Dozer Day puts kids in driver's
seat for parks foundation

Four-year-old Spencer La Chappelle having fun on Dozer Day 2006

Missed your chance to drive a bulldozer or backhoe? You don't have to let that happen to your child. His or her opportunity is coming on Dozer Day, Saturday, May 19.

The Vancouver Parks Foundation is amassing a huge fleet of bulldozers, backhoes, earth movers and other heavy equipment ready to be driven (with adult driver assistance) during the annual event at the Mill Plain Boulevard extension between NE 172nd and 192nd Avenues from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In addition to heavy equipment driving, Dozer Day offers a diamond dig, tool dig for grownups, a tire crawl, pipe crawl, and kids’ dig. Food vendors will be on hand.

Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for children 4 through 12. Children 3 and under are admitted free.

For further information, call Cheri Cole at 693-7050.

Law enforcement memorial
ceremony is Thursday

A Law Enforcement Memorial Day ceremony begins at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 17, in the plaza of the Public Service Center, 1400 Franklin Street.

Sponsored by the Clark County Sheriff’s Department, the ceremony honors officers who have died in line of duty, as well as all law enforcement professionals.

Keynote speaker is Paul Pastor, Pierce County sheriff. Other speakers are Clark County commissioner Steve Stuart and Clark County sheriff Garry Lucas.

March of Dimes contributes
$25,000 to local agencies

The March of Dimes has awarded a $15,000 grant to Healthy Steps Women’s and Children’s Center, and $10,000 to the Children’s Home Society of Washington.

This year, the March of Dimes has made more than $116,000 available to health programs in southwest Washington and Oregon.

The grant to Healthy Steps Women’s and Children’s Center will be used to increase utilization of early and consistent prenatal care by teenagers and Spanish-speaking women. Funding for the Children’s Home Society will support efforts to increase access to health insurance information and provide prenatal education for nlow-income pregnant women.

Loaves and Fishes dinner
dance is Saturday

Loaves and Fishes, whose Meals on Wheels program provided 120,000 meals for frail and homebound seniors in Clark County last year, is holding its annual fund raising dinner dance from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 19, in the Firstenburg Community Center, 700 NE 136th Avenue.

A variety of gift baskets and other prices will be raffled off during the evening, but perhaps the most intriguing is the wine sale. Wine in unmarked bags will be sold for $20 a piece. But, according to Julie Piper Finley, Loaves and Fishes marketing director, each bag will contain a bottle of wine worth between $20 and $100.

Music will be provided by John Lazarri. Admission is $30. For ticket information, call Elaine Cavaness, 597-5711.

News brief

Southwest Washington Medical Center’s Weight Loss for Life program has struck gold, reports Bobbie Harlow, health educator and certified life coach for the weight loss program, which has been presented a Gold Standard Certificate of Achievement by Health Management Resources, a national health care company. Weight Loss for Life is a medically supervised program, that includes at-home diet kits and maintenance classes. Currently 140 people are enrolled in the program. For further information, call 514-2500, or go to www.hungryforabetterlife.com.

Calendar

The final informational forum presented by Clark College providing dialogue between interim president Bob Knight and members of the audience is at 6 p.m. this evening in Gaiser Hall on the college campus. <> An open house to present new elements of the Clark County’s Comprehensive Growth Management Plan modifications is at 6:30 p.m. this evening in the county Elections Building, 1408 Franklin Street. <> The Women Entrepreneurs of Washington meet at 5 p.m. this evening in the Heathman Lodge. Jonnie Martin, Vancouver business management consultant, is the keynote speaker. Buffet dinner is $28 for members, $35 for nonmembers. Call Kathy Nelson, 573-5744, for further information. <> Hedrick Smith, Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award winning former New York Times editor and National Public Radio contributor, is the keynote speaker at the Columbia River Economic Development Council quarterly meeting at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, May 17, in the Hilton Vancouver Washington. For further information on the $30 luncheon, call 694-5006.

Wednesday, May 16 Headlines

Freight train derails at Du Pont, rail service cut between Vancouver and Seattle--KATU, AP

Seat on La Center city council draws crowd--Columbian

Airplane part lands in Chisholm back yard on Livingston Mountain--Columbian, Kelly Adams

Deed offer is a questionable deal--Columbian, Michael Andersen

Local solar panel thefts increasing--Columbian, John Branton

State avoiding U.S. housing slump--Columbian, Cami Joner

Oregon expects an extra $152 million--Oregonian

Voters will decide tax raise by port--Oregonian, Allan Brettman

Final Boeing dreamliner piece arrives in Everett--Seattle P-!, James Wallace

James Wolfowitz resigns World Bank post--Washington Post, Peter S. Goodman and Karen De Young