3 Reasons Why Olivia Newton-John Wants You to Get Fitsical!

Posted on June 11, 2017 by lovelakeoswego

Back in the day when her hit, “Physical,” rocked the billboard charts, Olivia Newton-John rocked the look: leotards, leg warmers and headbands. The City of Lake Oswego thinks you can do the same and invites you to attend their 80s themed party, “Let’s Get Fitsicle!”on Thursday, June 15 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m at West Waluga Park, to celebrate all the choices we have in Lake Oswego to live a healthy and active lifestyle.

If Olivia were here, she’d want you to attend because she knows that some things, like eating healthy and staying active, never go out of style. So while the event is set to 80s hits, the goals are very timely:

  1. Raise money for the Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation scholarship program
  2. Raise awareness of the Healthy Eating-Active Living cities initiative that is behind many of the city’s popular programs such as Community Supported Agriculture at Luscher Farms, Yogalates at Palisades, Cyclocross Skills Clinics, or the Tuesday salad bar at the Lake Oswego Adult Community Center.
  3. Kickoff an active outdoor summer for Lake Oswego families and friends.

Here’s the schedule featuring our own LO Fire Department, Parks and Recreation staff and local businesses:

6:00 to 6:30 p.m. Check out all the activities, including healthy snacks, hands-only CPR, radical tunes, raffle. Be sure you take a spin on the Blender Bike which brings a whole new meaning to “doing two things at once.”

6:30 to 6:40 p.m. Warm-up with the Lake Oswego Fire Department

6:45 to 6:50 p.m. Dance Aerobics with Nancy

6:50 to 7:00 p.m. Nia with Zarina

7:00 to 7:10 p.m. Hula with Eve

7:10 to 7:20 p.m. Strength Training with Gail

7:20 to 7:30 p.m. Boot Camp at the Fit Spot with Barb

7:30 to 7:40 p.m. Tai Chi with Fred

7:40 to 7:50 p.m. Cool-down with the Lake Oswego Fire Department

7:50 p.m. Raffle drawing (must be present to win)

West Waluga Park is located at 15775 Waluga Drive. For more information, call 503.675.2549.

Stay up-to-date on what’s happening in Lake Oswego and what’s to love about living in Lake Oswego by clicking the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column. And if you are thinking of buying or selling your home, give me a call at 503.939.9801 or check out my website. I’ve been helping families move in, move out and move on for over 25 years–I’d love to put my experience to work for you!

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5 Things You Can Expect From a Good Realtor in Lake Oswego, Oregon

Posted on June 4, 2017 by lovelakeoswego

With the busy home buying season upon us, chances are you could be looking for a good Realtor to help you with your next move. When checking out who to work with, make sure your agent is prepared to do more than just help you buy or sell your home. Make sure he or she is prepared and qualified to offer you these services as well.

