Media Update: March 2007

Greetings from Portland, Oregon. Below is an update on the area’s newest travel-related developments. We hope you will find this information useful. If you prefer not to receive future media updates on Portland, please click here.

MARCH TOPICS

Quirky – Annual UFO Festival Touches Down at Hotel Oregon

Family-friendly – Oregon Zoo’s Black Bear Ridge Exhibit to Open March 10

Green – Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Launches Carbon Calculator

Annual UFO Festival Touches Down at Hotel Oregon

True believers, skeptics, experts and anyone in between are invited to attend the 8th Annual UFO Festival (May 18-19, 2007) at McMenamins’ historic Hotel Oregon in McMinnville. Located just 45 minutes from downtown Portland, the normally tranquil wine country village of McMinnville is where some of the most famous UFO images ever taken were captured. Snapped in the spring of 1950 by farmers Evelyn and Paul Trent, the “Trent Photos” created a frenzy when they appeared in newspapers and on television. For a time, in fact, the national news media referred to McMinnville as “Saucerville.”

This year’s UFO Festival features a keynote address by Dr. David Jacobs, director of the International Center for Abduction Research (ICAR) and associate professor of history at Temple University in Philadelphia. Dr. Jacobs will discuss how the science of “ufology” has changed in the 60 years since the 1947 Roswell incident in New Mexico. Guest speakers Peter Robbins, UFO researcher and best-selling author; and Peter Davenport, director of the National UFO Reporting Center, will round out the Panel Q&A on Saturday morning. In addition to these scholarly pursuits, the festival will also feature live music, an alien pet costume content, and – not to be outdone by Fluffy and Spot – the Alien Costume Ball for humans.

Reservations at the Hotel Oregon are sold out; however, other lodging is available in the area, including nearby Portland. Tickets to attend the keynote address and the UFO panel discussion can be purchased online; admission to all other festival events is free. The Hotel Oregon is located at 310 N.E. Evans St., McMinnville, Ore.; 503.472.8427. For more information on the UFO Festival, visit www.ufofest.com.

Media Contacts:

Renee Rank, McMenamins, 503.492.5457; reneer@ed.mcmenamin.com

Kerry Beeaker, McMenamins, 503.492.5443; kerryb@ed.mcmenamin.com

Oregon Zoo’s Black Bear Ridge Exhibit to Open March 10

The opening of Black Bear Ridge (March 10, 2007) marks the completion of a 10-year, $36 million project to create the Oregon Zoo’s massive “Great Northwest” exhibit. This multifaceted exhibit – designed to foster respect for and stewardship of the Northwest’s diverse ecosystems – offers a journey from the crests of the Cascade mountains to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Within the Great Northwest experience are Cascade Crest, featuring mountains and mountain goats; Cascade Canyon Trail, with a suspension bridge kids will go nuts for; Eagle Canyon, telling the stories of the bald eagle and endangered salmon; Cougar Crossing, with its namesake big cats; Trillium Creek Family Farm, where children can visit the barn to pet goats and sheep; Elk Meadow, home to majestic elk; Steller Cove, whose above and below-water viewing areas introduce visitors to sea otters, fish and Steller’s sea lions; and, finally, Black Bear Ridge.

One of the best ways to see the roaming residents of Black Bear Ridge is from the Cascade Canyon Trail’s 100-foot-long suspension bridge, which gives visitors a bird’s-eye view of the bears. Sharing this newly opened area of zoo with the bears are several bobcats. The design and construction of Black Bear Ridge was completed with sustainability and animal interests in mind. For example, black bears are great climbers, so it was considered essential to not remove the existing trees during construction. The bobcats also received a few perks, including an overturned tree stump that serves as a heated den. For more information on the Oregon Zoo and its new Black Bear Ridge exhibit, visit www.oregonzoo.org.

Media Contact:

Bill LaMarche, Oregon Zoo, 503.220.2448, lamarcheb@metro.dst.or.us

Linda D’Ae-Smith, Oregon Zoo, 503.220.5716, d'ae-smithl@metro.dst.or.us

Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Launches Carbon Calculator

The Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center – Lloyd Center, the first lodging property in Oregon to be certified as a Green Seal “green hotel,” recently joined forces with The Climate Trust to launch a guest-driven carbon calculator. The calculator can be found at www.doubletreeportlandgreen.com, a special website that describes and highlights the Doubletree’s many eco-friendly initiatives and programs. One of those, the carbon calculator, allows individual guests and meeting groups to determine the global warming impact of their stays. Guests can then make a contribution to The Climate Trust to offset their visit’s carbon footprint. Donations made by guests and meeting groups support several Portland-based projects that The Climate Trust is helping to fund. These projects reduce carbon dioxide emissions through improved transportation and increased energy efficiency in both commercial and residential buildings.

The Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center is located at 1000 N.E. Multnomah St., Portland; 503.281.6111. For more information on the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center, visit www.portlandlloydcenter.doubletree.com.

Media Contact:

Veronica Marzilli, Doubletree P.R. Rep, 503.872.9616, veronica@dhxadv.com