OPB’s First Look: Portland Fire smolders as WNBA contract talks continue

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Good morning, Northwest.

Ongoing collective bargaining between the WNBA and its players union could hold up the start of the Portland Fire’s first season.

The sides say they need a deal by tomorrow to start the season on time and, according to the Associated Press, swapped proposals over the weekend. OPB’s Kyra Buckley looks at what the negotiations could mean for Portland’s nascent franchise.

In other news, Milwaukie’s Ah Bing, namesake of the Bing cherry, is being immortalized in a children’s book out tomorrow.

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

—Bradley W. Parks

Portland Fire season could be on hold if WNBA, players union can’t reach labor deal

Officials with the WNBA say a new labor deal must be in place by tomorrow to avoid disruptions to the season set to start in May. The Fire, Portland’s new team, need an agreement in place before it can build a roster of players.

In the past, expansion teams have had five months or more to acquire players through an expansion draft, trades with other teams and the rookie draft. The timeline for Portland and the Toronto Tempo, another expansion team, will be extremely truncated, even if the sides agree on a deal immediately.

The WNBA and its players union still remain far apart on how the league should share its rapidly increasing revenue with the players. The union has already authorized a strike if needed, though both sides say they hope to avoid one.

Here’s more on how labor talks could affect the Portland Fire’s first season. (Kyra Buckley)

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3 things to know this morning

• Today, a group of 50 Portland arts organizations sent a letter to Portland elected officials asking to use unspent arts tax money to buoy nonprofits that have seen a decline in city funding in recent years. (Alex Zielinski)
• Washington state’s legislative session is set to end this Thursday. The last major deadline Friday stopped some policy proposals in their tracks. (Jake Goldstein-Street)
• The last of two lawsuits filed against the J.H. Baxter company was resolved Friday. No damages were awarded and plaintiffs have no opportunity to refile litigation related to its shuttered Eugene plant. (Brian Bull)

We go behind the scenes of Oregon’s short legislative session

Producer Julie Sabatier tagged along with OPB politics reporter Lauren Dake just before the legislative session adjourned to hear what it was like in the Capitol building. (Julie Sabatier and Lauren Dake)

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Headlines from around the Northwest

• Oregon’s sea level forecasts more accurate than many around the globe, scientist says (Courtney Sherwood)
• As Iranians in Portland hope for a free Iran, other protesters call for speedy US exit (Courtney Sherwood)
• With an economy in flux, more Southern Oregon students are choosing hands-on education (Jane Vaughan)
• How an Ashland school trains bike mechanics for a changing industry (Justin Higginbottom)
• The Eugene Gleemen celebrate 100 years of performing ‘for the sheer joy of singing’ (Julia Boboc)
• Winter grain mites are creating havoc in Washington fields (Anna King) 
• Oregon State faces Gonzaga in WCC Tournament semifinal after holding off San Francisco 78-77 (Associated Press) 
• Scoot Henderson scores 28 points as the Trail Blazers beat the reeling Pacers 131-111 (Associated Press)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• US Forest Service let wildland firefighters wear gear containing dangerous chemicals
• A look at University of Oregon’s first-ever course on hostage diplomacy

‘Bing’s Cherries’ rewrites the American tall tale through Oregon grower’s life

If you grew up in the United States, chances are the folk stories you read in school featured mostly white heroes, like Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan. But what if you had grown up with a folk tale featuring an Asian character — a perfect hybrid of man and myth, a farmer with a larger-than-life presence?

Enter Ah Bing, a horticulturalist who immigrated to Milwaukie, Oregon, from China around 1855. About 20 years later, a dark, cross-bred cherry was named after him by his employer, Seth Lewelling, giving rise to the famous Bing cherry.

In addition to being honored each year at the “Bing in the New Year” celebration in Milwaukie, Ah Bing has recently become the subject of a children’s book called “Bing’s Cherries,” written by Los Angeles-based Livia Blackburne and illustrated by Seattle-based Julia Kuo.

“Bing’s Cherries” is set for publication tomorrow. (Winston Szeto and Crystal Ligori)

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