Ridgefield: Macauly Preuss demonstrated Olympic-style greatness in the Human Bowling event at Ridgefield High School's eighth Spudder Olympics, held June 1. The 2012 edition drew a record 25 student teams, competing in costumes for glory in silly events including Messy Twister, Ping Pong Bucket Toss and good old-fashioned Pie Eating.

Andresen/St. Johns: Clark County’s honorary sheriff Carter Harris got a chance to “inspect” K-9 teams Aug. 1. The 5-year-old, diagnosed with leukemia in 2010, was a participant in the Washington State Chief for a Day program last year. He was sworn in on May 16 and participated in a number of honorary activities during 2012, including cutting the ribbon for Portland’s Rose Festival and riding in numerous parades.

Ridgefield: On March 14, “Pi Day,” Ridgefield math students enjoyed putting pie and pi together. View Ridge Middle School’s Daliah Ponce recited a real mouthful of pi: 83 digits. All students were rewarded with pie, of course.

Woodland: Jael Clark, pictured with her 40-pound cabbage, was selected as Washington’s winner through the National Bonnie Plants Cabbage program in early 2012. Clark was awarded a $1,000 savings bond toward her education for growing the giant vegetable.

Ellsworth Springs: In June, the 13 boys of Cub Scout Pack 95, Den 6 embraced old-fashioned fun by building and racing Cubmobiles — otherwise known as go-carts. The group meets at Vancouver’s Church of the Good Shepherd, but ran the carts at Sky Ridge Middle School in Camas. “No major accidents, thank God. Just a few scrapes and a lot of laughs,” said den mother Maureen McKinney.

Ridgefield: First-graders at South Ridge Elementary School got a timely lesson on the pumpkin lifecycle in October. Students, including Taylor Nix, from left, Sammy Schafer, Olivia Hess and Tyler Kangas, learned from teacher Nathan Ingroum how pumpkins and other plants develop from seeds into mature crops. The kids also got a chance to grow their own plants from stem cuttings.

Bella Vista: Ahoy, Fido! In August, the Bella Vista neighborhood drummed up a boatload of business for its annual picnic by giving the event a pirate theme. More than 80 neighbors turned out — including Aleen Potts and pirate dog Lily.

Hudson's Bay: Pearson Air Museum's Aviation Harvest Festival got a thumbs up Oct. 27 from Duncan Vondross and museum volunteer Nicole Knotts. It was the second year of the festival, which mixed Halloween fun and games with lessons about flight. Visitors checked out historic airplanes, tested gliders and built "noisy rocket" balloons.

Hudson's Bay: On July 4, Prairie High School student Ashlee Waldbauer took first place in the Sing Fourth high school vocal competition at Fort Vancouver with her blazing rendition of "Runaway Baby." Waldbauer is a veteran of local stages, having been in productions from "Godspell" and "Singin' in the Rain" to "The Magic School Bus."

Evergreen: In March, the basketball-playing robot developed by the Green Wrenches, the Evergreen School District robotics team, won the Entrepreneur Award, the Pit Safety Award and the prestigious Chairman's Award at the Autodesk Oregon Regional FIRST Robotics Competition at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland. Here, the Green Wrenches bathe in glory.