Willamette Week, April 14, 2021 - Volume 47, Issue 24 - So, You've Decided to Become a Stoner

NEWS: How to Find Your Vaccine. 9 OUTDOORS: Oregon's Badlands Will Treat You Good. 26 MOVIES: VR for the Deaf. 32

"I WALK THE OTHER WAY—MAYBE I EVEN SKIP." P. 31 WWEEK.COM VOL 47/24 04.14.2021

SO, YOU’VE DECIDED TO

BECOME A

STONER The weed industry is booming, creating scores of new cannabis consumers.

Here’s a first-timer’s guide to 420.

Page 12

TELL POLITICIANS:

STOP THREATENING ACCESS TO INNOVATIVE TREATMENTS & VACCINES Government price setting means politicians can arbitrarily decide that some patients and diseases are worth more than others—potentially discriminating against seniors, those with a disability and the chronically ill.

Politicians could put government in the way of personal health decisions that should be made by patients and their doctors.

Medicines could be subject to a political process and priorities that change with elections. Investments in life saving research, patient access to medicines and future innovation could be at risk.

Tell Oregon politicians:

Stop threatening access to innovative treatments & vaccines.

OPPOSE SB 844

Learn more at: www.ProtectOregonCures.com 2 Willamette Willamette Week xAPRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com Week_9.639" 12.25"_PhRMA_OR_Innovation.indd 1

3/25/21 2:59 PM

FINDINGS CHRIS NESSETH

EVERYBODY EATS’ ULTIMATE SEAFOOD MAC-AND-CHEESE, PAGE 28

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM READING THIS WEEK’S PAPER VOL. 47, ISSUE 24 Nike’s state tax bill is a secret. 7 The internal affairs investigation into a leak of false allegations against Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty is 40 days old. 8 Looking for a COVID-19 vaccine?

Check Scappoose. 9 Irate residents of Lents spoke of firing rifles into homeless camps.

10

Oregon cannabis broke another sales record in March. 12

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The signature dish at Everybody Eats is a $30 bowl of seafood mac ’n’ cheese. 28 One of this week’s recommended recording artists has a song called “I Get Drunk Every Day Because I’m Bored and Lonely.” 31 Ice cream cones come with chocolate cowboy hats at Cheese & Crack Snack Shop. 31

If you get too high, try chewing black peppercorns. 14 A cannabis air filter is informally called a sploof. 16 Oregon surprise-released a new

The Oregon Badlands is home to the sage grouse, a bird that looks as if a peacock and chicken had a baby, then gave it breast implants.

In a Zoom meeting, you lose the ability to communicate fluently in American Sign Language. 32

glacier last week. 24

Two of TV’s first cannabis cooking shows have Portland connections. 25

So you wanna be a stoner? The 420 Issue, art and design by Jack Kent.

MASTHEAD EDITOR & PUBLISHER

Mark Zusman

EDITORIAL

News Editor Aaron Mesh Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Singer Assistant A&C Editor Andi Prewitt Music & Visual Arts Editor Shannon Gormley Staff Writers Latisha Jensen Rachel Monahan Tess Riski Sophie Peel Copy Editor Matt Buckingham

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SO, YOU’VE DECIDED TO

BECOME A

STONER

OUR MOST TRAFFICKED STORY ONLINE THIS WEEK: Am I a jerk if I don’t want the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?

The pandemic created scores of new cannabis consumers.

Here’s a first-timers guide to 420.

WWEEK.COM VOL 47/24 04.14.2021

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LUCINDA WILLIAMS RUNNIN’ DOWN A DREAM: A TRIBUTE TO TOM PETTY OUT 4/16/2021

Award-winning, revered singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams is working to help independent music venues during this time with the announcement of Lu’s Jukebox.

Scheduled as a six- episode series of mostly full-band, HD video performances in-studio.

On Vinyl & CD

DIALOGUE Last week, WW profiled Arcimoto, a Eugene company making two-passenger, three-wheeled, doorless electric cars, and its founder, Mark Frohnmayer (“The Electric Three-Wheel Acid Test,” April 7, 2021). In February, Arcimoto’s stocks soared and bumped the company’s valuation to $1.25 billion, one of the highest in the state. Here’s what our readers had to say: Ray Bailey, via Facebook: “So an Oregonian invented an open-air, three-wheel car that is practical for maybe four months of an Oregon year…”

Michael Miller, via Facebook: “Think about this in developing or smaller, more urban settings? Look at how many trikes, tuk-tuks, and scooters there are? This is the next step up. It’s potentially HUGE!” Steve Gatt, via Facebook: “At $12,000, it’s still too expensive to be ‘disruptive.’”

The Lu's Jukebox Series Volume 1, Running Down A Dream: A Tribute to Tom Petty, features songs from the namesake's celebrated career featuring songs like “Wildflowers” and “Runnin Down a Dream” “In Celebration Of Tom Petty's 70th Birthday!

Lucinda Williams Covers Tom Petty On Double Vinyl LP!”

@TobikoRice, via Twitter: “Used Nissan Leaf: 60-mile range, leather, $8K.” @nootelluh, via Twitter: “Bicycle: $250. Recharges with snacks.”

Glenda King, via Facebook: “I like to be warm and cozy in my car. This FUV looks like it would be pretty cold and definitely not rainproof. Where are multiple items/packages stored when running multiple errands?”

David Raboin, via Facebook: “Every comment on this article: ‘I need a dangerous, large vehicle to protect me from the other dangerous, large vehicles.’”

Fred and Joan Booth, via wweek.com: “When he ditched the steering wheel, he lost our interest in his EV.” Paris John Sinclair, via Facebook: “It isn’t worth a billion dollars. Mark Frohnmayer built a company.

The company was worth a billion dollars at its historical highest share price. I checked, and currently the market capitalization (total worth) of the stock is $448M. The company is not worth even half a billion. And it still has negative earnings, so they’ve got a lot of work left to do for the company to have real value.”

But_test_everything, via wweek.com: “Designing the Fun Utility Vehicle with three wheels, handlebars, and no doors keeps it classified as a motorcycle in most states. This exempts it from federal and state safety standards applicable to passenger cars and autocycles. Fun.”

CORRECTION

Due to an editor’s error, a story on COVID-19 vaccinations (“Vaccine Now,” WW, April 7, 2021) incorrectly stated that Gov. Brown announced a changed vaccine timeline after President Biden issued his directive. In fact, she made her announcement after news broke of the president’s directive but before Biden made his speech. The governor’s office says Brown made her decision after consulting with the White House on April 5. WW regrets the error.

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BRR, via wweek.com: “Doors are ‘heavy, costly, and hard to build’? Dude, it rains here. Figure out how to make doors.”

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BY MART Y SMITH @martysmithxxx

If I make a mistake on my taxes, the IRS sends me a nasty letter telling me how far off I was.

If they already know how much I owe, why do I have to file at all? Just send me the damned bill (or, if I’m lucky, a refund) and be done with it.

—Surly Bird I feel you, Bird. If the IRS can peer into my soul and find freelance income from 2011, why can’t its all-seeing eye of Sauron do my taxes itself?

This idea—the revenue agency does your taxes; you only file if you disagree—is known as return-free filing. Unfortunately, there are a lot of arguments against it.

You may have read some of these arguments: Return-free filing would place undue burden on non-English speakers; it would result in people of color paying higher taxes; it would eliminate tax filing assistance for the indigent. I could go on.

These arguments have two things in common: (1) They were planted in the media by the tax prep industry, and (2) they’re complete horseshit.

In fact, return-free filing is great! It’s already used in Germany, Japan, the U.K. and all those other countries whose names come up whenever there’s

some simple, obvious public policy solution that only the U.S. is too thick to pull off. By all accounts, the system is widely popular.

It’s less popular with tax preparation companies like Intuit, however. The maker of TurboTax spends millions lobbying politicians and running fake grassroots campaigns to make sure the United States stays in the corner eating library paste, taxwise. Thus, we still spend an average of 13 hours and $200 sweating over questions the IRS already knows the answers to.

You might suppose that keeping taxes miserable would be a lonely fight, but as luck would have it, the little-loved tax prep industry has made friends with right-wing groups like Grover Norquist’s Americans For Tax Reform. Apparently, anti-tax zealots worry that regular Americans might be less anti-tax if taxes suddenly stopped being such a pain in the ass.

But all is not lost! There is still a way to go returnfree—all you have to do is not file your taxes for five or six years. Eventually, the IRS will file one for you.

They won’t be very nice about it, though. (Don’t ask me how I know this.)

QUESTIONS? Send them to dr.know@wweek.com.

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DISPENSARY OWNER SAYS FRED MEYER REFUSED TO ACCEPT HER ELECTRIC BILL PAYMENT: A cannabis dispensary owner in Southwest Portland tells WW that employees at two different Fred Meyer locations, Burlingame and Tigard, refused to process money to pay the electric bill for her marijuana grow. Sally Bishop owns Green Goddess Remedies and says she’s used the stores’ bill-assistance service to pay her bills for the past six months. But she says an employee told her last week he couldn’t accept the money because she worked in the cannabis industry, which is still federally illegal. “I felt badly for the kid at the [desk], because he recognized me and he’s helped me before. He says, ‘If I process this payment, I could get fired,’” Bishop says. PGE sent Bishop an email recommending she pay it through a service offered at Walmart. But Walmart requires a bank account, and cannabis businesses have very limited access to banking services. To Bishop, it’s simple: “It’s none of their beeswax.” A spokesperson for Fred Meyer tells WW in an email: “At this time, our policy does not allow us to knowingly sell money services products to marijuana-related businesses.

However, this policy does not impact check cashing, including the cashing of payroll checks.” The company did not answer follow-up questions about the history of the policy, or if it was handed down

by Kroger, which owns Fred Meyer.

NORTH PORTLAND BUSINESSES FED UP WITH STREET RACING: A coalition of businesses in North Portland sent a letter to Mayor Ted Wheeler and city commissioners on April 2 asking that the city crack down on increased street racing along a network of roads in industrial North Portland. The businesses wrote that the racers, usually groups of 10 to 20 cars careening down the streets, are interfering with blue-collar workers heading home from their shifts.

Dan Legree, who owns a glass studio on North Ramsey Street, says the racers “have no scruples,” and usually take to the streets on weekends. “We’ve had our windows shot out, bullets through our front windows, trash in our parking lot. They come into the parking lot and defecate behind bushes. It’s like, c’mon.” The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

KELLY BUTTE PARK RESIDENTS AGAIN GET THE BOOT: City Commissioner Dan Ryan, who oversees the Portland Housing Bureau, has reversed himself and told the owner of a manufactured home park that he can proceed with redevelopment of his property—in effect kicking out two dozen residents of the East Portland park. In February, WW reported on the peril facing residents of Kelly Butte Park (“Move Your Home,” Feb. 17, 2021). Ryan revoked the redevelopment permits for property owner Adam Hoesly, but now tells residents those permits are valid because of COVID-19 protections that kept Hoesly’s city paperwork from expiring. “The painful irony is that he got COVID protections that the residents didn’t get,” says tenant organizer Margot Black. Residents are preparing to leave in October. “The commissioner expressed his displeasure at the idea of displacing the residents to redevelop the site,” Ryan’s spokesman Mark Bond says. “He appealed to Mr. Hoesly’s humanity and asked him to find an amicable solution that doesn’t displace the residents.”

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS REPORT COVID CASES: Since spring break, at least five Portland public elementary schools—as well as a Head Start program and a Jefferson High School athletics program—have each had one case of COVID-19. The elementary schools are Boise-Eliot/Humboldt, Bridlemile, Hayhurst, Markham and Lent. Parents were contacted between April 4 and 11. That each school or program has only seen one case so far means there is no evidence COVID-19 is spreading at schools since spring break, when hybrid instruction began for elementary schools, says Portland Public Schools spokeswoman Karen Werstein. When students have had direct contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, the whole cohort reverts to staying home and resumes virtual class meetings. For everyone else, in-person instruction continues at these schools.

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Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

TAXES

SAM GEHRKE

NEWS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK

BILL OF THE WEEK

House Bill 2825 Chief sponsor: Rep. Anna Williams (D-Hood River).

What it would do: HB 2825 seeks to allow Oregon judges the discretion to reduce the sentence of a person convicted of a crime, if that person was subject to physical, psychological or sexual abuse by an intimate partner or family member. In order for the defendant to qualify for the sentence reduction, the abuse must have been a contributing factor to the criminal behavior, and the mandatory minimum sentence must be “unduly harsh” given the circumstances.

The bill would allow defendants who have already been sentenced to seek a retroactive review of their sentence. It applies to all crimes, including murder and sex offenses.

Judges are not obligated to amend a sentence if they don’t think the above criteria apply to the defendant.

NIKE TOWN: The sportswear giant’s Beaverton campus includes several new buildings.

Just Hide It Nike’s tax bill in Oregon is a secret. We asked three analysts to make an estimate.

BY S OP H I E P E E L

speel@wweek.com

Last week, a study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy revealed that Oregon sportswear giant Nike had paid no federal corporate taxes for the past three years, due to a slew of deductions, write-offs and President Donald Trump’s tax overhaul.

That raised a question: How much does Nike pay Oregon in state taxes?

We don’t know because it’s not public record.

“Without corporate tax transparency, we have no idea,” says Daniel Hauser, a policy analyst at the Oregon Center for Public Policy. “[Nike] could be paying a significant share of their profits in taxes in Oregon. They could also be paying the bare minimum. We just have no way of knowing.”

Nike did not respond to WW’s request that it volunteer how much it paid in state taxes last year. That’s not surprising: Nike has worked to block changes to Oregon law that would require the company to disclose its tax returns.

In 2018, petitioners proposed a ballot initiative that would have required corporations to disclose their state tax filings. But it never went before Oregon voters, in part because Nike offered in 2019 to help protect a $1 billion corporate income tax increase beloved by the same unions supporting the transparency proposal. “Nike put some money and name and political influence towards killing other ballot measures,” Hauser says.

Some corporations took a tax hit from that grand bargain. Did Nike? No one can say for sure.

But WW asked three local experts—two tax watchdogs and an accountant—for a Tax Day analysis of Nike’s bill.

Though they bring up different points, all agree about one thing: Nike is likely paying fairly little for a company that garnered $2.9 billion in profits last year.

Jody Wiser, Tax Fairness Oregon Wiser says it’s likely Nike pays a minimum corporate tax

in Oregon. (That tax does not exist federally.) For businesses that have a state taxable income of more than $100 million, the minimum corporate tax is $100,000. If they have income less than that, the tax is less.

Wiser says Oregon offers almost all the same deductions and write-offs the feds do, which is largely how Nike kept its money for the past three years while filing federal taxes. The one exception: the research and development tax credit, which the feds offer but the state does not.

“And I’m sure that they use that a great deal because, after all, they have to research how to make the next best shoe,” Wiser says.

Richard Solomon, CPA for small businesses in Portland Solomon says Nike benefits from one wrinkle in Oregon tax code: the single-factor system.

Under that structure, corporations calculate their tax burden based on one factor—the amount of product sold in the state—instead of three factors: labor, property, and product sold in the state.

In 2012, Intel and Nike negotiated a deal with thenGov. John Kitzhaber to cement a particular tax structure for the two companies for 30 years, guaranteeing that their tax structure would remain the same even if the state altered its tax code.

“They sell four pairs of tennis shoes in Oregon and 4 billion in the rest of the world, so you don’t end up paying any Oregon tax,” Solomon says. “It’s a drop in the ocean.”

Matt Gardner, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy Gardner co-authored the ITEP study cited last week by President Biden and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). He tells WW that Nike paid about a 3% effective state income tax rate across all the states in 2020.

The breakdown of that percentage among states is impossible to know, Gardner says, especially considering not every state has the same single-factor corporate tax structure that Oregon has: “We cannot say how much of [Nike’s] income, or that tax, is attributable to Oregon.”

