TROOPER'S MOM RECALLS "EXCEPTIONAL" SON
Military, law enforcement honor deceased officer
Heidi Wallenborn, news director
Loving husband. Devoted father. Honored soldier. Dedicated trooper. True friend to all.
These were words on a screen during state Patrol trooper Scott Piva's March 21 memorial service helt near Orchards.
Piva's daughter, Josie, 8, spoke about her dad to hundreds of people gathered to honor him.
Standing in a pink dress with her long brown hair pulled back, she spoke softly into a microphone while her grandfather hovered behind her.
"My dad was a great father and I'm going to miss him a lot," she said. "He's the greatest father I could ever have."
Only son
Piva, 35, was also an only son. "An exceptional son," said his mother, Kathy Leskowitz of Yreka, CA.
Piva was found dead by his wife, Danyel, in their Amboy home March 15 where he'd fallen asleep on the floor.
The Clark County Medical Examiner's Office has not issued an official cause of death yet while officials await the results of several tests. His death was not suspicious, officials said.
Leskowitz said the family was told that Piva's heart failed with two arteries 95 percent blocked, and that he had fluid in his lungs.
Piva had been on stress-related medical leave from the state Patrol for several months, Leskowitz said.
"He took himself off work due to high on-the-job stress," she said. "He felt it would be a disservice to everyone to continue."
The two spoke on the telephone nearly every day. The night before he died, he told her how excited he was about going back to work the next day after he passed a fitness exam in Olympia. He was to leave early in the morning.
"He was so pumped about going back to work and serving the community," she said. "His favorite part was getting DUIs off the road. He was so happy that night. He said he was going to go to bed early."
Prankster, negotiator, talker
Piva was born April 8, 1969 in Mt. Shasta, CA and grew up in Weed, CA--a comment that brought chuckles because of his prowess as a drug recognition expert.
"He had a nose for it--he was better than a drug sniffing dog," said Bruce Dillon, pastor of Summit View Church where the service was held. Leskowitz said her son's vocational choice surprised the family--no one ever thought he'd want to be a policeman or go into the military.
"Paul [his step-dad] was a retired Navy man and could be harsh," she said. "Scott was raised in a military environment. And he was always trying to outsmart the cops."
Piva spent a lot of time with his uncle, Leskowitz's brother Mike Shannon. Before Leskowitz married Paul, Shannon was his only strong, male influence, she said.
Piva danced to the beat of his own drum, too. He wanted a mohawk haircut. Shannon gave it to him. His mother screamed when he came home. Piva didn't mind that other children teased him, Shannon said after the service. In fact, Piva said he had an advantage on the swim team because his hair sliced the water in front of him.
At 4, the youngster began practicing for a trooper career with a daredevil ride in a dune buggy. He released the parking brake, went down a driveway and onto the road for about one-fourths of a mile and crashed into a neighbor's fence. At 6, he "borrowed" his uncle's go-cart--and crashed it into a neighbor's fence.
Piva stuffed a forbidden pet rat into a sock drawer and scared his mom. Once he handed a box of candy to an aunt--with an ugly spider, a bumblebee, and a caterpillar in it.
In second grade, Piva tormented his teacher. She is reported to have talked in her sleep, "Scott sit down. Scott please stop talking."
When in trouble, Piva was a good negotiator for a lowered sentence, Dillon said.
In school, he was on the swim team, football team and was "excellent in baseball."
"He was always laughing," Leskowitz said. "He always found something good or funny in everything. He had a terrific sense of humor."
But as he aged, a new side of her son emerged--opening doors, respectful of others and putting them first. He began to set his heart on the military.
Army calls, patrol follows
After high school, Piva joined the U.S. Army. He excelled. Leskowitz said he went into basic training and came out "simply polished. He went in a boy and came out a man."
Piva received several honors and medals, including helping liberate Kuwait in Desert Storm. In fact, he was in the reserves, and was scheduled to go to Iraq in May.
