In your neighborhood

Central Vancouver, Minnehaha and The Heights

Hudson’s Bay: Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7824 marched in the Veterans Parade on Nov. 6 at the Fort Vancouver National Site. The post had a difficult year. A former commander was charged with stealing around $66,000 from the 400-member group and remodeling of its new headquarters was halted after it ran out of money. “We’re still holding our head up. We still have hope,” Ron Frisbie, post service officer, said. “The community has been so wonderful to us.”

Van Mall: More than 140 students from Washington State University Vancouver received scholarships totaling more than $230,000 at the annual Scholarship and Service Recognition Dinner in October. Around 200 WSUV students, donors, alumni and friends attended the event, which was held at the Heathman Lodge. Peggy Hays won the award for WSU Vancouver Community Partnership for her contributions to the Family-to-Family program.

West Vancouver and Downtown

Esther Short: More than 800 community members attended the Mayors’ and Civic Leaders’ Ninth Annual Prayer Breakfast at the Hilton Vancouver Washington on Oct. 28. In addition to breakfast and prayer, several community members were recognized for their work. Bobbi Bellomy, John Martin and Nancy Gaston were recognized for being Lunch Buddies with Vancouver Public Schools. Two students from Firm Foundation High School were also recognized. Bethany Nelson, 11th grade, won first place in an essay contest. Rebecca Bowen, ninth grade, was awarded a third-place certificate.

Battle Ground, Meadow Glade and Hockinson

Battle Ground: It has been a busy year for the Battle Ground High School Interact Club. The group formed on Nov. 18, 2009, and since then has participated in numerous service projects. Those include: a tree planting at the high school; Relay for Life; volunteering at the school auction; city cleanup at Battle Ground Cares; collecting food at the Walk and Knock; planting trees, weeding, a salmon release with the PUD Stream Team and many more. The group participated in Make a Difference Day on Oct. 23.

North Clark County and Woodland

Woodland: The Woodland Middle School LEGO robotics team spent three hours at OHSU on Nov. 6. The group Listened to a lecture on a robotics system that OHSU is using to remove cancers from the mouth and throat areas. After the lecture, team members were allowed to use the robot to try to pick up a nickel and stack a set of rings. Team coach Tim Brown teaches computer applications and robotics at the school.

Woodland: Friends of the Woodland Community Library are selling historical photo calendars for $15. Photo captions include photo and area history information. All proceeds will benefit Woodland Library programs and projects. Calendars will be available at the Woodland Library and the Woodland Chamber of Commerce.

Ridgefield and Fairgrounds

Ridgefield: Planning consultants have recommended the city adopt a handful of amendments to its comprehensive plan — the most significant of which is changing the 415-acre Boschma property, near Pioneer and North 65th Avenues, from office park to mixed use. That would mean decreasing the number of potential jobs offered by developments in the area, from as many as 20 per acre (for offices) to between none (for residential) to 9 per acre (for other commercial uses). That’s a step away from the city’s employment goals, according to the report by E2 Land Use Planning, a private Vancouver firm. But because the mixed-use zoning will likely see actual development occur sooner, E2 believes it’s the way to go. The city should create a mixed-use zone that minimizes residential and maximizes density, the Nov. 3 report says.

Hazel Dell, Felida and Salmon Creek

North Salmon Creek: Skyview students are being recognized for their academic performance. Skyview High School took first place in the 11th and 12th grade divisions and second place in the 9th and 10th grade divisions of the 2010 Regional High School Math is Cool Championship. The Skyview girls soccer team also won the 2010 Academic State Championship in the 4A division.

Northeast Hazel Dell: Volunteers from First Church of God and leadership students from King’s Way Christian School threw a “Great Pumpkin Party” for community kids with special needs on Oct. 30. Around 80 kids attended with their families to play carnival games, jump in bounce houses, work art projects and participate in sensory activities.

Orchards, Sifton and Brush Prairie

Heritage: DECA students from Heritage High School are hosting the TTYL GTG DRV (talk to you later, got to go drive) challenge. The event will be held Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Heritage High School, 7825 N.E. 130th Ave. Students can drive golf carts through an obstacle course while texting with a nearby student. The club hopes to raise awareness about the dangers of texting while driving.

East Minnehaha: John Leach, a Navy chief petty officer, swam to shore to after his ship, the USS California, was bombed at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He has never returned to the scene of the fighting. That will change on Dec. 5 when he flies to Honolulu, Hawaii, to attend a Pearl Harbor Day ceremony on Dec. 7. Leach, 89, lives at Glenwood Place, a senior living facility. The trip is courtesy of Christine and Gary Rood, who own the building where Glenwood operates, 5500 N.E. 82nd Ave. After the couple learned that Leach had never been back to Hawaii, they decided to make it happen. Casey Grothaus, a caregiver at Glenwood, will accompany Leach to Hawaii.

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

Bella Vista: According to the latest neighborhood newsletter, Frank Brown sighted a young cougar outside his home recently. The cougar was eyeing Brown’s cat but left before Brown got outside. There were no further sightings. The newsletter also reports that Terry Wilmot volunteered to cut up a Douglas Fir that fell across the trail at Behrens Woods in September.

Fircrest: The Fircrest Neighborhood Association has a few new officers, according to minutes from a Nov. 2 meeting. Looie Disparte was elected chair, Larry Kennedy vice chair and Margaret Milem treasurer.

Mountain View: Jerry Daniel reports a neighborhood seething at ongoing mailbox vandalism that began on Halloween night and hasn’t stopped. “Those of us who are elderly and disabled feel very helpless to do anything about it. My guess is … (the vandal) walks up Olympia Drive at night toward Mill Plain.” Mailboxes along the way are destroyed, or just plain gone, Daniel said. “This person is pushing his luck. Some big guy is going to be up at night, and see him whack his mailbox,” Daniel added.

East Clark County: Camas and Washougal

Camas: More than 100 students from nine schools participated in a tournament sponsored by Union High School’s Speech and Debate Team on Nov. 5 and 6. Union students fared well: Emily Willeman took first place in expository, first in interpretive reading and second place in dramatic interpretation. Allison Rogers took first in Lincoln-Douglas debate, first in impromptu and third in extemporaneous speaking. Emily Lore took first in public forum debate and second in original oratory. Josh Johnston took first in novice impromptu. Adam Kinkley was second in congress debate and third in public forum debate. Greg Mulderink took third in public forum debate. Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt presented awards. Chipotle, Panera and Fred Meyer provided meals.

Green Mountain: A Clark County hearings examiner has approved a conditional use permit to expand a private recreational facility — waterskiing on an artificial lake — at 3620 N.E. Ingle Road, just east of Green Mountain Golf Course. The 36-acre property belongs to Ron Warman. A county staff report notes that the use was permitted long ago, but numerous outbuildings and related structures — storage, boathouse, locker rooms, playground, hot tubs and a fueling station — were not. The new permit gives the facility and its improvements legal sanction.

East of Clark County: Columbia Gorge

White Salmon: Rev. Dr. David Duncombe of White Salmon was chosen by the Sisters of Providence to receive the 2010 Mother Joseph Award. Duncombe, 82, is an active member on 22 boards and advisory groups for nonprofits. The Mother Joseph Award is given annually to a person in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California and El Salvador.