He says that’s a fairly average state tax for big corporations, but still quite meager.

“It’s not heinous,” Gardner says. “It’s pretty much the average, but it’s half of what you would hope for.”

The problem it would have solved: Consider the case of Cyntoia Brown, who was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in 2006. When she was 16, Brown fatally shot a man in Tennessee who had solicited her for prostitution while she was a victim of human trafficking, according to The New York Times. She was then sentenced to life in prison.

Celebrities like Kim Kardashian West and Rihanna rallied around Brown’s case. Facing pressure from activists and Hollywood elites, Tennessee’s governor granted Brown clemency in 2019. Brown’s case inspired lawmakers throughout the U.S. to reevaluate sentencing laws for survivors of domestic violence. New York passed a similar law to HB 2825 In 2019.

Who supports it: Three Oregon district attorneys: Eve Costello of Klamath County, John Hummel of Deschutes County, and Matthew Ellis of Wasco County; Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal; the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association; and multiple domestic violence survivor organizations.

A 2017 survey conducted by the Oregon Justice Resource Center showed that 65% of women incarcerated at the state’s only women’s prison who were in a relationship at the time of their arrest reported experiencing abuse in their relationship. Forty-four percent said the relationship contributed to their conviction.

Who opposes it: The Oregon District Attorneys Association.

Gina Skinner, an ODAA lobbyist who is also a senior deputy district attorney in Washington County who prosecutes domestic violence cases, testified on the association’s behalf that DAs are concerned the bill wouldn’t require that a direct connection be established between the abuse defendants experienced and the crime they later committed.

What happens next: During an April 13 meeting of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-Clackamas) announced that HB 2825 would be punted to a work session to be chaired by Williams and reintroduced in February 2022.

“People need to be accountable for the mistakes that they’ve made, especially when those mistakes have harmed others. And at the same time, we can imagine a system of justice that takes into account the manipulation and violence that led them to where they are,” said Bynum, who chairs the committee. “Because of laws currently in place in this state, such an act of compassion is a major lift requiring a three-fifths majority vote to pass both chambers. We’re not there today and we have a lot of work to do before we can get there. I am personally not ready to give up on this.”

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office declined to say whether DA Mike Schmidt supports the bill. “In light of today’s developments, we look forward to engaging the stakeholders on this important concept in the interim,” says spokesman Brent Weisberg.

TESS RISKI. Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

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NEWS

Unlocked Gov. Kate Brown crafted a plan to keep coronavirus variants from spreading.

She didn’t stick to it.

COVID-19 is currently spreading faster in Oregon than in all but one other state, says one group of experts.

As of April 12, according to mathematical modeling by a team of Harvard, Yale and Stanford medical experts, the reproduction rate in Oregon is 1.39—meaning every 100 infected Oregonians are infecting an average of 139 others. Any rate above 1.0 means the number of cases is growing.

That’s a faster reproduction rate than at any time since the surge in cases last fall. (The Oregon Health Authority’s projections put the case reproduction rate lower.)

The growth is happening even as the state’s vaccination rate is rapidly increasing. In Oregon, more than 1 in 5 people are fully vaccinated. And 43.5% of the Oregon population over 16 has at least one dose, according to The Washington Post.

Yet cases are spreading so quickly in part because of an increase in variants of the virus that are more contagious. An estimated 12% of cases in Oregon are from California variants that are estimated to be 20% more contagious than the original coronavirus, OHA says.

The good news, as OHA director Pat Allen told state lawmakers last week, is that the West Coast is experiencing a different pandemic right now because Oregon, Washington and California are impacted by the California variant. In the rest of the nation, the U.K. variant—which is 50% more contagious—is the most common strain in the country. In Oregon, it’s less than 1.4% of the specimens that have been sequenced.

Experts could foresee a potential spike in cases even as vaccines were arriving, and told state leaders as much. For two months, they’ve warned that vaccinations are in a race against variants. State health officials had a plan—and they didn’t stick to it. RACHEL MONAHAN. THE SAFETY NET During the fall surge, Oregon put in place a system to adjust risk levels based on county COVID case rates. If an Oregon county faced extreme risk based on case counts, gyms would have to close and restaurants and bars could no longer offer indoor dining. The system was designed to operate at one remove from the political considerations Gov. Kate Brown would have to make. It meant she could point to the metrics and not have to make a new decision on lockdowns every week.

For a WW story Feb. 24, Brown’s health advisers, Tina Edlund and Connie Seeley, were asked about the risk posed by the rise of variants in the U.S. and projections that Oregon could see a fourth wave before summer.

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Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

JEFF ANDERSEN / OHSU

REVERSAL

THE POINT: Oregon is buying time until residents get a vaccine.

“If we were to see cases go up,” Edlund told WW, “as soon as we see them cross that threshold for extreme risk, those restrictions kick into place.”

THE REVERSAL Brown backed off those guide rails in two ways.

On March 4, Brown announced that any county that had just moved to a lower risk level would receive a two-week grace period before it could be moved back to a higher risk level. In other words, if a county’s cases spiked, it would be granted an extra two weeks before being placed back under restrictions.

On April 6, Brown announced a new metric: No county would move to extreme risk unless there were 300 COVID-19 patients in hospital beds statewide, as well as a 15% increase in the seven-day average for hospitalizations. (An Oregon Health & Science University projection April 1 suggests Oregon may never hit that number if vaccinations continue to increase.) In other words, unless the state as a whole was running out of hospital beds, no county would be fully locked down again.

THE IMPACT The two changes combined prevented Baker, Columbia, Josephine, Klamath and Tillamook counties from closing down bars and gyms last week. Three other lower-risk counties—Lane, Polk and Yamhill—also did not see their status change, which means a two-week delay on limiting restaurant and gym capacity even though cases are spiking. New changes in risk levels don’t get announced until April 20—and take effect April 23.

THE REACTION Rep. Lisa Reynolds (D-Portland), a pediatrician, raised questions about the decision not to impose restrictions.

“The priority needs to be reopening schools,” Reynolds says, “and if that means we have to continually resume tighter restrictions to bring down community rates, then that’s what we should do.”

Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran, an emergency room doctor, agrees. “The one thing we can’t do is close our eyes and hope the problem goes away in the light of changing circumstances,” she says. “It really worries me.”

Brown’s office says the county risk system remains in effect. “The risk level framework establishes significant but sustainable restrictions on businesses and activities to protect Oregonians when COVID-19 metrics spike,” says spokesman Charles Boyle. He cites one difference between now and the November surge: Vaccines now protect some of the most vulnerable people. “Those restrictions are meant to save lives, by preserving hospital system and health care worker capacity to treat the most serious cases.”

BLACK AND WHITE IN OREGON

Who Gets Kidney Disease?

A standard kidney test has a racial inequity baked into it.

The pandemic has exposed racial disparities in health care that became obvious in COVID-19 case rates and patient treatment.

Another less apparent disparity?

Kidney disease.

Before the pandemic, Black people disproportionately struggled with kidney issues. They also suffer more from high blood pressure and diabetes, which often leads to poor kidney function, says Jill Ginsberg, a doctor at North by Northeast Community Health Center in Portland’s King neighborhood.

And COVID-19 isn’t helping.

“COVID can, but doesn’t always, affect kidney function. Severe disease can affect every organ system, and even people with less severe COVID can have minor damage to their kidneys, sometimes long lasting,” Ginsberg says. “Black people suffer disproportionately from high blood pressure and diabetes, both of which can damage the kidneys.”

In 2018, Black Oregonians who experienced kidney-related illness spent an average of eight days in the hospital, compared to white people who spent 6.4 days, according to the U.S. Renal Data System.

Not only does the Black population generally have worse kidney function, they tend to find out way later than everyone else—because of a race coefficient factor built into calculations of estimated glomerular filtration rate, a standard kidney filter test.

Black people are therefore at risk of learning they have decreased kidney function at a later stage than

other racial groups. EGFR measures how well the kidneys filter and uses race as a variable, but lumps patients into one of two categories: African American or not African American.

For Black people, the race-based formula multiplies their final score by a value above 1, making the result appear better than it actually is.

The University of Washington stopped using this race-based method a few years after UW students began questioning it.

Naomi Nkinsi, an M.D. student at UW’s School of Medicine, fought for the change. “As we’re learning more about COVID and its impact on kidneys, [the test] creates a very clear and obvious disparity on the types of health care they are getting based on the color of their skin,” Nkinsi says.

In Portland, Legacy Health has acknowledged the disparity and is moving away from using the test.

“While that had been the practice in the past, the lab team is working with providers to move away from race as a variable in estimating kidney function,” Legacy spokesman Brian Terrett wrote in an email to WW. Nkinsi says Black people should make sure they advocate for themselves when seeing a doctor.

“I want Black people to seek care when they need it, but then we also know we’re less likely to be believed,” Nkinsi says. “I think patients should feel more empowered to speak up when something is wrong, and be empowered to seek second opinions.”

LATISHA JENSEN.

CLOCKED

Hunzeker Watch We’re counting how long investigations take to find the source of a police leak.

29 days: That’s the number of days since Officer Brian Hunzeker resigned from his role as president of the Portland Police Association due to what the union described as a “serious, isolated mistake related to the Police Bureau’s investigation into the alleged hit-and-run by Commissioner [Jo Ann] Hardesty.”

We still don’t know what he did. The mayor’s office says it doesn’t know what he did. The PPA has not said what he did.

40 days: That’s how long it’s been since the Portland Police Bureau

opened an internal affairs investigation into the leaking of information that incorrectly implicated Commission Jo Ann Hardesty in a March 3 hit-and-run crash. It has released no results of its inquiry.

28 days: That’s how long it’s been since the city inked a contract to hire an outside investigative firm to probe the leak of information. “It’s underway,” says mayor’s spokesman Jim Middaugh of the investigation. “We’ll learn more once all of the interviews are completed.” TESS RISKI.

NEWS JEFF ANDERSEN / OHSU

Shot Chaser

I spent the past six weeks finding COVID-19 vaccine appointments.

Here’s how you can obtain one while keeping your chill.

BY R AC H E L M O N A H A N

rmonahan@wweek.com

I thought I was good, not lucky.

On Feb. 22, I had an unexpectedly easy time booking my mother an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine at the Oregon Convention Center. It took me just a minute or two, and I had her signed up by 9 am on the same Monday she became eligible.

That’s how I started offering to help other older Oregonians book a shot. I figured I had the web savvy they needed.

The next senior for whom I offered to book an appointment declined. He informed me: “It’s luck.” I thought he was foolish not to take advantage of my knack for clicking quickly.

But I soon learned he was more right than wrong: Speed alone didn’t cut it. Not with Oregon’s system for finding a vaccine—which can be confusing, piecemeal and filled with glitches.

Soon, I found myself waking at 4 am—two mornings in a row—in a quest to book a Walgreens appointment.

So I kept going. Over the past six weeks, I’ve been regularly assisting people as they became eligible for an appointment.

Now it’s your turn.

On April 19, everyone in Oregon over the age of 16 is eligible to get a COVID-19 shot. That’s going to create a surge of demand. (Oregon Health Authority says you can book your appointment now, so long as the date of the shot is after you become eligible.) If past is prologue, Oregon’s vaccination infrastructure will not support a smooth search.

There’s stress and despair to seeking an appointment for a potentially lifesaving vaccine—and going online to find nothing available.

Some people I met faced the challenge cheerfully; others made up stories about how the deck was stacked against them. I derived a vicarious joy by matching people with their time slot.

I turned my low-grade internet addiction to good use.

Instead of idly clicking on Facebook and tunneling down a rabbit hole of rage, I found a call to action: seeking open appointments.

One Saturday, I called down a list of people I had who were looking for shots. The first man I reached didn’t want a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but he walked the phone to his landlady, who did—and who also wanted help for a more elderly friend.

GET IN LINE: Cars snake through the OHSU vaccine site in a Portland International Airport parking lot.

In an environment where social media seem to warp any shared understanding of what’s true, I finally found a good use for Facebook. (I’m as surprised by that as anyone.)

A Facebook group, now called Find a COVID Shot Oregon, offers tips on booking appointments and leads on openings.

It became an invaluable help to my helping others (and myself).

I haven’t aided that many people: a dozen, give or take. I’m no Vaccine Fairy. But it gave me a chance to help in a small way, get a sense of this moment, and pass along some skills.

Maybe what I’ve learned can help you, too.

1. Start by getting a lottery ticket.

If you do nothing else, register with the state’s system for an appointment. Go to getvaccinated.oregon.gov and sign up now, even if you won’t be eligible until April 19.

That’s a lottery system, which distributes 8,000 shots daily, five days a week, at the Oregon Convention Center.

Friends and colleagues registered with this site—and were offered a shot before I was. Don’t be like me; get on the list now.

You will get an email or text when your name is picked for an appointment.

(This system was set up after a whole bunch of Oregon seniors were put in competition to register for doses at the Oregon Convention Center. After a couple of website crashes, the state came up with a lottery system. You no longer have to race for appointments online as you do with some of the other options.)

If you’re not in a hurry, you can stop reading here.

That’s all you need to do to get a shot—eventually.

The rest of this advice is for if you’re impatient, eager or worried; face health risks right now or have other reasons to want a prompt shot; or don’t want to go to a mass vaccination site.

2. A couple of suggestions on what not to do.

Don’t sit at your computer all day. Don’t go crazy. Instead, set yourself a block of time to look.

It’s also probably not worth your time to ask your doctor about a COVID shot. Some doctor’s offices will be able to book appointments. Providence and Kaiser Permanente were recently offering vaccines. But most of those clinics were offering Johnson & Johnson, the supply of which is now almost nonexistent for a few weeks, after a manufacturing mishap and a federal pause to explore a possible side effect. Eventually, doctor’s offices will be offering shots. So if you wait, that may be an option later.

3. Set an alarm for 9 am.

On Monday through Thursday mornings, Oregon Health & Science University opens appointments for its two drive-thru vaccine sites at Portland International Airport

and Hillsboro Stadium: Just Google “ohsu covid vaccine” and click on the first choice that comes up.

Expect to be online at 9 am to have a shot at these appointments. “OHSU released 5,000 new COVID -19 vaccination appointments this morning at 9 am, and they were booked within 30 minutes,” OHSU spokeswoman Franny White said after the April 12 release.

4. Prepare to multitask with pharmacies.

Part of the challenge is that a lot of places are giving small numbers of shots, so there’s a lot of different places to look.

“Some of this is just sort of a byproduct of our health care system in the United States,” says James McNamee, a volunteer moderator of the Facebook group Find a COVID Shot Oregon. “Although, to be fair, I don’t know how much better it could be. A lot of it is, there’s almost too many options now.”

With many appointment locations, there are many places to go looking, including at least nine different pharmacy chains. (Even individual company sites sometimes make you choose a specific location to look for open appointments.)

Two websites pull relatively up-to-date information from multiple pharmacy websites so you don’t have to check individual sites: getmyvaccine.org and vaccinespotter.org.

CVS and Rite Aid appointments are sometimes available at midnight. Walgreens appointments have shown up (sometimes) at 3 or 4 am. Costco has sometimes released its shots around lunch, maybe 12:15 pm. Albertsons and Safeway appointments have shown up on a Thursday at 5 or 6 pm.

Each website requires you to individually register. If you’re getting up at 3 or 4 am, you might want to create an account at the pharmacy site beforehand.

5. Hit the highway.

If you can drive out of town to an appointment, your options open up. The Oregon Health Authority prefers people to get their shots in their own county, but you’re still allowed to go elsewhere.

“Right now, the formula that allocates doses is based on population,” says McNamee. “So it assumes you’re getting vaccinated where you live, but you can get vaccinated also where you work, and way more people commute from, say, Sherwood to Portland than from Portland to Sherwood. So it leaves extra doses.”

