The Lake Oswego Farmer’s Market is underway! Here’s why you should check it out:
Market hours are 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Saturday from now through October 12. Catch live music from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Located at Millennium Plaza Park, First and Evergreen. See you there!
Photo credit: pixabay.com
If you’ve ever wished walls could talk, consider your wish granted.
This Saturday, May 18, docents will be on hand at five historic homes in Lake Oswego as part of Oswego Heritage Council’s Historic Home Tour, answering your questions about each home’s architectural past. Here are some of the things you’ll discover:
●The Trueblood House was built in 1917 as a wedding gift by Samuel Owen to his daughter Angie. (Hopefully this doesn’t give my daughters any ideas…I was thinking more along the lines of some cooking lessons?).
●Parents were behind The Gilbert House too. Clara and Conrad Gilbert built this house for their son, Ralph and his wife Frances in 1960. A stone pathway linked it to the parents’ home located on an adjacent lot.
●The same architect who designed the Gilbert House also designed the Black Butte Ranch.
●Speaking of famous architects, Richard Sundeleaf designed the house remodel in 1956 of the Draper House on Oswego Lake and Pietro Belluschi designed the Griffith House being reconstructed on the Marylhurst campus.
●Don’t miss a bit of history passing you by when you enter the Draper House on the left. You’ll see what is thought to be a phone niche—remember those days—when land lines meant you had to stay put while talking?
●The Priestley House, only 54 feet wide, proves that good things come in small packages. It was honored as “Home of the Year” by Better Homes and Garden.
●The Griffith House also qualifies as a “small package” at 921 square feet. Built in 1951, it seems that sustainable living with small footprints was already on the radar in Lake Oswego.
The tour will be held Saturday, May 18, starting at 11:00 a.m. Tickets are $20 for Heritage Council members; $30 for non-members and are available online or at the Heritage House at 398 10th Street. Hurry as tickets are limited. For more information call 503.635.6373.
The Lake Oswego Women’s Club is sponsoring the 37th annual Lake Run this Saturday, May 11, beginning and ending at Millennium Plaza Park. Here’s why you should be there when runners cross the starting line.
It’s a new course! Race organizers are debuting a 10k course this year that features scenic neighborhoods, beautiful lake views, and….a flatter course. Gone are the McVey ascent and the Summit haven’t-we-already-climbed-enough hill of the 12k course.
Instead, runners will enjoy a kinder, friendlier route. Run organizer, Diana del Garbino, explains that the course redesign is an attempt to mix things up to attract new runners and save some money in race setup costs. “We are a charity first and foremost,” she explains, “and we want most of our funds to go to charity.”
Keep your money local. This is a local run organized for local charities. Your money isn’t going to any national organization but staying close to home, like the Children’s Center of Clackamas County, a resource for children who are victims of suspected abuse or neglect.
Tech t-shirts. Along with the new and improved course are new and improved t-shirts. Say good-bye to the moisture-grabbing cotton tees of years past and add this tech shirt to your running wardrobe.
Medals. Sure, there’s a sense of satisfaction that comes from crossing the finish line, but having a medal to hang around your neck helps the race afterglow last a little longer.
It’s a family affair. Depending on the makeup of your family, there is a run to suit you. Choose from the 10K, 5K, One Mile Walk or Kids Dash. And after everyone has crossed the finish line, enjoy the Family Fun Festival with information booths, arts and crafts, face painting, balloon animals, food and the Matt Brown Band.
Check out the race website for registration details. And see why other runners say this is a race to put on your bucket list!
P.S. If you’re not a runner, come out anyway to cheer the entrants on. As a Lake Runner myself, I know how much crowd support adds to the experience.
Summertime is upon us with lots to do in Lake Oswego. Stay up-to-date on what’s happening by subscribing to my blog. Just click “Sign me up” in the upper right hand column.
Have you checked out the prices on those hanging baskets like the ones lining Lake Oswego’s city streets in the summer?
Chances are you’ll pay anything from $25 to $50 for one.
