Think Out Loud

Local group advocates for phone-free childhoods

OR UNPLUGGED” IS A COALITION CREATED BY PARENTS IN PORTLAND TO SUPPORT HEALTHY DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDREN. THE GROUP PROVIDES RESOURCES TO PARENTS AND FAMILIES LIKE CURRICULUMS FOR DIGITAL WELLNESS, SUGGESTIONS FOR ALTERNATIVE DEVICES TO SMARTPHONES, AND COMMUNITY EVENTS WITH “UNPLUGGED” ACTIVITIES. THE GROUP ALSO WORKS AS A THREAD TO UNITE SEVERAL SMALLER, LOCAL GROUPS OF PARENTS ACROSS OREGON THAT ARE LIKE-MINDED ABOUT CREATING PHONE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS FOR THEIR CHILDREN. CURRENTLY, THESE GROUPS EXIST AROUND CENTRAL OREGON, HOOD RIVER, ASHLAND, SALEM AND THE PORTLAND-METRO AREA.   One of these groups, based in Sherwood, was founded by Daniel Golder, a father who wanted to create a screen-free upbringing for his children. He calls the local group “Analog Alpha,” because of the group’s goal of helping Generation Alpha being “adept at technology without being dominated by it.”   Kathy Masarie is the founder of OR Unplugged — she’s a retired pediatrician who pivoted to this advocacy work after two decades in healthcare. We’ll hear from Masarie and Golder about their work.

Oregon Contemporary Artists’ Biennial explores ‘The Price of the Ticket’ in 2026 art survey

MORE THAN TWO DOZEN ARTISTS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE 2026 OREGON CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS’ BIENNIAL [https://www.oregoncontemporary.org/2026oregoncontemporaryartistsbiennial], WHICH LAUNCHED LAST MONTH AND ENDS ON JULY 5. THE CURRENT EXHIBIT IS TITLED “THE PRICE OF THE TICKET” AND IS ON DISPLAY AT THE OREGON CONTEMPORARY GALLERY IN NORTH PORTLAND. AUDIENCES CAN ALSO EXPERIENCE PERFORMANCES, POETRY READINGS AND PUBLIC TALKS AT OTHER VENUES IN THE CITY.     TK SMITH [https://www.tksmith106.com/] IS A WRITER AND CULTURAL HISTORIAN WHO IS CURATING THE 2026 OCA BIENNIAL THAT COINCIDES WITH THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR NATION’S FOUNDING. SMITH TOOK INSPIRATION FROM AUTHOR AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST JAMES BALDWIN’S ANTHOLOGY OF ESSAYS, “THE PRICE OF THE TICKET,” TO SELECT A DIVERSE ARRAY OF WORKS THAT EXPLORE AMERICA’S HISTORY, IDENTITY AND THE PRICE OF CITIZENSHIP, ESPECIALLY FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.    LAST FALL, OREGON CONTEMPORARY ANNOUNCED THAT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS HAD CANCELED A $30,000 GRANT IT HAD PREVIOUSLY AWARDED TO THE BIENNIAL, PER REPORTING BY WILLAMETTE WEEK [https://www.wweek.com/arts/visual-arts/2025/11/06/national-endowment-for-the-arts-defunds-the-artists-biennial/] AND OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS. THE NONPROFIT SITKA CENTER FOR ART AND ECOLOGY QUICKLY PLEDGED ITS HELP [https://sitkacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SitkaOregonContemporaryPressRelease.pdf] TO FILL THE FUNDING SHORTFALL.     SMITH JOINS US, ALONG  WITH ARTISTS MAKO MIYAMOTO [https://www.makomiyamoto.com/about/] AND JALEESA JOHNSTON [https://jaleesajohnston.com/bio] WHO ARE FEATURED IN THE BIENNIAL.

Grit and community support helps brighten outlook for 71-year-old Vancouver bowling alley

RACHAEL ALLEN SAYS BUSINESS IS BOOMING THESE DAYS AT ALLEN’S CROSLEY LANES [https://crosleylanes.com/], A VANCOUVER BOWLING ALLEY THAT HER FAMILY HAS OWNED FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES. THE COLUMBIAN’S RECENT PROFILE [https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/apr/20/final-pin-hasnt-dropped-at-allens-crosley-lanes/] OF ALLEN AND CROSLEY LANES HELPED REMIND READERS THAT THE 71-YEAR-OLD BOWLING ALLEY IS NOT ONLY STILL AROUND, BUT TODAY THRIVING. THAT’S DESPITE A COUPLE OF CLOSE BUT ULTIMATELY FAILED ATTEMPTS ALLEN AND HER HUSBAND, DON, HAD MADE SINCE 2018 TO SELL THE BUSINESS DUE TO HIS DECLINING HEALTH.    DON DIED LAST MAY, AND A FEW MONTHS LATER, ALLEN DECIDED TO THROW A PARTY AT CROSLEY LANES TO HONOR HIS MEMORY AND CELEBRATE THE BOWLING ALLEY’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY. SHE CREDITS THE COMMUNITY’S TURNOUT AND ITS CONTINUED SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR RENEWING HER FAITH IN THE BUSINESS AS AN INVESTMENT WORTH KEEPING AND HAND OVER TO HER SON AND DAUGHTER SOME DAY.    ALLEN JOINS US TO TALK ABOUT CROSLEY LANES, ITS HISTORY AND THE LOYAL PATRONS WHO ARE HELPING IT ENDURE.

How Northwest winemakers are appealing to consumers in a changing market

Henderson Ave and Brooks Wine are two Oregon winemakers that operate at different price points, but are currently faced with many of the same questions: How do wineries appeal to consumers when American alcohol consumption has waned in recent years [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/well/us-alcohol-drinking-low-poll.html]? How do producers ease barriers to entry [https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/316146] for wine consumption and education? How do vintners approach sustainability when wine is facing challenges due to climate change? [https://www.opb.org/article/2025/11/18/oregon-pinot-noir-climate-change/]Tiquette Bramlett is the founder of Henderson Ave [https://drinkhendersonave.com], a collection of canned wines that launched last year. Jen Cossey is the general manager of Brooks Wine [https://www.brookswine.com]. They both join us to share more about the state of Oregon’s wine industry.

Lullaby Project brings creativity and music to parents in prison or experiencing homelessness

The Lullaby Project [https://www.orsymphony.org/lullaby-project] was created more than a decade ago by the  Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. The program pairs singer-songwriters with parents who are incarcerated or experiencing homelessness, and together they create a lullaby.  In Oregon, those songs are arranged for the Oregon Symphony and then publicly performed [https://soundcloud.com/oregon-symphony/sets/oregon-symphony-the-lullaby-project-vol-7]. This year’s performance is next Tuesday, May 12 at the Alberta Rose Theatre [https://www.orsymphony.org/productions/2526/the-lullaby-project-community-concert-2026] in Portland.   Ada McGraw was one of the first women to participate in this program after it expanded to the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility last year. While serving her sentence, McGraw was paired with singer-songwriter Bre Gregg [https://bregregg.com/]. The lullaby they wrote was for her son Legend and included a poem from Legend’s father. Jessica Katz is the director of The Family Preservation Project [https://family-preservation-project.org/] and facilitated their meeting. We talk with Katz, Gregg and McGraw to hear about this creative process and learn more about the larger impact of The Lullaby Project.