It’s not just in Hollywood that performances deserve special recognition. Right here in Lake Oswego we have some individuals and works that merit honoring. I’m sure if you live here you have nominees of your own, but here are mine to get you thinking.

BEST PICTURE: Camp Costello. Every summer for the past several years, our son invites his San Francisco friends to come to Lake Oswego to celebrate the Fourth of July which meant that this past July we had about 15-20 of them sleeping under our roof, swimming in Lakewood Bay at our cabana, and celebrating in the way that twentysomethings do. The year before this large group had gotten their picture in the Lake Oswego Review at the pancake breakfast so this time around they tried for winning Lake Oswego’s Best Photo contest by forming the letters LO in our backyard wearing their 4^th of July gear. While we didn’t win that award, it does come out on top in these awards.

BEST DIRECTOR: Bill Baars, retired library director for his eleven years of leadership in making the Lake Oswego library a gathering place where you are as likely to find concerts, live movies, arts and crafts and workshops as you are to find books. His legacy includes the Lake Oswego Reads program as well as the library’s top billing as the Oregon library with the highest per capita usage. Fortunately for us, retired doesn’t mean “done.” Baars recently hosted the LO Reads author presentation with Cristina Henriquez, posing thoughtful questions that gave all of us in the audience greater insight into the author’s workings.

BEST ACTOR or ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Jenny Slepian in her role as Sustainability and Management Analyst for not only raising our consciousness about how we can be better stewards of our environment but also suggesting concrete action we can take. Thanks to a recent article she recently wrote in the Lake Oswego Review my wife now walks into grocery stores not only with her reusable shopping bags but also her mesh reusable produce bags. Not to mention the compost bin under our sink that got us to start composting our food waste rather than throwing it down the garbage disposal along with gallons of wasted water. Slepian will be leading a workshop on how to give up single use plastics in our everyday life on Saturday, March 9 at 12:00 p.m. at the Lake Oswego library in case you want to learn more.

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST: Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation department that bring us everything from Movies in the Park and Horse-drawn Wagon Rides to Fairy Tale Ballet and Luscher Farm Family Dinners. Their tireless efforts and creative programming go a long way towards keeping Lake Oswego an engaging and engaged community.

BEST MUSICAL: Buddy Returns! This show that doubled as a fundraiser for the Lakewood Center was a hoot—and I don’t just say that because my wife volunteered me to get up on stage and contribute my vocals to “Summertime Blues.” (Is there an award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical?) The night featured 20 of Buddy’s hits from “That’ll Be the Day” to “Peggy Sue” as well as numbers (and appearances) by The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. The songs, the time travel, the antics, had everyone in the audience smiling, clapping and singing along.

BEST COMEDY: Spilt Milk. Kudos to comediennes Joanie Quinn and Betsy Kauffman for bringing their laughfest to Lake Oswego! The duo have been performing and lining up other local comics under the Spilt Milk tagline for about six years but it was just last year that they set up shop at the Lake Theater and Café on the second Thursday of the month. If ticket sales indicate how well they deliver, then they are definitely worthy of the award as shows have sold out each month since they moved here. The next one is on Valentine’s Day, February 14. You can purchase tickets here (if there are any left!).

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS: Fireworks show over the lake. Some things never get old and watching the fireworks display from our boat along with hundreds of other boats out on the lake is magical. To think it was cancelled one year back in the early 90s! At that time the fireworks were launched off the small island across from the Lake Grove Swim Park and the close proximity to houses was deemed a fire hazard. The Lake Oswego Corporation tried to remedy the situation with a laser light show that might have had a chance if it was in red white and blue but as I recall it was in green. So my wife and I harnessed an effort to “See them live in ‘95” and raised funds to bring the show back, launching the pyrotechnics off from a floating barge out in the middle of the lake. Since then, the Lake Corporation has used funds from assessment fees to ensure that the show goes on!

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Waiting at Hayden’s book trailer filmed right here in Lake Oswego and Portland. My daughter Riley published her novel, Waiting at Hayden’s this past summer and as part of her marketing campaign she took on the roles of Director, Casting Director, Location Scout, Screenwriter, Wardrobe Director, and Set Designer to produce this trailer. You can buy her book on Amazon.

I like to think if there was an award for Best Realtor, I’d be taking home the honor. Let me win your vote! If you’re thinking of moving in, out or around Lake Oswego or the Portland metro area, give me a call at 503.939.9801 and/or check out my website. I’ve been a Realtor for over 30 years and would love to put my experience to work for you!