Six Candidates, Seven Questions, and a Proud Moment for Lake Oswego
Updated: 4 hours ago
Missed the Lake Oswego Candidate Forum? Watch It Here
Six candidates. Seven questions. A packed room. And a wonderful reminder of what makes Lake Oswego special.
The October 23 Candidate Forum, hosted by the Lake Oswego Review and five neighborhood associations—Palisades, First Addition, Old Town, Evergreen, and McVey/South Shore—was a tremendous success!
Couldn't attend? It was televised.
Here is the Tualatin-Valley Community TV live broadcasting link
There was a packed house! All the chairs at the Park Academy gym were filled Friday evening, with standing room only and people filling the stairs and hallway.
Seven questions the candidates hadn't seen before
Corey Buchanan, editor of the Lake Oswego Review, moderated the forum. The candidates answered seven questions: five developed by the five neighborhood associations and two from the Review. None of the questions was provided to the candidates in advance.
Chris Durkee, Chair of the Palisades Neighborhood Association and the event's lead organizer, explained the thinking behind this approach: "We wanted to see how they answered without preparation, how quick they were on their feet, as they will need to be if they are elected to the Council."
Each candidate had two minutes to answer each question.
All six candidates did a great job!
My husband observed the next morning: "There was no obfuscation where people say very little but use many words as so many politicians do."
I agree! The candidates were articulate, succinct, and persuasive. Some were funny, others very direct, and others shared heartfelt stories. They respected one another and already were acting like a team about how to run our city.
It was wonderfully refreshing to see such a positive and substantive exchange.
A room full of civic pride
Betsy Wosko, an Old Town Neighborhood Association board member, shared this reflection: "There was a tremendous sense of civic pride and love for our city in the room."
Betsy, along with others, has been a strong advocate for changing Lake Oswego's ordinance on gas-powered leaf blowers. She was especially pleased that all six candidates support a ban: "I cannot tell you how happy I am that all six candidates support a gas leaf blower ban. Having landscapers use electric will greatly improve the quality of life in our neighborhood and eliminate the significant health risks associated with GLBs."
Other neighbors shared their enthusiasm, too.
Dennis Milosky, Chair of the Evergreen Neighborhood Association, wrote:
"Laura and I were so impressed with each of the candidates and our fellow LO neighbors for turning out!"
Tom Bland, acting Chair of the Neighborhood Chairs Committee and Chair of the Uplands Neighborhood Association, wrote to me: "Great event! Thank you organizers! Now I know who to vote for. This was very informative with great questions."
Mary Ann Kunkel shared, "Wow! I appreciate how well organized the event was and I know that took effort so thank you to all who had a hand in it. I found so much to appreciate about every single candidate. I think this is where the idiom 'an embarrassment of riches' applies. There are no bad votes to be cast among this slate of hopefuls."
My own reflection: I love Lake Oswego!
Here's the message I sent to all six candidates and the forum team afterward:
I love LO!
What an inspiring evening!
Six totally impressive and dedicated candidates! All respecting and supporting each other. And willing to give so much volunteer time to campaigning and being on our City Council. I wish we could elect all 6 of you!
Five wonderful neighborhood association teams volunteering together for this forum with the awesome leadership of Chris Durkee and Carrie Love!
One awesome team from LO Review!
I feel immense HOPE for the future and grateful to live in this wonderful town and for the incredible people who come together to lead and continuously improve it.
Thank you everyone
Derrith
A community effort worth celebrating
Many involved Lake Oswego leaders were in the audience, including former City Councilors Jeff Gudman and John LaMotte; Mary Kay Larson of Lake Oswego Schools; Assistant Fire Chief Kris Artman; Lieutenant Mike Scott; County Clerk Catherine McMullen; and neighborhood association chairs and board members from across the city.
HUGE credit for the event's success goes to Chris Durkee and Carrie Love, Chair and Vice Chair of the Palisades Neighborhood Association.
Chris told me at the end of the evening: "This was a dream of mine two years ago to host a forum like this and we did it."
Carrie was the "orchestra leader" and project manager, coordinating the many details that made the event work so well. She did a masterful job, as she always does.
It is an absolute pleasure to volunteer alongside Chris and Carrie and the other neighborhood association leaders I've gotten to know.
Chris summed up the evening in a message to the organizing team the next morning:
"Last night was a grand slam!
Thank you all for all the work you did in organizing and executing this event... I counted about 150 people last night, but there were more on the stairs and in the hallway. I heard so many compliments—they all accrue to an amazing team effort.
NA's and NCC accomplished a lot last night—in our relationship with the future council members, with LO Review, and with neighbors...
One resounding message I heard from the candidates is that NA's play a vital role by informing the councilors on what's really happening in our neighborhoods. Derrith started this 'awakening' with her walking tours, and we need to continue it."
Neighborhood associations can help City Councilors understand the everyday experiences, concerns, and priorities of the people they represent.
Please watch the forum!
If you were there, you probably felt SO proud to be part of this community.
If you couldn't attend, I encourage you to watch the recording and hear directly from all six candidates before you vote.
Here is the Tualatin-Valley Community TV live broadcasting link
And consider thanking the candidates for investing their time, money, and energy in our community.
Politics may be nasty "out there." But here, in our Lake Oswego bubble, we can see people getting along, recognizing the best in one another, collaborating, and supporting the neighbors we all serve.
Way to go, LO!
Related Blog Posts
We've spent 1–2 Hours With Each of the Six City Council Candidates. Each candidate brings a different background, experience and perspective. What they share is a willingness to listen, learn, ask questions and take on the substantial responsibility of serving Lake Oswego as a volunteer City Councilor.
Some of the Candidates had read this blog post and mentioned how helpful it was to them in understanding the situation with our Library:
Survey Results: What Old Town Neighbors Told Us Were Their Priorities
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