Category: Community

All about Living in Lake Oswego, Oregon

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Fun with Fido

Hazelia Field’s “shy” dog park
The livability of a community has so much to do with what is available to use and to enjoy. It’s a big part of the reason that I personally moved to Lake Oswego and why I continue to enjoy living here. This is important to me for my own enjoyment and also for the enjoyment of those I love, including my pets.

I think it’s rather impressive that a town the size of LO, not a very big town with just shy of 39,000 people, has 4 dog parks. All 4 of them have off leash areas.

A well-earned drink
Pilkington Park (19043 Pilkington Rd) and McNary Park (47 Becket) both have big grassy areas that allow dogs to enjoy off-leash play. These parks are not fenced in. They are open from March 15-September 15 each year.

Hazalia Field (17800 Stafford Rd) is the most impressive of the off-leash dog parks. It has two separate fenced in areas, one for normal dogs and one for shy or timid dogs. Seriously, do you know of any other town that has an off-leash dog park for shy dogs? The fenced in areas are impressive with double-gated entries to allow you to enter the park with your dog leashed and then take the leash off before you open the second gate to let them charge out to play. This park is open all year round.

Well-designed entry
The newest dog park, and what prompted me to want to write this post, just opened about a mile from my house in West Waluga Park (15775 Waluga Dr). Like the park at Hazalia Field it has a big fenced in area with a double-gated entrance. This park is open March 15-September 15.

A well-exercised dog is a well-behaved dog. With this beautiful spring weather get out there and let Fido loose. He needs a good romp just like the rest of us.
Dianne

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This Week in Lake Oswego

Looking for some Springtime Fun?  Here are my picks for things happening in Lake Oswego this week! (I stayed away from meetings and focused on mostly family fun : )

Mon, May 7th 2018– 9:15am – LO Walkers! -Explore Tryon Creek, Foothills, Willamette Park & more! (Mon/Wed/Sat) CLICK HERE

Tue, May 8th, 2018 – 6:00pm – 8:00pm – Teen Duct Tape Art “Beyond the Duct Tape Wallet”  – Lake Oswego Library   CLICK HERE  

Wed, May 9th, 2018 1:00pm – 2:00pm – Performing Arts/Dorian Michael – Dorian Michael brings his fingerstyle guitar & a big bunch of blues to the Lake Oswego Library! CLICK HERE

Thu, May 10th, 2018 – 9:30am – 12:30pm – Creative Hands – Join this group of volunteers who handcraft projects with donated materials which are made into useful items and then donated to various non-profit associations- Contact the ACC at 503-635-3758 for more information.  CLICK HERE

Fri, May 11th, 2018 10:30am – 11:00am (every Friday/Birth-12 months  ; )- Baby Storytime– Lake Oswego Library  CLICK HERE

 

 

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All Things Water

Lake Corp~

Learn what’s up with the health of Oswego Lake, water quality, various fees and restrictions overseen by Lake Corp and more:  CLICK HERE

Lake Oswego Water~

Learn about Lake Oswego water delivery, source, system etc:  CLICK HERE

AND HERE!

Rivergrove Water District~

Learn about Rivergrove water delivery, source, system etc:  CLICK HERE

Lake Grove Water District~

Learn about Lake Grove’s water delivery, source, system etc:  CLICK HERE

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Lake Oswego Picked Pics!

Category 1 Winner: Dogs Gone Surfing – Shelley Markstaller

The results are in from the Annual Photo Contest in Lake Oswego.  If you’d like to get a feel for what living in Lake Oswego is truly like, and also for the amazing and creative folks who make up this magical place, check out the slideshow gallery of the entries & winners in the link below:   Lake Oswego Photo Contest Winners & Collections

 

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Lake Oswego Reads 2018

This is the 12th year for Lake Oswego reads and this year’s chosen book is Good Morning Midnight.

The concept behind Lake Oswego Reads is the encouragement for everyone in the city, including the students at both Lake Oswego High School and Lakeridge High School, to read the same book at the same time. The event kicked off in January when the local library gave out 800 free copies of the book. The month of February is filled with events that highlight the book and the various topics that the book inspires.

Good Morning Midnight was written by Lily Brooks-Dalton. It tells the story of the end of the world in which two people, an astronomer in the Arctic, and an astronaut returning to Earth from Jupiter, find themselves as the only people left alive. The book explores the themes of loneliness, connection, endurance, regret, and the search for meaning and hope. As the story evolves, the two main characters lives become connected.

It’s a real challenge for the committee who selects the annual book because it needs to be a story that will appeal to many age levels and be compelling enough to really engage the community. I have read 7 of the previous 11 books and I have never been disappointed.

The February events include a month long art display that can be found at the library, city hall, Chrisman Picture Frames, and the Lakewood Center for the arts. In addition there will be educational talks by experts such as Dr Andrew Fountain, a Professor of Geology at PSU who will be speaking about glaciers, and Dr Karyn Rodes, a research biologist from the Alaska Science Center, who will be speaking about polar bears. There are several set dates for discussion groups and the big highlight will be when the author speaks on February 13th. For a full list of events, click here. All of the events are free.

Any time is a good time to crack open a good book, and that is especially so in February here in LO.
Happy reading, Dianne

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Holiday Lights

I think my favorite part of the holiday season are the lights in the evening. It get’s dark by 5pm. The lights coming on actually gets me excited for the dark evenings. So today I thought I share some photos I took yesterday evening at Millennium Plaza Park.

