Dispatch from Tech Island: The Wild Ideas and Strange Lingo of Techfest NW
“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
East Forest x Ram Dass
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
In Portland, a neighborhood watch group stirs debate over how to respond to the homeless
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
Portland ordinance to protect renters may be a model for other cities. But landlords are fighting back.
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.
Illegal Airbnbs Could Take 1,500 Rentals Off Market
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
Oregon Grinders & Biohackers
A Growing Number of Oregonians Love Technology So Much They Make It Part of Their Bodies It’s called biohacking. It’s (mostly) legal. And a small but fervent group of Oregon men are installing chips with self-surgery. James Newman, 37, looks … Continue reading Oregon Grinders & Biohackers
TechFest NW 2018: Nut milk bags, thought leaders, politicos & gender problems
The following are blog posts from my coverage of TechFest 2018 for Willamette Week: Patagonia’s CEO is Coming to Portland to Talk About the Company’s Crusade Against Climate Change and the Trump Administration How well do profits mesh with progressive … Continue reading TechFest NW 2018: Nut milk bags, thought leaders, politicos & gender problems
Our Frozen Dead: Hypothermic ‘Domicile Unknown’ Deaths
A growing number of deaths the Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office investigates are among people experiencing homelessness. When Michael Jensen was found dead in his tent, his feet were sticking out of the tent, and he was lying on his … Continue reading Our Frozen Dead: Hypothermic ‘Domicile Unknown’ Deaths
The Brief Life of a Homeless Encampment
The life of a homeless encampment can be brief. Consider Village of Hope, a fledgling homeless village that popped up in a remote, woodsy area of Portland in late January. It featured 10 tents on wooden platforms, a shared kitchen … Continue reading The Brief Life of a Homeless Encampment
In Oregon, one college tries to make a home for ‘Dreamers’
You could say Ana Maldonado goes out of her way to get to Portland Community College’s new DREAM Center. First she walks, then takes light rail, then a bus. That brings her to the PCC campus closest to her house. … Continue reading In Oregon, one college tries to make a home for ‘Dreamers’
In rural Oregon, trips to food banks are the new normal
In towns such as Junction City, rising housing costs push families to pantries to fill monthly budget gaps by Thacher Schmid | 2 Mar 2018 Walking through the immaculate, well-organized aisles of Junction City Local Aid’s food pantry, Jeanie Burr … Continue reading In rural Oregon, trips to food banks are the new normal
Portland Has a Brand New Houseless Community
Advocates Say the Village of Hope is a Sanctuary, But the City’s Planning a Crackdown PORTLAND’S NEWEST unsanctioned houseless community popped up on Sunday morning, on city-owned land in a woodsy corner of deep Northeast Portland. Led by veteran homeless … Continue reading Portland Has a Brand New Houseless Community
A New Self-Managed Homeless Village Just Sprang Up in Northeast Portland
The “Village of Hope” Sits on City-Owned Land, and Is the First Such Community to Emerge Under Mayor Ted Wheeler Portland’s newest houseless village popped up this morning on city-owned land in a far-flung, woodsy corner of Northeast Portland’s Wilkes … Continue reading A New Self-Managed Homeless Village Just Sprang Up in Northeast Portland
No-cause evictions imminent at North Portland apartments; tenants push back
Some residents are suing the landlords of The Melrose apartments in St. Johns, claiming their ouster is retaliatory and discriminatory Life is somewhere between hard and heartbreak for the majority-Latino tenants remaining in The Melrose apartments, where residents of 40 … Continue reading No-cause evictions imminent at North Portland apartments; tenants push back
3 of 4 Hate Groups in Portland Are Black? How Is That Possible?
Observers of hate speech in Portland argue that the watchdog organization is missing the obvious. The McCoy Village community room on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is an earth-toned space that hosts community meetings and the affordable housing complex’s … Continue reading 3 of 4 Hate Groups in Portland Are Black? How Is That Possible?
Writing in the Flat Keys: Thacher Schmid's Portfolio 