Portland in the News: Exploding Whale Memorial Park; Juneteenth a Holiday in Portland; MLS Starts Back Up July 8 & More! | June 18, 2020

Near Florence, a public vote has named one of Oregon’s newest parks Exploding Whale Memorial Park!

The City of Portland will now officially recognize Juneteenth as a holiday.

And the MLS season is set to resume July 8. The Portland Timbers are in Group F, along with fellow Western Conference teams: LAFC, the LA Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo.

Here’s a roundup of the goings-on in Portland this week:

• Oregonian: Portland Timbers draw Group F for MLS is Back Tournament, with LAFC, LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo

• KGW8: Juneteenth now a paid holiday in Multnomah County

• NBC Sports: Ever wonder how the Trail Blazers settled on their team name?

• Fox12: Artist creates mural in NE Portland honoring George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor

• Mother Jones: There’s Already an Alternative to Calling the Police

• Street Roots: As pandemic ravages Portland music industry, what will happen to independent venues?

• OPB: What To Know About COVID-19 — 3 Months After The Pandemic Reached Oregon

• KMTR: Welcome to ‘Exploding Whale Memorial Park’ on the Oregon coast!

• Fox12: City of Portland to recognize Juneteenth holiday

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