Get Cultured and Get Healthy in Lake Oswego This Month

Posted on November 9, 2011 by lovelakeoswego

Do your health a favor this next month—attend one of the four stage productions being offered by the local high schools and Lakewood Theatre Company. According to Norwegian scientists who studied the cultural habits of over 50,000 adults, participating in the arts can make you feel better. Don’t worry–you don’t have to be on stage for the benefits to kick in. Just take a seat at one of these upcoming performances and cash in on this deceptively simple but highly entertaining way to take care of your health.

GREASE put on by Lake Oswego High School shines the spotlight on young love as it faces the test of peer pressure. Almost 100 students are involved in bringing this musical to the stage with such favorites as “Greased Lightnin,” and “You’re the One that I Want.”

Performances:   7 p.m. on Thursdays, November 10 and 17; and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays, November  12 and 19 at the Lake Oswego High School Auditorium at 2501 SW Country Club Road.

Ticket prices: $12 general admission, $8 for seniors and students, and $5 for children 5 and under. Available online or at the door.

WILLIE WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY at Lakeridge High School takes you on a fanciful musical tour as Willie Wonka searches for the heir to his candy enterprise. Enjoy such popular hits as “The Candy Man,” and “Pure Imagination.”

Performances :  7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, November 11, 12, 18, 19 and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 13 and Saturday, November 19 at the Lakeridge Auditorium at 1235 Overlook Drive.

Ticket prices: $12 general admission, $10 for seniors and students, $8 for children 12 and under. Available online  or at the door.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND performed by Westside Christian High School at the Alpenrose Dairy Opera House recounts Carroll’s story in a unique way featuring live, original music composed by Michael Allen Harrison and aerial acrobatics choreographed by local dance troupe, Do Jump! Theater.

Performances:  7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, November 11 and 12 and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 13 at the  Alpenrose Opera House located at 6149 SW Shattuck Road, Portland.

Ticket prices: $11.50 general admission, $8.50 for seniors, $6.50 for students and special group pricing of $5 each for 20 or more by calling (503) 307-7474 . Available  online or at the door.

WHITE CHRISTMAS presented by the Lakewood Theatre Company kicks off the holiday season with this classic tale featuring Irving Berlin hits  such as “I Love a Piano,” and the title tune, “White Christmas.”

Performances: The show runs from November 10-December 18 with Thursday – Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m. (no performance on Thanksgiving); Sundays at 7 p.m. (November 13, 20, 27 and December 11); Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. (November 13, 27, December 4, 11, 18) and one Wednesday performance on November 30 at 7:30 p.m. Held at the Lakewood Center for the Arts at 368 S. State Street in Lake Oswego.

Ticket prices: $32 for adults, $29 for seniors with other discounts available for students, groups and season ticket holders.  Order online, call (503) 635-3901 or stop by the Lakewood Center for the Arts.

Photo credit: stock .xchng Image ID 566218

Check back in after you’ve seen a show and let me know how you liked it and if it made you feel better!

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Community Culture Summit Invites Lake Oswegans to Shape Their City’s Future

Posted on November 2, 2011 by lovelakeoswego

Lake Oswego—it has come a long way from an industrial town with little more than an iron smelter and stump -studded Sucker Lake to brag about. City officials and citizen advocates would like to take it even further with a vision into the year 2035 and are asking residents to get involved in that process.

Under the umbrella of We Love Lake Oswego: Planning for People, Places and Prosperity, the city has conducted surveys, hosted public forums and enlisted public participation through citizen action committees and advisory groups in an effort to update the Comprehensive Plan, the city’s road map for policy and planning. While first established in 1978 and updated in the early 1990s, the state has mandated that cities revisit their plans once again and with the changes Lake Oswego has seen from an increased population to declining school enrollment, the timing is right.

This Thursday, November 3, citizens are invited to attend a Community Culture Summit from 6-8 pm in the Lake Oswego High School Library (preceded by a mixer from 5:30-6 pm). Using a small group discussion format, participants will be asked to give their input on: education, recreation, the arts, the library, history, and civic engagement.

Some of the questions citizens will be asked to comment on include:

  • What should Lake Oswego look like?
  • What’s the best way to sustain a thriving business community?
  • How should we get around town?

