It's fairly easy to review something you know quite a bit about and sort of like, based on a familiar feel, the gut, and, occasionally, because of my apologism. Such an entity would be Clackamas County, Oregon. Clackamas County is one of the counties making up the Portland metro area, along with the counties of Multnomah, where Portland is located, and Washington, where the Silicon Forest is located. If the metro area is tallied as the Portland-Vancouver WA area, then Clark County WA needs to be included. However, for state and local government purposes, such as Trimet, the three county transit agency, Clark County would be omitted. Clackamas County is not always well understood, be it to its residents, to Portlanders who are content within its city limits except to travel, and to those from out of the area. Clackamas County figures prominently in Oregon's history, with its name derived from the Clackamas Indians who lived in the area, including across the river in Washington. It's also important because Oregon City, the county seat, is the end of the Oregon Trail, which brought settlers from America's heartland and, to a large degree, shaped its cultural composition. The county is the largest of the counties in the Portland metro area. Washington County to the west abuts several of the counties on the Coastal Range, separating it from Oregon Coast counties. On the other hand, Clackamas County sprawls eastward, almost to Central Oregon. In so doing, it is home to Mount Hood, Oregon's mountain icon. Most of the county is rural, with its population concentrated along the I-205 bypass arc which sweeps the metro area's East Side before rejoining I-5 north of Vancouver, WA as it continues up to Seattle and the Canadian border. Consistent with its rural flavor, it is the least populous of the three counties, despite being the largest. In 1990, it had about 375,000 people. Today, it has approximately 410,000 people. Growth in terms of infill is happening in already established cities, such as Milwaukie and Gladstone. Growth by expansion seems to be happening east and south, beyond Happy Valley, Oregon City, and Wilsonville. Some things are apparent and others are not. What is apparent is its lineage, with over 55% of German, English, Irish, and Norwegian ancestry, in that order. That is shifting as people from other ethnicities and races are calling Clackamas County home, though not as quickly as is in Portland proper. What is also apparent is that there is more light industry and distribution here, in contrast to more corporate and tech concerns in Multnomah and Washington Counties. Nevertheless, the county is diversified enough in terms of what it produces and what services it offers. What is not apparent is the county's political leanings. One could assume it would be overwhelmingly Republican. It is balanced, and at times tips slightly Democratic. What is also not apparent is how cosmopolitan it is or isn't, and its East Side versus West Side identity. Clackamas County is indeed mostly an East Side county. However, Clackamas County actually crosses the line of demarcation, the Willamette River, and the upscale suburbs of Lake Oswego and West Linn are west of the river, yet part of Clackamas County. They might be associated with the West Side because they are often accessed by I-5 and are adjacent to Washington County. The I-205 arc's major hub of commerce is the Sunnyside Corridor in Clackamas and Happy Valley, parts of which might resemble Lake Oswego and West Linn, though might be dismissed by some because of their more nouveau vibe. Growth in this area has been fueled by MAX train service to the Clackamas Town Center terminus. Clackamas County is growing and changing. Parts of it show vestiges of the "Sometimes a Great Notion" version of Oregon and parts of it show the input of transplantation from the state below and, as such, I jokingly refer to parts of it as "Clackafornia." It is actually growing in population with people from within the area and from all over the globe, its economy is changing, and its infrastructure is expanding. Though not as lengthy as the 2 rail lines to the West Side, 2 MAX train lines also now service the county, with the most recent addition connecting Milwaukie to downtown Portland. Some people like living in Portland, and in its established neighborhoods with their own look and feel. Some suburbanites prefer the West Side, on the same side of the river as downtown and with more dibs on intellectual cachet. Still, Clackamas County, offers quite a bit of diversity and is close enough to Portland's diversity, touching Portland's city limit adjacent to popular "Southeast," not to mention being on the same side of the river and thus closer to the airport, which is mostly accessed from the I-205 arc. One thing in Clackamas County that is certain and inevitable is change. What you might also discover is that it's an agreeable enough place. read more

