East Vancouver, Cascade Park, Fisher’s Landing and Evergreen

East Vancouver, Cascade Park, Fisher’s Landing and Evergreen

Fircrest: The Firstenburg Community Center had its annual Cardboard Boat Regatta on Nov. 17 with 19 cardboard boats setting sail in the pool, the largest number in the event’s three-year history. Boats were launched one by one and timed as their crews rowed around the Firstenburg pool. “Many families said they loved spending time building the boats together and that competing was just a bonus,” said Cory Wynn, Firstenburg Community Center pool manager. “Others loved the goofiness of the event and spent a lot of time making sure their boats looked colorful and unique.” Awards were given in six categories: Adult Best in Show: Team Silver Sneakers; Adult Fastest Boat: Team Silver Sneakers; Youth Best in Show: Hannah Berrican; Youth Fastest Boat: Tyler Banks; Titanic Award: Kevin McKee.

Evergreen: Members of the DECA club at Evergreen High School put on a Run for Fun at Burton Elementary School on Nov. 13. The DECA students split the proceeds with the school’s PTO, with DECA’s portion going to the YWCA’s domestic violence center. Burton students collected pledges and had 30 minutes to run laps around the school track. They raised $183.

Orchards, Sifton and Brush Prairie

Brush Prairie: McKinley Smith, a 2006 graduate of Prairie High School, was crowned Miss Seattle 2010 in a competition Nov. 14. Smith, a former Miss Greater Vancouver, competed against 12 other contestants for the title and will now be competing for the title of Miss Washington 2010 in July, which is a preliminary to the Miss America Pageant. For this contest, Smith won a $1,500 scholarship as well as a $200 talent award. She will serve as an ambassador to the city of Seattle, where she now lives, promoting her platform, “EveryBODY is beautiful,” which deals with eating disorders, and the Children’s Miracle Network and the Miss Seattle Scholarship program. She will also travel throughout the state attending activities supporting other new local titleholders and their programs.

Ridgefield and Fairgrounds

Ridgefield: Members of the Ridgefield High School boys and girls basketball teams, along with coaches Gregg Ford, Joe Potter and Jason Otto, conducted a cleanup day on Nov. 21 at the Ridgefield Cemetery. The volunteers gave up a Saturday morning to pick up leaves and debris. Approximately 2.5 acres of the Ridgefield Cemetery were raked and cleaned during the volunteer effort. This was the second year in a row the basketball teams provided this community service to Ridgefield.

Battle Ground, Meadow Glade and Hockinson

Battle Ground: Members of the Vancouver branch of the American Association of University Women collected hundreds of pounds of food donations at its Nov. 14 meeting. It was the inaugural food drive for the group. The food was donated to the North Clark County Food Bank.

West Vancouver and Downtown

Lower Main: Magenta Theater held its first “family and friends” music showcase on Nov. 13. The grass-roots family-friendly theater troupe had put out a call to local musicians, assembled a small band to be ready for future musical events, and premiered that band — along with other friendly musical acts — on the Magenta stage. The offerings ranged from originals to Beatles and Pink Floyd to Broadway. Extra points for cleverness: The segue of “My Favorite Things” into “Money.”

Central Vancouver, Minnehaha and The Heights

West Minnehaha: The West Minnehaha Neighborhood Association had been busy beautifying the West Minnehaha Park on Nov. 14 when a group of 15 volunteers planted 20 trees with the help of the Vancouver Urban Forestry team and a grant. Grant money has also helped pay for new signs along the Ellen Davis Trail, which will make it easier for walkers to track their mileage and keep track of where they are going. Volunteers have also been working to make sure the trail stays free of garbage and stray tree limbs.

Van Mall: Despite foul weather, about 150 people stopped by a community open house and information fair hosted by the city of Vancouver at the Westfield Vancouver mall. Most were mall shoppers, but a handful came specifically to ask questions of city staff. Hot topics were the new blue recycling roll carts and the new Northeast 112th Avenue interchange with Interstate 205. All city departments were represented, and face-painting for kids was an extra offering from Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation staff.

