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May 2009
June 10, 2009
MAY 2009
President’s Corner
Happy Spring!
Our First Wednesday events have been drawing people from our communities that don’t usually have a chance to attend the General Meetings at noon and it’s been fun to meet new people! If you have not attended one yet, on May 6th, we will be at the La Center Tavern. We will be collecting New Stuffed Animals for the Legacy Salmon Creek Pediatric Unit that night as well as at our General Meeting on May 20th.
The Culpepper and Merriweather Circus is coming on May 22nd and we’re very excited to be able to sponsor this huge event for North Clark County. We will be sending out ticket packets for sale and hope that you will all be able to promote and participate…making this an awesome opportunity to be involved and making it a huge success. If you have questions, please call Linda Tracy at 360-989-6301 or me at 360-690-5402.
I have been participating with a consortium of Chambers and Business Associations from Clark County and we are coming up with ideas to help our businesses – we are in the process of trying to orchestrate a county-wide intiative for a “Shop Local” campaign. If you have any thoughts on this, please email me: wendy.lacentral@gmail.com.
Hope to see you soon,
Wendy McGraw
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Read on for important events and
happenings in your community!
The Walk Run for the Animals is on Saturday, May 2, beginning at 7:30 a.m. at Esther Short Park in Vancouver. The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is in the final stages in preparing to move to their new location at 1100 NE 192nd Street in Vancouver! We will triple the space for dogs and double the space for cats. This event will help the Humane Society achieve some of the monies still needed.
There are sponsorship opportunities which include naming opportunities for the new building.
Contact Lisa Schmidt at 360.635.7321 or LSchmidt@southwesthumane.org
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CELEBRATING THE 10th ANNIVERSARY WITH LEWISRIVER.COM
My experience in creating LewisRiver.com once again proves that we have no idea what the future holds. When I retired in 1998 I didn't have any specific plans. I was content to spend my time keeping up our yard and garden. Then one day in 1999, while sitting in our dentist's waiting room, I saw an ad for a Sony computer in a magazine. I decided it may be fun to try one of these. After I bought it I called one of our daughters to help me set it up and get on-line etc. I was scared to death of this new fangled machine. However, after a few months I really liked looking up other web sites, especially garden sites. It occurred to me that maybe with a webmaster I could do something like this. One thing led to another and LewisRiver.com came into being in June 1999.
Since that time LewisRiver.com has become my passion. I can't wait to get up in the morning to work on our web site. LewisRiver.com has become an award winning web site for promoting tourism, recreation, and business throughout the Lewis River Valley. Hundreds of other websites link to LewisRiver.com. We average 50,000 visitors per month. The record was 72,504 in May 2004. I would like to take this opportunity on our 10th anniversary to thank everyone for their continuingLsupport. ~Noel Johnson
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POMEROY FARM HOSTS THE 29th ANNUAL
HERB AND GARDEN FESTIVAL
www.pomeroyfarm.org
Date of Event: May 16 and 17, 2009
staff@pomeroyfarm.org
Contact: Steve Zedekar (360) 686-3537
Fresh herb and garden plants galore! Live music! Great food! It all happens as the Pomeroy Living History Farm hosts the 29th Annual Herb Festival. Open hours ar 10-5 on Saturday and 1-5 on Sunday.
The Festival features thousands of fresh herb plants for sale, both the usual and unusual, as well as lots of scented geraniums and other timely treasures for the gardener. New this year will be an expansion of plants available. Vendors will present such items as jewelry, garden decor, myrtle wood baskets, soaps, birdhouses, honey and blueberry products, woolen items, ceramics, rugs, and dried herbs.
Entertainment will be local musicians playing traditional Americana music on Saturday. The Scottish Country Dancers will be entertaining guests on Saturday, and the Vancouver Madrigal Singers will perform on Sunday. The Northwest Oil Painter’s Guild will be hosting a show and sale both days. Children especially will enjoy tractor-pulled hayrides and feeding and petting some of the Farm animals.
The Farm Café features tantalizing fare like sausage dogs, hot dogs, snacks, and hot and cold drinks.
The Herb and Garden Festival is a fundraiser in support of the educational programs at Pomeroy Living History Farm. Admission and parking are free. Donations are gladly accepted.
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HAVE YOU HEARD THE FOGHORNS IN THE WETLANDS
ALONG THE HERITAGE TRAIL ?