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I don't really know what to say about how disappointed I am with the Clackamas County Parks & Recreation Department, as well as the Clackamas County Sheriffs Office. Finding the words to describe the disappointing interaction between us, pales in comparison to the lingering aftertaste I will always experience when I think of Clackamas County. Such needless negativity on a beautiful day like today. I hope you gain some insight from this incident, so that you may avoid staining someone else's summer vacation. I woke up around 5am, tuned up my bike, packed my trailer and rode my bike down to the Moda Center, where I caught the Blue line over to Gresham. From there I caught several winding trails, some with bike lanes, some without I managed to get there in 1 push, although it exerted me quite a bit. There was an abundance of rocks in the bike lane, which made the experience feel rather unsafe. 2 hours later, I make it to Barton park, trailer in tow. I pull up to the front with all my camping gear. This being my first time there, I was unsure of the procedure. I had a delightful conversation with the young lady at the Kiosk about my ride out here and the beautiful scenery along the way. I promptly attempt to pay whatever she needs from me to make this official. Instead, she tells me that I don't have to pay because I'm not in a motorized vehicle. That was a total score considering I had just biked all the way there and I was unaware of such an awesome opportunity. "Keep Portland Green!" I always say, and I dismissed this as another awesome, newly discovered perk of living in Oregon. There always doing something like that. Like that time they raised the bottle deposit to 10 cents back in April, they're worth good money now! I chucked it off as good ol fashion earth stuff and continued about my way. I've lived here for about 4 years now and I'm always discovering new things I've never heard of, Barton Park being one of them. I continued along the path, and I noticed the first campground said "RV' ONLY", so I continued along to the second campground where I noticed a bunch of tents and RV's spread throughout. I also noticed that there was electric and water outlets, also something I never experienced before. I brought everything I needed. I was completely self-sufficient, and decided that it was something I'd rather not mess with. I chose a spot away from all outlets and water faucets. it was by 3 trees and nothing else. An open field with the occasional tent. I popped the tent, ate a sandwich I brought from home, and headed to the river with all my water gear. The entire floating experience was great. Everybody I came across loved the fact that I was riding an air mattress instead of a tube. It's way better and your butt doesn't get hit by all the rocks. I also had a paddle, so I was sailing at some epic knots with unbelievable precision. This one dude had a paddle and what looked to be a $100 raft. He was rowing so hard like he had somewhere to be, and I just glided past him in my $7 air bed. I caught a ride back to Barton Park from a swell dude, also named David. Super nice guy, him and his whole family. He was also the first person I asked, which shows us how common place it is for someone in Oregon to look out for bike riders. He gave me a lift back to the campsite and dropped me off out front. As I walked towards my tent, this lady walks up to me with her radio, and says "You need to leave" "pack your stuff and go". I'm very confused at this point, and also quite fatigued from the bike ride and the floating. I try to explain that I had gotten permission to camp here. She blatantly denies that I am telling the truth. Seeing as there is no point in aiming to reason with her, I ask to speak to her supervisor. She scurries off, clutching her radio, ready to report in. A few minutes later two men show up and begin the recorded conversation. Following that conversation, I felt very unwelcome, as the campsite wasn't very multicultural. Being Puerto Rican with Curly hair and a beard, I often get mistook as Middle Eastern. Something that makes older, Caucasian crowds uncomfortable, the Snow Birds in particular. I can see this lady hiding behind a tree, and I can only assume her name is Debra. Hiding behind a tree like it was window blinds seems like a Debra thing to do. I start to pack my stuff as the two men left, knowing I'm being stared at by everyone around me like a criminal. After another 10 minutes the Sheriff shows up and continues the conversation in recording 2 Such terrible customer service. I had to bike back to Portland that night due to their incompetence. You can listen in to the conversation here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B1RdFlLikJh-MjFCRUIwTmw0Nlk?usp=sharing read more

We had a great experience at the Engineering Department today. We had questions about our property lines, an easement and maintenance responsibilities. They clearly and efficiently answered them, and we appreciated their positive attitudes. Thank you! read more