12 October 2015

Dancing with Sea Lions seeking artists in November

Participating artists will be able to submit their proposals to paint or otherwise decorate a life size sea lion that will be located in and around Florence; along the Central Oregon Coast; or even in the Eugene-Springfield area.
Backed by the Florence Events Center, the promotion is called “Dancing with Sea Lions” and will celebrate the FEC’s 20th anniversary coming up late next year. There will be one 7-and-a-half-foot tall fiberglass sea lion for each year since the center opened.
It’s also a public art display that FEC marketing specialist Jennifer Connor says will have a “ripple effect” on the community.

The Friends of the Events Center is organizing and sponsoring the display. They selected the specific sea lion design last month. Next month they’ll solicit individual artists to submit design proposals to decorate them. If selected, artists will receive $500 for their work.
The sculptures will be on display beginning next spring.

Retail Marijuana Sales Brisk

The Oregon Retailers of Cannabis Association estimates that marijuana stores sole more than $11-million of marijuana during the state’s first week of legal, recreational sales.
The Statesman Journal in Salem reports Oregon sales outpaced the first week of recreational sales in Colorado and Washington. Colorado’s first week of sales reached $5-million; in Washington State the first month of sales hit $2-million.
Retailers of Cannabis Association Executive Director Casey Houlihan says the first day alone brought in $3.50-million here in Oregon.
Marijuana stores opened their doors to recreational users October 1st.

Florence Food Share improves accesibility

Recognizing that many of the people who rely on Florence Food Share to help fill their pantries are working more than one job, that organization is expanding their hours of availability.
Food Share will be open on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month, between ten AM and one PM.
Florence Food Share executive director Norma Barton said an anonymous donor is underwriting the Saturday hours; recognizing that working families may not be able to get to them during the week.
Barton says Saturday hours will begin next week, the 17th. Initially they will be open twice a month, but her aim is to expand that to weekly.
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More cities are recognizing Native Americans on Columbus Day this year as they revive a movement to change the name of the holiday to celebrate the history and contributions of indigenous cultures around the country.
As the U.S. observes Columbus Day on Monday, it will also be Indigenous Peoples Day in at least nine U.S. cities, including Albuquerque; Portland, Oregon; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Olympia, Washington.
Encouraged by city council votes in Minneapolis and Seattle last year, Native American activists have made a push in dozens of cities to get local leaders to officially recognize the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day. Their success was mixed.
They say the indigenous holiday takes into account the history and contributions of Native Americans for a more accurate historical record.
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