Battle Ground, Meadow Glade and Hockinson
Hockinson: Firefighters from Fire District 3 paid tribute to those lost in the terrorists attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 by displaying 304 flags outside Station 31. Four large flags were set out to represent each attack site; each of the 300 smaller flags represented 10 people lost in the attacks. Firefighters at Station 31 had a brief flag-raising ceremony on the morning of Sept. 11. Station 33, near Battle Ground Lake, held an open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and provided hot dogs, chips and lemonade for the community.
Hockinson: You’re welcome to sit right down on Richard Lang’s impressive Eagle Scout project. Lang, 18 and a member of Boy Scout Troop 359 (meeting at the Elim Lutheran Church), spent the past year designing and building four super-sturdy concrete benches. He colored the concrete, added special aggregates and polished the surfaces like kitchen countertops. All four benches are stamped with an aluminum “H.” Last week Lang and his Boy Scout buddies installed the benches at Hockinson-area schools.
Hockinson: The ongoing saga of the 150-foot telecommunications tower proposed for the grounds of Apostolic Lutheran Church on Northeast 192nd Avenue, east of downtown Hockinson, has taken a new twist: Clark County planning staff has recommended a hearings examiner reject the plan. A report issued on Sept. 8 found that a nearby Clark Public Utilities water tower is even taller than the proposed pole, and noted that county code requires telecommunications companies to try sharing existing facilities — or prove it can’t be done — before building a new tower. Several nearby properties are available and have more appropriate zoning, the report also notes. Also, Verizon didn’t satisfy all public notice requirements. A public hearing is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at 1300 Franklin St., sixth floor; the hearings examiner may approve, deny or request a third-party review of the proposal.
East Clark County: Camas and Washougal
Washougal River: Guam came to East Clark County via the ninth annual Traditional Guam Fiesta on Sept. 5. Mike Morta and 30 other Guamanian families hosted the event, which drew 600 or so folks last year. The menu included spiced chicken and red rice.
Orchards, Sifton and Brush Prairie
Orchards: The shell of a car John Bister bought four years ago looks much different now. When he purchased the Kaiser-Frazer 1951 Henry J in St. Johns, Ore. It was missing a motor, transmission, glass in the windows and even the floor. Bister transformed the old rusted metal shell of a car into a wine-berry beauty. The car was the President’s Choice — one of the top three cars — at the Rod Run to the End of the World on Sept. 11. The event in Long Beach was sponsored by the Beach Barons Car Club in Ocean Park.
East Vancouver, Cascade Park, Fisher’s Landing and Evergreen
Fircrest: Assistant Fire Marshal John Gentry and Deputy Virginia Chapman met with residents of the Autumn Chase apartments on Sept. 6 to address concerns about two recent fires. Both were caused by accidental actions. The first fire, which happened on April 4, was caused by an unattended candle. The second fire, which occurred on Sept. 2, was caused by a cigarette. No one was injured in either fire. The assistant fire marshal said he was “pleasantly surprised” that Autumn Chase requires tenants to purchase renter’s insurance. The Vancouver Fire Department praised Autumn Chase for maintaining a comprehensive safety program.
North Image: On Sept. 11, volunteers from St. Andrew Lutheran Church handed out 288 certified Energy Star light bulbs (provided by Clark Public Utilities) to residents of the Ogden and Burnt Bridge Creek neighborhoods. Volunteers also passed out information on the church’s Rally Day, a resource fair for the various community groups and programs supported by the church.
Bennington: Runaway pets are running amok in East Vancouver. Julie Hukee and Chris Rasmussen spent a few days trying to find the owner of a black neutered male cat that “adopted their yard” on Sept. 12. They made fliers, went to the Humane Society for Southwest Washington, had a microchip read at the Cascade Animal Clinic and notified their neighbors via e-mail of the feline. They eventually found the owner and returned the cat. Hukee was leaving to go to an appointment on Sept. 14 when a stray dog ran into her garage. Luckily, the renegade hound had a collar and a tag with a phone number on it. The pooch was returned home.
Hazel Dell, Felida and Salmon Creek
Northeast Hazel Dell: The Hazel Dell School and Community Garden had one last hurrah for the season on Sept. 6. Around 20 or so gardeners and their families came for a potluck dinner and harvest celebration. Garden spokeswoman Barbara Nordstrom doesn’t have specifics about the number of veggies harvested, but she said there was enough for everybody to take what they wanted plus “lots” that were donated to the Homestead Shelter. Gardeners can continue to harvest in the communal beds until the middle of October.
Northeast Hazel Dell: Members from all eight Clark County Rotary Clubs panhandled at the Battle Ground Fred Meyer, Esther Short Park and several intersections throughout the county on Sept. 11. No, it isn’t a sign of the hard economic times; Rotarians were collecting money to eradicate polio worldwide. They were able to raise about $6,000, which translates to more than 10,000 doses of the polio inoculations, according to spokeswoman Carol Mackey.
Central Vancouver, Minnehaha and The Heights
Edgewood Park: Pathways Community Church sponsored a health care event at Harney Elementary School on Sept. 11. Dozens of dentists, nurses, doctors and social service organizations provided free health screenings, dental work and information about services in the Vancouver area. Free haircuts, pony rides and games were provided for youngsters.
Hudson’s Bay: Sixteen riders showed up for the first Gordon Patterson Memorial Bicycle Ride on Sept. 11. Patterson, a teacher at Hudson’s Bay High School, was struck and killed while riding his bicycle home last September. Several of Patterson’s former students showed up for the ride this year. Gordon’s wife, Carrie, said several other people showed up to help with registration, hand out water and support the event. The event raised $250 for the Gordon Patterson Memorial Scholarship fund. Additional donations can be made through the Vancouver School District Foundation’s website, http://www.vsdfoundation.org.
North Clark County and Woodland
La Center: Margaret Colf Hepola, 93, was honored during the 2010 Fargher Lake Grange annual appreciation day on Sept. 11. Jill Kurtz presented Hepola with a plaque for her volunteer efforts and donation to help renovate the Grange. A little more than 20 members were honored for their service, including Hepola and Helen Hazen — a member of the Grange for 75 years.
