On the dark streets of a college town, two teenagers hoisted a rock and ended a man’s life. His loved ones want to know when we’ll finally value the lives of homeless people. Continue reading An American Tragedy: The Colorful Life and Shocking Death of Ovid Neal III
The centres were converted into shelters to help stem COVID-19’s spread, but experts worry they may pose more of a risk. by Thacher Schmid Portland, Oregon – Outside the Oregon Convention Center (OCC) in downtown Portland, Oregon, sits a mobile shower … Continue reading Inside the US’s coronavirus convention-centre homeless shelters
Portland-based electronic/down-tempo producer Emancipator, a.k.a. Doug Appling, just released his sixth full-length album, “Mountain of Memory,” on Loci Records. I play violin, viola and mandocaster on two songs, “Iron Ox,” which was released as a single, and “Awakenings.” It hit … Continue reading Emancipator releases ‘Mountain of Memory’
“The Internet has also changed how young people are brought into the movement. Thirty years ago you had to be handed a flyer or know somebody who knew somebody. Now kids are getting messages through Instagram and on gaming platforms like Discord.” Continue reading Blind Hate: Randy Blazak on Why White Supremacy Persists
A week after Willamette Week published this Q&A, the source, Rick Turoczy of Portland Incubator Experiment, took the unusual step of putting the entire text of the Q&A on his blog, Silicon Florist. During the late stages of the editorial … Continue reading Rick Turoczy publishes unedited text of Willamette Week Q&A on blog
The godfather of Portland startups talks about what’s special in Rose City tech—and what it must improve. To Portland startup founder Mara Zepeda, he’s the “north star of Portland’s entrepreneurship scene”—or just “Yoda.” To Wieden + Kennedy managing director Renny Gleeson, he’s … Continue reading Rick Turoczy Says the Myth of the Unflappable Entrepreneur Is “All Bullshit”
An exploration of the musical arts by and about DACA recipients and other immigrants, as a bridge over America’s confused immigration policies. Continue reading Building A Bridge Over Troubled Waters
A “unicorn” is a company that sells for $1 billion. In May, an Oregon company almost did just that. By Thacher Schmid |Published July 3 Updated July 3 This spring, Oregon almost saw its first unicorn. A “unicorn” is a company that … Continue reading Is Oregon Home to the Next Billion-Dollar Company?
This past Valentine’s Day, Lillian Blackwolf was sleeping in her tent in a place locals call the Pillars, named for the concrete columns that hold up the Interstate 205 overpass above the Springwater Corridor. That’s when a Rapid Response Bio … Continue reading Oversight Questions Arise as Portland Pays to Clean Up Homeless Campsites
Ric Shreves Says Cryptocurrency Could be the Key to Providing Aid to Refugees. Hear Why at TechfestNW. When one thinks of helping refugees, cryptocurrency is not the first thing that comes to mind. But Ric Shreves, a senior technology advisor … Continue reading Techfest NW speaker previews: Blockchain, smart cities, sports tech, AI
“It’s kind of bad-ass.” One pitcher actually described his company this way. What was the takeaway from the eighth annual TechfestNW and its largest-ever crop of 129 startups seeking prizes at PitchfestNW? In a word: breathless. In two: tech business. … Continue reading Dispatch from Tech Island: The Wild Ideas and Strange Lingo of Techfest NW
I play violin and viola on the 2019 album East Forest x Ram Dass, a collaboration between the electronic musician and producer and the legendary spiritual teacher. The first release from the album hit #5 on Billboard New Age and … Continue reading East Forest x Ram Dass
The Montavilla neighborhood is a place just about anybody might want to live in. It has an “almost suburban” feel, a city website notes, but it’s near downtown Portland, with a population that’s more diverse than the city as a … Continue reading In Portland, a neighborhood watch group stirs debate over how to respond to the homeless
The idea seemed simple enough. Last year, Portland passed a law to ease the pain of renters being forced out of their homes or facing large rent hikes. Officials and housing advocates in particular were worried about those facing “no-cause” … Continue reading Portland ordinance to protect renters may be a model for other cities. But landlords are fighting back.
By Thacher Schmid and Cornelius Swart Illegal short-term rentals posted on Airbnb may keep more than 1,500 units out of the Portland housing market—even after the city’s much-publicized clampdown on Airbnb takes effect this winter. The finding comes at a … Continue reading Illegal Airbnbs Could Take 1,500 Rentals Off Market
Writing in the Flat Keys: Thacher Schmid's Portfolio 