McNamee spotted a resulting pattern: “A fair number of appointments stay open longer in places like Scappoose, St. Helens, Salem, Woodburn, Corvallis, Albany, places like that.”

6. Sign up for the Facebook group.

The hunt is easier with friends. Find a COVID Shot Oregon turns the search into a group project: You can benefit from other people’s search and help in turn. They post open appointments. They keep a tips list, too. (A recent poll of the group’s eligible members showed the average participant got an appointment within three days.)

7. Vaccines are free.

That’s true wherever you get your vaccine. The provider will want your insurance information, so someone else pays. But they have to give you a shot whether you’re insured or not. If a provider tries to make you pay, please contact this newspaper so we can name and shame them.

8. It’s not over.

We are in the middle of a new surge in COVID cases the likes of which the state has not seen in a year. You read that correctly: Despite more than one-third of the state getting at least one dose of vaccine, we are seeing case counts rise as fast as the worst times during the pandemic in Oregon.

So don’t let up at the finish line. The advice from public health experts remains: Wear a mask, possibly two. Keep your distance from other people, whenever possible. Get your shot if you can.

Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

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NEWS WESLEY LAPOINTE

CALL AND RESPONSE: Some residents in the Southeast Portland neighborhood of Lents say they want more police response to homeless camps and occupied vehicles, not less.

Two by Two A Portland program intended to reduce police interactions with people in crisis is off to a slow start.

BY TE SS R I S K I

tess@wweek.com

A groundbreaking program designed to siphon 911 calls away from police is off to a sluggish start in East Portland—in part because it isn’t being sent many calls by emergency dispatchers.

The city launched Portland Street Response in February with a pilot program in the Lents neighborhood.

Instead of dispatching armed police officers to handle non-emergency calls, like wellness checks or an unarmed person experiencing a mental health crisis, City Hall is sending a two-person crisis team: one paramedic and one licensed clinical social worker.

In Eugene, a similar program called CAHOOTS responds to about 20% of calls dispatched by 911. In Portland, the number is far less than 1%.

In fact, the crisis team now responds to about two calls a day.

An online data dashboard shows the crisis team responded to 11 calls in February, 42 in March and, to date, seven in April. That’s 60 calls total over a span of about 40 business days. (The team is active five days a week.)

The low volume is in part an expected result of a program slowly scaling up in its first two months, and spending more time with people in distress than police officers would. But 911 dispatchers at the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications aren’t sending the new team as many calls as it could handle.

Tremaine Clayton, a Portland Fire & Rescue medic who makes up one half of Portland Street Response’s two-person crisis team, says he had initially expected more work.

“It is a little confusing as to why our call volume is lower than expected,” Clayton tells WW. “In a 10-hour day, I was hoping that we would be getting like five to eight calls a day. That was kind of what I was expecting based off of the average intervention.”

Separately, in an email obtained by WW, Portland Street Response program manager Robyn Burek noted 10

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that the program’s calls take on average about 50 minutes.

“So with an eight-hour shift,” Burek wrote, “our capacity would be between six and 12 calls per shift.”

The vast majority of Portland Street Response calls are made to and dispatched from the city’s Bureau of Emergency Communications, or BOEC. In other words, BOEC is responsible for assigning calls to PSR. But that creates a potential conflict: Many of BOEC’s operators are members of the Portland Police Association, the union that also represents Portland police officers.

They are being asked to divert work from their union brethren, to teams intended to reduce the city’s reliance on police.

PPA executive director Daryl Turner confirms that BOEC dispatchers and call takers are members of his union, but says they are acting in good faith. “They have strict protocol that they have to follow in regards to Street Response and calls they’re dispatched to, and it’s monitored closely by BOEC management,” Turner says. “So whatever the call load is for Portland Street Response, it is what it is.”

Dan Douthit, a spokesman for BOEC, says there is “absolutely no conflict” between the two agencies, and that they are working together to determine the appropriate boundaries and call types for dispatching Portland Street Response.

“It is important to note the pilot is barely two months in, and that PSR is creating a whole response system from scratch,” Douthit says.

Portland Street Response faces intense pressure to prove its value. In a city bitterly divided over the role of police, the new program’s $4.8 million budget was transferred from the $15 million slashed from the Portland Police Bureau’s budget last June.

And one of PSR’s stated goals is to reduce the load of calls the Police Bureau responds to—allowing police to focus on serious crimes.

At this rate, the program has hardly made a dent in reducing the bureau’s call log. And the slow start risks fueling a backlash from the police union and its allies as they seek to restrict the program’s expansion onto cops’ traditional turf.

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who championed Portland Street Response, says the city intentionally launched the pilot in a part of the city where the call volume would be lower to avoid “jumping in the deep end of the pool before we were ready.”

“I’ve been adamant that we must be patient to learn from and adjust the pilot to ensure we can safely and effectively expand citywide next year,” Hardesty tells WW. “This is what system change looks like.”

Pressures faced by Portland Street Response were on display last week when its leadership visited residents of the neighborhood it serves.

“Right now, we’re kind of starting small,” Burek, the program manager, told an April 8 meeting of the Lents Neighborhood Livability Association, an anti-crime group.

One neighbor asked how many calls the group responds to.

“It’s about two a day,” Burek responded.

“And the other seven hours a day you are…?” asked Penny Wilson, the Lents group’s vice president, trailing off her question as if to suggest the team doesn’t do a whole lot all day.

“We’re waiting,” Burek responded. She then paused for a moment and clarified her answer: It’s a bit more complicated than that.

If a Portlander calls 911, the situation must meet one of four criteria in order for it to be dispatched to Portland Street Response: a person who is outside and possibly intoxicated or experiencing a mental health crisis, a person who it “outside and down” who hasn’t been checked on, a person who is outside yelling, or a person who needs referral services but doesn’t have access to a phone.

If a call meets one of those criteria, it must then check off all the following three requirements: There is no access to a weapon, the person is not suicidal, and the person is not violent toward others (that is, “physically combative, threatening violence, assaulting,” according to BOEC).

Clayton says the program is working with BOEC to determine whether its triage criteria—that is, the set of questions a 911 operator asks a caller to determine which type of responder to send on a call—is too narrow.

“We have a pretty defined criteria, and it just might be too tight,” Clayton says.

To some extent, the low call volume is intentional.

Portland Street Response is intended to prioritize quality over quantity, its champions say, and to establish trust with community members who have historically felt threatened by armed police officers.

“Our calls take a long time, and that’s on purpose,” says program spokesperson Caryn Brooks. “Police and fire are very, very busy. They go in, they do their call, and then they move on to the next call because they’re so in demand. Our response is a slower response on purpose.”

But that’s not what some Lents residents want.

WW attended the April 8 meeting and watched as some group members scoffed at the speed and scale of the program. Neighbors said what they wanted instead was a hotline they could call to protect them against what they described as a dangerous homeless population.

And if they didn’t get it?

“We’re victims now and, at some point in time, we’re gonna be criminals,” said a woman in the group, who did not give her name. “And we’re going to be the ones that go to jail for protecting our families.” Another man chimed in, hinting darkly that residents might use assault rifles to clear homeless camps.

At the meeting, Clayton tried to explain what he can and can’t do. He said he’s responded to several calls about people who were simply sleeping in a vehicle or in a public space during the daytime.

“Just the other day, we went to the park,” Clayton recounted. “It was a beautiful, sunny day. I would love nothing more than to just kick back and relax in the park and, more or less, that’s what this person was doing.”

Clayton said the caller had requested that Portland Street Response check on the person and, if the individual was OK, to have them moved out of the park.

“That’s not something that we’re probably going to do, especially in an open public space during daylight, normal operating hours,” Clayton said. “There was no crime in progress. There was no medical need and the person was literally just sleeping in the park.”

Visit our website to make an appointment or shop online 717 SW 10th Ave Portland, OR 97205 503.223.4720 www.maloys.com

Get stoned together

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What’s the Give!Guide? It’s our year-end grassroots fundraising campaign that’s raised more than $40 million since 2004.

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Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

11

So, You’ve Decided to Become a Stoner The weed industry is booming, creating scores of new cannabis consumers. Here’s a first-timer’s guide to 420.

Who would’ve thought the most stressful year in modern history would end up igniting a boom for the weed industry?

In retrospect, that seems obvious. Still, the numbers are staggering: In 2020, recreational cannabis sales in Oregon topped $1 billion for the first time, nearly doubling 2019’s total. Surely, some of that can be attributed to dedicated puffers stocking up for quarantine. But even with the anxiety of the pandemic subsiding, dispensaries remain busier than ever: According to Oregon Liquor Control Commission data, sales in March exceeded $109 million—an all-time high for a single month.

It’s clear that in the last year, many Oregonians sought out a new coping mechanism and came away with a new vice.

“I don’t want to use the word ‘habit,’” Adam Smith, director of the Craft Cannabis Alliance, said in December, “but people get into a pattern where that’s something they’ve incorporated into their lives.”

That’s why, with the highest of high holidays approaching, we’ve dedicated our annual 420 Issue to Portland’s newest stoners—those who decided to

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Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

pop a gummy between Zoom meetings, or replaced happy-hour drinks with a post-work spliff, and want to know what to do next.

Need advice on buying your first pipe or bong?

We asked an expert for tips on how to find the piece that’s perfect for you (page 15). Want to use that new piece in your apartment without tipping off the neighbors or violating your lease? We reviewed four commercial filters, to see if any of them match up to the dorm-room classic: a dryer sheet wrapped around one end of a toilet paper roll (page 16).

And then, of course, there are the more complicated questions. How do you build tolerance? Do budtenders know what they’re talking about? Is CBD a scam? How high is too high, and what can you do to come down? We went to two cannabis educators for answers (page 13).

Clearly, there’s more to getting high than just getting high, and navigating a rapidly evolving industry can be overwhelming. But through the smoke, there is a path—consider this your road map.

—Matthew Singer, Arts & Culture Editor

The New Stoner FAQ Two cannabis experts answer the questions amateur tokers are too paranoid to ask.

BY M ATTH EW SIN GER

msinger@wweek.com

In cannabis, there are no dumb questions.

After all, this is a relatively new industry that’s just beginning to emerge from decades of prohibition—many of the answers aren’t even known yet. Still, it’s easy for newcomers to get intimidated by what they think they’re supposed to know when it comes to buying and consuming weed.

On this 420, of all 420s, no one should feel left out. So we went to two cannabis experts— Brandie Bee, founder of theelevatedadvocate.com, and Anna Symonds, director of education at East Fork Cultivars—to answer some of the basic questions freshman stoners might have when wading into the world of pot.

What questions should I be asking when I go into a dispensary?

Brandie Bee: Not all dispensaries are created equal. Some will have higher-quality products and more knowledgeable staff than others. When choosing which shop to frequent, be sure they are able to answer these questions without too much trouble: What can you tell me about this farm?

Was this flower grown organically? When was this flower harvested? What effects can I expect from this strain? Is it a more energetic or mellow high?

What is the CBD-THC ratio? Was this flower terpene tested, and can I see the profile? If they seem enthusiastic and confident in their answers, then you know you’re in good hands.

Be honest: Do different strains really have all the effects budtenders say they do?

Anna Symonds: Not necessarily—maybe for that person and for some others. But personal experiences with the same flower can vary wildly according to individual genetics, biology, and metabolism.

Bee: It’s important to note that you can smoke a piece of the very same nug in the morning and again in the evening and have two totally different experiences depending on your day, your mood, and a variety of other factors. So advice based on someone else’s experience is never going to be altogether useful. However, cannabis strains do have their own unique combination of cannabinoids and terpene compounds. If you know enough about these compounds and how they work together, you can predict the overall experience based on the ratios found in that strain. So a knowledgeable-enough budtender can give you a pretty good idea of what to expect, but it’s not likely to be on the nose.

For a consumer, does it really matter how a flower is grown, i.e., indoor versus outdoor?

What is the functional difference between smoking a pre-roll versus, say, from a pipe?

Symonds: Outdoor-grown flower has a vastly lower carbon footprint and requires far fewer inputs. It also gets the benefit of a natural environment that stimulates the plant to produce full and novel expressions of its genetic potential. Short answer: If you care about the environment at all and/or are interested in the natural spirit of the plant, look for outdoor.

Is vaping safe again?

Bee: All of the warm, fuzzy effects of cannabis come courtesy of cannabinoids and terpenes. These compounds are found inside the trichome formations of the cannabis flower. Therefore, whether the plant was grown indoors or outdoors doesn’t matter as much as the number and health of the plant’s trichome formations. While indoor grows do allow the cultivator more control of the environment, outdoor plants are every bit as capable of being just as potent. So a plant’s potency and quality have way more to do with the overall skill of the cultivator than where it was grown.

Is spending money on an expensive pipe, bong or other smoking apparatus a worthwhile investment?

Bee: Yes, but only if you’re smart about it. Put your wallet away if you’re scoping out pieces based on style rather than substance. Safety should be your No. 1 buying factor. If you’re shopping for consumption devices, look for a piece that allows the smoke to cool before it reaches your lips—think long-stem pipes, multichamber bongs, etc. And these shouldn’t break the bank. This is good because if you enjoy extracts, you will want to invest those savings into a decent electric dab rig. Look for one that allows for low-temp control to protect your terpenes and your lungs. As a bonus, they also reduce the risks associated with butane torches.

Symonds: Joints are my favorite way to smoke cannabis because I strongly believe they taste the best. I did read that a joint essentially acts as its own filter because you’re pulling the smoke through all of the plant material before it reaches your mouth, which would explain why it tastes better to me. Functionally speaking, joints are less “efficient” in that there’s more smoke “lost” than with some other methods. I think this is a pretty minor effect, though, and definitely not a concern for me. It comes into play more when researchers try to calculate the amount of THC someone has consumed from a joint.

Symonds: Short answer: Vaping mediocre products never was safe, and vaping products with stringent standards is as safe as it always was.

There are a small minority of painstaking craft manufacturers, such as Heylo Cannabis, who do things right, from their extraction processes to their extra testing to the integrity of their hardware. In the hands of exceptional companies like that, vaping is relatively safe and always has been. To minimize your risk of harming yourself, only ever vape 100% cannabis oil—no additives, no distillate, no isolates.

Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

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How much THC is too much THC?

Symonds: “Minimum effective dose” is wildly personal, with a strong genetic basis and also a tolerance element. But generally speaking, too much THC is a level that either starts to create unwanted side effects, such as paranoia, sedation, anxiety, and/or rapid heartbeat, or oversaturates endocannabinoid receptors so that they “downregulate,” meaning they get less sensitive and produce less of their own crucial chemical messengers. For people who consume every day, taking regular tolerance breaks can help prevent this.

If I get too high, is there anything I can do to come down?

Bee: Here is a great routine to follow. Step one: Find a more comfortable environment. Sometimes a change of vibe is all it takes to snap out of it.

Step two: Drink plenty of water. It’s amazing how much better you will feel when you’re hydrated.

Step three: Chew on some black peppercorns.

Black pepper contains the terpene beta-caryophyllene. This terpene effectively pulls a kind of lever to increase the sedating effects rather than the psychological effects of THC.

Is there any method to gradually build my tolerance if I’m starting from scratch?

Bee: As with all things cannabis, the trick is to start low and go slow. The best way to gradually build your tolerance if you’re starting from scratch would be to start with CBD and work your way up to a 3-to-1 CBD-THC flower. From here you can slowly increase to a 2-to-1, 1-to-1, and eventually a low-potency THC flower with no CBD at all.

I see so many weird THC- and CBDinfused products out there, like bath bombs and stuff. How do I know what’s legit or not?

Bee: While topical THC and CBD is thought to be effective for localized aches and pains, it doesn’t work quite the same way as smoking or eating an edible.

