Jabari the hedgehog will make his own weather prediction Wednesday, Feb. 2

Jabari the hedgehog will make his own weather prediction at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2, at the Oregon Zoo. Jabari, whose name means “the brave one” in Swahili, will appear at the zoo’s entry plaza.

The zoo opens at 10 a.m. daily during January and February, and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. 

General admission is $10.50 (ages 12-64); $9 for seniors (65 and up); $7.50 for children (ages 3-11); and free for those two and younger. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.

The 2011 Clark County Fair Court will be coronated at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5, at the main exhibit hall at the Clark County Fairgrounds, 17402 N.E. Delfel Rd., Ridgefield. Tickets are $12 in advance; $15 at the door; and past royalty is $10. RSVP to 360-397-6180.

The court consists of Queen Alecia Fox of Battle Ground; Princess Kaycee Cook of Vancouver; and Princess Larissa Marini of Battle Ground.

An informational meeting for the “Go 4th Raise Funds” campaign is planned at 4 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, March 9 at General O.O. Howard House, 750 Anderson St. on Vancouver’s Officers Row.

Participating nonprofit organizations will sell advance tickets to the Independence Day at Fort Vancouver celebration and receive 20 percent of all ticket proceeds. The “Go 4th Raise Funds” campaign runs through Thursday, June 30.

Nonprofit organizations interested in participating in this fundraising program should download an informational packet and registration form online at www.fortvan.org, or contact the Fort Vancouver National Trust at 360-992-1804 or events@fortvan.org.

The next meeting of the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council is at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 1, in the sixth-floor training room of the Clark Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St. in Vancouver. For more information visit www.rtc.wa.gov.

Michael Andersen giving Nabokov posthumous props.

Katlin Smith proud of Jim Houser‘s D.C. shout out.

Deena Pierott preparing for inaugural summit.

The national Orthopedic Nurses Certification Board recently certified seven registered nurses who work in the Total Joint Center at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center. They join four others in the Total Joint Center nursing staff who have earned this honor.

To qualify for the certification, each nurse must pass a 150-question standardized test and agree to complete 100 hours of continuing education during the next five years.

The seven newly certified orthopedic nurses are: Mineko Ball, Cecelia Blodgette, Julie Harrell, Kristin Headrick, Sunshine Jenkins, Erika Schroeter and Kate Williams. They join previously nationally certified nurses Jian Chen, Mike Fahey, Kim Feik, and Heather Reynolds.

Olga Lafayette, owner of Vancouver-based interpreter business, Language Fusion will receive the Urban Entrepreneur Network’s (UEN) Multicultural Business of the Year Award during the Urban Summit 2011 Award Luncheon on Friday, Jan. 28, at the Hilton Vancouver Washington.

Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.urbansummit2010.com.

Innovative Services NW has been selected as a recipient of a matching grant program offered by First Independent that uses social media.

Called “Ready 2 Give,” the program will match the first $5,000 raised through Innovative Service NW’s Facebook Cause page. Innovative’s Cause Page can also be accessed through their website, www.innovativeservicesnw.org, First Indy’s website, www.firstindy.com, or directly through Facebook.

Gov. Chris Gregoire issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening:

“In tonight’s State of the Union address, President Obama challenged every member of Congress and every American to keep America’s place in the world through innovation, competition and education. The proposals he unveiled to create jobs and control spending echoed some of what we have done to solve the challenges in Washington’s budget, like transforming government and tackling the programs that drive up costs year after year. The President is providing the strong leadership and bold direction that our economic recovery is demanding.”

U.S. Senator Patty Murray, who was in attendance at the speech, said afterwards,

“Tonight we heard a strong vision from President Obama for getting our economy back on track, getting our workers back on the job, and laying down a strong foundation for our country to continue leading the way in the 21st century economy. I believe that this vision is exactly what Washington state families need, and I am going to continue working with the President and my colleagues in Congress to enact it.”

The Annual Port Re:Port breakfast has been posted until Wednesday, April 6.

Tickets will be transferred to the April 6 event.

Vancouver’s Downtown Association has collected more than $750,000 in donations through the Main Street Tax Credit Incentive Program since 2005. 

The money has supported the construction of the Turtle Place downtown plaza, the Art in the Heart Festival, and the flower basket program. It has also helped pay for the consulting services of Michele Reeves.

More information is available by contacting the VDA at 360-258-1129, or online at www.downtown.wa.gov.

Innovative Services NW has been selected as a recipient of a matching grant program offered by First Independent that uses social media.

Called “Ready 2 Give,” the program will match the first $5,000 raised through Innovative Service NW’s Facebook Cause page. Innovative’s Cause can also be accessed through their website, www.innovativeservicesnw.org , First Indy’s website www.firstindy.com or directly through Facebook.

The “Ready to Give” matching program supports five different nonprofit organizations, for a total contribution to the community from First Independent of $25,000.  

Innovative Services NW is a 48-year-old local nonprofit that currently serves more than 1,100 children, adults, and families with disabilities and other types of disadvantages in Clark County each week. Services include childcare, pediatric therapy, youth and family services for children in foster care, employment services for adults with disabilities, and adult day health services.

Art on the Boulevard, a fine art gallery in the Vancouver Marketplace, will open “Transitions,” featuring new paintings from Elida Field on Feb. 4 First Friday, and showing through Saturday, Feb. 26.

The First Friday reception will be from 5 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 4  and is open to the public at no charge. It will include complimentary light refreshments, live music, and a chance to meet Field.

 For more information, please contact the gallery at 360-750-4499, or visit http://www.artontheboulevard.org/.

Volunteers are needed for Stepping Stones, the children’s bereavement program for Hospice Southwest at Southwest Washington Medical Center. Stepping Stones provides support for children, teens and families who have experienced the death of a loved one.

Training sessions are scheduled from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3, and Friday, Feb. 4, as well as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5. Attendance is required at all three sessions. The training is free.

Registration is required. To register for the training, or for more information, please call 360-696-5120.

Michael Jordan spotted at Rose Garden.

Pam Brokaw offering assistance.

Kazoodles already missed on the West Side.

Den Mark enjoying Vancouver Pizza.

Annie Rusunen receiving weekend birthday wishes.

Royce Pollard phoning home from Olympia.

Sharon J. Crouch

Sharon J. Crouch, a longtime Clark County Fair Association board member, has been selected as the new fair board president .

Her family is actively involved in fair activities, including 4-H. Her daughter, Jessica, served as the 2004 Clark Country Fair Queen.

Crouch is the loss control manager for Clark Public Utilities and a 2005 graduate of Leadership Clark County.

The Annual Port Re:Port will focus on the Port of Vancouver’s accomplishments during the past year and look forward to the future.

The event is at 7:30 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 24, at the Red Lion Hotel at the Quay, 100 Columbia St. on Vancouver’s waterfront. 

Tickets are $25 and available through the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, www.vancouverusa.com or by calling 360-694-2588. The registration deadline is Monday, Feb. 21.