Excellence in Education Has a Price and Lake Oswegans Prove Willing to Pay It

Posted on March 26, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

The Lake Oswego School District Foundation has set out to raise $2.3 million again this year to support Lake Oswego schools.

With school budgets cuts across the country, the creation of educational foundations to stop the bleeding is not unusual. “What is unusual,” explains Lake Oswego School District Foundation Director Mary Puskas, “is the success that we’ve had.”

The numbers back her up. Since 1994, the Foundation has raised close to $20 million and funded between 10 and 33 teachers every year since 1997. Keeping teachers in the classroom is what the Lake Oswego Foundation is all about. Ninety five percent of all donations go towards funding teacher salaries in order to keep class sizes small.

The Foundation’s success can perhaps best be measured by what it managed to accomplish the last couple of years during lean economic times.

Last year 2.3 million was raised and 1.4 million the year before that, drawing on the contributions of 60 percent of all school families in addition to the community at-large. “People made some sacrifices,” explains Puskas. “They care deeply about their kids’ education and that comes through over and over again. We have a real passionate group of parents and it has benefited the Foundation enormously,” she adds.

Those parents reach out to other parents and members of the community on a one-on-one basis during the annual campaign which is currently underway. School captains drum up support on their campuses, aided by grade captains in a pyramid-type model that has proved effective. A phone-a-thon reaches out to the larger Lake Oswego community as volunteers explain the Foundation’s mission and ask for support.

In addition the Foundation holds an annual luncheon that raised $62,000 this year as well as a major donor event, a table at the Farmer’s Market, and a year-end appeal. Community service work days enable students to volunteer their time to local businesses or citizens who then in turn donate what they would have paid the student to the Foundation.

New this year is a mobile giving option that enables donors to text TEACHERS to 501501 to make a one-time $10 donation. At a recent Civil War basketball game between Lake Oswego and Lakeridge, there was a competition to see which school could text in the most money during the game. Lakeridge won.

Supporters look to the growing Endowment Fund to provide reliable ongoing contributions to the Foundation. This year it is kicking in $22,000. The goal is that in 25 years the Endowment Fund will contribute $5 million to the campaign every year.

This year’s campaign slogan is “Excellence Has a Price.” Fortunately for the children of Lake Oswego, they live in a community that has proven it is willing to pay it.

Give a shout-out about why you think Lake Oswego schools are worth it. Leave your comments here.

Posted in Lake Oswego Schools | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Why Hamburger Lovers Brake for the Giant Drive-In

Posted on March 19, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

Hamburger fans find their way to Lake Oswego's Giant Drive-In to satisfy their cravings.

On his Hamburger America website, hamburger aficionado, author and documentary film maker George Motz encourages his audience to “Help preserve our hamburger heritage.” Bill and Gail Kreger, owners of the Giant Drive-In at 15840 Boones Ferry Road in Lake Oswego are doing just that.

Serving up 28 different kinds of burgers for 30 years, the Kregers have developed a loyal following with Lake Oswego fans as well as customers who have to go out of their way to place their order from Tillamook, Eugene, Salem and Ashland. Listed in Motz’s Hamburger America, Bill Kreger has served burger junkies in search of their next fix from all across the United States.

The Giant also shows up in local roundups like the Oregonian’s “Top 10 Favorite Classic Burgers in the Portland Metro Area” last year, coming in fifth, and in a reader’s roundup,  “Best Burgers!” in an issue of Via, the magazine of AAA.

What’s the appeal?

According to Kreger it’s the custom ground sirloin topped by custom, all-natural buns. Variety could have something to do with it too. Asked to name a best seller, Kreger can’t narrow it down to just one, not when there are offerings like mushroom, teriyaki and bacon to choose from.

So I decided to ask some Giant Drive-In fans. My son, a man of few but carefully chosen words replied, “I think everyone is a Giant burger fan. What’s not to like?”

Rich Rogers has his order down—filler, french fries and a shake. What keeps him coming back? “I like how it’s old-fashioned and how good the food is.”

