DECISION REACHED: STOREDAHL CAN MINE

FOUR WILL BE INTERVIEWED FOR LIBRARY BOARD

The Clark County commissioners will conduct public interviews Nov. 16-17 with four applicants for the board of trustees of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library.

The four were selected by the commissioners from a field of 13 applicants.

The interviews will take place Tues., Nov. 16, 1-4 p.m., and Wed., Nov. 17, 3:30-4:30 p.m., in the county's Public Service Building, 1300 Franklin, Vancouver.

The four applicants are Greg Flakus of the Salmon Creek area, John Lifflander of Battle Ground, Carol Catherine McCaulley of Washougal, and Rosilee Kathryn Smith of La Center.

Mary Keltz of the commissioners' office said commissioners Judie Stanton and Craig Pridemore reviewed the 13 applications and selected the four people to interview based in part of their analytical skills, geographic diversity, and divergent perspectives.

Commissioner Betty Sue Morris was out of town, said Keltz.

Keltz declined to identify the other nine applicants.

Tom Armstrong of Battle Ground said he had applied for the board opening.

In his letter of application, Armstrong said he had worked to defeat two library construction bond measures because the library system allows children access to pornography.

Keltz can be reached at 397-2232.

NEW PATIENT TOWER SET FOR MEDICAL CENTER

Marcus Brotherton, staff reporter

A new tower is on track to be built southwest of the emergency department at Southwest Washington Medical Center, 400 NE Mother Joseph Pl., Vancouver.

The new, eight-story structure will provide space for 154 private patient beds, 15 operating suites and a new heart and vascular center.

Five new cardiac catherization labs and two open heart surgery units will be featured in the cardiac care portion of the tower.

Some 612 parking spaces will also be added as well as a new central plant to accommodate mechanical and electrical needs.

A new access road off NE 87th Ave. is set to improve entry into the hospital campus and reduce traffic volume on Mill Plain Blvd.

Center spokesperson Kenneth Cole said an increasing and aging population is driving the need for more hospital space.

"We're close to capacity every day right now," Cole said. "We need to keep pace with the region as it grows."

The Center is currently licensed for 442 beds, which will allow for the extra capacity added by the tower. About 270 beds are used daily now, Cole said.

Cole said the Center will undertake a variety of expansion projects over the next years including a new emergency department imaging suite.

One goal, Cole said, is to provide only single-patient rooms throughout the hospital. The Center's current structure for patients will be refurbished once the new tower is completed.

Patient rooms in the tower include accommodations for family members as well as waiting areas with connection ports for personal computers. Patients on the top floors will be able to view Mt. Hood and the Columbia River.

A lobby on the first floor will feature informational kiosks, a flower shop, cafe, resource center, outpatient pharmacy and lab services.

The entire tower is about 307,000 square feet. Colors representative of the northwest climate will be featured throughout the building.

A combination of 30-year bonds and Center savings will fund the $146 million structure. The hospital is a community-owned, non-profit organization.

Construction will begin on the tower in spring 2005. About 62 beds will be operational by December 2006. Full operation is expected by 2009.

CHURCH HEADQUARTERS TO BE BUILT AT JUNCTION

Alice Perry Linker, staff reporter

What is expected to be the signature building in a proposed Ridgefield business park is not a business at all. It is the headquarters for church offices.

The North Pacific Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church will build its regional office east of I-5 on 30 acres at the northwest corner of a 119-acre tract proposed for annexation to the city.

Ridgefield city council members will host a hearing on the annexation Thurs., Nov. 18, 6:30 p.m., at city hall, 230 Pioneer St.

About 70 acres of the total land proposed for annexation is owned by the Port of Ridgefield.

"The Port has said we'd be the signature building for an office park," said Norman Klam, chief financial officer for the region. "We really appreciate how the council members, the mayor and the city manager have been encouraging."

Regional offices that oversee state Adventist conferences in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho is temporarily housed on the third floor of the Columbia Tech Center in Vancouver.

Klam expects the annexation process to be finished by early spring. Construction will begin as soon as weather permits, he said.

The two-story, 45,000 square-foot building will sit on a hill above a wetlands area that the church will leave intact.

"We're considering a bike or walking path that enhances the wetlands area," Klam said.

Klam and conference president Jere D. Patzer have spearheaded plans for the new building, assisted by undertreasurer Gary Dodge and

association treasurer Robert Hastings.

"We've been thinking about this (the new building) for about six years," Dodge said.

In addition to oversight of state conferences, the North Pacific Union Conference works closely with the national and international church organizations, provides speakers to other areas and develops high-tech communication programs for the national church.