I have had a few occasions lately to wander along the portion of the Heritage Trail that edges the wetlands/green space between E 18th Street and Heritage Loop, and definitely got the message that Spring has sprung!
The winter-weary cattails are puffing up, sending their seeds aloft to start a new generation of the common, yet mesmerizing reed. The red-winged blackbirds flit from budding tree branch to bare-limbed snag, playing games of tag or chase along the way. The white and blue flowered alyssum tumbles down the rock-faced edgings bordering the homes on the north side of the path, and succulent hens-and-chicks scamper across other rugged landscaping.
Little "blips" on the waters' surface indicate that something under there is snatching insects and other low-flying little critters for lunch. And an occasional foghorn sounds, somewhere, from the depths of the pond...
The path is not full of walkers, but I do pass a few other folks. Other dog walkers, like me; a mom pushing a stroller made for two; an old man taking in the pond and wildlife through the lens of his binoculars.
The warmth of the sun and light brush of the breeze makes me grateful for the benches that invite one to linger...Once again, I hear the foghorn. Now, I know it's not a foghorn, but what is it? I ask the old man with binoculars, and learn it's the sound of a toad! The low, extended drone is probably a courting call, and soon- if not already- the neighbors will hear the chorus of little frogs taking over the night-time airwaves.
Piece by piece, ClarkCounty is growing, changing, developing. Most of the changes are good ones, but some leave us with melancholy thoughts of "I remember when...." and "it wasn't so long ago...." Acres of century-old farmland now yields homes instead of harvests, and is accessed by sun-baked pavement instead of time-worn paths. What a joy it is to have a little piece of nature in the midst’s of La Center's newly developing residential neighborhoods!
I hope you take time on one of these glorious Spring days to take in a little of nature's beauty. If you aren't hearing the froggy croaks at night, visit the wetlands for a mid-day chorus of "frog"horns!
~Martha Brooks, editor~
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Enjoy Summer Activities But
Practice Safety To Avoid Injuries
Denise Koopman, financial representative at COUNTRY Financial wants you to know, summertime outdoor activities can be fun, but it’s important to follow good summer safety habits to avoid injuries.
Pool Safety
According to National SAFE Kids, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental injury-related death among children ages one to 14, and the leading cause of accidental death for children ages one to four. By taking the proper precautions, however, parents can ensure pools are a safe place for their children.
Don’t forget to supervise! An adult should always be able to see and hear children who are swimming and be close enough to intervene in case of an emergency.
Separate home pools from the rest of the property to prevent children from walking directly into the pool area. Ideally, pools should be fenced off from the main yard.
Teach children to swim. Parents should enroll children before the age of eight in swimming lessons with a certified instructor.
Outdoor Grill Safety
Outdoor cooking is popular during the summer months. According to the most recent statistics from the National Fire Protection Association, more than 6,000 accidental fires and explosions occur due to the improper use of grills. The result is an estimated $20 million of property damage.
The National Safety Council recommends the following safe grilling techniques to keep families and their homes out of harm’s way.
Do:
· Be cautious of nearby tree branches or other items which could catch on fire.
· Know how to use a fire extinguisher and keep one handy when grilling.
· Be careful when storing propane tanks – never keep filled tanks in a hot car or trunk.
Don’t:
· Grill indoors; grills should be used at least 10 feet from a home or building.
· Leave a grill unattended, especially when small children and pets are present.
· Attempt to restart a charcoal flame by adding additional lighting fluid.
Sun Safety
According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed annually are sun related. Additionally, an estimated 59,600 new melanomas are diagnosed each year.
Avoid intense sunlight for long periods of time and practice the following sun safety tips recommended by the American Cancer Society:
· Seek shade between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun’s rays are generally strongest.
· Wear a shirt to guard from excessive sun exposure.
· Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.
· Wear a hat to shade your face, ears and neck.
· Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes and surrounding skin.
Find more enjoyment in your summer by practicing good summer safety. For a free Home Safety Checklist, call Denise at 887-2211
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Complimentary Seminar & Refreshments
(strawberries, chocolate & champagne)
Financial Issues:
From the Woman’s
Perspective
Presented by: Denise Koopman, LUTCF
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 6:15pm
COUNTRY Financial Office
208 Pioneer Street, Downtown Ridgefield
Office accessible by staircase only
Limited seating – call to reserve
(360) 887-2211
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The progressive pot at the April 15th chamber meeting started at $5 and The Lelooska Foundation was the winner... ...if they had been represented at the meeting! The money rolls into the next progressive drawing, whose chip will be drawn next time?
