Central Vancouver, Minnehaha and The Heights
Columbia Way: A 5k run and walk drew 95 participants and brought in around $3,150 on Aug. 21. The run was in memory of Jordan Crouch, a 2000 graduate of Skyview High School who died earlier this year. Family members also ran in Texas and a few fellow Seattle Pacific University graduates ran in Seattle. “We were very, very pleased,” Sharon Crouch said. “Jordan was very well liked and helped out in the community. People came out to support that.” All funds went to a Seattle Pacific University Scholarship Endowment in Crouch’s name and will benefit business or theology majors with an interest in youth ministry. “We learned many things putting this (event) together,” Sharon said, adding that she expects this to become an annual event.
Van Mall: Chris Dillinger celebrated her 50th birthday by hosting a garage sale Aug. 27-28 near Westfield Vancouver mall. Instead of presents, Dillinger asked that friends and family to donate 50 items to the sale, which benefitted the Hopeful Farm Foundation. The Lexington, Ky.-based organization is working to build an all-access retreat for families of children with special needs. Dillinger and her husband, Wayne, have two daughters, one of whom has Down syndrome.
The Heights: Margaret Skipton read last week’s What’s Up With That? column about the Old Apple Tree at the south entrance of the Vancouver Land Bridge and wanted to add that she has received one of the starts from the tree. The little guy is “doing very well,” she said in an e-mail.
Ridgefield and Fairgrounds
Fairgrounds: Special kids got a special chance for fun this year at the Clark County Fair. In the annual Special Kids Rodeo on Aug. 13, children ages 6-12 participated in stick horse racing, wheelbarrow racing, wooden steer roping and other activities. The rodeo, which has been at the fair for 27 years, is sponsored by the Qwest Pioneers, a group of retired telephone company employees.
Ridgefield: Ridgefield celebrated the annual Heritage Day festival Aug. 21. The event was organized by Charlotte Clevidence, with help from Allene Wodaege, who also planned the simultaneous 25th anniversary celebration for the city’s community center. On display were historical photos, vintage clothing and antique farm equipment. The Lions Club served hot dogs and hamburgers, local artists showed their work in Davis Park and members of Community Church of Christ sold all 40 of their handmade pies.
Ridgefield: Robin Hominiuk gave a check for $324.50 to Pam Bong and John Shaw of Neighbors Helping Neighbors food bank. Hominiuk, treasurer of the annual Artists in the Vineyard event, collected the money at the Confluence Vineyard and Winery during the event July 23-24. Another $450 collected during a silent auction was donated to the Oregon Food Bank.
Hazel Dell, Felida and Salmon Creek
West Hazel Dell: Nicole Beyers, a 2010 graduate of Columbia River High School, and Kristen Berry, a junior at Columbia River, recently returned from a service learning project in Latin America. The students served through the Amigos de las Américas organization, which places volunteers with families in communities and gets them involved with small team projects. Beyers worked in Honduras, and Berry worked in Ecuador.
East Clark County: Camas and Washougal
Camas: Whole Foods Market of Vancouver has donated about $2,200 to the Camas Farmers Market. The funds came from a smaller-scale farmers market at the Whole Foods parking lot, 815 S.E. 160th Ave. Five percent of the day’s sales were given to the Camas Farmers Market.
Camas: State Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, stopped by the Union High School Speech and Debate Summer Camp to talk about the value of public speaking skills and how to analyze the words of political leaders. The weeklong camp cost $99.
East Vancouver, Cascade Park, Fisher’s Landing and Evergreen
Fircrest: LeRoy Haagen Memorial Community Park at Northeast Ninth Street and 136th Avenue is blooming with vegetables at the new community garden installed earlier this year. The project will be finalized soon thanks to local Eagle Scout Tyler Crebar, who took on the job of completing four new raised planter beds near the garden’s entry. The new planter boxes will provide space for community-garden users. The planters will be surrounded by compacted gravel that will stabilize the ground for people with mobility challenges. Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation will begin renting out the boxes next season. VCPR is seeking volunteers. If you’re interested, visit http://www.vanclarkparks-rec.org and click on How To Help.
Fircrest: About 1,000 people turned out Aug. 21 for the Realty Pro Brokers Carnival. The event featured hot dogs, snow cones, face painting and a clown. Kids played old-fashioned carnival games and won school supplies provided by Realty Pro. More than 3,300 school items were donated. Mortgage Pro also gave 50 backpacks for local kids in need. In addition, 132 cans of food and 200 hot dogs were donated to Share House, a 43-bed men’s shelter in Vancouver. Lord’s Gym and Open House Ministries received $260.
Orchards, Sifton and Brush Prairie
Proebstel: Connie Jo Collins was named the 142nd Fighter Wing Civilian Employee of the Year 2009. She was chosen based on her performance, job knowledge, leadership qualities, teamwork, self-improvement, personal achievements, accomplishments and community service. Collins, senior administrative specialist for the 142nd Security Forces Squadron, a unit of the Portland Air National Guard, lives in Vancouver.
West Vancouver and Downtown
Hough: Burgerville employees, Radio Cab drivers and Portland firefighters served hamburgers and ice cream Aug. 24 to patients and families receiving care at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland. The two-hour event was spearheaded by Radio Cab to give families and patients a break from being in the hospital, Radio Cab spokesman Brendan Jamieson said. Hough-based Burgerville provided 80 kids meals, and Sunshine Dairy donated 24 gallons of ice cream. Portland firefighters delivered ice cream to kids that weren’t able to leave their rooms. This was the third lunch at the hospital that was planned by Radio Cab this summer. It plans to organize another get-together at the hospital in September.
Esther Short: Vancouver Farmers Market is 20 years old. It started in 1990 with a few small vendors selling wares in a field at Sixth and Main streets in downtown Vancouver. An anniversary celebration with birthday cake and midday festivities was held Aug. 21 at the market.
