Page 18 - December 2019
P. 18

PERSPECTIVES


































      Living in Forest Grove has its advantages. It’s  home once stood. The city does not maintain
      a small community with rich roots deep in  the sidewalks and it’s the responsibility of the

      Oregon history, almost hiding the vast Pacific  owner to do so. Sadly, they either no longer own
      University campus in its midst. A quiet town  the property or have passed on.
      which seems to come alive with the hustle and              Walking to the grocery store is especially
      bustle of any university community during  fraught with danger this time of year with the

      Pacific’s graduation cycle or the world renown  leaves covering missing areas or cracks causing
      Concours d’elegance Car show, coming alive with  a misstep or two on the journey. Don’t ask me
      visitors, families and friends in the late spring  about the ice and snow either. One (and I include
      and summer.                                            myself in this category,) is required to pay more

           In the fall, on occasion, one may hear the  attention as to where one walks rather than the
      roar of the crowd, the announcements and music  beautiful scenery surrounding them.
      wafting through the air from the sports complex            I was astounded and delighted one day to see
      stands. Normally, however, Forest Grove turns  a bad section of sidewalk had been removed and

      into a sleepy little town nestled in the beginnings  a new, clean crack-free walkway put in its place.
      of the Cascade Range and one wonders whether  And then I noticed them-little paw prints now
      the sidewalks do roll up or not by seven o’clock!  immortalized in the concrete. At first, I thought,
      At least my favorite coffee shoppe (and “office”)  who would have let their dog walk here? Couldn’t

      does.                                                  they see the obligatory yellow CAUTION tape
          Yet one of its pluses is also one of its drawbacks.  fluttering in the breeze? Perhaps the dog had
      It’s a town one can walk through, marvel at  just run unaccompanied onto the wet cement?
      the tree lined streets, the brick walkways on  I peered closely, and instead of what I had

      campus…and the most horrendous and perilous  believed to be canine paw prints, instead the
      sidewalks I have ever trod upon or seen. Many  small impressions were from a young racoon.
      of these broken, missing, or uplifted pavement-  I had often glimpsed a racoon family in the
      front properties are now vacant where a family  neighborhood peering at me from their tree,




       18     ONE COMMUNITY
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