In brief: Volunteers needed for UFO Fest, Mac High testing; Earth day, Lu'au and Burn events
UFO Festival seeks volunteers
More volunteers are needed for the UFO Festival, which will take place in downtown McMinnville May 15-16.
McMenemins Hotel Oregon started the festival, which attracts thousands of people to town — about 25,000 last year, making it the largest annual UFO event in the U.S. The weekend includes an alien-themed parade, street vendors, a fun run, a pet costume contest, music and serious ufology speakers, among other activities.
The business hosts it in conjunction with the McMinnville Downtown Association, which organizes the parade, booths and other aspects of the festival. The MDA needs volunteers for a variety of tasks, including parade judging, trash pickup and set up and tear down.
Volunteers can sign up through the MDA website, downtownmcminnville.com, or by calling 503-472-3605.
Testing volunteers needed
McMinnville High School is looking for volunteers to monitor testing for students in advanced placement classes May 5-17.
Volunteers must be able to pass a background check, as they would to help with any school activity. No training is required.
During AP testing in the school’s field house, volunteers will direct students to their seats, monitor them during the exams and bathroom breaks, and ensure they don’t have prohibited items or engage in inappropriate behavior.
Staff members will proctor the exams and oversee the volunteers.
For more information, send email to Assistant Principal Teresa Denney, tdenney@msd.k12.or.us.
Earth Day activities Saturday
Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District will host a variety of activities from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18, in celebration of Earth Day.
Family activities are planned at Miller Woods, an educational natural area at 15580 Orchard View Road, northwest of McMinnville. Admission is free.
The day will include a native plant sale, booths staffed by local conservation organizations and walking trail hikes.
At 10 a.m., there will be a kids’ fun run around the lower pond.
Outdoor Education Adventures will lead sessions on Making Scientific Observations at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
At noon, kids can make nest balls. At 1 p.m., there will a session on nature journaling.
The Yamhill County Master Gardeners, the Greater Yamhill Watershed Council, the Native Plant Society of Oregon, Edible Landscapes of Yamhill County and Yamhill SWCD will distribute information, as well.
Linfield holds lu’au Saturday
Linfield University Pacific Islander students will host their 53rd annual Lu’au and Ho’ike on Saturday, April 18.
The event features a dinner with island favorites, such as kalua pork, along with music and dancing. People can attend one or both activities.
The dinner will start at 5 p.m. in the Linfield fieldhouse on campus. In addition to the pork, which is slow-cooked in a pit, the meal will include teriyaki chicken, sweet and sour stir-fried tofu, macaroni salad, rice and grilled pineapple.
The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Ted Wilson Gymnasium next to the fieldhouse. Doors will open at 7 o’clock.
Tickets are $25 to $80 and can be purchased at events.linfield.edu/event-details/linfield-luau-and-hoike.
Art burn Friday at Linfield
The burn will start about 7:30 p.m. in the field west of Miller Fine Arts Center on Keck Drive, behind Albertsons. A marshmallow roast will follow.
This year’s sculpture is titled “Wrecking Ball.” It was built by students in Asst. Professor Totem Shriver’s Introduction to Studio Art and sculpture courses. Students worked together to construct the separate components, which were combined into a large wood sculpture.
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