- ADOPT A TEAM: Winning teams press every advantage. And so itâs no surprise that the Oregon Humane Societyâwhich arranges adoptions for 96 percent of the pets it receives, several times the national averageâis looking to capitalize on World Cup fever. The OHS recently took to naming incoming pets after members of the U.S. national soccer team. And so dangerous out-of-zone offensive threat Graham Zusi is, perhaps appropriately, a miniature pinscher. Kyle Beckerman is a beagle-dachshund mix. And shaggy-bearded DaMarcus Beasley is an even shaggier terrier. All are up for adoption. âOur staff here in admissions names all the pets that donât already have names,â says OHS spokesman David Lytle. âHaving a fun name gives them more personality. With the World Cup going on, it made perfect sense.â
- WAR IN WHITELANDIA: In May, local filmmakers Matt Zodrow and Tracy MacDonald quickly met a Kickstarter goal to fund a documentary about Oregonâs history of discrimination against black people called Whitelandia. But now the husband-and-wife duoâboth whiteâare facing criticism from Walidah Imarisha, a local black educator and activist known for her public programs about blacks in Oregon. In a lengthy blog post, Imarisha details frustration with a Whitelandia trailer that used footage from her program without permission, saying it âreeks of intellectual colonialism.â She goes on: âThis means the making of Whitelandia replicates the same oppressive dynamics they are seeking to explore in their film.â In an email to WW, Imarisha said her goal âis not to get involved in a back and forth with the producers, but rather just to state my experiencesâ¦in an organized fashion.â On Facebook, Zodrow and MacDonald responded to Imarishaâs blog post by describing their respect for her work while also notingâbut not elaborating onââother aspects of Walidahâs blog post which are problematic in their inaccuracy.â They later added: âWe should make a film about making a film about race. It is notable that we did not even start shooting until this week. This film has yet to be made. The proof will be in the pudding.â Zodrow and MacDonald declined to comment to WW.
- COMMUTER COMMUTING: Sellwoodâs Bike Commuter bicycle shop is planning to move so it can join shops like Velo Cult in selling beer to cyclists. The shop had applied for a tavern license at its shop at 8301 SE 13th Ave., and had already begun installing beer taps. However, that plan ran afoul of neighbors, says owner Eric Deady. âThey thought we would be having wild parties every night,â he tells WW. Bike Commuter has applied for a tavern license at nearby 8524 SE 17th Ave., but Deady says he doesnât know where the shop will end up except for one detail: âWeâll be in Sellwood.â
- FUTURE DRINKING: You can now enjoy the air-conditioned comfort of three more Portland movie theaters with a frosty pint in hand. Southeast Hawthorne Boulevardâs CineMagic Theatre and the Regal outposts at Pioneer Place and Lloyd Center now sell beer and wine, which means Portland cinemas with booze officially outnumber those without.
WWeek 2015