🌱 Portland Hospitals Battling RSV Cases + Tree Lighting

Hello, hello! It's me, Helen Eckhard, your host of the Portland Daily. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening locally.

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 49 Low: 34.

Here are the top three stories today in Portland:

1. Portland hospitals are battling a rising spike in RSV cases among local children. Hospitals are reporting ICU bed shortages for children battling the illness. Portland hospitals are pooling resources in order to stay open. "We’re having sometimes three times daily conversations between the three children’s hospitals in Portland to see who has beds available to take care of these children," said Dr. Wendy Hasson, the medical director for the ICU at Randall Children's hospital. (KATU)
2. Portland’s holiday tree gathering at Pioneer Court House Square is back this year after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. At 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25, Santa Claus will light the 75-foot, 8,500-pound Douglas fir for the annual tree lighting ceremony. A sing-along will feature Pink Martini’s Thomas Lauderdale alongside local musicians and choral singers. (OregonLive)
3. The forecast is calling for a rain-free weekend! Here's a list of eight things happening in Portland over the next few days including the return of Kumoricon at the Portland Convention Center and Disney on Ice at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. See all the fun at the link. (KGW.com)

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Today in Portland:

• Watercolor Painting In-Person Class with Ronna At The California Quail (10:00 AM)
• The Portland Cheese & Meat Festival At The Leftbank Annex (11:00 AM)
• Wine Tasting With Sommelier, Andrea Matteini At Vino Veritas Wine Bar And Bottle Shop (1:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Check out five holiday displays you can enjoy without leaving the Rose City at the link. (KGW.com)
• Tickets are now on sale for Portland Audubon's Wild Arts Festival happening at the Portland State Viking Pavilion on Dec. 10 and 11! Purchase nature-inspired art, meet some of your favorite authors, and find great items in the Silent Auction. Click here for tickets. (Portland Audubon via Instagram)
• Simply put, Portland is a haven for herbivores. Vegan food is prevalent throughout Portland and it just keeps getting better and better every year. Check out Travel Portland's favorite vegan spots including the one and only Virtuous Pie. (Travel Portland via Instagram)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday! See you soon!

— Helen Eckhard

About me: Helen Eckhard is a marketing associate at Lightning Media Partners. Outside of work, she enjoys constructing crossword puzzles, knitting, or devising increasingly crafty ways to kill off characters in her mystery novels.