About 45 people will work in the new building.

Headquarters houses leaders in minority affairs, Hispanic ministries, education, government affairs, the trust and legal departments, and communications.

Economic downturns over the past few years have caused a reduction in the regional staff, Klam said.

When it comes to the new building, however, "We are not without dreams and creativity," Dodge said.

"We have some excess land there," Klam said. "We have thought that a medical clinic might be possible within the next five to eight years."

At this time there are no plans to build a clinic, he said. A separate corporation oversees clinics and hospitals.

UTILITY TO BUILD WELL IN FELIDA

Alice Perry Linker, staff reporter

Clark Public Utilities will have a new well online in the Felida area by summer 2005.

The well will pump about 1,000 gallons per minute and will be several hundred feet deep, said Mick Shutt, spokesperson for the utility.

The well and water treatment plant will be placed on the east side of NW 31st Ave. and south of NW 124th St. on property owned by the Vancouver School District.

"We have no shortage issues," Shutt said. "The well is already drilled and test pumped. We're doing the final stuff."

The utility drills about two or three wells each year, and is adding reservoirs to meet the population demand, Shutt said.

"The water demand is three times as high in summer," he said. "We build to meet the peak demand."

BG HUSBAND & WIFE BAG TWO BULL ELKS

Marcus Brotherton, staff reporter

Hunters know bagging even one bull elk in a lifetime is a noteworthy accomplishment.

But for the same family to get two bull elks in the same year is practically unheard of.

Tim and Mish Vanderhoef did exactly that.

Hunting separately, the husband and wife team successfully brought in two bull elk within days of each other.

With hunting season opening Nov. 6, Mish was the first to get her elk. Mish hunted alone on the Lewis Unit past Cougar on top of the Swift Creek Reservoir. The first day out she didn't get anything.

But the second day she saw a herd and circled around for a closer look behind the animals. She saw one four-by-four-point bull surrounded by five cow elk and shot from about 150 yards with a 30.06 rifle.

"I was pretty excited," she said. "This is my third animal in 10 years of hunting. Before, I've got a deer and a cow elk, but this was my first bull."

Mish grew up hunting, mostly in the Pine Creek area, she said.

Tim got his bull elk two days after Mish. He hunted alone just after dawn in the Trout Lake area and shot from about 70 yards with a 300 magnum rifle. He didn't know it was a bull at first because of heavy foliage cover, he said.

It turned out to be a five-by-six-point bull elk. Tim was told it is one of the biggest bulls ever taken out of the Trout Lake region.

Tim has hunted for about 22 years. Previously, he brought in a cow elk, a calf elk and two buck deer.

Because both were hunting alone, neither partner knew the other had success until Tim drove his into the family's yard with the elk in the back of his pickup truck. Mish was already in the process of butchering her animal.

"We were both surprised," said Tim. "I don't know if this will ever happen again. We'll have plenty of meat this winter."

The couple married in August. They hunt separately because that's what they are most familiar with, they said.

They have four children: Krutis, Tyler, Kendra and Corey.

Tim is employed at Ed's Economy Roofing. Mish is a special education job trainer at Battle Ground High School.

BG SCULPTORS BRONZE HIGHLIGHTED IN CENTER

Affordable senior housing at site

Heidi Wallenborn, news director

Place yourself in the shoes and moccasins of the key players of our nation's historic expedition, the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery...

Thus reads the first of six bronze interpretive plaques crafted by Battle Ground artists in the newly opened Lewis and Clark Plaza and Interpretive Center in downtown Vancouver.

Christina Demetro researched the 1804-1806 journey and put it into words and pictures, working with her dad, bronze artist Jim Demetro. Also on the wall are two, 3-foot diameter bronze replicas of the front and back of the peace medallion.

But the plaques are not all there is to see in the Center.

Dominating an area set aside for the journey's tale are four life-size bronze sculptures created by Jim Demetro of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Sacajawea with her baby boy, Pompey, strapped to her back, plus a Chinook Indian chief.

Clark is handing the chief a replica of a silver Jefferson Indian Peace Medal while Lewis and Sacajawea look on, forming a lifelike circle of history frozen in time.

Twenty-two bronze footprints lead to the circle from the entrance and are imbedded in the sand-colored floor. Each print has a saying from president Thomas Jefferson, Clark or Lewis.

Demetro worked on the project for about two years at his home studio in the hills east of Battle Ground after being approached by developer Elie Kassab.

