On this day, May 5, 1903, James Beard, US culinary expert, author (Delights & Prejudices), was born in Portland, Ore.
Also on this day, May 5, 1945, A Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing Mrs. Elsie Mitchell, the pregnant wife of a minister, and five children after they attempted to drag it out the woods in Lakeview, Oregon. The balloon was armed, and exploded soon after they began tampering with it. They became the 1st and only known American civilians to be killed in the continental US during World War II.
Also on this day, May 5, 1945, Bly minister Archie Mitchell, his pregnant wife Elsie, and five children from Mitchell's Sunday school class were on a Saturday morning picnic. Thirteen miles northeast of Bly, or about sixty miles northeast of Klamath Falls, Mitchell parked the car, and Elsie and the children headed to Leonard Creek. Mitchell later remembered: "As I got out of the car to bring the lunch, the others were not far away and called to me they had found something that looked like a balloon. I heard of Japanese balloons so I shouted a warning not to touch it. But just then there was a big explosion. I ran up there--and they were all dead." It was a Japanese balloon bomb. They were 70 feet tall with a 33-foot diameter paper canopy connected to the main device by shroud lines. Balloons inflated with hydrogen followed the jet stream at an altitude of 30,000 feet.
Applications only accepted during three hour window
This Thursday, December 10, Portlanders struggling from health or financial impacts of COVID-19 will have the opportunity to apply for $500 in cash assistance through a City of Portland program to help households pay for urgent needs such as food, dependent care, medicine, rent and utilities, and transportation.
The Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) launched the Household Assistance Program in September, and partnered with United Way of the Columbia-Willamette on an initial public offering of more than 2,800 prepaid debit cards in October.
In response to overwhelming demand, the City has allocated additional funding to make another 4,000 cards available through a second application round.
“The City of Portland’s emergency response to the COVID-19 crisis prioritizes housing stability, food security, and support for the most vulnerable in our community,†Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “The urgent need for PHB’s Household Assistance Program is reflected in the community’s response to the first round of funding availability. The program is helping ease the daily struggle of those who are most deeply impacted by the pandemic’s severe economic impact.â€
Applications will be accepted
online on Thursday, December 10, from 3pm to 6pm. The application window will remain open for three hours and all applications submitted during that time will be accepted. Once the application window has closed, applicants will then be selected from the applicant pool at random using a lottery system.
The Household Assistance Program is part of a $38 million investment in housing relief measures by the City of Portland and the Portland Housing Bureau in response to COVID-19, including $19.5 million in for rent assistance and $1.6 million in housing stabilization support. The majority of the funds are being distributed in collaboration with more than 30 culturally specific community organizations in an effort to better serve Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, and those facing barriers to a public application process.
In total, the Household Assistance Program is expected to assist more than 31,000 Portlanders.
--Ben Fisher| Post Date: 2020-12-07 17:59:03 | Last Update: 2020-12-08 10:20:19 |
