Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Rose Festival is in full swing.  The Grand Floral Parade is Saturday and city leaders are reminding those who plan to go that reserving spots days in advance is now a punishable offense.  Andrew Theen reports.

Portland Commissioner Randy Leonard hates duct tape, or at least the tradition of reserving prime parade spots by marking the sidewalk with it.

Leonard led the effort to outlaw the practice a year ago.  He says violators now face a $100 fine.

Leonard and Rose Festival leaders say most years Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard near the Convention Center is littered with chalk, tape, and lawn chairs by this time.  But there is no tape in sight.

Leonard says he expects an old tradition to resurface.

Randy Leonard: "We used to walk into this area at 5 am, 6 am.  We'd watch the news the night before.  And people up and down this street were sitting in lawn chairs all night long.That's the actual tradition we are expecting to get back to."

It is legal to start reserving spots after midnight Friday morning, as long as someone stays there to hold the space.  To make that easier, Leonard said the city is setting up 300 portable toilets.