Kassab was building an upscale plaza for lower income senior citizens 55 years and older to be named the Lewis and Clark Plaza.

Kassab wanted Demetro's work showcased in a glassed-in area called the Interpretive Center devoted to the Corps of Discovery. His vision was to make a place where students and teachers would come on field trips.

Inside the room, a television shows videotapes about the Lewis and Clark journey.

Demetro said the project appealed to him partly because he's always liked Native American history, and because the plaza area is close to the Lewis and Clark trail. The Center would be finished in time for bicentennial celebrations next year.

Demetro created Lewis and Clark's likenesses from portraits available from that era, he said.

Sacajawea was harder, because there are no known images of her. Demetro studied Shoshone Indian features and characteristics to create his own version of the famous guide.

Pompey's father was a white, French trapper, so Demetro created the baby to blend the two nationalities. In fact, Pompey has Demetro's grandson's eyes.

The Chinook chief was created much the same way, Demetro said, by researching physical features.

Incredibly lifelike, the chief's wary eyes are set in a weathered, leathery, and unsmiling face. His fresh catch of two salmon hang by a leather strap from his left hand. A worn blanket wraps around a partly naked upper torso. Long, stringy hair falls over his right shoulder.

Demetro creates detail such as the backs of the chief's heels being cracked and worn from being barefoot on bare earth. His right hand is cupped and outstretched to receive the medal.

Medals were presented to Indian chiefs as marks of friendship and peace. The front bears Jefferson's profile; the back features clasped hands and a crossed tomahawk and peace pipe with the inscription, "peace and friendship."

Demetro will be paid $150,000-$200,000 for his work.

"I love Jim's artwork," Kassab said.

In fact, Demetro has already begun work on bronze figures of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley that will grace the entrance area of Battle Ground's new cinema, now under construction at NE 199th St. and SR-503.

At the Oct. 27 grand opening ceremony of the Lewis and Clark Plaza and Interpretive Center, wine flowed and hors d'oeuvres were served by roaming waiters.

Kassab proclaimed the entire building to have purpose.

"It belongs to the community, and seniors 55-plus on a limited income, and for kids and teachers to learn," Kassab said.

"Besides being a public and tourist attraction, the Center will serve Clark County's school districts," he said, adding that several teachers have already asked about bringing students on field trips to learn about the expedition from beginning to end.

The Center is located at 621 Broadway, on the southeast corner of 7th and Broadway, Vancouver.

BG LIBRARY WILL SELL BUILDING

Fundraising underway for new facility

Heidi Wallenborn, news director

Applause erupted from the audience Nov. 8 when the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District board of directors announced they will sell the 1st and Clark building.

Some 15 citizens as well as library staff were present, said director Bruce Ziegman.

The building, located at 606 NE 1st St. in Battle Ground, was purchased in 1999 for $533,000.

Formerly the Battle Ground Community United Methodist Church, the building was purchased with the idea that it could be remodeled into a much needed, larger library community library, Ziegman said.

But voters said "no" to bond measures in 1999 and 2000 that would have paid for the remodeling.

Since then, what has become known as the 1st and Clark building (named after intersecting roads), is used for board meetings, conversational groups, political forums, meetings of the Friends of the Battle Ground Community library, and community and library events, and is rented to a day care parent co--op and a church group.

New library plans move forward

Library trustees declared the building surplus Nov. 8 and plan to have it "up for sale as soon as possible," said Ziegman.

Proceeds will go toward a new library, he said.

Clark County records show the 9,000 square-foot building is located on a tax exempt parcel equal to eight lots. There are two offices and more than 50 parking spaces. The total assessed property value including the building is $499,200.

Ziegman said it is too early to establish a sale price, because comparable values and an appraisal need to be done. The asking price will not be below the county's assessment, he said.

The current library is small and inadequate, say members of the Friends group.

The 3,869 square-foot building was constructed in 1959 and is surrounded by land owned by the Battle Ground School District at the corner of N Parkway and W Main St. The library District owns the building, but virtually no other property.

According to Battle Ground city clerk Annie Bocchi, the official Battle Ground census for 1959 showed 967 people lived in town. By 1960, the population grew by 25--to 995 citizens.

The population is now nearing 15,000 at a rate of about 12 percent annually. The library serves some 130,000, according to information from the Friends group.

Library patrons use three tables and 21 chairs in the building. The work space for 11 people is 600 square feet.

"People fall all over themselves in there," said Jane Higgins, development director for the Friends group.

Members of the Friends group decided they have waited long enough for help from city and school officials in securing land for a larger library.

