Come see your McTeacher McWorking at McDonalds!

On Monday, January 30, 2012 between 5 pm and 7 pm, many teachers from Sarah J Anderson Elementary School will be pulling double duty; going from their class room to the dining room at the Stockford Village McDonald’s (710 NE 78th Circle) to help raise funds for the school.

Plus, my all-time favorite McD’s character, Hamburglar, will be on hand, so keep a close watch on those burgers. Join family, friends, and yes, teachers, for what figures to be a fun time for all. And best of all, 20% of all sales will go back to Sarah J Anderson Elementary School.

Support your school, see some friends, have some fun, and get yourself a two-all-beef-patties-special-sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions-on-a-sesame-seed-bun. Now c’mon, you know you want to sing along.

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the largest performing arts organization in Southwest Washington, is now in its 33rd season offering Classical Concerts and Special Events through Spring 2012.

It’s a “Bold New Beginning” for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra this year. Still providing world-renowned classical music and promoting young artists, this year they will also offer a Chamber Music Series and Music Alive!

“For the first time ever, we are excited to launch Music Alive!, a performance collaborative for Southwest Washington. This new initiative will elevate the arts and music through key partnerships with organizations such as Vancouver Children’s Opera, the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, Columbia Dance and others, while providing an array of opportunities for involvement through outreach, education, entertainment and community. As a part of Music Alive! The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra launches a Chamber Music Series with more exciting plans in the works. More than ever before, The VSO is making music heard well beyond Skyview!” ~Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Concert Guide

Classical Concerts, held in the Skyview Concert Hall, will take place January 28 and 29, April 14 and 15, and May 26 and 27, 2012. The VSO Chamber Group Special Events will take place on February 3 and March 23, 2012 at Trinity Lutheran Church (309 W 39th St, Vancouver); and February 5 and March 25, 2012m at Zion Lutheran Church (824 NE 4th Ave, Camas). The 18th Annual Young Artists Concerto Competition will take place on February 19, 2012 at Trinity Lutheran Church.

For more information on upcoming events, including tickets, please visit the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

This post: “Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Celebrates 33rd Season” was originally featured at Clark County Live!
For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

Updated 1/16/2012: Will it snow in Clark County? And, if it does, many residents, both young and not so young, wanna know, “Is school going to be closed or delayed?”

“The decision to close schools or delay opening them is not taken lightly. The priority is always the safety of students and staff.” Transportation crews begin driving routes as early as 3 am on days of inclement weather; and that information, along with advice from a meteorologist are all taken into consideration for delays or closures. Also keep in mind, road conditions and terrain can vary greatly across Clark County, and even within the same school district.

To stay up to date on what Emergency Notifications are going on in your school district, the list below includes the school districts within Clark County Washington with the link to their Emergency Notification system. You can also sign up to receive instant notification by text message, email, or Twitter alert.

Battle Ground School District
Camas School District
ESD 112
Evergreen School District
Green Mountain School District
Hockinson School District
LaCenter School District
Ridgefield School District
SW Washington Child Care
Vancouver School District
WA School for the Blind
WA School for the Deaf
Washougal School District

*Originally published November 21, 2010.

This post: “Clark County School Closures and Delays” was originally featured at Clark County Live!
For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

The Clark County Skills Center Automotive Technology Class is in the running to win $25,000 towards a shop overhaul; they’ve already done all the work, you just need to “LIKE” it. Voting opened today (January 11, 2012) and ends Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 11 am.

Here’s how we (and that includes you) can help: Log in to Facebook, go to the UTI Foundation Facebook page and “Like” it, click the “Auto Shop Video” tab on the left, then “VOTE” for the “CCSC Auto Submission”.  Voting so easy a caveman can do it (watch the video, you’ll understand ) And, hey, while you’re on Facebook, be sure to visit us, Clark County Live!

