10 Reasons Why Chivalry Is Not Dead in Lake Oswego, Oregon

Posted on June 25, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

See for yourself why chivalry is alive and well in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Catch the Knights of Veritas demonstration on Friday, June 29 at 12 noon at Rossman Park.

Chivalry is not dead in Lake Oswego.

For one thing, the Knights of Veritas will present an interactive educational demonstration of medieval arms, armor, combat, knighthood and chivalry on Friday, June 29 at 12 noon in Rossman Park at 555 Fourth Street. Sponsored by the Lake Oswego Public Library, the Knights of Veritas aim to provide an accurate picture of this piece of medieval history, including the Code of Chivalry any knight worth his armor would live by.

Looking over the Knights’ checklist of virtues, I’d have to say Lake Oswego has most of them covered.

  • COURAGE to stand up for what they feel is right.  Ever been to a City Council, School Board, Planning Commission meeting on a controversial topic? I rest my case.
  • COURTESY. Just park yourself at the four-way stop at the corner of Jean Road and Pilkington. Lake Oswegans, like most Oregonians, don’t know the rule that when two cars arrive at the same time at a stop sign, you yield to the car on the right. Instead, it’s a politeness-duel-to-the-finish…no swords required.
  • PROWESS. You’ll find prowess in many areas but Lake Oswegans especially like to boast about their schools. All the schools in the Lake Oswego School District have received the Oregon Department of Education’s highest rating for the last five consecutive years.
  • JUSTICE. You can sleep soundly here knowing justice is being done. Look no further than the Lake Oswego Review Police Blotter for proof as police reports are filed on such things as discarded phone books piling up at a Lake Oswego home and extra traffic enforcement being called in to handle the pileup at a local Starbucks drive-thru.
  • FAITH.  The number of active service clubs in Lake Oswego speaks to the fact that many Lake Oswegans have not just faith in their ideals but are also willing to put that faith into action. From the Lions Club who fire up their griddles for the 4th of July Pancake Breakfast to the Lake Oswego Women’s Club who host The Lake Run, good deeds result in funds raised for worthy causes.
  • LOYALTY. Been to a football game recently between our two rival high schools? Lakers and Pacers are loyal to their schools. Enough said.
  • GENEROSITY. While Lake Oswego is sometimes dissed for the wealth its residents are presumed to have, it is also a community that reaches out. Recently a friend’s family suffered a medical crisis. My wife set up an online volunteer network to deliver meals and within a week, their dinners were covered for the next two months. Our friend’s sister was visiting and was so struck by people’s generosity she exclaimed, “Who does that? Why can’t I live here?”
  •  HONOR. Honor is recognized in Lake Oswego on many levels. Merit awards are given to deserving high school graduates at the end of each academic year. The Chamber of Commerce recognizes the Community Leader of the Year at its annual dinner (a distinction I was once honored to receive). The Chamber also sponsors a Leadership Lake Oswego program with the intent of developing civic-minded individuals who will lead by example and help shape the City’s future.
  • HUMILITY. Okay, here’s one area Lake Oswegans may have to work on…but then again, when you live in Lake Oswego, there’s lots to boast about.
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Let Your Inner Photographer Be Your Guide to Lake Oswego’s 49th Annual Festival of the Arts

Posted on June 19, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

The cornerstone exhibit of the 49th annual Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts is “Photography: Pinhole to iPhone.”

Lake Oswego’s 49th annual Festival of the Arts is set for this weekend, June 22-24, at various locations throughout town including the Lakewood Center for the Arts, George Rogers Park, the Gallery Without Walls and Marylhurst University. With this year’s cornerstone exhibit featuring “Photography: Pinhole to iPhone,” it makes sense to approach the event like a photographer would.

FOCUS. This might be hard to do, given the activities to choose from. From music to theater to artwork to food, your attention span will be pulled in many directions. Check out the schedule and make out a game plan so you can FOCUS on the things you don’t want to miss.

SHUTTER SPEED. When taking pictures, shedding a little light on things, can make all the difference in the world. So why not shed some light on this year’s artwork by taking a guided tour of the photography exhibit? Tours are offered at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. each day. Venture a little further and take a tour of Lake Oswego’s outdoor sculptures, the Gallery Without Walls. Tours meet at the garden Café at the Lakewood Center at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

ZOOM. Want to zoom in and get a better look at how artists do what it is they do? Attend one of the art demonstrations scheduled throughout the weekend. Choose from topics that include” Computer Photo Artistry” at noon and 3:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday with featured artist Dan Burkholder in the lower level of the Lakewood Center and “Living Art” at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday with Nicole Forbes of Dennis’ 7 Dees in the Pavilion Tent.