That throwback feel is a plus for Dylan Patteron too. His usual? A double bacon cheeseburger with Cajun fries and a blackberry milkshake. Get the feeling we’re not at a McDonald’s drive-through?

Molly Mettler doesn’t even live in Lake Oswego but stopped by it often enough after Lake Oswego Soccer Club practices in town that she counts herself a fan. What’s the draw? According to Mettler, it’s the prices, addicting food and service.

Bill and Gail Kreger are doing their part to help preserve America’s hamburger heritage. According to hamburger guru, Motz, the rest is up to you: Eat real burgers; visit real places. By stopping in at the Giant Drive-In, you’ll be doing both.

Calling all Giant fans–cast your vote for your  favorite Giant fix by commenting here.
Do you have another place in Lake Oswego where you like to satisfy your hamburger craving? I’d like to hear about it. Leave a comment.

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10 Excuses to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Lake Oswego this Weekend

Posted on March 12, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

Bagpipers will kick off the festivities at the St. Patrick's Day Festival at Maher's Irish Pub this weekend in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Lake Oswego’s Maher family is giving you a perfect excuse to party this weekend at their third annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival held at Maher’s Irish Brew Pub, 352 B Avenue in Lake Oswego. Events run from Thursday, March 15 through Sunday, March 18. Need an excuse? Pick one.

1.    You need a bagpipe fix. If there’s one sound that transports you quickest to the Emerald Isle, it could be bagpipes..and it’s a lot cheaper than buying an airplane ticket. Maher’s uses bagpipers to kick off their festival on Thursday, March 15 at 5:15 p.m. and brings them back again on Saturday, March 17 at noon and 4:00 p.m.

2.    This year’s Lord of the Dance tour isn’t stopping in Portland. Who needs the Lord of the Dance when we have Maher’s Irish Dancers right in town? My two daughters are alums of Gabrielle Maher’s Irish Dance School and I can attest—they put on a high stepping, smile generating show. Catch them throughout the weekend.

3.    You want to find out why Irish eyes are smiling—it could have something to do with the liquid libations that will be flowing over the weekend. “There’s going to be a lot of Guiness being poured,” Kevin Maher predicts.

4.    You’re in search of “craic.” The closest English translation to this Gaelic word is fun or having a good time. Chances are you’ll find some at Maher’s Pub during the festivities.

5.    You’re in the mood for a good story.You’ll find that…set to music that is, as bands including Triúr Amadán, The Lost Highwaymen, and The Back Alley String Band play many of the Irish folk song favorites that speak of love, betrayal, robbery, drink, and traveling with pigs.

6.    You have a hankering for traditional Irish fare. Maher’s menu will be condensed during the festival to highlight the traditional Irish offerings like corned beef and fish and chips.

7.    Your kids are looking for something to do. Sunday is family day from 12-5 p.m. with kid-friendly activities like arts and crafts, face painting, Irish wolf hounds and the Maher’s Irish Dance School.

8.    You can donate to a good cause. Maher’s is hosting an auction to benefit Our Lady of the Lake school on Sunday at 3 p.m.

9.    You’d like to practice your Irish brogue as you raise your glass and say, “Sláinte!” (To your health)

10.    You want to see if there’s any truth to the saying, “If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, then you’re lucky enough.” Enter Sunday’s poker tournament beginning at 8 p.m. Free Timbers tickets and gift certificates await the top three finishers.

Speak up if you’re Irish and let us know how you plan on celebrating St. Paddy’s Day.

Check out the new “What’s Happening in Lake Oswego” feature in the right hand column. And then consider subscribing to this blog so you can keep tabs on what’s going on in our community. Just click the “Sign me up” button at the top of the column and updates will automatically be delivered to your inbox.

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Some Enchanted Evening Set for Lake Oswego Dads and Their Daughters

Posted on March 6, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

The theme was the 50s back when I escorted my two daughters to a Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance.

I am blessed with two daughters who I have cheered for at sporting events, taken pictures of at proms, waited up for until curfew, and sent off to college. But one of my fondest memories is of a father/daughter dance I was able to escort them to when a date with dad beat out a night with anyone else.