Northcrest: The neighborhood association has re-elected Steve Graf as chairman and secretary and Joyce Prigg as treasurer.

Central Park: The Central Park Neighborhood Association’s effort to quarterback the creation of a new caretaking and improvement plan for Old City Cemetery got off to a good start with a Dec. 1 meeting, according to organizer Norma Watson. Ten people turned out, representing local police, genealogists, Heritage Ambassadors and the neighborhood. A contact list was developed and action steps considered. “The most productive thoughts included ways to create ownership of the cemetery by individuals and groups (adopt-a-grave) to combat apathy. Also, getting an historic site designation will be added to the action steps,” Watson said. She hopes to have a first draft of the plan ready by mid-January.

Hazel Dell, Felida and Salmon Creek

West Hazel Dell: Patty Shumake and friends, who call themselves Bunco Babes, decided to do something different this year for their annual gift exchange. The members who gather often to play bunco voted to make a donation instead of buying each other another $10 gift. Their charity choice? Gift cards for the annual Christmas party at Share House. The bunco group has 12 members and one substitute, so $130 in gift cards was presented to the charity earlier this month. Now the group wants to challenge other bunco groups to do the same. Who knows, maybe a larger group can raise more money.

Felida: Close to $8,000 was raised on Thanksgiving during the Turkey Trot along the Salmon Creek Trail, starting and ending at Klineline Pond. More than 750 people participated in either a 5K run or walk or a 10K run and 50 people volunteered to help. The money raised goes to the Principal’s Checkbook Program, which is part of the Children’s Trust Fund at the Community Foundation that helps disadvantaged children in the area. In addition to the run, approximately 30 brave souls participated in a polar bear swim in the pond.

Stockford Village: The Stockford Village Business Association hosted a free Shred Day in October in the parking lot of Bortolami’s Pizza. The event was in conjunction with Make a Difference Day. More than two tons of documents were shredded free of charge. There was a steady stream of people taking items to be shredded; volunteers placed the personal documents in a secure shredding truck. Pam Carey of Columbia Credit Union coordinated the truck.

Northeast Hazel Dell: The annual True Apostles Toy Run happened Nov. 28, starting at Columbia Motorcycles Harley-Davidson. Approximately 250 motorcyclists took part, including Santa Claus. The bikers had toys in their saddle bags or tied to their bikes and Thunder Mountain Rescue donated a trailer of toys. All of the toys the group collected were donated to the Salvation Army.

Salmon Creek: A 5-acre site in Salmon Creek is proposed for a redevelopment project that will add a veterinary clinic and mini-storage facilities to property now occupied by Gaynor’s Automotive shop at 406 N.E. 139th St. Vancouver-based Gaynor’s and Olympia-based J.A. Morris Construction expect to spend between $2 million and $3 million on the development, called 139th Street Plaza. Work would start in 2010 and coincide with Clark County’s plans to widen 139th Street near the site, said Tommy Gaynor, general manager of the four-shop auto repair business. Gaynor said so far no tenants have signed to lease space in the proposed development.

East Clark County: Camas and Washougal

Washougal: Cape Horn-Skye Elementary was honored in early November with news they won a Great School Award. The school was one of 104 (in the top 5 percent) most-improved schools in the state of Washington for the past five years in math and reading. Cape Horn-Skye was one of 55 elementary schools across the state that received the award this year. The award was known as the State Superintendent’s “Schools of Distinction Award” in 2007 and 2008.

North Clark County and Woodland

Fargher Lake: Santa and Ms. Claus were at Fargher Lake Grange on Nov. 21 so kids could share their Christmas wishes. Approximately 30 children attended with their parents and had their picture taken with Santa. Santa was David Johnson from Mountain Valley Grange, Ms. Claus was Fargher Lake’s own Bianca Elmer and James Zimmerman was the cameraman. Everyone enjoyed apple cider, hot cocoa, cookies and of course Ms. Claus handed out candy canes. This was the third year the grange hosted Santa picture taking and in honor of the event the grange was decorated for the holidays, including a beautiful fresh tree donated by Fargher Lake Grange member Betty Carpenter.