EXPOSURE. Don’t just look at photos during the festival—be in one! Expose yourself to the camera at the Instant Photo Booth for a $1 fee on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11: 00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Pavilion Tent.

DEVELOP. Let the festival inspire you to develop into that person who swears he is going to start taking more pictures or pick up a paint brush for the first time.   You’ve got to start somewhere and the 49th annual Festival of the Arts would love to be your inspiration!

Photo credit: freedigitalphotos.net

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10 Surprising Facts About the 28th Annual Lobster Feed & Charity Auction

Posted on June 11, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

Kick off your summer at the 28th Annual Lobster Feed & Charity Auction co-hosted by the Lake Oswego Rotary Club and Lakewood Center for the Arts this Saturday, June 16 beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Lakewood Center at 368 S. State Street. Tickets are $135 for regular seating ($105 tax deductible) and $175 for patrons.

For many, the Lobster Feed & Charity Auction hosted by the Lake Oswego Rotary Club and Lakewood Center for the Arts, which is set for this Saturday, June 16, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Lakewood Center for the Arts, signals the unofficial kickoff to summer. The tent it is held in gives way to the Festival of the Arts which is followed by the Fourth of July festivities all around town. Then we are off and running!

So why do so many set their seasonal calendar by the Lobster Feed & Charity Auction? It could have something to do with these 10 surprising facts.

1. It is one of the 10 largest single night fundraising events for any Rotary club in North America and the largest this side of the Mississippi. “That’s really something,” explains Rotarian Peter Jurney, “because we’re not that large of a club compared to downtown Portland, for example, which is four times our size.”

2. Six hundred live lobster are flown in from Maine the night before and cooked onsite.

3. It takes place under a large circus-style tent—none of those stuffy hotel conference rooms for this group!

4. Variety is the spice of life…and the spice of auctions—this year there is everything from a G-shot injection to a trip to South Africa.

5. The first auction was held in the gymnasium of the Lakewood School (which now houses the Lakewood Theatre).

6. The numbers don’t lie: 600 people attend; More than 200 people donate; Over 400 items are donated; 3 is the number of silent auctions in addition to one super silent auction, and the oral auction. Net revenues each year total over $150,000.

7. They cast a wide net with the funds they raise. This year’s beneficiaries include: Lakewood Center for the Arts, Clackamas Women’s Shelter, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates),HappyTrailsRidingCenter, Oswego Meals Network, and the Oswego Heritage House. No matter your cause, chances are they are helping to fund it.

8. Proceeds from the first Rotary Club auction were earmarked towards the $20,000 pledge the club had made to purchase the Lakewood School (the current home of the Lakewood Center for the Arts) from the Lake Oswego School District. Since previous fund raising activities had never earned more than $5,000, the club anticipated it would take three years to reach their goal. They raised the entire $20,000 the night of their first auction.

9. For the first two auctions, the Rotary Club flew in not just the lobsters from Maine, but the caterer to cook them as well. Then Rotarians Bill Gerber and Warren Oliver persuaded the club to save the $10,000 catering fee and let them take on the task of cooking the lobster themselves. After a couple years of trial-and-error, the tradition of Rotarian lobster chefs lives on.

10. The transition from lobster feed to arts festival is a smooth one. As Rotarians and Lakewood Center volunteers finish up their event around 10:00 p.m. auction night, festival volunteers follow, setting the stage for the next big event in Lake Oswego’s summer lineup.

Have any Rotary auction trivia you’d like to share? We’d like to hear it! Leave your comments here.

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The Julia Child Guide to the Lake Oswego Farmer’s Market

Posted on June 4, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

The Lake Oswego Farmer’s Market is now open for your sampling, shopping, experimenting, socializing pleasure.

Julia Child was the original foodie. In the movie, Julie Julia she looks happiest when she’s eating and admits to her husband when he asks, “What is it you REALLY like to do?” that it’s to eat.

So it’s safe to say she would be grinning ear to ear while strolling through the Lake Oswego Farmer’s Market which opened three Saturdays ago  in the Millennium Plaza Park at 200 First Street and will continue through October 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Saturday.

