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Letters

letters

, Jul 29, 2010 (1 Reader comment)

Congratulations to Review for winning awards

To the Editor:

Large cheers to (the Lake Oswego Review) staff.

Seeing the front page of last week’s Review changed my whole approach to reading the newspaper. Usually I scan page one before immediately looking at page 4 of the second section to see how my Positive Aging column looks in print. Not this time! I had to look first at the news of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association awards. What a well-deserved bunch of honors!

Reading the Review is the very best source of information for what’s happening in our community, and as Steve Clark said it is really “the reflection of the community it serves.” I’m honored to be part of your publication.

Ardis Stevenson

Lake Oswego

Grateful that the city takes on key land use issues

To the Editor:

I have lived in Lake Oswego for 21 years and have been pleased to see our city council work very hard to make our town both beautiful and community oriented. Now I further applaud the city’s efforts to sustain our watersheds through its Sensitive Lands Overlay. Not only does the Sensitive Lands Overlay help clean up the Tryon and Tualatin rivers, it also will save us money in the long run because our aging storm water systems are not able to handle any increased development which leads to more runoff.

As a member of the Lake Oswego United Church of Christ, located on the corner of Country Club and Knaus roads, I have long been aware of the sensitive land designation of over a half acre we own behind the church. We also have a small year-round stream that unfortunately was partly covered over when the church was built in the 1950s. Our small congregation took on a big project in 2008 to install a rain garden and bio swale to deal with the runoff our building sends directly into Nettle Creek, which flows into Tryon Creek. It was a great educational experience for many of us.

We were able to get a small grant from the Oregon Water Enhancement board and a lot of volunteer labor to create a large swale along Country Club Road and a rain garden to mitigate some of our runoff. The city of Lake Oswego was a big help to us and even waived every permit fee. Our progressive-thinking church, with an active Green Team, has adopted environmental issues as one of our social justice missions. We have big plans for a second bio swale to handle parking lot run off and will be looking for grant money soon. I look forward to working with the city and the Tryon Creek Watershed Council as we try to restore the church’s stream and sensitive areas.

I am grateful to see Lake Oswego take on issues like this to further enhance and restore the beautiful place in which we live.

Cindy Ellison

Lake Oswego

Special memories linger of sailboats on the lake

To the Editor:

The July 8th Lake Oswego Review’s letter to the editor from Marge Pyle (“Remember when sailboats graced the lake?”) cannot be deleted from my special memories without responding to her question.

This has been such a major part of this Centennial celebration to share with “earlier” citizens our “stories” and I especially appreciate Marge connecting it to the importance now of efforts to “go green.” The amazing Centennial Party at Luscher Farm was spectacular in every way. Thanks to everyone for making it a perfect “party of the Century.”

Now about the sailboats on the lake ... my two sons sailed our Coronado 16 in the 70s races. The boat was kept at their grandpa’s dock on Alder Circle. On a good wind day ... maybe six boats (different classes) would race on the main lake. Sometimes boats would race on the “Duck Pond” in front of the cabanas. I did a water color painting of four sailboats racing there from a picture taken in the early 40s.

I entered the painting in the arts festival … as “my memory honoring our heritage.” I was born in a house of a mid-wife, Edna Larson, on Oak and Erickson. Lakewood Grade School had 5 or 6 other classmates being born in this house. I grew up in Old Town and my grandparent’s house was on Middlecrest. So many good memories .... but thank you for a chance to share my sailboat thoughts.

Loeta Moore McElwee

Lake Oswego

Youth team removes ivy in Springbrook Park

To the Editor:

A team from the Northwest Youth Corps worked in Springbrook Park removing invasive plants on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 20 and 21. The eight members are part of a Clackamas County team called Outdoor Oregon. The program is voluntary and provides paid work experience on environmental quality protection and beautification of natural resources.

The Northwest Youth Corps is a non-profit founded in 1984 dedicated to providing employment and training to young men and women 14 to 19 years of age. Funding is through foundation and government grants, and contracted services. About 1,000 young people were engaged throughout the state last year earning (more than) $1 million.

Springbrook Park is fortunate to have benefited from services that help protect its natural resources and the watershed in its midst. Friends of Springbrook Park coordinated the project with the city and the Youth Corps, provided drinks and celebrated the team’s efforts with pizzas and cookies.

Joe Mihelic, team leader for Outdoor Oregon, started when he was 16 years old working on trails. He is currently 20. He has done all phases including backpacking trips to build trails in public lands.

“This has been a valuable experience to learn skills and teamwork in serving the public good,” said Joe.

For more information on Northwest Youth Corps, visit www.nwyouthcorps.org/.

Springbrook Park is a 52-acre urban nature park in the Uplands area, dedicated to the enjoyment of all residents and visitors to Lake Oswego. Two miles of newly constructed park trails connect surrounding neighborhoods, schools, and the indoor tennis center. This beautiful natural area borders Uplands Elementary and Lake Oswego Junior High schools and also serves as an outdoor classroom for students. For more, visit www.springbrookpark.org.

Paul J. Lyons

Lake Oswego

Woman ‘ignored a great teaching opportunity’

To the Editor:

I am not quite old, yet no spring chicken anymore but I can with complete clarity remember my mother’s wisdom about dogs.

If you don’t know them, leave them alone, always ask the owner if it is OK to pet the dog and never tease a dog, period.

Forward to last week. I own two dogs. I live down a long driveway on Firwood Road. My dogs’ ages are 10 and 3. Von, the oldest, is grouchy and unpredictable. Louie, the 3 year old is a a happy, playful pup. You wouldn’t know that about them, unless you knew me or my dogs.

I was playing with my dogs in my driveway. They were tired and laid down in the driveway. I stepped under the house eaves to shade from the sun while I kept an eye on them. I heard some children (making) barking (sounds). Neighborhood has children, no big deal. Yet it got louder.

I stepped onto my driveway and looked to the road. There standing in a line, at the end of my driveway, were about six small children, a child in a red plastic wagon and a woman. I was astonished to say the least. This woman was allowing these children to tease my dogs.

She did not know my dogs or their temperament. She allowed these children to be put in harm’s way. If you own a dog, you know that they are like children when you try to catch them, lightning fast and always an arm’s length in front.

What was this woman thinking or better yet, was she? As an adult, she was responsible for the safety of these children, yet she ignored that responsibility. Is she watching your children? She wouldn’t be watching mine. So lady, if you are reading this, I will pass on the wisdom of my mother to you:

n If you don’t know the dog, leave it alone.

n Always ask the owner before you try to pet a dog.

n Never tease a dog, period.

You were careless and irresponsible. Shame on you. You ignored a great teaching opportunity.

Robin Keaffaber

Lake Oswego

It’s important to set the record straight

To the Editor:

Let me take this opportunity to thank your reporter Cliff Newell for “Honoring Lisa” by recalling what happened to her on that fateful day in October 1992, but more importantly for the truly wonderful life she lived and all of the promise that life held for her. As her dance teacher at the Lakewood Center, Dotty Fields said of her, “she was a sparkle.”

In addition, I very much appreciate the recognition in the Lake Oswego Review of the National Crime Victims Law Institute 2010 Victim Advocate Award given to me in June and the accomplishments of Crime Victims United.

I must however, set the record straight on a couple of points in the article.

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