I also highly recommend driving about to view the neighborhoods at this time of year. Probably the most well-known for light displays is Westlake. Edenberry Dr has been named by Redfin as one of the top 5 streets to view the Christmas lights in the Portland area. Then there is First Addition. The City of Lake Oswego is holding a light contest this year. Homes will be judged this evening starting at 5pm. They are giving a special medallion and a $75 gift certificate to the winning home.

I’m also enamored with the variety of lights that are now available. From the old-fashioned bulbs, to multi-striped icicles that flicker in a digital pattern. It’s lovely.

My thanks to the home owners who make the effort. You make the short days and long nights a pleasure.
Happy Holidays!
Dianne

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This Week in Lake Oswego

Looking for some Fall Fun?  Here are my picks for things happening in Lake Oswego this week! (I stayed away from meetings and focused on mostly family fun : )

Mon, Oct 16th – 6:00pm – Family Movie Night – Lake Oswego Public Library (3rd-Mondays) CLICK HERE

Tue, Oct 17, 2017 – 3:45pm – 4:45pm – Meet The Artists – Lake Oswego Parks & Rec  (Every Tues) CLICK HERE  

 Wed, Oct 18, 2017 10:00am – 10:30am – Firsts Steps in Music – Lake Oswego Parks & Rec (Every Wed) CLICK HERE

Thu, Oct 19, 2017 – 4:00pm – 5:30pm – All Things Yarn (learn to knit!) – Lake Oswego Public Library (3rd Thursdays)  CLICK HERE

Fri, Oct 20, 2017 9:30am – 10:30am – Little Masters – Lake Oswego Parks & Rec (Every Friday, Ages 2-5) CLICK HERE

 

 

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LO Summer Concerts are Happening!


One of my very favorite events each summer is attending the free, outdoor summer concerts that the City of Lake Oswego offers in July and August. They are every Wednesday night. In July they go from 7-9 pm at Foothills Park. In August they move to Westlake Park and go from 6:30 to 8:30. They are free!

I like to show up at least half and hour or even an hour early, and I bring a picnic dinner. Getting there early increases the odds that you’ll get a seat a bit close to the stage. It’s a beautiful summer evening and the picnic dining is delightful. About the time the meal is finished the band gets going.

You don’t have to dance but it is honestly hard not to. The pit area up next to the stage quickly fills with adults and kids. As the sun sets it just gets better and better.

I have seen so many special moments. Older couples who are obviously in love, a disabled woman with her significant other who pulled her to her feet and then gently swayed with her. The kids and the kids-at-heart just boogieing down. It’s a great, very carefree, atmosphere.

Here is this year’s line up:

July 5th has come and gone, but it featured Ty Curtis playing rhythm and blues.

July 12th at Foothills Park will be Barracuda, a Heart tribute band.

July 19th at Foothills Park will be Jult, a Rock and Pop band featuring music of the 80’s and 90’s.

July 26th at Foothills Park will be Paul Creighton who plays the music of Steview Wonder.

August 2nd at Westlake Park will be My Happy Pill who plays Pop, Rock, and Soul

August 9th at Westlake Park will be Chris Baum who plays the music of Steely Dan.

August 16th at Westlake Park will be Cloverdayle, a group that plays Country Rock.

August 23rd at Westlake Park will be Kalimba, a group that pays tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire.

Put a few or all of these dates onto your calendar and take advantage of the sweet summer nights. I hope to see you there!
Dianne

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LO Elementary Schools are Best in Oregon

I am of the opinion that the #1 reason that people move to Lake Oswego is for the quality of the public schools. Sure, the town is conveniently located to both Portland and the tech industry in Beaverton. It has low crime, great shopping and restaurants. There are lots and lots of reasons to want to live in Lake Oswego, but the #1, hands down, is the schools.

This was born out, again, this week by the release of a study done by Niche. Niche is a private research group in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who studies schools all over the United States. This last week they released their list of the best elementary schools in the State of Oregon. Here are the top 10:

#1 Oak Creek in Lake Oswego
#2 Westridge in Lake Oswego
#3 Hallinan in Lake Oswego
#4 Lake Grove in Lake Oswego
#5 Riverdale in Portland
#6 Forrest Hills in Lake Oswego
#7 Rivergrove in Lake Oswego
#8 John Muir in Ashland
#9 Willamette Primary in West Linn
#10 Bolton in West Linn

That is every single elementary school in Lake Oswego listed within the top 10 in the state and dominating with 6 out of the top 7. To see the full article, please click here.

I will never forget the day that I decided to move to Lake Oswego. I lived in Sellwood in Southeast Portland, a very trendy and popular area that has only grown more desirable with time. My kids were 8 and 11. My oldest had just started at Sellwood Middle School. I was so completely underwhelmed by the academics. I had been a class room parent volunteer since day 1 in Kindergarden. I knew first hand what the class rooms were like. I just new that I wanted more for my kids. It was a simple as that. The time to move was at that moment, before my kids got any further entrenched socially in Portland Public Schools. And so I moved my kids to Lake Oswego. What a breath of fresh air! Books in the class room (not photo copied everything), teachers who were engaged, kids who ready to learn. It was one of the best decisions that I have ever made for my kids.

You may be in the very same spot. Maybe your kids are growing fast and you know that you want to give them every opportunity possible. Maybe your thinking about the move to Lake Oswego. Please give Linda, Whitney or myself a call. We would love to be of help.
Dianne