👋 New bridge decorations in Sherwood & Data Centers in Clackamas County?

TOGETHER WITH

Good Morning, South Metro. I hope this doesn’t cause you stress, but we are just now 85 days from Christmas. Some places aren’t waiting to start celebrating, apparently. In Salt Lake City a radio station is already playing all-Christmas music. 🎅

Coming up in today’s South Metro Weekly:

On to the weekend!

-Scott & Family

Some weeks, it feels like the to-do list is multiplying when you’re not looking. Seven Lane was created to help busy families and professionals take some of that weight off. From grocery pickups, returns and post office runs to appointment help, vendor coordination, event prep and family logistics, Seven Lane handles the everyday details that can quietly eat up your time.

Founded by Cayla Beyl, Seven Lane is built around thoughtful, dependable support that makes life feel a little more manageable. Whether you need help with one errand or several moving pieces at once, the goal is simple: give you back more time, less stress and a little more breathing room in your week.

Text or call Cayla at 503-454-6884, or get in touch here.

Sherwood’s pedestrian bridge already does an important job, helping students and families safely cross Highway 99W. Soon, it’ll have a little more local character, too.

Eight bronze medallions are planned for the bridge, each highlighting a piece of Sherwood’s history, landscape or identity.

The artwork will be set into the concrete and feature themes tied to the area, including Kalapuya basketry and camas blooms, agriculture, local industry, trails and animal tracks, timber, birds of prey, and Sherwood’s bridges and waterways.

Chanda Hall, manager of the Sherwood Center for the Arts, says the commission spent plenty of time working through different ideas before landing on the final design.

And while there’s not an exact installation date yet, Hall said the hope is to have the additions completed this fall.

The bridge connects neighborhoods on both sides of Highway 99W and is used by students walking to Sherwood High School, along with families, cyclists and others traveling through the area.

The Sheriff’s Office received just over $44,100 from the Clackamas County Office of Tourism through a grant program focused on improving visitor safety.

The money paid for a rescue-capable ATV, a trailer to haul a side-by-side, an electric motor that can help move patients out of hard-to-reach places, electric chainsaws and 12 Starlink internet receivers. That last one could make a big difference when rescue teams are working in areas with little or no cell service.

The grant was awarded after an independent review process, with applications open to organizations across the county. For local Search and Rescue crews, the new equipment means more ways to get into difficult terrain, communicate from the field and bring people out safely when a hike, ride or outdoor adventure goes sideways.

🏋️ Planet Fitness is getting ready to open a new Wilsonville location before the end of the year. The gym is moving into the former Office Depot space at 8315 SW Jack Burns Blvd., with Planet Fitness staff telling South Metro Weekly they’re aiming for a December opening. The new location will include the usual gym lineup, plus specialty and plate-loaded equipment. Black Card members will also get access to spa-style extras including red light sauna, cryo lounge chairs and the Total Body Enhancement machine. Another empty storefront getting a second life — and this one comes with treadmills.

📣 West Linn High School is giving some of its youngest fans a chance to take the field. The school’s Fall Cheer Kids Clinic is open to kids in kindergarten through 5th grade and runs Monday, October 5, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Participants will learn material from WLHS cheerleaders, then perform during halftime of the varsity football game on Friday, October 10. The $75 cost includes a clinic T-shirt, two poms, a bow and admission to the game for the participant. Registration is available online.

🐶 A golden retriever who became famous for giving out free hugs is still bringing people together five years after his death. Scout built a huge following by strolling around Portland with a “Free Hugs” sign and eventually helped inspire PDX Goldens, a meetup group for golden retriever lovers. This past weekend, about 60 people and their dogs gathered at Yesteryear Farm in Wilsonville for the group’s annual Halloween meetup and costume contest. Scout died in 2021, but the group still meets every few months in his honor — which feels like a pretty good legacy for one very friendly dog.

📸 An Oregon City program helping young people tell their stories through photography just picked up a $10,000 boost. Parrott Creek Child & Family Services was one of 15 organizations statewide awarded an Arts Learning grant from the Oregon Arts Commission. The money will help expand Parrott Creek’s Tilt/Shift Photography Program at its residential facility, giving youth hands-on experience with photography while encouraging creativity and self-expression. Parrott Creek has served vulnerable youth and families in the area for more than 50 years, with programs that include residential care, behavioral health services and transitional support.

⛪ Canby Foursquare Church is welcoming a new youth leader this fall. Beginning November 1, Makaio Thompson will join the church as NextGen Director for students in 6th through 12th grade. He may already be a familiar face to some local teens through Northwest Youth Camp, where he has helped lead alongside Pastor Ryan in recent years. Thompson currently serves as Youth Director at Evergreen Christian Center in Hillsboro and will be moving to Canby with his wife, Kayla, as they get ready to step into the new role.