  1. The truth even if it’s not what you want to hear. A good real estate agent should come to you with hard data that suggests a market price at which your home will sell. In that calculation, he or she will take into consideration comparable sales, the condition of your home, market conditions, and your timeline. A good agent should not just tell you what you want to hear in order to get the listing as that doesn’t do you any kind of service at all. I have to admit I’ve lost some listings because I’ve always believed that my first obligation is to provide sellers with a realistic picture of what their home is worth. It’s not always what they want to hear but it can save them months of frustration down the road.
  2. Referrals. Being in the business, I have a list of remodelers, plumbers, handymen and mortgage brokers that I know can deliver on their promises. This can save valuable time when getting your home ready to put on the market.
  3. Advice. While I always explain to my clients I am not an attorney, I have picked up a lot of “best practices” expertise in my 25 plus years experience selling homes in and around Lake Oswego. When it’s appropriate, I share that with my clients, saving them valuable time, and in many cases, money. For example, I recently listed a home for a couple who are separated and pending divorce. I advised them to hold off finalizing their divorce until selling to maximize their profit. As a couple, they are entitled to a $500,000 capital gains tax exclusion upon the sale of their house. Once they are divorced, the exclusion drops to $250,000 for each person individually. Definitely something to consider.
  4. Follow-through. Very few real estate transactions are cut and dried. Things come up. In the hands of an inexperienced or ineffective Realtor, those “things” can sometimes become deal breakers. A good agent goes the distance to ensure he or she follows through on any concerns that might hold up a deal. I recently sold a condo that had crawl space issues which were the Homeowner Association’s responsibility. The buyer wanted some assurance that the HOA would follow through on that. I made sure that the seller started the conversation with the HOA to make the buyer feel comfortable that work would be done in due time to her satisfaction. While I understood that this was standard practice and something the HOA would undertake, the buyer did not and so I took action to address his concerns.
  5. Home warranty recommendation. Another application of Murphy’s Law is that in many cases, the minute you sell your home, the water heater will die or the refrigerator goes out. New buyers don’t take the news very well but if they have a home warranty in place that came with the sale, they’ll get a new one to replace it leaving everybody happy. That’s why I’ve been instructing my sellers to buy a home warranty for over 16 years that goes with the sale of their home. It’s not unusual for me to hear from the home warranty companies that they have been to one of my listings or sales to do repairs or replace items—reinforcing my belief that this is good standard operating procedure and something that every good agent should be recommending.

If you are interested in moving, give me a call at 503.939.9801 or check my website. I’ve been helping people move in, move out and move on for over 25 years and would love to help you do the same.

 

 

 

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Celebrate National Trails Day on Lake Oswego’s Pathways

Posted on May 28, 2017 by lovelakeoswego

Lake Oswego’s Old River Road pathway begins by crossing the scenic footbridge in George Rogers Park

With summer-like weather beckoning you, why not plan to “Go take a hike!” to celebrate National Trails Day this Saturday, June 3. Lake Oswego has a wide variety of walker, runner, biker, pet-friendly pathways to choose from ranging from the scenic seven mile Lake Loop to the Heritage Trail that guides hikers to seven sites in town associated with Oregon’s pioneer iron history.

Once you set foot on one of these trails, you’ll be doing yourself much more of a favor than just stretching your legs. Here are some of the other benefits of getting outdoors:

  1. Reduced stress. Spending time among the trees like you’ll find on the Iron Mountain Trail can provide stress relief as it did for Japanese university students who spent two nights in the forest in a 2012 study. Test results showed lower levels of oxidative stress and inflammation after their time in Mother Nature and lower cortisol levels than a similar group who had spent two dates in the city.
  2. Improved short term memory. In 2008, the University of Michigan had a group of students perform a memory test and then divided them into two groups. One walked around an arboretum while the other strolled down city streets. Upon their return they were asked to take the test again. The group that walked around in nature improved their scores by almost 20 percent while the urban goers saw little change.
  3. Increased Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D has been credited with everything from bone and cell growth to decreased inflammation so getting your daily dose is important to your overall health. Sunshine is the direct source, setting things in motion once it hits your skin so there is no substitute for getting the real thing.
  4. Better mood. English scientists analyzed the results of ten studies on the effect of “green exercise” (physical activity done in nature) and mental health and concluded that “Every green environment improved self esteem and mood” among the participants. Throw in water, and the results were even greater. You’ll get that if you walk along the Old River Road Pathway.

For a complete guide to Lake Oswego’s pathways and trails, click here.

Learn all there is to know and love about Lake Oswego by clicking the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column. You’ll receive weekly updates of my blog.

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Why the Rogerson Clematis Garden is a Perfect Excuse to Have a Garden Party

Posted on May 21, 2017 by lovelakeoswego

The Duchess of Waverly was showing off when I visited the Rogerson Clematis Garden at Luscher Farm recently.

The Rogerson Clematis Garden at Luscher Farm is just another example of how the city of Lake Oswego belies its size. With more than 1600 individual clematis spread on an acre of land surrounding the historic farmhouse, it is the most comprehensive collection of clematis within a public garden in North America.

