On Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, Feb. 14, Clark County Environmental Services will officially launch its program to recognize local businesses that follow green practices. The Clark County Green Business Program supports business “green teams” that follow an improvement process. The program helps businesses reduce  environmental footprints and can save money in the process. The free program is a pilot project with 13 local businesses that have met program requirements. They will be honored as founding members during a kick-off ceremony and luncheon from noon to 2 p.m. at the Heathman Lodge, 7801 N.E. Greenwood Dr.

To participate, a business must establish an active green team and complete assessments in the following six program areas: solid waste and recycling, water and wastewater, toxics, energy, stormwater management and community engagement. The assessments require a business to establish baseline information on its operations, including kilowatts and therms of energy used, cubic yards of waste and recycling, gallons of stormwater runoff and volunteer service to the community.

More information and online registration for the luncheon is available at www.clarkgreenbiz.com. Registration also is available by calling Pete DuBois at 360-397-2121, ext. 4961.

Tickets are now on sale for a special Vancouver performancce by The Trail Band, a high-energy, eight-person ensemble of instrumentalists and vocalists, including Quarterflash’s Rindy Ross. The musicians play an amazing array of instruments, including cornet, tenor horn, tuba, fiddles, hammer dulcimer, guitars, penny whistle, mandolin, piano, saxophone, spoons, bones, drums, bass, and recorders.

They will appear at a fundraising concert for the Salmon Creek Kiwanis at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, at Vancouver’s Skyview High School, 1300 N.W. 139th St. Advance tickets are $18 or two for $35. Tickets will be $20 at the door. Proceeds benefit local children and families in need. Tickets are available at all branches of Columbia Credit Union, a major sponsor; Music World in Battle Ground, 502 E. Main St.; Music World in Hazel Dell, 7916 N.E. 6th Ave.; Beacock Music, 1420 S.E. 163rd Ave., and River City Music, 13215 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd. Tickets also are available, with a service charge, at www.ticketsoregon.com.

The band was formed in 1991 by Marv Ross to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail. The band’s repertoire reflects America’s “melting-pot” history and expresses the dynamism of the country’s westward expansion. The Trail Band has produced eight recordings. For more details, call Gregg Herrington at 360-574-3747, or visit www.trailband.com.

Sense & Sensibility, a stage adaptation of the eponymous Jane Austen novel, premieres on Friday, Feb. 10, at the Magenta Theater, 606 Main St. in Vancouver. The play, directed by Melissa Carmel Bank, follows sisters Elinor and Marianne, their half-brother John Dashwood, and his snobby wife Fanny. The family is forced to relocate and live in reduced economic circumstances. Their new life, peopled by the eccentric Sir John Middleton, the brooding Colonel Brandon, the dashing Willoughby, and the simpering Lucy Steele, tests the sisters’ sense and sensibilities to the limit.

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 10, Feb. 11, Feb. 16, Feb. 17, Feb. 18, Feb. 23 and Feb. 24. Two o’clock matinee performances will be held on Sunday, Feb. 18, and Sunday, Feb. 25. VIP seats are $15, and general seating is $12. Student admission is $5 with student ID. Discounts are available for Thursday performances. Advance reservations are recommended, as tickets are selling quickly. To order online, click here. For more information, visit www.magentatheater.com or call 360-635-4358.

Clark College Bookstore buyer Marti Earhart shares the magic of Dr. Seuss with Fruit Valley Elementary students.

To help a youngster learn and look, would you, could you buy a book?

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”  Those words, written by Dr. Seuss, are at the heart of the fourth annual “Seuss-a-Palooza” book drive at Clark College. Clark College’s Service Learning Program and the Clark College Bookstore are hoping that Seuss-a-Palooza supporters will purchase 145 copies of Green Eggs and Ham. The books will be given to kindergarteners at Vancouver’s Fruit Valley and Harney Elementary Schools on March 2, which is Read Across America Day, commemorating the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Copies of each book will be available for purchase and donation at the Clark College Bookstore from Feb. 6-16 for $6.85 each (plus tax). Each book will feature a nameplate for the donor’s name.

The Clark College Bookstore is located in Gaiser Hall on the northern end of Clark’s main campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.  Information about the bookstore is available at www.clarkbookstore.com. For more details, call Marti Earhart at 360-992-2261.

You’ve gotta hand it to Jordan Taylor.

Tom Mielke is singing “Unhappy Trails.”

Caran Johnson watches over us as ScanCouver.

Support local independent businesses by voting in The Columbian‘s fifth annual “Best of Clark County” poll. Just click here and follow the simple instructions, or click on the “Best of Clark County” icon in the upper right-hand corner of The Columbian. Voting closes at midnight on Wednesday, Feb. 15. The winners will be announced in a special section to be published on Wednesday, March 28, and winners will also be listed at www.columbian.com throughout 2012.