Piva served in the Army for nearly 12 years until he received an honorable discharge in 1997 while stationed in Ft. Lewis.
Shortly afterward, he married Danyel who lived in Yreka. He was a single dad with Hunter, then 3, and Josie, nearly 2. He adored his wife and children.
The family moved north and Piva entered the academy to work for the state Patrol. He was hired in 1999 for the Vancouver detachment. He quickly became the state's top DUI and drug arrester. In 2002, he was given the Chief's Award for Professional Excellence.
Piva's close friend and fellow trooper Greg Riddell from the Vancouver detachment said, "I loved every moment I had with him. I'll miss him dearly."
Trooper Garvin March said, "Scott was a good man, a good trooper. He will be sorely missed."
Piva was given military and law enforcement honors in the pomp and ceremonial service.
Elite 82nd Airborne Brigadier Gen. Gordon Toney presented the flag-draped casket with two posthumous medals for Piva's dedication to duty and meritorious service. He then presented them to Piva's widow and children.
"Well done, Sgt. Scott Piva, well done, Scott," Toney said while saluting. "Be thou at peace."
The six-man Vancouver detachment said farewell in a final call to their comrade.
"Vancouver 632 (Piva) what is your status?" There was silence. One by one, Piva's team called his number and asked his location. No one answered.
Then a final, "632 is out of service, but never forgotten." The church filled with sobbing.
Piva is survived by his wife of six years, Danyel, at home in Amboy, son Hunter, 9, daughter Josie, 8, mother Kathy Leskowitz and sister Shannon Leskowitz, 12, both of Yreka.
State Patrol has set up an account at Washington and Idaho branches of Bank of America under the name Piva Family Fund. The Battle Ground Fred Meyer store, where Danyel is employed, is also taking donations.
For more information, contact trooper Garvin March at 449-7960 or Fred Meyer at 666-5100.
TRIAL PUT OFF FOR MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING SERGEANT
Prosecutor won't seek death penalty
Heidi Wallenborn, news director
Robin Schreiber, 44, won't be tried for allegedly killing a Clark County sergeant until late this fall, more than one year after the incident took place.
County prosecutor Art Curtis and Tom Phelan, Schreiber's attorney, agreed to the delay and scheduled a trial for Mon., Oct. 17. The trial was to have begun April 4.
The delay is due to the difficulty in recreating the scene where Schreiber reportedly rammed his Ford truck into Sgt. Brad Crawford's patrol car July 30 last year, said Curtis.
Curtis called the process long, laborious and man-power intensive. He's fairly certain the October date will be the actual one, he said.
Schreiber will not face death sentence
If convicted of aggravated first degree murder, Schreiber faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. He could have also faced the death penalty because of aggravating circumstances.
But on March 4, Curtis announced he will not ask the state Attorney General Office to seek the death penalty. Crawford's family supports the decision.
Curtis' decision not to file is an "exercise of discretion based upon legal and evidentiary considerations," he said.
Since 1981, four death penalty sentences were sought out of 19 aggravated murder convictions. Out of those four, three were imposed by juries, Curtis said.
For that penalty, a jury has to find beyond a reasonable doubt that there are not any reasons to be lenient, such as mental stability at the time of the criminal act.
In addition, the prosecutor must prove there is enough evidence to support a conviction of an underlying circumstance apart from murder, such as Crawford was an on-duty law enforcement officer.
On July 30, Schreiber reportedly broadsided Crawford's car as the sergeant blocked traffic in the area.
Schreiber's girlfriend had called 911 to report a domestic disturbance with a suicidal man. Deputies report seeing Schreiber crawl across the front porch with a rifle in his hands and enter his truck.
Witness reports say Schreiber drove recklessly across a pasture taking out fence posts before reaching NE 114th St. in Brush Prairie. Witnesses told police Schreiber turned his truck toward Crawford's car and accelerated, according to court records. Crawford, 49, a husband, grandfather and father of five, died a few hours later in a Portland hospital.
"This is an extremely emotional case for many, many people," Curtis said, adding that there has been an outpouring of care for both the Crawford and Schreiber families.