Lake Oswego dads (and granddads) get a chance to create those kinds of memories this Saturday, March 10 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the West End Building at a Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance sponsored by the Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Department. With a fairy tale theme, organizers are expecting lots of princesses to show up escorted by their knights in shining armor, most likely dressed in semi-formal wear.

Highlights include doing the Macarena and competing in a Limbo contest. “It’s always fun to see the dads and daughters dance together,” explains Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Events Coordinator, Jamie Inglis, “especially when their dads don’t know how to dance to Katie Perry.” The DJ shows mercy on the men in the group by throwing in a few oldies but goodies as well as classics like Frank Sinatra.

Lake Oswego fireman David Morris is looking forward to his fourth Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance with his now nine year old daughter, Avery. She is a two-time Limbo champion and enjoys the bubble machine, having her photograph taken, getting all dressed up with friends and the dessert bar. “For Dads, it’s a lot of fun,” Morris explains. “It’s something special just you and your daughter get to do together and bond.” He realizes the opportunities for such outings are numbered, so “I’m taking as much advantage of it as I can,” he adds.

Having been there, done that, I know about that window of opportunity that Morris is capitalizing on and encourage other local dads to do the same.

Be sure to register early as the event fills up. Price is per pair. Ages 3 and up. $50 for residents; $55 for non-residents. Each additional daughter: $15 for residents; $17 for non-residents.  For information or to register call 503-675-2549 or go the Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation website. The West End Building is located at 4101 Kruse Way, Lake Oswego, OR.

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Oswego Lake: It Ain’t Broke, So No Need to Fix It

Posted on March 2, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

Lake Oswego residents spoke out in favor of preserving Oswego Lake's status as a private lake with limited public access at a recent Planning Commission meeting.

If Oswego Lake were human, it would be blushing right now. Monday night, citizen after citizen stood up before the city planning commission to sing its praises as everything from, “a jewel,” to what “anchors our community.”

The occasion wasn’t  a love-fest for Oswego Lake. Rather it was a rallying cry to convince the planning commission to keep the lake operating as it has been for the past 70 years under the stewardship of the Lake Oswego Corporation and limiting public access to both the Lake Grove Swim Park and city-owned swim park on Ridgeway. I agree.

The lake is why I moved here over 26 years ago. My wife and I bought a small two bedroom cottage on the canal and began a lifetime of memories for our three kids and their friends. At the time we could have gotten more house for our money I’m sure but having lake access was our most important criteria in moving here so we gave up square footage and updated appliances for having water in our backyard.

As a Realtor over those same 26 years, I have seen clients weigh that same decision when buying a home. Where does lake access fall in the pecking order of their priorities? If it’s at the top of the list, then they look at waterfront, or at one of the over 3,000 homes with easement rights. Or they buy in the Lake Grove school district boundaries so they can use the Lake Grove Swim Park or decide that the city operated Ridgeway Park, open to all Lake Oswego residents, will suit them just fine.

People decide where to live for a variety of reasons—school boundaries, access to the I-5 corridor, community pools, walking distance to downtown. I don’t live within the Greentree Pool boundary and I’m not going to complain about not having access because that was a decision I made.  My kids have still managed to swim there often enough thanks to friends, just as those friends have enjoyed the lake because of us.  Lake access is just one factor in choosing a home and if it’s important to Lake Oswego homebuyers or renters, there are options.

Whether you live on the lake or not, the quality of life enjoyed in Lake Oswego is influenced by it. Visually, it’s a highlight that the city has taken great measures to capitalize on in the placement of its parks such as Millennium Plaza and Sundeleaf. Recreationally, generations of kids have grown up swimming in the lake either at the Lake Grove Swim Park or Ridgeway Park. Citizens have enjoyed the 4th of July ski show from Lakewood Bay and the wooden boat show, also a summer highlight. The ooh’s and aah’s resonate from the Lake Grove Swim Park as the 4th of July fireworks show, largely financed by shareholder dues, lights up the sky for all to enjoy. Economically, the value that the lake adds to waterfront properties comes back to feed our community through higher property taxes that help to keep our schools top rate.

