In your neighborhood

East Clark County: Camas and Washougal

Camas: Volunteers from Lacamas Community Credit Union created festive gift baskets for fellow members who are facing rough times as part of its third annual Holiday Dinner Basket program. Members nominated other members facing lean times to receive festive holiday baskets with traditional holiday foods. “With high unemployment, we know that some of our members could use a helping hand to make the Christmas season more enjoyable,” said credit union President and CEO Kathleen Romane. Credit union staff shopped for grocery items and gift cards and assembled 20 baskets.

Washougal: City employees made the nominations and took the votes, and last week the city of Washougal handed out its Employee of the Year awards to outstanding workers in various city departments — plus an overall top winner. Honored were Tom Watts in community development, Lee Bowles in finance, Thad Eakins of the police department, Aireanna Baldwin of the fire department, and Kelly MacDonald and Director Trevor Evers of public works. The overall excellence award went to R.J. Stevenson.

Orchards, Sifton and Brush Prairie

Brush Prairie: Dog breeder Pamela Levy is getting ready to show her Australian terrier, Ringo, in shows in Palm Springs, Calif., and Portland in January. The Portland show is Jan. 20-23 at the Expo Center. Ringo won “Best of Breed” in 2008 in a show in Sacramento, Levy said. He competed earlier in December in the American Kennel Club’s Eukanuba National Championship in Long Beach, Calif. Ringo is 4, and Levy imported him from Finland when he was 12 weeks old. Levy of Brush Prairie has six Australian terriers. Winners of “Best of Breed” in past dog shows include “Alfie” and “Tucker,” who won at the Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City.

Battle Ground, Meadow Glade and Hockinson

Hockinson: Seventeen-year-old Megan Hofsted has earned the Girl Scouts of America’s highest honor, the Gold Award. The Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington Council honored Hoftsted for her work creating a deaf awareness program called “Don’t Speak Louder; I Still Won’t Hear You.” The Gold Award requires two years of work and a final project. Megan’s project provides a venue for hearing and nonhearing students to interact in a casual learning environment. She made four presentations of the program to hundreds of people in 2010. Megan, a senior at Hockinson High School, has been a Girl Scout since first grade. The Gold Medal is the Girl Scouts equivalent of an Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts.

Battle Ground: Seventy-five local children who receive services from North County Community Food Bank benefitted from local Rotary clubs this holiday season. The children were invited for the fourth annual children’s Christmas party, which was sponsored by the Lewis River Rotary Club in Battle Ground. This year, Lewis River Rotary invited the newly formed Battle Ground Rotary club to join them so they could double their efforts to help local children in need. The children and their parents were invited to the Dec. 12 party at the Battle Ground Community Center. The event included Christmas music by the Battle Ground High School Jazz Choir, lunch, a magic show by local magician Steve Taylor, an opportunity to sit on Santa’s lap, and presents for every child. Members from the Battle Ground High School Interact Club helped with setting up the event and interacting with children.

Hazel Dell, Felida and Salmon Creek

Skyview High School: The Skyview Band continues its grand tradition of racking up honors. This time it’s a trip to the 33rd annual Fiesta Bowl Band Championship, at University of Phoenix Stadium, a state-of-the-art facility in Glendale, Ariz. They will perform “The Raven,” a field show that mirrors the life of Edgar Allen Poe. Making the trip are 81 band and dance team members, three instructors, the principal and vice principal, and 36 band family members. Nine bands from across the country are competing in the championship on Dec. 30 and 13 are competing in the parade on Dec. 31.

Skyview High School: A security guard named Jimi Goss started a tradition that’s still going strong at Skyview today. It’s the Giving Tree, a way for the community to help out “students and their siblings who might have a very meager holiday and who have some basic needs,” according to Linda Micheel, a German teacher. Micheel and security guard Jonathan Lawrence took over the annual project when Goss was moved elsewhere. The Booster Club handles the money. Earlier this month, students and staff wrapped more than 140 gifts for 35 families and 60 children. “It’s a real community effort,” said Micheel.

Hazel Dell: Dentist Kristine Aadland, who opened her new Northeast 78th Street practice, Aadland Dental, earlier this year, is making a charity run to Honduras through Medical Teams International. Her assistant Alexia and her dental hygienist Aaron will travel with her to the town of Amapala, Honduras, to do restorative, surgical and preventive treatment and well as tooth care education. They leave in February. Aadland’s friend and supporter, College Works Painting, are contributing to the cause, according to manager Chris Hamilton. Aadland and her team need to raise $3,000 to cover travel, lodging, food, and dental supplies. College Works Painting will donate at least $1,000, Hamlton said, and perhaps more.

