City Honors First Recipient Of New Dave Miletich Volunteer Coach Of The Year Award (Photo) - 12/03/25

Vancouver, Wash. – Vancouver Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services has established the Dave Miletich Volunteer Coach of the Year Award and recognizes Coach Karon Lewis as the first recipient for the 2024–2025 youth sports season.

Karon Lewis was selected as the inaugural winner. As a youth basketball coach, he is recognized for his ability to inspire young athletes, teach with patience and enthusiasm, and create an environment where kids grow their skills, have fun and leave every game smiling.

The new annual award celebrates volunteer coaches who demonstrate the compassion, encouragement and community spirit that defined the late Dave Miletich, a longtime City employee and cherished mentor who died in November 2023.

Miletich served the City for more than 17 years as recreation manager and assistant parks and recreation director. He was instrumental in the construction of Firstenburg Community Center in 2006 and the renovation of Marshall Community Center in 2007. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Miletich was a dedicated volunteer coach for his three sons and a champion for community-based recreation.

The Volunteer Coach of the Year Award was created to honor Miletich’s enduring influence and recognize the outstanding contributions of volunteer youth coaches who exemplify his spirit of service in Vancouver.

“Volunteer coaches are the heart of our youth sports programs,” said David Perlick, director of Vancouver Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. “It’s exciting to honor them through an award that also celebrates Dave Miletich’s legacy. Dave was an incredible colleague and leader who believed in the power of teamwork, fun, and helping others grow, the same values that make a great coach.”

“Our family is honored that the Volunteer Coach of the Year Award is named after Dad,” said Dave’s son Brady Miletich. “His commitment to making youth sports fun and inclusive impacted many families directly as a coach and indirectly by the example he set. We appreciate that his legacy is being recognized and instilled in coaches today and in the future.”

The Dave Miletich Volunteer Coach of the Year Award will be presented annually to one outstanding volunteer coach. In addition to receiving a personal certificate, the winners will be displayed on a plaque at Firstenburg Community Center, 700 N.E. 136^th, Vancouver.

For more information, visit www.cityofvancouver.us/coach-award.  

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New Flag To Be Raised At City Hall On Nov. 28 - Program To Also Include The Return Of The Salmon Run Bell Tower Glockenspiel - 11/20/25

Vancouver, Wash. – On Nov. 28, at 3:00 p.m., the City will host a short program to raise the new City flag at City Hall. The celebration continues with the official prize presentation at 3:45 p.m. as part of the annual Rotary tree lighting event. As part of the festivities, Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle will celebrate the return of the Salmon Run Bell Tower’s glockenspiel bells. The glockenspiel consists of 25 cast bronze bells, each weighing between 20 and 400 pounds respectively.
 

Run of Show*

Raising the new City flag at City Hall, 415 W. 6^th St.
 

3:00 p.m. -  Mayor, flag designers, and others to gather at the flag poles in front of City Hall

3:05 p.m. – Retire the old City flag 

3:07 p.m. – Flag designers Brooke Nugent and Nathan Hunter raise the new flag
 

Transition to the park across the street
 

Main Stage Recognitions, Esther Short Park Plaza, 605 Esther St.
 

3:45-3:48 p.m. – Mayor takes stage/welcomes community with Visit Vancouver

3:50 p.m. – Present flag designers with prizes, including the Key to the City

3:55 p.m. – Mayor makes remarks about the refurbished tower and glockenspiel 

4:00 p.m. – Bell tower glockenspiel rings on the hour  

4:02 p.m. – Tree Lighting program begins (Rotary Community Tree Lighting)

6:00 p.m. – Santa helps light the tree

*Time subject to minor changes inherent with large events

Visit Vancouver's Flag to learn more about the new flag, and visit Salmon Run Bell Tower Restoration to learn more about the restoration of the bell tower.
 

Vancouver City Council To Host Community Forum On Nov. 24 - 11/18/25

Vancouver City Council Adopts New Flag For The Community - Flag To Be Introduced At Event On Nov. 28 (Photo) - 11/10/25

Vancouver, Wash. – The Vancouver City Council unanimously voted to adopt a new flag after the community-led Flag Selection Committee presented its recommendation to the Council tonight.

“This flag is the result of thoughtful collaboration and creative input from across our community,” said Rose Mendoza, chair of the Flag Selection Committee. “Every element in the design reflects something meaningful about Vancouver, and it is a symbol we can all be proud of now and into the future.”

“Our new flag is a powerful reflection of who we are as a city,” said Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle. “It represents our natural surroundings, the iconic places that define Vancouver, and the creativity that makes our community special. This flag truly tells the story of a community on the rise.”

Residents were involved throughout the process. The City Council appointed a volunteer committee to select the flag from the 138 entries submitted. Once the committee selected the finalists, the City invited the public to provide feedback on them (1,438 responses were received). The committee used this feedback to inform deliberations and the final flag recommendation to the City Council. To ensure a fair and impartial selection process, all entries were reviewed anonymously, without identifying information. During the review, judges independently created two composite flags by combining elements from multiple submissions they felt worked well together. The original creators whose designs inspired these composites were credited for their contributions.  

Ultimately, the committee recommended a composite flag composed of elements from the flags created by Brooke Nugent and Nathan Hunter as the next flag for Vancouver. The new flag tells the story of a community shaped by the Columbia River, a deep sense of place, and the generations of people who have called this land home.

• The field of green symbolizes Vancouver’s natural environment, forests, parks, and commitment to sustainability.​
• The emblem draws inspiration from iconic Vancouver landmarks (Fort Vancouver, Salmon Run Bell Tower, and the Grant Street Pier). It is a nod to the past and a symbol of forward progress.​
• The white chevron is a strong V for Vancouver, a connection between the land and the water, and a path forward.​
• The field of blue represents the Columbia River and the community’s deep connection to the river that has shaped its culture, economy, and sense of place.

