MT. VERNON Thanks to the recent Casey Middle School renovation, educators there have created an expanded fitness program for students.

The building now has a much larger fitness center room, where physical education students can use stationary spin bikes, elliptical machines, treadmills and weight machines.

In addition, Casey has a new multi-purpose room that is used for aerobics and other high-energy activities. The room also functions as a cafeteria.

We want kids to take on healthy lifestyles, said Casey Principal Mary McGreer. We recognize that obesity and unhealthy eating has brought a rise in diabetes and other health-related conditions. If we help give them the skills and the tools, (then) they could live a longer, healthier, more productive life.

The $6.5 million Casey Middle School expansion/renovation was completed

this past fall.

Included in the project was the construction of a brand new, two-story addition for sixth grade students, as well as other improvements like the expanded fitness center and new multi-purpose room.

Prior to the renovation, the Casey school did have a fitness room, but it was much smaller than the current one.

I like it bigger, said Casey eighth grader Ellen Hoffman, who was exercising in the fitness center as part of her PE class Thursday. In the old fitness room, it was like all squished and jammed together, and now we have like a lot of room.

Eighth grader Deshawna Jennings was also working out in the center Thursday. She often runs on the treadmills and sometimes competes with her friend to see who can run the farthest.

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Casey expands center

Boones Ferry Concert: Features 1920s and 1930s jazz music by the Stolen Sweets - Jen Bernard, Keith Brush, Pete Krebs, David Langenes, Lara Mitchell and Erin Sutherland. 7:30 p.m. Sat, Jan. 25. St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, 8818 S.W. Miley Road, Wilsonville; $15 in advance, $18 at door; http://www.boonesferryconcerts.org

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Workshop Series:TheWilsonville Public Libraryis hosting a poetry course in celebration of the 100th birthday of former Oregon poet laureate William Stafford (1914-1993).

John Ehrstine, a professor emeritus of English at Washington State University, will conduct the first seven seminars in the library's Oak Room. Classes will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Jan. 29-March 12, at8200 S.W. Wilsonville Road.

Oregon Poet Laureate Paulann Petersen will kick off the series with a presentation and discussion about Stafford, who was chosen by the Oregon Library Association as this years Oregon Reads celebrated writer.

In 1942, Stafford registered with his draft board as a conscientious objector and was interned in Civilian Public Service camps where hard physical labor and discipline helped shape his career.

He began his life-long habit of writing in the early hours of each day. In 1964, he was awarded the Shelley Memorial Award, and in 1970 he was named a Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. Four years later, Gov. Tom McCall appointed him Oregons fourth Poet Laureate. Stafford also was a professor at Lewis & Clark College for many years.

Kim Stafford, William Stafford's son, will conclude the series on Wednesday, March 19, with a presentation titled You Must Revise Your Life: William Stafford on Poetry and Peace.

The Portland-area author will speak from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at McMenamins Wilsonville Old Church,30340 S.W. Boones Ferry Road. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Admission to the Jan. 29 and March 19 sessions are free.

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Stolen Sweets concert, William Stafford poetry course, Elevation Youth Ensemble play: Wilsonville events

BANGKOK: Thai shares recovered strongly on Thursday to a near four-week high on foreign buying as the capital Bangkok returned to calm after weeks of political unrest, while other Southeast Asian markets mostly ended firmer though Singapore underperformed. The Thai SET index outperformed the region with a 1.4 percent gain, ending at 1,308.34 points, its highest close since Dec. 26, Thomson Reuters data showed. The strong recovery was led by bank and energy shares. Foreign investors bought a net $56.55 million worth of shares on Thursday after the Thai market saw a $221.4 million outflow in seven straight sessions through Wednesday. Thailand's Constitutional Court on Thursday deferred a ruling on whether a general election scheduled for Feb. 2 can be postponed, as protesters who say they will boycott the vote kept up pressure on the government to step down. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra declared a 60-day state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding areas from Wednesday, hoping to prevent an escalation in the protests now in their third month. The Philippines index ended 0.5 percent firmer at its highest close since Dec. 3, led by a 3.8 percent gain in BDO Unibank Inc after the IMF raised the country's growth forecast. Cautious investors are awaiting directions from the U.S. Federal Reserve, which some market players expect to further trim its bond buying next week even as Chinese manufacturing data pointed to a mild slowdown in the new year. Vietnam's benchmark VN Index closed up 0.3 percent and the Jakarta Composite index ended up 0.4 percent at its highest level since Nov. 1. Bucking the trend, Singapore underperformed the region with a 1.1 percent loss, while Malaysia fell 0.3 percent with a foreign outflow of $100.23 million, echoing sluggishness in Asian markets as investors remained cautious about Chinese manufacturing data. SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS Change on day Market Current Prev Close Pct Move TR SE Asia Index* 385.41 385.16 +0.07 Singapore 3100.24 3133.74 -1.07 Kuala Lumpur 1808.31 1814.10 -0.32 Bangkok 1308.34 1290.49 +1.38 Jakarta 4496.04 4477.49 +0.41 Manila 6170.05 6139.86 +0.49 Ho Chi Minh 553.55 551.92 +0.30 Change on year Market Current End 2013 Pct Move TR SE Asia Index* 385.41 388.37 -0.76 Singapore 3100.24 3167.43 -2.12 Kuala Lumpur 1808.31 1866.96 -3.14 Bangkok 1308.34 1298.71 +0.74 Jakarta 4496.04 4274.18 +5.19 Manila 6170.05 5889.83 +4.76 Ho Chi Minh 553.55 504.63 +9.69 * The Thomson Reuters South East Asia Index is a highly representative indicator of stocks listed in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Stock Market Volume (shares) Market Current Volume Average Volume 30 days Singapore 234,692,700 170,291,380 Kuala Lumpur 177,386,100 106,887,910 Bangkok 4,576,686 4,843,166 Jakarta 3,157,704,200 2,909,648,633 Manila 71,511 67,948 Ho Chi Minh 73,716 88,539= Reuters

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SEA Stocks: Mostly Up, Thai up to near 4-wk high, M'sia down with foreign outflow of US$100mil