This lake, that we treasure, however, is a fragile resource. I know firsthand. We lived several summers where algae plagued water, particularly in our canal, proved a challenge for the Lake Corporation stewards. Residents who didn’t live on the lake would joke about the “pea soup” and incredulously ask, “How can you swim in that?” as if to suggest you’d have to be crazy to pay top dollar to live on the shores of this pea-green body of water.

But the lake stewards didn’t waiver and stayed the course to find a solution to the lake’s unique water management needs. It came at a price for Lake Corporation shareholders, but it was one we were willing to pay. The delicate balance to the lake appears to have been restored, but it depends on careful management of usage. Oswego Lake is small. It cannot accommodate uncontrolled recreational activity without risking safety, enjoyment and water quality.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Many citizens cited this feeling at the meeting, with cries of “Where’s the public outcry?” and “Where’s the clamor?” This lake is a thriving urban lake—a rare breed in this country, where other urban lakes have fallen into decline due to over-crowding and invasive species brought in from other waters. There is a system in place for taking care of it—private fund raised by shareholders who have a stake in protecting the water quality.

Why, especially now, when governments are being forced to cut back, cut out, and do with less, would we want to entrust the care of this fragile resource to government funding when what we are doing is working? Why would we risk jeopardizing the progress the Lake Corporation has made in improving the water quality, enabling all residents of Lake Oswego to point to Oswego Lake as “a jewel?” We’ve got something unique here made possible by a unique solution.

I’m glad that citizens turned out in force to reinforce that opinion, convincing the planning commission to continue to keep Oswego Lake private. It’s in good hands, ensuring that this important asset to our community that provides aesthetic beauty, recreational opportunities, increased property values and property tax revenues will continue to play its role in keeping Lake Oswego a special place to live.

What are your thoughts on the subject? Let me know.

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Homegrown Talent: Is There Something in Lake Oswego’s Water That Makes These Kids So Amazing?

Posted on February 25, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

Check out Lake Oswego's homegrown talent on a popular new website.

For a town of only 36,000, Lake Oswego produces more than its fair share of talented offspring. My daughter, Casey Costello, is currently featuring several of them on her ShortForm video channel,  “Hidden Talents.” She highlights local talented musical artists who deserve your attention. Lake Oswego favorites, all of whom graduated from Lakeridge High School include:

HANNAH MADELEINE GOODMAN: Hannah is well on her way to realizing her aspiration of becoming an international opera singer. She is just coming off an appearance on the popular TV series, Glee, where she both performed and had a line opposite the lead character, Finn. During the school year she sings with USC Opera and for the past two summers she has studied and performed with the “Oberlin in Italy” program as well as served as the musical director for the summer musicals at Willowbrook Arts Camp in Tualatin.

LIZZY LAND: Lizzy seems to be chasing the dream in New York City. She performed at Desmond’s in January and has a concert scheduled at Fat Baby on March 22.

SAM (SAMM), CONNOR AND LUCY MARTIN: These three make a case for the theory that something’s in the water these Lake Oswego kids are drinking…or else talent is genetic. They have found success in their own rights as well as collectively as vocalists, songwriters, musicians, video producers, social media experts, a painter, and one professional lacrosse player. Currently they spend much of their time together promoting Con Bro Chill—a nickname for lacrosse playing brother Connor that has morphed into a head-bopping-foot-stomping-join-the-party band, clothing brand, lacrosse camp and outlet for these wildly creative siblings.

KENT JENKINS: Kent is a Blue Man wannabe with all the talent and determination to make it happen.  Just check out his performance on his self-made Bluemanesque PVC percussion instrument and you’ll be like me—just waiting to buy tickets to see him in Vegas.

MICAH JOYNER: Like many of these homegrown stars, Micah is an alumnus of Lakeridge’s Company, a show choir that performs throughout the community and stages an annual variety show. He has moved on to an even bigger stage as a member of University of Oregon’s award winning a cappella group, On The Rocks.

