ALBANY

City map wins cartography award

The updated city of Albany street map won first place for best cartography in a competition among geographic information systems users in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada.

The competition took place at a conference for users of Environmental Systems Research Institute software, which provides the GIS software used by the city of Albany. The conference was held in Tacoma, Wash.

The Albany map was created by Willis Hill, a GIS analyst with the city. Hill has worked for the city for 29 years, doing GIS for the last 10 years, including mapping, analysis, application development and data management.

Hill created the new map with a recently upgraded version of the ESRI GIS software. The map features shaded relief of topographic contours and a new background color.

Copies of the map may be purchased for $5 each at the Public Works Department counter on the second floor of Albany City Hall, 333 Broadalbin St. S.W.

Fifteen maps were considered in the competition, with all entries evaluated in each of three categories: most interesting, best analysis and best cartography.

GAPS students taking water safety classes

Water Awareness at the Albany Community Pool starts today for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders in the Greater Albany Public School District. Each student will participate in an eight-day water safety unit.

The program consists of improving swimming skills, lifejacket safety, boating safety, and learning how to help someone in the water who is in trouble, without putting yourself into danger.

The last four years of the program have been made possible by an anonymous donor, without whom the program would have ended in 2003.

Parents are encouraged to come and watch. For more information about the program, contact Amy Bennett at the Albany Community Pool at 967-4521.

SAHS polo teams to host car wash

The South Albany High School boys and girls water polo teams will host a car wash at the 7-Eleven on Queen and Geary from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The funds earned from this event will help support the teams' needs for equipment, referee fees, and other tournament expenses.

To help the teams in other ways, contact coach Ben Weinberg at rebelpolo@hotmail.com.

Rummage sale will aid D.C. trip

Eighth-graders at Calapooia Middle School going on a trip to Washington, D.C., next spring will hold a fundraising rummage sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the cafeteria at the school, 839 24th Ave. S.E.

Donations may be dropped off at the school from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday; organizers request no heavy items.

For more information, call Covie Quick at 967-4555.

Fire department to host child safety seat clinics

The Albany Fire Department will hold four child safety seat inspections this fall. The first will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Ray's Food Market in North Albany.

Three other clinics will be held at the department's Station 12, located at 120 34th Ave. S.E. Dates are Oct. 13, Nov. 3 and Dec. 15. Bring your car with the seat in it, and firefighters will make sure it's secured correctly and give you any information about recent safety recalls.

For more information, call the fire department at 917-7700.

Democrat-Herald