Earlier in January, I interviewed Mónica Guzmán for Reasons to be Cheerful to ask her how opposing beliefs can connect and find common...

This story ran on Reasons to be Cheerful September 16, 2024. A cross the country, fall is synonymous with the new school year: sharpened...

This article on Past Lives in Portland, Oregon appeared in Reasons to be Cheerful on July 23rd.  When Brandon Morlock was released from...

Through Backyard Habitat Certification, individuals strive to make even the smallest outdoor spaces more biodiverse. Those changes add...

The roar of leaf blowers has long been ubiquitous in fall. But as more US cities ban the gas-powered devices, that’s starting to change. ...

I wrote this article on the stunning new design for PDX for Reasons to be Cheerful in November.   W hen passengers pass through the...

I wrote this piece back in June for Reasons to be Cheerful, David Byrne's publication.   When it comes to the US housing crisis,...

By intervening early, often with small rent payments, a Portland shelter kept nearly 100 families out of homelessness last year, saving...

In conservative parts of Oregon, one protest group is betting that a celebration of Black culture will capture more hearts than anger....

Once ubiquitous, farmers markets nearly vanished in the mid 20th century — until an array of forces converged to bring about their modern-day renaissance. Fennel, beets, and parsley, at the PSU Farmers' Market; Brussels sprouts on the vine  Visit the main Portland Farmers Market on any given Saturday morning and you’ll see tables spilling over with rainbow chard, beets, leeks and all kinds of lettuce. You’ll see vendors selling homemade salsa and tortilla chips, and cheesemak

I wrote this story for Reasons to be Cheerful in May of 2022. California’s environmental achievements are something to behold. The state...

Farmers and ecologists are partnering to restore the state’s natural flooding patterns, allowing native fish to thrive. I wrote this...

A new pilot project in California is purchasing a mill for a school cafeteria, marking the next step in years-long effort to bring local,...

I wrote this story about Agape Village in Portland, Oregon for Reasons to be Cheerful .  Agape Village is a place where people find...

I wrote this for Reasons to be Cheerful in November. An industry that often celebrates pushing through the pain is turning its focus to...

I wrote this story for Reasons to be Cheerful, David Byrne's new online magazine.  As fake meat floods the market, some fast-food joints...