Jeb Bladine: Snippets of useful news at the end of summer

Here’s another occasional episode of “News You Can Use” (NYCU) – snippets of information sprinkled with small bits of gratuitous comment, offered during this annual transition time between summer and back-to-school days.

First, why is this transition happening before Labor Day? Local schools start Monday for a short week followed by a four-day Labor Day weekend. Talk about a mental roller-coaster for student readjustment!

Portland parents gathered 2,000 signatures in opposition to the 2026 schedule, but a district judge didn’t accept their plea for a final family-friendly vacation before school starts. School officials said the pre-Labor Day teaching time is essential to prepare for statewide standardized testing.

Whatchamacolumn

Jeb Bladine is president and publisher of the News-Register.

> See his column

Balderdash, I say (gratuitous comment). But back to NYCU.

Beware I-5: Plan ahead for Portland trips between Sept. 11 and mid-October: Southbound I-5 will be closed 24/7 between I-405 and I-84 in the Portland Rose Quarter area. Traffic from the north will be detoured across the I-405 bridge to circumvent downtown Portland. One off-ramp will let southbound traffic exit at Broadway/Weidler near the Moda Center.

Severe systemwide backups are guaranteed, so consider different routes and timing — particularly for the airport, Vancouver, eastside and medical trips.

Gas pump blues? Oregon’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program opened this week and runs through Nov. 4. Standard rebates are $2,000 for new battery vehicles and $1,500 for new plug-in hybrid vehicles, rising as high as $7,500 and $5,000, respectively, for people meeting low-income eligibility. Information is available on the Department of Environmental Quality website.

Last-chance food benefit: Oregon families meeting income requirements can receive $120 per public school child to reimburse for summertime food costs. But the Department of Human Services deadline is Tuesday. Call 833-673-7328 or email them at summerebtinfo@odhs.oregon.gov.

Read a book, see the Spruce Goose: Your McMinnville Library card is now an annual free passport for up to four people visiting each of the North American Aerospace Museum (formerly Evergreen), Oregon Garden, Pittock Mansion and Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals. You can check out one-day passes at the library.

Sidebar: Did you know there is a museum of rocks and minerals in Hillsboro? I didn’t, thus missing the museum’s Thursday “Star Party” for viewing the almost-total lunar eclipse.

State FAIR-ly useful tips: The Oregon State Fair opens its 11-day run today in Salem. Save $2 per ticket with advance online purchase, including $3 for ages 65 and older, and both one-day family 4-pack and 11-day individual ticket, non-transferable, at $25. Moderate weather is promised, but still aim for 10 a.m. opening to avoid crowds.

Caretakers accompanying clients are admitted free; don’t enter the green gate without pre-bought tickets; and each major amphitheater concert makes a limited number of seats available free with ordinary fair admission, first-come, first-served. I’m betting that doesn’t include Weird Al Yankovic, who is completely sold out on Labor Day.

Just to bring this NYCU column full circle, those crowds will be heavy on the weekends because kids will be in school classrooms almost half of the fair schedule (final gratuitous comment).

Jeb Bladine can be reached at jbladine@newsregister.com or 503-687-1223.