The negotiator in me says that the Lake Oswego Hanging Baskets class offered at Luscher Farms on Saturday, May 4 is a better deal. For $33 ($38 non-residents), you get all the supplies (flowers included) plus instructions in how to put one together and care for it yourself.
Combine that with tips from the Lake Oswego Village Flower Basket program offered in last year’s blog post, and you should be the talk of your street.
You know what they say about giving a man a fish vs. teaching him how to fish. This means there can be many more hanging flower baskets in your future. (Note there are two sessions: one from 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and another from 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.).
If sunnier days have given you the gardening bug, check out Luscher Farm’s class offerings in the Summer City of Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Activities Guide. They include:
Tomato Tips from Master Gardeners. There is nothing like the taste of a homegrown tomato and nothing that can be as frustrating for an Oregon city farmer. So take notes from Master Gardeners on the best varieties, watering needs, how to transplant, fertilize, and stake. Saturday, May 11 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Decorating Your Entry or Patio. Learn how to make a good first impression with plants to greet your guests. Saturday, June 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. $15/residents; $17/non-resident.
Maintaining the Summer Garden. Deadheading and pruning—it ain’t glamorous but it’s necessary to summer-long color in your garden. Learn how to do it right. Saturday, July 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. $20/residents; $23/non-resident.
Flower Arranging Made Easy. Learn the art of creating beautiful floral arrangements from your Farmer’s Market purchases or out of your garden. Saturday, July 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. $18/resideint; $20/non-resident.
Scarecrow Sculpting. Get inspired to create a one-of-a-kind scarecrow to hold court in your garden. Hay and frame included. Bring items for personalizing. Saturday, July 20 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. $10/resident; $12/non-resident.
Don’t forget to check out the other offerings at Luscher Farm including the cooking series, family dinners, children’s programs and the Community Supported Agriculture program. The farm is located at 125 Rosemont Road in West Linn.
And sign up for Farm Coordinator, Karen Davis’ monthly newsletter. Although it’s geared for Luscher Farm Community gardeners, there is helpful advice for anyone yearning for a green thumb.
Need a bigger yard to grow those flowers and vegetables in? Let me show you homes for sale in Lake Oswego tailored to your needs. Just give me a call at 503.939.9801. I’d love to show you around.
VOTE FOR LAKERIDGE in the Vans Custom Culture Contest. Art students brought their Vans creations to my Rotary meeting today and they are terrific! Help Lakeridge win $50,000 by casting your vote by May 13 here.
A map may tell you that Zambia is 9,772 miles from Lake Oswego. But people and events like this Saturday’s Walk4Water6 bring the two much closer together.
Walk4Water is in its sixth year in Lake Oswego and features a stroller friendly two mile journey, beginning and ending at Foothills Park. Participants walk to the water source, fill their buckets and return, just like Zambian villagers must do everyday. Funds support World Vision’s Water Sanitation and Hygiene Program (ZWASH). So far over $1 million has been raised, improving the lives of over 20,000 Zambian villagers.
Who and what else bridges this distance between Lake Oswego and Zambia?
Bill and Diane Savage. They are Lake Oswego residents who have been spending their retirement years working to raise awareness about the need for safe water and sanitation in developing countries through WaterAfrica, the sponsoring organization of Walk4Water. On a World Vision trip to Zambia in 2005 through the Lake Grove Presbyterian Church, Bill went for a walk with a rural village woman to collect water for her family. When she stopped at a mud hole and scooped up dirty brown water that was the best she could find, he realized he had to do something to help.
Education. Lake Oswego prides itself on an award winning school system that draws families to live here and increases property values. That value for education connects Lake Oswegans to Zambians where the lack of proper sanitation and clean water prevents young girls from getting the education they need. The United Nations reported that poor sanitation facilities in schools prevent girls in developing countries from attending school, especially during menstruation. In addition the time commitment it takes for many young girls to retrieve their families’ water everyday, presents another barrier to them completing their education.
Lake Oswego City Council. The City Council has showed their support for reaching out to Zambian villagers by proclaiming the day of the Walk4Water, “WaterAfrica Day.”