To maintain and nurture this treasure, the Friends of the Rogerson Clematis Collection are holding their tenth annual Inviting Vines Garden Tour and Party on Saturday, May 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. featuring the Rogerson Garden as well as four additional gardens that have been showcased in years past. Guests can also enjoy “Breakfast with Mike Darcy,” in the barn for an additional fee.

The Rogerson collection was started by Brewster Rogerson in 1971 and made its way from Kansas to Eugene to the Gutmann Nursery in North Plains before finding its home at Luscher Farm where clematis are combined with other plants in a residential setting to inspire visitors to incorporate them into their yards. Volunteers update what’s in bloom on a regular basis, and with the variety planted there, it seems that something is always showing off its color.

Why all the fuss about clematis? They are visually stunning—I’ve been known to purchase a couple for my yard after being dazzled by their display in local nurseries. They come in a variety of colors as well as shapes and sizes. Flowers can be as wide as one to five inches across and the plants can range from one to thirty feet tall.

Don’t take my word for it. Buy a ticket for the Inviting Vines Garden Party. Cost is $25/person; $50/person for tour and breakfast with Mike Darcy (seating is limited and tickets only available on line until May 23). If you can’t make the event, just check out the “What’s in Bloom?” page on the collection’s website and head over to Luscher Farm at 125 Rosemont Road to see for yourself. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to dusk everyday.

 

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Mother Nature Has Friends in Lake Oswego

Posted on May 14, 2017 by lovelakeoswego

Efforts by Lake Oswego’s Park Stewardship volunteers ensure that native species like this trillium can thrive in their natural habitat.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I’d like to give a nod to a mother we can all be grateful for—Mother Nature.

Here in Lake Oswego it seems she has quite a few friends. Over 700 in fact – stewardship program volunteers who got down and dirty last year all in the name of restoring our natural areas. What drives them to pick up a shovel and gloves, brave the elements at times, and tackle jobs that could have been featured on one of the tamer episodes of the former Dirty Jobs TV show?

“Stewardship volunteers know they make a difference in the health of a living forest,” explains Babs Hamachek, Lake Oswego’s Parks Stewardship Coordinator.Unlike some volunteer efforts where it’s difficult to gauge a person’s impact, stewardship volunteers can see the direct results of their contributions.

For Heidi Schrimsher it has meant, “Watching parks evolve from ivy and blackberry infested deserts to biodiverse microcosms, and making these areas accessible to our community.”

With a masters in landscape architecture Schrimsher seems like a perfect fit for this line of work but the spectrum of volunteers is quite diverse. “My favorite work parties include parents with kids of all ages (including young ones that are more interested in finding worms than anything), high school kids looking for community service hours and empty nesters,” explains Schrimsher. “These diverse neighbors, who would likely never interact, get together in the park for the same purpose – to act as stewards of the land.”

Nobody said the work was glamorous, but for those who value a healthy natural habitat, it’s rewarding.

So what kind of dirty work do these volunteers actually do?  Urged on by the battle cry, “Free the Trees!” much of their time is spent pulling English Ivy off trees and removing other invasives such as Himalayan Blackberry and Travels Joy Clematis that smother native plants.

Once areas are cleaned up, volunteers can plant native species and help with other projects that protect the natural area of the park like spreading mulch or picking up debris. Thirty-five work parties were held last year, usually lasting for two hours on a Saturday or Sunday.

Mother Nature isn’t the only one that profits from these good deeds. The volunteers themselves get to exercise outdoors, meet new people who share their environmental values, and enjoy the health benefits of being in nature such as: stronger immune system, lower blood pressure, reduced stress, increased ability to focus, and increased energy level. As Hamachek explains, “It’s a win/win for the volunteers and the natural areas.”

Check out stewardship volunteer opportunities online. Work parties are drop-in and tools are provided.

Keep up to date on what’s to love about Lake Oswego. Click the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column to receive a new reason to love this town each week.