If you can’t attend, you can join the online virtual open house  from November 1-11. The opportunity is there to make sure your voice is heard.

One thing you can say and love about Lake Oswegans—they are opinionated with a vested interest in the community in which they live. Just open up the Lake Oswego Review and check out the editorial page. Letters to the editor pose debates in real time as citizens extol the pros and cons of redevelopment, relocating the library, or closing schools.  The city of Lake Oswego is counting on harnessing that engagement in this opportunity to shape Lake Oswego’s future. As their informational video explains, “It’s your turn to imagine the future.”

Consider subscribing to “52 Reasons to Love Lake Oswego.” Just click on the “Sign me up” button in the upper right hand corner. And let me know…what are some of your reasons for loving Lake Oswego?

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Check out these great Lake Oswego neighborhoods for Halloween trick-or-treaters, oh my!

Posted on October 27, 2011 by lovelakeoswego

Our three trick-or-treaters getting ready to hit the Lake Oswego streets

In our house, Halloween wasn’t about the search for the Great Pumpkin…it was all about the hunt for the candy. Our kids had it down to a six part process:

  1. Candy collecting
  2. Candy weighing
  3. Candy counting
  4. Candy sorting
  5. Candy trading
  6. Candy eating

Although we didn’t live in a high-traffic trick-or-treat neighborhood, our kids still managed to come home with at least a six month stash. They would all start their night by visiting our neighbor, Betsy,  who made herself the most popular house on the street by handing out king size candy bars.

Even if you don’t have a Betsy on your street, Lake Oswego neighborhoods won’t disappoint on Halloween. Here are some of the best spots to hit:

WESTLAKE: The biggest haul of my son’s trick-or-treating life was when he joined a group of friends and they vanned their way through Westlake neighborhoods. He came home with over 20 pounds of the sweet stuff.

Westlake resident Lois Barnum knows the drill. Even though she is located in a cul-de-sac, she has handed out candy to as many as 160 kids on Halloween night. Anything under 90 is a slow night for her. Located within a walking school district in a neighborhood of mostly 3-5 bedroom houses, there are lots of kids ready to hit the streets. That’s not to mention the vans whose candy tracking GPS leads them to Westlake.

Barnum dons a witch’s hat when greeting trick-or-treaters at the door and will even do a rendition of “I’ll get you my little pretty,” for the older and wiser crowd. Some of her favorite costumed characters? She has quite a list from the all male high school group dressed as 1950s cheerleaders who formed a pyramid outside her door as their trick for her treat to the baby bumblebees. “They always get me,” she explains.

MARYLHURST: Van drop-offs are common in this neighborhood too. “I think maybe it’s because the neighborhood is contained, making it safer with no outlets…or maybe it’s the Costco-sized candy bars some residents give out,” explains Marylhurst resident Mary Vigo. She can easily go through two of Costco’s large bags of candy in addition to 200 of the full size candy bars in one night.

RIVER RUN: “Our neighborhood totally goes all out,” explains River Run enthusiast, Lisa Andersson. Complete with graveyards for the likes of Will Rott , the homeowners do their best to set the stage for bands of trick-or-treaters. Add to that the fact that it’s a flat, easy-to-walk neighborhood and it’s little surprise that Andersson can easily find 150 kids at her door she has never seen before. “We get first timers to 17 year olds,” she explains, “because they think it’s so much fun they can’t stop.”

BRYANT WOODS: Flat with houses close together is this neighborhood’s strong selling point. “I wouldn’t call it a drop-off neighborhood,” explains resident Wendy Aldrich, except for some kids who might come down to escape the Westridge hills. Even just catering to locals, however, Aldrich easily sees 140 kids in a night, and they tend to be the younger set.

Here’s something to do before you hit the streets with your kids: The Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring the 6th Annual Harvest Festival at Millennium Plaza Park on Monday, October 31 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Features games, crafts, the Dragon Puppet Theater and a stroll down Trick or Treat Street.

Do you have a favorite trick-or-treating neighborhood in Lake Oswego?         I’d love to hear about it.

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Listen to Mark Twain and get to one of Lake Oswego’s two homecoming parades

Posted on October 20, 2011 by lovelakeoswego

Our son, Brady, marching in the Lakeridge homecoming pirate-themed parade his freshman year.

