Milwaukie Current is returning after a publishing gap, with a clear purpose: make useful, interesting local information easier to find. Welcome back if you have read us before, and welcome if this is your first issue.

Milwaukie is the starting point, with attention to Oak Grove, Jennings Lodge, Oatfield, Gladstone, Clackamas and Sunnyside. Nearby communities belong in the coverage when their stories help our readers understand or enjoy local life.

The aim is a manageable selection of community news, practical opportunities and enjoyable discoveries. Clear dates, locations, prices where relevant and links to original sources help turn an announcement into information readers can use.

The public events calendar gathers listings in one place. Newsletter features will draw attention to selected activities while giving readers time to plan, register or buy tickets. The calendar remains the place to explore more options.

This return issue also looks at opportunities to participate in city conversations and notice the creative work around town. Stories about trees, community connections and murals offer different ways into the same local life.

We want to distinguish facts from suggestions, credit images and identify illustrations clearly. Business features should also be transparent about editorial coverage and paid sponsorship. Thank you for joining us as we return to sharing what is happening close to home.

Read the full story: Welcome back to Milwaukie Current: finding our community, one story at a time

Illustration: Milwaukie Current, AI-generated.

Resilient Together Milwaukie invites residents to help the city understand the people, organizations and places they rely on. The project asks for a community survey and a mapping exercise, both due Friday, October 16, 2026.

The survey is described as taking five to ten minutes. The map focuses on meaningful spaces, including places where people feel supported and locations that may be vulnerable to disruptions. The aim is to learn about connections already present in the community.

Think about your own experience before responding: where you feel welcome, whom you turn to and how neighbors help. Specific observations can explain why a place matters without assuming everyone has the same experience.

Read the official project page before contributing. Registration is required, and the city notes that responses, mapping contributions and submitted photographs may be used in future reports and outreach.

A familiar gathering place is not automatically an official emergency shelter. This project is collecting information about community relationships; readers should keep that distinction clear and avoid sharing someone else’s private circumstances.

The page offers a questions tool and further information about how input may be used. Check that you complete both activities if you choose to participate, and revisit the deadline before sharing this invitation in a later issue.

Read the full story: Milwaukie asks residents to map the people and places they rely on

Illustration: Milwaukie Current, AI-generated.

Milwaukie’s mural-focused engagement page offers an invitation to look more closely at public art around town. It asks which murals residents have visited and explains the review and care that help a finished work become part of a neighborhood.

The city’s Milwaukie Minute describes early discussion with the program coordinator, a proposal and public review. Maintaining the artwork matters after installation, alongside the design and its relationship to the site.

The page also highlights Jeremy Okai Davis’s Welcome to Milwaukie mural at the water tower reservoir on SE Harrison Street, including recent additions. A familiar work may offer something new to notice.

For another perspective, Travel Oregon’s historical mural listing points readers toward panels near Adams Street and Main and Jackson. Follow the listing for locations rather than assuming the works are all together.

Look for the artist’s name and consider how the image meets the street around it. Crediting a mural’s creator and checking photo-use permission remain important when sharing images beyond a personal visit.

Residents considering a mural proposal should consult the city’s process directly. This story is an invitation to notice and learn; it does not replace project-specific guidance or permission to install artwork. The city’s poll offers an easy way to share what you have already explored.

Read the full story: A closer look at Milwaukie’s murals—and the care behind them

Illustration: Milwaukie Current, AI-generated.