1. Merlo Station High School–School Of Science And Technology
City: Beaverton, OR
Category: Education
Telephone: (503) 259-5575
Address: 1841 Southwest Merlo Dr.
Description: The School of Science and Technology (SST) routinely has the highest test scores in the state. This small special-focus program offers an outstanding and stimulating program that incorporates fieldwork and projects in its curriculum. It also has close alliances with businesses and colleges in the area. The program is built around the sciences, but it expects its graduates to be well rounded and therefore also has vigorous humanities requirements.
2. Beaverton Arts & Communication Magnet
City: Beaverton, OR
Category: Education
Telephone: (503) 672-3700
Address: 11375 Southwest Center St.
Description: This school is the only stand-alone arts magnet in the state, and its students must be gifted in one or more of the visual, written, performing, or other arts; a written essay and portfolio are requirements of admission. Students must also be able to work independently and in groups. And no one is getting out of math: The academic requirements are tough. Students also declare a career pathway (sort of like a major) after 8th grade, which enables them to direct their educations in a useful direction. This program focuses on all forms of the arts for students in the 6th through 12th grades.
3. Portland Family Magazine
City: Beaverton, OR
Category: Media
Telephone: (503) 906-7952
Address: 12725 SW Millikan Way, #300
Description: This slender and wholesome-as-apple-pie magazine offers useful information for all concerned parents. Besides tackling serious issues such as education, health and wellness, and child development, Portland Family Magazine (PFM) keeps a calendar of events listing and describes events and fun activities that parents and their kids can enjoy together. A handsomely designed monthly with short readable stories and blurbs, PFM includes a column, “School Notes,” with the latest info on education, and The Spirit of Giving, a guide for families, organizations, and individuals in need. A good resource for families, PFM is distributed throughout the Portland and Vancouver areas.
4. Kpdx-Tv Channel 49 (Fox)
City: Beaverton, OR
Category: Media
Telephone: (503) 906-1249
Address: 14975 Northwest Greenbrier Pkwy.
Description: The only local programming on KPDX, a local FOX affiliate, is a news program at 10 p.m. But those who watch FOX’s “tabloid television” to catch the goofy pratfalls and dangerous dangles broadcast by the network don’t seem disappointed at the lack of local shows.
5. Kptv-Tv Channel 12 (Fox)
City: Beaverton, OR
Category: Media
Telephone: (503) 906-1249
Address: 14975 Northwest Greenbrier Pkwy.
Description: This TV station in Portland was launched in 1952. It is a local affiliate for the Fox Network and the nation’s first laboratory for digital-to-air technology. It’s also known for its independent, quirky broadcasting like the popular Good Day, Oregon, which might feature taking your dog on a hike through the snow, how to braise chicken legs, or what’s the latest hot exhibit for kids at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). KPTV also gets viewer points for airing the 10 o’clock news an hour earlier than most late-night newscasts.
6. Stoneworks Climbing Gym
City: Beaverton, OR
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (503) 644-3517
Address: 6775 Southwest 111th Ave.
Description: While Stoneworks has the usual features of a rock gym, and rents gear, holds classes, and sponsors competitions, it is really renowned for its bouldering area, which is more than 2,000 square feet and has drawn national accolades. For a monthly fee you can take advantage of the intriguing overhang bouldering and a large number of different holds. Stoneworks is open Mon through Thurs from 4 to 10 p.m., Fri from 4 to 8 p.m., and on weekends from noon to 8 p.m.
7. Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center
City: Beaverton, OR
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (503) 645-7454
Address: 15707 Southwest Walker Rd.
Description: This aquatics center is located in the Terpenning Recreation Complex, a sprawling 90-acre park in the Tualatin Hills southwest of Portland. A close competitor to the North Clackamas Aquatic Park, it draws folks from all over the region on those muggy days when it’s great to take the plunge. Call for drop-in hours. Children who live within the boundaries of the Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District pay $1.50 with residency cards; nonresident children pay $3. Adult residents pay $2, while nonresident adults pay $4.
8. Malibu Grand Prix
City: Beaverton, OR
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (503) 641-8122
Address: 9405 Southwest Cascade Ave.
Description: The Portland version of the Malibu Grand Prix has lots of entertainment for the pre-license crowd, from whizzing round the track in an F-50 to the latest video games to batting cages. The Grand Prix has two racetracks and three go-kart models, and some of them go quite fast (helmets and harnesses are required). The F-50s require a height of 4 feet 6 inches and an age of at least eight, and if you’ll be chauffering your children, they must be at least 3 feet 6 inches. The Malibu Grand Prix is a popular site for birthday parties. Hours are Mon through Thurs, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri and Sat, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sun, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. You’ll get a better deal if you buy laps in bulk.
9. Sunset Lanes
City: Beaverton, OR
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (503) 646-1116
Address: 12770 Southwest Walker Rd.
10. Ponzi Vineyards
City: Beaverton, OR
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (503) 628-1227
Address: 14665 Southwest Winery Lane
Description: Ponzi Vineyards is one of the oldest wineries in Oregon and has Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Gris vines that were planted in the 1970s. This winery makes one of the most well loved Pinot Gris in Oregon. Another favorite is the Pinot Noir, which is smoky and complex The tasting room for the winery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Ponzi also runs the Dundee Bistro, 100-A Southwest 7th St., (503) 554-1650, which serves delicious Northwest cuisine featuring local wines, and the Ponzi Wine Bar, 100 Southwest 7th St., Dundee, (503) 554-1500. The Ponzi Wine Bar is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.