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On this week’s episode, we’re examining two totally disparate Portland realities.
On one side, we have the beloved annual Pets Issue, complete with Pet Pageant-winner glamour shots and some real heartwarming pet positive stories. On the other side we have an investigation into Washington Center, the iconic downtown building on the corner of Southwest 4th and Washington that, in the absence of tenants, has become a de facto fentanyl market that’s an increasingly worrisome hazard to local residents and pedestrians trying to navigate the area.
Essentially, today we’re traveling to two different Portlands, one in dire need of action, and another that is just really, really into their pets.
Today I’m welcoming two guests: super-friend of the podcast Anthony Effinger who will help me unpack his Washington Center fentanyl marketplace exposé, and Beans Flores, who, as part of the weekly’s media team, was one of three judges for this year’s sixth annual Pet Pageant.
First, Anthony will take us on a tour of the once-iconic building that welcomed drivers entering downtown from the Morrison Bridge, then Beans will break down what goes into Pet Pageantry and, in a kind of unexpected way, remind us that despite the city’s woes, Portland is still as charming as ever.