By Emily Scarvie
(PORTLAND, Ore.) Hello Portlanders! It's Wednesday, June 1 - Here's your daily round up of all the news happening in the City of Roses.
1. Portland kids hold rally in support of transgender youth across the country
On Tuesday afternoon, a group of young kids organized a rally in downtown Portland to support transgender youth. The children in attendance said they’re concerned about the increasing number of suicides among transgender youth.
According to the kids, as young trans people themselves, their age is around the time kids start realizing they may not be their assigned gender at birth. They said they held the rally to send a message to trans youth across the country.
“I feel like it’s really important to have a supportive community in general, because you want to feel safe,” Luca told KATU.
The kids who hosted the demonstration say they plan to organize this rally again to continue showing support for transgender kids everywhere.
2. PBOT takes ownership of 7-mile stretch of 82nd Avenue
Starting Wednesday, the Portland Bureau of Transportation will take ownership of the 7-mile stretch of 82nd Avenue between Northeast Killingsworth Street and Clatsop Street. According to Lie Zie, the owner of Stan’s Deli along 82nd Avenue, the road is one of the most dangerous for pedestrians in the city. She said she hopes the city will put in a new traffic light for safer pedestrian crossing.
The road is one of the busiest in Portland, with more than 20,000 vehicles passing through every day. Over the last 15 years, 19 people have been killed on 82nd Avenue, including two in 2021. PBOT is expected to maintain ownership of the road until at least 2026.
3. Portland Building, City Hall reopen to public on Wednesday
After two years of pandemic-related closures, the Portland Building and other downtown city buildings will reopen to community members on Wednesday. They will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the exception of holidays.
It will be the first time since March 2020 that Portlanders can pay a bill, request information or attend a community meeting in person.
“I want to extend a warm welcome back to the public as we reopen City of Portland facilities,” Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “This is an important step forward as we honor our commitment to meeting community members where they are and continuing our efforts to revitalize our city.”
More Portland News:
Comments / 18