South Metro Weekend Guide: Wildlife, Friday Night Football & Canby’s Big Weekend

Good Morning, South Metro. On Friday, July 11, 1969, a 20-year-old named Theodore John Conrad stole $215k (about $2 million in today’s dollars) from the bank where he worked and vanished. The manhunt went on so long that the guy who eventually solved the case in 2021, U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott, actually took it over from his dad who retired in 1990. Talk about being in the “family business.”

Coming up in today’s South Metro Weekly:

A horse, a horse, oh yes, a horse….in a Wilsonville warehouse?
Sherwood’s Speed Cams are on the move.
And sewer rates in Lake Oswego may be going up.
Plus…Canby’s Big Weekend and lots of fun in the neighborhood!

And time is running out for you to join us for our first Dinner Club next week! There are locations in Lake Oswego and Wilsonville, and they’re filling up fast. Learn more here.

On to the weekend!

-Scott & Family

🦏 Apparently, Wilsonville Has Gone Wild

Courtesy: Portland Gear

Wilsonville’s wildlife population has been unusually busy lately.

Earlier this summer, a bear was spotted near the Wilsonville Fred Meyer. A few weeks later, social media briefly lit up over reports of a “kangaroo” in the area — which turned out to be a very convincing photo of a deer taken from just the right angle. And elsewhere in the metro, two runaway goats recently made headlines after hopping aboard a TriMet bus.

Now Wilsonville has another entry for the wildlife files.

Portland Gear shared video Wednesday of a pony casually wandering through an open garage door and into its Wilsonville warehouse. Employees kept the unexpected visitor safe, gave him some water and waited to see if someone nearby might recognize him.

It’s a pretty great reminder of one of the fun things about living in Oregon: even around warehouses, shopping centers and busy streets, nature is never very far away.

Editor’s Note: I am still NOT 100% convinced it wasn’t an actual kangaroo.

See the video here.

📴 Tualatin Schools Look to Cut Student Screen Time

Students in the Tigard-Tualatin School District could be spending a lot less time on school-issued screens this year.

A district group made up of parents, teachers and administrators is recommending several changes aimed at reducing student screen time. Among the biggest: middle school students would no longer have individually assigned take-home iPads. Instead, Chromebooks would be kept in classroom carts and used when teachers determine they’re needed.

The recommendations would also block YouTube on district devices through middle school, with the possibility of extending that restriction into high school. For younger students, iPad use could largely disappear except for testing, special education and other approved instructional needs. The group also recommends eliminating screen time as a reward for finishing work or good behavior.

The discussion follows months of concern from families about how much time students are spending on devices. The district held listening sessions earlier this summer before forming the group to develop recommendations.

The changes are not yet official policy. The school board is scheduled to hear more details at its Aug. 31 meeting before the district moves into implementation planning.

The story was first reported locally by our friends at KGW-TV.

🍺 A new place to eat and drink is finally opening in Wilsonville. Norte Beers opens its new taproom and food hall Thursday at noon after spending much of the summer under construction. Niños Birrieria will be serving food on opening day, with Hawaiian and Indian options expected to join the lineup soon. The space at 9749 SW Barber St. is all-ages and open until 9 p.m.

🏈 Friday Night Lights are back. High school football returns across the South Metro this weekend, with Lake Oswego, Lakeridge, Tualatin and Canby opening regular-season play Friday night. Wilsonville, Sherwood and West Linn will also be on the field in jamboree action. Local fans can catch games at Tualatin and Canby, while Sherwood hosts a Friday night jamboree.

🚨 Sherwood’s mobile speed cameras are moving to the Sherwood Middle School zone. The cameras will be placed near SW Meinecke Parkway and SW Sir Lancelot Lane, with citations beginning Monday, Aug. 31. Drivers will initially be ticketed at 11 mph over the limit, with the threshold eventually dropping to 6 mph over. School-zone violations between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. can also come with enhanced fines.

🌉 Sherwood’s Highway 99W pedestrian bridge is officially one year old. The bridge opened Aug. 26, 2025, just in time for the first day of school, and has since become a familiar part of the city landscape. Its colorful nighttime lighting has also made it a popular photo spot for residents.

Courtesy: City of Sherwood

🏀 Wilsonville Basketball Association registration opens Monday, Aug. 31. Families can sign up for both recreational and select basketball programs, with skill clinics planned for Sundays throughout September. Select-team tryouts are scheduled for the first week of October, giving local players a few weeks to get ready before evaluations begin.

🏫 Plans for the new Fowler Middle School are changing. Tigard-Tualatin School District says the existing main gym will now be removed after soil testing showed it would be costly to preserve. The new school will also be reduced from three stories to two, while the district works to save the existing baseball field and add a new track and football complex.

🚧 PGE work will bring traffic delays to part of Canby this weekend. Portland General Electric crews will be working in the right-of-way near NE Territorial Road and N Maple Street from Aug. 28 through Sept. 2. Drivers traveling through the area should expect lane closures, possible delays and flaggers directing traffic while the work is underway.

🚧 The long-running Stafford Road construction project is finally nearing the finish line. The new roundabout at Childs Road is complete, and Stafford between Rosemont Road and Childs Road is expected to reopen Sept. 1. Stafford and Johnson Road will remain closed to through traffic north of Pattulo Way until Oct. 1, when the project is scheduled to fully reopen.

