Yes, Virginia, there is a Vancouver Food Co-op

The nonprofit Vancouver Food Co-op was formed in 2003, and, while there is no physical store just yet, there is a buyer's club that members may use to buy a wide variety of food products.

"The Vancouver Food Co-op store will be in west Vancouver," reports Sunrise O'Mahoney, the co-op's interim chair.

There currently is no timetable.

In the meantime, the co-op board meets publicly at 6 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month in the Vancouver Housing Authority offices at Fourth Plain Boulevard and Main Street. In addition to the board meetings, the co-op holds outreach meetings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month at Cover-to-Cover Books, 1817 Main Street.

O'Mahoney says visitors are welcome: "We want potential buyers to put their names on our list. Building membership in our buyer's club will give us insight into potential membership and participation in the co-op. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities for interested people who want to help build the co-op."

The co-op grocery store will be run by the community for the community, according to O'Mahoney.

Membership in the co-op won't be required of shoppers. Members, however, will guide the store, deciding what products to stock, as well as what prices to charge.

According to O'Mahoney, the store will provide wholesome food and grocery products similar to what is found in Wild Oats stores.

In addition to O'Mahoney, members of the co-op board are interim treasurer Sharon Kulish-Bayles, interim secretary Rory Bowman, Merritt Hitzeman-Anzjon, Lori Loranger and Kate Wallis.

O'Mahoney welcomes calls from people interested in the Vancouver Food Co-op. She can be found by calling 694-3663. To learn more about the co-op and the buyer's club, go to www.vancouverfood.org/buyers.htm.

The next Vancouver Food Co-op board meeting is 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Nominations being accepted
for outstanding Clark alumnus

What a former speaker of the Washington State House of Representatives, the founder of the first Earth Day and the editor emeritus of the Columbian have in common is this: each is a graduate of Clark College, and each has been honored with the community college's Outstanding Alumni Award. They are Robert M. Schaefer, Dennis Hayes and Tom Koenninger, respectively.

Nominations for the 2007 award are being accepted by the Clark College Alumni Association, according to alumni association board president Will Pollard.

The deadline for submitting nominations to the board is Sunday, Dec. 31. Further information and nomination forms can be obtained by calling Nancy Simmons, 992-2705.

Wal-Mart helping children of domestic
violence families go Christmas shopping

Wal-Mart has given $2,500 to the local Domestic Violence Prosecution Center so that 20 children of domestic violence families may shop for Christmas with Vancouver police officers and Clark County Sheriff’s deputies.

The young shoppers, with their law enforcement helpers, will do their shopping at a local Wal-Mart at 7 a.m. Friday, Dec. 15.

The Domestic Violence Prosecution Center is a partnership of the City of Vancouver Attorney’s office, the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s office and the YWCA of Clark County.

News brief

U.S. Rep. Brian Baird (D-3rd) reported today that the House has approved a measure that would extend the Washington sales tax deduction provision for federal income tax for another year. The Senate must also approve the measure before Congress recesses next week. Baird and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) have introduced legislation that would make the sales tax deduction a permanent part of the U.S. tax code. n Gov. Chris Gregoire in Vancouver on Thursday, Dec. 14, will discuss investments in economic development at 1 p.m. at the Washington State University Vancouver Salmon Creek campus. 

Calendar

Doors open at 6 p.m. this evening for the 7 p.m. performance of the Vancouver Youth Theatre’s musical, A Christmas Madrigal, in the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1220 NE 68th Street. The show continues at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. Admission is $15. Catered seating is $15. For further information, call 993-5835. n Herringbone, the one-man musical starring Taylor Askman, is being presented by Arts Equity Theatre at 7:30 p.m. this evening and Saturday, Dec. 9, in the Main Street Theatre, 606 Main Street. Tickets are $8 to $24. For further information, call 695-3770. n  Christmas at Fort Vancouver in the 1840s is being celebrated from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. n The annual book sale at Three Creeks Library, 800-C NE Tenney Road, is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. n Hands-on instructions for creating holiday gifts and decorations with natural themes are being offered by The Water Resources Education Center from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. Each month the center offers special activities for youngsters to explore an ecology theme and make projects to take home. There is no charge. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The center is at 4600 SE Columbia Way. n The David Friesen Quartet Christmas concert is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, in St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 426 E Fourth Plain Boulevard. Gary Hobbs sits in on drums. Admission is $15. For further information, call 606-0181. n The musical, A Taffeta Christmas, directed by Ron Daum, is being presented at 7:30 p.m. this evening and again Saturday, Dec. 9, in the Decker Theatre on the Clark College campus. Tickets to the Public Playhouse production are $ 14 and $16. For further information, call 573-44984.

Friday, Dec. 8 headlines

Evergreen high school student's tee shirts to help burned out family selling like crazy--Columbian, John Branton

Dredgers scoop out 24 years of gunk out of entrance to clogged Vancouver Lake flushing channel--Columbian, Erik Robinson

WSU Vancouver engineering students put their learning to test--Columbian, Courtney Sherwood

Mexican restaurants planned for new development on SE 164th Avenue--Columbian, Cami Joner

Clark County pursues use of Multnomah County jail--Oregonian

WSU Vancouver pans endorsement program for teachers of the deaf--Oregonian, Holley Gilbert

Former U.N. Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick dies--Washington Post, William Branigin

Rice wary of seeking Iran, Syria's help--Washington Post, AP, Anne Gearan