Readers Respond to an A-to-Z Dictionary of Old Portland - Willamette Week - Dictionary

Everything was better when you were young, in no small part because you were young. Certainly the comments were better when people got to talking about when they were young. Last week, WW published a dictionary of Old Portland mainstays and landmarks ordered A to Z (“The New Portlander’s Guide to Old Portland,” April 17). Other than some pushback about whether carbonated beverages were called “pop” or “soda,” and some halfhearted “Portland is a shithole” ranting on Elon Musk’s creepo-site, the replies were unusually wholesome. Let’s do this again sometime.

Hailey Bachrach, via Twitter: “The fact that the span of ‘Old Portland’ is more or less exactly my childhood is probably why this list made me really weirdly emotional.”

Tom Mcroy, via Facebook: “A should be for Acropolis. That place is straight out of a Tarantino movie. Portland is still pretty gritty, tho.”

sweenforspeed, via Instagram: “J shoulda gone to Jim Spagg.”

Alfredo Moreno, via wweek.com: “K would’ve also accepted the late great Kirk Reeves (aka “Working” Kirk Reeves), the Mickey Mouse-capped, white-suited street trumpeter who was a fixture by the Hawthorne Bridge around the turn of the 2010s.”

Lucky Linda, via wweek.com: “R is for redolence of Blitz-Weinhard brewing right in downtown Portland from April 1, 1856, until September 1, 1999.”

julian.sierra.robinson, via Instagram: “Who here been to Macheezmo Mouse say heyyyy.”

Marci L. Siaw: “I already disagree with the timeline. Gen X was still growing up in ‘Old Portland’; it died by 2003 at minimum. Just my opinion, but I did help sell bricks for the building of Pioneer Square and my family has one down there.

“For me Old Portland not only died, but was buried with the creation of the Pearl District.”

The Young Hegelian, via Twitter: “You want old Portland back? Sell your house for old Portland prices.”

Limp Bisquette, via Reddit: “I first saw Elvis performing on the little traffic island in front of Powell’s as I sat in Rocco’s Pizza, downing my usual lunch (special slice of the day + ~3 PBRs). I made sure to snap a 320-by-240-pixel image on my flip phone. Probably uploaded it to Flickr later, lol. I remember thinking, ‘Ooh, I gotta hear this guy on the way back to the office!’ Well, I did take a listen, and it didn’t, uh, sound much like Elvis Presley. But he had the passion, the conviction to get out there and perform. So that was pretty cool.”

OLD PORTLAND BY THE BOOK

Nice work on “The Newcomer’s Guide to Old Portland.” It was cute. What it wasn’t was a well-researched account of many of the foundational elements that gave rise to modern Portland during that era. You’ll find those in my new book, Portland Renaissance: When Creativity Redefined a City. It’s filled with stories that Portlanders from any era can be proud of. Things like the restaurants that turned Portland into a dining destination. Or the brew pubs that launched Beervana. Or how about the TV commercials that revolutionized the advertising industry. Or the rise of the sneaker capital of the world. Or the transformation of a scary warehouse neighborhood into the nationally envied Pearl District. Those and more are the real stories of Old Portland, all told by those who were there, not through “a spirited newsroom debate.” But hey, you got jojos. Congrats.

Barry Locke

Southwest Portland

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Letters to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: P.O. Box 10770, Portland, OR 97296 Email: mzusman@wweek.com

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Readers Respond to an A-to-Z Dictionary of Old Portland - Willamette Week - Dictionary

Everything was better when you were young, in no small part because you were young. Certainly the comments were better when people got to talking about when they were young. Last week, WW published a dictionary of Old Portland mainstays and landmarks ordered A to Z (“The New Portlander’s Guide to Old Portland,” April 17). Other than some pushback about whether carbonated beverages were called “pop” or “soda,” and some halfhearted “Portland is a shithole” ranting on Elon Musk’s creepo-site, the replies were unusually wholesome. Let’s do this again sometime.

Hailey Bachrach, via Twitter: “The fact that the span of ‘Old Portland’ is more or less exactly my childhood is probably why this list made me really weirdly emotional.”

Tom Mcroy, via Facebook: “A should be for Acropolis. That place is straight out of a Tarantino movie. Portland is still pretty gritty, tho.”

sweenforspeed, via Instagram: “J shoulda gone to Jim Spagg.”

Alfredo Moreno, via wweek.com: “K would’ve also accepted the late great Kirk Reeves (aka “Working” Kirk Reeves), the Mickey Mouse-capped, white-suited street trumpeter who was a fixture by the Hawthorne Bridge around the turn of the 2010s.”

