The Rose Festival selected a few of its favorite homes, landmarks, museums and gardens around the Rose City. Metro’s Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery is a integral piece of Portland's rich historic heritage. On June 3, in the Pioneer Rose Garden, you can view the historic blooms and listen to short talks about old roses with special guest appearances. Beginning at 11 a.m., the Friends of Lone Fir will host a tea party, where experts share tips on how to care for heirloom roses.

Don’t miss the grand opening of the Trolley Trail from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. Join the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District and Metro at Oak Grove Elementary School, 2150 SE Torbank Road in Milwaukie, for a short dedication ceremony, tours of an historic trolley that actually chugged along the route, activities, games, crafts, a guided walk, treats and more. You’ll also have a chance to learn how Metro helped make this six-mile path a reality, reinventing the former streetcar line between Milwaukie and Gladstone.

Is nature calling you? Turn off your cell phone and tune in your senses. There's plenty to explore amid the metro's great outdoors this week. Most of these events are low-cost or free, and registration can be completed online. Follow the links below for more information.

News and blogosphere mentions of Metro for the week of May 20-27, 2012.

The region’s trail builders and community advocates have been busy. Get updates on the Trolley, Tonquin, Westside, Mount Scott/Scouter Mountain and Tualatin River trails. Learn about the progress toward a regionwide network of trails more than 900 miles long.

Metro is working with residents, cities and counties, the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District and community organizations to create a vision for an uninterrupted path for people to travel to work, shopping, schools and nature. Once complete the trail will offer a 25-mile north-south route from the Willamette River near Forest Park to the Tigard and King City.

While Northwest residents sheltered inside during a wet winter and spring, nature was at work re-engineering the northeastern shore of this spectacular wilderness park in the scenic Sandy River Gorge. Since late 2009, the Sandy has been changing course, redirecting its flow against a 65-foot-tall volcanic sand embankment. The park’s campground, amphitheater and trails have been located atop that embankment. This past winter, the erosion was severe, completely washing away the amphitheater and causing other changes.

Metro sold $140 million in bonds, and got a $25 million premium for those bonds, meaning the buyers are slated to give the regional government $165 million next month. Metro will then pay back the debt – $140 million – at 2.27 percent interest before 2028.

The Metro Council unanimously adopted an amended version of an ordinance reorganizing how the agency monitors and improves its public engagement. With testimony from 1000 Friends of Oregon, the Coalition for a Livable Future, and Washington County Citizen Action Network supporting the new approach, the council voted to begin a new era of public involvement review replacing the former Metro Committee for Citizen Involvement.

A leading cemetery industry consultant was effusive Tuesday in his praise of Metro's cemeteries program, saying its new policies were some of the most forward-thinking in the nation.