 

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Lake Oswego Farmers Market Opens May 20 With 15 New Vendors

Posted on May 7, 2017 by lovelakeoswego

Luckily for us, Jamie Inglis, Lake Oswego’s Farmers Market Manager, has a hard time saying no. So instead of seeing the usual five new vendors at this year’s market (which opens May 20) you’ll see 15. Inglis blames it on the strong applicant pool, but I like to think that she knows how to mix it up to make a good thing even better. Some vendors will participate in just a handful of dates so look for new additions each week. Here are some of the newbies to watch out for:

  • Block and Board. This local, natural butcher shop offers sausage, bacon, meats, beef jerky, charcuterie, deli meats and more. Watch for them each week.
  • Bull Run Distillery. Enjoy handcrafted spirits including whiskey, bourbon and vodka. Participating May 27, June 3, July 8, August 5, September 9 and October 7.
  • Chehalem Ridge. If you associate salsa with tomatoes, think again. Chehalem Ridge offers 100% all natural fruit salsas incorporating the flavors of pineapple, mango, blueberry, strawberry, rhubarb and more into their award winning sauces. Participating May 20, June 10, June 24, July 8, July 15, July 22, August 12, August 19, August 26, September 9, September 16, and September 23.
  • Earth House Juice Company. Get your daily servings of fruits and vegetables in a bottle. Each cold pressed juice bottle from Earth House contains almost two pounds of produce—getting your greens couldn’t be easier! Participating weekly.
  • La Camel. Satisfy your craving for authentic Spanish paella made with saffron, vegetables and meats. Participating weekly.
  • Monte Ferro Winery. This craft winery (produces less than 500 cases a year) specializes in pinot noirs and chardonnays. And talk about staying local—the owners are long-time Lake Oswego residents. Participating every other week.
  • Montiel’s Cocina. Try a new tamale flavor each week because Montiel’s will be there. Choose from chicken, pork, spinach and cheese, jalapeno and cheese and more.
  • Mt. Hope Farms. Straight from Molalla come these handcrafted small batch preserves, fruit spreads and syrups. Participating May 27, June 17, September 16 and October 14.
  • NOLA Doughnuts. Now Farmers Marketers don’t have to cross State Street to visit NOLA’s. Our local doughnut masters will be weekly participants at the Market. All NOLA’s doughnuts feature their signature La’ssant dough which is three days in the making. The exception is the New Orleans style beignet, that comes to you soft and warm as it’s made-to-order.
  • N.W. Saltz. Take your cooking up a notch with these artisanal flavor infused salts and seasoning blends—think Vintage Merlot or Toasted Onion. Participating May 20, July 22, August 19, September 9, September 30 and October 14.
  • Odyssey Hill Farm. Want more omega-3 fatty acids and less cholesterol with your eggs? Studies suggest that organic pastured brown eggs like those offered by Odyssey Hill Farm deliver just that. Participating weekly.
  • Red Duck Foods. Step up your outdoor barbecue game this summer with unique twists on familiar favorites, including four flavors of ketchup, three ways with BBQ sauce and a cocktail sauce. Participating every other week.
  • Romero’s Salsa. Try this all-natural family-recipe salsa filled with tomatoes and peppers that fans describe as “the best salsa we have ever tasted,” and “fresh and natural.” Participating weekly.
  • Scholls Valley Nursery.  Enhance your garden by tapping into the expertise and product line of this family owned and operated nursery specializing in locally-adapted native plants of the Northern Willamette Valley such as Oregon grape, snowberry, lupines, conifers, and more. Participating every other week.
  • The Mushroomery. Sautéed, raw, stuffed, grilled…there are so many ways to enjoy mushrooms and so many mushrooms to enjoy. Learn more by visiting these vendors who have a passion for all things mushroom. Participating weekly.
  • Vintage and Cream. The baker-in-residence here claims to have found “the secret to making gluten free desserts that satisfy even the pickiest of eaters.” Definitely worth checking out her offerings of breakfast, savory and dessert pastries as well as sweet treats. Participating weekly.
  • Wraps by Souper Natural.  Market favorite, Heidi Liebowitz of Souper Natural is expanding her culinary talents into our hot foot offerings with artisan wraps, breakfast sandwiches and tomato basil soups. Participating May 27, June 3, June 10, July 8, July 15, July 29, August 5, August 19, September 9, September 16, September 23, September 30, October 7 and October 14.

