You will always have more choices than money.

It's been one of Margo Norton's mantras in Metro's finance department, a tenure that began on April Fools Day in 2006 and ends on Halloween in 2012.

Take a few hours this week to give back to the region's diverse ecosystem by volunteering at Metro's Native Plant Center. Maybe even bring home a few native plants of your own! The best part is, most of the events are low-cost or free, and registration can be completed online. Follow the links below for more information.

Amur tigers Mikhail and Nicole turn 14 this week at the Oregon Zoo, and keepers plan to treat the brother and sister pair to a Halloween-themed birthday bounty: a meatball-studded cardboard birthday cake, scented papier-mâché party balloons, and some pumpkins stuffed with delicious carnivore snacks. The tigers, wearing orange and black for this (and every) occasion, will receive their goodies at 10:31 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31.

News and blogosphere mentions for the week of Oct. 23-Oct. 29

New Brow of Portland will open its two month exhibit at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts at a First Thursday reception from 5-8 p.m. on Nov. 1.

The Portland area could invest $34 million in transportation projects that create jobs, make safer streets and improve access to jobs for low-income and minority communities.

The Westside Trail will travel through urban and rural landscapes connecting the Willamette River near Forest Park to the Tualatin River at Tigard and King City – and neighborhoods, businesses and schools along the way.

Thanks to community feedback from open houses held last May, Metro and project partners have developed a proposed route for the 25-mile north-south trail. Want to share your input? Attend an open house on how the pedestrian and biking trail can safely connect to your community.

Drizzles got you down? Make the most of the season by creating a rain garden in your yard. It will help protect rivers and streams from polluted storm water, and add a beautiful feature to your yard. Metro natural gardening expert Carl Grimm shared top rain garden tips today on KATU’s AM Northwest.

Visitors can see some of the world’s largest land animals demolish some of the area’s largest pumpkins at 10:30 a.m, Friday, Oct. 26, during the Oregon Zoo’s annual Squishing of the Squash.

Oregonians are throwing away less trash than ever before, according to a new state report.