🌱 William Hurt Dies At 71 + The Healthy Business Program

Dominic Anaya
Updated ·7 min read

Happy Tuesday, Portland! They say to beware the Ides of March, but it's just another beautiful day in Portland to me. Let me tell you all about it.

First, today's weather:

Another rainy day with a high temp of 52.

Here are the top five stories today in Portland:

  1. A policy change announced last week has made masks optional for both students and staff in Portland Public Schools. The district says it is following the lead of organizations such as the Oregon Health Authority, the Oregon Department of Educations, and the Centers for Disease Control. (Portland Patch)

  2. Acclaimed actor William Hurt died in his Portland home. He was 71. "It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved father and Oscar-winning actor, on March 13, one week before his 72nd birthday," his son Will posted in a statement first reported by Deadline. Hurt had been diagnosed four years ago with prostate cancer. (Portland Patch)

  3. For the first time since the summer of 2021, smiling faces could be seen in local businesses this weekend after Washington and Oregon lifted their indoor mask mandate. FOX 12 spoke to some businesses in the Pearl District, and proprietors said they saw a boost in business after the mandates were lifted. The general manager of Brix Tavern said there was a 20 percent increase in business just this weekend. Across the street at The Star, server Andrew Johnson said it also saw more people out and about. (KPTV)

  4. Three candidates are set to face off in the race for sheriff of Multnomah County. Voters will choose between Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office employees Undersheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell, Capt. Derrick Peterson and corrections deputy Nicholas Alberts. It will be the first contested election since 2010, when incumbent former sheriff Dan Staton ran against Sgt. Muhammad Ra’oof. Whoever wins the election will replace Sheriff Mike Reese, who can’t run again because the position is term-limited. (KOIN)

  5. The Portland Bureau of Transportation said it has a major announcement about the Healthy Businesses program. This started two years ago, giving places like restaurants the option to use parking spaces for outdoor seating. PBOT tells KATU it can't share the official news just yet, but to expect good news in the days ahead. The Bureau of Transportation said more than a thousand Portland businesses benefited from the program over the last two years. (KATU)

Today in Portland:

  • If you're in a high brow frame of mind, come to The Study Sessions taking place at Show Bar in SE Portland. The Study Sessions are avant garde classical, jazz, and new wave performances paired with a unique classical and jazz open mic for emerging artists. Each session will feature a classical and jazz performance as well as off the beaten path performances by chamber musicians of all backgrounds. Get your tickets online. Doors open at 5:30 PM.

  • It's time for OMSI's Science Pub again, going on at McMenamins Kennedy School. Tonight's subject is the James Webb Space Telescope. Professor James Schombert from the University of Oregon will give us the scientific backstory on this famous observatory and fill us in on the amazing science that it is expected to enable. Tickets are available online, as is registration for a remote viewing option over Zoom. Doors open at 6:00 PM.

  • Spice up your Taco Tuesday with DJ Danny playing Salsa and Bachata music. Whether you are a pro or just learning, this night is for you! They have instructors ready to teach you all the steps, or join in to be your dancing partner. Come in your dancing shoes ready for some mid week fun! There are also tacos and tequila happy hour specials! 7:00 - 11:30 PM.

  • It's the night for the Open Bluegrass Jam at Tomorrow's Verse Taproom in NE Portland. Come listen to some of the area's best bluegrass artists jam unplugged. This will be a traditional style bluegrass circle, where people can join in as much as they’d like. Ray Mann will be there on acoustic bass each week. This is a free event! 7:00 - 10:00 PM.

  • There's music happening at Mississippi Pizza in North Portland as it presents its Songwriter Sessions, a weekly space for Portland's songwriter scene. Each week, Christopher Worth and Jacob Westfall host this curated night of local singer, songwriters and welcome a featured artist. Tickets available online. 7:30 - 11:00 PM.

From my notebook:

  • If you're a fan of Legos, you probably know that the annual celebration of the plastic blocks, Bricks Cascade, took place at the Oregon Convention Center this past weekend. If you didn't make it, here's a video from Dok Sampson showing some of the various creations that Lego builders put forth. And remember, Everything is Awesome! (YouTube)

  • If you're a huge nerd like I am, you know that Monday was Pi Day. In keeping with the spirit of the day, Portland Monthly ranked 9 Portland Pie shops. From Lauretta Jean's to the Pacific Pie Co, I don't think there's a bad spot among them. (Portland Monthly)

  • For many Latino artists practicing today who were brought up with Kahlo, Diego Rivera and their contemporaries, the art of the Mexican modernists is part of their visual lexicon. As the Portland Art Museum features “Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection,” these four Portland artists provide compelling, current examples of how to use art and identity in powerful ways, personally and politically. (The Oregonian)

  • Dementia is an umbrella term for a certain kind of memory and speech loss. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause. The pandemic has been particularly brutal for people with dementia and their families. Most people with dementia are at high risk from COVID-19 due to their advanced age. Whether they live at home or in a care facility, most have lived under some degree of isolation as a way to protect them from the virus. But there can be an extra layer of tragedy to their isolation: they may not remember why they’re no longer getting visitors, or can’t do the activities they enjoy. “They may not understand what’s going on with the pandemic,” said Heidi Rowell, speaking as program director of the Alzheimer’s Association Oregon & Southwest Washington chapter. (OPB)

  • He may not have been a native Portlander, but William Hurt made his home here and this is where he died this weekend. After a variety of character roles in the following decade, Hurt earned his fourth Academy Award nomination for his supporting performance in David Cronenberg's crime thriller A History of Violence (2005). His later career films roles include turns in A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), The Village (2004), Syriana (2005), The Good Shepherd (2006), Mr. Brooks (2007), Into the Wild (2007), Robin Hood (2010), and the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, in which he portrayed Thaddeus Ross. This 5-minute video is a tribute to William Hurt. (YouTube)

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That's your Tuesday, friends. Have fun with it, but remember to meet me back here tomorrow so I can tell you more news of Portland. Now, I think I'm going to go get some pie.

— Dominic Anaya

About me: Doctor, educator and now a writer/artist, I'm just chillin' in Portland, OR with my wife, our ferrets, our chickens and our goats.

This article originally appeared on the Portland Patch