Friends president Alex Mintz has said 20 years of waiting is long enough.

Higgins said time is crucial, and that if current efforts falter, "yet another generation" might not have an adequate library."

School District and city staff have met and discussed options for creating space for the library at its existing site.

One possibility is the city may swap about 20 acres in its Remy property on SW 20th Ave. for 4 acres on the high school site, which could then be used for a community center with a library.

The 20 Remy acres, designated for use as a park, could be used for a new school campus, officials said.

While school and city officials ponder the issue, library officials are pursuing developer Elie Kassab for a spot in the Gardner Center which is under construction on the corner of NE 199th St. and SR-503.

Kassab has said he welcomes the library on his property and would do whatever he could to help the Friends group dreams come true.

Library officials and Kassab declined to provide any more information other than they are negotiating.

"The progress on both fronts is good," Ziegman said. "Both parties are very interested in having us [in either place]. Everyone is very forthcoming and cooperative."

Ziegman expects a final decision to be made before the end of this year as to the new library site.

Higgins said the Friends group has taken charge of their own destiny.

"We've been on everybody's wait list," Higgins said, adding she understands school and city staff have had their hands full with a growing city. "But frankly, I was surprised to hear the city and school didn't want us to move."

"Mr. Kassab has opened the door and given us another option," she added. "We're thrilled to have somebody want us to be there."

Fundraising gets head start

Battle Ground Starbucks Coffee store has stepped to the plate with a $1,000 donation toward a new library.

Higgins referred to the gift as seed money for a fundraising campaign for the facility.

The $1,000 donation came after Mindy Westfall, 24, an Orchards resident and Community Lead for Battle Ground Starbucks, picked the library as her Make Your Mark Volunteer Program project.

"Literacy is one of the pillars for Starbucks," Westfall said.

Westfall recruited several Battle Ground co-workers during Harvest Days in July to work at the Friend's book sale.

Starbucks' Partner Giving Program then reimbursed their employees and Friends volunteers for their work with the $1,000 donation.

But the relationship between Starbucks and the library will not end there.

Employees are encouraged, and reimbursed for, volunteering time at the library to read to children, teach others to read and other work needed.

Westfall is also working to obtain a $10,000 literacy grant available through Starbucks that will likely be used toward a literacy wing in the new library.

"This is the first corporate backing donation we have received," Higgins said. "We believe we can privately finance this building."

Higgins admitted to excitement in her voice while speaking on the phone.

"Oh, wild excitement," she said.

People who have worked and given so much on this campaign since 1984 will finally see a new library, she said.

"It's going to happen," Higgins said. "We're not quitting until it's done."

WSU VANCOUVER EYES FOUR-YEAR PROGRAMS

Community needs drive programs

Bill Myers, staff reporter

If state legislators embrace the idea, Washington State University-Vancouver could become the first four year college in southwest Washington.

University officials are proposing that the university branch begin accepting freshmen students in 2006 for four-year baccalaureate programs.

University officials also hope to expand educational opportunities at the Vancouver campus in high technology, engineering, health care and teaching fields.

Chancellor Hal Dengerink said he anticipates a positive response from the university Board of Regents by Nov. 19 to a proposal that would grow the Vancouver campus to 4,800 students by 2015.

Created in 1989 as a branch campus of Washington State University, the Vancouver campus offers upper division and graduate programs to 1,940 part and full-time students. Most students completed freshmen and sophomore years at Clark or Lower Columbia colleges.

Dengerink said accepting transfer students from community colleges will continue to be a high priority at the university.

Legislation, surveys guided officials

University officials developed a proposal to expand the university in response to state House Bill 2707.

The bill directed university officials to study the role of the university branch in the community and determine how to best serve citizens, including projected costs of such services.

University officials sought opinions from the community and surveyed about 4,000 citizens in Clark and Cowlitz counties.

Survey participants included college-bound high school students, community college students, community college and university faculty members, university and college trustees and advisory councils and community leaders.

Surveys were augmented by focus group meetings, with citizens weighing in on the mission of the Vancouver campus, including graduate and research programs.

Dengerink said a clear majority of respondents favored inclusion of lower division (freshmen and sophomore) programs at the university, and a combined role as an upper-division transfer campus and four-year university. He said a high percentage of respondents want the university to retain a research role.

A four-year college facility is needed in southwest Washington, said Dengerink.

The Vancouver campus needs to meet growing community needs for graduates trained in high technology, engineering, health care and teaching professions, he said.

Census results from 2000 help make the case for a four-year higher education facility in southwest Washington, he said.