Market hours are 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with weekly entertainment from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Popular offerings like the Kids’ Corner and Farm Fresh Kids continue this year. Check out my previous blog posts for more information.

Things are going to get busy around here so be sure to subscribe to my blog by clicking on the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column to receive weekly updates on what’s happening in Lake Oswego. The real estate market is heating up too so if you’re in the market to move in, out, or within Lake Oswego, give me a call at 503.939.9801 or check out my website. I’d love to show you around.

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5 Surprising Ways the Lake Run Helps You Cross the Finish Line

Posted on April 30, 2017 by lovelakeoswego

Running a race is part mental prep, part physical, but no matter how much you prepare, each race has its own personality and quirks that can either make it easier or harder for you to get the job done. The Lake Run, on Saturday, May 13, is set up to make your race a win/win situation no matter what time you cross that finish line.

  1. The scenery will distract you. Yup, sometimes the best workouts are the ones that sneak up on you—you know, you’re having so much fun you don’t even realize you’re breaking out in a sweat? Well, you may realize you are huffing and puffing your way up to the South Shore peak, but with views of Oswego Lake and tree-lined streets to distract you, I imagine you won’t mind as much.
  1. There is strength in numbers. Even Lake Run organizers will admit the 10K course is one that “everyone loves to hate.” With its hilly terrain, you won’t be alone as you vent, “Aren’t we done yet?!” as you inch up the nuisance climb from Oswego Hunt Club to the Berwick turn.
  1. Bragging rights are earned. Okay, so it may not have the 3,500 foot elevation change (more like 300) of the Newbury Park California 10K, but anyone who has ever participated in the Lake Run will assure you that finishers here earn bragging rights too after surviving the McVey Hill climb that keeps on going until the course peaks along South Shore at 455 feet (that’s from a start at 150 feet).
  1. It’s the day before Mother’s Day. What mom wouldn’t love to either have her family join her in either the 5K Run/Walk or 10K, cheer her on along the course, have family members run the race in her honor, or watch her little ones barrel down to the finish in the Kid’s Dash? No matter her level of fitness, there is something at the Lake Run that could bring a smile to the face of the mom in your life.
  1. It’s family-friendly. Speaking of moms, the event is set up to be kid-friendly too. Besides the Kid’s Dash, there is a Family Fun Festival complete with a giant slide, face-painting and crafts for the kids. Plenty of vendor booths too to checkout and maybe get a Mother’s Day gift if you haven’t already.

Registration is open online. Fees are: $40/10K; $30/5K; $15/Kid’s Dash. The 10K and 5K fees increase by $5 after April 30. T-shirts are guaranteed for reservations received by April 30.  For more details, check the Lake Oswego Women’s Club website.

Lake Run…Farmer’s Market…there is lots coming up in Lake Oswego. Stay tuned for more happenings by clicking the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column to subscribe to “52 Reasons to Love Lake Oswego.”

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4 Ways to Plan Ahead to Celebrate Mother’s Day in Lake Oswego

Posted on April 23, 2017 by lovelakeoswego

Obviously Moms are underpaid. Even when you try to put a value on what they do as Insure.com does every year, they come out short. Broken down into tasks like childcare ($22,360/year), driving ($6,844.50), helping with homework ($8,170), and cooking ($7,280), their “worth” was only estimated to be $65,284 in 2016. So Mother’s Day is your chance to try to set the record straight. Here are a few suggestions for how to do that here in Lake Oswego.

