Dave Knows Portland

Bigfoots in Oregon Part One (Kick Ass Oregon History Vol 4 #8)

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KAOH4.8: Bigfoots in Oregon Part OneKick Ass Oregon History is the latest series of podcasts from the enthusiastic historians behind ORHistory.com.

Volume 4 #8 dropped Friday – Bigfoots in Oregon Part One:

In which we learn that Bigfoot is the smelly, elusive messiah of Oregon’s green, hopeful heart.

The brains behind this Kick Ass project are the crack hustlers of Oregon History Doug Kenck-Crispin and Andy Lindberg. Doug is a graduate student studying Public History and Pacific Northwest History at PSU, and Andy, though a Portland native, is currently working as an actor in New York City. Doug does most of the research and writing for the podcasts with input from Andy, who voices the broadcasts with a thespian’s flair.

With the Kick Ass Oregon History podcast they plan to cover just the good stuff: Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll and Earth Shattering, Devastating Destruction.

Ultimately, our goal is to take Oregon History out of the hallowed halls of the academy, get folks excited and enthused about this shared history, and get them out into the state, digging it and experiencing it. Get them to embrace it, and get their boots muddy in the process. It’s all OUR History; nobody owns it.

Visit ORHistory.com and stay tuned to @Oregon_History on Twitter for further details on specific episodes and the series. Catch up on missed episodes at the Kick Ass Oregon History archives.

And don’t forget to join Kick Ass Oregon on June 19th at 7:30pm for “Bigfoots in Oregon” LIVE at The Jack London Bar!

The Many Lives of South Portland: From Immigrants to Hippies and Highrisers (4-June-2012)

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The Oregon Encyclopedia, in conjunction with McMenamins and the Northwest Examiner, presents The Many Lives of South Portland: From Immigrants to Hippies and Highrisers on Monday, June 4, 2012 at the Mission Theater (1624 NW Glisan).

In 1955, a Mayor’s Advisory Committee identified the blocks at the southeast end of downtown Portland—bounded by Market, Front, Arthur, and Fourth—as suitable for a land clearance and redevelopment project. Civic leaders wanted to use new federal legislation that had expanded the Housing Act of 1949 to include what soon became known as “urban renewal.”

This area, later extended to include twenty-six acres between Market and Jefferson, was known as the South Portland/South Auditorium Urban Renewal Project. Hundreds of residents and small businesses were displaced during the project over the years, radically transforming the neighborhood and downtown.

The presenter is Carl Abott, Professor of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University, and author of the book Portland: Planning, Politics, and Growth in a Twentieth Century City.

Admission is free to this, and all the OE History Night events. Children are welcome if accompanied by a parent or guardian. Doors open at 6 p.m., presentation starts at 7 p.m.

Resilience: A Community Disaster Preparedness Expo (2-June-2012)

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ResilienceResilience: A Community Disaster Preparedness Expo takes place Saturday, June 2, 2012 at King School (4906 NE 6th) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ResiliencePDX is an event to connect Portlanders who want to acquire or share knowledge and skills about disaster preparedness. Geologists suggest we are due for a major earthquake in this region, and better preparedness can save lives and minimize impacts of a disaster. The more we are prepared, the faster we will be able to recover and return to ‘normalcy’. At this event, we will showcase the various groups around Portland that can serve as resources for the community before, during, and after a major emergency. There will also be a number of skills workshops, where experts will share knowledge to help you prepare for and recover from a disaster.

Some of the workshops offered include:

  • Earthquake-Proofing Your Home
  • Preparing a Comprehensive Household Kit
  • Food Storage/Preservation
  • Managing Pee and Poop
  • Bicycle Cargo Demonstration
  • Social Media and Other Technologies in Disasters

This free event is sponsored by the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods. Visit the Resilience PDX website and Facebook page for more details – and hope the next big one doesn’t happen before Saturday!

Hat tip Rebecca Lerner (aka @UrbanForager), who blogs about foraging and wilderness adventures at First Ways, and is one of the presenters at the fair.

Think & Drink: The Future of Food (30-May-2012)

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Oregon HumanitiesThe Future of Food, a presentation in the Think & Drink series presented by Oregon Humanities, takes place this Wednesday, May 30, 2012 at the Mission Theater (1624 NW Glisan) from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Buy local, eat organic, avoid GMOs. Sound familiar? We all want to do our part, but what is the true impact of these choices? How do biotechnologies create change for the better, and how can they impede the future of international food security? . . .

This is the second in a four-part series that explores how technology shapes the future. The conversation will feature Robert Paarlberg, professor of political science at Wellesley College and author of Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know; and Susan Bragdon, executive director of the Agriculture and Innovation Policy Network.

Richard Read, economics and international affairs reporter for the Oregonian, will moderate the series.

Think & Drink is a happy-hour series that sparks provocative conversations about big ideas. The series, which invites the public to think and talk together, reflects Oregon Humanities’ emphasis on infusing important public conversations with critical thinking and fresh ideas.

Think & Drink events are free and open to the public. Doors open at 5 p.m., minors are allowed if accompanied by an adult.

OMSI After Dark: Beans of the Gods: Coffee & Cacao (30-May-2012)

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OMSI After DarkBeans of the Gods: Coffee & Cacao is the delicious theme of this month’s OMSI After Dark, on Wednesday, May 30, 2012.

Qahwa, kahve, koffie–Fragrant bean of all that is worth waking up for on this wildly orbiting orb, I prostrate myself before thee, not ever to rise until your steaming elixir passes my lips.

Yup, it’s time for another child-free night at OMSI, and there’s alcohol!

Visit the OMSI Cafe for special menu items, and bring cash (only!) for the beer and wine at the bars set up throughout the museum.

Featured science demonstrations and activities include Oh That Heavenly Aroma…, Candy Coated Chromatography, and What’s In That Drink? Coffee, spirits, chocolate, and beer vendors will be on hand.

Hours are 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is $12 for non-members, $6 for members. You can buy tickets online, or at the door (no reservations necessary). 21 and over only!