Statewide, about 27 percent of adults have bachelor or graduate degrees, said Dengerink. In Clark and Cowlitz counties, 19.8 percent of adults have such degrees.

In Seattle, 48 percent of adults have bachelor or graduate degrees. In Portland, 31 percent have degrees.

Funding in hands of state legislators

Dengerink said a decision about the role of the Vancouver campus will rest with state legislators. A proposal to expand to a four-year program and enhance high-demand programs in nursing, engineering and digital technology should be in the legislature by January.

An executive summary of the proposal identifies funding needs for operating the university with increased student counts at $8 million through 2015. The university branch now has about 175 full-time and 100 part-time staff members. Staff/student ratios at the university are maintained at about 1/20.

The addition of lower-division students and the evolution of academic programs would take more space. The proposal lists capital facility needs at $164 million to build an applied technologies and classroom building, an undergraduate classroom building, an education building, and more instructional, library and support space.

State legislator Bill Fromhold (D-49th District) supports the proposed expansion. He said university officials did the right thing by developing a proposal based on community needs and a plan that will continue to provide transfer programs for students at area community colleges.

SPEELYAI RAMP WORK NEARS COMPLETION

Bill Myers, staff reporter

Boaters at Lake Merwin will launch from a new ramp and docks at Speelyai Bay starting in December.

PacifiCorp spokesman Dave Kvamme said workers finished pouring concrete Nov. 5 to extend the existing ramp at Speelyai Bay.

Utility engineer Arnold Adams said construction added 45 feet to the ramp, making it 115 feet long. The longer ramp will allow boaters to launch at a water level 6 feet below a previous low-water ramp closure point.

New docks, 100 feet long and 8 feet wide, will be anchored next to each side of the ramp. Ramp users will be able to walk on the docks, escorting boats to and from deeper water.

PacifiCorp officials extended the ramp to provide more boat recreation time from Speelyai Bay when water levels are reduced. The utility manages Lewis River hydroelectric systems at Swift Reservoir, Yale Lake and Lake Merwin.

CURTIS MAY KEEP LA CENTER COUNCIL SEAT

Bill Myers, staff reporter

Newly-elected 18th District state representative Richard Curtis may wear two political hats and retain his La Center city council seat.

Curtis announced at a Nov. 10 city council meeting that he may stay on the city council "to finish what I started."

A Republican, Curtis has opposed development of a tribal gaming casino near La Center that could strip La Center of tax income from four card rooms.

The card rooms support the city with about $3 million in city taxes annually.

Curtis wants city boundaries expanded to I-5 for development of industrial sites and jobs.

"La Center voters know where I stand and count on me," said Curtis.

Curtis said state officials say he can legally serve as a legislator and city council member.

Wants to ease restrictions on small businesses

Curtis plans to work in Olympia to ease tax pressures and restrictions on small businesses.

Recent examples of pro-business positions include support of expanding gravel mining near the Lewis River, and support for Initiative 892, a defeated ballot measure that Curtis said would create more fairness for non-tribal gaming businesses.

Spending cuts must be on the agenda, said Curtis. At last count, the state has a billion dollar deficit, and fiscal discipline is necessary.

Curtis and other republicans will likely be in a defensive mode, he said, struggling against a Democrat majority to control spending.

"It will be easier if Dino Rossi wins the tight race for governor," he said.

Curtis said he could serve on as many as three committees. He prefers health care, financial institutions, insurance or transportation issues.

Working in a bipartisan way to help Clark County citizens will be a high priority, said Curtis.

Volunteers will help keep him connected with voters on legislative issues, he said. A team of about 30 volunteers will form committees, hold public meetings on transportation, health care, education, business and other important issues.

A captain and paramedic with the Vancouver Fire Department, Curtis will take leaves of absence from his job during legislative sessions. He will commute from Olympia to city council meetings if he remains on the city council.

Curtis had high praise for defeated Democratic opponent, Pam Brokaw.

"Pam earned my respect, and I'd like her to sit on one of the committees," he said.

Curtis is married and lives in La Center with his wife, Deborah and two daughters , Marissa, 17, and Alysha, 15, who attend La Center High School.

CITIZEN RIPS TIMING OF LA CENTER SEWER PLANT STUDY

Scoping meeting on casino environmental statement set Dec. 1

Bill Myers, staff reporter

A La Center-area resident ripped community Nov. 10 for a decision to spend $50,000 to study the feasibility of moving the city's sewage treatment plant to the junction of I-5 and NW 319th St.