  1. Make her a gift. Luscher Farm is offering two workshops just in time for Mother’s Day gifting. The first, on Saturday April 29 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. teaches you how to make your own salt scrubs, lip balm and massage oils using garden herbs. Put the samples together in a basket and voila! Cost is $30 for residents/$45 for non-residents. Register for Class 15472. You can learn how to make a beautiful hanging basket like those that adorn the streets of Lake Oswego in the summer on Saturday, May 6 from either 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Cost includes all materials: $40/resident;$60/non-resident. Register for Class 14720 (Ages 16+)

Nic&Fig’s is offering a Mother’s Day Bunting Banner Workshop for ages 8+ on Thursday, May 11 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Cost is $48. Children in grades three and up can learn how to make a Light-up Mother’s Day card or drawing with paper circuits on Friday, May 12 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Cost is $46. Register online.

  1. Take her to tea. Lady Di’s British Shop has two seatings for tea on Mother’s Day: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The menu includes tea sandwiches, warm savories, sweets and of course, tea. Cost is $32/person with an 18% gratuity. Call for a reservation: 503.635.7298. 430 2nd Street.
  1. Take her to brunch. If you decide to take Mom out to eat for Mother’s Day, you won’t be alone. Over 55% of Americans did so last year. And chances are you won’t be alone here in Lake Oswego as the morning meal is a popular excuse for residents to leave the cooking to someone else. Check out a recent post I wrote on popular breakfast spots in town. In addition, the Tavern on Kruse is planning a Mother’s Day brunch as well but didn’t have the details worked out yet. Check their website. 4835 Meadows Road, #133, 503.303.5280.
  1. Treat her to live theatre. Brought to the Lakewood Center stage by popular audience request, Godspell will be playing on Mother’s Day at 7:00 p.m. With songs like “Day by Day,” and “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord,” it’s sure to end your mom’s day on a good note. Tickets are $37 for Adults, $35 for Seniors 65 and older and $20 for Students 25 and under. 368 S. State Street, 503.635.3901. https://www.lakewood-center.org/pages/lakewood-plays-season-2016-17

Stay up-to-date on what’s to love about Lake Oswego by clicking the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column. Weekly updates will arrive in your inbox. I’m a Realtor in Lake Oswego who has lived here for over 25 years and helped others find a way to call Lake Oswego home. I’d love to do the same for you. 

Photo credit: Stuart Miles with freedigitalphotos.net

 

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Lake Oswego’s CSA Shares Program Brings Locally Grown Food to Lake Oswegans’ Tables

Posted on April 16, 2017 by lovelakeoswego

Lake Oswego locavores have many choices to support their desire to eat locally grown or produced food. They can register for a Community Garden plot determined by a lottery at the end of each year. They can shop at our popular Farmer’s Market that runs from mid-May through October. Or they can buy shares in the Community Supported Agriculture program.

The City of Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Department has partnered with 47th Avenue Farms in Portland to give residents an opportunity to enjoy the farm’s bounty all year long. Here’s how it works.

  1. Members pay in advance for their share of the season’s harvest. This enables the farmer to have the money upfront when it’s needed. The farm utilizes organic, sustainable practices and even tills the soil with draft horses when possible.
  2. There are two levels of participation: A half share for the summer seasons is considered sufficient for smaller families and couples ($555/Resident which comes to $3.30/day; $638/Non-Resident); Full shares provide produce for a family of four for a week ($999/Resident at a cost of $5.95/day; $1149/Non-Resident).
  3. Shareholders pick up their week’s bounty of vegetables and herbs every Thursday evening at Luscher Farm between 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the dairy barn beginning May 18 through October 26. There is opportunity for sampling and socializing.
  4. Selections follow the growing season so in the spring you’ll find offerings like herbs, fava beans and salad ingredients followed by sweet corn, basil and heirloom tomatoes in the summer and finishing off with toscano kale, fingerling potatoes and Japanese kabocha squash in the fall. Member access to CookWithWhatYouHave.com provides participants with recipes featuring that week’s bounty.
  5. The program is so popular that 47th Avenue has expanded the number of share offerings this year.
  6. An estimated 70% of each year’s shareholders return the following year. Here are some reasons why:

We love the experience of being at the farm, the kids weigh/pick our produce, friendly hellos and thank you and see ya next times with farmers. My kids ate 90% of the carrots by the time we got home.”

