Gaston Rural Fire District

The firefighter recruits learn how to rescue people at motor vehicle accidents.

The volunteers of Gaston Fire singled out several firefighters for special honors Saturday night.

Dozens of families from throughout the area converged on Brown Park for Gaston Fire's annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Anticipation grew as eager children lined the fences around the ballpark on a nice Saturday morning.

Instructors from fire departments in Gaston, Banks, Forest Grove and Cornelius spent a chilly Sunday helping recruits from throughout western Washington County learn the ropes of firefighting.

Firefighter recruits from departments in Forest Grove, Banks, Fire District 2 and Gaston are participating in a two-month training academy in Gaston.

The academy is sponsored by the Western Washington County Training Association. The lead instructor is Gaston Fire District Lt. Clay Davis.

Sacramento, CA - Darryl Hairston, Acting Administrator of the U. S. Small Business Administration, announced that the SBA is making low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans available to small businesses economically impacted by severe winter storms in Oregon that occurred from Dec. 14, 2008, through Jan. 4, 2009.

The declaration covers Washington, Yamhill, Columbia, Hood River, Multnomah, Clackamas, Clatsop, Tillamook, and Wasco counties in Oregon and Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania and Wahkiakum in Washington.