Rhody Days
The 118th annual Rhododendron Festival begins with the opening of the Davis Carnival tomorrow afternoon. The Carnival hours could be in flux as weather and crowds may determine how late they stay open. Sunday the carnival will wrap up at 8pm. the weekend is filled with activities including events at the Florence Event Center. Saturday morning the annual 5k-10k Rhody Run will get under way from the Event Center parking lot. While registration concluded online there will still be an opportunity to race. Runners and walkers should arrive early with the race beginning at 9am. The Annual Show and Shine Car show will be located once again at the Siuslaw Middle School Parking lot on Saturday. This year the event is organized by the local Rhody Cruisers Car Club. The club has been using some of its budget to help out the Siuslaw Wrestling team. The team is planning on attending camp in Idaho this summer and the Rhody Cruisers are helping to supplement fees for the attendees. The show gets underway at 9am. Also on Saturday the annual Coast Radio Classic Car cruise will take place through old town at about 5:30 pm rain or shine. Sunday the Grand Floral Parade will get underway at noon down highway 101 and through Old Town. The Parade will be broadcast on KCST. More information on this weeks events can be found at Florencechamber.com
OPRD Looking for Volunteers
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is looking to fill two seats on its Local Government Grant Program Advisory Committee. One position is for a representative from a small city—under 15,000 people—and the other for a member of the public from an historically under-represented community. The committee helps decide how to distribute about $14 million in state lottery-funded grants for park and recreation projects. Applications are due by May 31. Members review and score grant proposals and attend a three-day meeting in Salem this July. Details are posted at oregon.gov/oprd.
Gas Pricing and Travel
With Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, gas prices are climbing across Oregon and the West Coast. A fire last week at the Valero refinery in Benicia, California—one of the region’s key fuel producers—has tightened supply, pushing prices upward. Oregon’s average price for regular gas is now $3.93 a gallon, up three cents from last week, while the national average holds steady at $3.16. AAA expects record travel this holiday weekend, with more than 600,000 Oregonians hitting the road. In Florence, gas prices are trending just below the state average but remain volatile heading into the busy travel period.