Susan Gilbert, chairperson of the Enterprise/Paradise Point Neighborhood Association, said consideration of a plant near the junction could dilute or alter potential environmental issues surrounding a proposed tribal gaming center.

Gilbert said the announcement by city staff on the eve of an assessment by federal officials of potential environmental issues at the junction was poorly timed.

"Why no public input before appropriating $50,000?" asked Gilbert.

Land at the junction is under county jurisdiction, Gilbert said, yet Clark County commissioners had no knowledge of city plans to consider a sewer treatment plant in the area.

A $30,000 feasibility study done about a year ago concluded that costs of moving the city's urban growth boundary to the junction was prohibitive, said Gilbert.

"As far as I know, building a treatment plant outside an urban growth boundary is prohibited," she said.

Council member Richard Curtis said he heard Ridgefield officials may be thinking about building a treatment plant in the area.

"Sometimes we're forced by events outside the city," he said.

Curtis said council members need to know if a treatment plant could be built before calling a public hearing.

Council member Dale Smith agreed.

"I wanted to find out if [a treatment plant near the junction] is possible or if makes sense to do that," he said.

City attorney halts discussion

Gilbert handed out a list of seven questions about what she termed "hasty" plans by the city to get a new feasibility study.

City attorney Dan Kearns warned council members, "Best not to answer these on the fly."

At Kearns' suggestion, council members agreed to review the questions and respond to them on the city's website, www.lacenter.wa.com

Scoping meeting Dec. 1

Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs officials will hold a public scoping meeting Wed., Dec. 1, to hear testimony on potential impacts of a tribal gaming, hotel and convention center at the La Center/I-5 junction.

Bureau officials are preparing an Environmental Impact Statement that will assess impacts of a 160,000 square-foot casino, 210,000 square-foot restaurant/retail center, 150,000 square foot convention and entertainment facilities, 250-room hotel, a tribal cultural center, 10 to 25 housing units, a 200-space recreational vehicle park and parking space for 8,500 vehicles.

A necessary step before developing an environmental statement, the meeting will be held 6-9 p.m. in the Hudson's Bay High School commons, 1206 E Reserve St., Vancouver.

Written comments on the scope and implementation of the proposal, due Mon., Dec. 13, must be sent to Stanley Speaks, Regional Director, Northwest Regional Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 911 NE 11th Ave., Portland, OR 97232.

Citizen Kamie Biehl said citizens planning oral testimonies should also present their comments in writing to Bureau officials.

Washington, D.C. attorney warns of bias

A Nov. 10 letter from attorney Guy Martin, of the Washington, D.C. law firm, Perkins Coie, urged Bureau officials to involve members of state and local government as part of an interagency team early during the environmental review.

In the letter, Martin said bias would invalidate the environmental statement and must be avoided.

Martin and his firm represent the Chips, Last Frontier, New Phoenix and Palace casinos in La Center.

Meetings announced

City council members will hold a work session at city hall, 214 E 4th St., Tues., Nov. 23, 6 p.m., on Comprehensive and Capital Facilities plans, followed by a special meeting/public hearing at 7 p.m. on the proposed fiscal year 2005 budget.

The regularly-scheduled city council meeting set for Nov. 24 was canceled.

RIDGEFIELD BUDGET GETS COUNCIL NOD

Residents can expect spike in water and sewer fees

Alice Perry Linker, staff reporter

Ridgefield city council members adopted a 2005 budget that includes a 6 percent increase in sewer and water fees.

In discussing the increase in sewer and water fees, mayor Gladys Doriot said, "We should expect annual increases in the future."

"It's best to have a small increase in the cost-of-living adjustments every year instead of one big increase," Fox said. "We're trying to make these increases predictable."

Ridgefield water and sewer users did not see an increase in 2004, he said.

The new water rates will add about $1.04 per month or $12.48 annually to the minimum bill.

The new sewer rates will add $2.10 monthly or $25.20 annually to the minimum bill.

Rates will become effective Dec. 1, but homeowners and business owners will not receive statements until Feb. 1.

General fund deficit forecasted

The nearly $6.1 million budget represents a 28 percent overall increase in revenue over the current year.

However, the general fund portion projects a nearly $100,000 deficit with $2.4 million in income and $2.5 million in spending.

Former mayor Tavis Laspa, the only citizen to testify during the budget hearing, questioned the proposed deficit.

"I can't tell whether [the deficit] is capital improvements or operational," he said. "How long can we operate at a deficit?"

Interim city manager George Fox said the revenue projections are conservative for the next year, and indicated that revenue will likely be higher than projected.

