Portland native. Trial lawyer. Founding member of North America Recovers. https://www.northamericarecovers.org
Resisting extremism through long form conversations.
Portland native. Trial lawyer. Founding member of North America Recovers. https://www.northamericarecovers.org
Resisting extremism through long form conversations.
Hudson Tyler is the Marketing & Communications Manager for the Alzheimer's Association Oregon & SW Washington Chapter.
Janis Jasinsky is a dedicated volunteer and advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association. Janis was a caregiver for her mother, who had Alzheimer’s. Janis provides education and helps people navigate the disease.
Hudson and Janis define Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and talk about warning signs, prevention, and hopeful research developments. They also explain how Alzheimer’s Association can help those living with, caring for, and supporting loved ones affected by dementia disorders.
Sgt. Aaron Schmautz is the President of the Portland Police Association (“PPA”), which represents the police officers, sergeants, detectives, criminalists, and PS3s who work for the Portland Police Bureau. The PPA also represents the 911 dispatchers and supervisors who work for the Bureau of Emergency Communication. They are the oldest continuous police union in the United States.
Aaron talks about:
And more!
Thanks to Andy Chandler from the podcast NW Fresh for co-hosting.
Thanks to Thad Fisco for the studio space and Portland Water for the refreshments.
Betsy Johnson ran for governor of Oregon as an unaffiliated candidate in the 2022 election cycle. She also served in the Oregon Legislature as a Democratic House Representative and later in the Oregon Senate. Betsy met Alan Evans when he came to the Oregon Legislature to talk about homelessness after he started an addiction recovery program called Thugs off Drugs. Alan was homeless for over 25 years and is now in recovery from substance use. He founded the Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers, which includes Bybee Lakes Hope Center in Portland, Oregon. Betsy and Alan talk about homelessness and addiction solutions that have proven effective in Oregon and why those programs have problems getting funding from local government, the story about how they met, and more.
Betsy Johnson ran for governor of Oregon as an unaffiliated candidate in the 2022 election cycle. She also served in the Oregon Legislature as a Democratic House Representative and later in the Oregon Senate. Betsy met Alan Evans when he came to the Oregon Legislature to talk about homelessness after he started an addiction recovery program called Thugs off Drugs. Alan was homeless for over 25 years and is now in recovery from substance use. He founded the Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers, which includes Bybee Lakes Hope Center in Portland, Oregon. Betsy and Alan talk about homelessness and addiction solutions that have proven effective in Oregon and why those programs have problems getting funding from local government, the story about how they met, and more.
Josh Marquis is the former District Attorney for Clatsop County, Oregon. He is a founding member and on the Board of Directors at the Oregon Criminal Justice Truth Project, He is also the Director of Legal Affairs and Law Enforcement for Animal Wellness Action. Now retired, Josh continues to be an active member of the Oregon State Bar and to advocate for victims' rights. We recorded this episode right before Josh moved to Florida.
Dr. Sharon Meieran, MD, has an impressive pedigree. She did her undergraduate work at UC Berkeley; her JD at University of California, Hastings College of Law; and her MD at UCSF School of Medicine. She worked as a lawyer for six years before going to medical school. Dr. Meieran worked as an ER physician from 2013 until recently. She continues to do volunteer street medicine work. She served on the Board of Commissioners for Multnomah County, Oregon, where Portland is situated, for eight years. Dr. Meieran has termed out as a commissioner, but may take another run at the chair seat. She remains an active public servant, working with the legislature to improve access to mental health and addiction services, working to craft policy at the county level, and consulting with elected officials and candidates for office. She does all of this as a volunteer. Andy Chandler from the show NW Fresh co-hosts.
Scott Bradley is a pastor at AS IS church and the Executive Director of the HOPE Center PDX in the Rockwood neighborhood in the Gresham-Portland, Oregon area of East Multnomah County. Rockwood is one of the most diverse and one of the most violent neighborhoods in East County, Scott is also a CrossFit competitor and coach at Underground PDX, a gym that he founded in Rockwood.
Mario Reyes is a second generation immigrant whose parents are from Mexico. At thirteen-years-old, living in Rockwood, he met Scott, who served as his mentor.. Ten years later, Mario is now an Underground PDX coach and mentor and serves his community through the Hope Center.
Both Scott and Mario have a history of significant childhood trauma and they have struggled with substance use. They have both been in and out of the criminal justice system. After turning their lives around, they now serve as leaders in the Rockwood community. They share their respective stories and personal journeys in this episode.
Lance Orton is the Executive Director of CityTeam Portland, which provides addiction and homelessness services. Lance is a self-described opioid addict who found himself homeless on the streets of Portland. He attained sobriety through CityTeam. Lance says that 76% of CityTeam’s graduates are working and sober.
