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JUPITER HOTEL ON PORTLAND’S EAST SIDE: THE NEXT LEVEL

The Jupiter Hotel on Saturday felt like travel. A time before the meth epidemic, the opioid epidemic, the covid epidemic, the homeless epidemic, and every other epidemic. Why? Because of the fun sense of humor. “Make mine a fir burger?” I’m still laughing.

BUS DRUGS IN PORTLAND OREGON ‘DRUG DOME?’

Bus drugs, train drugs, and airplane drugs are a voluntary thing. Traditionally. Score a bag, hide it away in the last place any normal person would ever look, and be on your way. But not in Portland? Because Portland is soooo different?

OREGON DAY, JUST ONE OREGON DAY

On one Oregon day I saw U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas meet her people at the Tigard Library. The next day I drove around the countryside looking at what and who is represented. After joining the crowd in Tigard and listening to how Rep. Salinas spoke to them, I felt certain she had a good handle […]

WEST COAST WIPEOUT FOR PAC-12?

The west coast finally achieved what the smart sports guys from the eastern time zone have said for years: The Pac-12 is a minor league athletic conference. They always blamed the three hour time difference for media neglect. Was it ever all about the clock? Now time has run out. What happened? No respect, that’s […]

BLUE SKIES IN THE BOOK REVIEW MIRROR

Blue Skies came to me via Twitter. T.C. Boyle mentioned a new novel and he delivered. What he delivered felt a little too close to home for me, which kept me reading. How close?

OREGON EVOLUTION AT THE STATE FAIR

Oregon evolution means securing the human necessities of food, shelter, and clothing. Of course you know that. But have you seen the twist on necessities at the Oregon State Fair? Have you? Let’s start at the beginning.

LEAVING TOWN? GOING HOME? NOT EXACTLY

Leaving town is one thing. It’s different for everyone. How different? Some never come back. But we all carry parts of town, growing up in a place, with us. Nothing shows it more than a high school reunion on the long side.

BETTER VIEW FOR BETTER TIMES

This better view comes from Front Street in Coos Bay. Better than what? It’s a better view than the parking lot outside my motel door, but I’m not complaining. A ship, a bay, and a dream of discovery. What else would you want?

CITY LIVING REALLY GOT YOU DOWN

City living gets everyone down eventually. Then we get back up and keep going. And it doesn’t have to be a big city. Someone from Coquille might call someone from North Bend a ‘city boy’, which is probably better than pretty boy. And it rolls on from there.

HOMEWARD BOUND FOR NORTH BEND TOWN

Homeward bound will always be North Bend, Oregon. For me, maybe not you. What feels like a nice memory is more than that. Let’s go with a living testament to the hardworking people who still call it home. Hard working?