"I think we'll beat that," Fox said.

The budget that was approved Nov. 4 also proposes that a business and operations tax be instituted during 2005 or 2006, although the budget does not include those tax revenues.

The proposed purchase of a K-9 police dog also drew questions from Laspa.

Police chief Bruce Hall said the $5,000 needed to buy and train a dog would come from drug fines and forfeitures.

But Hall later said that his top priority is to construct a new evidence room for $50,000.

Laspa said the source of funds for the K-9 is not clear and asked city staff to provide a line-item budget for the public.

Fox replied that city staff held budget meetings with council members before the hearings.

"In staff meetings with the council, we went over line-by- line items," he said.

After the meeting, Kay Kammer, chief financial officer, said the city is changing its accounting system and a line-by-line budget should be available for the public by the end of this year.

The budget was adopted, 4-0, with council member Tim Thompson absent.

Thompson later said that he would have opposed adopting the budget.

"We never sat down as a council in a work session and went over the numbers," he said. "There are a lot of huge salaries. A salary of $120,000 for a city manager is way out of line."

DEVELOPER GETS NOD FOR MIXED-USE AT JUNCTION

Alice Perry Linker, staff reporter

A Colorado developer has been given the go-ahead by Ridgefield city council members to create an overlay that will allow greater flexibility in the use on its land.

Pioneer Estates, an arm of the Schuck Corporation, owns property along the south side of Pioneer St. east of I-5, and a smaller piece on the northwest corner of the Interstate Junction. The corporation wants to tie the two properties together with an employment mixed-use overlay.

Council members approved the request at an Oct. 28 meeting.

Under the new rule, a mixed-use overlay allows the developer to include all of its property, whether contiguous or not, when preparing a development plan.

Mixed-use, normally reserved for contiguous properties, allows a mixture of industrial, commercial and residential uses.

The Schuck properties, separated by I-5 and other landowners, are zoned primarily for industrial use, although the properties on the east side of I-5 are covered by the overlay.

Under the overlay plan, most of the land must be used for industrial purposes, with 20 percent of the total acreage allowed for commercial and about 20 percent for residential. Properties within the overlay must be tied together with a pedestrian walk or other connector.

Council member Tim Thompson expressed some concerns about applying the overlay to the western edge of Schuck's land, because of the I-5 barrier.

"How do you physically integrate two sites that are a mile apart?" Thompson said. "How do you move people?"

Community development director Kevin Snyder, who supported the request, said integrating the properties would be the responsibility of the developer.

"There are no easy answers, it's a challenge," Snyder said. "The applicant must show how to meet that challenge. I don't think the city is giving anything away."

Schuck's representative, John Crist, said in an earlier interview that the mixed-use overlay would be preferable to applying for a zone change from industrial to commercial.

Crist said most of the interest in property west of I-5 has been commercial.

Following the council meeting, Crist said he expects to have specific information about development in the first quarter of 2005.

A change in zoning costs a developer $1,700 plus $35 per gross acre, according to city documents, and requires public hearings as well as a change in the comprehensive land use plan.

This is the second time the Ridgefield council was asked to approve the overlay for the two separate Schuck properties. In 2003, the council voted against such a change.

FINANCIAL HELP OFFERED IS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN

People who are raising their grandchildren may be eligible for financial help.

Under a new program offered by the Lower Columbia Community Action Council in Cowlitz County, and the Children's Home Society in Clark County, grandparents and others who raise children of their relatives can receive help with the cost of raising the children.

The Kinship Caregivers Support Program is a pilot program offered through the Southwest Washington Agency on Aging. The program helps pay the costs incurred by grandparents or other relatives when a child comes to live with them.

The financial assistance is for basic needs such as food, clothing and school supplies, as well as bedding and furniture.

"There are other needs that we can help with," said Libby Odden who manages the program in Cowlitz County. "For example, school uniforms, fees for sports and other activities, or medications the child requires" (may also qualify as program expenses).

Income guidelines apply. For example, a household of two with a monthly income of up to $1,500 is eligible.

Children must be under 18 years of age for relatives to qualify for help.

Any relative/relationship can qualify for the program, including relatives by marriage and step-grandparents. A sister caring for her niece or nephews is also eligible.

Once a family is approved, payments are made directly to vendors and service providers. No money is paid directly to the relative caregiver.

An eligible family could receive up to $1,000 a year under the program.

For information about eligibility in Cowlitz County, call Jessica Bradley, (360) 425-3430, or (800) 383-2101, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

For information in Clark County, call Bridget at Children's Home Society, 695-1325, ext. 4232, or the office of Children's Home Society in Battle Ground, 687-7126.