🚗 Apparently, staying inside the lines isn’t just for kindergarten. West Linn High School is reminding students that cars need to be parked completely within their assigned spaces after an influx of some... creative parking. Students who don’t quite stick the landing could end up with a parking ticket. And if you don’t have an assigned spot, the school says permitted street parking is the way to go — not visitor, staff or someone else’s space. Consider this your friendly reminder that coloring outside the lines may be encouraged in art class, but not in the parking lot.

💻 Clackamas County is considering hitting pause on new data center development while it figures out the rules. County commissioners will hold two public hearings in October on a possible temporary moratorium for data centers in unincorporated parts of the county. The hearings are set for Wednesday, October 21 at 6 p.m. and Thursday, October 22 at 10 a.m. in Oregon City, with an online option available. The county says the hearings are about whether to create a moratorium first — not yet about rewriting the rules themselves.

🚲 Tualatin is challenging residents to see what life looks like without a car for a week. October 1–8 is Week Without Driving, an invitation to try walking, biking, transit or other options and pay attention to what works — and what doesn’t. The idea is to better understand the mobility challenges faced by people who don’t drive, including seniors, young people, people with disabilities and anyone who simply can’t afford a car. You don’t have to give up driving completely to participate — even trying a few trips differently can be eye-opening.

🩸 The deputies took bragging rights in this year’s Battle of the Badges blood drive. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office says its team edged out Clackamas Fire by bringing in more blood donors during the friendly competition. The event was held with the American Red Cross, which says the national blood supply is currently critically low. So yes, the deputies get to celebrate the win — but the real winners are the patients who’ll benefit from all those donations. And if you missed this one, the Red Cross is still encouraging people to roll up a sleeve.

Last week I shared about how my Mom gave me my love for reading at an early age. As a mom or dad, grandparent, aunt, uncle or just good friend, you can do the same thing for a young person today.

South Metro Weekly reader Ursula shared a few books that are being read in her home right now. One of them was The Black Orchid by Loreth Anne White.

Nine elite guests board a luxury yacht for a dream voyage through the Aegean—but someone aboard is hunting more than paradise. As secrets, grudges, and hidden identities collide, a deadly storm closes in. When the Black Orchid sinks, one question remains: was it disaster… or carefully planned revenge?

See more here.

🎈 - family-friendly event
💲 - ticket or purchase required
🎵 - includes live music
😋 - there will be food

🎈 💲 Fall Paint Night at Langer’s
Langer’s Entertainment Center, Sherwood | Saturday, 6:30 PM | $50+
Grab a friend, channel your inner artist and settle in for a fall-themed Paint Night at Langer’s. This one features a cozy autumn scene with a truck and pumpkins, and you’ll leave with your own finished canvas — whether it looks gallery-ready or more like “I had fun and there were snacks.” Tickets are available now, and no serious painting experience is required.

🤠 Outlaw Karaoke: Wild Wild West Night
Boones Junction, Wilsonville | Saturday 8 PM | Free
Dust off the boots and warm up the vocal cords — Boones Junction is going full Wild West for a night of outlaw karaoke. Expect cowboys, cowgirls, saloon girls and plenty of rowdy energy as people take the mic and lean into the theme. Costumes definitely seem encouraged, and if your version of a good Saturday night includes karaoke, drinks and a little yeehaw, this one should fit the bill.

🎵 😋 Norte Taproom Grand Opening
9749 SW Barber St., Wilsonville | Saturday, 5–10 PM | Free
Wilsonville has a new taproom, and Norte is celebrating with a proper grand opening party. Expect beer specials throughout the day, plus live music from The Meadowlark String Band from 6 to 8 p.m. If you’ve been curious about the new spot, this is probably a pretty good excuse to stop in, grab a drink and see what they’ve done with the place.

🎈💲 Sunday Family Day at Neanderthals FFC
230 12th St., Oregon City | Sunday, 1–6:30 PM | Kids 8–17 throw free with a paid adult
Looking for something a little different to do with the kids? Neanderthals FFC is making Sundays family days, with kids ages 8–17 throwing free when they’re with a paid adult. You can book a lane ahead of time or walk in if there’s space, and OC Taco is right next door if the family outing needs tacos involved — which, honestly, usually helps.

THANKS!

A final thought...

There’s something about being a kid that makes fun feel important. You don’t need a reason to ride a bike, throw a ball, stay up too late laughing or do something simply because it sounds like a good time.

Then adulthood shows up with calendars, bills, deadlines and a suspicious number of errands.

But maybe growing older doesn’t have to mean becoming quite so serious.

Play can look different now. Maybe it’s a round of golf, karaoke with friends, a board game, dancing badly in the kitchen or doing something you haven’t done in years just because you loved it once.

Being responsible is part of growing up.

Forgetting how to have fun doesn’t have to be.

Have a great weekend!