With over 80 vendors, it’s easy to wonder, “Where to begin?” Let Julia be your guide.

•“It’s fun to get together and have something good to eat at least once a day. That’s what human life is all about — enjoying things.” Depending on what time you arrive, plan on having breakfast or lunch at the Market. In the morning you can choose from pastries like cinnamon rolls, homemade donuts and scones to more hearty fare like omelets, breakfast burritos or breakfast sandwiches. Lunchtime fare includes Vietnamese, Hawaiian and Mexican cuisine as well as pizza, pasta and sandwiches.

•How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like kleenex?” Get thee to the Upper Crust Bread Company booth where free samples will prove to you just how great our nation can be. Selections include cinnamon, walnut raisin, onion bread, and lemon poppyseed as well as some gluten free selections. Or try the gluten free choices at Happy Campers including the popular Kiss Me Garlic Rosemary loaf.

• “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell-attitude.” Sure, you can load up on fresh asparagus and brussels sprouts. But venture out of your cooking comfort zone and try something new like bitter braising greens or stinging nettles. Or check out the recipes for Pappardelle’s pastas and take home some tomato basil malfaldine. Ask the vendor for suggestions on how to cook them. Then go to your kitchen and don Child’s “what-the-hell-attitude!”

• “Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.”* The Farmer’s Market brings the experts to you—the growers themselves who are ready, willing, and able to teach you all about their products from how they are grown to how to prepare them. Take advantage of their expertise. Make your shopping an educational experience. Soon you’ll be talking “foodology” with the best of them.

• “If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.” Better yet, head over to Zoe Ann’s Cheesecakes where fresh cream appears in one of its most decadent forms. Choose from a variety of flavors including sweet potato, coconut cream, lemon mango and cappuccino, just to name a few. If ice cream for breakfast sounds good, check out the inventive flavors at Salt & Straw like honey balsamic strawberry and cinnamon snicker doodle. This place even registered on one of Oprah’s “favorites” list!

• “Remember, ‘No one’s more important than people’! In other words, friendship is the most important thing–not career or housework, or one’s fatigue–and it needs to be tended and nurtured.”* The Lake Oswego Farmer’s Market is about more than food. It’s a gathering place for the Lake Oswego community and chances are that if you don’t come with friends, you’ll run into them here. Meet them for coffee at Chuck’s Place or sit down and listen to some tunes. Breathe in the sights and the sounds as you enjoy hanging out with friends in Lake Oswego’s outdoor living room.

*Taken from Mastering the Art of French Cooking**Taken from My Life in France

What’s your favorite stop at the Lake Oswego Farmer’s Market? Spread the word.

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So What’s the Big Deal About the Bryant Neighborhood Association in Lake Oswego, Oregon, Anyway?

Posted on May 28, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

Come celebrate community and art at a free barbecue hosted by the Bryant Neighborhood Association and The Arts Council of Lake Oswego this Sunday, June 3 from 12 noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Jean Road fire station.

With 20 recognized neighborhood associations in Lake Oswego, Oregon, there are lots of communities where local residents would say you’d be lucky to call home.

The Bryant Neighborhood Association is tooting its own horn with some help from The Arts Council of Lake Oswego this coming Sunday, June 3 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. with a celebration featuring a free barbecue and art at the Jean Road Fire Station located at the corner of Jean Road and Bryant.

What’s the big deal?

  • FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD SCULPTURE. The Bryant Neighborhood Association has been selected to receive the city of Lake Oswego’s first neighborhood public art sculpture, Totem II, to be installed at the Jean Road Fire Station in September. The artist, Travis Pond, will be on hand with a video depicting his sculpting process of welding reclaimed steel parts into his creations. Totems created by students at both Waluga and Lake Oswego Junior Highs will also be on site for viewing. Participants are welcome to bring ideas for what to include in the time capsule which will be installed in the base of the Totem. Firefighters will be on hand with their trucks for kids who are interested in what they do and want to climb aboard.
  • RESIDENTS CARE ABOUT WHERE THEY LIVE. Bryant neighborhood residents care about making their community a better place. The association has applied for and received neighborhood enhancement grants from the city to install some landscaping, two neighborhood signs and organize this community gathering. Residents like Don Caldwell of Delap, provided the seed money to get the sculpture process started and local residents can “buy a plaque” that will be placed in the cement pad surrounding the sculpture.
  • GREAT SCHOOLS. “There are great schools in this neighborhood,” explains neighborhood association co-chair Nancy Bignell. The schools, in fact, are why she located here. Although Bryant Elementary is closing to become part of the new Lakeridge Junior High, Bignell is equally happy with neighboring Westridge and River Grove Elementary Schools.
  • LOCATION.LOCATION.LOCATION. “We have everything we need within a short distance,” explains Bignell. Judging by the cars parked at the renovated Lake Grove Village, neighbors are excited to have Zupan’s, Jefe’s, La Provence Bakery and Bistro, Rite Aid, and Starbucks nearby. There is easy access to I-5 and a variety of small businesses to cut your hair, babysit your dog and cook you dinner.
  •  BRYANT WOODS NATURE PARK. The pathway through this shaded forested area makes you feel you are miles away from civilization instead of just down the street from where you live. You need a quick debriefing after work? You got it.
  • IT’S ECLECTIC. This is not your cookie cutter housing project. Each house has its own personality from waterfront mansions to older cottages.
  •  TENNIS ANYONE? Not too many neighborhoods in Lake Oswego can lay claim to two outdoor tennis courts, but the Bryant Neighborhood Association can. Located on the corner of Jean Road and Bryant, they are located right next to the fields at Waluga Junior High. So, if the courts are busy, you can throw a Frisbee or shoot a few hoops on the outdoor basketball courts while you wait.
  •  IT FALLS WITHIN THE LAKE GROVE SWIM PARK BOUNDARIES. Under the terms of the original deed to this lakefront property from the Oregon Iron & Steel Company, use is restricted to residents within the boundaries of the former Lake Grove School District who pay an additional property tax to support the swim park. To get a pass for the summer at the Lake Grove Swim Park, you have to show proof of residence, so if you live here, you’ve got it. There are few better spots to be on a hot summer afternoon. “My kids can’t wait for summer for that very reason,” explains Bignell.

What’s your favorite neighborhood in Lake Oswego and why? We’d like to feature it in an upcoming post.

And remember to subscribe to this blog if you like what you’d like to learn about and perhaps be reminded why Lake Oswego, Oregon is such a great place to live. Just click the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column.

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Why You Should Toast Stickmen Brewery & Skewery In Honor of National Small Business Week (with a glass of craft beer, of course!)

Posted on May 21, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

In honor of National Small Business Week, I’m taking a look at a new small business in Lake Oswego getting ready to launch.

Stickmen Brewery & Skewery is transforming the former Lake House Restaurant at 40 N. State St. into a casual gathering spot reminiscent of Japanese isakayas where folks can enjoy onsite brewed beer and a menu featuring skewers, small plates and entrees.

Chances are the co-owners, Tim Schoenheit and JT Turner could be on to something. The New York Times suggests that the izakaya concept—a brew pub that offers casual food—could be picking up where the sushi bar left off.

And in their market research on brewpubs, Schoenheit and Turner found that the biggest obstacle owners faced was capacity. “I can’t make enough beer,” one brewer after another told them. “I can’t keep up.” So the pent-up demand seems to be there.

Enter Stockmen Brewery & Skewery…into a building that has been reincarnated into a different restaurant almost as many times as the Ducks have redesigned their football uniforms.  Why do Schoenheit and Turner think they can succeed where others haven’t?

They hold the keys to success of a small business owner.

● DOERS WITH A PASSION FOR MAKING THINGS HAPPEN. Watching the Lake House take shape, you realize that these guys are doers—the kind that stop thinking about their dreams and decide to act upon them.

Neither of them has been a commercial brewer before or owned a restaurant. “That makes it a little more frightening,” Schoenheit admits. “I think when you’re taking a bigger leap, you maybe end up doing a little more thinking. But then again, here we are…taking the leap.”

●UNJUSTIFIABLE OPTIMISTS: Entrepreneur Jerry Kaplan insists that entrepreneurs  “have to believe that you can succeed in what you’re doing in the face of large evidence to the contrary and lots of people telling you that’s ridiculous, don’t even try.”

