Wednesday Open Line


This is National Rose Month, celebrating America’s favorite flower, grown in all 50 states. One of the world’s biggest floral celebrations is going on now and will pack in its greatest activity through June — the Portland, Oregon Rose Festival, founded in 1907. Portland is called the City of Roses, and its many rose-themed celebrations began early in May and continue into July. Among the numerous events making up the festival are a youth silent film festival, a treasure hunt, an art show, drag races, a grand floral parade, and tomorrow’s 127th annual Spring Rose Show. Roses for all sorts of events — weddings, Valentines Day, anniversaries, and birthdays — are sold by the 62,000 people working at the nation’s 14,000 florists. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.