North Clark County and Woodland

Port of Woodland: All sorts of good things are tucked away at the port this holiday season. The port is lending warehouse space to the local Rotary club, which is storing food and gifts for 93 area families there. Rotary needs the space to accommodate all the giving that goes on in December, according to organizer John Bohrnsen. Bohrnsen said community giving might fill all the food boxes the club needs to fill — so there’ll be no fallback on the local community food bank. There’s been a major donation of toys from the InterAct students of Woodland High School, who went on a $2,000 buying spree.

West Vancouver and Downtown

Esther Short: The Vancouver longshoreman of Union Local No. 4 donated 60 new bicycles to the Arthur D. Curtis Children’s Justice Center. The Vancouver Fire Department also donated a new helmet for each new bike. This is the fourth year the Longshoreman’s union has donated bikes. The Curtis Children’s Justice Center worked with local therapists, victim advocates, detectives and social workers to identify children in need and deliver the bikes during the holidays. Many of the children have experienced abuse, are currently in foster care or living in impoverished homes. “These bikes have put smiles on the faces of so many children who are really going through a tough time,” said Mary Blanchette, justice center director.

Shumway: On Dec. 20, the YWCA Clark County offered a room full of gift options at no charge to participants in the SafeChoice, Sexual Assault, Independent Living Skills and Y’s Care Programs — the victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and homelessness. Thanks to the generosity of local businesses and individuals the YWCA was able to provide free gifts to over 510 individuals this year.

Ridgefield and Fairgrounds

Ridgefield: The Ridgefield Public Schools Foundation has appointed elementary school mom Kerri Clary to its Board of Trustees. James Oman and Katy Vance, both high school students and members of the school leadership team, were appointed to the board as ex oficio members. Cary’s two daughters attend Union Ridge Elementary School. “James and Katy have impressive records of academic achievement and extra curricular activities. Their experience can only help us as we grow and develop our programs” said Paul Lewis, President of the Foundation’s Board. In November the Foundation awarded $3,400 to Ridgefield schools for everything from compasses and lasers to dictionaries and literature. A pending grant to Union Ridge Elementary School will start a Homework Club. The foundation also supports student scholarships, employee awards and principals’ emergency funds for children in need.

Central Vancouver, Minnehaha and The Heights

Northeast 18th Street: While heavy weather has slowed things down a bit, the city of Vancouver reports that progress has been made on the big Northeast 18th Street expansion and upgrade that’s headed from the Interstate 205 overpass to just east of Four Seasons Lane, and 112th Avenue from just south of 16th Street north to 22nd Street. Construction crews have been excavating, building retaining walls and installing fences, inspecting public utility facilities to be relocated and demolishing condemned structures. You can track this project — and many others — at the city’s website: http://www.cityofvancouver.us/streetprojects.

Bagley Downs: Clark County Habitat for Humanity’s store at 5000 E. Fourth Plain Blvd. was the recipient of some Thanksgiving leftovers. The National Geographic Society donated books, atlases and DVDs left over from its recent Portland sale to the Clark County store and a similar shop in Oregon. Proceeds from the store go to Habitat for Humanity, a charity which builds affordable homes for qualified families.

Columbia Way: Seventeen children from Y’s Care visited Beaches Restaurant and met with Santa Claus and his elves on Dec. 15. Y’s Care is a preschool program operated by the YWCA Clark County for young children who are homeless, transitioning or in dire low-income circumstances. Vancouver firefighters also joined the party and offered fire truck tours. “These wonderful folks go out of their way to provide a magical experience for our kids,” said Leah Reitz, Y’s Care director. Beaches owner Mark Matthias has supported Y’s Care for many years.

East Vancouver, Cascade Park, Fisher’s Landing and Evergreen

Cascade Highlands: “High-end art in a humble surrounding. But very meaningful, since for a long time we had no apartment at all.” That’s how Heidi Hansen describes her art studio-gallery-apartment, where she’s selling original art to raise money for the Council for the Homeless. Hansen said she and her son lived for a while in their car, in a garage and eventually homeless shelters. “They helped us get back on our feet and there is a happy ending to this story,” she said. Hansen hopes to raise $1,000 for the Council for the Homeless before Jan. 1. She also has plans to launch a Service Dogs for the Homeless Foundation — helping train and certify service dogs for the homeless and mentally ill. Her place is south of Mill Plain on Southeast 160th Avenue. For more, take a look at www.mentalwellnesschannel.com.