The way Mark Twain saw it, a parade was important for two reasons—as a show and as a symbol. When reflecting in “Queen Victoria’s Jubilee,” on the procession in her honor in 1897,  he wrote  “…its minor function being to delight the eye, its major one to compel thought, exalt the spirit, stir the heart, and inflame the imagination.” Over the next two weeks, Lake Oswegans will get an opportunity to be delighted and uplifted as both local high schools parade their school spirit down A Avenue as part of their respective homecoming traditions.

Our daughter, Casey and her friends, escorting their freshman float calling to "Flush the Kingsmen."

Complete with floats all decked out to win the class competition, princesses practicing their parade wave, bands, cheerleaders and the dance team revving up the crowd, team members singing the school fight song,  and a grand marshal leading the charge, both these events provide an opportunity to revel in what’s good and refreshing about this stage in our kids’ lives. It also is another reminder of one of the benefits of living in a small town—being able to take in a parade down Main Street!

Lake Oswego High School kicks things off this week with activities orchestrated around the theme, “Pun(t) the Lion as they will be facing the West Linn Lions in the football game, Friday, October 21 at 7 pm on their home field. Leading up to that is a week’s worth of activities from noontime competitions like eating contests to relays as well as themed dress-up days that include: Mathlete, Cowboy and Alien, Hipster, Jersey and Navy. A homecoming court was announced at the assembly on Tuesday with the queen being crowned at halftime during the football game. The parade begins at 1:45 pm on Friday, October 21, proceeding down A Avenue from 10th Street to 1st led by Grand Marshal Rick Knouse, a Laker grad and big-time fan.  The week’s festivities conclude with the dance Saturday night.

Lakeridge follows the week of October 24 with an underwater theme, “Getting Fishy with It.” Themed dress-up days include White t-shirt and jeans, Tropical Tuesday, LO Bro, Formal/Casual (formal top, casual bottoms or vice versa) and Pacer Wear. The parade begins at 2 pm on Friday, October 28, followed by a pre-game tailgater from 5:30 -6:30 at the Christian City Church for fans walking to the game or parking off campus. The Pacers face off against the Canby Cougars at 7 pm with the queen coronation at halftime. The homecoming dance Saturday night wraps the spirit-filled week up.

I don’t know about you, but I love a parade. So, if you have the time this week or next, park yourself somewhere along A Avenue in downtown Lake Oswego, and let the good times roll.

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How to Live Happily Ever After in Lake Oswego, Oregon October 24-29

Posted on October 14, 2011 by lovelakeoswego

Be sure to attend the Lake Oswego Library's Storytelling Festival with free events all week long from October 24-29, 2011

When my kids were young, one of their summer highlights was my brother-in-law’s storytelling night. Holed up in a dark room, he would both scare and engage them with tales of pirates, secret passageways and harrowing escapes. Employing nothing but his voice and their imagination, he would captivate them until his always-suspenseful endings triggered a chorus of screams.

The Lake Oswego Library realizes that storytelling does more than just entertain. It also anchors and connects us in ways that are important. To celebrate the role storytelling plays in our lives, the library is sponsoring a weeklong Storytelling Festival from October 24-29 featuring oral history interviews, storytelling workshops, performances, a video contest, local history presentations and even a haunting tour of Oswego Pioneer Cemetery by lantern light. Space is limited for some of the events so be sure to check the schedule and pre-register if necessary.

Why should you go? Let some of the storytellers tell you themselves:

Terry Jordan: We’re all storytellers—that’s how we connect. We know one another more deeply when we tell stories. What I love about the Lake Oswego Festival is that it’s not just telling stories. It’s teaching folks how to tell stories as well. (Catch Terry on Tuesday, October 25 from 2-3:30 pm at the Lake Oswego Library for: Grandma, Tell Me a Story: A Workshop for Grandparents and Parents).

Leslie Slape:  Historically, storytellers were the tribe’s teachers, historians, entertainers, theologians, and counselors. Today, storytellers still take on those roles, and more. A wise judge once said to me that every attorney who wants to win over a trial jury should learn the art of storytelling. The latest trend in news reporting—a form of recording history—is narrative journalism, or storytelling. The best teachers know that students remember a lesson if it’s put in the form of a story. Counselors have embraced the healing powers of a story, because when our soul needs to heal, story helps in many ways. (Leslie will be sharing her stories on Saturday, October 29 from 7-9 pm at The Age-Old Story Tree: An Evening of Personal and Traditional Tales in the Spirit of the Season along with Alton Chung and Will Hornyak at the Lakewood Center for the Arts, downstairs).