💧 Lake Oswego sewer rates could be going up to help pay for a new wastewater treatment facility. The city is planning to replace the aging Tryon Creek plant, which dates to 1964, and proposed rate increases are part of the funding plan. City Council will review the project’s cost analysis and proposed rate structure Sept. 1.

🍺 BearKat Brewing is celebrating its first birthday in Sherwood. The locally owned brewery has officially made it through year one and is marking the milestone with a big anniversary party Sept. 12. The celebration will include live music, giveaways, special beer releases, an expanded food menu and a stein-holding contest.

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

🎈🎵😋 Canby’s Big Night Out Street Dance
2nd & Grant, Canby | Friday, 5–10 PM | Free
Canby’s Big Weekend gets rolling Friday night with a downtown street dance packed with live music, food vendors and plenty for the kids. Radio Riots kicks things off, followed by Paradise of Samoa and Brandon Jones, while families can check out bouncy houses, face painting, games and the returning arcade truck. It’s a big, easygoing kickoff to a full weekend of fun around Canby.

🎈😋 Cutsforth’s Cruise-In at Wait Park
Wait Park, Canby | Saturday, 9 AM–2 PM | Free
Canby’s Big Weekend keeps rolling Saturday with one of the city’s biggest car gatherings. Cutsforth’s Cruise-In brings classic cars, hot rods, modern rides and plenty of people-watching to Wait Park for a family-friendly morning downtown. Vehicle registration is still available the day of the show, but spectators can simply come out, wander the rows and enjoy the scene.

💲😋 POUND & Mimosas at Willamette Garage
Willamette Garage, West Linn | Saturday, 10 AM–12 PM | $21
Work out first, mimosa second. This high-energy POUND class mixes cardio with drumming-inspired moves using lightly weighted Ripstix, then wraps up with a mimosa and time to hang out around the food carts. No experience is needed—just bring a yoga mat, water and a willingness to make some noise.

🎈😋 Collector Car & Classic Boat Show
George Rogers Park & Sundeleaf Plaza, Lake Oswego | Sunday, 9 AM–3 PM | Free
Lake Oswego’s annual Collector Car & Classic Boat Show is back for another year, bringing cars, motorcycles and bicycles to George Rogers Park and classic boats to nearby Sundeleaf Plaza. The event has been a local tradition for more than 25 years, and visitors can even take a ride on Oswego Lake aboard one of the boats.

🎵💲 Shelly Rudolph, Dan Gildea & Edwin Coleman III Live
Cougar Crest Estate Winery, Lake Oswego | Sunday, 7–9 PM | $25+
Settle in for a Sunday night of jazz at Cougar Crest Estate Winery as Portland favorite Shelly Rudolph returns with Dan Gildea and Edwin Coleman III. Expect a soulful mix of jazz, blues and original music in an intimate setting, with doors opening at 6:30 PM.

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

🎈 Frog Pond Neighborhood Park Opening Celebration
Frog Pond Neighborhood Park, Wilsonville | Thursday, 3–5 PM | Free
Wilsonville celebrates its newest neighborhood park with a playground, picnic shelter, exercise equipment and natural area. Come explore the new space and let the kids play.

🎈😋 Board Game Club at Langer’s
Langer’s Entertainment Center, Sherwood | Thursday, 6–9 PM | Free
Bring a favorite game or jump into one when you arrive. Langer’s weekly board game night is family-friendly, casual and open to all ages.

💲 Outdoor Equine Sound Bath & Meditation
Blue Frog Equine, West Linn | Friday, 7–8 PM | $30–$65
Unwind with an outdoor sound bath and meditation surrounded by retired rescue horses. Bring a blanket or chair and settle in for a quiet hour on the farm.

🎈 Wilsonville Emergency Preparedness Fair
Wilsonville | Saturday, 9 AM–12 PM | Free
Learn how to build a go-kit, prepare for wildfires and get your family—including kids and pets—ready for an emergency. The fair includes demonstrations, giveaways and preparedness resources.

🎈 Summer Jigsaw Puzzle Swap
West Linn Public Library, West Linn | Saturday, 10–11 AM | Free
Trade a gently used puzzle for something new at the library’s summer puzzle swap. After 10:30 AM, remaining puzzles are open to everyone with no voucher needed.

💲😋 Trivia Brunch Buffet at Langer’s
Langer’s Entertainment Center, Sherwood | Sunday, 11 AM–2 PM | $16 | 21+
Mimosas, waffles and trivia make for a different kind of Sunday brunch. Langer’s serves up a buffet while teams compete for $150 in prizes.

LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN
🌳 - outdoor concert
💲 - ticket or purchase required

The weekend is looking pretty comfortable across the South Metro, with highs generally in the mid-to-upper 70s. Friday starts on the cloudier side, but Saturday and Sunday should bring more sunshine, cool mornings and dry conditions—pretty solid weather for football, festivals, car shows and everything else happening outside.

THANKS!

A final thought...

❝

I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.

Maya Angelou

That quote is a reminder that growth doesn’t require us to be embarrassed by who we used to be. We make the best choices we can with what we know at the time. The important part is what happens when we learn something new. We don’t have to stay stuck defending the old way just because it was once our way. Knowing better only matters if we’re willing to do better.

Thanks for reading. See you Monday morning!

👋 🐴 A horse walks into a warehouse... + your weekend plans

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