Unless the product makes direct contact with your mucous membranes, it is not likely to make you feel lifted. But it will nourish your skin, reduce inflammation, and generally help you relax. Just be sure you look for a high-quality product from a trusted brand. For best results, be sure to purchase topical products at a dispensary where their claims are always going to be backed up by a lab report.

Symonds: If you enjoy something and feel it’s worth the money, that’s personal preference. Bath bombs can be pleasant. But as far as therapeutic benefits, you’ll get the most from something that acts systemically in your body—something you ingest. If you want to use cannabis as medicine, the best way to get it is not from a CBD burger, candy or other gimmicky item with lots of other unnecessary inflammatory components. Look for simple, pure, therapeutically formulated products that you can take on a regular schedule. Avoid sugar, artificial flavorings and colorings, preservatives, and other additives.

How do I know if I’m ready to try dabbing?

Bee: It’s next to impossible to answer this question because it’s going to be different for everybody. What I can say is that you can always start with a very small, low-temp CBD dab and slowly work your way up in size and potency as you develop a tolerance and get more comfortable around a dab rig. Remember, it’s always best to start low and go slow.

Symonds: You’re not ready, and don’t worry—you never need to be. (Another unpopular but factual opinion!)

Unless you have a major chronic illness or terminal disease, you don’t need this level of potency and you’re likely overstimulating your endocannabinoid receptors.

I got a shot of CBD in my espresso once and didn’t feel a thing. Is CBD a scam?

Symonds: It’s only a scam if it’s a shitty product, though there are plenty of them out there. Quality full-spectrum CBD extract has physiological effects and benefits in the body, whether you feel them or not.

Bee: Unlike THC, CBD is non-intoxicating. This means that unless there is THC present, you will not feel any of the effects commonly associated with cannabis. So not getting high is not, in and of itself, evidence that the CBD was a scam. That being said, there is certainly bunk CBD out there, so make it a point to do your research and only buy CBD from reputable dispensaries and request a lab report for good measure.

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Where should I be storing my weed ideally? Does it ever “expire”?

Bee: There are mixed ideas here, but I prefer to keep my cannabis in an opaque airtight container made of glass and store it in a cool, dark place for up to a year before I consider tossing it. While cannabis does not exactly go bad or spoil, it can lose its potency. This is because THC converts to another compound, CBN, with time. There’s nothing wrong with this compound really, but it’s certainly not THC and it does tend to make you feel more drowsy.

So consider puffing on your vintage stash closer to bedtime.

Symonds: If stored well, cannabis can last a good year. Don’t put it in the freezer. Some people argue that the fridge is an ideal place, while others say that the fluctuations in humidity due to frequent opening and closing cause strife to the flower. Kind of depends on how quickly you’re going to use it or not.

Can my work test me for weed, and can they fire me for it?

Symonds: Probably. Generally speaking, unless you have a contract that explicitly says otherwise, employment in Oregon is “at will”—they can fire you for any reason or no reason. That said, patients in some states have seen success in the courts at establishing their employment rights to use cannabis medicine.

How do I know if an edible is going to totally mess me up?

Symonds: Silly rabbit, that’s in your control!

You don’t have to eat the whole thing—start low and go slow. If you’re brand new to cannabis, don’t eat more than 2 mg of THC to start. Pay attention to the ratio—sometimes 1-to-1 ratios of CBD and THC can be even more potent than just THC alone. But having CBD in the mix is also more likely to result in a more balanced experience, i.e., less chance of “dysphoria,” the opposite of euphoria.

Piece Buy Piece How to find the perfect smoking device for you.

Four Veteran Smokers Share Their Essential Weed Gadgets and Accessories

BY B R I A N N A W H EELE R

In case you missed it, Oregon spent the last year incontrovertibly stoned to the bone. Collectively, we consumed an uncanny amount of weed in the past 12 months, reported by statewide increases in sales that can’t possibly be attributed to varsity stoners alone. Wellness trends that focused on self-care, community awareness and plant justice have made amateur cannaisseurs out of erstwhile squares statewide.

And if there’s anything a new stoner needs, it’s a bit of friendly advice from an established stoner.

Cannabis users come from all walks of life, and there is a perfect smoke utensil out there for each of them. Whether you’re a down-low secret smoker, an occasional festive puffer, or a proud bong gobbler, finding your forever device is a watershed moment in a fledgling stoner’s life.

To help advise users in their quest to find their forever utensil, we reached out to Stonedware founder and ceramic pipe maker Ariel Zimman for a few pro tips on shopping for the ideal piece.

Define Your Smoking Preferences How you take your grass is the first thing you should consider when you approach the counter of your local head shop. Bongs, pipes, chillums and bubblers each provide unique experiences: Bongs and bubblers filter smoke through water; pipes and chillums combust dry herb without a filter. Try as many different devices as you can before settling on one style—who knows? You might be more into oversized beaker bongs or decorative one-hitters than you thought.

“Take into account how much you smoke,” Zimman adds. “This might inform how large of a bowl you’d like.

A lot of new smokers might be interested in a smaller bowl. I always prefer this, regardless of how much I want to smoke, because I prefer packing a new bowl than smoking an ashy one.”

Try this: A handblown glass pipe is a necessary tool, and a palm-size version in your favorite colors is a great first addition to your collection. Find them at your local bodega, dispensary or head shop.

Examine the Material Ceramic, titanium, glass, Pyrex, silicone and acrylic are some of the materials shoppers will find lining the shelves of their local glass shop. Each style has unique benefits and potential drawbacks. Fragile glass utensils are popular for their relative affordability and easy cleanup, though some prefer the less-decorative but unbreakable Pyrex.

Silicone and acrylic bongs are reserved for the truly butterfingered, and their low cost making them an easy choice for novice smokers on a lean budget as well.

“I don’t recommend smoking out of metal, wood, concrete/cement, crystals or unglazed ceramic pipes,” Zimman says. “These materials do not have as high of a temperature threshold as glass or glaze, and can be dangerous, especially if there is any other finish applied to the piece.”

Ceramic pieces are durable and maintain temperature well, but are only usable when properly finished.

“It’s very important to make sure that the inside of the piece is glazed,” Zimman says. “Unglazed ceramics are porous, causing the material to absorb bacteria and debris and create a smelly piece or icky-tasting hits.”

Try this: A silicone bong is a fun, low-stakes introduction to water pipes that will help develop your taste in bongs without breaking the bank. Find them at your local bodega, dispensary or head shop.

Shop Small, Shop Local

Oregon’s commitment to its homegrown cannabis culture is obvious in how small canna-businesses are nurtured by the community. There are a multitude of local artists and small businesses producing a diverse assortment of creative, unique and functional smoke devices. Most of the city’s head shops can help guide you in purchasing handmade goods from local artisans, but pro pro tip: My partner found our forever bong under the

counter at our local bottle shop, so it also pays to shop outside the typical head shop channels.

Try this: Zimman suggests checking out Make Good Choices—local, handmade ceramics specializing in whimsical pipes shaped like woodland creatures, inhalers and flowers. Check out the rest of the inventory at makegoodchoicesshop.patternbyetsy.com.

Make It a Set

Zimman says different devices work in different scenarios.

“Sometimes you need a soup bowl, and other times a ramekin is best,” she says. “The pipe you keep at home on your coffee table might be entirely different than the one you want to take to the beach or camping. Everyone’s needs and best choices will differ depending upon personal preference.”

Do you want something to facilitate your couchlock?

Consider a medium-large bong with a small, sliding bowl. Would you also prefer to keep a one-hitter in your pocket for discreet puffs? A personalized Buddy pipe might also be your speed. If possible, keep your budget and your expectations flexible enough to make room more than one “perfect” piece, since perfection is a construct and circumstances are changeable. But if you’re establishing your pad as stoner party central, maybe skip the shopping altogether and just make a gravity bong in your bathtub.

Try this: Zimman’s own line of custom geometric ceramic pipes is rounded out by an array of stylish trays, tools and bowls, which, when displayed together, create an exceedingly chic centerpiece. Shop for them at stonedwarecompany.com.

Choose Beauty on Your Terms

Shove stoner stigma further into the shadows by choosing pieces that appeal not just to your desired functions but also your unique personal style. Shame-hiding an acrylic bong in a hard-to-reach closet corner isn’t a hard-fast stoner requirement anymore. Having multiple centerpiece pieces proudly displayed in a designated stone zone not only helps further break down antiquated stigmas, but can also absolutely be a gorgeous addition to your home.

“Regardless of the situation, I believe that your pipe should bring you joy when in and out of use,” Zimman says. “You should like to look at your piece. If you plan to leave it out and not store it away when not in use, try to find a piece that fits in with your décor and personal sense of style. Think about where you might like to keep and display your piece and what will match or pop in that space. The best advice I can give is to find a piece that’s functional, comfortable to hold, and beautiful to you.”

Try this: My Bud Vase creates gorgeous, display-worthy custom bongs from vintage flower vases. Each piece is a completely unique work of art. Shop for them at mybudvase.com.

Flower Rolling Papers

by Edie Parker

($10, edieparkerflower.com)

I’ve spent at least a decade wishing for floral-printed rolling papers, and they finally exist, thanks to Flower by Edie Parker. They’re made with rice paper and soy-based ink, and the happy daisy motif is a major mood lifter.

—Anja Charbonneau, Broccoli magazine Joint Holder and Tamper Necklace by High Society Collection

($38, highsocietycollection.com)

Clever, functional design changes the way people see and view cannabis and the people who consume it. Normalization is an important next step for the cannabis movement, and good design is an essential component of connecting cannabis to new audiences. There is something so amazing about wearing gorgeous jewelry that I get compliments on all the time, simply because it is beautiful. Little do they know it serves a higher purpose. I love smoking joints, and it is extra magical when I hold my joint with my necklace. Functional, beautiful and handmade by an amazing mom in Portland?

Sign me up! —Samantha Montanaro, Tokeativity Grinder by Santa Cruz Shredder

($24.99, santacruzshredder.com)

I picked this baby up randomly when I was still living in California. I was 18, a regular smoker, and popped into a smoke shop one day and asked for a dependable grinder.

The guy that helped me out went straight to the Santa Cruz Shredders and told me about how the blades would sharpen themselves every time I used it. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it has lasted me almost a decade and still grinds flower to the perfect fluff. —Savina Monet, Cannabis Workers Coalition MagicalButter Machine

($199.95, magicalbutter.com)

My indispensable cannabis gadget looks like a coffee percolator from the future yet made in the ’80s. It’s a combination thermal circulator and blender that keeps your infusing fat at a specific temperature for a set time. The blade chops the fat and flower mix every 15 minutes. It’s simple, smart, reliable and easy to clean. My extractions are smooth, tasty and potent. Further, the temperature settings (rarely do I exceed 160 Fahrenheit) allow for some strain specificity to sneak through. —Leather Storrs, cannabis chef

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The No-Smell Test Five weed filters, reviewed.

BY LAURE N YOS H I KO

@laurenyterry

I will never get over smoking flower. I appreciate edibles and vaporizers, but they just don’t match the ritual of a true smoke sesh for me—the aroma, the flavor, the familiar crackle of the buds taking light.

The problem is that I live in an apartment building, and those same characteristics that make smoking flower so special are also what make it so easily detectable in non-smoking spaces. It’s a problem that has grown much more pronounced after a year when everyone was consuming more weed indoors. Following the first three emails I got

from my landlord regarding the smell of weed smoke, it was a problem I had to solve if I wanted to continue my rituals.

What started with a classic dryer-sheet sploof evolved into a deep dive into the realm of handheld smoke filters.

These are not the perfect solution—for one thing, they don’t account for the tendrils of smoke coming up off the bowl.

But with regards to everything coming out of your lungs, there are all kinds of filters out there claiming to do the trick and mask the telltale aroma.

I tried four of them—five counting my Phase 1 sploof. After a year of trial and precarious error, here are my findings.

Classic Dorm Room Sploof

Pocket Philter

$3 The forefather of the modern handheld smoking filter, all this amateur arts-andcraft project requires is stuffing a handful of dryer sheets in an empty toilet paper tube. It’s deodorizing powers are only as strong as the freshness of the sheets, but it does a decent job containing—and, to some degree, concealing—a sesh. The downside here is the sheer grossness of the rough, quickly resinated mouth-end of the cardboard tube, and the fact that the scent of Bounce, Febreeze and the other common air fresheners are maybe the biggest tipoff to weed consumption.

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Smoke Buddy

$21.95 This was the first real filter designed to be used with weed smoke that I tried. It came recommended by a budtender at Electric Lettuce, and it really is game-changing. Exhale into the avocado-sized filter, and 99% smoke- and odor-free air comes out the back end. At least for the first few hundred exhales, anyway. Over time, you feel more resistance as the filters get gunked up. I could barely blow through it after I hit the six-month mark. Even more unfortunately, Smoke Buddy is a single-use plastic product.

No replaceable filters, no cleaning process—so it’s totally impractical for long-term use...

$14.99 …and so, cue the Philter, which according to its website does have a replacement filter. But I should’ve considered the size-to-price ratio on this one—it lasted maybe five big-girl-sized bong rips. It’s a very slim, vape pen-shaped device. After leaving it alone to dry out or whatever for a few days, it became usable again, but the resistance is still too much to be a realistic solution beyond keeping it in the car for the odd parking-lot toke. Oh, the replacement filter? It turned out to mean the entire plastic device.

The part you keep for reuse is merely the decorative silicone sleeve. Strike two.

Smoke Trap

Sploofy Pro

$19.95

$21.99

Finally, a filter with a legitimate replacement cartridge, courtesy of a Portland-area business, no less. It has a more ergonomic design than the Smoke Buddy, with equal heft for real bong rips. For day one of frequent use, it worked like a dream. The rubber mouthpiece is a little off-putting, but it makes a quick, clean seal every exhale. Following my bedtime bowl that night, however, I left it standing upright with the exhaust end of the filter facing down. The following morning, it was like it was sealed shut. I couldn’t blow any air through it whatsoever. This might have been a user error, and I recommend storing all filters on their sides. It did loosen up after a few days, but it continued to get blocked easily after a sesh or two.

Whether or not I was ultimately responsible for ruining the Smoke Trap, I had to try something else. And I am very glad I did, because this filter checks all the boxes—and happens to look way better doing it. This is the latest iteration of Sploofy filters, having just dropped in March 2021, with a very sleek, rounded look, all in black matte. The outer casing is plastic, but the replaceable filter—the HEPA-grade filter!—is housed in biodegradable material. So far, the performance is flawless no matter the volume of smoke. It also happens to be the most aesthetically pleasing, with a subtle shape that doesn’t look out of place on a desk or bookshelf—almost like an unassuming little Bluetooth speaker keeping your rental lease on solid ground.

Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

New York, I Love You But Are You Really Just Now Legalizing Weed?

Take it from an Oregonian: Recreational cannabis is great, if you do it right.

BY SO P H I A J UN E

@sophiajune

Dear New York,

Congratulations, you’ve legalized weed! Finally.

For all your East Coast elitism, you really are behind the times on this one. I mean, the 15th state to legalize recreational cannabis? Even Virginia did it before you. My home state of Oregon was the third to do it—seven years ago. Of course, Oregon has long been at the forefront of legalization. We were the first state to decriminalize pot, back in 1973, the same year New York enacted the Rockefeller Laws, some of the toughest drug laws in the country, which called for prison sentences of at least 15 years for those caught with even a small amount of weed. And while it’s cute that New Jersey legalized weed in the 2020 election, it was in this election that Oregon became the first state to legalize psychedelic mushroom therapy.

But hey, look at it this way—at least it’s better than being the 16th state to legalize, right?

Do not replace beloved businesses with dispensaries.

