Clark County Fair opens with
boot-kicking country music

Country music radio station 99.5 The Wolf, along with the Clark County Fair Association, today announced three top country stars for the 2009 county fair, August 7 through 16.

Heidi Newfield, Pat Green and Lee Ann Womack will make appearances Friday, Aug. 7, Saturday, Aug. 8, and Sunday, Aug. 9, respectively, on the Grandstand Concert Stage.

Newfield, a diminutive blond, became famous for her explosive voice, rambunctious stage antics, and trademark unruly curls.

Green has blazed his own trail and today is a major American singer-songwriter.

Womack’s straight-from-the-heart vocals, whether powerful, vulnerable, achingly sad or joyful, combine to make her a top performer.

Two green nonprofits
to share grand opening

City and county officials, along with Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce representatives, will be on hand at the shared official grand opening of two green nonprofits, CREAM (Computer Reuse, Education and Marketing) and Clark County Habitat ReStore at 8:15 a.m. Saturday, May 2, at their shared site at 5000 East Fourth Plain Blvd. Vancouver mayor Royce Pollard and Clark County commissioner Steve Stuart will cut the ribbon.

Following the ribbon-cutting, there will be a free event including live music, snacks, balloons for the kids, and drawings for prizes. 

Habitat ReStores raise funds to help Habitat for Humanity build homes by selling donated new and gently used building materials and household goods to the public at prices well below retail. CREAM provides needy families with computers refurbished from donated electronics. Proceeds from refurbished electronics sold at CREAM's Thrift Store fund its Education Program.

Historical Museum’s May barbecue/
fundraiser is at Woodland horse farm

The Clark County Historical Museum is holding its annual fundraising barbecue dinner and auction at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 30. It will be held at a private horse farm near Woodland.

Among the things that will be up for bidding at live and silent auctions will be tours of wind farms that are being installed in the Columbia Gorge, sports tickets, a 2009 basketball signed by the Trail Blazers’ NBA-playoff team and certificate of authenticity, restaurant packages, service certificates (including for auto repair), and many other items. Also being auctioned will be a commemorative anniversary print of the museum’s 1909 Carnegie Building by nationally known Southwest Washington graphic artist Paul Lanquist.

The barbecue dinner promises to be de-lish; there will be beer and wine, “and something thirst-quenchin’ for the teetotalers.”

Tickets are $65 for members; $75, non-members. Guests must be at least 21 years old. Dress is casual; denim and boots are expected. RSVP by Saturday, May 16.

For tickets, call the Clark County Historical Museum, 993-5679.

PDX north runway to be
closed for six months

Residents may notice a change in aircraft flight activity as construction work will require a six-month closure of Portland International Airport’s north parallel runway effective May 1 through October 31. During this closure, jet aircraft will use the south runway and will follow noise abatement procedures that direct them over the Columbia River corridor, minimizing overflights of residential areas. Smaller aircraft including cargo feeders and commuter turboprops may be required to use the crosswind runway, which is oriented north/south.

News brief

New computers are on their way to WorkSource offices. Washington’s Employment Security Department is replacing some 1,500 computers with new ones, along with new, energy-efficient monitors, to the tune of $1.25 million, at most of the 68 WorkSource offices across the state. These should help Washingtonians in their job searches as well as in the preparation of their résumés. The installation of the new equipment should be completed by summer’s end.

Calendar

Turtle Place in mid-town Vancouver gets grand opening treatment at
 10 a.m. and again from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 1. New art park is the result of Downtown Vancouver’s Association efforts to rehabilitate former C-TRAN transit center.

Tom Tripp, author of Getting Even: The Truth About Workplace Revenge—and how to Stop It, will speak at a book signing and reception at 6 p.m. this evening in the Firstenburg Student Commons at Washington State University Vancouver. To register for the $60 event, call 546-9600. <> The annual meeting of the Felida Neighborhood Association is at 7 p.m. this evening in the Felida Fire Station, 11600 NE Lakeshore Avenue. <> The Running of the Turtles at downtown Vancouver’s Turtle Place is at 10 a.m. and again between 5 and 8 p.m. tomorrow, May 1, at the former C-TRAN downtown transit center on 7th Street between Main and Washington Streets. <> Vancouver Police Department recruitment information meetings are being held at from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 1, and 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 2, in the Luepke Center community room, 1009 E McLoughlin Boulevard.

 Community Calendar Links

• Southwest Washington Center for the Arts

• Greater Vancouver Chamber Community 

• City of Vancouver Calendar