Other locals worth checking out include Aubrey Cleveland (just off her American Idol run) and Niki Petroff.

If you know of some other “hidden talent” from Lake Oswego that should be featured on my daughter’s channel, let us know by leaving a comment.

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

Why Joni Mitchell had it all wrong if you live in Lake Oswego, Oregon

Posted on February 15, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

If Joni Mitchell had lived in Lake Oswego, she may have written different lyrics to her song,"Big Yellow Taxi."

On a recent trip to Fresno, California, to visit relatives I was reminded of the lyrics to Joni Mitchell’s song, “Big Yellow Taxi”.

“Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.”

I’d like to correct Joni. Living in Lake Oswego, Oregon, I do know what I’ve got before it’s gone.

The realization struck me as I stood outside my nephew’s high school waiting in line to buy tickets for his basketball game. Two police cars were parked outside the entrance and an officer was waving a metal-detecting wand over fans as they entered the gymnasium.  This, my brother-in-law informed me was standard operating procedure as he relayed an incident last year where a fight broke out in the parking lot during one particularly heated game and the gymnasium was in lockdown mode for a couple hours.

Nope, “We’re not in Lake Oswego anymore.”

Feeling safe at high school basketball games wasn’t the only difference that stood out to me. I have been driving down to Fresno for over 35 years and have witnessed the urban sprawl that comes with a mentality that favors development over quality of life. Valuable agricultural land continues to disappear as newer cookie-cutter housing tracts move in. The downtown core has been abandoned with futile efforts to resurrect it. I thought back to Lake Oswego’s downtown redevelopment that has breathed life and vitality into our city and felt very grateful for the forward vision and thoughtful planning that has brought us Lake View Village, Millennium Plaza Park and Foothills Park.

I also noticed few people walking or bicycling. The automobile is king here with wide streets and pedestrian-unfriendly intersections. I tried googling pathways in Fresno, Ca. and the first entry was the Pathway to Recovery program run by Fresno County Substance Abuse Services. Google “Pathways in Lake Oswego, Oregon,” and you’ll find the city of Lake Oswego’s Parks and Recreation Pathway Guide as well as my blog on “A guide for Euclid to Lake Oswego’s pathways.”

I’m back home now in Lake Oswego and doing my best to prove Joni Mitchell wrong. I’m appreciating what I’ve got while it’s here and trust that it won’t be gone for future generations because I don’t think Lake Oswegans take our quality of life for granted.

What do you appreciate about Lake Oswego? Share your thoughts and join me in proving Joni Mitchell wrong.

Like what you’re reading? Subscribe to my blog by clicking, “Sign me up,” in the top right hand column. Thanks for stopping by.

Photo credit: stock.xchng image 969649

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Location, Location, Location—Lake Oswego is Close to Everything!

Posted on February 8, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

Lake Oswego Oregon offers a perfect location for exploring or staying close to home.

In real estate, the mantra is “location, location, location.” Well, if that’s the case, then everyone should live in Lake Oswego, Oregon! Considered a suburb of Portland, Lake Oswego has a lifeblood all its own, complete with two high schools, two junior highs, eight elementary schools, two post offices, record-setting library, city hall, movie theater, grocery stores and more. But it is also conveniently located to so much else the Portland metro area and the state of Oregon has to offer.

Downtown Portland 8 miles*
Portland International Airport 12.2 miles
Rose Garden Arena 9.14 miles
Oregon Zoo 10.21 miles
Interstate 5 4.17 miles
Highway 205 4.65 miles
Multnomah Falls 36.93 miles
Mt. Hood 85 miles
Seaside 84 miles
Black Butte 141 miles
Sunriver Resort 176 miles
Civil War game at Autzen Stadium 104.65 miles
Civil War game at Reeser Stadium 79.06 miles
Nearest hospital 5 miles
Nearest Amtrak station 6 miles
Nearest shopping mall-Bridgeport Village 5.28 miles
Oregon Shakespeare Festival 279 miles