I’ll never forget when Barry’s, Eugene’s Jewish deli, was replaced with a black concrete block dispensary called “Apothca.” Similarly in Portland, Serra—the Anthropologie of dispensaries—opened where the Belmont Bodega once stood, while Cannabliss took over Habesha Lounge, the hookah bar I frequented in high school because weed wasn’t legal. I can’t think of anything sadder than New York bodegas being replaced with the likes of, say, FuggedaBUDit or Budklyn. And while we’re on the topic of dispensaries, you don’t need psychedelic merch, Bob Marley playlists, and white dudes with dreads asking, “What kind of high do you want?”

Dispensaries don’t have to be an experience. They can and should just be…like walking into a bodega.

Anyway, yeah, I know firsthand that this is a very exciting development. I first voted for legalization as a sophomore at the University of Oregon in 2012, in the first election in which I was eligible to vote. I smoked a joint with my roommates, naively shocked, as we watched the measure lose, 53% to 46%. “We’ll do it in the next election,” we said, and we did, just two years later. We erupted in cheers from our couch as we smoked a bowl, texted our friends and parents the grass and fire emojis, and lamented that this had to happen once we were all kind of sick of smoking weed.

But it didn’t matter: We were 21 and would never again have to interact with some dude who stashed a Ziploc of pot in an empty deodorant container and made you retrieve it from his sideyard.

When I moved to New York City from Portland two years ago, I went from being allowed to buy weed on nearly every corner to awkwardly drafting WhatsApp messages to some friend of a friend’s dealer only to certainly get ripped off. Even more

Do expunge crimes and give back to the communities most affected by the War on Drugs.

Despite legalization, Oregon didn’t pass a measure to expunge marijuana crimes until 2019. New York, to its credit, seems a little more aware of how necessary this is: 40% of tax revenue from cannabis is set to be steered to communities of color and those convicted of cannabis offenses—a disproportionately large number of Black and Brown New Yorkers—to have their records expunged.

Don’t produce so much you have to burn the oversupply.

Oregon grew so much weed it couldn’t sell it fast enough, leaving farmers with massive piles of moldy weed they had to burn and forcing businesses to lay off employees and sometimes even close. Other states like

bewildering, during my first election here, in 2019, I witnessed New York also decline to legalize weed, though it was decriminalized.

When New York finally went legal, I saw my Twitter feed explode with sarcastic quips from reporters at national news outlets, saying stuff like, “Now I finally get to try weed!” I had déjà vu: Didn’t we already do this? It’s the same energy I experienced as a 21-year-old, but seeing it come from mainstream media reporters was bizarre and only served to further widen the gulf in drug policy between our two states.

So, New York, believe me when I tell you what to expect from legal weed: namely, insane demand and a ton of tax revenue. And no, Midtown offices will not transform into a “cloud of smoke,” like one of my co-workers asked me upon learning I was from “out west.” I guess the good thing about legalizing so late in the game is that you can learn from some of Oregon’s early mistakes. Here are some do’s and don’ts on what I’m hoping to see now.

Washington and Colorado have a certain number of production licenses, but the real fix is federal legislation that would allow growers to ship across state lines. Until that happens, though, just be aware: There is such a thing as too much weed.

Do allow bike delivery.

Oregon didn’t allow cannabis bike delivery until 2019. New Yorkers, who will pay double for anything as long as it’s delivered, will need this option, especially if dispensaries want to compete with the dealers who already deliver on bikes, like the guy in High Maintenance.

Don’t publish a bunch of stories about how grandparents are buying weed.

Please, we don’t need any more of these. We get it: Weed is for everyone.

Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

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STREET SHOW US AROUND: BEAVERTON & CEDAR MILL Photographer Annie Schutz takes us on a tour of her favorite Portland suburbs.

This was one of the first spots I noticed when I moved to the neighborhood (left). It looks like a landing spot for a UFO. You can’t see what’s over the grassy hill, and that’s my favorite part. I’ve actually never walked all the way up.

I don’t want to ruin it.

Beaverton Skatepark (right) is one of my favorite features of the area. It’s still my go-to spot to practice taking action shots.

This Indian food truck on Cornell Road (left) is highly underrated. Every time I stop at the nearby 76 to get gas, I also run over and get some butter chicken.

This is where I got my first library card since I was in elementary school (right). The employees are working hard with a new system to ensure the library is clean and social distancing is easy.

I’m not a car person, but this beat-down muscle car (left) sits at the dead end of my driveway, and I always find myself walking down there to see if anyone has cleaned it up.

I couldn’t tell you what this building is (right), but it’s right beside my favorite coffee shop, and I love to walk over and see if any of the heads have new haircuts.

Haven is the neighborhood’s go-to coffee shop (left). The inside is adorable, and the baristas are incredibly kind.

I’ve never had coffee in my life so, unfortunately, I couldn’t tell you about the drinks.

Hanging on Sunset High’s fences (right) is artwork by students that quotes the famous Martin Luther King Jr. line. I pass by it every day on my way to work. I think I cried the first time I saw it.

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Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

STREET MICK HANGLAND-SKILL

NEW MOURNING Portlanders mourned at three vigils April 12 in the wake of a police killing of a Black man named Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minn.

The third event ended with police forcefully clearing demonstrators from East Burnside Street after several set fires and damaged a building. The scale and intensity of the demonstrations did not match the May 28 protest and riot that sparked more than 100 days of marches in Portland following the killing of George Floyd. But the emotions were similar, and so was the cause of sorrow and fury: police in Minnesota killing a Black man, this time during an April 11 traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb.

(In fact, the killing of Wright occurred amid the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis officer charged with killing Floyd.) Portlanders gathered at the Multnomah County Justice Center, in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, and in Laurelhurst Park. JUSTIN YAU.

CHRIS NESSETH MICK HANGLAND-SKILL

CHRIS NESSETH

MICK HANGLAND-SKILL

CHRIS NESSETH

CHRIS NESSETH

MICK HANGLAND-SKILL

CHRIS NESSETH

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STARTERS

THE MOST IMPORTANT PORTLAND CULTURE STORIES OF THE WEEK—GRAPHED.

READ MORE ABOUT THESE STO R I E S AT WW E E K .CO M .

RIDICULOUS

PATIO Picks

More pieces of the SpaceX rocket that burned up over Portland in March are discovered in Oregon—this time by a fisherman on the coast.

A new haunted mansion-themed bar is opening in the former No Vacancy space in Old Town.

aster. co

Oa k an d s P

s—

operatio n ing um s e r is k r a got a brand new it’s rol le r

AWESOME

A previously undiscovered glacier has been found on South Sister Mountain.

In an open letter, 40 Oregon entertainment venues petition Gov. Kate Brown for industryspecific reopening guidelines.

PATIO ISSUE Publishes on 4/21 As vaccines roll out, and warmer weather is on the horizon - we're celebrating with an issue all about PATIOS. Where to eat, drink and socialize this spring!

Get your restaurant and/or bar patio featured in this issue, and in a dedicated Newsletter to our 95k subscribers for just $300.

Oregon State Parks is embarking on an ambitious 25-year plan to make its facilities more accessible for people with disabilities.

The web portal for a grant program benefiting beleaguered performance venues shuts down hours after opening due to “technical difficulties.”

advertising@wweek.com for more information.

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Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

AWFUL

John Legend once again weighs in on Oregon criminal justice policies.

SERIOUS

GET INSIDE

WHAT TO DO WHILE YOU’RE STUCK AT HOME THIS WEEK.

� WATCH: Chopped 420

After an incredibly challenging year that caused everyone to go a bit stir-crazy, spring now feels like a time for salvation. Sunlight during the first 70-degree days in 2021 acted as nature’s perfect salve following an interminable winter, so now seems the perfect time to compose an ode to the outdoors as it comes back to life, too. In celebration of National Poetry Month and International Haiku Poetry Day on April 17, Friends of the Columbia River Gorge is calling for your love letters to the scenic region as part of its second annual Spring Gorge Haiku Challenge. To participate, simply identify what you appreciate most about the Gorge— whether it’s waterfall alley, the mighty Columbia, or the jagged and rounded rock formations—then write a poem adhering to the traditional five-seven-five syllable structure. You can either submit the work on social media with the tag “@gorgefriends” or email it friends@gorgefriends.org. Submissions accepted up to 5 pm on Wednesday, April 14.

O M A

S AL TE

One of the most anticipated releases in Third Angle Music’s Soundwalk series, Darrell Grant’s Come Sunday is the soundtrack for a guided walk past historic Black churches in gentrified Northeast Portland. The jazz pianist’s piece will mix music and history, taking listeners to the King, Humboldt and Alberta neighborhoods and past 13 Black churches, in an area where there used to be over 200.

Available for download starting April 15. Free.

T H

� LISTEN: Come Sunday

by Darrell Grant

� WATCH: Joy Harjo

� WATCH: The Decemberists’ 20th Anniversary Shows

After postponing their 20th anniversary tour twice, the Decemberists have decided to celebrate their two decades as a band online. This Sunday, the Portland folk group will perform the second of three livestreamed sets as a substitute for an in-person tour that would’ve happened last year. Expect an anything-goes set list that spans the band’s nine-album discography. It’ll be a nostalgic trip back to a simpler time when rent was cheaper, no one made “put a bird on it” jokes and big-band indie folk had yet to reach parodic levels of twee. 5 pm Sunday, April 18 and 25. Tickets at decemberists.com. $25$75.

� WATCH: The Letter Room

Short films are rarely the domain of big-name actors, let alone movie stars of Oscar Isaac’s caliber. But exceptions are often made for family. For The Letter Room, director Elvira Lind cast her husband in a gentle, understated part that runs counter to Isaac’s preternatural suave.

Obscured by a broom-bristle mustache and frumpy uniform, Isaac plays Richard, a prison guard who is “promoted” to the institution’s communications department, where he surveils all correspondence leaving and entering the pen. Lind’s 30-minute film manages to subvert the guard-with-a-heart-of-gold setup in a few unexpected ways, as the power disparity between captors and captives shifts. In fact, confoundingly, the letter room may be the only carceral context in which the playing field levels.

Streams on Amazon Prime and through Cinema 21, Hollywood, Living Room and Virtual Cinema.

� WATCH: Paterson

A man named Paterson (Adam Driver) lives in Paterson, New Jersey. He drives a bus. He writes poetry. He lives with his eccentric wife (Golshifteh Farahani) and their dog. Every day is the same, but he manages to extract meaning from each one through his writing. This tender, quiet 2016 drama from Jim Jarmusch is a lovely meditation on the beauty of the mundane. Streams on Amazon Prime, iTunes and other platforms.

Joy Harjo was named U.S. poet laureate in 2019— the first Native American to hold that title. An American Sunrise, her ninth and most recent collection of poetry, is full of powerful invocations of ancestral knowledge and tender, quotidian details. At this lecture, Harjo discusses When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through, the Norton anthology of Native American poetry she edited.

Literary Arts, literary-arts.com. 6 pm Tuesday, April 20. Series tickets $90-$355.

UL ABDOO

� DO: Spring Gorge Haiku Challenge

San Francisco singer-songwriter Field Medic has been knocking around the Bay Area music scene for a while, but signing to vaunted indie label Run for Cover hasn’t reduced his penchant for recording the first thing on his mind as fast as he can. His new EP, Plunge Deep Golden Knife, is so dense with room noise it almost feels ambient, but the strength of his songwriting shines through more than everything else—and the song “I Get Drunk Every Day Because I’m Bored and Lonely” is about a lot more than its title. Stream on Spotify and Bandcamp.

PA

It’s not surprising two of the first cannabis cooking competitions to land on major streaming platforms have Portland connections—eating and getting massively stoned are among the things we do best here, and that was true long before it was socially acceptable to combine the two. Last year around this time, Netflix premiered Cooked With Cannabis, basically a weed-infused version of Chopped, hosted

by R&B singer Kelis and former Noble Rot chef Leather Storrs.

Now, the Food Network is launching a literal weed-infused version of Chopped. Airing on Discovery+, Chopped 420 follows the same basic premise as the show it spun off from: Four chefs are tasked with crafting dishes out of hard-to-combine ingredients, but must now also incorporate cannabis into the cooking. This time around, hosting duties are handled

by Ron Funches, the Chicago-born, Portland-bred actor, comedian and all-around gigglepuss, whose presence makes any project roughly 72% more charming—and if you’ve heard any of his comedy, you know he is the right guy for this particular job.

Streams on Discovery+ beginning Tuesday, April 20.

� LISTEN: Plunge Deep Golden Knife

by Field Medic

⚯ READ: Crying in H Mart

In 2018, Michelle Zauner, aka indie musician Japanese Breakfast, penned a piece in The New Yorker titled “Crying in H Mart,” which grapples with the loss of Zauner’s mother and the Oregon-born musician’s Korean heritage. Now, Zauner has expanded that essay into a memoir of the same name.

Filled with enviable descriptions of Korean food and touching meditations on grief, Crying in H Mart is also a deeply Oregonian book. Much of it is set in Eugene, where Zauner grew up and cared for her terminally ill mother. Coming April 20 from Penguin Random House.

� GO: CBD Dinner Series at Jupiter Next

It’s a match made in stoner heaven: One of Portland’s premier weed chefs teams with the city’s most weed-friendly hotel for a special 420 feast.

(It’s technically happening the weekend after April 20, but best make reservations now.) For this event, Liv Vasquez, who has been at the forefront of the cannabis cooking movement ever since recreational use was legalized in Oregon in 2014, is whipping up a three-course, plant-based meal, in which each dish is infused with up to 15 milligrams of CBD, which, as everyone should know by now, is the calm-inducing, non-intoxicating element of cannabis. Similar to the Jupiter’s recent partnership with Le Pigeon, the dinner will be served in private rooms at the hotel for maximum social distancing, and guests can add an overnight stay for $99, which is a good idea—you might not get stoned, but a nap is definitely going to be in order. Jupiter Next, 900 E Burnside St., jupiterhotel.com/cbd-dinner-series. Thursday-Saturday, April 22-24. $100 per person.

Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

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SHANNON GORMLEY

GET OUTSIDE HIKE OF THE WEEK

The Oregon Badlands are vast, open and stunningly beautiful.

BY S H A N N O N G O R M LE Y

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‚ What to Bring Along with the basics you’d bring on any hike, be sure to carry plenty of sunscreen and water. There’s no water at all beyond the trailhead—the canal water near the trailhead definitely isn’t potable—and you’ll be in full sun for basically the entire hike, unless you pull off the trail to take a break under a juniper.

Binoculars are great to have, too: The Badlands are home to mule deer, antelope, bobcats and over 100 species of birds, including the bizarre and elusive sage grouse.

sgormley@wweek.com

There are few places left in this state that feel as solitary as the Oregon Badlands.

Out in the heart of the wilderness area’s 45 square miles, it’s possible you won’t come across any other hikers. Even in spring—the ideal time to visit a landscape that’s snowy in the winter and blisteringly hot in the summer— the trailheads are almost never crowded.

It’s one of the most unique ecosystems in the region. Located just a short drive south of Bend, Oregon’s Badlands were formed by a dramatic mix of fire and ice, including an Ice Age river, three volcanoes and a fault line that busted up one of the volcanoes, a history that only makes the Badlands’ present-day stillness all the more stark.

But you don’t need to research the area’s Pleistocene geology to appreciate its beauty.

Besides, the results of those ancient events remain plenty visible.

An island of sand in the middle of arid ranch land, much of the Badlands’ soft soil was deposited by the explosion of Mount Mazama, which blew its top off thousands of years ago, creating Crater Lake. The rocky ridges that line the trails were built by ancient lava flow, and the junipers that grow out of the cracked basalt are some of the oldest in the state.