STATE COLLECTS CAMPAIGN SIGNS ALONG HIGHWAYS

Officials of the state Department of Transportation removed about 500 campaign signs from state highway rights-of-way in Clark County during the fall 2004 election cycle.

Department spokesman Dave Burkey, a traffic office engineer, said the number of signs removed from state property was more than usual.

Burkey said the signs were stored at highway maintenance facilities while candidates were contacted. About half of the signs were claimed, said Burkey, and the other half disposed of after a 30-day waiting period.

Burkey said he was not able to contact all candidates whose signs were removed from highway rights-of-way.

Crews were sometimes called out on weekends, said Burkey, to remove signs placed illegally.

Burkey said it is not always easy to determine right-of-way boundaries.

Burkey said signs removed were marked with location. If the same sign reappeared in that location, said Burkey, it was to have been confiscated. He was unsure if that occurred.

Burkey said he was unsure if more Democrat or Republican signs were taken down.

Burkey can be reached at 905-2262.

PRIDEMORE EXPECTED TO RESIGN EARLY

Clark County commissioner Craig Pridemore (D-Vancouver) continues to lead incumbent state senator Don Carlson in the 49th district senate seat race. Latest tally shows Pridemore with 23,632 votes (50.6%), to Carlson's 23,093 (49.4%).

The election results are to be certified Nov. 17.

Dan Ogden, a member of the Clark County Democrat Party central committee, said that Pridemore plans to resign Dec. 25 to allow the current board of commissioners--Betty Sue Morris and Judie Stanton--to select his replacement.

Ogden said the Democrat central committee will meet Dec. 13 to select three candidates for Pridemore's position, then forward those names to Morris and Stanton who will pick Pridemore's replacement. The selection could be made Dec. 14 or 15.

Ogden said Steve Stewart, who heads the Friends of Clark County environmental organization, has expressed interest in the post, along with Vancouver city council member Jeanne Harris.

Harris, said Ogden, is willing to move into commissioner district 3 before Dec. 13 to be eligible for appointment as a commissioner.

Harris ran Nov. 2 for a commissioner position from commissioner district 2, losing to Marc Boldt, 53%-47%. Ogden said Harris wants 30 days to move her official residence.

Harris said her understanding is that she need only show the intent to move into the district to be eligible for appointment.

Harris said she may rent an apartment in district 3 as evidence of that intent, even if she does not actually live there or spend nights there.

Harris said she would spend nights in the apartment "If I had too."

Harris said she has lived in Cascade Park for 20 years. Her children are grown, she said.

Harris said she has talked to Morris and Stanton and concluded that she had sufficient support to pursue the appointment.

Harris said she could work with Marc Boldt. "We ran a clean campaign," said Harris. "I look forward to working with him."

The Democrat party central committee will meet at 7 p.m. at the Longshore Hall, 1205 Ingalls, Vancouver. The meeting is open to the public.

Ogden can be reached at 254-8886.

LEGACY NAMES HOSPITAL HEAD

Thomas Zellers has been selected as administrator of the new Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital which is now under construction and slated to open in summer 2005.

In naming Zellers to lead the first new hospital in Washington in 25 years, Robert Pallari, Legacy president and CEO, pointed to Zellers' successful career in health care management. Zellers spent 16 years at Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane, including the position of Chief Operating Officer.

Zellers also spent three years as assistant hospital administrator at University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. Early in his career, he served as executive vice president and general manager of Unicare Inc., a longterm care company in Seattle.

Zellers' most recent employment was as executive vice president and hospital administrator for Eastern Maine Medical Center, a 440-bed hospital in Bangor, Maine.

Zellers holds a bachelor's degree in economics and business administration from the University of Virginia, and a master's degree in health services administration from the University of Washington.

Zellers said he is "excited to play a leadership role in providing for the community's health care needs in a brand new facility with the latest technology. I am looking forward to building strong partnerships in Clark County."

Zellers wife, Kerry Zellers, is a registered nurse with a master's degree in nursing from the University of Washington. They have a son enrolled at Washington State University, and a daughter who has already enrolled at Columbia River High School in Vancouver.

Zellers will begin work Dec. 6.

The new Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital will provide general medical, surgical, cancer, diagnostic, obstetrical and emergency services. It will also offer pediatrics and neonatal intensive care. The hospital, along with two nearby medical office buildings, will employ about 900 people. The entire facility is expected to open in summer 2005.