Category: Portland, Oregon Local News

GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY! It’s the perfect time to catch up on some of the great reporting and stories the Mercury churned out this week! (PRO TIP: If you despise being “the last to know,” then be one of the first to know by signing up for Mercury newsletters! All the latest stories shipped directly to your email’s in-box… and then… YOUR HEAD.)

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• Portland Officers Who Clashed With Anti-ICE Protesters Identified

Officer who was filmed punching a protester on January 9 was previously named in a lawsuit stemming from a 2020 protest. Another officer was reassigned after recent remarks made on camera triggered complaints and internal review.

• POP QUIZ PDX!

How much do you know about Portland… the state of Oregon… and disposing of a dead body? Let’s find out in this sassy edition of the city’s funnest trivia game, POP QUIZ PDX! Plus, extinct volcanoes, celebrity baseballers, and… poker-playing water skiiers? See how well YOU score!

• PHOTO ESSAY: Spectators and Players, Portland Is a Ping-Pong Town

Major League Table Tennis matches make it clear: The hype for ping-pong shouldn’t end at Marty Supreme. 

• ART SNACK

Would you like a short, digestible culture news snack? Portland’s art, culture, and food scenes are super messy, and they get all over one another. Could one ambitious culture editor round-up stuff you should know about? Welcome back to Art Snack!

• East Portland Man Ambushed by Unidentified Armed Men in Tactical Gear and Unmarked SUV

An East Portland resident says he was ambushed by men in tactical gear who drew guns on him and tried to pry him from his vehicle.

• Submit a FREE Mercury Reader’s Valentine for Your Sweetie!

Are you in love? In lust? In a complicated situationship? Send them a FREE Mercury valentine—the first 200 will be published in our upcoming February print issue!

• SAVAGE LOVE

“Should I open Pandora’s box with my elderly parents now, or leave things be for the sake of family peace?”

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WOW, THAT IS A LOT OF GOOD READIN’. I hope you didn’t have any other plans this weekend! Dig in, and remember: Producing all this hard work costs moolah—so please consider contributing to the Mercury to keep it all coming! Thanks!

“What you witness at this show will be art made for the moment by people who aren’t so much putting on a play, but caught in the middle of play,” read the print program for Impact Play.

Produced by trans stage art ensemble Genderbomb, the new anthology showcase of shorts, staged at Performance Works, seemed to mean “caught in the middle of a play” quite literally at times.

For example, before the show officially began on opening night, Genderbomb founder Hazel Andersen laid onstage covered in cut vegetables, hummus dips balanced carefully on either thigh. Attendees ventured forward to pluck crudités from the “human platter.” The moment worked well, successfully encouraging audience collaboration through kink exploration. 

In Sara Fay Goldman’s “Carve,” the performer wobbled and writhed, wearing pumpkins and squash, which were bound in intricate rope configurations as stand-ins for genitalia. The audience cheered. And when performers Cassandra and Jack Ranger—AKA Assault and Pepper—invited an audience volunteer into the titular “impact play” of erotic hitting, they did so with intentionality and a playful sense of care.

The ticket page we saw for Impact Play carried content warnings for sex, kink, nudity, violence, screams, simulated abuse, gore, and cannibalism. And to be honest, that was intriguing—but those warnings are easy to overlook, found only by clicking a small “more details” link. The printed program explained this was a work of “theater viscera… characterized by its use of full contact and real situations to provoke true responses from actors and audience alike. This kind of work relies on the strength of our communication and community.”

When we arrived at the show, additional warnings were listed in the program, such as “fluids,” “choking,” and “sharp objects.” These disclosures would have been more effective if reinforced verbally at the top of the show. During Nik Indie’s “Bunny,” which included simulated child sexual assault—shortened to “CSA” on both the ticket page and in the show’s printed program—members of the audience seemed a little unsettled. That was perhaps intentional, we realize, but paper screens installed near the entrance complicated a quick exit, should anyone have felt too overwhelmed by the content.

When Impact Play leans into collaboration and care, the show moves toward the kind of radical intimacy it aims to cultivate. A safe space to explore nonconformist desires while building community? Powerful, transgressive stage works by trans artists? We’re so on board. It’s during moments that lack strong, informed participation that Impact Play struggles to connect.

“If you’re offended, tell your friends,” said Andersen as the show concluded. Like Impact Play itself, the line fell somewhere between a tongue-in-cheek invitation and a challenge.

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Impact Play plays at Performance Works Northwest, 4625 SE 67th, Fri-Sat Jan 23-24, SOLD OUT, pwnw-pdx.org, 18+.

Based in Portland, singer, artist, and America’s Got Talent star Jimmie Herrod makes his living performing solo shows, regularly appearing as a featured vocalist with Pink Martini on tour, and leading collaborative performances like his upcoming pair of shows with the Oregon Symphony.  

