Drew to Acquire Happijac
Drew Industries has announced that its subsidiary, Lippert Components, has agreed in principle to acquire the assets and business of the Happijac Company, which makes camper jacks, bed lift systems for toy haulers, and slideout systems for RVs.

Drew, which is based in White Plains, New York, makes components for RVs and manufactured homes through its two subsidiaries, Kinro and Lippert Components. Happijac, which has more than $12 million in annual sales, produces its products at a 74,000-square-foot factory in Kaysville, Utah.

Thor Donates Second Trailer
Thor Industries has donated a second custom-built trailer made by its Airstream subsidiary to the Drive Against Prostrate Cancer program that Thor sponsors with the National Prostate Cancer Coalition. The mobile testing program offers free diagnostic exams throughout North America.

About 40,000 men have been screened for prostate cancer since the program was initiated in 2000. Symptoms of the disease were detected in about 7 percent of the men who were tested, and they were advised to seek further testing or treatment. Wade F. B. Thompson, Thor’s chairman and CEO, who initiated the program, estimated that it has saved 2,000 lives. More than 234,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and 30,000 die of the disease.

Lewis and Clark Center Open Again
The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Cape Disappointment State Park outside Ilwaco, Washington, is again open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily after cutting back hours while its parking lot was being repaired. The lot was damaged by a mudslide and heavy rains.

The center, which sits on a 200-foot high cliff, was created to tell the story of Lewis and Clark and their journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. Center admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children 7 to 17. For more information, phone (360) 642-3029.

California Offers Yearly Park Pass
California State Parks are now offering a yearly pass that provides parking and day use admission to 95 state parks and reservoirs for $90. The Golden Poppy Pass applies to most inland parks along with Seacliff State Beach and New Brighton State Beach. A complete list is available at www.parks.ca.gov.

CityPass Bundles Attractions
Tourists to Southern California, San Francisco and Seattle who plan to visit multiple attractions can obtain discounts via CityPass. The Southern California package includes visits to Universal Studios, Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure, Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. The pass is valid for 14 days from its first use and costs $199 for adults and $159 for children 3 to 9. Other restrictions apply. The company also offers passes to museums and other attractions in San Francisco for $49 and Seattle for $36. For information, visit www.citypass.com

Portland Tops Walk List
A new study by the American Podiatric Medical Association in cooperation with Prevention magazine has concluded that Portland, Oregon, is the “best walking city” in the U. S. The study authors looked at the percentage of active walkers, abundance of parks and number of people who walk to work to compile a top ten list of walker-friendly cities.

Following Portland in the top ten were Colorado Springs, Colorado; Madison, Wiscon-sin; Boise, Idaho; Las Vegas, Nevada; Austin, Texas; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Anchorage, Alaska; Fremont, California, and Raleigh, North Carolina. Despite its cold climate, Anchorage made the list because of its vast parks and the fact that many people walk their dogs in a city that leads the nation in dog ownership. Boise and Las Vegas both ranked high because of the number of people who exercise and participate in sports.

RVIA Adds to Staff
The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), which represents 550 manufacturers and suppliers in the RV industry, has hired Bill Baker as director of communications and publications, Wade Crounse as director of education, and Jane Jacobs as director of communications.

Washington Visitors’ Guide Available
A new 150-page Washing-ton State Visitors’ Guide is now available to help travelers plan vacations and book lodging. It contains maps, national and state park information and other features related to tourism.

The guide is published by the Washington State Hotel and Lodging Association, which also operates a related website, www.StayinWashington.com. The Washington state tourism office mails the guide free to anyone who orders it over the Internet at www.experienceWashington.com. Free copies also can be obtained at www.StayinWashington.com and by calling (800) 544-1800.

The Rally to Return to Redmond, Oregon
The Rally, an annual event that attracts thousands of RVers, will return to the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center in Redmond, Oregon, in 2007, organizers have announced.

Sue Bray, executive director of the Good Sam Club, one of the host organizations, said The Rally requires a site that can accommodate more than 5,000 RVs. The event was held at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, this year, and at Redmond in 2005. Bray said the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center handled the event very well in 2005. “Our 2005 Rally was highly successful at their facility, and we’re looking forward to an even better event in 2007,” she said.

The Rally, which is sponsored by RV industry affiliates of the Affinity Group, features four days of exhibits, seminars, entertainment and activities for RVers. It will be held July 19–22, 2007.