Taiwanese exchange students from the King Car Education Foundation will combine talents with American students from their Evergreen Public Schools‘ host schools—Mill Plain and Hearthwood Elementary Schools and Shahala Middle School—to put on their annual Chinese New Year performance, tomorrow, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. at Union High School, 6201 N.W. Friberg/Strunk St. in Camas. The performance will showcase the Taiwanese students in traditional dances, Kung-Fu, Chinese yo-yo demonstrations, and musical instrument demonstrations. Since they arrived on Jan. 23, the Taiwanese students have been running an after-school culture camp to teach American students Chinese calligraphy, dances, and how to play Chinese musical instruments. Students who have attended the camps will also perform Wednesday night. The performance is free and open to the public. For more details, call Carol Fenstermacher at 360-604-4088.

Vancouver area residents may notice a temporary change in aircraft noise due to the Oregon Air National Guard 142nd Fighter Wing‘s evening training operations from now until Friday, Feb. 3. Evening training is required to ensure pilots are fully prepared for both day and night operations. Most flights will be completed by 10:30 p.m. For more information, call 800-938-6647 or e-mail pdxnoise@portofportland.com.

The deadline to submit nominations for the 2012 General George C. Marshall Youth Leadership Award is Thursday, Feb. 9. The award will be presented to a Clark County 12th grade student who demonstrates leadership, takes a stand for the rights of others, serves as a role model, shows initiative and motivates others to become involved. Nomination forms can be picked up at the General O. O. Howard House, 750 Anderson St., Vancouver, downloaded from www.fortvan.org, or obtained by calling the Fort Vancouver National Trust at 360-992-1800. The recipient will be announced on March 1. The public is invited to attend the March 21 award ceremony at the Marshall House, which will be televised on CVTV. For more details, see the ad in the right-hand column above.

The Board of County Commissioners will consider a plan to help the county get ready for and support a growing number of older residents. The board will hear recommendations of the Aging Readiness Task Force during a 6 p.m. public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 7. The task force is seeking approval and adoption of the Aging Readiness Plan, which is the result of nearly two years of effort by volunteer task force members. The Aging Readiness Plan is available at www.clark.wa.gov/aging. For more information about the task force and the project, visit www.clark.wa.gov/aging.

In early 2012, the U.S. Army Reserve will formally relinquish all lands and structures within the East and South Vancouver Barracks to the National Park Service (NPS). This change will effectively end the long-standing military presence at the Vancouver Barracks, which was the first major U.S. Army post in the Pacific Northwest. In preparation, the NPS has developed a plan for the preservation and reuse of the barracks as part of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. Options are described in detail at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/fova.

The NPS invites the public to review the document and shape the future of these historically significant public lands. Comments can be submitted online or mailed to the park between Feb. 1 and March 5. The NPS will also hold two public meetings to discuss the plans on Wednesday, Feb. 22, from noon to 2 p.m., and on Thursday, Feb. 23, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., at the Red Cross building, 605 Barnes St. Meetings will be conducted in an open house format to provide the public an opportunity to give comments directly to NPS personnel. For more information, call 360-816-6212.

On First Friday, Feb. 3, Art on the Boulevard, 210 W. Evergreen Blvd., Suite 300, will open “From Bow to Stern,” featuring the oil paintings of Oleg Ulitskiy. The gallery will hold a reception on First Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. There will be live music, complimentary light refreshments, and guests will have a chance to meet Ulitskiy. For more information, visit www.artontheboulevard.org. First Friday is downtown Vancouver’s celebration of the arts held on the first Friday of every month. Stores, galleries and restaurants stay open late to welcome visitors. This month, be sure to visit Sweetie Pies at 1006 Main St. Read more about Sweetie Pies in this week’s “Out and About with the Insider” in the lower left-hand corner, next to today’s headlines.

New Seasons Market is holding a Gluten-Free Food Fair from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10, at the Fisher’s Landing store, S.E. 164th Ave. and McGillivray Blvd. in Vancouver. This is a family friendly event, with games, activities and snacks for children. Certified nutritionists will present information and advice on topics, including repairing digestive health, feeding gluten-free kids and eating gluten-free on-the-go. Sample sweet and savory products, taste gluten-free homemade dishes prepared by New Seasons Market’s deli, and get inspiration on meal planning.  Meet local cookbook writer Laura Russell, author of Gluten Free Asian Kitchen, and learn how she converts the cuisines of China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam into gluten-free favorites. To learn more, visit www.newseasonsmarket.com or www.facebook.com/NewSeasonsMarket.

Celebrate Valentines Day on Tuesday, Feb. 7, with a live theater production of Chocolate Confessions, a one-woman musical comedy by Joan Freed. Divine Consign is presenting this evening of live theater, chocolate treats and pink lemonade in the newly remodeled Kiggins Theatre in downtown Vancouver. Proceeds benefit the Pink Lemonade project, a nonprofit organization that provides education and support to breast cancer survivors and their families. Joan Freed has performed across the country to rave reviews. The performance begins at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $40 per person. Tickets are now available online at www.divineconsignfurniture.org/chocolate-confessions. Divine Consign is a nonprofit organization that provides resources to our community in the areas of human services, education and the arts. For more information, visit www.divineconsignfurniture.org or contact Linda at 360-695-6443 or shop@divineconsignfurniture.org.