Youth. My son has never been to Zambia but 300 villagers in Matambo, Zambia now enjoy clean drinking water from a well he helped fund through a dodge ball tournament he sponsored while at Lakeridge High School. My daughter, Casey, raised money towards WaterAfrica’s efforts through cookie sales when she was a junior at Lakeridge as well. Currently Lake Oswego High School sophomores Colin Favero and Jack Kehoe have been trying to enlist student support for the Walk4Water6 at their high school.
You can bridge the distance too by registering for Walk4Water6 today. The Walk is scheduled for Saturday, April 27, at Foothills Park, 199 Foothills Drive. Registration is at 8:30 a.m., walk begins at 9:00 a.m. Fees are: $10/student,child; $35/Individual; $70/Family; $250/Family Sponsorship.
The curtain goes up on the 2013 edition of the Lakeridge Company Variety Show this Thursday, at 7:30 p.m. in the Lakeridge auditorium. In the audience will be beaming parents, spirited friends, and you, if you’re lucky. It’s hard to find better entertainment for $12 and it’s right here in your hometown.
Last year I gave you five reasons to catch the show, but if you need more prodding, or if you just want to relive some of the Variety Show’s better moments, check out some of the past performances on YouTube. They will give you a feel for the energy, creativity and talent that will come bursting out on stage once that curtain goes up.
♫I’ll start off my recommendations with one of my daughter Casey’s performances, singing “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz in 2009.
♫Dancing in the Moonlight from the 2011 show.
♫Lucy Martin singing, “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” at the 2008 performance.
♫“I Feel Love” featuring Kent Jenkins on his homemade Blue Manesque percussion instrument in the 2009 show.
♫Fame performed by the entire 2008 Company cast.
♫A beautiful a cappella rendition of the Scottish folk song, “Loch Lomond” performed by eight kilt-wearing Lakeridge boys in 2009.
♫What talent–an entire number, “Lunch” using body percussion from the 2009 show. This is the most popular number I found, with over 81,000 YouTube views.
So go see the real thing LIVE this weekend. Performances are Thursday, April 18 through Saturday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. and a 2:00 p.m. show on Saturday afternoon. Tickets are $12 for adults/$8 for children, seniors and students and can be purchased online, at the school, or at the box office before the show. 1235 Overlook Drive, 503.534.2319.
Share your favorite Company Variety Show moments. Provide the link here for readers to follow.
Photo credit: Taken by domdeen at freeditigalphotos.net
The Old Town Neighborhood Association’s Little Free Library is located at the corner of Wilbur and Durham. Neighborhood association chair, Dick Reamer, says that the library does more than promote literacy–it promotes community too. Current titles include: books by Clive Cussler and John Grisham as well as The Berenstein Bears Go to Camp, Adventures of Danny and the Dinosaur and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Lutie Stearns was a Wisconsin library activist in the late 1800s who was so committed to everyone’s right to a free library that she spent almost twenty years delivering books to people living in rural communities.
Writer Stuart Stotts calls her the “Johnny Appleseed” of books. The Little Free Library movement calls her their heroine.
The Little Free Library is a worldwide book sharing movement designed to build both a love of reading and community out of DIY woodworking projects that come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
Originally the goal was to build 2,510 libraries around the world to surpass the number Andrew Carnegie built. As of January of this year, the goal had been surpassed with an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 Little Free Libraries open for business in 36 countries.
Lutie Stearns would be proud to know her work is being carried on in Lake Oswego which is home to four Little Free Libraries. Here’s where you can find them in case you’re looking for a good read (or are wanting to donate a book you think someone else would enjoy).
The Oswego Playschool Library is located at 517 8th Street in Lake Oswego and was installed this past February in celebration of the playschool’s 60th anniversary. “It’s hard to keep it stocked,” admits parent volunteer Teri Patapoff. It seems that most children, as they are leaving school, stop to either get a book or check to see if the book they donated is still there. Recent titles included The Cat in the Hat, I Spy, and Little House on the Prairie.
Riven Dell’s Little Free Library is located on Riven Dell Road about halfway between Rivendell Court and Tolkien. According to one of the project organizers, Ken Oishi, the original books have been checked out, replaced by a range of self-help, novels, nonfiction, Oprah Winfrey picks and The Life of Pi. “That one was gone immediately,” Oishi explains.