The guys from the Clark County Skills Center Automotive Technology class put together a funny video for their entry; they wrote, filmed and edited their video in just two days to meet the December 9th deadline; and are now one of the top eight finalists in the nation for a grand prize $25,000 from the Universal Technical Institute (UTI). “The mission of UTI Foundation is to support and encourage technical education for the automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, marine, NASCAR and other transportation industries through scholarships, grants, career development and other special programs.”

“The Clark County Skills Center began in 1983 as a cooperative educational venture between eight Southwest Washington School Districts. The vision of those districts was to create a school, in partnership with business, “to prepare students for the work force” by offering students the opportunity to be trained in technical career areas too expensive for a single district to fund.”

To find out more about the opportunities available at the Skills Center, visit the Clark County Skills Center, the Clark County Skills Center Foundation, or take a real life VIP Tour (call Jan Stickland at 360-604-1050 x2151) and see that “Excellence, innovation, and a passionate spirit define the Clark County Skills Center.”

*Special thanks to Tamy Hicks for the tip! If you have an event you would like to share, please let us know!

This post: “Clark County Skills Center Drive to Succeed” was originally featured at Clark County Live!

For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

Not so with Vancouver’s local bank, Riverview Community Bank. As part of their recent Annual Food Drive, Riverview has already generated the equivalent of 428,000 pounds of food in donations and cash from their employees, clients, friends and media partners. The effort supports local food banks, and it just one way that Riverview gives back in our community.

But they’re not done yet. Riverview is taking food and donations at all locations through Tuesday, January 17, as they look to finish strong and tip the scales at 500,000 pounds (that’s half a million, for us not used to seeing so many zeros).

Riverview is also donating $1 for when folks “like” and “share” on their facebook page, so it can be a simple couple of clicks to add 40 pounds to this great cause.

We can’t ‘weight’ to see how they finish.

This post: “Riverview Annual Food Drive Looking to Finish Strong” was originally featured at Clark County Live!
For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

Our young athletes have got heart, and the Quinn Driscoll Foundation along with PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center want to be sure it keeps beating strong! On Saturday, February 25, 2012 Southwest’s Heart and Vascular Center and the Quinn Driscoll Foundation are offering  Young Champions Heart Screenings.

“Young Champions is a program providing advanced heart screenings for student athletes in Clark County, sponsored by PeaceHealth Southwest’s Heart and Vascular Center and the Quinn Driscoll Foundation.

The Quinn Driscoll Foundation is named for 13-year-old Quinn Driscoll, a student athlete at Wy’ East Middle School who died in 2009 after suffering cardiac arrest while running on the track during gym class. Quinn had undiagnosed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a serious heart condition that is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes.

It is believed to exist in roughly 1 out of 500 individuals, and approximately one case of sudden cardiac death occurs every three days in organized youth sports across the United States. “Young Champions” heart screenings can detect HCM using an Echocardiogram, or ultrasound of the heart, in addition to a comprehensive EKG.”

Any Clark County middle or high school athlete, band member or cheerleader from 13 – 18 years old is eligible for a “Young Champions” screening. Although designed for the student athlete, this screening event also accommodates all children in the age group who may be at risk. This screening does not take the place of the pre-performance examination requirement for all student athletes who wish to participate in a school sport.

Pre-registration is required. Call 360-514-7755, or you can register online.

*Originally published on February 23, 2011. Updated January 10, 2012.

This post: “Clark County Young Champions” was originally featured at Clark County Live!
For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

All children deserve a good education, yet many of them face obstacles beyond their control that limit their ability to learn and succeed. Children cannot be successful in school if they’re sick, hungry or worried about other basic needs.

The Student Chest Drive is a fundraising event the students do every year, and is going on between November 7-18, 2011. Encourage your child to bring in some extra change to help bring about positive change in another students life. Gifts of any size are welcome.

The Student Chest Drive benefits thousands of students in need who attend Vancouver Public Schools, and helps make the following possible:

Clothing, shoes, personal hygiene items, and school supplies

Health services for uninsured students

Sports and activity fee scholarships so every student may participate in extracurricular activities

Basic Needs Checkbook in every school so students’ immediate needs can be met

For more information, visit the Vancouver School District Foundation.

