Last week I had the opportunity to attend the 2015 Diversity Summit sponsored by Portland General Electric (PGE).

The theme of this year’s summit, “Diversity and Innovation,” spoke to the desire of organizations that are looking to a diverse workforce for innovative ideas in order to provide their customers with exceptional services and products.

I recently took the trip of a lifetime to Washington, DC (and beyond) as a chaperone for my granddaughter Maria’s 8th grade class. I’ve always been patriotic, and learning more about our nation’s history while standing in the places where so many important events occurred only strengthened my patriotism. Since my granddaughter attends Cornerstone Christian Academy, we also learned more about the role faith played in the lives of our Founding Fathers as they built and fought for the freedom we have today.

Every spring, The College of Art and Architecture at the University of Idaho hosts a daylong interactive conference entitled "Inspiring Design Futures." The conference celebrates the inspiring journeys, compelling professional achievements, and visionary community works made by College of Art and Architecture alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends.

Some people are always ready to lend a hand – even when on vacation. Our own Frank Costanza is one of those people, and a family from Aberdeen is very lucky and thankful that Frank and a few of his friends were nearby last May to rescue them from chilly Willapa Bay when their boat capsized. The details of how that event unfolded are in this news story from the Chinook Observer.