OPB’s First Look: Henry Sakamoto dies at 98

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Good morning, Northwest.

While it will still be some time until you can watch the beautiful cherry trees bloom along Portland’s northwest waterfront this coming spring, there’s one man to thank — though he’s no longer with us.

Henry Sakamoto, who helped build the Japanese American Historical Plaza and bring 100 Akebono cherry trees to the site, died late last month, according to a statement from his family yesterday. We’ll have more on his life and legacy in today’s newsletter.

Plus, utilities across the Pacific Northwest are working to expand their electric grids to meet the region’s growing demand for power, but these efforts aren’t always welcomed by local communities. OPB’s Erik Neumann spoke with residents in Yacolt, Washington.

Here’s your First Look at Saturday’s news.

— Winston Szeto

Henry Sakamoto, leader behind Portland waterfront cherry trees, dies at 98

Henry Sakamoto, a prominent leader in Portland’s Japanese American community who helped bring cherry trees to the Tom McCall Waterfront Park downtown, has died at age 98.

In a post on social media yesterday, his son Blake Sakamoto said the community leader died on Nov. 25.

“Henry Sakamoto’s legacy endures in Portland’s civic life, its cherry blossoms, and the generations he inspired,” Blake Sakamoto wrote.

Henry Sakamoto was born Jan. 27, 1927, in Portland to parents who had immigrated from Japan. At age 15, he was among the more than 120,000 Japanese Americans forcibly incarcerated during the Second World War.

Around 1990, Sakamoto helped organize a campaign to build the Japanese American Historical Plaza along Portland’s northwest waterfront.

As part of that effort, he facilitated the donation of 100 Akebono cherry trees to the city of Portland from a Japanese trading group that had established branch offices in the city. (Winston Szeto)

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3 things to know this morning

• PacifiCorp’s plan to build a transmission line from Yacolt, Washington, to Troutdale, Oregon, has become a source of tension as utility companies try to satisfy growing demands for power in the Northwest. (Erik Neumann) 
• Washington is undertaking a multi-year effort to revise its high school graduation requirements, with the goal of better preparing students for adulthood. (Elizabeth Miller) 
• About 20 miles of U.S. 2 are set to reopen Monday on the east side of the Cascades, allowing access to the Stevens Pass ski resort, after devastating flooding and debris slides destroyed parts of the highway between Skykomish and Leavenworth, Washington, earlier this month. (Jake Goldstein-Street)

Headlines from around the Northwest

• Probe of Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to stretch into 2026 (Jerry Cornfield) 
• Northwest farmer fizz, traditional sparkling and Pét-nat on the menu for New Year’s Eve (Anna King) 
• Seattle hires its first-ever artificial intelligence officer (Nate Sanford) 
• Seattle artists share what it’s like when a loved one is incarcerated (Freddy Monares) 
• Judge orders Trump administration to reinstate disaster preparedness grants. That includes projects in Washington, Oregon (Courtney Flatt)

At age 94, Seattle’s oldest bartender announces ‘last call’

Driving down Lake City Way, there’s a warm light in the distance — a beacon calling you to a bar room full of beers and bands.

The soft, yellow light that’s been glowing for decades is the sign for the Shanty Tavern, though it’s known by another name to its owner.

“She is called Miss Shanty,” John Spaccarotelli tells KUOW. He’s owned the place and poured drinks for “umpteen years.”

More precisely, Spaccarotelli has spent 64 years at this spot on the edge of the road in Lake City, running what’s referred to as the “last roadhouse” in Seattle.

For the last few years, Spaccarotelli has only been opening the Shanty Tavern on Friday nights for beer and live music. His three daughters and his grandkids are here to help him out through the busy closing night on Dec. 19.

Many of the business’s regulars live in Lake City and walk to the bar from their homes. Now they’re figuring what they’ll do with their Friday nights once the tavern’s doors close. (Casey Martin)

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