Anne Rutherford: Storytelling is simply and profoundly how we make sense of the world around us; how we interpret events and circumstances. We are programmed, as human beings, to use a story structure to understand our lives. What we believe we can do, what we choose to risk, what we want to save – all of these come from stories we tell ourselves, or have been told by others. Hearing good stories, crafted by humans for humans and told face to face, energizes a part of us that powers decision-making and action. Happily ever after? It’s closer than we think! (Anne will be joining Terry Jordan in the Grandma, Tell me a Story workshop on Tuesday, October 25 from 2-3:30 pm at the Lake Oswego Library).

Rick Huddle: Storytelling is a unique way to connect with others and to learn about ourselves. The goal is to share that universal experience and relate to it in your own life. (Join Rick for a Storytelling Matinee and Open Mike Showcase on Saturday, October 29 from 1-3 pm at the Lake Oswego Library).

Esther Stutzman: I tell the ancient traditional stories of my people, the Komemma Kalapuya people of the southern Willamette Valley-Upper Umpqua. Tribal people tell the stories as a way to pass on history and teach morals and lessons to the younger generation. As a storykeeper, I tell stories to preserve traditions and culture, reinforce history and remember important events. (Hear some of Esther’s Coos and Kalapuya stories on Tuesday, October 25 from 7-8:30 pm at the Lake Oswego Library).

Christopher Leebrick: Storytelling may be the world’s oldest art form. The need to hear and tell stories is inherent, and through the power of story we can grow in our understanding of what it means to be human. (Christopher performs Thursday, October 27 from 7-8 pm in The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Thrillers at the Waluga Masonic Lodge #181).

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Why the Lakeridge Pacers and Lake Oswego Lakers Deserve a Place in the Hall of Fame

Posted on October 5, 2011 by lovelakeoswego

The Lake Oswego Lakers and Lakeridge Pacers face off this Friday, October 7 at 7 p.m. on the Lakeridge home field.

I’d like to nominate a new sports team rivalry to enter the Sports Hall of Fame alongside the likes of the 49ers and the Rams, and the Ducks and the Beavers—that of our very own high school teams, the Lakeridge Pacers and the Lake Oswego Lakers who face off against each other this Friday, October 7 at the Lakeridge field at    7 p.m. (Check out the official countdown) Both are undefeated, with Lake Oswego ranked second in state and Lakeridge sixth in the AP Poll.

I see the rivalry as a good thing. With three kids who went through the ranks as Pacers, I saw firsthand how pumped up and focused they got before a game against their cross-town rivals. While none of them played football, the rivalry crosses sports boundaries. As Lakeridge girls varsity soccer player, Katey Jacobsen said, “When we play LO it’s almost like a state championship because everyone is so ready for it and pumped up.” The team wears rubber bands across their cleats that say, “Take the Lake,” inspire each other with notes, and carpool if it’s an away game, honking and singing their fight song when they arrive.

A rivalry, if it’s a good one will do what it’s supposed to do: define the team and bring them together. Local Pacers and Lakers seem to agree that’s what theirs does:

