Clark Public Utilities joins electric companies across the country to aid in East Coast power outage restoration efforts. Two crews and one superintendent, a total of 11 employees, will join linemen from other regional utilities to assist FirstEnergy in New Jersey on Thursday, Nov. 1. The crews will join other linemen on a chartered flight from Portland to Newark, coordinated by a neighboring utility. Crews are traveling without vehicles or heavy tools and will serve as relief for New Jersey crews, using FirstEnergy equipment. More information is available at www.clarkpublicutilities.com.

The internationally-acclaimed Harlem Ambassadors will visit Battle Ground for a game at Battle Ground High School gymnasium at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7. The Harlem Ambassadors play “Harlem-style” basketball, featuring high-flying slam dunks, dazzling ball-handling tricks, and hilarious comedy routines. The Ambassadors deliver a positive message for kids wherever the team plays. Battle Ground High School is located at 300 W. Main St. in Battle Ground.

The Ambassadors set themselves apart from other, similar basketball teams by working with local not-for-profit and service organizations, and holding Harlem Ambassadors shows as community fundraising events. For Battle Ground’s event, the Ambassadors have partnered with Lewis River Rotary Foundation and Battle Ground High School Interact Club to raise funds for both local and international causes.

Advance purchase tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for students and seniors. Children age four and under are admitted free. Tickets are available in Battle Ground at the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce, Battle Ground High School Associated Student Body Office, Farmers Insurance, Mill Creek Pub, Riverview Community Bank, and Sterling Bank.

Since 2000, ZweigWhite, a leading source of management consulting, information, and education for the design and construction industry has recognized the world’s leading architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms. The Hot Firm List recognizes the top 100 firms that have exhibited the fastest growth during the last three fiscal years. This year marks the first time MacKay Sposito has been named to The Zweig Letter Hot Firm List, coming in at number 54.

MacKay Sposito was ranked on its average percentage revenue growth and absolute dollar revenue growth from 2008-2011. Worldwide, there are 80,000 to 90,000 companies in this industry that are eligible. MacKay Sposito President and CEO Tim Schauer and Senior Vice President Derrick Smith were present at the Oct. 25 ceremony in Aspen, Colorado, to accept the award.

Vancouver-based MacKay Sposito’s expertise spans megaproject design, planning and project management, master-planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture, construction management, and land developmen. The firm employs over 100 people and has offices in Vancouver, Kennewick, Federal Way, Hillsboro, Bend, and Soda Springs, Idaho. For details, call Jessica Strom, at 360-823-1324 or visit mackaysposito.com.

NOW volunteers are on a roll, keeping our neighborhoods safe.

Yesterday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the West Precinct offices, the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) held a “graduation” ceremony for 21 citizen volunteers who have completed seven weeks of specialized training to become Neighbors On Watch (NOW) volunteers. The NOW program, developed by the VPD, is a vital component to community policing. This group of graduates represents the tenth team of NOW volunteers to deploy for the VPD. All told, there are 105 trained NOW volunteers in the city of Vancouver. Three of yesterday’s “graduates” will help the Clark County Sheriff’s Office continue its own version of the NOW program.

NOW is a high-visibility, non-confrontational crime prevention and detection program. In order to graduate, volunteers successfully completed training in the following areas: observation skills, police radio communication and etiquette, patrol procedures and rules of conduct, personal safety, crime prevention and detection, incident reporting and information gathering, First Aid and CPR.

For more information about NOW, visit www.vanpolice.org, click on “Get Involved,” and select Neighbors On Watch, or contact volunteer coordinator Kelly Cheney at 360-487-7467.