Local fire departments are conducting training exercises this week,and need volunteers to act as victims for their Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Exercises tomorrow, Nov. 30, and Thursday, Dec. 1, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the old City of Vancouver City Hall Building, 210 E. 13th St., between Broadway and C St. Others who have already volunteers said the experience was “fun and rewarding.” Volunteers should wear old clothes and bring their lunches. Only the first several volunteers who e-mail will be accepted, so volunteers should not attend unless they have received e-mail confirmation. Willing participants should e-mail cindy.stanley@clark.wa.gov with their names and the day on which they are available. Those who are unable to volunteer this time but wish to be on a waiting list for the next exercise should e-mail cindy.stanley@clark.wa.gov.

The Board of County Commissioners will consider measures to maintain a balanced budget through 2012 in a public hearing set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Public Service Center, sixth-floor hearing room, 1300 Franklin St.

Budget Director Jim Dickman has prepared supplemental budget recommendations to update the 2011-2012 budget as required by law, without significant changes in most county operations. His proposal calls for real estate excise taxes to meet debt payments on county buildings and facilities.

Reduced property values and sluggish sales have reduced real estate taxes, requiring the county to concentrate on preserving existing assets through 2016.

If formally approved next week, the recommendations will require Public Works to revamp plans and schedules for various projects, including parks.

The county is expecting impacts from state budget cuts now pending in Olympia. The county will account for related changes in local revenue following final action by the Legislature.

"Noel - Christmas Traditions" cast

Noel – Christmas Traditions will bring the words and sounds of Christmas traditions past and present to Loves Street Playhouse for six performances, from Dec. 9 through Dec. 18. Noel is a compilation of songs, tales, stories and poems by Shakespeare, Sara Teasdale, G.K. Chesterton, Dr. Seuss, St. Luke and others. It is a literary and musical tapestry of stories, as well as ancient and modern carols performed by a vocal ensemble and accompanied by violin, piano and flute. Dessert will be provided at intermission by generous local businesses.

Noel is adapted and directed by Loves Street Playhouse owner Melinda Leuthold. Chrystal Anderson is the musical director. Actors include Don Smith, Greg Zschomler, Christian Leuthold, Rebekah Krohn and Jennica Krohn. Loves Street Playhouse is located at 126 Loves St. in Woodland.

Noel will play Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10, available at www.lovestreetplayhouse.com or by calling 360-263-6670. Tickets purchased by cash and check are also available at Columbia Bank, 782 Goerig St. in Woodland, and Minuteman Press, 803 Vandercook Way, Suite 1, in Longview.

Denise Stone

Innovative Services NW’s announced yesterday that Denise Stone has joined the organization as vice president of client services. Stone, a Portland native, has been living in Vancouver for five years. She has worked in social services in Oregon and Washington for 12 years. She has a bachelor of science in business communications from the University of Portland, is a graduate of the Washington State Supportive Housing Institute, and holds certificates in supportive housing programming and community organizing from NeighborWorks.

Stone has designed and implemented numerous programs that provide affordable housing and support services to high-need individuals and families, and has formed successful partnerships with many Clark County service providers. Stone is a member of the boards of directors of Columbia Nonprofit Housing and Second Step Housing. She is also an active volunteer with the Clark County Council for the Homeless Winter Hospitality Overflow program and has also volunteered with their Emergency Shelter Clearinghouse. Stone can be reached at 360-823-4203 or dstone@innovativeservicesnw.org.

Innovative Services NW is a Vancouver-based nonprofit that provides quality services for all children, adults with disabilities or disadvantages, and their families. It is dedicated to providing opportunities to maximize each individual’s highest potential while promoting respect and acceptance of diversity, sensitivity to individual and family needs, and inclusion in a nurturing, community-supported environment.

Join the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce for a yuletide luncheon on Thursday, Dec. 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Battle Ground Community Center, 1419 W. Main St. Participants will enjoy holiday music, an excellent lunch catered by The Mill Creek Pub, as well as a great opportunity to network. Raffle tickets are $1 each or 25 for $20. “Golden Tickets” will also be sold. The winner gets first choice of any basket, and is eligible to win another basket in the general drawing.

Local business owners are invited to create baskets to donate to the holiday raffle. Baskets should have about a $100 value and must be received by Thursday, Dec. 1. For more details, call 360-687-1510 or visit www.battlegroundchamber.org.

Columbia Credit Union is celebrating the holiday season by supporting community events and hosting a free Christmas tree giveaway. Columbia also maintains volunteer service commitments to many local nonprofits throughout the year. Columbia Credit Union invites Daily Insider readers to these two community events: Camas Hometown Holidays, Friday, Dec. 2, 6 to 8 p.m., with holiday entertainment, tree lighting ceremony, caroling, and Santa pictures; and Ridgefield Hometown Celebration, Saturday, Dec. 3, noon to 5 p.m., where kids can meet Santa and families can enjoy an arts and crafts bazaar, musicians, fun run, and special treats. Columbia will offer free carriage rides through downtown Ridgefield from noon to 3 p.m.

