Open captioning is coming to Keller Auditorium for the 2011-12 Fred Meyer Broadway Across America season, thanks to a partnership between Portland Center for the Performing Arts and Theatre Development Fund. Open captioning is an alternate form of accessibility for the estimated 30 million Americans who are hard of hearing or deaf, and specifically for the 98 percent who do not use American Sign Language. PCPA is the first venue in Portland to offer open captioning to its patrons. The new program will kick off Aug. 28 with the hit musical "Mamma Mia!"

About 50 people attended Thursday night's open house and forum at the Hillsboro Civic Center. A question-and-answer session included a wide-ranging discussion about the boundary decision.

A full-service grocery store.  More housing. Basic services.  Those are the key elements missing in the Lents Town Center area, according to a group of 25 elected officials and community representatives from the Metro Policy Advisory Committee, who gave their opinions after touring the Lents/Foster area on Wednesday evening.

Director of the Metro Sustainability Center and city managers from Albany, Ashland and La Grande were selected as the four finalists for Metro Chief Operating Officer. After a series of meetings, interviews and social events, one will be selected by Metro Council President Tom Hughes, subject to confirmation by the Metro Council.

The $5 fee will be charged for a load up to 35 gallons of waste; each additional 35 gallons will be charged an additional $5. There is no fee for paint waste covered under Oregon PaintCare program, and Metro’s neighborhood collection events will remain free.

Tuesday's work session was scheduled to be about the Land Use Final Order. But recent developments directed some of the conversation toward discussing the project's financing and phasing options.

Worried about bees disappearing? No need for pollinator pandemonium – bees just need a little help from their friends. Find out how to identify bees and the plants they eat, and learn how to install a bee nursery. If that doesn't buzz you, stroll through Smith and Bybee Wetlands or learn how to keep your garden green without overwatering.

Several ideas are on the table for future improvements and new opportunities at Glendoveer and they all include a golf course and the fitness trail. Come to a community open house from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 1 and learn about the options being considered.

Metro staff will talk about options for the urban growth boundary boundary at an open house and forum from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 28 at the Hillsboro Civic Center Auditorium. After the presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session.

Time to party in the park this weekend in Beaverton. The annual Party in the Park event on Saturday, July 30, is free to attend, and this year it takes on an international flair.

To showcase the diversity of the community, this year’s party plays host to the Beaverton International Celebration.