Wandering the wide, expansive landscape is a surreal experience. On a clear day, you can see the snow-capped Sisters Mountains rising above the rugged landscape. The flatness of the trails makes the sprawl of sage, juniper and blue sky feel endless. The beauty is in the details, making you slow down to appreciate the intricate shape of twisted junipers, lichen-covered rocks and the bird songs that break up the solitude. It’s vast, sparse and strangely captivating—and the fact that it’s so still and quiet makes it all the more exciting when a jackrabbit suddenly darts across the trail, or a golden eagle passes overhead.

Sure, it’s not the lush, dramatic beauty of hikes on the west side of the state where there’s a waterfall around every corner. But it’s a must for connoisseurs of desolate landscapes, and those looking to escape the increasingly large crowds in Oregon’s state parks.

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‚ The Trail to Take: Tumulus Trail The Flatiron Trail is the most popular, and for good reason— it shows off some of the coolest rock formations in the Badlands.

But if you’re coming from Bend or the Crooked River and want to shave off some travel time, the trails that are accessible from the Tumulus trailhead are just as worthwhile. Just over 30 minute from either location, the trail is a 7-mile out-and-back, or you can take a short 4-mile, lollipop-shaped route that consists of the Tumulus, Basalt and Black Lava trails. Though it’s basically flat, don’t be surprised if your miles per hour are much lower than usual. The soft, sandy soil can make for slow going.

CHIMNEY ROCK HIKE

Directions: If you can drive through the snow and ice by Mount Hood, take US 26 east to US 97 south. Once you reach Redmond, take US 126 east to Powell Butte Highway. Turn left onto Alfalfa Road and continue on to Johnson Ranch Road, which takes you to the Tumulus Trailhead. To avoid snowy conditions, take Interstate 84 west to the Dalles, where you’ll get on US 197 south.

Continue straight on to US 97.

‚ Where to Stay Camping isn’t allowed in the Badlands, but it’s just a short drive from Bend. Better yet, the Crooked River is lined with campsites, and only about a 20-minute drive from the trailheads at the north end of the park. A threehour drive from Portland—though closer to four if you avoid the winter conditions on Highway 26—the area is overseen by the Bureau of Land Management, and the seven campgrounds are all tucked under juniper trees along the river. The Chimney Rock Campground is particularly beautiful, offering stunning views of the river and tree-dotted canyon cliffs. For BLM camping, the sites are pretty luxe—there’s a picnic table and fire pit at each one. All the campgrounds are drive-up and first-come, first served, costing $8 per weeknight and $12 on weekends.

‚ Also Check Out: The Crooked River is worth exploring in and of itself. Just across the road from Chimney Rock Campground is the Chimney Rock Trailhead, a short 3-mile round trip to and from the top of the canyon, where you’ll get sweeping views up and down the river and all the way to the Sisters Mountains.

FEATURE

CHRIS NESSETH

FOOD & DRINK

“dogs playing poker” riff, and portraits of Stacey Abrams and Jackie Robinson.

The significance of two Black Portland chefs getting their own brick-and-mortar in 2021, and in the Pearl District no less, is clearly not lost on the Goss and Huff Jr. “With everything that was kind of happening during COVID, there’s no better two guys to have down there to revamp it and rebuild it than me and Johnny—humbly speaking,” Goss says. “We want to bring a different vibe and energy back to our city. Show something different.”

Everybody Eats’ Peach Cobbler Chicken and Waffle THE WAFFLE It’s three mini-waffles rather than one big one, making it perfect for sharing, especially if you also want some shrimp and grits or steak and eggs. It’s also ideal for soaking up more fruit per bite. “The waffle is really the key,” says Goss. Light and fluffy, it’s made with regular milk rather than buttermilk, plus a “little secret ingredient,” according to Goss. When I suggest that there’s a strong vanilla flavor, he and Huff Jr. both laugh knowingly.

SIT-DOWN DINING: Everybody Eats co-owner Marcell Goss.

Feast for All Everybody Eats started on the outer eastside and now it’s here— bringing chicken and waffles and seafood mac ’n’ cheese to the heart of the Pearl District.

BY JAS O N CO H E N

@cohenesque

A few months back, this story would have started with a firm suggestion to mask up, take advantage of the relatively light pandemic traffic, and journey out to Southeast Powell and 172nd, where Johnny Huff Jr. and Marcell Goss of Everybody Eats had turned their catering company into a food stand, dishing out fish baskets, chicken and waffles, and seafood mac ’n’ cheese at the Oriental Food Value supermarket.

With no events or parties, it was a move born of necessity. Now they’ve made another move out of opportunity, transforming into a full-service bar and restaurant in the heart of the Pearl District.

Huff Jr. and Goss both grew up in North and Northeast Portland, and both attended the Oregon Culinary Institute, though not at the same time. They met at a catering gig—Huff Jr. has been doing that as Everybody Eats since 2016—and eventually joined forces, sharing a passion for both food and community that’s embodied in the name.

“It’s about everybody being taken care of, and being together,” says Huff Jr. The restaurant also has a related nonprofit, Black and Blue PDX, which pairs up police officers and young Black men for cooking lessons with Huff Jr. or Goss in hopes of forging some kind of connection and understanding through food.

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Huff Jr. also has family roots in Texas and Louisiana, which is apparent on the menu. There’s a fried shrimp po’boy ($18), blackened Caesar salad with chicken, shrimp or salmon ($8 during happy hour), and the showstopper, the Ultimate Seafood Mac and Cheese ($30), which includes, shrimp, lobster and crab in double iterations, mixed in with the cheese sauce and the noodles, with half a lobster tail, two prawns and lump of crab meat on top. It’s the restaurant’s bestseller, along with the banana pudding French toast ($18).

“I just like Southern foods, with a Northwest twist like we put it on,” Huff Jr. says. “It’s comforting and filling.”

At night, you’ll also find such entrees as Smothered Turkey Wings ($22), a fish plate ($26) with salmon, snapper or catfish, and blackened salmon nachos ($22), while the brunch and lunch menu also includes a Philly cheesesteak ($16), a traditional breakfast plate ($15) with two eggs, toast, potatoes and either turkey sausage or turkey bacon—there’s no pork on the menu —and three chicken-and-waffle variations: regular ($16), strawberry shortcake ($18) and peach cobbler ($18).

The restaurant’s liquor license is still in process, but a full bar will eventually feature both festive, fruity drinks like hurricanes and daiquiris and house cocktails, such as “Bad and Boujee” (D’Ussé, Angostura bitters, Prosecco, sugar cube) and “For Your Health!” (vegetable-infused Grey Goose and bloody mix, with an optional shrimp add-on).

“We want our bar to bring people together that probably wouldn’t normally be sitting at a bar together,” Goss says.

Obviously, that will have to wait until the world is back to normal dining, ideally with crowds of people wandering the blocks that Everybody Eats shares with the likes of Powell’s Books, Portland Center Stage and Little Big Burger. Until then, takeout (with a $1.50 surcharge), outdoor seating and limited dine-in is available, with ordering at the counter. It’s worth stepping inside just to see the work of local artist Tristan “TK” Irving, including a graffiti-inspired wall logo, a spectacularly painted oversize chair, a

THE CHICKEN Boneless chicken breast gets a simple egg wash and breading combo before frying. They previously used buttermilk, but the batter cooked up faster than the chicken, making it too brown and crunchy. The current version is more airy, crispy and golden, with a bit of fiery kick that contrasts with the sweetness of the fruit. The secret to the spice mix? “We put a little extra love in it,” says Huff Jr.—and probably several kinds of pepper.

THE PEACH COBBLER Similar to the spice mix, Everybody Eats makes its peach sauce from scratch with “a lot of love and a lot of vanilla,” says Goss. The cobbler’s provenance is also not a secret: It is made from crumbled Lorna Doone shortbread cookies, which are neither too rich nor too sweet. “We definitely don’t want it to be a dessert-type dish,” says Huff Jr. “We want people to enjoy it as a breakfast.” Even with a dollop of whipped cream.

EAT

Everybody Eats, 138 NW 10th Ave., 503-318-1619, everybodyeatspdx.com. 11 am-3 pm and 5-11 pm Tuesday-Saturday.

FOOD & DRINK SEBASTIAN CAROSSI

RECIPE

TOP 5

BUZZ LIST

Where to get drinks this week, one way or another.

1. Expatriate

424 NE 30th Ave., expatriatepdx.com.

4-9 pm Thursday-Saturday.

“We know of no other mixed drinks that will so readily transport you to a different year/country/situation,” reads the label on Expatriate’s bottled cocktails to go.

In the case of the Distant Colony, that transportive place is the original St. Jack on Southeast Clinton circa the early 2010s, where Kyle Linden Webster first came up with a version of the drink before starting his own place with Naomi Pomeroy in 2013. Handsomely presented in a bottle with an attached lime twist and handwritten instructions, it’s something akin to a refined paloma that should also work for anyone who likes a mule.

2. Tulip Shop Tavern

A toast to 420.

BY S E B AST I A N C A R OSI

It’s mid-April, and spring has officially sprung—there is still a snow cap on Mt. Hood, a few scattered showers now and then, and lots of strawberries available at your local farmer’s market. And for all those cannabis consumers, that means 4/20 is upon us. So, let’s have a drink!

This simple smash combines some of the best spring and summer ingredients the Pacific Northwest has to offer, plus that bottle of body warming bourbon that’s still hanging around from your long hibernation through the long COVID winter. Although alcoholic, it is packed full of vitamins and minerals with bright lemon and fruity berry terpenes and some mellowing, cannabis-infused whiskey.

Prep time: 10 minutes Yield: 1 drink Total THC/CBD: Varies From the cannabis pantry: Cannabis-infused bourbon.

(I use the MagicalButter MB2E Botanical Extractor, available at rosinpower.com for $130.99).

Strain recommendation: Strawberry Cough

Ingredients 2 ounces cannabis-infused bourbon 1½ ounces simple syrup 2-3 lugs of orange bitters ¼ lemon 2 very ripe strawberries, hulled 1 strawberry (halved) 2 fresh cannabis leaves Crushed ice

lemon and whole strawberries in the shaker. Using the muddler, thoroughly mash the two ingredients until the juices combine.

™ 2. Add 1½ cups ice,

bourbon, simple syrup and bitters to the shaker.

™ 3. Cover and shake vigorously until the shaker has frosted over.

™ 4. Pour contents into

chilled rocks glass. Garnish with half a fresh strawberry and cannabis sativa leaves.

Chef Sebastian Carosi is a Portland culinary professional with more than 25 years in the restaurant and hospitality industry who has been cooking with cannabis since the mid-’90s. He shares most of his terpene-fortified recipes on Instagram: @chef_sebastian_carosi.

5. Buddy’s Lounge

8220 SE Harrison St., Unit 125, 971-288-5186, buddys-lounge.business.site. 1-11 pm daily.

Like chocolate and peanut butter, Mary Kate and Ashley, or Twitter and bad hot takes, Buddy’s Lounge has brought another iconic duo to Portland: booze and boba tea. The best so far is also the classic: milk tea boba— black tea, milk and chewy tapioca balls—with a kick of whiskey for just $8. Subtly sugary, with just the right amount of chew to the tapioca, this is the kind of drink that would sneak up on you if you had more than one.

3. Known Associates Social Club

615 SE Alder St., Suite B, 971-334-4997.

5-11 pm Wednesday-Sunday.

As spring arrives and herd immunity no longer seems a far-off dream, it’s time for an energy cleanse. Known Associates Social Club, a new bar, restaurant and, someday, music venue across from Loyal Legion on Southeast Alder, has got your chakras covered. The Excommunicado is a take on an old fashioned via Central America, which comes with a stick of fragrant palo santo to burn and “infuse” into the drink. It’s not just a gimmick: The sweet pine flavor really does stay and heighten the spirits.

TOP 5

HOT PLATES Where to get food this week.

1. CBD Dinner Series at Jupiter Next

Jupiter Next, 900 E Burnside St., jupiterhotel.com/ cbd-dinner-series. Thursday-Saturday, April 22-24. $100 per person.

It’s match made in stoner heaven: One of Portland’s premier weed chefs teams with the city’s most weedfriendly hotel for a special 420 feast. (It’s technically happening the weekend after April 20, but best make reservations now.) For this event, Liv Vasquez, who has been at the forefront of the cannabis cooking movement ever since recreational use was legalized in Oregon in 2014, is whipping up a three-course, plant-based meal, in which each dish is infused with up to 15 milligrams of CBD. Similar to the Jupiter’s recent partnership with Le Pigeon, the dinner will be served in private rooms at the hotel for maximum social distancing, and guests can add an overnight stay for $99.

adding a heated outdoor patio, plus new Lebaneseinspired cocktails and mocktails. The food, however, largely remains the same, continuing to offer some of the city’s best falafel, shawarma and kebabs, all of it astoundingly inexpensive.

4. Mama Dut

1414 SE Morrison St., 503-954-1222, mamadut.com.

Noon-6 pm Thursday-Sunday.

A year ago, Thuy Pham was a self-employed hairstylist with a dedicated clientele. When the pandemic made it impossible for her to do business, she started posting cooking videos on Instagram, making vegan interpretations of Vietnamese staples. Then she began hosting pop-ups. Within six months, she opened her first restaurant—and then she announced the impending opening of her second. It’s the definition of a meteoric rise, but it’s easy to see why customers and Portland food media have been so quick to rally around Mama Dut: Pham employs long-established techniques to create vegan food that’s as comforting as it is decadent.

CHRIS NESSETH

Equipment needed Rocks glass Muddler Cocktail shaker Jigger Chef’s knife Cutting board

™ 1. Combine the fresh

4765 NE Fremont St., 503-841-5092, blindoxpdx.com. Noon-9 pm Monday-Thursday, noon-10 pm Friday, 10 am-10 pm Saturday, 10 am-9 pm Sunday.

Portland’s Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood is home to a micro version of the ever-popular food hall. Divvying up the building means that Blind Ox has a unique array of painkillers almost anyone could appreciate following a tense year. Need to lick your way into a sweet, blissful oblivion? There’s whipped-to-order ice cream blasted with liquid nitrogen. Want to spend the afternoon knocked out on the couch? One of Nacheaux’s friedand-smothered odes to both Mexican and Cajun cooking will induce a nap. And if you simply need a beer to take the edge off, there is also a well-curated, 20-deep tap list.

WESLEY LAPOINTE

Strawberry Sativa Smash

825 N Killingsworth St., 503-206-8483, tulipshoptavern.com. Noon-10 pm daily.

Tulip Shop’s menu of cocktails to go offers pretty much every classic concoction you can think of, each coming in a sealed canister about the size of a Red Bull and wrapped in a custom black label splattered in white squiggles. But if you’d like a break from tradition, you’re not wrong if you end up selecting the Paper Tiger based on name alone. The bright essence of grapefruit spins alongside lime cordial and a dash of salt, then warming notes of anise and ginger begin to crest courtesy of a somewhat rare spirit native to the Czech Republic called Becherovka—pretty classy for a cocktail named after the worst strip club in Denver.

4. Blind Ox Taphouse

2. Dimo’s SPK at Dimo’s Apizza 701 E Burnside St., 503-327-8968, dimosapizza.com. 9 am-2 pm Saturday-Sunday.

What Spam is to jamon, pork roll is to mortadella or bologna. The East Coast delicacy invites arguments over its proper name, but here in Portland, just be glad you can get it at all. Available on weekends, Dimo’s “Jersey Special” aims for authenticity—for chef Doug Miriello, a proper pork roll, egg and cheese has to have a fried egg, Kraft American cheese and, most of all, a proper East Coast hard roll, which in this case comes special from Dos Hermanos Bakery in North Portland.