  • Ian Lamont, Lakeridge Athletic Director: “It’s a chance to take pride in your community and school,” he explains.  And it’s not just the players. Lamont says one of the highlights is “the excitement the fans bring to the games.”
  •  Tom Smythe, Lakeridge Football Head Coach: “It’s a wholesome rivalry. People in this town understand that one team or the other is going to be on a roll,” he explains. That team on a roll was the Pacers during Smythe’s last twelve years coaching at Lakeridge during his first stint from 1971 to 1987 (this is his third season in his second go-around). “Lately, it’s been the other way around,” he admits, “but we are closing the gap.”
  •  Steve Coury, Lake Oswego Head Football Coach: “The rivalry speaks highly of our city—we have two of the best teams in the state in the same city,” he explains. “So kudos to our kids, our community, and the competitive spirit.” Coury’s fondest rivalry memory is his first game as the Laker coach. At that point, the Lakers had been on the losing end of the crosstown match-up for many years.  “We were over-matched, they were three times the team we were, none of our guys could have made their team,” he recalls. “But we won the game. We had no right but it speaks to what a rival game is all about. You can throw out the records and the stats—it has its own weird way of playing itself out.”
  •  Tom Knecht, Lakeridge football quarterback: “It’s definitely the biggest game of the year and we look forward to it,” he explains. His highlight going into Friday night’s game against LO was last year’s match-up when Lakeridge held Lake Oswego to a 7-7 tie, midway through the third quarter before the Lakers took the lead to win the game. “The crowd really got into it,” Knecht recalls.
  • Stevie Coury, Lake Oswego wide receiver. “It’s a whole different game than any other game all year,” he explains. “This year’s game is bigger than any in the last ten years because both teams are coming in with 5-0 records. There is a lot on the line and the hype is going to be up. Whoever wins has bragging rights for the year until we play each other again.”

When it comes to high school sports, it doesn’t get much better than this!       See you at the game.

Be sure to check out the Good Neighbor Transportation and Parking Guidelines for all Lakeridge home games.

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10 Reasons Why George Rogers Park Has Bragging Rights

Posted on September 29, 2011 by lovelakeoswego

Scenic footbridge in George Rogers Park

George Rogers has bragging rights—the man as well as the city of Lake Oswego park. George Rogers, the man, was so instrumental as a city councilman in developing the park, that the council recognized him for his efforts by naming it after him in 1952. George Rogers, the park at 611 State Street in Lake Oswego, Oregon, holds the distinction of being the city’s first public park.

Lake Oswego Ranger Ben LaBounty figures George Rogers Park in the top three of city parks in terms of foot traffic next to Millennium and Foothills. From bird watchers to brides, there is a reason to visit George Rogers, giving it all the more reason to brag.

1. Walk/Run/Bike. The 3 ½ mile Old River Road pathway begins in lower George Rogers Park across the footbridge and continues up and around the point to Old River Road where runners or walkers can continue on along the paved road following the Willamette River before reaching Highway 43.

2. Get back to nature. George Rogers Park packs an unusual variety of plants, topography and wildlife for such a compact space. The diversity ranges from upland conifer (Douglas Fir, Big Leap Maple and Western Red Cedar) to emergent wetlands (open water and landscaped gardens). Wildlife spottings include coyote, deer, raccoons, opossum, osprey, herons, eagles, owls and a possible cougar.

3. Have a picnic. Whether it’s a romantic rendezvous at a picnic table overlooking the river or a company picnic under one of the covered shelters, George Rogers Park is the perfect destination.

4. Get married. There’s a music stage, covered picnic shelters, beautiful setting—you wouldn’t be the first to get married here. Park Ranger Ben estimates five to ten brides a year say their “I do’s” at George Rogers Park.

5. Play your favorite sport. There is one soccer field, two baseball/ softball fields and two tennis courts so come out and play or watch.  With room to roam, groups gather for informal games of Frisbee, flag football or tai chi.

6. Get on stage. There’s a music stage here so what’s stopping your budding ballerina or fledgling thespian from taking their place in the spotlight? Give them a venue where they can strut their stuff. Bring a few chairs and they’ll have the adoring audience they need.

7.Take your kid to the playground.  All the kid favorites are here from slides to swings so be prepared to hear, “Do it again,” again and again.

8. Eat some pancakes, buy some art, view classic cars, catch a play. George Rogers Park is the venue for many popular annual events including the Lions Club 4th of July pancake breakfast, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, the Oswego Heritage Council Collector Car Show, and performances by Masque Alfresco.

9. Hit the beach. That’s right. There is Willamette River access from George Rogers Park with a beach that is a popular spot for sunbathing, picnicking and testing just how much of a retriever your Labrador really is.

10. Grab some history. The park is the site of Oregon’s oldest industrial monument—the Oswego Iron Furnace. Built in 1866, the first fire was started in 1867 and helped fuel Oregon’s largest manufacturing enterprise in the 19th century. An informational kiosk sits next to the furnace where you can learn all about this piece of Lake Oswego’s industrial roots.