Saturday night is a great time to chill out with friends, and watching the season home opener of the Vancouver Victory Hockey Club is a great way to do it! This Saturday, November 12, 2011 the Vancouver Victory will take on the Yellowstone Quake at Mountain View Ice Arena (14313 SE Mill Plain) at 7:00 pm.

If you haven’t been to a hockey game before, it is a fast paced, full contact sport. While the point of the game is to get a small rubber puck into your opponents goal, “quite a bit of the game revolves around the physical contact between the players. Skate blades, hockey sticks, shoulders, hips, and hockey pucks all contribute.”

Head Coach John Nogatch is not only driven to win, but to instill winning ways with the Vancouver Victory Hockey Club. “Our team will be a big part of the Vancouver community. Our players will be expected to be involved in community projects. It is our responsibility as a hockey program.”

The Vancouver Victory (formerly the River City Jaguars) are a Tier III hockey team and members of  Northern Pacific Junior Hockey League. They will play all home games at Mountain View Ice Arena. Visit the Vancouver Victory for more information about games, tickets and general information.

This post: “Ready for the Coolest Sport in Vancouver?” was originally featured at Clark County Live!

For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

The first New Seasons Market north of the Columbia River, located in Fisher’s Landing (SE 164th and McGillivray), will be having their Grand Opening on Wednesday, November 9 at 10am. Everyone is invited to join in the festivities, including a joint ribbon cutting ceremony with the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and the East Vancouver Business Association.

“I’ve been waiting for a store in my backyard for 11 years,” said Jeremy Fogle, Camas father of four and New Seasons Market’s CFO. “Beyond being a great place to shop, New Seasons’ commitment to the community will benefit local nonprofits and schools.” Ten percent of the company’s after-tax profits are donated back to area organizations.

Store shelves will be stocked with thousands of products from the Pacific Northwest, including dozens of items grown, handcrafted, or produced in SW Washington by 24 brand-new suppliers discovered at New Seasons’ late-summer Vancouver Vendor Fair. Mountains of fresh, seasonal produce, full-service cheese, seafood and meat counters—complete with homemade sausages—and Wine, Wellness, and Homegoods departments create a fun, easy-to-shop experience like no other.

You’ll find everything from Frosted Flakes to Washington raised free range chicken, as well as free wellness classes led by local health experts and New Seasons own Nutrition Team. Beginning November 9, New Seasons Market at Fisher’s Landing Marketplace will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

This post: “New Seasons Market Vancouver Grand Opening” was originally featured at Clark County Live!

For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

Join Share and Whole Foods Market – Mill Plain for a “Taste of Thanksgiving” event on Thursday, November 10, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Whole Food Market – Mill Plain, 815 SE 160th Avenue. Guests make a donation and are given a menu which includes everything from their full holiday meal to wine and dessert.

“We are delighted to once again partner with Whole Foods Market – Mill Plain,” said Diane McWithey, Executive Director. “This year marks the fifth annual Taste of Thanksgiving event, which is a wonderful, family-friendly event. Please bring your family, friends and neighbors to partake in the delicious food and holiday cheer.”

Guests will enjoy a fabulous array of season specialties, including: Columbia Gorge Organics Cider, Wild Mushrooms, Health Starts Here Holiday Meal, Oyster Stuffing, Heritage Turkeys, Field Roast & Truitt Brothers Cranberry Sauce, Fondue, “Treveri” local sparkling wine from Yakima, Diestel Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Classic Cranberry Relish, Pumpkin Pie with Housemade Whip, Allegro Hot Drinking Chocolate and Hot Spiced Cider, plus Holiday Candles and Soaps. (one per customer).”

Cost to attend is $10 for adults; $5 for kids under 12. 100% of the proceeds from the event will benefit Share. Event passports can be pre-purchased at Whole Foods Market – Mill Plain in person or by phone at (360) 253-4082; passports will also be sold at the door.

This post: “Share a Taste of Thanksgiving” was originally featured at Clark County Live!

For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!