3. Nicholas

1109 SE Madison St., 503-235-5123, nicholasrestaurant. com. 11 am-8 pm Monday-Saturday, noon-8 pm Sunday.

One of Portland’s oldest Lebanese-Mediterranean restaurants has a new, much larger home. Nicholas officially opened last week in the former Mad Son’s building, increasing the dining room by 3,000 square feet and

5. Toki

580 SW 12th Ave., 503-312-3037, tokipdx.com. Dinner served 4-8 pm Wednesday-Sunday, brunch 11 am-3 pm Friday-Sunday.

At the moment, Toki is, for all intents and purposes, Han Oak, with a menu that includes both greatest hits and revised versions of other old favorites. But there’s also food that chef Cho was not inclined to cook much in the past, including bibimbap and a steamed bao burger, maybe the world’s first reheating-friendly cheeseburger.

The star item, though, is the Gim-bap Supreme, which takes its inspiration from both Taco Bell and the TikTok “wrap” trend, in which a tortilla is partially cut into four quadrants, topped with four different ingredients, folded into layers, and griddled.

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PERFORMANCE

Editor: Andi Prewitt | Contact: aprewitt@wweek.com N I C H O L A S P E T E R W I L S O N

1. Proprioception Even without gigs I’m still a choreographer, so I’m trained to know when someone is exactly 6 feet away from me. I have developed a hypervigilant sixth sense for when someone wears their mask just under their nose, which I find even more offensive than if they just didn’t wear a mask at all. I can feel it like a camera, because every drag queen knows when there’s a camera around, and I just walk the other way—maybe I even skip.

2. Serenity Prayer My lesbian mothers told me it was St. Francis the Sissy, so I just kind of rolled with that. We’ve spent a year glued to our screens even more than before, and sometimes we need a divine intercession to remind ourselves that we are not the interwebs. Goddess, grant me the serenity to acknowledge the opinions I cannot change—and the courage to log off the internet and the wisdom to read a book.

3. My hot pink knockoff Chanel mask It’s a dainty pink cloth face mask with a high-nose ridge and the famous Chanel logo printed all over it, but cheaply. I’m not sure exactly where Cheese & Crack Snack Shop owner William Steuernagel found it, but I know that there’s a big knockoff designer brand trade going on. I think it’s kind of ridiculous to spend $500 on a mask that doesn’t actually work just because it’s printed with a designer logo.

SGT. PEPPER: Drag artist Pepper Pepper will play a spiritual medium for a telethon this Tax Day.

My Essential Seven:

Pepper Pepper The co-host of Risk/Reward’s Tax Day Telethon talks secrets, prayers, masks and more.

BY BE N N E T T C A M P B E LL FERGUS O N

Don’t wear your mask under your nose in front of Kajanne Pepper, better known as Pepper Pepper.

“It’s an infantile, taunting move,” declares the multidisciplinary drag queen. “It’s a bid for attention and it’s a bid for confrontation—and I’m a big fan of confrontation.”

Pepper will soon be confronting—and entertaining— audiences as part of Risk/Reward’s Tax Day Telethon.

Federal and state deadline extensions be damned, the show will go on this Thursday, April 15, and help to raise money for Pacific Northwest artists.

“Carla Rossi and the Risk/Reward team came up with this idea because Carla thought it would be such a stupid, funny way to celebrate a holiday, which is just so fun,” says Pepper. “We’re the co-hosts of this bizarre, weird Tax Day Telethon as our characters, Pepper the P-sychic and Carla the Holistic Healing Life Coach.”

Before the telethon, Pepper spoke to WW about beloved passions and pandemic-survival strategies, including gardening, dessert and artfully dodging those maddening under-the-nose mask wearers.

4. Ice cream cones with chocolate cowboy hats from Cheese & Crack Snack Shop They still have them and I like them because sugar is sweeter in the wild West. Cheese & Crack was the first restaurant I went out to during COVID, and it was pure comfort food.

That’s why it’s fresh in my mind.

5. All my hoes—seriously, I’m a gardener now.

I’m an enthusiastic COVID gardener. You know, everyone had to put their energy somewhere. When I got that big slap across the face—which was the pandemic—I just gravitated toward gardening, and it’s what I needed to do to stay grounded and service something living.

6. My good friend Pamela, aka Lorazipamela aka Lorazepam, my anxiety medication I’ve chosen the holy trinity of self-care, which is gardening, therapy and effective drugs. While it hasn’t been easy, it’s been worth it to adjust to the shock of what a life-changing, paradigm-shifting virus can bring. I think self-care can be many, many things, and for me it’s occasionally some help sleeping at night from my good friend Pamela.

7. Secrets I’ll say it like this: I was at a spiritual event once, and the teacher said, “The coin of the spirit world is attention.”

To me, that means that if you want something to happen, you pay attention to it—and what you pay attention to has power, and when you have power, you can do something with that power. And when you overshare, like we’re trained to do, you’re giving away your power. I think if you have a little bit of mystery, people are going to want to get closer to that mystery, and I think that’s important.

SEE IT: Risk/Reward’s Tax Day Telethon streams at risk-reward.org/event/taxdaytelethon/ on Thursday, April 15. 7:30 pm. Pay what you can, $20 suggested donation.

MUSIC Written by: Daniel Bromfield | @bromf3

Now Hear This

Listening recommendations from the past, present, Portland and the periphery.

SOMETHING OLD Beverly GlennCopeland has spent the past half-decade basking in his role as a New Age elder statesman during the often-maligned genre’s recent indie revival. Last year’s Transmissions comp is a solid primer, and 1986’s almost unbearably empathetic Keyboard Fantasies saw a well-deserved reissue last Friday. But the artist’s best album is one of his earliest: a self-titled from 1970, whose hair-raising intensity has little to do with the sedative tones he’s become known for.

SOMETHING NEW San Francisco singer-songwriter Field Medic has been knocking around the Bay Area music scene for a while, but signing to vaunted indie label Run for Cover hasn’t reduced his penchant for recording the first thing on his mind as fast as he can. His new EP, Plunge Deep Golden Knife, is so dense with room noise it almost feels ambient, but the strength of his songwriting shines through more than everything else—and the song “I Get Drunk Every Day Because I’m Bored and Lonely” is about a lot more than its title.

SOMETHING LOCAL Fire Escape Corn is surely an odd title. Fire escapes are a reasonable workaday image to accompany Airhead DC’s shy electro-pop.

But “corn”? Arthur Russell fans know, and they’ll also recognize the world of echo that D.C.-born Portland producer Vishal Narang puts on his voice. This is pop that’s distinctly bedroom, but it has an air of sophistication that sets it worlds apart from your average GarageBand experiment, and its drums drive it forward rather than letting it settle like a cloud of smoke.

SOMETHING ASKEW Vladislav Delay is on a midcareer roll. Twenty years after blowing everyone’s minds with his releases on the Mille Plateaux and Chain Reaction labels, the Finnish producer is serving up two of his most exploratory albums this spring. Rakka II, which drops Friday, uses blasts of noise to evoke the rugged Arctic expanse in which he lives, works and travels. More accessible is Fun Is Not a Straight Line, a respectful and viciously realized exploration of Chicago footwork music that drops in June under Delay’s given surname, Ripatti.

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Editor: Andi Prewitt / Contact: aprewitt@wweek.com

GET YO UR REPS I N MYLES DE BASTION

screener

MOVIES

While local rep theaters are out of commission, we’ll be putting together weekly watchlists of films readily available to stream. This week’s theme takes inspiration from the great Joan Didion, who famously wrote, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” The characters in these films do just that— bending their realities to fit their fantasies.

Perfect Blue (1997) When Japanese pop idol Mima quits singing in order to pursue an acting career, she’s plagued by a relentless stalker and a series of violent murders. Fantasy and reality blur, and Mima finds she can’t trust anyone—not even herself. Satoshi Kon’s acclaimed anime thriller is a must-watch for fans of 2010’s Black Swan. Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Hoopla, Vudu, YouTube.

360-DEGREE REALITY: Myles de Bastion uses VR to restore the sense of physical space needed for ASL.

Virtual Reality Check A deaf visual-sound artist is working to make VR more accessible by demonstrating new captioning and communication methods.

BY C H A N C E S O L E M - P F EI FER

@chance_s_p

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Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

SEE IT: Virtual Worlds Made Accessible Beyond Sound streams at watch.opensignalpdx.org/live. Free.

This astoundingly depressing melodrama from Lars von Trier stars Björk as Selma, an immigrant factory worker and community theater actress struggling with a degenerative eye disease. To cope with the loss of her sight and her impoverished life, Selma escapes to a fantasy world, where she imagines herself and those around her performing Hollywoodstyle musical numbers. Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Hoopla, iTunes, Vudu, YouTube.

Paterson (2016) A man named Paterson (Adam Driver) lives in Paterson, New Jersey. He drives a bus. He writes poetry. He lives with his eccentric wife (Golshifteh Farahani) and their dog. Every day is the same, but he manages to extract meaning from each one through his writing. This tender, quiet drama from Jim Jarmusch is a lovely meditation on the beauty of the mundane. Amazon Prime, iTunes, Vudu.

Nancy (2018) After her mother dies, a lonely writer named Nancy (Andrea Riseborough) begins to suspect she’s actually the long-lost daughter of an older couple (Steve Buscemi and J. Smith-Cameron) whose child went missing 30 years ago. Nancy visits the pair and finds herself falling deeper into her own web of (possible?) deception. Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Hoopla, Kanopy, Roku, Tubi, Vudu, YouTube.

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Before exploring virtual realities, Myles de Bastion had dedicated his artistic life to the deaf and hard of hearing.

The deaf Portland musician, designer and inventor had pioneered technologies translating live music into light and vibrations—featured everywhere from the Portland Art Museum to Jimmy Kimmel Live.

When COVID-19 forced people to insulate themselves in their own little worlds, de Bastion and the deaf community were faced with a discouraging question: Were those little worlds any more accessible than the average office or music venue? Often, no. Zoom, for instance, took well over a year to add auto-captioning technology. De Bastion says ubiquitous video-conferencing “solutions” also flattened, shrank and disrupted the spatial context needed to converse in sign language.

Amid these changes, though, virtual reality began dominating de Bastion’s attention and became the centerpiece of his New Media Fellowship from Portland media center and nonprofit Open Signal. VR was a new medium—full of its own promise and pitfalls—to which he could apply his mission as a “creative altruist.”

“As soon as I saw that hand-tracking support was coming to VR, I had visions of using it to communicate with other VR users,” de Bastion says. “In a Zoom meeting you don’t have any sense of physical space, so you lose a lot of the ability to communicate [in American Sign Language] fluently, and conversations take much longer. VR solves this by restoring the sense of physical space that is needed for ASL.” On March 19, de Bastion presented the fruits of his labor to Open Signal’s online audience, titled Virtual Worlds Made Accessible Beyond Sound, demonstrating innovative plans for VR captioning and communication methods. “[VR] is work. It’s play. It’s social. But it’s not accessible,” de Bastion said to a live audience on Facebook and YouTube.

The artist’s capstone demonstration hinged mostly on two conversing robots: a simple scenario in VR, but prohibitively limiting to deaf and hard-of-hearing users. Traditional closed captioning, for example, does precious little to clarify who is speaking when navigating a three-dimensional space. Furthermore, VR captioning doesn’t currently respond to the direction of a user’s gaze at a given moment.

The first potential solution is a feature de Bastion calls “environmental captioning,” addressing the need for clarity and speech attribution as a user explores 360 degrees. In de Bastion’s demo, dialogue appears physically linked to the VR avatars without obscuring them. Then, there’s the potential for dialogue coloring, directional arrows, and perhaps shifting text opacity when a user looks elsewhere or approaches from a distance.

Sign language input constitutes de Bastion’s second area of emphasis. The Oculus headset’s current inability to clearly display overlapping hands and their positions in space is still a hurdle.

Then, there are the human obstacles. Proposed accessibility measures may seem like no-brainers to VR outsiders or neophytes watching de Bastion’s presentation, but their implementation faces obstinate designers and slow-moving corporations alike.

“I always get resistance from other [user-experience] designers when I propose that VR support ASL as a mode of data input,” de Bastion says.

He points to one of his recent Twitter threads where a commenting designer even prized Morse code over ASL for language inputting. Ignorance and insensitivity disguised as practical arguments stand in the way, as does the financial incentive for mammoth corporations. Still, de Bastion insists he’s making headway.

“It is still early days, but my involvement with the WC3 XR Captioning Workgroup has started to open doors and important conversations with stakeholders at some of the big tech companies,” he says. “I have yet to see any of them make a serious commitment (allocation of resources) to creative inclusive VR access initiatives.”

De Bastion plans to further pursue his vision by building open source plug-in tools that won’t leave accessibility up to other engineers’ lines of code. Even if the larger VR field still appears in its infancy, he says issues of who can use it freely will factor centrally into his forthcoming work and everyone’s ability to communicate within it effectively.

“I believe VR is the future for how we will work, play and socialize,” de Bastion says, “and it is just a matter of the technology becoming comfortable and accessible enough to benefit everyone.”

Dancer in the Dark (2000)

Big Fish (2003) Steve Buscemi also co-stars in this whimsical Tim Burton drama about a man (Billy Crudup) attempting to decode the fantastical stories of his dying father (Albert Finney)—are they fact or fiction? Ewan McGregor, king of playing charming, hopeless romantics, stars as the younger version of the dad. Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, HBO Max, Vudu, YouTube.

FILM MOVEMENT

MOVIES TOP PICK OF THE WEEK

Nina Wu

Nina Wu is a struggling actress living in Taipei. When her agent nabs her an audition for a plum role in a ’70s espionage thriller, she hesitates after learning it requires full-frontal nudity, though ultimately goes through with it. She earns the part, but discovers that the on-set environment is dangerous and brutal—the director is abusive in his quest to elicit Nina’s best performance, and the (mostly male) crew members do nothing to intervene. As Nina begins to unravel, repressed memories leak through the cracks, and she questions how she actually got the role in the first place. The answer is horrific, almost as horrific as the fact that Nina Wu is inspired by true events. Written by and starring Wu Ke-Xi in the titular role, this darkly surrealist character study takes inspiration from Satoshi Kon’s 1997 anime masterpiece Perfect Blue, and is a mesmerizing exploration of the myriad ways in which trauma completely alters one’s mental health, one’s identity, one’s entire world. As Joan Didion said, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” which is exactly the coping mechanism Nina chooses.

Though the film is occasionally a tad unfocused, it still retains a serrated sharpness, leaving an unforgettable scar. NR. MIA VICINO. On Demand, Virtual Cinema.

OUR KEY

: T H I S M O V I E I S E XC E L L E N T, O N E O F T H E B E S T O F T H E Y E A R. : T H I S M O V I E I S G O O D. W E R E C O M M E N D YO U WATC H I T. : T H I S M O V I E I S E N T E R TA I N I N G B U T F L AW E D. : THIS MOVIE IS A STEAMING PILE.

ALSO PLAYING Do Not Split Frontline crisis journalism has long been a staple of the Oscars’ Best Documentary (Short Subject) category. Unmercifully, the world never quits offering new topics. While Portlander Skye Fitzgerald’s Hunger Ward would beat out the rest of the 2020 nominees for its sheer, don’t-look-away portraiture, Norwegian journalist Anders Hammer’s Do Not Split presents a more gripping reportage of Hong Kong’s past two years. Between February 2019 and last June, a bill was proposed to allow extradition of criminal suspects in Hong Kong to mainland China, and a controversial anti-sedition law was passed, which allows China to establish a national security agency in the former British colony. All of that time, Hammer’s camera is guided on a tear-gas tour of a region protesting for its soul.

The police brutality, flash bangs and thousands of young activists risking their futures should look familiar to any American viewer. But it’s the earnest ingenuity of the Hong Kong protesters on increasingly treacherous political ground that renders Do Not Split a must-see, with its coordinated umbrella charges and rooftop escapes. Now, months after the film’s completion, and with Beijing having recently granted itself authority to simply veto Hong Kong elections, the doc stands as a tribute to how ruggedly civilians will fight for a region seemingly lost to their past while still living out their wildest hopes for the future.