While they haven’t faced that kind of skepticism in their market research which told them to the contrary—there’s a need and you can fill it—they have run into it with their location. “One out of 25 people tells us, ‘the building is cursed,’ ‘businesses never last there,’ ‘there’s no parking,’ ‘you’re doomed for failure,’” Schoenheit confesses. In spite of that, they were thrilled when they were able to negotiate a lease for the space.

●OKAY WITH UNCERTAINTY – Kaplan says, a successful entrepreneur has to be able to “go to bed at night not knowing how things are going to turn out in the morning and feel fine about it.”

“I’m getting better with that,” Schoenheit explains. Their biggest challenge was waiting out their lease negotiation. They learned that several other large breweries were also interested in the space. “Our first reaction was we’ll never get this space—we’re just two guys—but we didn’t let that discourage us,” Schoenheit adds. “We totally played the local card. We wrote him a letter that we’re the ones putting our money in so we’re the ones who are going to be there everyday running the business , not some corporation, and it resonated with him.” After three months of anxious waiting, they learned the place was theirs.

Now the uncertainty they have to live with concerns the schedule. Are the contractors going to do what they say tomorrow? Are the permits really lined up? “You walk in the door and there are surprises every time,” Schoenheit adds. “We just try to have this idea that we will eventually open, and the cash flow direction will change.”

●EAGER TO BE THEIR OWN BOSS. Although neither owners have been their own bosses yet, they have always worked autonomously. “We’re excited to have that control over our destiny,” Schoenheit explains. “Control of our brand, our product, to try to create the atmosphere that we wanted to create in the beginning—the atmosphere of those little places in Tokyo that are casual and where people are enjoying themselves.”

Seems Schoenheit and Turner aren’t the only ones excited to get started. They’ve opened their deck overlooking Oswego Lake to patrons the past seven or eight summer-like days Lake Oswego has enjoyed. Without much fanfare, they managed to attract 60 people at a time. “We were as busy as we could keep up with,” Schoenheit explains. “We have hundreds of people who are chomping at the bit waiting for us to open which is kind of unusual—but that’s a good thing,” he adds.

So watch for an official opening by late June. But in the meantime, if the sun is shining, celebrate Small Business Week by checking out the lakefront deck at Stickmen Brewery & Skewery. Cheers!

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10 Things Everyone Should Know About Richard Sundeleaf

Posted on May 14, 2012 by lovelakeoswego
  1. You can get a glimpse into the design genius of Richard Sundeleaf by buying tickets to the Oswego Heritage Council’s 5th annual Lake Oswego Historic Home Tour featuring six Sundeleaf-designed Lake Oswego homes and their gardens on Saturday, May 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are limited so visit their website.
  2.  Sundeleaf was a Duck, graduating from the School of Architecture in 1923.
  3. Seven of the houses he designed have been designated Local Landmarks, with one on The National Register of Historic Places.
  4. Luckily for us, Sundeleaf had a mind of his own and didn’t listen to his first boss who told him, “Give up architecture…You’re not cut out for it.”
  5. He was an entrepreneur, opening his own firm just five years after getting his degree.
  6. Looks like his penchant for design was genetic—his granddaughter, Hilary Mackenzie has her own architectural firm in Portland.
  7. The man was prolific. He took on more than 100 projects just in Lake Oswego.
  8. He was a local boy, moving to Lake Oswego in 1949, and continuing to call it home until his death in 1987.
  9. The man was versatile. His own residence reflects an English cottage style. The Sieberts House which he designed on Greentree Road was described in a newspaper article as a “miniature Timberline Lodge.” The Coleman House on Palisades Terrace was done in a Mediterranean style.
  10. He didn’t just design homes. Local commercial buildings with the Sundeleaf legacy include the Lake Theatre and the Adult Community Center.

Give a shout-out for your favorite Sundeleaf design here in Lake Oswego!

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Why 5,081 Miles Is Not Too Far to Travel to Enter the Lake Run Set for Saturday, May 12

Posted on May 7, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

Lake Oswegan Kevin Clarke has crossed the Lake Run finish line 16 times…even when it meant traveling the 5,081 miles from Belgium where he was living for a couple years. Why?

“If I do a race, it’s going to be the Lake Run,” Clarke explains. “I like the springtime community aspect of it. It’s usually a beautiful day and you’re happy to be alive in Lake Oswego with the sun, all the green and the lake. Especially with the new course when you finish at Millennium Park, it’s like a local party going on at the end.”

But don’t just take his word for it. Here what a couple other runners have to say.

