Community Extra: Applause

New executive director at Little Red

The board of trustees of Little Red School House in Lynnwood recently named Terry Clark as executive director for the preschool.

Clark has many years experience in executive nonprofit work and is a recognized expert in the field of early childhood development. She is an innovative leader in using parent coaching in the child's natural environment to help infants, toddlers and their families.

Clinton woman named secretary

Members of The Daughters of Norway Ester Moe Lodge No. 39 of Whidbey Island recently participated in the national centennial convention in Tacoma. More than 250 delegates from around the country.

At the convention, Judy Hadlock of Clinton, a charter member of Ester Moe Lodge, was elected secretary of the Grand Lodge board. She works for Whidbey Telecom and owns the Speedboat Cafe in Clinton on South Whidbey Island with her husband, Jeff. Hadlock will spend the next two years attending meetings in various states and regions in her capacity as secretary of the board.

In addition to Hadlock, this year's delegates to the convention were DeAnn Lofthus-Olson, president; Marcia Comer, secretary; Janice Dakin, financial secretary; and Karen Davenport. Others who attended the convention included Salli Schonning, vice president; Mary Spurgeon, parliamentarian to the Grand Lodge board; Liz Leese, who taught rosemaling classes at convention with the assistance of Pat Nostrand and Linda Spencer; Carolyn Haroldson; and LaVerne Tiedeman.

Ester Moe Lodge has more than 100 members from Anacortes, Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Greenbank, Freeland, Langley, Clinton and as far away as California and British Columbia. The Ester Moe Lodge hosts its annual NordicFest on Nov. 8. The club welcomes members of Scandinavian descent or family connection.

Polish firefighter visits Snohomish

@1. a BODY STYLES:The Snohomish County Fire District No. 1 recently played host to Maciej Skulich, a fire officer candidate from Jaworzno, Poland, a city of 100,000 located about 20 miles from Warsaw. Skulich spent the past month riding along with the Snohomish firefighters and learning about the fire service in the United States.

Skulich visit was part of an exchange program through the International Association of Fire Chiefs. He was one of 10 students chosen to participate in the program this year.

Skulich plans to start his third year of training at the Main School of Fire Service, a national training academy in Warsaw, where he will earn a bachelor's degree in engineering. When he completes his education, he will be assigned to a post in Poland's national fire service.

During his time at Fire District No. 1, Skulich worked at Mariner fire station riding along with crews and participating in drills including hands-on training for trench rescue, hazardous materials response, roof ventilation and a mock disaster simulating an airplane crash at Paine Field. Skulich also trained with Fire District No. 1 firefighters at the Washington State Fire Academy in North Bend.

Arlington first-grader gives toys to kids

Arlington first-grader Jaea Jacobs-Davidson recently held her seventh birthday party at the Imagine Children's Museum in Everett. She asked her friends to bring a toy to give to Toys for Tots rather than gifts for herself.

Jaea is first-grader at Eagle Creek Elementary school in Arlington, where she is a cheerleader for the Arlington Youth Cheer Pee-wee football team.

Service group sends supplies to Iraq

Everett Emblem Club No. 523 member Susie Locke recently celebrated her 65th birthday by collecting and sending supplies and donations to her grandson Pfc. Michael Sadler and his fellow soldiers in Iraq. Sadler is serving with the U.S. Army Delta Force in Baghdad. He is the son of Tyler Sadler and Penny Moore and the grandson of Susie and Roy Locke.

Emblem Club members collected more than $1,700 at the VFW in Everett for Locke's birthday, then sent 40 boxes to Iraq filled with supplies including flea powder, acne powder, body wash, shampoo, razors, toothpaste, laundry soap, dental floss, foot-spray towels, wash cloths, toilet paper, footballs, basketballs and hand pumps for inflating the balls.

Horse-riding program names new director

A Langley-based therapeutic riding program recently named Karen Newman as its new executive director.

Newman joins Horsemanship Opportunities for Potential Equestrians, or HOPE, as a paid staff member after many years as a volunteer.

Newman first helped with lessons and later served as a member of the HOPE board of directors and as a board president. She is also a past member of the Whidbey Island Share A Home board of directors and has volunteered with many other Whidbey Island nonprofit organizations.

Newman has more than 20 years experience as an attorney in the practice of business trial law, representing some of the country's largest corporations. In her new post, Newman will be responsible for the legal, administrative, financial and fundraising aspects of the organization.

Denise Boyett, former executive director, now becomes program director.

The HOPE program has existed for 22 years and served approximately 75 riders this year in its therapeutic riding and driving lessons.

Whidbey islander tops in animal award

South Whidbey Island resident Linda Fauth recently was named one of 10 finalists nationwide in the Animal Planet Cat Hero of the Year awards.

Fauth is affiliated with the Whidbey Animals Improvement Foundation on Whidbey Island. She was among several thousand people who were nominated for the award. Fauth was nominated by Mary Jo Adams. Voting ends Monday.

Everett woman in magazine ads

Judy Hoff, president of Recovery for Life Training Center in Everett, recently was featured in Nabisco's two-page "100 Extraordinary Women" advertising piece that was published in issues of Time Inc. Magazines including People, In Style, Real Simple, Cooking Light, Health and Entertainment Weekly.

Mill Creek honors realty association

The city of Mill Creek recently recognized the Snohomish County-Camano Association of Realtors for its donation of a sound system and canopy to the city's community events program. The sound system and canopy were used for the first time at the city's recent 25th anniversary celebration.



To submit a story for the Community Extra Applause column, call Leita Hermanson Crossfield at 425-339-3449 or e-mail lcrossfield@heraldnet.com. Please include a subject line.