BIA offers comedy at dinner

Eric O'Shea

On Thursday, June 24, The Building Industry Association of Clark County’s dinner will feature comedian Eric O’Shea. The BIA, Reliance Investing and Myers Garage Doors, Inc. are hosting the event at 6 p.m. at the Heathman Lodge, 7801 N.E. Greenwood Drive, in Vancouver. 

From embarrassing childhood moments to today’s frustrating mishaps, O’Shea’s high energy shows have made him an award-winning performer.

Tickets are on sale on the BIA website, www.biaofclarkcounty.org, now through Friday, June 18. For more information, call the BIA office at 360-694-0933. The Building Industry Association of Clark County is an 800 -member trade association representing the interests of all businesses involved with land development and construction.

First Indy helps six high school grads attend Clark College

We're Ready For Our Next 100.

Six new graduates from SW Washington high schools have earned local scholarships of $2,000 each to attend Clark College in the fall: Ali Fox, Camas High School; Tyler Chang, Evergreen High School; Sarah Custer and Amanda Sudan, Battle Ground High School; Amanda Miller, Skyview High School; and Malyaka Bush, Fort Vancouver High School, were selected by a Clark College scholarship committee.

Funds for the scholarships are made possible by a $300,000 endowment that E.W. Firstenburg, then CEO and chairman of First Independent, gifted to Clark College in 1985. Up to 12 scholarships are awarded annually from the endowment to incoming Clark College students interested in pursuing careers in business.

"One of the ways we can help to build community vitality is by encouraging our young people in their pursuit of education," said Jeanne Firstenburg, First Independent president. "Supporting students and local educational institutions remains a strong commitment for First Independent."

 

WSUV youth program awarded $15,000

Marcelo Diversi

At Home at School (AHAS), a Washington State University Vancouver project in K-12 service learning and volunteerism, has been awarded a $15,000 grant by the Community Foundation of Southwest Washington. The grant is for the Higher Education Transitions Cooperative, an innovative new program within the AHAS project designed to combat historically low rates of college attendance and graduation among youths who have experienced homelessness or been in foster care.

The Education Transitions Cooperative program will directly benefit youths ages 14-21 who are aging out of the foster program. Participants will be exposed to mentoring leadership opportunities, innovative writing activities and intense tutoring in reading, math, science, technology and the arts.

Marcelo Diversi, assistant professor of human development and co-director of AHAS Foster, sees the new program as the bridge between typical K-12 services and college graduation.

"The goal is to extend local services to underserved youth in the college transition and empower them to see education, specifically higher learning, as a way to have a meaningful life," Diversi says. "AHAS prepares them for college then offers support while they are there. The dream is to make life better for more people."

Susan Finley, associate professor of education and director of AHAS, believes academic support is the key to enrolling underserved youth in college and keeping them there until graduation.

"There is a notoriously low number of kids who are in foster care or who have been homeless who pursue a college education," says Finley.
 

Manufacturing company moving  to Battle Ground

A collaborative effort among the City of Battle Ground, the Gold Medal Group and Battle Ground Corporate Center has drawn a high-tech manufacturing company to the city.

Telemark Corporation, currently located in Hayward, California, will be moving their manufacturing operations to Battle Ground at the Battle Ground Corporate Center. The company's goal is to complete its move by September of this year. Telemark’s move to Battle Ground will initially bring 15 family-wage jobs to the City with plans to grow and eventually employ 50. The company manufactures multiple components, including specialized coating equipment, for technological and industrial applications.

For more information about economic development in the City of Battle Ground, call 360-342-5004; for further information about the Gold Medal Group or the Battle Ground Corporate Center, contact Dennis Pavlina, The Gold Medal Group at 360-518-5663 or by email at dennisp@goldmedalgrp.com.

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