NR. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. Cinema 21, Hollywood, Living Room, Virtual Cinema.

French Exit The Parisian take on the Irish goodbye, a French exit amounts to quickly and silently ditching a party. That’s the Price family’s move when their New York accounts run dry and mother Frances (Michelle Pfeiffer) and son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges) flee to France. There, they can hole up and spend their last cash stacks while the movie around them cycles through genres.

Based on a 2018 novel by Portland author Patrick deWitt (The Sisters Brothers), French Exit is mostly a roving gabfest, and a wonderful showcase for lioness-in-winter Pfeiffer, who savors Frances’ boozy Lucille Bluth-esque contempt in dialogue exchange after exchange.

By contrast, a kindly naturalist at his acting core, Hedges can’t quite handle the playful yet biting artificiality. Still, French Exit simply tries on enough hats (love triangle, supernatural mystery, mannered comedy) that no one leaky crack sinks the ship. Azazel Jacobs’ film is by far at its best in skewering wealth’s absurdity, namely when Frances overpays a private detective to find a psychic to find a cat.

Its more serious elements tend to drag, but there’s a curiosity and empathy toward the Prices’ ridiculous position. A onetime trophy wife (with no husband) and her trust-fund son (with no trust fund) are free of most everything: the good, the bad and any definition but mother and son. R. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. AMC Vancouver Mall, Liberty, Living Room.

F.T.A. According to director Francine Parker, the White House itself called up American International Pictures in 1972 and, poof, this vérité document of Jane

Fonda and Donald Sutherland’s anti-war variety show evaporated from theaters. The presumed reason for the censorship is still the most important historical detail within F.T.A. (standing alternately for “Free” and “F*ck the Army”). Those were the flames Fonda, Sutherland (both fresh off Klute), songwriter Len Chandler and their touring troupe tried to stoke with this satirical counterprogramming to the USO. We witness thousands of soldiers thwarting their base commanders to attend, and concurring with the vaudevillian skits and musical numbers skewering a war that would “flatten” Southeast Asian nations “to save” them. While the unearthed documentary’s chief drawback is its sense of preciousness for the actual live show—maudlin folk ballads deserve their own wing in the Diminishing Returns Hall of Fame—it also demonstrates a real-time attentiveness to the Vietnam War’s countless exploited parties: Black GIs, women in the Air Force, unionizing Okinawan workers, Filipino independence movements. Even if the harmonies and high kicks didn’t turn the Hueys around, F.T.A. is a convincing testament to the theater kid’s particular tools of discord. R. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. Cinema 21, Hollywood, Virtual Cinema.

The Letter Room Short films (even the kind nominated for Oscars) are rarely the domain of big-name actors, let alone movie stars of Oscar Isaac’s caliber. But exceptions are often made for family, and director Elvira Lind casts her husband in a gentle, understated part in The Letter Room—one that runs counter to Isaac’s preternatural suave. In fact, Richard the prison guard has more in common with modest, disquieted Tony Shalhoub roles than Isaac’s X-Wing fighter pilots and folk singers. Obscured by a broom-bristle mustache and frumpy uniform, Isaac slowly unfurls the morbid curiosity resulting from Richard’s

“promotion” to the prison’s communications department. Essentially, the new gig just means he surveils all correspondence leaving and entering the pen. Lind’s 30-minute short manages to subvert the guard-with-a-heart-of-gold setup in a few unexpected ways (watch for another well-placed cameo) as the power disparity between captors and captives shifts. In fact, confoundingly, the letter room may be the only carceral context in which the playing field levels. If everyone knows full well they’re either snooping or being snooped on, personal letters become fictions, then fan fictions, then forgeries. NR. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. Amazon Prime, Cinema 21, Hollywood, Living Room, Virtual Cinema.

Opera This nine-minute short is the pinnacle of 2020’s Oscarnominated animated shorts. But if Opera tells us anything, beware of pinnacles. Patient and haunting, Erick Oh’s conceptual film comprises one drooping pan down a pyramid-bound society, and then one pan back up. Resembling a pagoda in some areas and a spectral Richard Scarry illustration in others, the structure is populated by thousands of minuscule and identical beings, but their boundaries are clear: a ruling force at the top, undergirded by intellectual and professional strata, with laborers at the bottom. Best seen on a 100-foot screen or with your nose 6 inches from your TV, Opera is intensely allegorical, though it’s difficult to pin down for what exactly.

The castes, exploitations and cyclical violence found in most every modern civilization? No answer seems too big. Whatever the inspiration, Opera is a technical stunner.

A viewer could watch it 10 consecutive times and snatch some new fleck of detail from, say, the second box on the left, seven levels down.

The macro-simplicity of countless stick figures milling around a trian-

gle only enhances the themes as ambitious as Mother! and disturbed as Brazil. NR. CHANCE SOLEMPFEIFER. Cinema 21, Hollywood, Living Room, Virtual Cinema.

Chaos Walking Finally premiering after some 40 months of frantic reshoots and studio dithering (and, sure, virus-related postponements), Chaos Walking was an anticipated adaptation of Patrick Ness’ beloved YA sci-fi trilogy. But the film slunk into theaters this month under a cloud of negativity not unlike the roiling miasma of doubt and aggression bedeviling the 23rd century humans who inhibit its “New World.” Crash landing on the distant planet as a scout for a second wave of immigrants, Viola (Daisy Ridley) stumbles into a rough frontier community only to find all the women settlers are dead. Meanwhile, the men have become afflicted by a phenomenon dubbed “Noise” that renders mental activity visible, though the look of each one’s mind varies. Naturally, Viola’s arrival spurs various reactions. The town’s mayor, David Prentiss (Mads Mikkelsen), wields his psychic shroud as a means of deception, while farmboy Todd (Tom Holland) is cajoled into aiding her escape and veers between a hectoring chorus of thoughts that range from self-recrimination to lust since this is the only woman he’s ever seen.

Thankfully, these three lauded actors aren’t asked to do much more than lean into their signature affects: Ridley’s unsinkable resolve, Prentiss’ simmering menace, and Holland’s adorably brash neuroses. Compared to the relentless world-building of recent tween-targeted dystopian franchises, there’s a quiet confidence that downplays batshit-crazy sci-fi elements to encourage a sense of discovery. Alas, as the film repeatedly stresses, it’s never the thoughts that count. PG-13. JAY HORTON. AMC Vancouver Mall.

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ART N’ COMICS!

Be a Willamette Week featured artist! Any art style is welcome!

Let’s share your art! Contact us at art@wweek.com.

FEATURED ARTIST: Jennifer Taft

Originally from Vermont, Jennifer draws politics and Social issues.

You can find ducks on twitter @PandemicDuckNews or Instagram as well. #bekind

JACK KENT’S

Jack draws exactly what he sees n’ hears from the streets.

IG @sketchypeoplepdx kentcomics.com

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Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

JONESIN’

Week of April 22

©2021 Rob Brezsny

by Matt Jones

"Well, Sorta"--partway there.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Blogger Emma Elsworthy wrote her "Self-Care List."

I'll tell you a few of her 57 action items, in hopes of inspiring you to create your own list. The coming weeks will be a perfect phase to upgrade your focus on doing what makes you feel healthy and holy. Here are Elsworthy's ideas: Get in the habit of cooking yourself a beautiful breakfast. Organize your room. Clean your mirror and laptop. Lie in the sunshine. Become the person you would ideally fall in love with. Walk with a straight posture. Stretch your body. Challenge yourself to not judge or ridicule anyone for a whole day. Have a luxurious shower with your favorite music playing.

Remember your dreams. Fantasize about the life you would lead if failure didn't exist.

Libran author bell hooks (who doesn't capitalize her name) has a nuanced perspective on the nature of our pain. She writes, ❝Contrary to what we may have been taught, unnecessary and unchosen suffering wounds us, but need not scar us for life." She acknowledges that unnecessary and unchosen suffering does indeed "mark us." But we have the power to reshape and transform how it marks us. I think her wisdom will be useful for you to wield in the coming weeks. You now have extra power to reshape and transform the marks of your old pain. You probably won't make it disappear entirely, but you can find new ways to make it serve you, teach you, and ennoble you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Some traditional Buddhist monks sit on city streets in Asia with a "begging bowl" in front of them. It's a clay or iron container they use to solicit money and food from passers-by who want to support them. Contemporary American poet Mariannne Boruch regards the begging bowl as a metaphor that helps her generate new poems.

She adopts the attitude of the empty vessel, awaiting life's instructions and inspiration to guide her creative inquiry. This enables her to "avoid too much selfobsession and navel-gazing" and be receptive—"with no agenda besides the usual wonder and puzzlement."

I recommend the begging bowl approach to you as you launch the next phase of your journey, Taurus.

GEMINI (May 21-June20)

ACROSS 1 "We're calling with an urgent message about your car's warranty," e.g.

5 Creator of Pudd'nhead Wilson

51 39-Down, for one

24 "SNL" alum Gasteyer

52 Roommate of Frylock and Master Shake on "Aqua Teen Hunger Force"

26 Millennium Falcon in 7,500 pieces, e.g.

56 John's "The Office" character

10 "Right now"

58 "Groove Is in the Heart" DJ/producer Towa _ _ _

13 Care Bear _ _ _

59 Bud

14 "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" band

60 Title for the Pope or the Dalai Lama

15 Debtor's letters

63 Rhinitis-treating M.D.

16 Hotel heiress who popularized "That's hot"

64 "Damn Yankees" composer Richard

18 Hurricane heading, sometimes

65 Big name in thesauruses

29 "Lord, _ _ _?" (Last Supper question) 30 NYSE trader 31 Anonymous Jane 32 Claus von _ _ _ ("Reversal of Fortune" character) 37 Station's supply 38 To the _ _ _ degree 39 It's played on a 10x10 board 40 "Hmmm ..."

41 One beyond belief?

19 Affirmative vote

66 Suffix meaning "sorta" (found in the theme answers)

20 It may be doffed

67 Conditions' partner

44 Gear component

21 Bad movie rating

68 English horn's cousin

45 Disinfects

23 Actress Seehorn of "Better Call Saul" 25 Torn _ _ _ (athlete's knee injury) 27 Crafty 28 Gear seen frequently in 1980s court matches 33 Districts 34 Organization 35 Australian outlaw Kelly 36 Satirical "Prize" given by the Annals of Improbable Research

42 Lead-in to "while"

46 Wellness DOWN 1 "Don't move" 2 Lurched and swerved 3 Former White House press secretary Fleischer 4 Fit snugly 5 Ninja's platform 6 Actor/blogger Wheaton 7 Choral voice range

47 University focuses 48 Garden store supply 49 Louvre Pyramid architect 53 "Beg pardon?"

54 Delegation member 55 High-end camera type 57 Artist Joan 61 Bottom of a pant leg 62 San Francisco's _ _ _ Hill

8 Graphic representation

39 Patty Hearst's kidnappers, for short

9 Not a bit

42 Californie et Colorado

11 Scrooge's nephew

43 Septet plus one

12 Search engine input

45 He plays Thor

13 Austere

49 French islands

17 "Witness" actor Lukas

50 Truth, in Chinese philosophy

22 Bartering result

10 Cobbler's container

last week’s answers

Gemini-born Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) is today regarded as an innovative and influential painter.

But his early years provided few hints that he would ultimately become renowned. As a teenager, he attended naval preparatory school, and later he joined the French navy. At age 23, he became a stockbroker.

Although he also began dabbling as a painter at that time, it wasn't until the stock market crashed 11 years later that he made the decision to be a full-time painter. Is there a Gauguin-like turning point in your future, Gemini? If so, its early signs might show itself soon. It won't be as dramatic or stressful as Gauguin's, but I bet it will be quite galvinizing.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) A research team found that some people pray for things they are reasonably sure God wouldn't approve of. In a sense, they're trying to trick the Creator into giving them goodies they're not supposed to get. Do you ever do that? Try to bamboozle life into offering you blessings you're not sure you deserve? The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to dare such ploys. I'm not guaranteeing you'll succeed, but the chances are much better than usual that you will. The universe is pretty relaxed and generous toward you right now.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) In 2013, the New Zealand government decided to rectify the fact that its two main islands had never been assigned formal names. At that time, it gave both an English and Māori-language moniker for each: North Island, or *Te Ika-a-Māui*, and South Island, or *Te Waipounamu*. In the spirit of correcting for oversights and neglect, and in accordance with current astrological omens, is there any action you'd like to take to make yourself more official or professional or established? The coming weeks will be a favorable time to do so.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Author Grant Morrison observes that our heads are "big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the weight of oceans and the turning stars. Whole universes fit in there!" That's why it's so unfortunate, he says, if we fill up our "magical cabinet" with "little broken things, sad trinkets that we play with over and over." In accordance with astrological potentials, Virgo, I exhort you to dispose of as many of those sad trinkets and little broken things as you can. Make lots of room to hold expansive visions and marvelous dreams and wondrous possibilities. It's time to think bigger and feel wilder.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) I love people who inspire me to surprise myself. I'm appreciative when an ally provides me with a friendly shock that moves me to question my habitual ways of thinking or doing things. I feel lucky when a person I like offers a compassionate critique that nudges me out of a rut I've been in. Here's a secret: I don't always wait around passively hoping events like these will happen.

Now and then I actively seek them out. I encourage them. I ask for them. In the coming weeks, Scorpio, I invite you to be like me in this regard.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) "Where did last year's lessons go?" asks Gillian Welch in her song "I Dream a Highway.” Now I'm posing the same question to you—just in time for the Remember Last Year's Lessons Phase of your cycle. In my astrological opinion, it's crucial for you to recollect and ruminate deeply on the breakdowns and breakthroughs you experienced in 2020; on every spiritual emergency and spiritual emergence you weathered; on all the scary trials you endured and all the sacred trails you trod.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Capricorn painter Henri Matisse had a revolutionary influence on 20th-century art, in part because of his raucous use of color. Early in his career he belonged to the movement known as Fauvism, derived from the French term for "wild beasts." During his final years, he invented a new genre very different from his previous work: large collages of brightly colored cut-out paper. The subject matter, according to critic Jed Perl, included "jungles, goddesses, oceans, and the heavens," and "ravishing signs and symbols" extracted from the depths of "Matisse’s luminosity." I offer him as a role model for you, Capricorn, because I think it's a perfect time to be, as Perl describes Matisse, both "a hard-nosed problem-solver and a feverish dreamer."

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) "The guiding motto in the life of every natural philosopher should be, ‘Seek simplicity, but distrust it.’" Aquarian philosopher Alfred North Whitehead wrote that, and now I'm proposing that you use it as your motto in the coming weeks, even if you're not a natural philosopher. Why? Because I suspect you'll thrive by uncomplicating your life. You'll enhance your well-being if you put greater trust in your instinctual nature and avoid getting lost in convoluted thoughts.

On the other hand, it's important not to plunge so deeply into minimalism that you become shallow, careless, or unimaginative.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) In ancient Greek comic theater, there was a stock character known as the *eiron*. He was a crafty underdog who outwitted and triumphed over boastful egotists by pretending to be naive. Might I interest you in borrowing from that technique in the coming weeks? I think you're most likely to be successful if you approach victory indirectly or sideways—and don't get bogged down trying to forcefully coax skeptics and resisters. Be cagey, understated, and strategic, Pisces.

Let everyone think they're smart and strong if it helps ensure that your vision of how things should be will win out in the end.

HOMEWORK: I'm in the mood for you to give me predictions and past life readings.

Send your psychic insights about my destiny. Truthrooster@gmail.com Check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes & Daily Text Message Horoscopes

©2021 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #JNZ990.

freewillastrology.com The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at

1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700 Willamette Week APRIL 14, 2021 wweek.com

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