*Distance measured from downtown Lake Oswego

Even if you decide to stay in town, you’re not far from what you need. There are 16 coffee shops within the ten square miles of the town, meaning you can grab a latte on your way to work or to the gym. With seven grocery stores ranging from big chains like Safeway to independents like Wizers and specialty stores like New Seasons, you could even walk to pick up the milk you forgot on the way home. Graham’s Book and Stationery is located right downtown. Lake View Village in downtown Lake Oswego houses national chains like Sur la Table as well as local boutiques like Meringue Boutique and Soletta Shoes. Want to eat out? Trip Advisor lists 86 restaurants in Lake Oswego ranging from Subway to local favorites like Maher’s Irish Restaurant and Pub and Zeppo’s featuring Italian food.

Location, location, location. It’s not only important in real estate, it’s important to your quality of life, and Lake Oswego’s location, both rich in its own offerings as well as close to everything you need, makes living here a great choice.

Posted in Lake Oswego lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Subscribe to the Lake Oswego Review

Posted on February 1, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

Lake Oswego, Oregon, is home to the award winning Lake Oswego Review

In a recent report by the USC Annenberg School of Communications on the digital turning point in Americans’ lives, local weekly newspapers were one of the few potential bright spots in the print newspaper’s future. Lake Oswego is in luck because the Lake Oswego Review has been serving this community for the past 99 years. With a commitment by editor Martin Forbes to “do the best in the business in covering Lake Oswego,” here are 10 reasons why you should add yourself to the 5,831 subscribers.

  1. It’s community journalism at its best. The Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association seems to think so, honoring the Lake Oswego Review with 15 awards in its 2011 Better Newspaper Contest. This local weekly earned national bragging rights too with two first place awards from the National Newspaper Association for its L.O. sales promotion section and Perspectives, its annual magazine supplement.
  2. It’s the bearer of good news. Tired of reading about the depressed economy, high unemployment, gloom and doom? Open up the Lake Oswego Review for stories about neighbors helping neighbors, high school students organizing a canned food drive, an Eagle Scout earning his badge and be reminded of all that’s right in your corner of the world.
  3. Perspectives. Once a year the Lake Oswego Review puts out its annual magazine, Perspectives, spotlighting people and businesses based on a theme. In the past the paper has covered: 2008: A Day In The Life, 2009: Best Ever, 2010: Extraordinary People, 2011: Small Business, Big Impact and coming in March: Untold Stories
  4. Police Blotter. You can tell a lot about the town I live in and perhaps the humor of reporter Cliff Newell, when you read the Lake Oswego Review’s Police Blotter. Information is gleaned from incident reports filed with the Lake Oswego Police Department but the flavor in which they are written comes from Review. This stuff is so popular, the newspaper even does a year-end roundup of the best entries. Where else are you going to read that, “A dog was reported to be barking for hours on Lindsay Court. However, as always happens in such cases, the dog was silent when police came to investigate.” It must have been another slow week in Lake Oswego because here was another entry, “A litter bug is leaving bags of debris along Lakeview Boulevard.”
  5. “Lifting the Fork” column. Reporter and food enthusiast Barb Randall has been writing this award winning column for close to seven years which provides a perfect venue for her lifelong passion for cooking. “Dinner wasn’t just dinner in my family,” she explains. “It was an adventure.” She encourages her readers to experiment in the kitchen offering new recipes each week including her 5/30 selections which feature five ingredients ready in 30 minutes or less.
  6. Vern Uyetake’s photos. The Review photographer, Vern Uyetake, seems ubiquitous in this town. Show up to an event, whether it’s a high school basketball game or the Lions Club 4th of July Pancake Breakfast, and chances are he’ll be there chronicling it for Review readers. He has been with the newspaper for 20 years because taking photographs, “doesn’t feel like a job.” His talent has been recognized by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association but the recognition that means the most to him is when a resident comes up to him and says, “I liked that picture that you took.”
  7. Be an informed voter. Lake Oswego may be a small town but it has its issues like the West End Building or the Foothills development. Read the news stories as well as the letters to the editor and you’ll gain a better understanding of all sides to the decisions you need to make
  8. Help support your local economy. Through ads and news stories, the Review keeps local businesses in the spotlight like the opening of Soletta Shoes in Lake View Village or profiling local business owners like Mike Buck of Gubanc’s Restaurant and Pub. These are the businesses that in turn support our schools and community in a myriad of ways and the Review lets you know the stories behind the storefront.
  9. Price can’t be beat. At $34 dollars a year for a mailed subscription ($32 for seniors), the Lake Oswego Review is a bargain considering the entertainment and information delivered on a weekly basis.
  10. It’s a chance to let your voice be heard. The Lake Oswego Review is a hub for local opinion. Editor Martin Forbes says the hottest topics in recent years have been The West End Building, Portland Streetcar, Foothills development and the move to bring home football games back to the Lakeridge high school campus. Join in the discussion.

