Category: Community

aw and order rhetoric becomes a shield for harm when force is deployed without accountability and moral restraint. State violence cloaked in legality—through procedure or bureaucracy—is still violence. It remains lethal, it remains harmful, and it erodes both our rights and the peace every community deserves.

Citizens have a moral responsibility to question unjust laws and to seek reform. Silence and disengagement are not pathways to peace; they are the conditions under which abuses of power take root.

The Lake Oswego community stands with communities across the country—especially our neighbors in Minneapolis—who are using their voices, trusting what they see with their own eyes, and supporting one another in the shared pursuit of dignity, justice, and accountability for all.

The Lake Oswego Fire Department is now participating in a program that allows first responders to access your property in the event of an emergency without having to break down the door or break a window.

This is especially important for the elderly or people with compromised mobility. You purchase the lockbox, there are two different models to choose from. You install the box within 15′ of your door, then notify the fire department. They will come to your home and lock up a set of keys that you put into the box. The fire department then has a master key that allows them to access the set of keys put inside.

I so would have had this done at my Mother’s house in her final years. Not only was she in her 80’s, but she had disabilities that really compromised her mobility. She actively worried that someday the fire department might have to break down her door. Fortunately, that never happened, but even just the peace of mind that this program would have given her would have been worth the cost of the box.

This is a wonderful program. For more information, click here.

Happy New Year! Dianne

An annual holiday tradition has developed for myself and for my friends. There is a must-see house with the most spectacular light display at the corner of Indian Springs Rd and Childs Rd. Here are some photos from this year’s extravaganza.

This home owner also does an incredible display at Halloween. It’s a delight to behold.

Happy Holidays!

Dianne

A repair fair is coming to Lake Oswego. Hosted by The Lake Oswego Sustainability Network and the Lake Oswego Public Library, the Repair Fair is happening on Saturday, November 15th, from 10am to 1pm, at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 15751 Quarry Rd.

Skilled volunteers will be on hand to help make repairs for free. You can bring clean clothes that need light mending, jewelry that needs repair, as well as small home appliances.

When I got my green designation for real estate, I learned the most sustainable thing a person can do when buying a home, is to buy one that has already been built. This holds true for our stuff as well. Repairing and continuing to use an item is far more sustainable for our planet than throwing it away and buying in new.

As always, thank you for reading the blotter.

Dianne

What to do with the left over pumpkins? Of course you can recycle them at curbside in your yard debris bin, but there is another option.

On Sunday, November 2nd, 2 to 5pm, bring your pumpkins, carved or not, to the fire tower at Westlake Park. (14165 Bunick Dr) Sponsored by the Lake Oswego Fire Department, you can climb the stairs in the fire tower and toss your pumpkins at a target below.

This free event is aimed toward supporting Hunger Fighters Oregon. Hunger Fighters Oregon is a food pantry in Lake Oswego (4 Monroe Pkwy A) that helps folks experiencing food insecurity. Participants in the pumpkin toss are asked to bring non-perishable, not expired goods to donate to the pantry. Thanksgiving/Holiday foods are particularly appreciated at this time of year. Think mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, broth, pie and bread mixes. All donations are appreciated.

Happy Halloween!

Dianne

The City of Lake Oswego, along with Republic Services, is offering a bulky waste drop off event on Saturday, October 4th. Items that can be dropped off include mattresses, stoves, furniture, water heaters, the sort of items that can not be left for pick up at the curb.

They will not accept anything with freon, construction debris of any type, solvents, tires, or household garbage.

The event is free and runs from 9am to noon at 4101 Kruse Way (the Yamaha parking lot). You have to remove the item from your vehicle and lift it to get it into the bins that will be provided.

For more details, click here.

There’s some good news in Lake Oswego about the Farmer’s Market.

Thanks to a grant from the Oregon Farmer’s Market Association, the Saturday market at Millennium Plaza has been extended by 3 additional weeks. The final market will take place on October 25th instead of October 4th. This market is more than a shopping trip, it’s an event. Live music, yummy meals, and hand crafted goods are offered along with all of the harvests of fall. The market runs Saturdays from 8:30 to 1:30.

In addition, there will be an Farmer’s Market in Lake Grove on September 7th, October 5th, and November 2nd, from 11am to 2pm on Hallmark Drive.

Here’s to fall!

Dianne