•Wendy Little: “I loved the hometown feeling,” explains Wendy Little who can lay claim to winning the women’s division more than once. “There was such an unbelievable feeling of support when I was racing to win the event,” as she recalls race volunteers cheering her along. The refreshments and festive atmosphere just added to Little’s runner’s high.

•Kevin Denny: “I like that it’s right in my backyard,” explains Kevin Denny who has entered the Lake Run half a dozen times. “I run to the starting line and I run home afterwards,” he adds. He also likes the fact that the course winds through neighborhoods, not city streets. That, combined with the natural beauty, provide lots of distraction.

Distraction might be needed when climbing up some of the course hills, especially everyone’s nemesis: McVey. “Nobody likes the hills,” admits Denny, except perhaps for him. “I kinda like them—they’re challenging,” he explains.

“I tell everyone it’s the toughest run in the Portland metro area,” says Lake Run enthusiast Clarke. He cites the climb up McVey in the first two miles to back up his claim. “But the last half mile is all downhill,” he adds, so you can finish looking like a five minute miler.

Registration is underway for this Saturday’s 36th annual Lake Run sponsored by the Lake Oswego Women’s Club and Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation. Events include a 12K for runners only, 5K Run/Walk, and a ½ mile Kiddie Dash for 11 years olds and under. Participants receive a price break by registering by May 10th.

In addition to the races themselves, organizers have added two additional events this year.

On Friday night, May 11, participants are invited to pick up their registration packets during Fun Night from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Millennium Plaza Park, 200 First Street, featuring food, music and entertainment. Packets can also be picked up on race day in Millennium Plaza Park starting at 6:30 a.m. and ending 15 minutes prior to the start of the race.

Race day, a Family Fun Festival will be taking place at the end of the race course in Millennium Plaza Park from 8 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with food, crafts, entertainment and more.

What do you love or hate about the Lake Run? Let’s hear it!

Photo Credit: Richard McMillan

Posted in Lake Oswego Recreation | Tagged , | 1 Comment

5 Things Professor Harold Hill Could Learn from the Lake Oswego Millennium Concert Band

Posted on April 30, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

Band director Dale Cleland and his 72 member Lake Oswego Millennium Concert Band could have saved The Music Man‘s Professor Harold Hill and River City a lot of grief. If the Professor and his bumbling troubadours could have just caught their performance this Sunday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lakeridge High School Auditorium at 1235 Overlook Drive, they would have picked up a few lessons from the pros.

  1. The think system doesn’t work. It’s practice, practice, practice. Unlike Hill’s band members, these folks come to the stage with years of experience under their belts. Maureen Van Dyke has been playing the clarinet since fifth grade. Nancy McIntire was a music teacher for 30 years. The quality of musicianship is what drew many of the members to the Millennium Band in the first place. Their commitment shows in the weekly rehearsals they attend every Sunday night.
  2. Play music people like. Sure “76 Trombones” was a hit. And that’s why Cleland always includes a couple Souza marches in every concert. But he likes to mix it up. “The thing that most people say to me and other members of the band, “Cleland explains, “is that, ‘we just love the variety of music you play.’” Cleland guarantees a mix for the upcoming concert that includes a variety of genres including  two classical pieces, a flute duet, two Souza marches, a Dixieland number, and a newly released arrangement, See Rock City that combines jazz, funk and rock.
  3. The conductor needs to know his stuff. Unlike Hill, Cleland is the real deal. He served as a band director and music coordinator in the Lake Oswego School District before retiring in 1992. He must be doing something right. Although the band originally formed to entertain at the city of Lake Oswego’s Millennium Celebration in 1999, the members had so much fun they decided to keep it going. It has added about 20 members in that time and entertained to near-packed houses in the Lakeridge High School auditorium. And it has spawned four offshoot ensembles, two of which Cleland performs with: an 18 piece Dance Band playing the tunes of the swing era; a Brass Quintet; a Wind Quintet and a Clarinet Quartet.
  4. Make it fun. “It’s not uncommon for someone to come up to me and say that Sunday night rehearsal is the best part of his or her week,” Cleland explains. He tries to make it fun to ensure members keep coming back. The result? Members feel connected and enjoy the music as much as the camaraderie. “We’re like one big happy family,” explains McIntyre. For some, like husband and wife Maureen and Phil Van Dyke, being family is a literal thing. She plays the clarinet; he plays the trombone. “Sunday night rehearsals are like date night for us,” she explains, as grandparents watch their three kids so they can get away. Mike Wallmark’s daughter, Megan, joined the band a couple years after him. Now Sunday night rehearsals provide not only an opportunity for him to play the tuba but also for him to get together with his daughter.
  5. Pack them in. “It’s not that unusual for a community like ours to have a community band,” explains Cleland. “One of the things that is unusual is the big audiences we get,” which he estimates at close to 600. The expressions on the audience members’ faces is one of the things that McIntyre appreciates most. “It shows me I am bringing enjoyment of the arts to the people of the Portland area,” she explains.

