Think Out Loud

At least 315 people died in Multnomah County while experiencing homelessness in 2022, according to a recent report. In 2021, that number was 193. Nearly half of the deaths in the most recent report were found to be accidental - often relating to drug overdoses. The report also shows that people experiencing homelessness were killed in traffic accidents at a rate that is 45 times higher than the overall population. Kaia Sand, executive director of Street Roots, joins us to share details on the report and what led to an increase in deaths since last year.

A hundred years ago, a million adult chum salmon would return each autumn to spawn in tributaries and creeks along the Columbia River. But, like other varieties of salmon, overfishing, dams and loss of habitat decimated their numbers in Oregon and Washington. Columbia River chum salmon were listed as threatened nearly 25 years ago under the Endangered Species Act.  

A team of biologists at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has been leading efforts to reintroduce chum salmon in the Columbia River basin. They include operating a hatchery near Astoria, relocating returning adults and juvenile fry to historic spawning sites and tracking their movement using DNA sampling in waterways. Kelcee Smith is the chum salmon reintroduction coordinator at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Astorian recently profiled her work and partnerships with nonprofits and landowners to recover chum salmon. Smith joins us to talk about those recovery efforts and the threats the fish face today, including climate change.  

After decades of discussion, a new skatepark is now in the works for Portland's Old Town. Advocates have eyed the project since the early 2000s, and Portland Parks and Recreation department recommended it in the 2008 Skatepark System Plan. Parks and Recreation is expected to begin work on the more than 30,000 square feet of skate space in spring 2024. Jessie Burke is the chair of the Old Town Community Association. Howard Weiner is the owner of Cal Skate Skateboards. They both join us to share more on what the new Steel Bridge Skatepark will mean for the skating community and for remaking Old Town itself.

In the last few years, Portland has tried a number of different tactics to make responding to 911 calls more efficient and faster. Not all of them have worked. In 2021, the Fire Bureau added the Community Health Division to shift its response, so that not every 911 call gets a full engine and ambulance. Though the Community Health Division and its Community Connect program have since been eliminated, a new audit of the program reveals much about how the bureau can best support programs like Portland Street Response and Community Health Assess & Treat (CHAT). KC Jones, audit services director, joins us to talk about the report.

Teachers with ADHD or autism are able to understand and advocate for the specific needs of their students. But, they can also face challenges when seeking resources to teach those same students. And, it can be difficult to get accommodations that help neurodivergent teachers do their best work at school. Alex Newson is a doctoral candidate in special education at the University of Oregon. Kathy Paxton-Williams is an English as a Second Language teacher in Portland. Madeline Numbers is a student support teacher in Vancouver. They join us to discuss their experiences with the education system. 

The West continues to be shaped by water issues. In Oregon, some floodplains affected by human interference are being restored to manage climate issues. And restoration projects are happening in California too. Dos Rios Ranch Preserve is a restored floodplain in the state’s Central Valley. The region has been affected by drought and flooding, but the restoration is helping to mitigate the effects of extreme weather on the landscape. Jake Bittle is a staff writer at Grist. He’s reported on these issues for the outlet and joins us with details of the story and what bigger lessons can be learned from the project.

The Portland Thorns have a new owner. Meritt Paulson sold to RAJ Sports, the sister and brother company that owns other franchises, including a stake in the Sacramento Kings in the NBA. The sale was more than a year in the making and came after years of investigations and reports of sexual harassment and abuse in the National Women’s Soccer League and the Thorns specifically.

Other changes for the Portland team are in the offing, with the seasonal draft just around the corner. The team already lost two players in the December expansion draft due to a couple of new teams in the league: Bay FC in San Jose and the Utah Royals near Salt Lake City. We learn more about what new ownership will mean and the impact of draft changes from Associated Press sports reporter Anne Peterson and Gabby Rosas, chair of the Rose City Riveters and 107IST president.

On December 28, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act. The landmark law has prevented 99% of animals and plants listed as threatened or endangered under its protection from going extinct, including the bald eagle, humpback whale and Florida manatee. But despite its success as a conservation tool, the ESA is not without its limitations and no longer has the bipartisan level of Congressional support it once enjoyed decades ago. Michelle Nijhuis is a contributing editor at High Country News and the author of “Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction.” She recently wrote about the ESA for High Country News and joins us to talk about its success, limitations and the important role state agencies also play in wildlife conservation amid a changing climate. 

Oregon and its child welfare system have been in and out of court since 2019, defending against a class action lawsuit on behalf of every child in foster care. The national advocacy group A Better Childhood and Disability Rights Oregon are pushing for adequate facilities and support and an end to the trauma they say kids suffer in state custody. Similar lawsuits have been brought in other states, including Tennessee, which implemented reforms following a settlement that resulted in improved outcomes for the children and youth in its care. A trial date is set for May in the Oregon case, and another round of settlement talks is scheduled for next week. We’ll get an update from the lead attorney in the case and the director of A Better Childhood, Marcia Robinson Lowry.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation is managing a budget shortfall of about $32 million. Meanwhile, traffic deaths in Portland remain high with about 68 deaths recorded for last year, according to PBOT’s preliminary data. We hear more from Millicent Williams, the director of PBOT, on the agency’s future and managing traffic safety in the city.