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5 Reasons why Sundeleaf would be happy to have his name attached to Lake Oswego’s newest park

Posted on September 24, 2011 by lovelakeoswego

The dedication of Sundeleaf Plaza is Monday, September 26 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Sundeleaf Plaza is the new kid on the block–the latest addition to the City of Lake Oswego’s park system. While open since June 25, an official dedication will take place on Monday, September 26, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and everyone is invited. The program, which begins at 4:30 p.m. will include Mayor Jack Hoffman, Steve Dodds (Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Chair), Terry Reckord, Marylou Culver and Richard Sundeleaf’s granddaughter, Hilary Mackenzie.  Too bad Sundeleaf can’t make it as he would certainly have approved of this urban park with his name on it. Here’s why.

1. LAKE VIEWS. Sundeleaf Plaza provides the community with views of Lakewood Bay. Look around. Many of Sundelelaf’s projects were overlooking Oswego Lake, including the original cabanas at Oswego Lake Sailing Club on Third Street. He designed these first apartments on stilts perched out over Lakewood Bay—how fitting that now Sundeleaf Plaza looks out on that same body of water.

2. LOCATION-LOCATION-LOCATION. The park is located right next to another property he designed—the Lake Twin Cinema. In 1940 Sundeleaf designed both the theater and what is now the Oswego Lake House restaurant. A double sided fireplace sits between the park and theater so that both properties can benefit from it.

3. THIS WAS HIS HOMETOWN. Sundeleaf loved Lake Oswego enough to live here himself. Born in Portland, Sundeleaf actually called Lake Oswego home for 38 years from 1949 until his death in 1987 in a home he designed himself on Phantom Bluff Court.

4. IT’S INNOVATIVE. In addition to a lakeside promenade, lawns, a public plaza and restrooms, the park features a bioswale for storm water management. Sundeleaf was innovative as well, credited with influencing the “village” atmosphere in Lake Oswego.

5. HE COMPETED AND WON. The City of Lake Oswego had a contest to name the park; the competition began October 25 and ended November 19 of last year.  Submissions were reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, who narrowed them down to four finalists. After a vote, a recommendation was made to the City Council which approved Resolution 10-71 naming the former US Bank property at 120 State Street as Sundeleaf Plaza.  As any architect knows, you always have to go out and bid on a job—it’s a competition. So Sundeleaf would have felt very much at home with the process and pleased with the decision.

What’s your favorite Sundeleaf property in Lake Oswego? Let me know.

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A guide for Euclid to Lake Oswego’s pathways

Posted on September 14, 2011 by lovelakeoswego

Pedestrians and cyclists can catch this view of Oswego Lake while enjoying the 7 mile lake loop pathway.

Euclid said the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but which is the most scenic? Probably one of the trails or pathways winding around Lake Oswego. Inspired by a master plan to provide its citizens with safe passage by foot or bicycle through its neighborhoods, parks and retail centers, the city of Lake Oswego offers a variety of trails and multi-use pathways that feature tree-lined corridors, lake and river views, wildlife and natural vegetation.

With his bent for preciseness and straight lines, Euclid might have struggled with the current Lake Oswego pathway system, unless he followed this guide:

1. It’s not when you get there, it’s how. So, when the scenery is so beautiful, what’s the rush? One of our family’s favorite routes is the seven mile lake loop which my wife and I often run to inaugurate a new year. Passing through downtown and taking in scenic lake views, it’s a beautiful course but challenging as anyone who has huffed and puffed his or her way up McVey or to the South Shore Outlook can attest.

Another Costello favorite is the Iron Mountain Trail that meanders 1,284 feet up above the Lake Oswego Hunt Club, a historic equestrian center in town. Dropping down alongside the Lake Oswego Country Club, you are free to turn left on Iron Mountain and head into downtown or turn right and point yourself towards Lake Grove.

2. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. Many of the pathways and trails complete a loop so forget your straight lines and need for efficiency. Just take in the sights from the wakeboarders on Oswego Lake to the Osprey on the Tualatin River.

3. Horace Greeley was all wrong—it’s not “Go west, young man,”, it’s Go up!” If you set out to explore Lake Oswego by foot or bicycle, be prepared to climb. While some pathways are relatively flat (like the Bryant Woods Park trail or Iron Mountain corridor), most require you to put those thigh and calf muscles to work. But look at it this way, you’ll burn 68 percent more calories walking uphill than on a flat surface.

