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Some nights you look up from your huckleberry-infused vodka and realize you’re the last person at the party. That’s what living in Portland feels like now.
The national media carnival has packed its tents for the next batch of suckers after gawking at our artisanal cheese shops and masked rioters. A lot of locals followed them out: If the U.S. Census Bureau is correct, 2 out of every 100 Multnomah County residents departed in the past three years. It’s a little bit lonely these days.
This week’s paper is here with a reassuring message: In Portland, no one ever really goes away.
Sure, folks might move one town over. But all the characters you loved, hated, and loved to hate? They’re still out there, plotting their comebacks.
It doesn’t matter if they flamed out, robbed the public blind, or called Portland “a collection of human turds.” People keep on living after their 15 minutes of fame—often in the same place where their glory days began.
In this issue, we decided to track down a few of the Portlanders who seared their names into our memories. Some of them rose to the heights of political power or made the best steak we’ve ever tasted. Others committed shocking crimes or became a byword for corruption. One was a child DJ who spun the “Bust a Bucket” song on Z100.
It’s been 15 years since our last “Where Are They Now?” edition—time enough that the people we’re now tracking down were making headlines when that paper hit the streets. Another edition seemed long overdue.
Many of the people you’ll encounter in the pages that follow built new lives for themselves. Some were happy to show how much they’ve grown in their time away from the spotlight. Others were annoyed to see a reporter again. (We won’t take it personally.) A few are enjoying roughly the same life they always did, but with a little less attention.
Overall, what struck us is how resilient humans are. Many of the stories that follow are unhappy, but their subjects haven’t cried uncle.
For a city that is taking its lumps these days, perhaps we can find a lesson: There’s always another chapter.