Convenience is important to me — so the farm is well-located. I like the diversity of options and access to the recipe website. The price is right — I can spend the same or more at Safeway/New Seasons and not get nearly the amount or quality. Most of all, it has helped us eat really healthy — frankly, we feel good about the food we’re eating.”

I love it, it encourages me to eat more vegetables than I would without the farm share.”

 

This was my first CSA experience and it was fun to get different vegetables that I wouldn’t normally select for myself, and figure out what to do with them.”

You can find out more about the CSA program by attending the next “Meet the Farmer” event on Thursday, April 27 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Luscher Farm, 125 Rosemont Road. It will be held during the last winter share pick-up so you can see the program in action and meet the farmer who is bringing the food to your table. For details, contact Luscher Farm 503.534.5284.

Stay up-to-date on what’s happening in Lake Oswego and why you might want to move to Lake Oswego if you don’t already live here! Subscribe to my blog by clicking the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column.

Photo Credit: Matt Giraud

 

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Make a Date for Entertainment This Weekend and Next in Lake Oswego

Posted on April 9, 2017 by lovelakeoswego

Lake Oswegans don’t have to travel far the next two weekends to enjoy a night of top-notch, high energy entertainment. Both high schools’ show choirs will be staging their annual variety shows. Here’s a sneak preview:

This year’s Lake Oswego Windjammers Variety Show is offering a 2-for-1 deal: entertainment for folks who like music and movies. With the theme, “A Night at the Movies,” the high school’s performance choir is showcasing some of your favorite tunes from your favorite films. Keep an eye out for these highlights.

  1. An arrangement of Straight No Chaser’s comical movie medley that weaves together music from such a disparate lineup as James Bond, ET, Forrest Gump, Star Wars, Titanic, Indiana Jones and Rocky.
  1. A tribute to Prince. The show will take place almost one year since the music icon died so it seems fitting that the cast will pay their respects with a powerful rendition of “Purple Rain.”
  1. Small group numbers will also draw from the big screen and highlight such favorites as “I Wanna Be Like You” from The Jungle Book, and “Into the West” from Lord of the Rings.
  1. Junior Windjammers, from grades K-5, are always a crowd favorite and they return this year singing and dancing to “Hakuna Matata” at the Saturday, April 15 performance. New this year will be a performance by Encore, an auditioned show choir at Lake Oswego Junior High School. They too will be singing “Hakuna Matata” when they join Windjammers on Friday, April 14.

The show runs Thursday, April 13 through Saturday, April 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Lake Oswego High School Auditorium, 2501 Country Club Road. Tickets are $10/Adults; $8/Seniors, students, children.

Lakeridge’s Company invites you to “Stay Tuned” for a night of settling in and enjoying the show. All that will be missing is the popcorn. Here are some things to watch for.

  1. A fun twist on the Smash Mouth song “All Star” based on the No Reply cover.
  1. A silly version of the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.”
  1. Accompaniment by the Lakeridge Stage Band including a feature of their own, The Buddy Rich arrangement of “Norwegian Wood.”
  1. The song a book has been written about: The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah.” You’ll find it hard to imagine that this song languished in obscurity for years before becoming popularized on American Idol, Shrek, and the O.C. Singer/songwriter Cohen died in 2016 but Company does him justice.

Company’s performances are Thursday through Saturday, April 20-22, at 7:30 p.m. as well as a Saturday matinee at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $12/Adults; $8/Students and Seniors for the 7:30 performance and $5 for the matinee.

Don’t miss out on things to do and places to see here in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Click the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column and receive weekly updates on “52 Reasons to Love Lake Oswego.” And if you’re thinking about moving to town or relocating within our city, and are looking for a Realtor who really knows Lake Oswego, give me a call at 503.939.9801 or check my website. I know the neighborhoods and I know the market. I’d love to help you enjoy all that Lake Oswego has to offer.

 

 

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