Think Out Loud

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal shows that movie ticket sales are still lagging behind from prepandemic numbers. At the same time, one in three TikTok users say the app drove them to watch a movie in theaters, according to marketing research from the company. What has pandemic recovery looked like for Oregon theaters? Did Barbenheimer save some cinemas? To answer these questions and more we’ll hear from three different theaters. Loretta Miles is the owner of Salem Cinema in Salem. Rachel Flesher is the district manager of special events and theaters for McMenamins. And Steve Herring is the CEO of Living Room Theaters. They all join us to discuss how the pandemic has changed movie going.

The Portland Police Bureau’s annual budget has risen by nearly $90 million - roughly 40% - since 2016. But increased funding doesn't always equate to reduced crime.  A recent investigation by Street Roots shows that Portland hasn't been having a crime wave. It found that reported crimes have increased less than 10% over the past four years, according to data from PPB. K. Rambo is the editor-in-chief at Street Roots and has been reporting on this. They join us to share more.

Albina Head Start provides free daycare and preschool for nearly 900 low-income children who qualify for the Head Start program at 20 locations across Portland. But the nonprofit is now at risk of losing nearly $50 million in funding after it was found to be “deficient” by the federal agency which administers the program. It must now also recompete for grant funds despite decades of serving thousands of infants and children enrolled in Head Start. 

AHS has responded by filing a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services. It claims the agency is incorrectly interpreting its own regulations and wrongfully labeled the organization as being “deficient” for the actions of one employee who no longer works there. The Oregonian first reported on the lawsuit and the circumstances leading to it. 

Ron Herndon is the director of Albina Head Start and a former president and board chair of the National Head Start Association. He joins us to talk about the lawsuit and what’s at stake for his organization and other local Head Start programs.

Former Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Stafford wrote a “A Proclamation for Peace” poem several years ago. But today it has a new resonance. It’s been published in a new book, along with translations into more than 50 languages and notes from the dozens of translators who were involved. The poem appears in Arabic and Hebrew, Russian and Ukrainian, Tibetan and Mandarin, Tamil, Vietnamese, Polish, Yoruba, Yucatec Maya, and a host of other languages. It also includes QR codes that link to recordings of people reading the poem.

Stafford will convene a series of readings at local bookstores, starting with Annie Blooms Books in Portland in October. Stafford and his collaborator, fellow poet, editor and translator, Allison deFreese join us to talk about the project.

Fences are a key part of managing livestock on rangeland. But physical fencing is expensive, maintenance-heavy and potentially harmful to wildlife. Virtual fencing could solve some of those problems by offering a more flexible way to manage grazing herds. It could also help ranchers and rangeland managers adapt to the effects of climate change, including more frequent and intense wildfires. As recently reported in the Capital Press, a project in Wallowa County is testing the potential benefits of virtual fencing in a community forest that supports grazing, recreation and sensitive plant species. 

Pete Schreder is a Wallowa County extension agent with the Oregon State University Extension Service. He joins us with more details on the emerging technology.  

Church at the Park, the nonprofit that operates Village of Hope homeless micro shelter site in Salem, plans to add 40 additional beds, according to the Salem Reporter.  The expansion aims to serve people who are experiencing homelessness and are 55 and older.

People 50 or older are the fastest growing group of those experiencing homelessness in the US, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

We learn more about the Salem expansion from DJ Vincent, the founding pastor and CEO of Church at the Park.

Gabrielle Zevin is a lifelong devotee of video games, which is obvious to readers of her newest book, the bestseller “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.” The book tells the story of two video game designers who find professional creative and intellectual synergy that doesn’t always match in their personal lives. The book starts from the premise that designing video games is the highest of artistic pursuits. "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" is the Multnomah County Everybody Reads 2024 selection, and Zevin joins us to discuss it in front of an audience of students at Grant High School.

A few years ago, three Oregon musicians and artists started getting together to play and share music, informally calling themselves Diaspora Songs. They are all lovers of country and folk music, as well as writers and scholars. Dao Strom is a poet, musician, and multimedia artist  — she’s the author of the book “Instrument.” Julian Saporiti is a musician and creator of No No Boy, a songwriting and multimedia project about Asian American history. And Alicia Jo Rabins is a poet, musician and Jewish educator — she’s the author of the poetry collection “Fruit Geode.” 

All three joined host Jenn Chávez on stage at the Pickathon Experiential Music Festival to sing and play and talk about their work.

“Women of the Dirt” is designed for all ability levels and creates space for riders who are women. Guides work with riders on closed trails to build skills and camaraderie.  Events have been held throughout the summer, and a weekend camp takes place in September. 

We learn more about the series from Jaclyn Walles, a Mt Bachelor summer athlete and ambassador 

The Portland Bureau of Transportation is helping shut down streets in residential neighborhoods. The reason isn’t for road repairs or filling in potholes, but to allow kids to safely play and create community. The Play Streets program is a current pilot that allows nonprofits in Portland to create community centered pop-up events. PBOT provides a trailer at no cost that is filled with furniture, canopies, games and other supplies to be used at events, as well a grant to help groups purchase materials they might need such as barricade rentals. Sahar Wilson is the marketing and communications coordinator for the Pacific Refugee Support Group. Kate Sechrist is the building coordinator at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church. They both have been holding events through the pilot and join us to share more.