Your voice can be heard here too–what’s something you love about Lake Oswego?  And remember, if you like what you read here, consider subscribing by clicking the “Sign me up” button at the top of the right hand column.

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Discover Why Parents Have Camped Out Overnight to Get Their Kids into Lake Oswego School District’s Scholars’ Alliance Program…And Why You Don’t Have To

Posted on January 25, 2012 by lovelakeoswego

The Lake Oswego School District's Scholars' Alliance program involves high school students and their parents in a unique educational partnership that has proved popular with the Lake Oswego community.

I hate standing in lines but my wife and I have done it four times for our kids. Once, to get our son a coveted Wii when stores couldn’t stock them fast enough, and the other was to garner each of them one of the 80 spots in the Lake Oswego School District’s Scholars’ Alliance program.

Billed as an educational enrichment program designed to help high school students hone their critical thinking and problem solving skills, the program is the brainchild of district superintendent Bill Korach. Along with guest speakers and other district personnel, (many of whom volunteer their time), he leads students and their parents through almost monthly discussions on topics ranging from emotional intelligence to human courtship behavior.

There is also a college planning component that intensifies as students progress through the program from sophomore to senior year. High school counselors as well as a private college counseling specialist guide students through the college search and application process, culminating in a wrap-up session their senior year where selected students read from their college essays and everyone identifies the college they will be attending.

In a community where parents are looking to give their kids every advantage they can, it’s little wonder that moms and dads, myself included, have done crazy things to gain admission. With my son, he and I got in line at 4 a.m. outside doors that were to open at 9 a.m. for a first-come, first-served registration. We were third to show up but very popular as we shared our 96 oz. Starbucks traveler with like-minded go-getters.

Fast forward two more years and it’s the day before Scholars’ Alliance signups. I received a call from a friend that the line was already forming outside the District Administration office at 3:00 on a Friday afternoon with registration scheduled for 9 a.m. the next day. By 4:00 I was number 39 in line, setting up a tent for the night and watching everyone’s kids as they set up card tables and started playing cards, turning the line into an excuse to party.

By kid number three, the vigil started at 5 a.m. the day before signups as my wife showed up with a friend and took their 9th and 10th places in line alongside parents who had already spent the first of two nights camped in wait for a sought after Scholars’ Alliance spot. It was probably the first time my wife and I were relieved that we only had three children and not four, knowing our days of staking out our claim in this program were over.

This year the school district has gone to an all-lottery system for admittance into the program, eliminating the campouts and early morning wake-up calls (although in hindsight, they were a hoot). It is fee based and regular attendance is expected.

Is it worth it? I’d have to say, yes. I relished the opportunity to spend a few hours every month with my kid exploring what makes him or her tick. My kids were forced to think outside the box which doesn’t always happen when they’re busy memorizing formulas or learning a language. Each of them got into a college of their choice, and while I can’t say that wouldn’t have happened without Scholars’, it did make the process much more navigable. Besides, I have some great stories to share about what a parent will do all in the name of doing right by his kid.

Got a Scholars’ Alliance story to share? Or a story of some crazy thing you’ve done as a parent for your kid? Leave your comments here. 

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