The Carlson Court Little Free Library is located on Carlson Court in Lake Oswego and currently offers titles for old and young alike including, The Very Lazy Ladybug, Where the Wild Things Are, Siddhartha and The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks.
One of the eternal optimists in Lake Oswego, Oregon–a heritage tree on the corner of Third and C Avenue.
If the saying, “Trees are the eternal optimists…. reaching for the sky,” is true, then Lake Oswego, Oregon is a very optimistic town. Trees hold a special place of honor here.
In fact, next week an ambitious schedule of activities has been planned in celebration of Arbor Week, April 7-13. Here’s how to join in by giving trees the respect they deserve.
Heritage Tree Bike Ride. Sunday, April 7, departing at 11:30 a.m. from lower Millennium Park Plaza. This is a two-for-one bike ride to both kick off Arbor Week as well as the 2013 100 Mile Challenge. This 13-mile ride will take you through Lake Oswego neighborhoods, home to some of the city’s oldest trees. To register: contact Laura Weigel at lweigel@ci.oswego.or.us or 503.675.3730.
Right Tree in the Right Place Workshop, Monday, April 8 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the West End Building, 4010 Kruse Way. Learn how to pick the right tree for the right spot in your yard as well as tips for long-term care and maintenance. 503.635.0290 for free registration.
Heritage Tree Dedication, Tuesday, April 9, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at 208 Durham Street. Help dedicate Lake Oswego’s newest Heritage Tree, a 53-inch diameter Douglas fir.
Benefits of Trees Walk, Wednesday, April 10, departing at 12:00 p.m. from the rear of City Hall. This is “Tree Appreciation 101” dispensed while strolling through the Evergreen and First Addition Neighborhoods.
Tree City USA Celebration and Heritage Tree Dedication, Thursday, April 11, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Jean Road Fire Station. Join in celebrating Lake Oswego’s bragging rights—24 years since its designation by the National Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA—and check out another new Heritage Tree, a 39-inch diameter Oregon white oak.
Plant a Tree, Free a Tree, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Springbrook Park near the Sundeleaf Drive entrance. Support Lake Oswego Junior High School students as they plant native trees in this city park. If you come prepared to work, you can help free a tree from invasive English ivy, the most common invasive plant in Lake Oswego—just bring your work gloves and printing shears.
Three Cheers for Trees with Penny’s Puppet Productions, 11:00 a.m., Lake Oswego Public Library. Enjoy a sing-along show that entertains while it teaches young audiences about our natural canopies.
On Saturday, March 30, Lake Oswego Hunt and the Hope Community Church are sponsoring a family egg hunt, “Hop at the Hunt,” beginning at 11:00 a.m. at the Club at 2725 Iron Mountain Boulevard in Lake Oswego. Here are five reasons why the Easter Bunny thinks you should check it out.
For more information, call 503.636.0674.
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Photo Credit: taken by nongpimmy at freedigitalphotos.net
Spring officially arrives on Wednesday, March 20 but unofficially there have been sightings in Lake Oswego.
■My camellias are blooming and the rhododendron buds are getting ready to put on a brilliant show.
■Neighbors are coming out of their hibernation.
■The sound of lawnmowers and smell of freshly mowed grass are giving yard work a good name.
■Tree blossoms are ending winter’s drought of color.
■Kids have been spotted playing in their backyards and out in the streets. The trampoline next door is springing back into action.
■Barbecue dinners are working their way back into our weekly menu (granted, I may still need to wear my coat and perhaps hold an umbrella while I’m standing at the grill).
■Daffodils are reminding us that some things are worth the wait.
■Kayakers are bundling up and coming down our canal, along with an occasional boat sighting.
■The sun is nearing a 7:30 p.m. sunset, giving me more daylight to read on my front porch, chat with my neighbors, and yes, mow that lawn.
What’s your favorite harbinger of spring in Lake Oswego? Share it with the rest of us so we can be sure to take notice!
52 Reasons to Love Lake Oswego 