News Briefs

Paul Revere commemoration

A commemoration of Paul Revere's midnight ride happens from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday at Wilde Irish Pub, 423 Railroad Ave. in Shelton.

The event will feature costumed British and colonials, collector coins and Revolutionary War trivia, according to organizers.

It's part of the America 250 celebrations, a national initiative to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, happening in 2026.

For more information on national events, go to http://www.America250.org and state events at http://www.AmericaWA250.org.

Native bees at Schafer State Park

Schafer State Park hosts a talk on native bees and other pollinators from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Shelter No. 1, 1365 West Schafer Park Road near Matlock.

David Jennings, president of the Washington Native Bee Society, will talk about the current health of local pollinators and lead a discussion about how people can make a difference, according to a news release from the state park.

"Most of our native bees, other than our beloved bumbles, are so small and fast moving that we often don't notice them, or if we do, we don't recognize them as bees. Estimates are that we have upwards of 700 species of native bees here in Washington state, but only about 565 have been identified to species.

"The number continues to grow," according to the release.

Olympic National Forest goes cashless

Olympic Nation Forest will no longer accept cash at most facilities starting April 21.

Visitors who are only able to pay with cash may purchase some recreation passes from local vendors listed at http://www.fs.usda.gov/Olympic and Discover Your Northwest, which operates bookstores at forest offices, according to a news release.

Northwest Forest day-use passes can be purchased, and some campground fees can be paid via credit or debit at self-service stations. Lena Creek and Hamma Hamma Campground fees will be collected at the Lena Lake Trailhead self-service station.

A scan and pay option will be available in areas with cellular or wifi, and if visitors already have the recreation.gov app loaded on their phone. Scan and pay will work offline as well. Commercial salal permits will be the only item available for purchase with cash.

Olympic National Park backcountry permits available

Olympic National Park wilderness permits for the summer season, May 15 through Oct. 15, are available at http://www.recreation.gov, by emailing the Wilderness Information Center at OLYM_WIC@nps.gov or by calling 360-565-2992.

Day hikers don't need permits, but all overnight backcountry camping requires a wilderness permit. Cost is $8 per person per night plus a $6 per permit fee.

Some trailheads may be affected by road construction, according to the park, and current information is available under the alerts section on recreation.gov or by calling the Wilderness Information Center.

Practice burn in Union

The Union Fire Department will have a practice burn April 26 on PUD 1's house on the corner of East Manzanita Drive and East McReavy Road in Union.

The building is being demolished to make way for a PUD 1 water storage project. The burn will be part of a regional training exercise with other fire districts.