Lucky Linda, via wweek.com: “R is for redolence of Blitz-Weinhard brewing right in downtown Portland from April 1, 1856, until September 1, 1999.”

julian.sierra.robinson, via Instagram: “Who here been to Macheezmo Mouse say heyyyy.”

Marci L. Siaw: “I already disagree with the timeline. Gen X was still growing up in ‘Old Portland’; it died by 2003 at minimum. Just my opinion, but I did help sell bricks for the building of Pioneer Square and my family has one down there.

“For me Old Portland not only died, but was buried with the creation of the Pearl District.”

The Young Hegelian, via Twitter: “You want old Portland back? Sell your house for old Portland prices.”

Limp Bisquette, via Reddit: “I first saw Elvis performing on the little traffic island in front of Powell’s as I sat in Rocco’s Pizza, downing my usual lunch (special slice of the day + ~3 PBRs). I made sure to snap a 320-by-240-pixel image on my flip phone. Probably uploaded it to Flickr later, lol. I remember thinking, ‘Ooh, I gotta hear this guy on the way back to the office!’ Well, I did take a listen, and it didn’t, uh, sound much like Elvis Presley. But he had the passion, the conviction to get out there and perform. So that was pretty cool.”

OLD PORTLAND BY THE BOOK

Nice work on “The Newcomer’s Guide to Old Portland.” It was cute. What it wasn’t was a well-researched account of many of the foundational elements that gave rise to modern Portland during that era. You’ll find those in my new book, Portland Renaissance: When Creativity Redefined a City. It’s filled with stories that Portlanders from any era can be proud of. Things like the restaurants that turned Portland into a dining destination. Or the brew pubs that launched Beervana. Or how about the TV commercials that revolutionized the advertising industry. Or the rise of the sneaker capital of the world. Or the transformation of a scary warehouse neighborhood into the nationally envied Pearl District. Those and more are the real stories of Old Portland, all told by those who were there, not through “a spirited newsroom debate.” But hey, you got jojos. Congrats.

Barry Locke

Southwest Portland

---

Letters to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: P.O. Box 10770, Portland, OR 97296 Email: mzusman@wweek.com

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Reading City Council hears demand for Spanish translation services for meetings - 69News WFMZ-TV - Translation

READING, Pa. – Reading City Council heard comments from three residents Monday night asking for council meetings to have a translation service available to allow Spanish-speaking residents to understand what is happening in the city.

Raquel Capellan, a city resident and a commissioner on the Governor's Advisory Commission for Latino Affairs, said she is a community leader who "loves Reading so deeply that sometimes it hurts."

"It hurts when I see people struggling," Capellan said. "When I see a beautiful city such as ours sometimes rob itself of its own power and unique physique."

Capellan said she would like to see council implement a creative way that council could include translation and some kind of interpretation services during council meetings.

"I do feel that having some kind of language access and equity in terms of that should be very high priority to make sure that our Spanish speakers and that the populations that reside and live within Reading are heard and understood, and are able to understand and know that they can also to come here and speak, and that their language would also be able to be understood as well," she said.

In response to the comment, Councilmember Jaime Baez Jr. said he had a conversation with the city solicitor on getting the city charter translated into Spanish.

Fifth Street resident Ruby Mora said City Council remains inaccessible to the majority of its constituents due to the lack of translation services during city meetings. 

"After many decades and many technological advancements, the city continues to refuse to invest in breaking down this language barrier, and I can't help but question why," Mora said.

"Google Translate is not reliable, but unbiased translator or interpreter is," Mora said. "It was mentioned at a recent community meeting that the city is the most financially stable third-class city in the commonwealth. If this is the case, there shouldn't be a second thought about this."

"Invest in your people before they look for someone else to invest their vote into when you're up for reelection," Mora concluded.

Councilmember Vanessa Campos said she wants the constituents to know that they are being heard.

"We understand the need for the translation, and we will actively work on addressing that need so that our community stays informed in the language that they understand," Campos said. "I think council hears the need, and we will work on that."

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Dictionaries on the Chopping Block | Scales on Censorship - News Letter Journal - Dictionary

A PTA president seeks to cull dictionaries featuring “offensive words”; a parent inquires about safe ways her LGBTQIA+ son can fight censorship; a school board expresses no confidence in librarians to make book selection decisions.

I received an MLIS and became a middle school librarian 20 years ago. Our school board recently expressed no confidence in librarians and teachers to make book selection decisions. I spoke before the school board about this, and my principal reprimanded me. I may resign at the end of the school year.
It’s often very lonely to stand up for what is right. I wish I could wave a magic wand and give you courage to remain in your position. We need good school librarians, and we need librarians to speak up for the profession of librarianship. Check your school district policy about employees addressing the board. My bet is that your principal doesn’t have the authority to reprimand you. That doesn’t mean he won’t make your day-to-day life miserable. Start documenting interaction with him. Write down exact conversations. When it feels like this interaction has reached the level of harassment, make an appointment to talk with the director of personnel.

