A Seattle wedding and a Philadelphia funeral — what do these two solemn ceremonies have in common? There’s the woman who tried to save an abandoned Seattle warehouse by marrying it and the funeral held for a vernacular Philadelphia townhouse prior to demolition. Both of these ceremonies were intended to honor buildings that were once an integral part of their communities. Why are people willing to invest time and money in such unorthodox, and potentially useless, acts? The only answer is that buildings matter. Places matter. Humble, grand, and everything in between. Buildings house our personal and collective memories. Too often building materials — stones, bricks and lumber — typically of a quality that would no longer be affordable today, are thoughtlessly tossed into dumpsters destined for landfills. The unfortunate fate of these structures that shaped our memories is a disservice to our community now, and for every future citizen who won’t have the opportunity to experience and enjoy these buildings that were once a part of us. Take action and oppose the changes that threaten the essential fabric of our city and our neighborhoods. Here are a couple of steps you can take to be a part of the solution. 1) Advocate for changes in City policy regarding demolitions: CouncilDistribution@ci.oswego.or.us 2) Join and support the work of the your local non-profit historic preservation advocacy organization, the Lake Oswego Preservation Society: lakeoswegopreservationsociety.org