News briefs: Cherry blossom celebration, Salem transfer station closure
Countdown to annual cherry blossom celebration in Salem
Cherry Blossom Day will be celebrated Saturday on the Capitol Mall across from the Oregon State Capitol.
Free and family-friendly activities, including arts demonstrations and musical performances, will be offered from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Senate Bill 146, passed in 2017, established Cherry Blossom Day in Salem on the third Saturday in March to celebrate the famous Akebono cherry trees that line the mall in State Capitol State Park.
The Capitol posts blossom updates on Facebook and Instagram as part of its annual "Bloom Watch." Livestream of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s Capitol Mall “Bloom Cam” will be operational by Saturday.
The Parks and Recreation Department will host "Yozakura" viewing, illuminating the cherry blossoms with Japanese lanterns and lights, starting the evening of March 16 through April 6. The public is invited to bring a blanket and/or camping chairs and a picnic. No alcohol is allowed in the park, and the park closes at 10 p.m.
For more information about the event, call Visitor Services at 503-986-1388 or visit http://www.oregoncapitol.com/events.
Salem transfer station closes for 3 weeks starting April 1
The Salem-Keizer Recycling & Transfer Station will be closed April 1 through April 22 for maintenance, Marion County public works announced.
The county says the facility, which is located at 3250 Deer Park Drive in Salem, will be closed for waste disposal and other recycling.
Marion County encourages people to use the North Marion Recycling & Transfer Station at 17827 Whitney Lane in Woodburn for hand unloads and the Marion Resource Recovery Facility at 3690 Brooklake Road in Brooks for tip loads.
Recycling of most items like cardboard, motor oil, newspaper and scrap metal is accepted at the recycling depots for all services in the area, including Loren’s Sanitation Service at 1141 Chemawa Road in Keizer, Suburban Garbage Service at 6075 State St. in Salem and Valley Recycling and Disposal at 2515 Salem/Dallas Highway in Salem. The full list is available at https://mrtrashrecycles.com/recycling-depots.
Most paint stores in Salem accept paint for recycling, as does Habitat ReStore Mid Willamette Valley at 13th Street in Salem.
–Bill Poehler
MI Trolley earns award for Monmouth and Independence
Monmouth and Independence received the Regional Cooperative Project Award from the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments for the MI Trolley project.
The MI Trolley, which launched in April 2023, is a series of busses that run between the cities in Polk County paid for with state and federal funds and is free for the public to ride.
The cities say the trolley has had over 100,000 riders and has an average of 325 riders each weekday.
Independence City Manager Kenna West also received the Wes Kvarsten Professional Service Award by MVCOG for a staff member who shows commitment to support intergovernmental cooperation.
–Bill Poehler
Polk County commissioner given leadership award
Polk County Commissioner Jeremy Gordon was presented the Gwen VanDenBosch Award by the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments.
The award is named for the former Dallas mayor, who served from 1978 to 2000. It is given to an elected official in Marion, Polk or Yamhill County who “demonstrates outstanding leadership in regional, intergovernmental affairs.”
The nomination of Gordon for the award noted his work with affordable housing, homelessness prevention and homelessness in rural Polk County.
Gordon is the chair of Polk County Partners Aligned Toward Housing Solutions and Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance and is a board member of the Polk County Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit that develops and manages affordable housing.
–Bill Poehler
Piroshky Piroshky Bakery returns to Mid-Valley
Seattle-based Piroshky Piroshky Bakery is back on the road for a nationwide tour and will be stopping in Salem. The Eastern European bakery has preorders open to be picked up when the mobile unit is in Salem on March 29, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Shades of Brew. Place preorders by March 27.
Available items for preorder include piroshkies of various flavors, sweet and savory breads and rolls, cookies, brand merchandise and Pike Place clam chowder, among other items.
Piroshky Piroshky is located in Seattle's Pike Place Market and is known for its piroshkies, Eastern European meat hand pies. The bakery has earned national praise and been featured on Anthony Bourdain's TV show "No Reservations."
For more info, check out Piroshky Piroshky's event page, piroshkybakery.com/events/salem_or_03_29_24/.
–Em Chan
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem to host Cherry Blossom Day celebration at state capitol
