Clark College cherry trees celebration
symbolize friendship and spring

The Earth Day 1990 gift of 100 Shirofugen cherry trees from John Kageyama, then president of America Kotobuki, presented to the City of Vancouver to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Washington’s statehood, were planted on Clark College’s main campus.

Next week, with the cherry trees in full bloom, Clark College is having its first “Cherries Jubilee,” a week-long “celebration of friendship and the spring season,” reports Clark’s president R. Wayne Branch.

Branch and former mayor Bruce Hagensen, who, with Kageyama, helped form a sister-city relationship between Vancouver and Joyo City, Japan, will kick off the celebration at noon Monday, April 17, with music, refreshments and a tour of the trees arranged by college horticulture professor Herb Orange.

The hour-long program at the north end of the main campus on Fort Vancouver Way will be repeated at noon Wednesday, April 19, and Friday, April 21.

Throughout the week, the college will collect non-perishable food items for Friends in Service to Humanity in food bins in Bauer, Foster, Gaiser, Scarpelli Halls and the Baird Administration Building.

Winemakers of Clark County share
stories at challenging lunch

Clark County’s three wine makers will offer their views of the challenges of producing wine in Clark County at the Tuesday, April 18, Lunch with the Challengers, sponsored by The Club at the Historic Reserve, in E. B. Hamilton Hall, 605 Barnes Road in Vancouver Barracks.

The story of the county’s first winery, Salishan, will be presented by founder Joan Wolverton. Carl English, owner of the English Estate Winery, will discuss the challenges of his five-year-old and expanding winery in Vancouver. Walt and Beth Houser will talk about their winemaking success at Bethany Vineyard and Winery, near Ridgefield.

Lunch with the Challengers, in its second month, is open to the public. Lunch, which includes salad, coq au vin, dessert and a non-alcoholic beverage, is $25, including tax. For reservations, call 901-1101.

SWIFT coming home to Vancouver

For the first time in at least two dozen years, Southwest Washington Independent Forward Thrust’s annual auction is being held in Vancouver, occupying all the ballrooms in the Hilton Vancouver Washington and the convention center, beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 22.

This year, the auction and the annual art auction have been combined, according to SWIFT’s president, Lisa Hunter Schauer.

Last year, SWIFT awarded $152,000 to 47 organizations in Clark, Skamania, Cowlitz and Klickitat Counties.

For reservations to the $150-per-person event, call 619-4496.

Off-leash dog park temporarily expands

The four-acre off-leash area in Pacific Community Park, NE 18th Street and NE 164th Avenue, today was expanded to 25 acres.

The temporary expansion will revert to the original 4 acres when a construction project at the park begins in 3 to 8 months.

News briefs

The deadline for nominations for Sammy Awards, Clark County’s way of recognizing people and organizations that have made significant contributions to water quality and fish restoration and enhancement, has been extended to Thursday, April 27. For further information, call Joni McAnally, 397-2022, extension. 3. n Ballots for the Tuesday, April 25, special election in the Green Mountain School District have been mailed to all voters, reports county Elections supervisor Tim Likness. Eligible voters who did not receive ballots may call 397-2345. The special election is for a two-year levy totaling $550,000. A similar measure was defeated in February when 60.5 percent of the district voters turned down the measure 147 to 144.

People

After 33 years as a traffic enforcement officer for the City of Vancouver, Gail Ratliff is retiring. A reception for Ratliff is from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 20, in City Hall. n Feature writer and columnist, Angela Allen, a fixture at The Columbian for nearly 22 years, has left to pursue a freelance career. During her time on the features staff, Angela continually explored new ways to cover the community, the food scene, music, wine and fashion. Her work won numerous awards.

Calendar

The East Minnehaha Neighborhood Association meets at 6 p.m. this evening in the Walnut Grove Elementary School. n Violinist Angela Svendsen performs at 7 p.m. this evening in Commander’s Bar in the Restaurant at the Historic Reserve. There is no cover charge. n In observance of Arbor Day, Vancouver Urban Forestry will lead a bicycle tour of downtown Vancouver’s Heritage Trees. The flat, easy four-mile bicycle ride begins promptly at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 15, at Old Apple Tree Park, 112 Columbia Way. Participants must bring their own bicycles. Helmets are required.

Headlines at home and from around the world: (Click on the headlines below for the rest of the story)

Friday on the air       Seattle Mariners at Boston (live)—4 p.m. FSN, KFXX    Portland Beavers at Salt Lake City (live)—5:30 p.m. KKAD    Animal Control Hearings (4/12)—7 p.m. CVTV    Portland Blazers at L.A. Lakers (live)—7:30 p.m. KGW-TV, KXL,    KMUZ    Edmonton at Portland Lumber Jax (live)—7:30 p.m. KCMD    Bravo! Vancouver: St. Paul - An Oratorio—10 p.m. CVTV

Town Tabloids and the weather June Berry doing Margaret Bourke White act. n Bob Knight taking three-hour loss in stride. n Greg Flakus once again coming up with scoops. n Chuck Furno checking to see whether retro saves gasoline. n Jocie Braaksma deferring rain dance. n Ann Tjersland getting high marks. n Friday, likely rainy day, 54.Saturday, showers likely, 53. Sunday, more showers likely, 56.

Accounting Caley & Associates, James Caley CPA, 695-0065 Peterson & Associates, P.S., Certified Public Accountants, 574-0644 Tax Advisors, PLLC, CPAs Property Tax/Cost Segregation 750-6884 Attorneys Miller Nash LLP. Steve Horenstein, 699-4771 Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, Lisa Lowe, 694-7551 Banks Bank of Clark County, 993-2265 First Independent Bank, 699-4200 West Coast Bank, 695-3439 Beauty and Wellness Iduhair & Company Salon Retreat, Celinda Rupert, 735-1249 Charitable Gift Planning Barbara Chen CFP, Clark College Foundation, (360) 992-2659 David DiCesare, The Community Foundation, (360) 694-2550 Jim Forkner, FAHP, SWMC Foundation, (360) 514-3182 Elson Strahan, CFRE, President, Historic Reserve Trust (360) 992-1835 Cosmetic and Family Dentistry Earl C. (Duke) Simpson, DDS, PS, 993-0300 Construction Management and Development Andersen Construction Co., Inc. Bob Durgan, (503) 720-5234 RSV Construction, Ron Frederiksen, 693-8830 Credit Unions Columbia Credit Union, 891-4000 iQ Credit Union, 992-4242 Development/Investments Killian Pacific LLC, 567-0625 Prestige Development, Elie Kassab, 993-0010 Human Resources Consultation O'Neill & Associates, Paula Johnson, 606-2961 Insurance Services Keenan Insurance Services, Brandon M. Keenan, 213-1500 Investment and Retirement Planning First Pacific Associates, Mark Martel, CFP, (360) 254-2585 Public Relations Hunt Communications Tom Hunt, 693-8180 KMac & Associates LLC, Kathy McDonald Rocky/Hill & Knowlton, Krista Hildebrand, (503) 248-9468 Real Estate Coldwell Banker Commercial Wally Hornberger, 699-4494 Norris Beggs & Simpson, Roger Qualman, 699-7181 Retirement and Inheritance Planning Andy Nygard, CFP, (360) 695-6431 Signs Security Signs, Designed to inform and sell! Carol Keljo, 817-9959 Speaking and Training Kathy Condon, Career Communications, 695-4313 Window Washing Quality Window Washing, Dave Beecher, 256-7370