Columbia is also offering free Christmas trees at noon on Saturday, Dec. 10, at Boy Scout Troop #14 Tree Lot, Salmon Creek Methodist Church, 12217 N.E. Hwy. 99, and Boy Scout Troop #731 Tree Lot at the corner of Mill Plain and MacArthur Blvds. Columbia staff will hand out coupons for the first 40 takers at each lot. Each coupon is worth up to $25 toward a tree.

Columbia Credit Union has 12 Clark County locations and serves more than 70,000 members with a 2011 satisfaction rating of 95.8 percent – an industry benchmark. Committed to sustainability, Columbia built Clark County’s first financial institution branches to strict LEED standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council. For more information, visit www.columbiacu.org.

A Port Commission meeting will be held Tuesday, Nov. 29, from 5 to 7 p.m., in the port’s meeting room, 24 S. A St., Washougal. The meeting is open to the public. For more information and a link to the agenda, visit  http://www.portcw.com.

Join the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce for a fun filled yuletide luncheon on Thursday, Dec. 8, 11:30 -1:30 p.m., at the Battle Ground Community Center, 1419 W. Main St., Battle Ground. In addition to the monthly general luncheon, local business owners are invited to create a basket to donate  to the holiday raffle. Tickets $1 each or 25 for $20. Golden tickets will be sold as well.  The winner will get first choice of any basket and is eligible to win another basket in the general drawing. Participants will enjoy holiday music, an excellent lunch catered by The Mill Creek Pub, as well as a great opportunity to network.

Baskets should have about a $100 value and must be received by Thursday, Dec. 1. For reservations or more information, call the Chamber, 360-687-1510, or visit www.battlegroundchamber.org/

The public is invited to enjoy “Breakfast with Santa,” a fundraiser for Bridge the Gap, from 9 to 11 a.m., on Saturday, Dec. 3, at The Grant House, 1101 Officers Row, Vancouver. Santa and his Elves will be in their workshop on the 2nd Floor of the Grant House, and children will be invited up to have their photo taken with Santa. The breakfast buffet offers scrambled eggs, hash browns, breakfast meats, a waffle bar, and a hot chocolate bar for kids. Tickets are $10 per person and include an e-mail photo for immediate use by smart phone users. Reservations are required and can be made by contacting the Grant House at 360-906-1101. Proceeds will benefit Bridge the Gap, a nonprofit organization that provides resources to enhance the stability, growth and success of children in foster and adoptive care, by bridging the gap between resources available and foster children in Clark County.

In an effort to respond to increasing demands and provide needed services to the community, Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli has established a Fire Corps program and is seeking volunteers to help. Fire Corps is a nationwide partner program of Citizen Corps for volunteers. “It is designed to provide citizen advocates with a mechanism to support the Fire Department through a donation of their time and talents,” says Scarpelli. “Volunteers can help with non-emergency public safety outreach events and other support services that are critical to our mission.” Volunteers must complete the online application process and training that includes CPR, AED (automated external defibrillator), basic first aid, home hazard identification and fire safety. Scarpelli encourages all interested citizens over the age of 18 to apply. The application for Fire Corps can be found  here. More information about the fire department and Fire Corps can be found here.

On Saturday, Dec. 3, the Rotary Foundation will host the first big party of the season with its Gala Dinner and Auction. The silent auction begins at 5:30 p.m. at Pearson Air Museum, 1115 E. Fifth St., near Ft. Vancouver. Guests are invited to admire beautifully decorated festival trees tucked under the wings of vintage planes, and to survey the silent auction items. Attendees can get a jump-start on holiday shopping by bidding on trips, golf packages, diamonds, boxing lessons, gift items, trees and more. The auction will be followed by a dinner buffet provided by Beaches Restaurant. For details, click here. Proceeds benefit Vancouver Rotary Foundation. Tickets are still available by calling 360-750-0409.

Sarah Whynn serves a great  a crepe.

Cliff Boydstun reaches a milestone.

John Cordell helps keep people warm.

Corwin Beverage Company has announced two promotions at the firm’s Ridgefield headquarters. Key Account Sales Representatives Nate Herbst and Chris Barnes have been advanced to managerial positions.

Nate Herbst

Herbst is now the direct store delivery sales manager. He has worked at Corwin Beverage since 2004. He was awarded the President’s Ring of Honor for top performance by PepsiCo in 2011. He is a resident of Vancouver and leads the annual Corwin Beverage food drive.