How do other librarians in your district feel? Perhaps you can plan monthly meetings with those with the same concerns. Call upon members of your state library association for support. Consider reporting your experience to the state ACLU, or to an employment attorney.
 

I’m an elementary school librarian in a city where the public library board just restricted all LGBTQIA+ books for anyone under 18. My son is a high school sophomore and belongs to the LGBTQIA+ community, and my husband and I completely support him. He wants to challenge the public library, but my husband fears our family will be harassed.
Encourage your son to organize a group of high school students to address the issue. Offer your home as a safe place for them to gather. Lead the group to PFLAG to learn what the LGBTQIA+ community is doing in other cities and communities experiencing the same thing. Suggest that the students brainstorm ways to start an awareness campaign. Here are a few things they can do:

• Lodge a protest at the public library board meetings.

• Seek out a local attorney to address the group pro bono about their rights.

• Launch a letter-writing campaign to the library board and the library director.

• Call out the actions of the public library board on social media.

• Sponsor a public read-out of the books the library has restricted. The grounds of the public library would be the ideal place (this may require a permit in some cities).

There is always the possibility that your family will be harassed, but that is the risk you take when standing up for what is right. Turn to history and make note of the number of protests that resulted in change. Nothing happens if we do nothing. Kudos to your son.

The PTA president in my elementary school heard that dictionaries have been challenged in school districts in other states. She asked the principal if she could come in and look for offensive words in the dictionaries in our library.
Yes, dictionaries have been challenged, and removed, from school libraries in many states. The claim: there are words that pertain to “sexual conduct” and therefore violate state obscenity laws. Twenty years ago, I worked with a California case where a picture dictionary and encyclopedia were challenged for depicting male and female genitalia. Parents who bring these challenges fear their own kids—and answering questions they aren’t ready to.

The PTA president is out of line, and so is your principal if he allows her request. A parent demanding her way into the school seeking information based on another district’s experience is overstepping. This could set a very bad precedent. Tell the principal that the mother can check the library holdings online for a particular dictionary. If she wants to challenge it, she can follow the guidelines in the school district’s policy manual. Tell the administration how uncomfortable and vulnerable you feel. Perhaps a discussion about this issue should occur in a faculty meeting. Teachers may be afraid as well. If the principal respects his faculty, he will hear you out.

Pat Scales is the former chair of ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee. Send questions to pscales@bellsouth.net.

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What's driving the economy right now: Stocks in Translation - Yahoo Finance - Translation

The Federal Reserve wants to get inflation down to its 2% target. That's why the central bank is likely to keep interest rates higher for much longer than most had initially expected. With inflation data rolling in hotter-than-expected, some analysts on Wall Street have weighed in thinking the Fed may not have as much of an impact on the market anymore. If that's the case, then which factors have a true impact on the economy?

Yahoo Finance Reporter Jared Blikre is joined by Jens Nordvig, CEO of Exante Data and MarketReader, for the latest edition of Stocks In Translation to discuss AI, inflation, health of the US economy, and break down factors that affect the economy.

For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here

This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino

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Dictionaries on the Chopping Block | Scales on Censorship - School Library Journal - Dictionary

A PTA president seeks to cull dictionaries featuring “offensive words”; a parent inquires about safe ways her LGBTQIA+ son can fight censorship; a school board expresses no confidence in librarians to make book selection decisions.

I received an MLIS and became a middle school librarian 20 years ago. Our school board recently expressed no confidence in librarians and teachers to make book selection decisions. I spoke before the school board about this, and my principal reprimanded me. I may resign at the end of the school year.
It’s often very lonely to stand up for what is right. I wish I could wave a magic wand and give you courage to remain in your position. We need good school librarians, and we need librarians to speak up for the profession of librarianship. Check your school district policy about employees addressing the board. My bet is that your principal doesn’t have the authority to reprimand you. That doesn’t mean he won’t make your day-to-day life miserable. Start documenting interaction with him. Write down exact conversations. When it feels like this interaction has reached the level of harassment, make an appointment to talk with the director of personnel.

How do other librarians in your district feel? Perhaps you can plan monthly meetings with those with the same concerns. Call upon members of your state library association for support. Consider reporting your experience to the state ACLU, or to an employment attorney.
 