4. Good things come to those who wait…and plan. While these pathways and loops provide Lake Oswegans with an excuse to get out and experience the great outdoors, they don’t yet provide an interconnected way of getting around town that pathway advocates like Tom Fahey envision.

“It’s a fragmented system right now,” explains Fahey. His long-term goal is to see a system where “paths are linked together in some sort of logical web so people can travel easily and safely on foot or bikes,” he explains. As a member of both the Transportation Advisory Board and Comprehensive Plan Citizen Advisory Committee, Fahey is involved in trying to make that happen.

5. Join the Community Bike Ride this Sunday. Mayor Jack Hoffman, a self-proclaimed “good weather” biker committed to braving some winter rides, is also invested in providing Lake Oswego residents with transportation choices on how to get around town. With that in mind, he is sponsoring a family-friendly, 12 mile Community Bike Ride around Lake Oswego this Sunday, September 18, 2011, beginning at 12:30 p.m. in Lower Millennium Park.

In addition to introducing the new Police Chief Don Johnson and having fun, Hoffman’s plans for the ride are twofold: to demonstrate that it’s possible to bicycle from downtown Lake Oswego to Lake Grove and to raise awareness about the City’s involvement in updating the Comprehensive Plan, including addressing ways to connect the community through roads that can be shared by pedestrians, bicyclists and cars. To register for the ride, contact Laura Weigel at lweigel@ci.oswego.or.us or 506.675.3730.

 What’s your favorite pathway around Lake Oswego? Let me know.

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Lake Oswego School District’s reputation adds to home values any way you look at it

Posted on September 8, 2011 by lovelakeoswego

Of all the factors that add to the real estate value of homes in Lake Oswego, the reputation of the Lake Oswego School District is one of the biggest. And if you’re a family with school-age children, it’s the primary reason you want to call Lake Oswego home. In my twenty plus years of selling real estate, I’ve seen the school district’s reputation bring in homebuyers as much as the lake, the location, or the community. There are two ways of looking at it—by the numbers and through the words of school district patrons.

First the numbers:

  • Lake Oswego schools have received the highest rating on Oregon Department of Education report cards over the last four consecutive years.
  • Both high schools—Lakeridge and Lake Oswego—were named Silver Medal Schools by US News and World Reports in its annual ranking of America’s Best High Schools.
  • Over 90 percent of high school students continue on to college.
  • Lake Oswego students score higher on SAT and ACT scores than their counterparts in Oregon as well as the nation. In 2010 the mean SAT score of LOSD students was 1751 compared to 1546 for the state and 1509 for the nation. ACT scores showed the same pattern with LOSD students scoring 26.1 while the Oregon average was 21.5 and the national, 21.0.
  • In addition to a challenging academic curriculum, the athletic programs at both high schools are strong, with seven state championships won between the two of them over the past eight years.
  • Lake Oswego buys into the concept that “it takes a village.” The LOSD Foundation raises money each year for the express purpose of funding teaching jobs. In 2008 voters renewed a 5-year local option levy to supplement state funding.

Now the patrons:

  • Julie Arnzen: “The school district’s reputation was a definite influence in our decision to move to Lake Oswego,” Julie explains. Having grown up in Lake Oswego, she knew it would be a good place to raise her son who started kindergarten at Forest Hills and is now at Lake Oswego High School. She has not been disappointed. “I am continually impressed by the high level of commitment by the teachers. The parent participation is simply outstanding and that is something you don’t see at many other districts. Teaching our kids is a true community effort and everyone in Lake Oswego seems to really get that.”
  • John Wendland, School Board Chair: A product of Lake Oswego schools himself, John and his wife Lisa knew that Lake Oswego was where they wanted to live when they decided to move back to Oregon with their two daughters. “There’s a positive culture here,” John explains, “where the kids want to learn, the teachers want to teach and the parents want to be supportive. It’s that combination that creates an environment where kids can thrive,” he adds. While the LOSD is facing budget cuts like every school district across the nation, John believes that LOSD has been able to address the financial challenges while keeping much of what makes the district strong—from teacher-student ratios to extracurricular activities—intact.

What do you think the Lake Oswego School District does better than its counterparts? I’d love to hear it.

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