In brief: Renaming school; run/walk for water

Meeting will look at new names for school

Community members will meet Monday, May 22, to discuss possible new names for Columbus Elementary School. The public session will start at 4 p.m. in the school gym.

Columbus, located at 1600 S.W. Fellows St. was named in honor of explorer Christopher Columbus. An older school on Highway 99W near Cowls Street also carried the name; it was destroyed in the 1993 Spring Break Quake and rebuilt in southwest McMinnville.

Fourth-grader Sailor Houston asked the district to consider changing the name when she was in second grade, saying that Columbus trafficked in slaves and that his actions nearly destroyed native populations.

A committee studied the issue and decided a name change was needed. That led to searching for community input on possible new names.

For more information, call 503-565-4000.

Run/walk raises money for water

A 6K run and walk on Saturday, May 20, will raise money for clean water in the developing world.

The event will start at 10 a.m. Saturday at the McMinnville Covenant Church, 2155 N.W. Second St. Similar run/walks will be taking place in other cities, states and countries.

Entrants pay a registration fee of $50 per adult and $25 per youth 18 and younger. Proceeds go to World Vision and Covenant Kids Congo efforts to supply water.
For more information and registration, go to global6k.worldvision.org.