"Irrespective of what occurs from here on, the untimely, tragic and senseless death of [Crawford] cannot be minimized," Curtis said.
WILCO MOVES TO MORE SPACE IN BG
New departments offer clothing, boots, pet services
Bill Myers, staff reporter
Wilco in Battle Ground reopened March 30 at a new location in the Battle Ground Plaza at 815 W Main St.
The move greatly expands product inventories and services to north Clark County customers, said store manager Mike Williams.
The new location of the farm and home supply retail outlet is a 35,000 square foot building. Completely remodeled by Wilco at a cost of about $1 million, the site was formerly the location of Meyers Market Place and other grocery outlets.
The building has been empty since December 1999.
Winco officials closed the previous location at 209 E Main St., formerly the Cenex store. The property is for sale, listed with Norris Beggs & Simpson Realty of Vancouver.
Work and western garb
A new department at the expanded location will offer work and western wear. The department carries Carhartt, Wrangler and Levi clothing brands. Footwear includes Georgia, Canner, LaCross, Justin and Muck boots.
The Work and Western Wear Department carries cowboy/girl hats and Montana Silver accessories.
Customers find a new service, pet grooming, in the Pet Supply Department.
Melissa Anderson, with 13 years of pet-grooming experience, washes, grooms and clips nails of dogs and cats.
The new location has more space for an outdoor Garden Center and Paint, Hardware, Livestock and Pet supply departments. Horse owners find more equestrian supplements and tack.
The store will also continue a tradition of offering live poultry, said Williams.
More wild bird supplies include houses, "how to" books, and bird treats.
Additional parking on a newly paved parking lot and expanded floor space make it easier for customers to shop, said Williams. The former store had only 15,000 square feet to use.
Products, such as a selection of Dee Zee truck boxes and Fill-Rite fuel transfer pumps, are now more visible to customers, he added.
Customers can pick up large orders at a convenient canopy-covered load-out area at the west-front of the now light grey building with blue trim. Large orders typically include fencing materials, stall supplies, bags of feed and fertilizer.
Customers in the new store will see the same smiling faces that they came to know at the previous location, Williams said.
"It's a fantastic experience to move to a new location with such great employees," he said.
Battle Ground Wilco has 25 employees. Three new employees filled new positions at the expanded location.
Wilco has seven other outlets in Oregon at Oregon City, Canby, Silverton, Newberg, McMinnville, Stayton and Tangent. According to store officials, Battle Ground Wilco is one of the Mt. Angel, OR-based co-op company's best performers.
Wilco bought the profitable Cenex business in April 2004. Officials said the move to the new building is in line with the company's vision and core values that enhance customer lifestyle and success by providing an upscale environment for customers.
The Battle Ground location is the Oregon company's first in Washington. Wilco is a member-owned cooperative with over $100 million in sales.
Joy in the Plaza
Other Plaza business operators contacted by The Reflector are happy to have Wilco as a neighbor.
Pat Bates, co-owner of the Rose Boutique, a flower and gift shop, said she feels good about the change.
"Far better than an empty building," she said.
Jan Jones, manager at Battle Ground Pharmacy, said she is "ecstatic" about her new neighbor.
"I'm happy about it--it's a great improvement for the Plaza," said Dawn McLeskey, owner of Espresso Express.
"Awesome!" said Christy Smith at Unique Hair Design. "It's like a breath of fresh air having Wilco here."
Store hours are Mon.-Sat., 8 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sun., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The store may be reached at 687-3113.
MIXED REPORTS FOLLOW CASINO TRIPS
Several non-English speakers hired at Connecticut casinos
Bill Myers, staff reporter
City and school officials reported various impacts from tribal gaming after mid-March travel to Connecticut casino areas.
Travelers included school superintendents and elected officials from La Center and Ridgefield, staff members from Ridgefield, Port of Ridgefield and Vancouver.
Plans by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe to build a large casino and hotel complex at I-5 and NW 319th St. at La Center prompted the fact-finding trip.