“Vancouver’s flag is meant to be shared, celebrated, and seen throughout our community and beyond,” said Communications Director Laura Shepard. “It is available for creative use, whether you want to print it on a T-shirt, make stickers, design merchandise, or even get a tattoo of the new flag. The only requirement is to keep the colors and layout true to the design. People can download the official files from our website and start creating.”

The new flag will be formally raised on the City Hall flagpole at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28, followed by a community introduction and official prize presentation at 3:45 p.m. as part of the annual tree lighting celebration.

Visit Vancouver's Flag to learn more about the new flag.
 

Vancouver Arts & Music Festival Named “Event Of The Year” For Southwest Washington (Photo) - 11/10/25

Vancouver, Wash. – The 2025 Vancouver Arts & Music Festival USA has been named Southwest Washington Event of the Year by the Washington Festivals and Events Association (WFEA). The festival also took home the award for Best PR/Media Campaign at WFEA’s annual Grand Summit awards ceremony on Oct. 30 in Bellevue, Washington.

Held July 31–Aug. 3 in downtown Vancouver, the free, four-day multi-disciplinary arts festival brought more than 50,000 attendees together to celebrate music, dance and visual arts. Produced through a partnership between the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA, the event showcased more than 60 performances across multiple stages, hundreds of local and regional artists, and generated an estimated $1.6 million in business sales for the community.

“This award recognizes what’s possible when our community comes together around the arts,” said Vancouver Cultural Services Manager, Stacey Donovan. “The festival’s success reflects the creativity, dedication and teamwork of hundreds of staff, artists, and volunteers who made it happen. It’s truly a shared accomplishment for our community.”

After just three years, the Vancouver Arts & Music Festival USA has quickly become one of the region’s largest free arts celebrations, offering an engaging mix of symphonic concerts, contemporary performances, cultural exchange and interactive art experiences.

“At its heart, the Vancouver Arts & Music Festival builds community through the shared joy of the arts,” said Igor Shakhman, CEO of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA. “Thousands of people of all ages gathered in Esther Short Park for our Vancouver Symphony Orchestra concerts with Renée Fleming, Mark and Maggie O’Connor, and Sharon Isbin. It was an inspiring demonstration of how civic and artistic partnerships enrich our quality of life and transform our community into a cultural destination.”

The 2025 festival was supported by more than 100 community volunteers, programming collaborator Clark College Foundation, Keller Foundation, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Oliva Family Fund, Waterfront Vancouver USA, and over a dozen other sponsors. Planning is already underway for the 2026 Vancouver Arts & Music Festival, which will continue to build on this year’s momentum to bring people together through creativity and connection.

For more information about the Vancouver Arts & Music Festival, visit www.vancouverartsandmusicfestival.com.

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City Launches Eleventh Annual Korey’s Joy Drive (Photo) - 11/07/25

Vancouver, Wash. – The City of Vancouver invites the community to support the eleventh annual Korey's Joy Drive with donations of toys and warm clothing for neighbors in need starting Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Korey’s Joy Drive honors the memory of Korey Cochran, a City employee who passed away from brain cancer in 2017. He received the rare cancer diagnosis just before the holiday season.

“Since establishing Korey’s Joy Drive, we’ve collected more than 16,000 items to support families in need during the holidays,” said Jen Thomas with the City’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department. “Thanks to the generosity of our community and local business partners, we’ve doubled the number of charities we can support.” From Nov. 12 to Dec. 10, City employees will collect gift cards and new, unwrapped toys and new youth, teen and adult winter coats, gloves, socks and hats. All donations will be delivered to seven local non-profits including: Children's Center and Open House Ministries, Sea Mar Parent-Child Assistance Program, Share of Vancouver, Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel, YWCA Clark County and Fosterful.

Community members can contribute at one of these public drop off sites:

· Edward Jones - Greg Hiatt - 5512 N.E. 109th Court, Suite D

· Firstenburg Community Center - 700 N.E. 136th Ave.

· Kazoodles Toys & Gifts – 13503 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd.

· Latte Da Coffee House & Wine Bar - 205 E. 39th St.

· Marshall Community Center - 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd.

· The Al Angelo Company - 400 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Suite 500

· Vancouver City Hall - 415 W. 6th St.

· Vancouver Fire Department Station 5 – 7110 N.E. 63rd St.

· Vancouver Operations Center front desk - 4711 E. Fourth Plain Blvd.

· Vancouver Police West Precinct - 2800 N.E. Stapleton Rd.

· Vancouver Police East Precinct - 520 S.E. 155th Ave.

· Vancouver Utilities front desk - 2323 General Anderson Rd.

· Water Resources Education Center - 4600 S.E. Columbia Way

· West Vancouver Dental – 117 E. 39th St.

Shop local while giving: Purchasing gifts from local retailers helps keep dollars in Vancouver’s economy, supporting local jobs and services. Community members are encouraged to buy toys for donation from local businesses like Kazoodles Toys & Gifts, 13503 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd. (or order online) and Lyon and Pearle, 607 Washington Street (or order online).

Contributions can also be made via an Amazon Wish List. Choose from a variety of pre-selected items or choose your own to be shipped directly to the Joy Drive.

Local businesses interested in hosting a collection site may contact Jen Thomas at 360-487-7019 or jen.thomas@cityofvancouver.us.

Learn more at www.cityofvancouver.us/koreysjoydrive.

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