Murmurs: Portland Restaurateur Terminates Lease of Ghost Kitchen

PORTLAND RESTAURATEUR TERMINATES LEASE OF GHOST KITCHEN: In December, WW wrote about two men with felony convictions running a “ghost kitchen” in the old Pok Pok building in Slabtown, from which they advertised over 75 distinct “virtual restaurants” on food delivery apps. Much of the food between the brands at Homage Industrial Kitchen is the same, according to owner John Wirtz, who spoke with WW in early December. Wirtz was convicted of raping a 14-year old girl in 2018. His chief financial officer is Seth Thayres, a former Salem cop convicted of stealing over $30,000 from businesses with an accomplice in 2019. On Jan. 2, WW reported that Wirtz had told employees the company would be filing for bankruptcy this week. And on Jan. 3, WW learned that building owner and local restaurateur Scott Dolich terminated Homage’s lease and that the building would be available for rent in early February. Dolich declined to say when and why he terminated the lease. Meanwhile, five other people who worked at the kitchen have filed wage complaints with the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries since WW’s Dec. 15 story. That makes for a total of 15 complaints in 18 months.

FAGAN WILL FINE OREGON DEMOCRATS FOR FTX DONATION: More than a month after WW’s initial inquiry, the Democratic Party of Oregon still won’t say what it plans to do with a $500,000 contribution made in the name of Nishad Singh, former director of engineering at FTX, the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange run by Sam Bankman-Fried. Among other charges, the U.S. Department of Justice says Bankman-Fried made millions of dollars in donations in other people’s names using cash from customers’ accounts at FTX. Until recently, the DPO had enough money in its account to return the contribution. Now, the account shows $333,000, according to state records. Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan opened an investigation into the contribution in November, requesting information. The DPO responded Dec. 20, and Fagan’s office is reviewing the response, spokesman Ben Morris says. Fagan plans to fine the state party for amending information about the Oct. 4 contribution after the deadline, which was seven days later, Morris says. The DPO waited until Oct. 31 to report that the money came from Singh and not from a Las Vegas cryptocurrency company called Prime Trust. If the DOJ is correct, the contribution may have in fact come from Bankman-Fried, who is under house arrest.

RUBIO TAKES OVER HOUSING BUREAU: Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler decided to shake up oversight of the city’s bureaus this week after the swearing-in of the newest city commissioner, Rene Gonzalez. Wheeler said in November that he would be shuffling bureau assignments in an effort to streamline “service areas” as the city transitions to a new form of government in the next two years. Key bureau moves include Commissioner Mingus Mapps’ takeover the Portland Bureau of Transportation from outgoing Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty. That bureau is grappling with public safety—2022 saw a record number of traffic fatalities. Gonzalez will oversee Portland Fire & Rescue. The firefighter’s union endorsed Gonzalez in the general election. In perhaps the biggest change, Commissioner Carmen Rubio will take over the Portland Housing Bureau from Commissioner Dan Ryan, while Ryan takes Portland Parks & Recreation from Rubio. The Housing Bureau is tasked with building affordable housing. And critically, the bureau has spent the $258 million housing bond voters approved in 2016. That means a primary funding stream for building new units is approaching its sunset. Rubio says she’s happy with her new portfolio. “I’m grateful the mayor has entrusted me with the responsibility to oversee the city’s community and economic development bureaus, especially during this challenging time for our city,” she says. “Portlanders have said loud and clear that addressing the housing crisis is a priority.” Ryan says he’s “excited” about his new assignments: “I am also grateful for the opportunity to continue leading the Safe Rest Villages program through 2023.”

CLIMATE CHANGE FELT IN PORTLAND WEATHER EXTREMES: Portland weather was plenty weird last year. The anomalies started in early April, when almost 2 inches of snow fell at Portland International Airport, marking the latest spring accumulation of snow ever recorded, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Tyler Kranz. Abundant rain made the month of May the wettest one since 1941. July was the fourth warmest on record, and August was both the warmest and driest ever at PDX. Heat records fell again for September and October, when the Nakia Creek Fire exploded in Southern Washington, cloaking Portland in scary late-season smoke. Eight weeks later, December brought a wind-driven cold snap that felled trees and iced streets. “It was a roller coaster,” Kranz says. Meteorologists are loath to attribute any single weather event to climate change, and Kranz is no different. The broader trends are clear, though, he says. It’s getting hotter and drier. Warm air holds more moisture, too, so when it does rain, it tends to pour. Even December’s arctic blast might have something to do with a hotter world. The Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else, and the shift is setting up patterns that can allow frigid air to break out of northern latitudes and barrel southward with greater frequency, according to a 2021 research paper in Science.