Led by Oregon Symphony’s Principal Pops Conductor—the conductor responsible for an orchestra’s pop music programming—Jeff Tyzik, DIVAS: Jimmie Herrod Salutes Jazz, plays January 24 and 25 with the Oregon Symphony at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. “I’m excited to sing stuff that people don’t think I would sing,” says Herrod via Zoom. “Especially, like, pop stuff. You know, most people know me for singing ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie.” 

Known for his vocal control, technical prowess, and impressive renditions of bold song choices showcasing his range—like “Pure Imagination” and “Glitter in the Air”—Herrod says the symphony world is “a really big space for me right now. It’s a unique environment because you’re kind of always doing a different show,” adding, “and as somebody who just loves music, that’s super preferential. I would rather it be different all the time.” 

His upcoming performances with the Oregon Symphony are a chance to hear Herrod debut songs he’s yet to sing for an audience. “A lot of people have heard me sing one or two songs a lot, with Pink Martini over the years,” he says. “This is a show of mostly stuff I’ve never performed. So you are gonna get a standard here or there, but the arrangements are new. You’re also going to get something that’s kinda Judy Garland-ish; you’re gonna get a Janet Jackson cover in this show. You’re gonna get a Madonna cover. You’re gonna get a Miley Cyrus cover on this show.” 

Even before becoming a finalist on America’s Got Talent—getting Sofía Vergara to invoke the golden buzzer after a Herrod’s performance of “Tomorrow,” from Annie, and singing a duet version of “Defying Gravity” with Idina Menzel—Herrod had already been putting in the hours, paying his dues as a working artist right here in the region. Herrod remembers the hustle well, especially after finishing his master’s at Portland State University (PSU). “I was teaching, like, one student at the school. I was running around, trying to do little gigs, and I was working the box office at Living Room Theater. You know, trying to do some of everything, just shoestringing it together. And so I’m so aware that, especially with the arts, you just never know,” says Herrod on being grateful to be a full-time working artist. 

His latest album, Pretty Is What Changes dropped November 21, and comprises reimagined jazz versions of Stephen Sondheim songs from a handful of musicals–namely, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Pacific Overtures, Follies, and Sunday in the Park with George. Herrod’s stunning, agile, and dynamic countertenor vocals make these renditions soar, giving them new life.

“I came into PSU as a jazz vocal major, and was always aware that there was more I wanted to do outside of just jazz voice.” As he was learning more jazz standards, Herrod says he began to realize “how many of these songs came from musicals and have basically been given a new treatment. A lot of us maybe haven’t seen all the shows that these songs are from, but we wouldn’t have what’re considered ‘jazz standards’ without these musicals.” Inspired by a friend making electronic pop versions of Stephen Sondheim songs, Herrod wanted to do a similar thing. “For me, Sondheim was like this god amongst mortals for musical theater,” he says. “His perspective and his way of writing was really touching to me… I wanted to find a chance to do the same thing, to introduce music to an audience that probably wouldn’t listen to it.” 

Having joined band in grade school, Herrod began choir in middle school, continuing all through high school, in addition to doing plays and musicals. But, perhaps just as influential was his own household, where Herrod says he and his siblings were encouraged to sing. “My dad also just loves music. And so in my house, just growing up, there was always something playing.” 

“When I was in high school, I remember [we were] all sectioned up in choir and my teacher had me in the tenor section. It’s kind of a funny thing… I always struggled in that section even though I obviously had a high voice,” says Herrod. “I think it actually kinda turned me off from some music, because it was like, I’m struggling to sing along.”

“My aunt would say, ‘I remember you singing along to Mariah Carey in the car!’” remembers Herrod. “So I think the characters I gravitated towards were people I could sound like, and who I could actually feel what they were singing. My mom was always like, ‘why are you singing up there?’ And I’m like, ‘because this is what I got.’ I’m trying to scrape the bottom, but ain’t nothing coming out.”

Herrod initially studied jazz and then composition, getting his masters from PSU. “I’m very open minded with music. I see it all as music…. And so now I’m doing a lot with symphonies, hence these shows coming up with the Oregon Symphony. I’ve gotten to do a number of things with them.”

Now a few years removed from his run on America’s Got Talent (and his appearance on America’s Got Talent: All Stars), this stage of Herrod’s career is more expansive. “I’m trying to release stuff more often. I think most of my career I’ve been more focused on performance, [though] I’ve always been really open to anything. You know, you start to get a certain type of call over and over. I think for me, I was doing a lot of jazz gigs, especially when I lived in Seattle. And then that sort of turned into doing a bunch of stuff with musical theater.”

Now that Harrod is putting on his own shows, “I can sing whatever I want,” he says. “I’ve always had a naturally high voice, and so I think I’ve just decided to give myself permission to use the voice I have, not the voice I thought I would have, or that other people thought I would have.” 

