Community
Heat-Moon spotlighted at historical dinner
La Center -- The annual dinner and auction for the Clark County Historical Museum also marked the release of “Blue Highways Revisited,” a lush picture book by photographers Edgar I. Ailor III and Edgar I. Ailor IV, that retraces the original journey chronicled by William Least Heat-Moon in his celebrated 1982 book “Blue Highways.” Both men and their wives were on hand for the May 12 event at the recently renovated Summit Grove Lodge, just south of La Center. While they were visiting from their home state of Missouri, the party was hosted by historical museum executive Susan Tissot during their first visit to Mount St. Helens.
Sherwood neighborhood group coming back to life
Sherwood -- After several years of inactivity, the Sherwood Neighborhood Association has reformed and decided to meet three times per year. More than 35 people attended a recent reorganizational meeting, at which a new executive board was elected. Crime and public safety are popular topics, so the upcoming meeting will review crime statistics and a map of crime locations in the neighborhood. That meeting will be at 7 p.m. June 7 at St. John Lutheran Church, 11005 N.E. Highway 99. The Sherwood Neighborhood Association boundaries are Northeast 119 Street, 50th Avenue and 104th Street and Interstate 5.
Rotary awards $78,000 to local students
Esther Short -- The Vancouver Rotary Foundation, the charitable arm of the Rotary Club of Vancouver, awarded $78,000 in college scholarships to 24 Southwest Washington high school and college students at its annual scholarship luncheon on May 9. The organization has given more than $1 million in scholarships to local students. This year’s scholarship recipients were Johnna Gurgel, Ky Viet Ngo, Hope St. John, Connie Hu, Eveling Cabello-Ramirez, Ibette Valle, Kelli Daller, Kathryn DeVore, Katherine Miranda, Josey Sechrist, Tiffany Wood, Josh Ingebretson, N’Diya Pumphery, Tanya Gentry, Jessica Murray, Caleb Ogier, Dena Corby, Margaret Hodges, Dillon LeSieur, Ida Thomas, Gail Weeks, Morgan Parker, Oksana Klimenova and Linda Otton.
Cascade Middle students test water at Burnt Bridge Creek
Evergreen -- Students in Kristi Nygaard’s eighth-grade science class at Cascade Middle School have gotten to know Burnt Bridge Creek very well. Working with graduate student Alyson Day of the environmental science program at Washington State University Vancouver, they’ve sampled the creek’s macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity, from its headwaters to the mouth at Vancouver Lake. Day said she’s observed students who were previously failing get excited about this hands-on work. Check out their findings, among many local collaborative graduate-younger student projects focused on the Columbia River basin, at an exhibition from 6 to 8 p.m. today at in the Firstenburg Student Commons at WSUV, 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave.
Farmers market kick-off event set
La Center -- Join Mayor Jim Irish, the Get a Life Marching Band and Curly the Camel at the season opening of the La Center Farmers Market from 4 to 8 p.m. on May 24. The weekly market is on Aspen Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets in La Center. Now in its third year, the market is open every Thursday through Sept. 13. For details call 360-263-8662 or find “La Center Farmers Market” on Facebook.
Dancing for disability support
Van Mall — What better reason to do the Macarena? Innovative Services NW, a nonprofit agency that works with and advocates for people with disabilities of all sorts, raised $44,000 at its May 4 “Fiesta of Caring Hearts” fundraiser. KGW meteorologist Rod Hill was emcee, and big checks came from the Safeway Foundation and the Windermere Foundation. Guests were treated to cha-cha and salsa dance lessons, and closed out the night with that movin’, groovin’ Macarena. The agency is located just east of Westfield Vancouver mall. To learn more, visit innovativeservicesnw.org.
Red Cross presents honors
Fourth Plain Village — Dennis Rugg was recognized as the 2012 Volunteer of the Year at the annual Southwest Washington American Red Cross Volunteer Recognition Dinner on May 8. Also recognized were Roberta “Bobbie” Herrick, disaster services volunteer; Charli the Labrador, owned by Sue and Randy Anderson, service to armed forces volunteer; Dorothy Poole, administrative volunteer; Jim Boline, media team volunteer; Kendrick “Kenny” Kim, youth volunteer; Robin Holmes, blood services volunteer, and former Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard, Board Member of the Year.
‘Walking school bus’ hits its stride
Walnut Grove — More than 80 Walnut Grove Elementary School students walked or biked to school with friends or family members on National Bike to School Day on May 9. The event also promoted the school’s new “walking school bus” program that encourages more students to walk to school. Adults who would like to volunteer for the school’s walking school bus program should contact Kim Lively, 360-313-3000, or Kim.Lively@vansd.org.
Bigfoot doesn’t put off little kids
Mill Plain Elementary -- Maxx Jeynes and Jacob Rogers really know how to pitch a subject. Being kindergartners is no problem for the two boys in Cynthia Roberts’ class; they used story boards, photos, drawings, pointers, microphones and their own homemade 10-foot-tall Sasquatch to educate schoolmates about the mythical creature. Their classmates have followed with similarly sophisticated presentations on flowers, race cars, the Loch Ness monster and snakes.
Battle Ground musicians take top honors
Battle Ground — Musicians from Daybreak and Chief Umtuch middle schools and Battle Ground High School took honors at recent Northwest events. The Daybreak band was judged best of five middle school bands from the state on May 5 at the Loyalty Days Parade in Long Beach. Daybreak’s dance and flag teams also won first place in the parade. And, at the Pleasant Hill Jazz Festival near Eugene, Ore. on April 21, the BGHS band took first in advanced jazz band, with sophomore trombonist Kaleb Armstrong winning a soloist award. Senior vocalist Austin Ebert won a soloist award and sophomore vocalist Maddie Schilling was second in soloist competition. The jazz combo was also first. Chief Umtuch Middle School trumpeter Steve Montecucco won a soloist award.
Vancouver firm donates promo video to Open House shelter
Esther Short — DreamCapture Media, a Vancouver firm specializing in graphic design, video production and photography, has donated a promotional video to the Open House Ministries family homeless shelter. It features interviews and testimonials from people who have lived at OHM's shelter. The video premiered at OHM's annual benefit event May 11. It can be seen at http://www.dreamcapturemedia.com/Work_Video.html or http://vimeo.com/42150757.
Quilters support child abuse victims
Esther Short -- Clark County Quilters, a group with more than 500 local members who love to quilt for charity, raffled off this year's Opportunity Quilt and presented a check for $2,564.83 to the Children's Justice Center. CJC serves children who are victims of criminal abuse and their families with support, healing and a team of investigators and prosecutors. Visit http://clarkcountyquilters.org and http://www.clark.wa.gov/childrens_justice_center/index.html to learn more.
Everybody Has a Story: A May Day friendship that's lasted for years
In 1947, a tradition started on Northwest 289th Street, which, at that time, was called County Road 21.
Neighbors calendar
A list of neighborhood association meetings
Coffee shop a west-side hub
After a year in business, Latte Da has become a gathering spot for local neighbors
On the TV show "The Simpsons," Homer meets his buddies at Moe's Tavern. In "Friends," the gathering spot is Central Perk. Before that, Sam Malone's bar, "Cheers," was "where everybody knows your name."
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