Dave Knows Portland

Archives for November 2008

November 8: House Spirits Open House

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House Spirits (2025 SE 7th), crafters of Aviation Gin and Medeyof Vodka, host an open house Saturday from 1pm-4pm (21 and over only). In addition to tours and tastings their highly anticipated Absinthe Marteau, developed by the Wormwood Society‘s Gwydion Stone, will make its debut.

Fall is the time to visit distilleries. Travel Oregon has gathered a long list of wine, food, and booze events through the end of the month under the Oregon Bounty mantle.

A couple weeks ago we visited Artisan Spirits‘ open house, and found the experience thoroughly edifying. New Deal Distillery hosts an open house Saturday the 15th, and Highball Distillery will be opening their doors to guests on Saturday the 22nd.

November 8-9: Wordstock, Bonsai, and the Mt. Hood Freeway

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Despite the thoroughly irritating website (flash splash screen and navigation, music that starts automatically?!), the Wordstock Book Fair this weekend at the convention center looks interesting (10am-6pm Saturday and Sunday).

Wordstock is an annual festival of books, writers, and storytelling in Portland, Oregon. . . . Wordstock features ten author stages, a book fair with over 150 exhibitors, a special children’s area and children’s literature stage, a series of workshops for writers and for K-12 teachers, a special broadcast of Live Wire!, the popular public radio variety show, featuring writers from the festival, and more.

If you can tolerate the website you can find a full list of events.

Architectural HeritageSaturday the Architectural Heritage Center presents The Road Not Taken: The Mt. Hood Freeway and the Preservation of Southeast Portland

Join urban planner Richard Ross and our own education manager/historian Val Ballestrem for a look back at the post-World War II era of freeway building in Portland, a time society became oriented around the automobile. How did Portland change from a bicycle and streetcar city in the early 20th century to a Freeway City by mid-century? Where did the idea come from that freeways could solve our traffic woes? And why did the freeway antagonists prevail in this case?

If you are unfamiliar with the defeat of the Mt. Hood Freeway plan, NYC Street Renaissance has an informative video, Lessons from Portland. One of Portland’s finer moments.

BonsaiAnd of course, with this lovely weather, you’ll want to spend some time outside! Portland Japanese Garden presents a Fall Bonsai Exhibition Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm. Bonsai plants will be on display inside the Garden’s Pavilion.

Members of the Bonsai Society of Portland will be on hand throughout the day to offer informal demonstrations, give exhibition tours in the Pavilion, and answer questions. The event is free with Garden admission.

Portland Mercury writer caught stealing political signs

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Philip Busse, a visiting professor at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, a Portland Mercury writer, and former Portland mayoral candidate, has been charged with misdemeanor theft for stealing political lawn signs. He has resigned from the college.

His highly amusing account of his foray into a life of crime can be found at the Huffington Post: Confessions of a Lawn Sign Stealer.

Sure, I understand that stealing a sign will not change anyone’s mind, and, most likely, will only embolden McCain supporters’ disdain for liberals. Even so, yanking out the signs and running like a scared rabbit back to my idling car was one of the single most exhilarating and empowering political acts that I have ever done.

Update: The Willy Week, natch, reported on this yesterday: You Stay Classy, Phil Busse: Portland Editor Stealing McCain Yard Signs in Minnesota. And the update today: Ex-Merc Editor Phil Busse Cashes In As Publicly Financed Campaign Manager (Updated).

For the procrastinators: Where to drop off your ballot

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You may have heard; there’s an election today.  If you are an Oregonian who has yet to mail in your ballot you can find a list of your county ballot dropsites at the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division website.

For Portlanders, or any one else in Multnomah County, you can find a list of dropsite locations here.

In any case, all ballots must be received by 8:00 PM today!

Once you have that out of the way, go find an Election Night Party.

Tasting & Complaining and PDX Pipeline both have extensive lists of election night events around town.