To celebrate the season The Daily Insider will not publish next week. Every year, we honor the late publisher Tony Bacon by taking not only Christmas Day off continuing his tradition of taking Boxing Day off as well. This year, The Insider is extending the holiday for the week. We will not publish Monday, Dec. 25 through Friday, Dec. 29. As New Years Day falls on Monday Jan. 1, we will return Tuesday, Jan. 2. Happy holidays, and thank you for supporting The Daily Insider.

A 19th Century Dragoon Saber Training Program, presented in partnership with Academia Duellatoria, returns to Vancouver in January. This training course, which debuted in the summer of 2017, focuses on the saber techniques used by the soldiers of the U.S. Army Dragoons who arrived at Vancouver Barracks in 1855.

Two courses will be offered Sundays Jan. 21 through March 4: Basic 1 course takes place from 3 to 4:30 p.m.; Basic 2 course takes place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The cost is $100 per person for 7-week training course. The courses are for ages 12 and up. Training sabers and eye protection will be provided.

The course fee is payable to Academia Duellatoria by check or PayPal. Fees must be paid before the training sessions begin. For more information or to sign up, contact Jeff Richardson of Academia Duellatoria at 503-888-9310 or by email at jeffery@mind.net.

Kiddie Academy of Vancouver-Fisher’s Landing will host a ribbon cutting on Friday, Jan. 5, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m., and a grand opening event on Saturday, Jan. 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Vancouver Academy is the 200th location of the Baltimore-based Kiddie Academy, a nationally recognized provider of educational child care.

Owners Deepika and Vijay Ilavarasan are celebrating the local grand opening with a free two-day event, inviting the public to enjoy the festivities. The event kicks off Friday with an official ribbon cutting by Vancouver’s Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle along with the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce members and other special guests.

Saturday’s activities will be a carnival for the community featuring BJ the clown, Mr. Fantastic Magic show, bounce house, face painting, arts and crafts, free refreshments and more family fun. Guests will also have an opportunity to learn about the services Kiddie Academy provides in a hands-on tour of the school. Learn more at www.kiddieacademy.com/vancouver-fishers-landing. The event is also on Facebook at Facebook.com/KiddieAcademy

State shellfish managers have proposed the first round of razor clam digs in 2018, starting with the addition of New Year’s Day on two beaches followed by a weeklong dig extending from late January into early February. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will confirm that schedule prior to each dig, provided that upcoming marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat. Under WDFW’s plan, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks beaches will open for digging at noon Jan. 1, extending a dig previously scheduled for New Year’s Eve dig at four ocean beaches. The Jan. 1 opening is designed to give families a chance to ring in the new year digging clams on the beach. Starting Jan. 28, WDFW then plans to open various beaches for razor-clam digging through Feb. 3. For updates, visit http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/current.html.