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| |  | One of many whimsical crows on the "Wildwood" art trail downtown. (Grace Cohen-Chen / City Cast Portland) |
| | Everything You Need To Know About 'Wildwood' | Since I first heard rumours that Hillsboro-based animation studio Laika was making a new stop-motion film set in Portland, I've been obsessed. I've followed every development and just secured tickets to a 35mm screening at Hollywood Theater in a few weeks (they're selling out fast!). Here's how to get the most out of this exciting local film release: | - Watch the final trailer: The animated film follows Portland teenager Prue McKeel's spellbinding mission to rescue her brother in the forests outside of our city. The final trailer, released just last week, contains plenty of Portland easter eggs — like Pittock Mansion and our waterfront with its cherry blossoms. [YouTube]
- Follow the crows: Crows play a big role in the film, just as they do this time of year in our city. But you don't have to wait for the theater to enjoy them — right now, giant crow sculptures are on display all over downtown as part of Laika's Follow the Crows art trail installation (through Oct. 30). [Downtown Portland Clean & Safe]
- Ambitious animation: Based on the 2011 book of the same name, it took Laika over 15 years to bring the story to the big screen. According to the New York Times, the studio "combined 3-D printing, motorized wings, nearly 12,000 glued feathers and years of animation" to create just one of the film's most iconic characters: the General, a golden eagle that Prue McKeel rides in the trailer. [Portland Monthly / New York Times / YouTube]
- Inspired album release: If you still want more, Laika is releasing "Wildwood Sessions", an album of original music inspired by the film, made by independent artists — it'll be out on Oct. 16. [Business Wire]
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| What Portland’s Talking About |
| Oregon's Federal Workforce Shrinks | Federal jobs in Oregon have fallen by about 2,800 — or 10% — since the start of President Trump's second term. The state's federal workforce is now at its lowest level since at least 1990, with about 26,500 workers. Critics have voiced concerns about staff reductions at the Bonneville Power Administration, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Meanwhile, Oregon's August unemployment rate was 5.1%, tied for the second highest in the country. [Oregonian] | | I-5 Closure Impacts Local Businesses | Just a couple of weeks into the I-5 closure, some local cafes, bars, and restaurants that depend on business from commuters are noticing a slowdown — some owners claim customer visits are down 40% from what's typical this time of year. The Portland Bureau of Transportation says travel times have been steadily increasing since the first day of the closure, but confirms the project is still on track to finish on Oct. 16. [KATU] | | | PODCAST | Wednesday, September 23 |
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| | Portland City Council District 3 Race | Today on the podcast, we’re continuing our coverage of the city's fall election with the first panel of candidates for Portland City Council District 3. Joining host Claudia Meza are current Portland City Councilors Angelita Morillo and Steve Novick, as well as Esther León, a teacher and a physical therapist who works with incarcerated individuals. [City Cast Portland 🎧] | |
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Personally, I am ready to let go of summer and dive right into fall, but I already miss some of my favorite summer produce like cherries and nectarines. The Oregonian's Michael Russell recently released his list of the best things he ate all summer, and it's certainly enviable — especially the seafood platter. I'm already making plans to go to Newport to try it myself. | | |
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