Community

Expert will speak on behavior of people with disabilities

The Arc of Southwest Washington will host developmental disability expert David Pitonyak, Ph.D., on the evening of May 30 at Vancouver City Hall.

Everybody Has a Story: Couple found their perfect dance partners

It is hard to imagine a kinder, gentler man than Mr. Melton. I became acquainted with this fine man when he accompanied his wife, Ester, to her appointments at the medical office where I work. They were always impeccably dressed, handsomely groomed, and you could almost feel the love emanating from Mr. Melton as he guided his wife through our halls.

Neighbors Calendar

A weekly list of neighborhood association meetings.

Battle Ground man climbs to cats' rescue

Retiree plucks them from trees after they get stuck

Perched more than 30 feet high in a red maple tree, Tom Croley lowers a squirming canvas bag down a rope to the safety of Jake Bennett's arms.

Felida woman named 'State Mother of the Year'

Felida — "We are mothers, first, foremost and always. With a proper balance, we can serve our communities yet remain a constant in the lives of our grown families." That sentiment about the role of a mother whose children have grown and moved on won Francine Cowie the title of "State Mother of the Year" from American Mothers Inc. Cowie, who has four sons and 14 grandsons, worked for 16 years as a paraeducator at Felida Elementary School. She also has been a singer, property manager, ballot inspector, homeless shelter volunteer, literacy booster and Boy Scout leader. American Mothers is an independent nonprofit established in 1954.

Camas champion runs right past foot ailment

Camas — Ever heard of "foot drop?" Darren Smith of Camas lives with it. There can be many causes — form Multiple Sclerosis to spinal injury — but the result is a paralysis of one or both feet. Now Smith has joined a handful of folks around the nation to form TeamUP, a group of athletes who are continuing to pursue their dreams with the help of carbon-fiber orthotic devices made by Allard USA. TeamUP was inaugurated at an April 6 half-marathon in Greensboro, N.C.; throughout 2013, the members of TeamUP will be attending other events to inspire people with foot drop. Smith has taken first place in many paratriathalons. "You never know what you can do, whether it's a sport or simply walking to the mailbox, unless you try," he said.

Hough promotes kindness

Hough — A recently unveiled billboard at 1405 N. Lombard St. in Portland proclaims, in a childish scrawl, "One Kind Word Can Change the World." The sentiment is part of a spring positive message campaign by nonprofit The Joy Team and Hough Elementary School. The "One Kind Word" billboard is one of 20 The Joy Team put up to share positivity with the community.

Truman PTA mom elected to state association

Truman — Truman Elementary PTA member Teri Davis has been elected as the Region 3 director for the Washington State Parent Teacher Association.

Woodland museum collects dairy stories

Woodland — The Woodland Historical Museum held an open house April 20 that brought together local dairy families from past and present to meet and talk about their experiences.

Kids learn to run for fun

Washougal — Nearly 150 kids participated in a new running club for elementary students. Volunteer Tracey Stinchfield created the six-week program to foster fitness through fun. It's offered through the Washougal School District's Community Education and Recreation.

Volunteers show their appreciation for B.G. parks

Battle Ground — At the city of Battle Ground's first Parks Appreciation Day, more than 80 volunteers joined city officials April 27 to improve three local parks. Over three hours, the helpers picked up litter, cleaned playground equipment, raked flower beds and spread bark chips at Kiwanis Park and both the north and south Florence Robison Park. The work would have cost about $5,185 had employees performed the tasks, according to a press release.

Donors 'Stuff the Bus' in Battle Ground

Battle Ground — Donors gave more than $1,300 and nearly 4,100 pounds of food and other items during the annual Stuff the Bus charity drive May 4. The Battle Ground chapter of Public School Employees of Washington, SEIU Local 1948, sponsored the event, in its second year. The food and money donations will go to the North County Food Bank. Last year, nearly 5,400 pounds of donations were collected.

Trash Monsters win game design award

Fisher-Mill Plain — The Trash Monsters, a team made up of Pacific Middle School students, picked up the "Game Design Award" in their division May 4 at the annual Oregon Game Project Challenge in Salem, Ore.

Union High freshmen attend White House Science Fair

Fisher-Mill Plain — Two Union High School freshmen impressed people with their scientific minds at the White House Science Fair, hosted by President Barack Obama this past month. Sydney Wallace, 13, and Austin Jang, 14, traveled in late April to Washington, D.C., to join nearly 100 other young scientists, mathematicians and engineers who were invited from across the country. Last year, Wallace and Jang were on Shahala Middle School's championship Science Bowl team, which they represented at the White House. Wallace's award-winning, lithium-ion-powered model car — dubbed "Danger Kitty" — was also exhibited at the April 22 fair. "When students excel in math and science, they help America compete for the jobs and industries of the future," Obama said in a press release.

Cheer team stands out at national championship

Northeast Hazel Dell — Vancouver's All-Star Fusion Senior Teal team placed second this month at The Summit, a cheerleading competition in its first year that aims to bring together the best of the best from across the country. The girls competed against four other teams at the two-day event that kicked off May 3 in Orlando, Fla. The local team was invited to The Summit after they won first place in April at the Encore National Cheer Championship in San Diego, Calif.