While Camp Costello will not be happening this summer, the entire season has NOT been canceled!

For the past five years, our kids have circled back home to celebrate the 4^th of July in Lake Oswego along with a group of 15-20 of their friends who take up a 48-72 hour residence under our roof. They’ve christened this annual event “Camp Costello.”

Camp Costello has become another casualty of the COVID-19 crisis. My son, who is currently living in London, has been checking local updates on a regular basis. But when the airlines canceled his flight home at the same time the fireworks show over the lake got scrapped, he posted an update on the Camp Costello Facebook page that “Camp Costello has been canceled.”

Mind you, my son, and the rest of us have the big picture in mind and realize the importance of personal sacrifice for the sake of the public good. But that doesn’t dispel the disappointment that the cancellation of traditions—from graduation celebrations to pancakes in the park—creates.

One young woman put it so well recently in an article on Verge, “It was a privilege to love these events — it is a privilege to understand their value and to mourn them in due course. It is profoundly human to care for things other than the preservation of our species. There is so much out there we must feel.”

So, as disappointed as we may be to see the growing list of what is NOT happening in Lake Oswego this summer, we can also be reminded of how much this community has offered us to enjoy all these years. As with any loss the silver lining to feeling it is knowing that something special existed there before in order to create such a strong sensation with its absence.

We live in a place where summer has come to mean music and movies in the parks, fireworks over the lake, adventure runs and outdoor theater. And while this summer may look much different, I am taking comfort in the fact that I know summer in Lake Oswego will still bring weather that makes it the best place to be this time of year, evenings that stay light until 9:30 p.m. and beauty that I enjoy during its seasonal variations year-round.

In addition, some things are still happening, albeit in a COVID-19 version.

They include:

Lake Oswego Farmers Market. Check out my previous blog post detailing all the changes, beginning with a later opening date set for Saturday, June 6.

Lakewood Center Festival of the Arts. The 57^th annual arts education program that usually runs across three days is taking to the internet in the short-term with further programming to unfold over the summer and fall of 2020. Organizers have created an Online Gallery to display two of their six 2020 art exhibits: Art in the Park and Artist’s Vision. The Special Exhibit: Brilliant! Jewelers Making Statements has been postponed until next year. Art in Oregon’s exhibit, You are Not a Robot, is being postposted until later this year. In the planning stages still: a smaller version of the Open Show in the fall, if circumstances allow; and online classes for adults and youth.

This change in plans has left the Festival with a $100,000 shortfall so donations are strongly encouraged.

Village Flower Baskets. This incredibly beautiful display will go on! Instead of volunteers hanging the baskets in the wee hours of a May Saturday morning, they were hung by The Garden Corner, the nursery that puts them together every year. Volunteers can still help by donating to this community-funded (and community-enjoyed) event.

Lake Oswego Golf Course. The public golf course is open 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. with certain COVID-19 policies in place including the practice of social distancing and a no-touch policy in place for flag sticks. Customers are advised to reserve tee times online or by calling 503.636.8228.

Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation parks, trails, and natural areas remain open to the public for walk-in use only. Restrooms and drinking facilities are closed and visitors are asked to maintain the 6-foot social distancing recommendation from other individuals.

Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation classes. While many of the summer camps and classes have been canceled, you can find enjoy of your favorites online including: Yogalates, Mindfulness Meditation and Hip Hop for Kids. Check offerings online.

Lake Oswego Public Library. While the library’s doors may be closed, the librarians are in…devising all kinds of ways to keep you connected with the love of reading and learning. Stay updated by checking online. Here are some of the ways you can still check things out of your library:

• Time to Make Art. Get inspired by art challenges and watch video tutorials; then enter weekly drawings.
• Postcards from Librarians. Check-in every Friday for a virtual visit from one of the Youth Services librarians as they sing songs and share stories from their homes to yours.
• Early Literacy Challenges. Check the library’s Instagram account for Tuesday tips on how to encourage the love of reading in your kids
• Cook the Books Book Group. Check out the week’s theme, cook up a meal accordingly, and then share the recipe and the experience live with others on Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m.
• Third Tuesday Author Series. This regular event has gone online.
• Thursday Night Trivia. Check-in Thursday nights at 7:00 p.m. and see how well you can do! First, you’ll need to register online and download the Cisco Webex Meetings app. You’ll receive an email inviting you to the meeting.
• Waldo Sightings. Waldo is out and about in Lake Oswego, but just in case you miss him on one of walks or bike rides, you can check in here every Wednesday to see where he was hanging out that week.

Planning events is very fluid during this time so be sure to check the Lake Oswego website for the latest updates. For example, no decision had yet been made on the Lake Oswego Swim Park which typically opens July 1. And the Lake Grove Swim Park needs to remain closed until Clackamas County enters Phase 2 of the State of Oregon’s Reopening Plan. The earliest that is expected to happen is in late June, but it could be as late as early or mid-July. Check the Lake Grove Swim Park website for updates once Clackamas County enters Phase 1. And while the 4th of July fireworks have been canceled, the jury is still out on Hot August Nights. So keep checking here and on those websites to stay up-to-date.

Summer is also a very popular season for buying and selling a home. COVID-19 has had some impact on that as well as you can read in a previous blog. Please consider me as your resource if you are considering putting your home on the market or buying a home in Lake Oswego. I’d love to put my 30+ years of experience to work for you! Give me a call at 503.939.9801, check out my website, and/or fill out the contact form below. I’m here to help.