The clue sends you looking for a pumpkin.

The craft gives you another reason to look closely.

The Great Milwaukie Pumpkin Hunt hides ten handmade glass pumpkins around downtown Milwaukie October 2–24, with clues from the Downtown Alliance of Milwaukie and a one-per-household limit.

The collaboration with Canned Heat Glass Studios connects the search with the work behind the prize.

Glassblowing gives an object its form; slow cooling, called annealing, helps relieve internal strain after the shaping is done.

The associated Glass Pumpkin Patch offers live demonstrations and glass art for sale October 10–11, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., at 2425 SE Ochoco Street.

A seasonal treasure hunt becomes a reason to notice the skill—and patience—inside a familiar fall shape.

The coffee is made, the sink empties and the morning moves on.

For the water, the journey continues.

Imagine a Day Without Water on October 15 offers Milwaukie a chance to follow that familiar routine toward Kellogg Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility.

There, nearly seven million gallons of wastewater a day pass through screening, biological treatment and disinfection before returning to the Willamette River.

Naturally occurring microorganisms play a part in work most residents never see.

That wastewater service is distinct from the system supplying drinking water to household taps.

The local connection starts at home: keep wipes and paper towels out of toilets and litter out of storm drains.

Looking a little farther beyond the faucet makes the observance a reminder of both the infrastructure we depend on and the everyday choices that help protect it.

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.

Step inside the right secondhand shop anywhere between Oregon City and Milwaukie, and the outside world simply disappears.

Racks packed with forgotten decades, shelves loaded with objects that outlived their original owners — this is the thrifting culture locals have quietly turned into a serious pursuit.

Shoppers across this stretch of the greater Portland metro track restock schedules, arrive early on discount days, and return week after week because the inventory never stays the same.

Milwaukie anchors the corridor with standout stops at every level.

Unprecedented heat grips the Pacific Northwest, pushing temperatures into the triple digits and triggering excessive heat warnings across Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Cooling centers have opened throughout the region, with locations in Portland, Gresham, and Vancouver extending hours to give residents a break from the intense heat.

Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Marion, Jackson, Deschutes, and Clark counties all have public libraries, churches, and community centers serving as vital refuges.

TriMet is offering free rides to those traveling to and from cooling centers each day, making access easier for everyone concerned about the historic temperatures.

Overnight lows won’t offer much relief, increasing the risk for vulnerable populations.

Residents are strongly urged to stay hydrated, check on neighbors, and use these cooling sites to beat the dangerous heat.

Clackamas County is investing over $7.2 million in grants to help cities tackle homelessness with locally chosen solutions.

This funding will benefit Canby, Estacada, Gladstone, Happy Valley, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Molalla, Oregon City, Sandy, West Linn, and Wilsonville.

Each city will use the funds for initiatives meeting its community’s needs, such as Gladstone’s enhanced food pantry, Milwaukie’s rent assistance to prevent evictions, and Sandy’s new community services officer.

County chair Tootie Smith underscored the push for creative and collaborative solutions tailored to each city.

Unlike neighboring Multnomah County’s centralized strategy, Clackamas County’s direct grants empower cities to innovate and support vulnerable residents in ways that fit local challenges.

This decentralized approach is designed to build lasting partnerships and address the root causes of homelessness for Clackamas County residents.