Future Leaders Tour Capital

Leadership Clark County’s (LCC) class of 2010 took center stage Wednesday on the State Senate’s rostrum, along with State Senator Craig Pridemore, as part of the program’s annual visit to Olympia. In addition to class members, some LCC board and committee members, and alumni rounded out the 45-person tour group.

Several senior Washington State elected officials made time to visit and interact with the group, including Gov. Chris Gregoire, Secretary of State Sam Reed, Auditor Brian Sonntag, Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, State Supreme Court Justice Richard B. Sanders, as well as State Representatives Jaime Herrera, Jim Jacks, Ed Orcutt and State Senator Craig Pridemore.

LCC students participate in immersion sessions focused on key topic areas, such as economic development, education, justice, social services, healthcare, sustainability, diversity, local history and leadership.

Applications for the class of 2011 become available February 4 at http://www.leadershipclarkcounty.com/.

Human Society for Southwest Washington welcomes new director of development

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington has announced that Ryan Topper has joined the organization as its new director of development. Topper will be responsible for planned giving, major donor, and annual fund programs, as well as capital campaigns and sponsorship development.

Since September 2001, Topper has been an assistant and an associate director of development for the Washington State University Athletic Foundation. Topper served WSU leading major fundraising campaigns and development programs for Southwest Washington and Oregon.

Topper holds a bachelor of science degree in psychology and a master’s of education administration from Washington State University. He was a recipient of the George B. Brain Distinguished Leadership Award while working to attain a Ph.D. in higher education administration. Topper was a member of the WSU men’s basketball team from 1994 to 1996.

For more information about the Humane Society and its programs and services, contact Kate Goudschaal at 281-9533 or kgoudschaal@southwesthumane.org.

State of the County offers occasion to support those in need

Noting the high percentage of people out of work in Clark County and related reports of hardship, County Commissioner Steve Stuart is urging members of the community to bring donations of non-perishable food to the 2010 State of the County event on Thursday, Feb. 4.

The Salvation Army will have representatives on hand to collect donations and forward them to local food banks as people gather. The annual program is set for 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Skyview High School, 1300 N.W. 139th St., in the Salmon Creek area just north of Vancouver. There is no charge to attend.

Stuart will deliver the State of the County address after the full Board of County Commissioners recognizes volunteers for extraordinary efforts in 2009. Without hundreds of volunteers helping to serve the public, difficult times would be even more difficult for many.

For those unable to attend, the program may be viewed later on CVTV (Clark-Vancouver Television) Channels 21 and 23. Highlights of the broadcast schedule are as follows: Feb. 5 at 5 p.m. (23), 7 p.m. (21); Feb. 6 at 1:15 p.m. (23); Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. (23); Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. (21); Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. (21); and Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. (21). The program may also be seen at these websites: www.cvtv.org and www.clark.wa.gov.

Museum After Hours 2010 lecture series

Clark County Historical Museum launches its 2010 First Thursday Museum After Hours lecture series beginning Thursday, Feb. 4. The museum is open free from 5 to 9 p.m. on the First Thursday of each month from February through November. Lectures begin at 7 p.m.

The upcoming Feb. 4 lecture, “Deep Roots, Strong Barnches: The Gift of Vancouver’s African American families to their chosen community” addresses Vancouver's African American families during World War II; their life-stories will be told by four local high school students. The students will read a script created from original family interviews by Jane Elder Wulff, who helped organize an historical project called “First Families of Vancouver’s African American Community: from World War II to the 21st Century.”

The student readers’ group is called “First Families Voices.” Wulff and project director Cornetta Smith will introduce the program, and family members will be available to answer questions after the reading. The project’s main sponsor, NAACP Vancouver Branch #1139, expects to release Wulff’s book for sale early in 2011, and digital recordings of the family interviews will be archived at the museum after the book’s publication.

For more information about the After Hours lecture series, visit http://www.cchmuseum.org/.

It’s “Seuss-a-Palooza” time at Clark College!

Whether you like green eggs and ham or prefer that fabulous cat in the hat, you can make a difference in a child’s life by taking part in “Seuss-a-Palooza Book Drive” in support of 2010 Read Across America Day.

Clark College’s Service Learning Program and the Clark College Bookstore are hoping to sell enough “The Cat in the Hat” books by Dr. Seuss to provide a copy for each kindergartener at Vancouver’s Fruit Valley Elementary School–60 books in all—for Read Across America Day on Tuesday, March 2. Read Across America Day commemorates the birthday of author Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase and donation at the Clark College Bookstore from Feb. 8 to 19 for $7.99 each. Each book will have a nameplate for the donor's name. The Clark College Bookstore is located in Gaiser Hall on the northern end of Clark’s main campus. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver.

For additional information, contact Marti Earhart at the Clark College Bookstore at 992-2261.

Calendar

Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School will be having a Vietnamese New Year Festival, which is free and open to the public, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, 2921 Falk Road. <> Slocum House Theatre will be performing The Complete Works of William Shakespeare-Abridged written by Borgeson, Long and Singer, and directed by Tony Bump, 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday, Jan. 29-30, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31, 605 Esther Street. Those interested in seeing the sketch comedy should visit www.slocumhouse.com or call 696-2427. <> Clark College will be hosting a College Goal Sunday in Southwest Washington welcome session at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31, in the O’Connell Sports Center Gymnasium on Clark’s main campus. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Guests will be welcomed by Clark College president Robert K. Knight, Lenny Haynes of the College Success Foundation and Karen Driscoll, Clark College director of financial aid. The welcome session will include a special appearance by Portland Trail Blazer Jeff Pendergraph. Following the welcome session, participants will be invited to take part in breakout sessions that will be held at 2:40 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. Additional information about College Goal Sunday is available at http://ww.collegegoalsundaywa.org/. For questions, call 888-758-2253 or email collegegoalsundaywa@nela.net. <> Port of Ridgefield will meet for Washington Public Ports Day in Olympia, at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 1, in the Legislative Building, in The Columbian Room. <> Port of Camas Washougal will meet for a regular meeting at 4 p.m Monday, Feb. 1. <> Clark County Public Facilities District meets at 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1, at the Public Services Center, 6th floor, Room A.

  Friday on the air

The National Football Foundation & College Scholarship Hall of Fame Clark County Chapter (1-20)--5:01 p.m. CVTV
Clark County Animal Control Hearings (1-13)--6:59 p.m. CVTV
On the Road, Sidewalk, Bikeway, and Trail to a Healthier Clark County (11-17)--8:15 p.m. CVTV
Town Hall Meeting: 49th Legislative District (1-9)--9:59 p.m. CVTV

     Community Calendar Links

• Southwest Washington Center for the Arts

• Greater Vancouver Chamber

• City of Vancouver Calendar

 

Friday, January 29, 2010 Headlines

 

Links to news of local & national significance

WaferTech parent 4Q profit rises--Columbian, Julia Anderson

Stocks fall even as GDP surges 5.7%, post losing January--USA Today, Stephan Bernard

U.N. mission head in Afghanistan met with Taliban envoys--New York Times, Dexter Filkins

Columbia Banking System posts quarterly profit--Columbian, AP

Obama goes to GOP lions' den--and mauls the lions--Huffington Post, Sam Stein