Home of the future sets theme for this weekend’s
Clark Public Utilities’ Home and Garden Idea Fair

Much to see and do at Home and Garden Idea Fair
this weekend

The home of the future—kitchen, home office and media room—showcases energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, futuristic design and construction. That is the theme of the 2007 Clark Public Utilities’ Home and Garden Idea Fair this weekend in the Clark County fairgrounds.

And there is even more at this three-day free event, including the gigantic plant sale put on by nearly 80 members of the Specialty Nursery Association of Clark County. The plant sale and eight landscaped displays by the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals are in the fairgrounds horse arena.

In addition, over 300 commercial exhibitors are offering exhibits and displays along the mid-way and in the Clark County Event Center. Barnes & Nobel Booksellers, for example, is providing a home improvement and gardening bookstore.

The home of the future, designed by New Tradition Homes, features the latest energy-efficient appliances and state-of-the-art home automation, in addition to displays of home electronics. Solar panels will generate some of the electricity in the home of the future. Local solar panel distributor, Act On Solar, will be on hand to demonstrate and take orders.

In the driveway of the home of the future, visitors will find Mercury, Toyota and Honda hybrid automobiles.

The utility will be promoting its Green Lights program, which allows customers to invest in the development of new renewable energy resources voluntarily.

The annual fair is supported by the Columbian, 1190 KEX, and the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

The Home and Garden Idea Fair is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, April 27, and Saturday, April 28, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 29. While there is no admission charge, there is a $5-per-vehicle parking fee. In addition, Clark Public Utilities will accept donations for Operation Warm Heart and contributions of canned food for local food banks.

Moeller to co-chair veterans committee

State Rep. Jim Moeller (D-49th) has been appointed co-chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans’ and Military Affairs. State Sen. Pam Roach (R-31) is the other co-chair.

The committee, which meets between legislative sessions will be charged with reviewing issues confronting Washington’s more than 600,000 veterans and thousands of  active duty National Guard and reserve service personnel.

The panel is made up of four members from each party in the House and four members from each party in the Senate.

Downtown Ridgefield railroad
crossing on port agenda

The preferred route for a proposed downtown Ridgefield railroad over-crossing will be presented by the Port of Ridgefield during a workshop meeting at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, in the Ridgefield Community Center, 210 N Main Street.

The port plans for a single over-crossing to replace two grade-level street crossings on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks. Three alternatives are Pioneer Street, Mill Street and Division Street. The over-crossing will connect downtown Ridgefield with Port of Ridgefield recreational property on Lake River.

Oregon Chamber Players
open rehearsal is free

Admission is free to the open rehearsal for the Oregon Chamber Players’ audience selection concert, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, reports Victoria Racz, general manager. The rehearsal is in the All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 4033 SE Woodstock Boulevard.

The audience selection concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5, in All Saints’ Episcopal Church. Selections will be by Albinoni, Couperin, Prokofieff and Haydn.

General admission to the concert is $15. Student and senior tickets are $12. For further information, call (503) 224-8499, or go to www.oregonchamberplayers.org.

News brief

The Dick Hannah Dealership will plant one of the first of 15,000 trees at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 26, between the Jeep and Subaru stores in the Vancouver Auto Mall, 3517 Auto Mall Drive, as part of a program with the National Arbor Day Foundation. The Hannah dealership, one of the largest in the northwest, has pledged to plant a tree for every car it sells over the next 12 months. That will be a minimum of 15,000 trees, according to Hannah spokesperson Sonja Stevenson. The trees will be planted in public forests throughout the country.

Calendar

The Vancouver City Council meets in workshop session at 4 p.m. todoay. n The Clark County High Capacity Transit System Study task force meets at 6:30 p.m. this evening in the county Elections Department, 1408 Franklin Street. n The Vancouver City Council meets in regular session at 7 p.m. this evening. n  Clark Public Utilities’ commissioners meet in regular session at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 24. n Port of Vancouver commissioners meet in regular session at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 24. n Clark County commissioners meet in regular session at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 24. n The Clark County Board of Health meets to discuss the Community Choices health report card 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 24, in the 6th floor conference room in the Public Service Center. n Clark County commissioners will discuss the transportation section of the proposed Comprehensive Growth Management Plan in a session at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 24. n A special election in the Town of Yacolt and Fire District 13 concludes at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 24. Voters are being asked whether Yacolt should merge into Fire District 13.

Monday, April 23 Headlines

John White Clark County's First Citizen--Columbian, Tom Vogt