From the arts to the schools to the lifestyle…52 Reasons to Love Lake Oswego covers it all. Don’t miss out–be sure to subscribe by clicking the “sign me up” button in the top right hand corner.

Posted in Lake Oswego Arts | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Get Inspired in Lake Oswego: Lake Area Artists Hold Annual Show and Sale April 27-29.

Posted on April 23, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

Linda Terhark's "Poppies" will be one of the paintings on display at the Lake Area Artists Show and Sale April 27-29 at the Lakewood Center for the Arts in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Do you feel like the world is divided between people who can draw and people who can’t and that you fall in the latter category? Well, try living in Lake Oswego. For a small community, it seems to have more than its fair share of artists so maybe there is something in the air here which will unlock your artistic gene.

“I didn’t really get into art until I moved here,” explains Barbara Vance, a member of the local painting group, Lake Area Artists, who was recently featured in International Artist magazine. Lake Oswego’s natural beauty and an inspiring watercolor class in a local artist’s home set her on the artistic path she enjoys now.

But Vance wasn’t like the rest of us wannabe’s. She drew as soon as she could hold a pencil at the age of two and her mother finally had to protect her walls from Vance’s creative expression by hanging butcher paper behind her bedroom door. “Here, have at it,” her mom said. “Just don’t draw on the walls anymore.”

These days Vance paints on canvas, and often in the company of the Color Fusion, an artist’s version of a quilting bee where seven painters meet every Friday morning to promote, help and inspire each other.

She and her fellow Lake Area Artists will be exhibiting their work at their annual Show and Sale, “Art Affair” April 27-29 at the Lakewood Center for the Arts at 368 State Street. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. A wine and music reception will be held on Friday, April 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Here’s how Lake Oswego inspires some of them:

●KAY ALLENBAUGH. Allenbaugh’s painting career follows her successful writing career as the author of the Chocolate for a Woman’s Soul series. She has been painting for six years and didn’t even know she could wield a brush until she took an art class on a lark. “I just fell madly and deeply in love with it,” she explains, “and I became very passionate about watercolor.” Like her writing, Allenbaugh sees her painting as a way to bring richness into the world.

Allenbaugh grew up in Lake Oswego but left for about 20 years. During that time she traveled around the world with her husband but never lost her appreciation for Lake Oswego’s beauty. “I think our environment is so conducive to painting—the amazing colors of greens, the lights and darks, the shadows, and the dappled sun,” she explains.

●LINDA TERHARK. Terhark doesn’t have to look too far for inspiration. Her studio looks out over Oswego Lake. “It’s a beautiful place to live,” Terhark explains. “There are lots of colors to choose from whether it be the plants, the trees or all the flowers everywhere.”

She is also impressed by the priority that the City of Lake Oswego gives to the aesthetics of the environment. She points to the Arts Commission, the Gallery Without Walls, and the plantings around town when she says, “To think that a city is devoting that kind of money and time to make the city more beautiful is just amazing.”

●AIRI FOOTE. Foote is an abstract artist who draws more from inside her own head for inspiration than from the environment around her. But she too finds Lake Oswego to be “very artist friendly.” She has been a member of the Lake Area Artists for 18 years and benefits from their monthly meetings where sometimes fellow artists demonstrate their technique. “Even if you do a different type of art, you still learn something from everybody,” she explains.

●BARBARA VANCE. Lake Oswego inspires Vance in two ways. First, the people. “The artists here—we all kind of inspire each other and help each other out,” she explains. And then there’s the natural beauty. From the Saturday market, to George Rogers Park, to the lake outside her Color Fusion co-member, Kay Allenbaugh’s house, to the flower baskets—Vance never runs out of ideas of what to paint.

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