Currently, the tribe is completing an Environmental Impact Statement. Tribal officials have asked U.S. Department of Interior officials to take 152 acres at the site into trust. They want Interior officials to designate the land as the Tribe's "initial reservation." Approvals would pave the way for tribal gaming.
The Connecticut travelers hoped to evaluate impacts of the Mohegan Sun and Fox-woods casinos to area economies, schools and public services of neighboring towns. Mohegan tribal leaders have pledged financial backing for the Cowlitz enterprise.
Ridgefield Port commissioner Joe Melroy said visits with ordinary citizens in communities near Connecticut casinos presented him with no reasons to oppose a tribal casino.
La Center city council member Dale Smith said he chatted with people "on the street" near the Connecticut casinos.
"After chats, I asked each person if he/she would rather have the casino near them or not," said Smith.
About 80 percent said they would rather not have the casino nearby, Smith said.
La Center city council member Linda Tracy said few employees make family-supporting wages at the casinos. Dealers make $5.25 plus tips. Housekeeping and other support staff are similarly paid, she said.
However, sxcellent employee benefits, including three free meals, health insurance and day care, are provided by casinos, said Tracy.
Tracy remains convinced that a tribal casino near La Center will devastate city card rooms that pay a lion's share of city tax receipts.
Ridgefield chief of police Bruce Hall said Montville, a town near the Mohegan Sun, had 12 police officers in 1992-1993 when the casino was built. The town now has 22 officers--a growth rate of about 6 percent per year.
Hall said crime follows money and tracks with population growth.
When the two casinos in Connecticut were built, thousands of people were hired and helped heal an area economy blighted when the end of the Cold War closed defense industries, Hall said.
Connecticut tribal leaders are excellent business people, said Hall. Casino managers meet increasing staff needs by hiring immigrant workers--several who didn't speak English.
Law enforcement agencies need translators at scenes of arrests and in courts when non-English speaking people are involved, said Hall. A typical bill for an interpreter at Battle Ground District Court is $97.
Language impacts and the costs of adding police officers should be included in negotiations with the tribe, said Hall.
School officials also see language as a potential challenge.
Ridgefield school superintendant Mary Vagner said schools near the Connecticut casinos deal with 32 different languages or dialects.
Vagner and La Center superintendant Chuck Anderson said their districts could be required to educate a diverse population of children whose parents work in the casino.
Teaching parents to speak English could be another challenge.
Anderson said Connecticut casinos initially satisfied staffing needs by hiring area unemployed workers. But as staffing needs grew from 10,000 to 20,000, casino managers began to actively recruit unskilled workers from foreign countries, he said.
By law, districts are required to meet needs of children. This means hiring teachers who can communicate with children who can't speak English.
Vagner said much can be learned from Connecticut school experiences. The Mohegan and Pequot (owners of Foxwoods) tribes pay the state 25 percent of slot machine proceeds. But state legislators allow only a small trickle-down back to the small communities and school districts, she said.
"School district officials are not angry with tribal members," said Anderson. "They are not happy with the way the state disperses funds."
Vagner and Anderson said they and other service providers must be at the table during negotiations with tribal leaders to evaluate--and mitigate impacts.
Ridgefield city manager George Fox said Clark County and Ridgefield, already growing at a high rate, can easily absorb growth from a tribal casino.
Fox said he doubts the dire impacts on schools in Connecticut, a state near metropolitan areas of New York City, NY and Boston, MA, will be felt here.
"We might have to teach in two or three languages," he said.
The Mohegan tribe paid for sewer and water upgrades in Montville, and transportation impacts from casinos are minimal, said Fox.
There will be a need for affordable housing if the Cowlitz project is approved, Fox said.
Citizens near the Mohegan Sun applaud Mohegan tribal leaders for making positive contributions to their community, Melroy said.
A real estate salesperson in Ledyard said Pequot tribal leaders don't make the same effort, he added.
