with a 20% chance of rain, before summer finally shows up this weekend. Sunstone Way is out, but Next Adventure is back in, baby!
🚨 THE NEWS
Shelter provider under criminal investigation as it shuts down
Multnomah County has opened a criminal investigation into Sunstone Way, the homeless shelter provider shutting down for good today. A county fiscal review found the nonprofit misspent at least $3.6 million in taxpayer money, including $2.4 million in unauthorized wages and expenses for staff outings to Paddy's Bar & Grill and TopGolf. The findings echo a whistleblower lawsuit filed earlier this year alleging leadership spent public dollars on booze and staff retreats. Sunstone Way once ran two shelters and three pod villages funded largely by the region's Supportive Housing Services tax. The DA's office confirmed it's working with law enforcement, though neither office would detail the investigation's scope. All remaining shelter beds close today. Willamette Week
Oregon wants a cut of your bird tattoos
The Bird Alliance of Oregon wants to tax your ink. The nonprofit is asking anyone with a bird tattoo to pay a $10 "bird tattoo tax," overseen, naturally, by what it calls the Internal RAVENue Service. It's not a real tax, the Alliance clarifies, just a pun-heavy fundraiser to support bird habitat, since bird populations have been sliding since the 1970s. Money raised goes toward habitat restoration, wildfire rehab, and education programs across Oregon. Anyone who pays up is encouraged to post a photo of their tattoo on social media. Portland loves a bird, a pun, and a guilt trip, so this one was always going to land here. KATU
Next Adventure isn't going anywhere, again
Next Adventure founders Deek Heykamp and Bryan Knudsen are staying put after all. The Central Eastside outdoor gear shop announced Monday night it will keep its original owners, reversing a planned sale to outside investors that fell through this year. It's the latest twist in a saga that started last spring, when the pair announced retirement and a liquidation sale, only to find buyers, lose them, and land back where they started. The store, on the corner of Southeast Stark and Grand, has anchored Portland's outdoor community since 1997. Heykamp said the process reminded him and Knudsen how much the store matters to staff, customers, and the city. Mayor Keith Wilson reportedly encouraged them to keep it open. The bargain basement lives on. KOIN
PHOTOGRAPHY SPOTLIGHT
This photo was posted on Reddit by u/Nullunit2000. I couldn’t find out where in Portland this is.
📚 ON THIS DAY
On July 1, 2015, Portland's total smoking ban in city parks and natural areas took effect, covering cigarettes, vaping, and marijuana alike.
🥳 UPCOMING EVENTS
