MONDAY, NOV. 21

Free parking — Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will offer free day-use parking to people wanting to visit any of the 24 state parks on Friday, Nov. 25, the day after Thanksgiving (or known as "Green Friday").

Parking is free year-round at almost all state parks; the waiver applies to the parks that charge $5 daily for parking. Fee parks include popular destinations such as Fort Stevens, Cape Lookout, Silver Falls, Champoeg, L.L. Stub Stewart, Smith Rock and Milo McIver. A complete list of parks that require day-use parking permits is available online at stateparks.oregon.gov.

Kann honored — Esquire magazine has named Gregory Gourdet's Haitian restaurant Kann as the No. 1 "Best New Restaurant" in the country.

It opened in August at 548 S.E. Ash St., and subsequently made The New York Times' "Best Restaurants 2022" list.

Kann's menu features traditional Haitian flavors alongside dishes inspired by the cuisines of the African, Caribbean, and Southeast Asian diaspora while emphasizing the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.

Said Gourdet:

"Landing on Esquire's 'Best New' list is one of the biggest honors that a restaurant can receive and is a clear testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Kann team. So many people play a role in making every ingredient, dish, and service possible and I'm honored to work alongside such passionate individuals."