Chris Barnes

Barnes is now channel sales manager. He has worked for Corwin Beverage since 1997. He is a resident of east Vancouver and is an active school volunteer.

Since 1941, family-owned Corwin Beverage Company has bottled and distributed beverages, including Pepsi products, in Southwest Washington. The company serves Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania and Wahkiakum Counties. The firm’s headquarters is located at 219 S. Timm Road in Ridgefield. For more information, visit  www.corwinbevco.com

Clark Colleges will present three musical events in December at the Royal Durst Theatre at the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, 3101 Main St., Vancouver. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, call Peggy Winston at 360-992-2662.

At 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at the Royal Durst Theater, the Clark College Orchestra begins its 2011-2012 season, “Buried Treasure.” The concert will feature guest conductor German Caceres, musical director of the El Salvador State Symphony, with Camas High School student Yung Teng performing Saint-Saens’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, op. 28.

The Clark College Women’s Choral Ensemble, directed by April Duvic, and the Clark College Chorale, directed by Janet Reiter and Duvic, will present its fall concert, “Gloria! Gloria!“ on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 4300 Main St., Vancouver. Both choirs will sing modern compositions of Gloria. The Women’s Ensemble will premiere Paul Carey’s work Winter Moon and perform additional liturgical works by contemporary composers, as well as the Gospel Spiritual Go Where I Send Thee! Adjunct music instructor David E. Miller will conduct an ensemble performance of Lully, Lulla, Lullay. The event will conclude with Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.

The Clark College Concert Choir, under the direction of April Duvic, and the Clark College Concert Band, under the direction of Richard Inouye, will present its fall concert, “Musical Treats & Seasonal Suites,” on Friday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the Royal Durst Theatre. The event will feature music from England, Spain, and Nigeria.

Vancouver pianist Jim Fischer continues a local holiday tradition by presenting the ninth annual “Christmans with Jim Fischer and Friends” benefit concert, at 3 and 7 p.m., this Saturday, December 3, at  the First Presbyterian Church, 4300 Main St., Vancouver.

Both shows showcase the star voices of King’s Way Christian School’s performers Kyra Smith, Trevor Smith, Tobaj, Inna Crown and Ashton Rogers. Also performing at both shows are The Wiseman Sisters, and Lori Chinn, on the pipe organ. Back-up for the celebration includes Dr. Keith Collins on bass, Everett Carlson on drums, Ed Bisquera on keyboards, Clark Bondy on saxophone and Max Reese on guitar. Showings end with an uplifting audience sing-a-long.

The performances are fundraisers for Friends of the Carpenter, a Vancouver-based ministry for the homeless. Benefits will support the agency’s efforts to connect the homeless community to local available resources. Tickets are $20 and are available at the door, or by calling 360-750-4752.

The Daily Insider is grateful for many things, but most especially for our readers, without whom we wouldn’t exist. In honor of the Thanksgiving tradition, the Insider will not be published tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, or on Friday, Nov. 25. We’ll be back on the job Monday, Nov. 28, bringing you news about everything good and interesting that’s happening in Clark County.

Speaking of everything that’s happening in Clark County, don’t forget to check our jam-packed calendar for coming events. There’s loads of stuff to do this weekend, including the Community Tree Lighting on Friday in Esther Short Park, Small Business Saturday on Nov. 27, and the Hot Buttered Run and Kids Kandy Kane Race on Sunday.

In an effort to bring you everything that’s best about Clark County, the Insider has also launched a new feature in our lower left-hand corner: Out and About with the Insider. Everywhere the Insider goes, you’ll go, too—you’ll get updates on Facebook and Twitter, and once or twice a week we’ll feature a local business, event, or place of note. We can’t wait to see you around town!

The Mount St. Helens Institute is proud to announce another successful year of volunteer service at Mount St. Helens. In 2011, over 270 volunteers had contact with more than 117,000 visitors and contributed 17,300 hours of service to Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument through the Mount St. Helens Institute. “This is an amazing contribution of time and effort, equal to $369,762 in contribution to public lands of Mount St. Helens,” says Hailey Heath, director of volunteer programs. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to helping people of all ages gain an understanding of the natural processes and cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest’s volcanic landscapes. For information about volunteering or a student internship, contact Hailey Heath at 360-449-7883 or volunteer@mshinstitute.org.

Remember the bricks in Propstra Square when planning your gift list this year. The engraved bricks are located around the bell tower in Propstra Square, Esther Short Park, located between Esther and Columbia, and Sixth and Eighth Streets in downtown Vancouver. The bricks provide an excellent opportunity to commemorate a loved one or friend. Each brick costs $100 and holds up to 18 characters including spaces. Funds raised through the sale of memorial bricks pay for the flowers and plantings in the park. To place an order, contact the Parks Foundation at 360-487-8370 or admin@parksfoundation.us.