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City Cast Portland

Make Portland better, one neighbor at a time.

Gov. Kate Brown, the public face of pandemic caution, 

announced this past weekend she has COVID-19

.

It’s another reminder that public health officials are still on the alert for COVID infections. There are also two other viruses to keep an eye on this fall and winter:

There’s been a spike in the respiratory virus known as 

, which has been around for decades. It mostly causes minor infections, but affects infants and the elderly most severely. Don’t forget about the seasonal flu, either: cases have 

 and infections could get far worse after multiple years of pandemic-era masking and social distancing that helped to prevent flu infections.

 on what you can do this holiday season to keep yourself and others healthy:

Stay up-to-date on your shots for flu and COVID-19. 

Wash your hands frequently to protect against RSV, which is spread (unlike COVID) not just through the air, but also through surfaces. 

Mask up around those at risk, including those under two and senior citizens.  

Stay home even when you have minor symptoms – particularly if you’d be seeing people at greater risk.

Help Your Neighbor Stay Healthy Against Viruses

Help Your Neighbors

Thanksgiving is a time of food – and gratitude.

And for many that means looking for a place to help others have a good holiday meal. Here are some places to consider making the gift of volunteer time (or monetary donations; they’re all nonprofits):

Volunteer opportunities on Thanksgiving and beyond: The nonprofit 

 has Thanksgiving Day events. Sign up as a volunteer before picking specific events.

Old Town’s 

 serves meals for Thanksgiving and beyond. They’re looking for ongoing volunteers for their organization. 


 is focused on making sure people don’t go hungry. They have a diverse set of ways to volunteer: packing up food, distributing meals, or making phone calls from home.

Another option on Thanksgiving Day itself is the nonprofit 

. They're not serving a meal that day, but instead offering some at-home options. They also note that many places that offer in-person options quickly fill with volunteers on Thanksgiving, which is heartening. There are many good people out there.

Help Your Neighbor by Volunteering this Thanksgiving

It’s time to vote — help decide the election. There are two ways to cast your ballot today:

You can still mail it in if you’re sure it will be postmarked today.

 Counties. The deadline is 8 p.m. today for a drop box.

For anyone who is holding out because of indecision, the official Voters’ Pamphlet always has surprising and helpful details. Crack open the book (that went out to you via mail). Or check it out 

 Counties have their own official pamphlets for local races.


This year, Oregon extended the deadline for voting, in one key way. Any ballot postmarked by Election Day will count. (Previously, ballots had to be received by an election office on time.)

Reader William Stephan Vertal wrote in with this question: “How is the decision made as to when to stop counting ballots?”

The answer: the new cutoff is 7 days later. Ballots have to arrive by a week after Election Day to be counted. 

For added context, it’s helpful to know that media outlets are usually able to project a winner on Election Night because enough ballots are in and counted that there is no or little chance that the results will change. (What’s reported is not official results.) But with the change to the postmark rule, that might delay results.

“It could make it more difficult for the media to project a winner in some close races because it will take longer for elections officials to count every ballot,” says Secretary of State spokesman Ben Morris.

And in the May primary, about 7.5% of ballots in Multnomah County didn’t come in until after Election Day, according to a tally by 

. It’s not clear if that pattern will hold. Stay tuned.


Help Your Neighbor: Vote

Portland, the rain has arrived by the bucketful. 

It’s coming down at the same time as the leaves. And the combo means puddles at the end of street corners that can grow to resemble small lakes. 

To solve this problem, the city pleads for help each fall. Their ask? “

 near you and help keep them clear of debris.”

The city has more than 58,000 storm drains and can’t get to all of them in a timely way.



Watch out for the miniature lakes forming on the street corners! (

Safety first. The city recommends staying on the sidewalk, wearing gloves (and not using your hands), and even putting on a reflector vest. (It’s not clear what the city advises for the vast stretches of neighborhoods with no sidewalks.)

Rakes, shovels, and brooms are advised for clearing. The debris should be cleared for 10 feet around drains.

Don’t lift the grates or try to clear below them. Instead, report all drains that can’t be easily unclogged to 503-823-1700.

A thank you to everyone who does this work already. (And no, I have no idea what to do when there’s no drain at the corner, but a puddle instead. Suggestions are welcome.)

Help Your Neighbor  Adopt The Closest Storm Drain

Oregon passed a law to keep the state on daylight saving time. Why do we keep switching?

 applies only if the other states on the West Coast go the same route (Washington passed a similar law; 

California voters passed a ballot measure

 urging the change). But also Congress has to pass a law allowing it — time is regulated at the federal level. 



If that seems next to impossible, Oregon is not alone

19 states have passed a law or resolution to keep their state on daylight saving time

. And in an age of bipartisan warring, the unlikely happened earlier this year: the Senate passed the 

 on bipartisan lines. But then the U.S. House didn’t act on the bill. So it’s going nowhere for now. 


The twice-annual time changes have been blamed for an increase in heart attacks, suicides, and workplace injuries.

Notably, states are allowed to opt out and stay on standard time year-round. 

; that’s partly been attributed to their location closer to the equator, with lots more sun in winter. And there are plenty of advocates for sticking to standard time. But so far, there’s no action on that front.

What’s the Deal With the Time Change? 

It’s easy to drive through Portland or walk neighborhood streets and, quite frankly, despair.

There. Are. So. Many. Tents.

Portland and

 have done their part to pay for building housing and paying for 

. What more is there to do?

Maybe it helps to keep in mind it’s somebody’s daughter out there, somebody’s brother. Maybe it would help to try to help, as many do already. 

Here are two established nonprofits that lend a hand. The first step for each is registering as a volunteer with each: 


 a nonprofit based in Old Town, serves people experiencing homelessness, and asks for help carrying out its mission.

, which includes reading a handbook and watching training videos. After that, you can sign up for shifts.

 make meals, make your own care kits and sack lunches to donate, plus more 

 a nonprofit who serves the most vulnerable people across Oregon, also has a robust volunteer program.

 by creating a profile, passing a background check ($30-50, though there are fee waivers), and going through an online orientation. Then you can sign up for specific posts.

serve food, help out in a food pantry, buy supplies for a welcome basket for women moving into and out the Kenton Women’s village, among 

Help Your Neighbors

Help Your Neighbor Stay Healthy Against Viruses

Help Your Neighbor by Volunteering this Thanksgiving

Help Your Neighbor: Vote

Latest articles

Help Your Neighbor Adopt The Closest Storm Drain

What’s the Deal With the Time Change?

How to Help Neighbors Experiencing Homelessness