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Decades-old dental equipment, a covered wagon, mortars and pestles from area tribes, and thousands of photos and documents are just some of the items in the collection of the former Five Oaks Museum in Bethany.

The museum containing so much of the area’s history closed in December, and now officials are trying to figure out what to do with the items it contained.

OPB and Report for America reporter Holly Bartholomew starts off the newsletter this morning writing about efforts to make sure Washington County history doesn’t become a thing of the past.

Also this morning, we’ve mapped which Portland neighborhoods have the highest concentrations of ash trees — and which could be most at risk to the emerald ash borer.

Here’s your First Look at Tuesday’s news.

—Bradley W. Parks

Washington County historical collection in limbo after museum closure

Following the closure last December of the Five Oaks Museum in Bethany, decades’ worth of Washington County history are now at risk.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners is weighing what to do with the museum building and the several thousand artifacts in its collection, as financial issues have become insurmountable.

The board has discussed selling the collection, transitioning the building into an archive and document imaging center, and seeking new owners for the museum.

Those who used to work with the museum want the county to consider the value of the local history it contains.

“It would be such a tragedy for our county to lose all of these things,” archivist Eva Guggemos said. (Holly Bartholomew)

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4 things to know this morning

• Most of the 95,000 ash trees in Portland could become infected and die in the next few years with the recent arrival of the emerald ash borer. We used Portland street tree data to determine where most of the city’s ash trees live. (John Hill)

• More than 3,500 Kaiser Permanente health care workers from Oregon and Southwest Washington are casting ballots this week to authorize a strike that could start as soon as Oct. 1. Leaders of the health care nonprofit called the vote a “bargaining tactic” and emphasized that a strike may not take place. (Courtney Sherwood)

• The Oregon Department of Energy sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency asking the federal government to reverse its decision to terminate the Solar For All grant. The Department of Energy says ending the program could cause “irreparable harm” to Oregonians. (Monica Samayoa)

• In a move that bucks the usual timeline of leadership elections, Republicans in the Oregon Senate will have a new leader when the chamber gavels in later this week: Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Dundee. He became Senate Republicans’ top figure on transportation matters this year, as lawmakers worked on a new package to fund road upkeep. (Dirk VanderHart)

Headlines from around the Northwest

• ‘Life matters’: Oregon football coach Dan Lanning responds to Charlie Kirk’s assassination (Riley Martinez)

• State scientists are planting thousands of Oregon ash trees, hoping to find rare natural resistance (Karen Richards)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• Rural Oregon’s fiscal future uncertain as federal funding sources shrink 

• UW scientists discover teeth growing on forehead of deep-sea fish

New Portland Art Museum show features stars of the art world

Some of the most celebrated artists of the 20th-century headline the Portland Art Museum’s new show “Global Icons, Local Spotlight.”

Work by luminaries like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Helen Frankenthaler are on display along with contemporary stars like Nick Cave and Hank Willis Thomas.

The show includes the immersive stained glass installation “Let the Mermaids Flirt with Me” by Christopher Myers.

Global Icons runs through Jan. 11, 2026. (Eric Slade, Evan Rodriguez)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/09/16/five-oaks-museum-washington-county-first-look/