Dan Ryan is a Portland City Councilor for District 2. Dan is the only Portland City Councilor who ran for re-election in the last election cycle. Portland recently restructured its city government and Dan talks about serving under the new city structure, his goals and priorities, what he's learned from his constituents, the things he's excited about in Portland, and more. Our mayor is coming out with his budget soon, and Dan shares what he is hopeful will be prioritized and how he wants to help you make Portland stronger, even if you're not in his district.
Dr. Eric Fruits, Ph.D., is an economist who specializes in economics, finance, and statistics. He is an adjunct professor in Economics and Finance at Portland State University and an adjunct scholar at Cascade Policy Institute. He also serves as an expert witness in court cases. Dr. Fruits talks about the Portland Public Schools bond, various local taxes in the Portland area, Trump's tariffs, and more. Andy Chandler from NW Fresh co-hosts.
Jill Souede was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Portland City Councilor Dan Ryan. She has a Master’s in Strategic Communications from the University of Oregon and did her undergraduate work at Portland State University. In this episode, she reveals her experience with the inner workings of Portland City Hall. She also talks about the evolution of Portland that she’s witnessed since childhood, how Portland can be better, civic engagement, and more.
Loudaquinn Whatley, known as Juma Blaq, is a rapper, community and civic leader, music producer, videographer, song writer, DJ, sound engineer, husband, and dad of 5. Juma did media and videography for Portland City Council candidate Terrence Hayes. Juma currently serves on Portland’s Focused Intervention Community Oversight Group (FITCOG), which works with the mayor and Portland Police Bureau to reduce gun violence in Portland. He also works with the City of Tigard on facilitating community events focused on diversity.
Jessica Elkan is the Executive Director of Portland's new ambitious project, the James Beard Public Market. Jessica talks about the status of the market, the history of James Beard, when Portland can expect the market to open, the concept behind it, and why this is such an important project for Oregon and for downtown Portland.
Damian Bunting is a black private security guard in Portland, Oregon. Damian talks about learning jujitsu; how he was able to go to college; the mental illness and addiction crises on the streets of Portland; gun rights; his childhood; his parents’ advocacy for Bill Clinton, and more. Thanks to Andy Chandler from the podcast NW Fresh for co-hosting.
Hasaan Thomas is the star of the satirical web series, "Hasaan Hates Portland," which was created by his friend, Mischa Webley. Hasaan is also a professional marketing and branding expert. We talk about what it was like to create and film the show; how he comes up with creative branding ideas; what it's like to live as a black man in Portland, Oregon (the whitest big city in America); growing up with a father and a stepfather who were pro athletes; surviving an attempt at suicide; getting recognized in public; and so much more.
Laura Curry describes herself as an itinerant artist and consultant. Laura has lived in various large cities throughout the world. She purchased a condominium in the Stadium neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, years ago when she was searching the United States for a pied-à-terre. She identifies as queer and has a daughter who is a person of color. Laura talks about the addiction and mental illness crises she regularly witnesses in her neighborhood and what she and her neighbors are trying to do about it. She also talks about why she believes that Multnomah County, where Portland is situated, is responsible for these crises.
Karen Chirre owns the Stadium Superette convenience store with her husband in the Stadiumhood neighborhood off of West Burnside in Portland. Karen says that her husband is a first generation immigrant who lived in his car in order to save money to realize his dream of owning a convenience store. According to Karen, over 500 people have committed crimes against the Superette in the past four years. Karen says that she may have to be killed before Portland’s public safety problems get better.
Michael (Mike) Thelin is the founder of Bolted Consulting, which, among other things, helps clients with communication, strategy, and design. He co-created Hot Luck, Austin's culinary and music festival. He also co-founded Feast Portland, which was the largest food festival in the Pacific Northwest. Mike has been a local Portland food writer, and he has appeared on numerous TV shows, including 42 episodes of "Unique Eats" on the Cooking Channel, Check out his Substack, "Food Cities," where he writes about things like politics, civic engagement, food, and travel. We talked about the unique challenges Portland faces and what happened to Feast; Mike's vision for Portland and how it can harness what makes it special; food (of course); music (he's a songwriter, singer and musician!); and more.
Artist and graphic designer Autumn Sharp and personal trainer Max Steele are two of the founders of Friends of Couch Park, an organization in Northwest Portland to try to make Couch Park more livable. They talk about drugs, crime, mental illness, and street homelessness in their neighborhood and what they are trying to do about it. Andy Chandler from the Spotify and YouTube show NW Fresh co-hosts.
Pete Colt is a retired marketing professional who lives in the northwest Portland neighborhood known as Stadiumhood. Stadiumhood is located in the southeast corner of the Alphabet District, the northeast corner of Goose Hollow, and it shares a border with the Pearl District and downtown Portland. Pete talks about how Stadiumhood has been plagued by drugs and crime and how he and his neighbors have banded together to try to make Stadiumhood more safe and livable.