It’s at this point in our conversation that it becomes apparent Herrod should write a children’s book. “We all have exactly what we have, and that’s what makes each of us actually unique,” he continues. “You can use these—alto, tenor, etc.—terms, but there’s also just who you are as an individual. And I think, in choosing these songs, there’s definitely some of that. It’s like, I just like this song. I don’t care if it’s the hit from the show or not.”

For his upcoming shows with the Oregon Symphony, however, he’s not focusing on songs from the album, but rather, it’ll be “a fun show” for Herrod to tackle a unique set of songs that he describes as “stuff I would listen to in the shower that, to some degree, I don’t always get to perform. I think people will come away with something like, ‘Oh, this is a very different concert than I thought it was gonna be.’”

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Jimmie Herrod performs DIVAS: Jimmie Herrod Salutes Jazz with the Oregon Symphony on January 24 and 25. More info and tickets here. 

Attorneys for Legacy Emanuel Medical Center sent a cease and desist notice to the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) on January 16, accusing the union of making “false and misleading statements” regarding the hospital’s policies on immigration enforcement activity in the facility. 

Last month, nurses at Legacy went public with their concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) presence in the hospital. Nurses on the ground say the hospital has been overly accommodating of immigration enforcement agents in ways that have been dangerous to patients and violate patient privacy. Legacy sees it another way, according to its letter.

“ONA’s actions are harmful to patient care, discourage patients from medical attention, and appear reckless based on the information provided to date to Legacy,” the letter stated.

Staff told the Mercury in December that ICE and US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents seemingly landed on Legacy Emanuel as the “go to” place to take people after they detained them, often after they injure people during violent arrests. Nurses said the hospital allowed agents to stay with patients while they received treatment, which disrupted patient care, including in medically harmful ways.

ONA is the state’s largest labor union for health care workers. On January 8, the union followed up on a letter it sent to Legacy Health in December outlining the nurses’ concerns, asking hospital leaders to sign a memorandum of understanding with ONA to establish clear standards protecting patient care as ICE ramps up its detainment efforts. The cease and desist notice came a week later. 

The notice, from hospital attorneys at the firm Davis Wright Tremaine, alleges the union’s statements contained false information. The hospital’s legal team insists Legacy has “comprehensive policies and practices” to ensure compliance with patient privacy laws and says the health care organization’s policies give patients autonomy over their health care decisions and deliver appropriate patient care for those in law enforcement custody. The hospital ordered union members to report “any perceived compliance violations” to Legacy Emanuel itself, rather than making unidentified reports to the union. 

Peter Starzynski, ONA director of communications, told the Mercury that Legacy’s written policies are not the issue.

“We’ve stated all along that their written policies aren’t the issue, it’s the practice that’s the issue, and ICE in the facilities need to be actually held to the policies that Legacy has written on file,” Starzynski said. “Our nurses and frontline caregivers want to be able to provide (know your rights) information and other resources, as they do with many patients who come through the door.”

Current and former Legacy staff told the Mercury they don’t trust the internal reporting system and fear retaliation for reporting compliance violations. They also said when they found it ineffective, they decided to bring their concerns to ONA.

Why don’t nurses want to report to Legacy?

Though nurses believe patients are being put at risk by Legacy’s current practices, the hospital claims it’s the union that has actually caused harm to patients and potential patients. 

“We believe ONA has discouraged vulnerable people in our community from seeking needed medical treatment,” the cease and desist notice states. “As a union representing members of the healthcare workforce and at a time of such collective unrest in our communities, we see it as irresponsible for ONA to fuel such allegations without working through them constructively as partners at Legacy.” 

The increase in ICE activity, nationwide and in Oregon, has caused fear among vulnerable community members. After President Trump began his second term last January, he rescinded previous protections for immigrants at hospitals, schools, and churches. Public health experts across the country have reported on the resulting chilling effect, saying it could have long-term health impacts. 

Last week, an entire family was detained outside Adventist Health hospital in Portland while attempting to seek emergency treatment for their 7-year-old daughter. The Oregonian reported the family was taken to ICE’s Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma before being flown to another center in Texas, where the girl was finally seen by a doctor—five days later. 

“This is the first enforcement action in or near a hospital when someone is seeking care, and that is a wholly chilling and alarming, disgusting situation that should worry every single Oregonian,” Starzynski said. “Hospitals should be places of healing. They should be places of trust. They should be places free from fear. And now we’re talking about a 7-year-old child who is being taken for emergency care and detained before they received that care. Crazy, unacceptable.”

Starzynski said ONA is looking forward to meeting with Legacy to reach an agreement and sign the memorandum of understanding in the near future.

A Legacy spokesperson acknowledged but did not immediately provide a statement in response to the Mercury’s request. This story will be updated.