🪵 A battle over glass floats

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2026 · ISSUE NO. 1

📜 THIS WEEK IN OREGON HISTORY

April 27, 1792 — Captain George Vancouver almost became the first Euro-American to discover the Columbia River. Yet, he opted not to navigate the bar and continued his way up the coast. That led to captain Robert Gray sailing into the river just two weeks later and naming it after his ship - the Columbia Rediviva.

Google's self-driving taxi company has its sights set on Portland as its next expansion city, with human-driven Waymo vehicles already navigating local streets to help the autonomous system learn the city's layout. The move lands in the middle of an active political fight as a statewide bill to regulate the operation of autonomous vehicles failed to advance out of committee earlier this year. The city of Portland currently has their own draft language that would require Waymo (or any other self driving car company) to obtain a permit to operate within the city. READ MORE →

Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong presented PPS's budget for the 2026–27 school year this week built around some big budget cuts with a proposed 251 fewer positions, spanning classrooms, specialized programs, building support, and the central office. The district has now cut roughly $115 million since 2023-2024. Armstrong also disclosed a projected $65 million deficit the following year, a signal that the bleeding isn't close to stopping. Declining enrollment and rising costs are the primary drivers. READ MORE →

Some Central Oregon fire districts are implementing outdoor burning bans at midnight tonight, normally a June 1 occurrence. Officials cite a warm winter with record-low snowpack, declining fuel moisture, and an unseasonably dry spring. All outdoor debris burning is prohibited, including yard waste, agricultural burns, bonfires, and land clearing. Small cooking and recreational fires under three feet in diameter are still permitted. READ MORE →

Annual undergraduate tuition for Oregon residents at the state's seven public universities is expected to increase by an average of nearly $600 from the prior year, according to a report from the Oregon Capital Chronicle. This puts in-state undergraduate costs as some of the highest in the west and the financial burden carried by students (>50%) as one of the highest proportions in the nation. READ MORE →

Starting yesterday morning and running through May 5, Live Nation is offering $30 all-in tickets (fees included) to more than 4,000 concerts across the U.S. and Canada. Oregon and Southwest Washington fans can grab discounted seats to select shows at four local venues: Hayden Homes Amphitheater in Bend, Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Cascades Amphitheater in Ridgefield, and the Moda Center in Portland. Artists in the mix include Brandi Carlile, Goo Goo Dolls, Trevor Noah, Charlie Puth, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Dermot Kennedy. Head to livenation.com/promotion/summeroflive — inventory is limited and the best dates will go fast.

Lincoln City police arrested a 64-year-old woman last Tuesday after she allegedly struck a man repeatedly in the back with a piece of driftwood as they both ran towards glass float spotted on the beach. For the uninitiated: Lincoln City's "Finders Keepers" program has hidden handcrafted glass floats on local beaches since 1999, and the globes have become serious collector's items. Apparently seriously serious. READ MORE →

According to professor and historian Stephen Arndt, how many ghost towns are in Oregon?

Answer at the bottom of today’s newsletter

Spring Unveiling Arts Festival — Cannon Beach

One of the coast's most beloved gallery weekends returns, with Cannon Beach's resident artists and galleries debuting new spring work across a three-day open gallery event. Painters, sculptors, ceramicists, and photographers throughout town throw their doors open with receptions, demos, and debut collections. Haystack Rock looms at the edge of the sand as your backdrop. The town fills up for this one! Book lodging early or make a day trip of it.

Gorge Artists Open Studios Tour

Over three days, artists across the Columbia River Gorge, from Hood River to The Dalles, open their working studios to the public for a self-guided tour through one of the most scenically dramatic art communities in the Pacific Northwest. Painters, glassblowers, printmakers, and ceramic artists welcome visitors into spaces you'd never find otherwise. Pair it with a wildflower hike at Rowena Crest, which is at peak bloom right now.

Oregon Coast Gravel Epic — Yachats & Waldport

Part of the 2026 Oregon Triple Crown cycling series, this twin-gravel event routes riders through the rugged Siuslaw National Forest and along the Pacific coastline, with courses from 32 to 60 miles. Even if you're not racing, Waldport & Yachats are some of the most spectacular small towns on the Oregon Coast. Spectators welcome; post-ride scene in town is lively.

Roam the Rogue — Rogue Valley Wine & Food Event

An intimate wine and food tasting event set in the Upper Rogue region of the valley. At each of the six wineries you’ll have the chance to taste two wines and 2 deliciously paired appetizers.

39th Annual Portland Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

One of Oregon's largest multicultural festival returns to Tom McCall Waterfront Park for five days along the Willamette, presented by the Portland Guadalajara Sister City Association. This year's 39th edition brings 40+ food vendors, an open air market, kids activities, Rip City boxing, tequila tasting, and plenty more!

There are Oregon Coast towns people drive through, and then there's Yachats, the kind of place people stop and stay for a day…or a lifetime. Yachts has a population of just 700 and sits where the Yachats River meets the Pacific at a point where the coastline turns dramatically rocky. Here the tidepools are world-class and the town is home of one of the best spots for a latte in all of Oregon (Dream Machine Coffee - if you were wondering).

Early May is one of the best windows to visit. The spring whale migration is winding down (although they’re still out there) and the summer crowds haven't yet arrived. Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, just a few miles south, offers some of the most spectacular ocean viewpoints in Oregon: Thor's Well, a sea-filled sinkhole that seems to drain the Pacific at low tide, and Spouting Horn, which shoots water 40 feet into the air with each wave. Both are a short walk from the parking area. In town, swing by Luna Sea Fish House for their clam chowder, and Ona Restaurant for some deliciously local offerings.