I’m an elementary school librarian in a city where the public library board just restricted all LGBTQIA+ books for anyone under 18. My son is a high school sophomore and belongs to the LGBTQIA+ community, and my husband and I completely support him. He wants to challenge the public library, but my husband fears our family will be harassed.
Encourage your son to organize a group of high school students to address the issue. Offer your home as a safe place for them to gather. Lead the group to PFLAG to learn what the LGBTQIA+ community is doing in other cities and communities experiencing the same thing. Suggest that the students brainstorm ways to start an awareness campaign. Here are a few things they can do:

• Lodge a protest at the public library board meetings.

• Seek out a local attorney to address the group pro bono about their rights.

• Launch a letter-writing campaign to the library board and the library director.

• Call out the actions of the public library board on social media.

• Sponsor a public read-out of the books the library has restricted. The grounds of the public library would be the ideal place (this may require a permit in some cities).

There is always the possibility that your family will be harassed, but that is the risk you take when standing up for what is right. Turn to history and make note of the number of protests that resulted in change. Nothing happens if we do nothing. Kudos to your son.

The PTA president in my elementary school heard that dictionaries have been challenged in school districts in other states. She asked the principal if she could come in and look for offensive words in the dictionaries in our library.
Yes, dictionaries have been challenged, and removed, from school libraries in many states. The claim: there are words that pertain to “sexual conduct” and therefore violate state obscenity laws. Twenty years ago, I worked with a California case where a picture dictionary and encyclopedia were challenged for depicting male and female genitalia. Parents who bring these challenges fear their own kids—and answering questions they aren’t ready to.

The PTA president is out of line, and so is your principal if he allows her request. A parent demanding her way into the school seeking information based on another district’s experience is overstepping. This could set a very bad precedent. Tell the principal that the mother can check the library holdings online for a particular dictionary. If she wants to challenge it, she can follow the guidelines in the school district’s policy manual. Tell the administration how uncomfortable and vulnerable you feel. Perhaps a discussion about this issue should occur in a faculty meeting. Teachers may be afraid as well. If the principal respects his faculty, he will hear you out.

Pat Scales is the former chair of ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee. Send questions to pscales@bellsouth.net.

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How to turn your iPhone into instant foreign language translator - Fox News - Translation

In today’s interconnected world, the ability to communicate across language barriers is more important than ever. Apple has recognized this need and, in a recent iOS update, introduced a nifty feature that allows you to translate languages instantly without even opening the Translate app.

This feature utilizes the "Dynamic Island," a pill-shaped area at the top of the iPhone screen that can change size and shape to accommodate various types of alerts, notifications and interactions, turning it into a kind of front-and-center information hub. The Dynamic Island feature is available on the iPhone 15 models, which includes the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

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Translate feature on iPhone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

MORE: TOP AFFORDABLE CELLPHONE PLANS

How to set up the Translate Action Button on iPhone 15

Getting started is simple. Here’s how you can set up the Translate option using the Action Button on your iPhone:

• Open Settings on your iPhone
• Scroll down and tap the Action Button
• Swipe through the carousel of actions until you get to Translate

Steps to set up the Translate Action Button (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

MORE: HOW TO UPDATE YOUR PASSCODE ON YOUR IPHONE

How to use the Translate Action Button on iPhone 15

Once you’ve set it up, using it is just as easy:

• On the upper left side of your iPhone 15, press and hold the Action Button for a moment.
• Continue holding the Action Button until the Dynamic Island changes to display "English, Listening".
• Start speaking the phrase you want to translate.
• After a moment, the translated text will appear on your screen and will be said aloud.
• If you need to hear the translation again, simply tap the play button.

Make sure to release the Action Button after the Dynamic Island shows "English, Listening" to ensure the feature works correctly.

Steps to use the Translate Action Button (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

MORE: HOW TO CREATE OR LEAVE GROUP TEXT ON YOUR IPHONE

How to adjust your translation settings

While you can’t change the Translate settings directly from the Action Button, you can still customize your experience within the Translate app itself:

• Open the Translate app.
• Tap on the top or bottom language listed, and a list of languages will appear for you to choose from.
• You can also toggle whether you want to translate from English to another language or vice versa.

Steps to adjust your translation settings (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

MORE: 8 WAYS TO LOCK UP YOUR PRIVATE STUFF ON YOUR IPHONE

Kurt's key takeaways

Apple’s latest update is more than just a technical enhancement. It’s a step toward a world where language differences are no longer a barrier to communication. Whether you’re traveling abroad, learning a new language or connecting with friends and family across the globe, the ability to translate on the fly is a game-changer. It’s a testament to how technology can bring us closer together, making the vast world just a little bit smaller.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where instant translation would have made a significant difference? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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