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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2016)
8 10 9 T H R H OD O DE ND RO N F ES T IV A L P RO GR A M • M A Y 1 8 , 2 0 16 C OAST R ADIO atching a wave is much more than just the theme of the 109th annual Rhododendron Festival. It’s been a way of life for Coast Radio, its staff, sponsors and listeners for many years. Tune in to Florence’s local radio sta- tions, KCST (106.9 FM) and KCFM (104.1 FM/1250 AM), where you can “Catch the Wave” and celebrate Rhody Days. Both stations will provide cover- age from the festival’s biggest events throughout the weekend. “The festival remains the Florence area’s kickoff to the summer season, the pride of our community and a chance to embrace our history. The station and most of the staff have been a significant part of that for sev- eral decades,” says Coast Radio General Manager Jon Thompson. Coast Radio’s on-air staff will broadcast from various locations all weekend, giving listeners on-site insights from the carnival rides, C CATCHES WAVES ON AIR bustling Bay Street and the Old Town Vendor Fair. Other live coverage includes Saturday’s 5K and 10K Rhody Run, junior parade and news and interviews from the Elks Lodge chicken barbeque and pie sale. Saturday’s live coverage concludes with the KCST Classic Car Cruise and oldies broadcast from Old Town. Coverage resumes just before noon on Sunday with the grand floral parade and updates from all over town. Coast Radio not only broad- casts the annual car cruise, it organiz- es and hosts the entire event with the help of the Siuslaw Valley Firefighters Association. Registration for the KCST Classic Car Cruise begins at 8:30 a.m. during the Rhody Cruisers car club’s Show and Shine in the Grocery Outlet park- ing lot at 21st and Highway 101. Registration is required and entries are limited to the first 150 registrants of 1976 and older model vehicles. KCST donates 100 percent of the registration fees to the firefighters association. “We’ve been honored to benefit our firefighters with this annual fundraiser since 1998,” says News Director Bob Sneddon, who organizes the yearly event in partnership with key sponsors Hoberg’s Complete Auto Repair, Central Lincoln PUD, Beachcomber Pub, Keri’s Dunes Café, Potter’s Tire and Automotive Care, Foglio Drop Box Service, Krab Kettle, BJ’s Ice Cream, Fresh Detailing, Best for Hearing, Coast Insurance Services and Homegrown Public House. Staging for the Cruise begins at 5 p.m. at the Florence Christian Church at 2nd and Ivy streets. Cruisers who want to be judged for one of the many prizes need to be in place by 6 p.m. This year’s KCST Classic Car Cruise will last one hour beginning at 6:30 p.m. and retracing its Old Town loop until 7:30 p.m. Coast Radio will have a remote broadcast location for the cruise set up in Old Town on Maple Street at the intersection with Bay Street. Sneddon and noted classic car expert Mike Groshong will play top hits from the ’50s and ’60s while they highlight the cars and interview drivers. Live coverage of Sunday’s Grand Floral Parade begins at 11:45 a.m., with “float-by-float” descriptions of entries from the reviewing stand — built by W.G. Peterson Woodworking — at TR Hunter Real Estate, between 17th and 18th streets on Highway 101. Parade broadcast is sponsored by the Florence Area Chamber of Com- merce Distinguished Sponsors and Underwriter Three Rivers Casino Resort. On-air personalities Harley Youngblood and Calista Cates, co- hosts of the KCFM Morning Show, will provide commentary, back- ground and insights on the parade’s floats, bands, entries and dignitaries.
