Think Out Loud

Alex Tatarsky has always loved performing. From singing operas at the age of 3 to now blending clowning, physical performance and comedy for their latest project, “Sad Boys in Harpy Land,” a narrative exploration of anguish and humor. The New York Times describes it as “a thrilling and frenetic mental breakdown.” Tatarasky will be performing their piece at the Portland Institute For Contemporary Art’s Timed Based Art Festival. They join us to share more about this work, and the different performance genres they draw on.

The number of high schools in the U.S. with school newspapers dropped nearly 20% from 2011- 2021. But students in some districts are launching or reinventing newspapers and magazines, mostly online. Battle Ground Public Schools in Washington is one such district. Students at Prairie High School run the Falcon Flyer; Battle Ground High School has the Tiger Times; and at Tukes Valley Middle School, a student with a small team launched a districtwide newsmagazine called Your Battle Ground Public Schools (Your BGPS). We talk with the editor of the Falcon Flyer, Kennedy Tandrow, a junior at Prairie High, and Rye Geilenfeldt, the managing editor and founder of Your BGPs.

The nonprofit Dream Big City aims to create safe, drug- and alcohol-free community events across Portland. Over the last six years, the organization has put on more than 170 events featuring live music, art, free meals and mentorship opportunities for youth. Its latest project is to turn a blighted street in Portland’s Central Eastside into a community plaza with skateboard ramps, basketball hoops and more.

Alex Murrell is the founder and executive director of Dream Big City. He joins us to talk more about the nonprofit’s work.

The 160th annual Oregon State Fair in Salem wraps up on Labor Day. The 10-day event features live music, monster trucks, carnival rides and competitions that showcase excellence in Oregon art, livestock, agriculture and more. From the tallest sunflower grown to blue ribbons awarded for beef and dairy cattle, the fair is also an opportunity to honor the hard work of future farmers, ranchers or hobbyists who’ve waited months to compete and show off their skills.

We visited the fair on opening day to talk with folks about what brought them there, whether it was livestock to judge, veggies to show off, deep-fried Oreos to sell or childhood memories to rekindle.

“Think Out Loud” kicks off a series of monthly conversations with Meg Samples, general manager of member-supported KMHD jazz radio. Each month, we’ll hear about artists to add to your playlist, along with concerts and community events to attend. 

In September, that includes the annual Montavilla Jazz Festival. The three-day festival kicks off today and features performances by local artists, with a lineup this year that includes Jessie Marquez. The Portland vocalist joined “Think Out Loud” last month for an interview and studio performance of Cuban filin music.  

In honor of the centennial birthday of jazz legend John Coltrane, KMHD presents “A Month Supreme,” a series of events held across Portland celebrating Coltrane’s music, influence, and legacy. Fans of Coltrane’s seminal album “Blue Train” will want to check out a live performance of the entire album on Sep. 16 at the Aladdin Theater featuring Portland saxophonist MAE.SUN and other jazz artists. 

KMHD General Manager Meg Samples joins us for more details and music.

The University of Oregon Ducks will play their first game of the college football season against Boise State at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Saturday. The Ducks enter the season ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll – the highest ranking in their program’s history. 

Hopes are running high for Ducks fans that this just may be the season when they win their first national championship. Quarterback Dante Moore returns to helm the offense with defensive depth that includes A’Mauri Washington, Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti. But the Ducks face a brutal schedule with November match-ups against powerhouses Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan and Washington. 

Tyson Alger, a sports writer who covers UO athletics for Lookout Eugene-Springfield, joins  us for a preview. Alger also writes about the Portland Timbers on his substack, The I-5 Corridor.

Last week, officials in the Willamette Valley  city of Independence closed its parks, the museum and threatened closure of the library, although state law forestalls that action. A $30,000 grant from a nonprofit, Friends of the Community Parks, has allowed two city parks to remain open through the end of the year. 

The closures come  after voters shot down an operations levy in November 2024. In June, the city council passed fees totaling a net increase of $12.65 a month per household to pay for city parks, a museum and the library. The city says it has no choice but to suspend its services after a referendum to reverse fees on residents qualified for the November ballot.

Greg Ellis, the former city manager of Independence, led this referendum effort, and he joins us to discuss the closure of city services. Also joining us is Kate Schwarzler, the mayor of Independence.

The weather pattern known as El Niño is still gathering strength, and climatologists say it could be one of the biggest on record. The phenomenon is caused by rising surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The weather pattern is expected to bring big impacts to Oregon come winter. State Climatologist Larry O’Neill says that’s likely to mean warmer and wetter weather. He joins us to tell us more.