Vancouver firefighters
lauded by peers
Vancouver firefighters
selected Ralph Massa as their 2005
Firefighter of the Year, and Capt. Duane Royer
as Company Officer of the Year. Both men were honored at the
International Association of Fire Fighters Local 452’s annual banquet conducted
Saturday, April 16 at Club Green Meadows. The union represents
about 170 firefighters, captains and
Fire Marshals
Office employees at the
City of Vancouver Fire
Department.
Winners are selected by
their peers.
Also at the union banquet,
firefighters honored Engine 81, B shift, as Company of the Year. Members of that
work team include Capt. Rick Steele,
firefighter/paramedic Mark Bennett, and
Capt. Scott Willis.
David Smith was selected as Deputy Fire
Marshal of the Year from the VFD Fire Marshal’s Office. Union Member of the Year
award went to Firefighter Dave Sturbelle.
This is the second year in a row that Sturbelle has won this award.
Evergreen narrows
superintendent search to three
The Evergreen Public Schools
Board of Directors announced Friday that it has narrowed the search for a new
superintendent to three finalists. Board members will travel to the candidates’
current school districts this week.
Finalists are as follows:
Dr. Robert L. Corley, superintendent of
Flagler County Public Schools in Bunnell, Florida, and former superintendent of
Fife Public Schools in Tacoma; John Deeder,
Evergreen Public Schools assistant superintendent for secondary education and
chief academic officer; and Dr. Christine M.
Johns, deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the
Baltimore County Public Schools in Townsen, Maryland.
Joan Skelton, president of Evergreen’s
Board of Directors, says the board hopes to name its choice by the first week of
May.
14th year in bloom: Clark
PUD annual home & garden fair set for April 22
Clark Public Utilities’ 14th
annual Home & Garden Idea Fair, even more highly regarded as a harbinger of
spring than the robin, will soon be upon us. The three-day event regularly
attracts about 35,000 people interested in gathering home and yard improvement
ideas, as well as a new collection of plants, shrubs and trees that will make
spring a bit more colorful. A major
portion of this year’s show will be held in the fairground’s new exhibition
hall. The Home & Garden Fair offers an abundance of commercial exhibits and
activities for the whole family, with a continued focus on energy and
environmental awareness. The show
also features the largest plant sale in the region, with more than 80
participating nurseries, as well as beautiful landscape displays created by
local landscape professionals.
“The Home & Garden Idea Fair
has grown into a major community event,” said
Heather Allmain, a utility employee who coordinates the show. “We enjoy
the opportunity to provide important energy and environmental information to
thousands of our customer-owners in a family-friendly atmosphere.”
The Fair will be held at the
Clark County Fairgrounds on Friday, April 22, from 9 am to 8 pm; Saturday, April
23, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Admission is free,” adds
Allmain, “although we suggest canned food donations for area food banks or cash
contributions to Operation Warm Heart, a fund to help low-income customers pay
their electric bills.” Parking is $3.
The utility will provide
free shuttle service between the show and the Vancouver Mall Transit Center and
the Salmon Creek Park and Ride lot. A complete schedule will be published in
The Columbian on Thursday, April 21.
The show is produced by
Clark Public Utilities with support from the Specialty Nursery Association of
Clark County, KISN-FM, The Columbian and the Washington Association of Landscape
Professionals.
News briefs
Clark Public Utilities Board of Commissioners
meets tomorrow at 9 a.m.*** The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce will hold
its Spring Bling! Fashion Show & Luncheon Wed., April 27, 2005 in honor of
National Administrative Professionals Day. The luncheon is sponsored by Willows
Apparel & Gifts, Contessa Shoes & Accessories & Beigeblond. Cost is $30 per
person; $35 non-members. One lucky audience member will be selected to receive a
Beigeblond makeover. Call 360-694-2588 to
register. ***Columbia River Mental Health
Services’ annual “Talk of the Town” will focus on “real recovery.” The
event will feature a dramatic presentation by
Victoria Maxwell, internationally known teacher and entertainer with
personal recovery experience. 5-7 p.m., Club Green Meadows, 7703 NE 72nd Ave.,
Vancouver. *** The Free Clinic of SW Washington will roll out the red carpet
April 19 to honor volunteers during National Volunteer Week. More than 700
volunteers provide free urgent medical care to the uninsured who utilize the
Free Clinic, the largest in the state. The volunteer recognition gets underway
at 6:30 p.m. at the clinic, 4100 Plomondon St., Vancouver. Call
360-313-1390 for more information.
People
Rep.
Jim Dunn (R-Vancouver) received the “job
maker” designation by a coalition of Washington business groups,
www.jobmakers.com, which tracks job-related legislation and tracks the voting
records of lawmakers.***The Vancouver Police Activities League (PAL) hired
Lee Jenkins as its first executive
director. Jenkins recently retired after 31 years with Portland Parks and
Recreation and has volunteered for the past year with PAL. The position was made
possible thanks to a generous donation from the Nautilus Corporation. ***
Keith Morehouse is new crisis services manager of Columbia River Mental
Health Services. Morehouse comes from The Christie School in Portland, where he
was a program manager for the past two years.
Headlines at home and from around the world:
(Click on the headlines below for the rest of the story)
Black smoke signals no new Pope
after first vote--MSNBC
Some parents opt
to skip state testing--Columbian, Amy McFall Prince
Gas tax
agreements in limbo--Columbian,
Don Jenkins
Newspaper in search of "Supermoms"--Columbian
Hockinson's
interim superindendent put on leave--Columbian, Howard Buck
Plan in the works may allow governor to select transportation chief--
Seattle P-I, Jane Hadley
Armstrong to retire after 7th tour this summer--Washington Post, Charles Odum
Mount St. Helens VolcanoCam
[updates every five minutes]--USDA Forest Service, Mount St. Helens National
Volcanic Monument |