Think Out Loud

The 2023 James Beard Awards had a strong showing from Oregon this year — particularly from chefs and other creators of color in the Portland food scene. Winning the reality or competition visual media category was a video produced by All the Homies Network, a collective that documents the experience of six BIPOC food business owners in Portland. The network’s video of a restaurant takeover by Vietnamese food cart Matta at the Multnomah Whiskey Library beat out submissions from Top Chef and Bon Appetit to win the award.

Richard Văn Lê is the owner of Matta and a member of All the Homies Network. He joins us to talk about the win and what it could mean for the network’s future.

Opened in August 1953, the 99W Drive-InTheater has been delivering nostalgia and fond memories to Oregonians for nearly 70 years. Over the years Oregon has been home to nearly 50 drive-in theaters, but now less than a handful remain. Michael Aronson is the co-director of the Oregon Theater Project and an associate professor of Cinema Studies at the University of Oregon. Brian Francis is the owner and operator of the family-owned business, 99W Drive-In. They both join us now to share the story of the Newberg-based theater and the history these kinds of cinemas have in the state.

LGBTQ youth are more than twice as likely to experience homelessness than their peers, due to a lack of support. Oregon youth in foster care need more options for temporary homes with foster parents committed to creating an affirming and safe environment. The state’s child welfare department is partnering with Basic Rights Oregon and Unicorn Solutions to educate people about the depth of the need in an online event called Fostering Pride, on Tuesday, June 20 at 6 p.m.

In a 7-2 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled to uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act. The act was initially passed by Congress in 1978 and challenged in 2018 by the state of Texas and several families.

The 45-year-old law created standards for when the federal government can remove Native children from their families and provides guidelines for the placement of Indigenous children in foster or adoptive homes.

Sarah Kastelic is the executive director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association. She joins us to share what ICWA has meant for Indigenous children and the impact this law has had.

Portland photographer Ivan McClellan said the first time he went to a Black rodeo, it made an indelible impression on him. He says, “It was like Black culture combined with Western culture in a way that I never, never could have imagined existed.” That visit sparked his multi-year project of photographs called “8 Seconds,” which became the basis for the creation of a new Portland rodeo, centering the experiences of Black cowboys and cowgirls. Participants from all over the country are expected to converge on the Portland Expo Center on Saturday for the inaugural “8 Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo.” McClelland joins us, along with the first Black Rodeo Queen in Arkansas Ja’Dayia Kursh, crowned in 2017.

After 35 years, Cycle Oregon will no longer be offering its 7-day bike ride. Facing a number of challenges, the organization has decided that this year will be the final year. Steve Schulz is the executive director of Cycle Oregon. He joins us to share more on what led to this decision and plans for the future.

As fires in Canada continue to rage, the U.S. Forest Service has dispatched firefighters to combat the flames. When local crews aren’t actively fighting fires in the Pacific Northwest, they’re often sent elsewhere to help. We check in with the U.S. Forest Service on how they’re preparing for the summer fire season in the Pacific Northwest and what their work looks like elsewhere. Our guest is Alex Robertson, the U.S. Forest Service’s director of fire, fuels, and aviation for the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Mt. Tabor Park in southeast Portland was recently named the nation’s first “Urban Quiet Park” by Quiet Parks International, a nonprofit that aims to “save quiet for the benefit of all life.” The organization has recognized nine other Urban Quiet Parks around the world, including Hampstead Heath in London, Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei and Parc del Montnegre i el Corredor in Barcelona.

Jacob Schmidt is a volunteer technician with Quiet Parks International. He took audio measurements in Mt. Tabor Park, and joins us to explain how the park was chosen, what the designation means and why it’s important to preserve quiet spaces in urban environments.

In November 2020, Oregon became the first state in the nation to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illegal drugs with the passage of Measure 110. The measure also directs money from cannabis tax revenues to expand drug treatment and recovery services. Researchers at Portland State University are now studying the effects of Measure 110 with a three-year study funded by the National Institute of Justice. They interviewed 23 police officers from 10 different agencies in rural and urban counties in Oregon for their first report which focuses on the impact of Measure 110 on law enforcement. Officers expressed frustration with Measure 110 and said they were reluctant to issue citations for drug possession which they felt amounted to unnecessary paperwork. Christopher Campbell is an associate professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Portland State University and a co-author of the study. He joins us to talk about the findings and goals of the study.