La CenterNorthClarkCounty Chamber of Commerce
Meeting Prize Drawings
Tickets $1 each:
If you are wearing a name tag, tickets are 2 for $1. Your name tag doesn’t have to be a Chamber name tag, but if you don’t have a company name tag, you can purchase a name tag through the chamber. If you own a name tag, but you are not wearing it, it doesn’t count! …we want you to wear a name tag to encourage networking with members and guests…
Regular Drawing
1/3 to the chamber -- 1/3 to the winning ticket -- 1/3 into progressive pot - must be present to win
Prize Basket Drawing
If there is a prize basket being offered, there may be a minimum ticket sales amount requested by the donor in order to raise money for the chamber. If enough tickets are sold, 2/3 of the monies collected goes to the chamber, the prize basket goes to the winning ticket, and 1/3 of the monies collected goes toward the progressive pot – must be present to win. In the event the minimum amount of tickets aren’t sold for the basket, the drawing will become a regular drawing, and the basket will be offered for raffle the following meeting.
Prize baskets are encouraged & it’s a great way to promote your business.
Progressive Pot
In order to win the progressive pot, your membership must be current, and you must be present to win, and you must identify yourself as a representative of the organization/company during the introductions at the meeting. Progressive drawing results will be published in the monthly newsletter.
Let’s have fun with our meeting drawings!
Don’t forget your name tag in your car…
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April 27, 2009
Contact: Ela Selga, District Court Administrator, 360) 397-2150 ext. 2304, e-mail Ela.Selga@clark.wa.gov
Pay traffic fines (without interest) in May,
regain driving privileges
Vancouver, WA – Need to pay outstanding traffic fines to get your driver’s license back? Then Clark County has a deal for you. During May, District Court is joining more than 100 other courts in Washington State in a Debt Reduction Program.
The courts and their collection agencies have agreed to waive interest and a significant portion of collection costs for people with outstanding traffic tickets and fines.
“In these difficult economic times, we hope this program allows individuals to remedy their fines and ultimately regain their driving privileges,” says District Court Administrator Ela Selga. “The program will run from May 1 through May 31.”
Those with outstanding tickets or fines that have been sent to collections should contact the court where the fines originated. (A listing of all Washington State Courts can be found online at www.courts.wa.gov.)
Once tickets are paid in full and reported to the court, adjudication slips must be delivered to the Washington State Department of Licensing to clear a driving record and obtain a valid driver’s license. However, licenses will only be reinstated if the individual qualifies under DOL rules.
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Columbia River Crossing is a bridge, transit and highway improvement project of the Oregon and Washington transportation departments. The project is designed to improve safety and reduce congestion on a five-mile segment of Interstate 5 (I-5) between Vancouver and Portland. The CRC project will build a replacement I-5 bridge across the Columbia River with a wider pedestrian and bicycle path and extend light rail transit to Vancouver. The project will also improve seven highway interchanges between SR 500 in Vancouver and Columbia Boulevard in Portland.
To learn more, visit: http://www.columbiarivercrossing.org/Background/FAQ.aspx
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Stuffed Animal Drive
Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital needs our help! The “Zoo” at Legacy is running low of stuffed animals. Local businesses, organizations and neighbors are teaming up to collect new, stuffed animals for the pediatric units at Legacy Salmon Creek. Legacy strives to make every child’s stay as pleasant as possible and a new stuffed animal is given to each child that comes to the hospital.
We can help by bringing a new stuffed animal to First Wednesday on May 6th.
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Parade Season Officially Begins Saturday, May 16th!
First parade of the year is the Hazel Parade of Bands....Saturday May 16th at 11 a.m. Their theme this year is "March to Camelot". The La Center City Float and the Miss Teen La Center "Court" will be participating as well as a number of volunteer walkers. Usually Chamber members follow these groups with their banner..
The Starlight Parade in Portland is May 30th. It starts at 8 p.m. For the 3rd year in a row La Center has been asked to participate so we'll be represented by the city float and the Miss Teen court there, as well. The float will be decorated to promote the La Center Centennial Celebration in August.
Contact Linda at linda.aformalaffair@comcast.net to join the fun!
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CHAMBERnews
Published by La Center North County
Chamber of Commerce
www.lacenternorthcountychamber.com
May 1, 2009
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