Six Clark County celebrity dancers to compete
The Fort Vancouver National Trust invited six renowned community members to compete at Dancing with the Local Stars, its annual fundraiser for children's events and educational programs at Pearson Air Museum on Sept. 11 at 6 p.m.
Inspired by the popular TV show, each celebrity dancer has received complimentary dance lessons from Arthur Murray Dance Studios and has been paired with a dance instructor to practice a routine to perform at the event. The community is encouraged to "vote" with their dollars for their favorite dancer. The dancer who has raised the most money is declared the winner.
Last year's champion was Susan Courtney of Courtney Consulting. Donations are accepted online at www.fortvan.org , by mailing a check to the Trust or by donating at the event.
Tickets are available for purchase on the Trust's website. Online tickets must be purchased by Sept. 7.
Empower Up expanding donation center hours
Empower Up, Clark County's local computer education and reuse nonprofit is expanding hours to meet the growing demand for low-cost, reused electronics. Starting Wednesday, Sept. 1, the operating hours for the Donation Center & Thrift Store will be extended for an extra hour every day. The new hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
"By being open an extra hour each day, we hope that people who are working during the week will be better able to take advantage of our low prices," said executive director Oso Martin.
Empower Up provides free education resources to help those in need gain access to technology and the Internet. Free computer classes are available to the public. Call 360.735.0888 or visit www.empowerupnow.org for more info.
SBA scorecard shows progress
Small businesses won a record $96.8 billion in federal prime contracts in Fiscal Year 2009, an increase of more than $3 billion from FY 2008, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration's fourth annual small business procurement scorecard released last week.
This dollar amount represents 21.89 percent of all federal spending – an improvement over FY 2008. Additionally, performance in each of the government's socioeconomic subcategories increased for FY 2009, according to the release.
"This represents real progress, but not enough, we must reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that the 23 percent goal is met and exceeded," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. "Federal contracts awarded to small businesses are a ‘win-win' – providing small businesses with the opportunity to grow and create jobs, and offering innovative services and essential goods to the government at great value to the taxpayers."