Travelers agreed that visitors to casinos tend to stay at the casinos for meals, lodging and other needs. Area communities see few benefits from tourism.
Casino employees tend to live in Montville or Norwich and often drive on--and impact--back roads.
Employees seek low cost housing. The large city of Norwich houses most Mohegan Sun workers and their families.
Tracy learned that several families from some Asian cultures share one home in order to afford housing.
"What if?"
Fox and Melroy summarized their trip experiences at a March 24 Ridgefield city council meeting.
Chuck Cushman, executive director of the American Land Rights Association, a lobbyist group opposing the Cowlitz project, asked, "What if the Pequots, or people like them, control the Cowlitz casino?"
Fox said the Cowlitz-Mohegan proposal indicates that Mohegan tribal leaders will be majority partners in control of the enterprise.
"It's all about neighbors getting along with neighbors," Cushman said. "You need to prepare yourselves."
WOODLAND BOARD ACCEPTS RESIGNATION
by Michelle Kapitanovich
Woodland school board member Julie Nicholsen tendered her resignation March 23 at a board meeting.
Nicholsen's resignation is effective May 1. She and her husband and four children plan to relocate to central Oregon.
Nicholsen told the board that the move is prompted by her son's mental illness. In central Oregon, they will be near a center where the 12-year-old can receive stable, continuing care.
"It's a real private issue," Nicholsen said, "but I've chosen to speak up about it because there is a crisis in Cowlitz County. A lot of kids are being underserved out there."
Nicholsen said problems with her son escalated in the past year and include anger, defiance and aggression.
"We got to the point where he had to be under direct supervision all the time to prevent him from hurting someone," she said.
The situation had gotten so bad that the family was looking for an out-of-home placement for the child.
Compounding the problem, Nicholsen said, was the lack of reliable psychiatric care for children in the county.
"What would happen is we would get a psychiatrist from PeaceHealth, and they would be so overwhelmed by their patient load that they would leave," she said. "And because of that, he didn't get the full, individualized attention that he needed."
The family also traveled to Portland and Seattle looking for help.
Fortunately, a new psychiatrist found a medication that appears to help the child.
"It's completely turned him around," Nicholsen said. "But he still needs ongoing care, which he'll be able to get when we relocate."
"I don't know what the fix is," she said, referring to Cowlitz County's inability to help the mentally ill. "I wish I could stay here and fight, but I have to take care of my son, so that's one of the big reasons why we're moving."
STOLEN BOAT GETS NEW LIFE PROVIDING RESCUE
by Michelle Kapitanovich
A new rescue boat acquired by the Woodland Fire Department first needs some of its own saving before moving into its latest role.
The aluminum jet boat, which was stolen in Portland last year, was recently recovered by the Woodland Police Department. It was found in the central part of the city on private residential property.
The boat was stripped of its outboard motor, seats, operating console and most of the hardware that wasn't welded on.
The boat and trailer had been painted to change appearances, and the hitching mechanism was removed.
However, the boat and trailer were in good structural condition.
The Woodland Fire Department was seeking a replacement for its current rescue boat, a 1966 16-foot Smokercraft.
When fire department officials heard about the stolen vessel, they contacted the title owner, USAA Property and Casualty Insurance in Florida. With no salvage network in the area, they were happy to unload the boat, said chief Tony Brentin.
The department purchased the 1998 Willie Predator 20.5-foot boat and trailer for a salvage value of $2,500.
The department used part of a $5,000 SWIFT grant it had received to fund the purchase.
"Last December when we got the grant, our people had looked hard at trying to find something suitable to meet our needs," Brentin said. "We were nowhere close to being able to replace our current boat with what we needed. And all of a sudden this shows up. So it's worked out well."
When it was new in 1998, the boat was valued at $55,000, Brentin said. He estimated the hull alone is worth about $10,000.
With the North Fork Lewis River running through the city, the fire department does have an occasional need for a boat. Neither Cowlitz County Fire District 1 nor Clark County Fire District 12, which cover adjacent areas, has a boat.
A couple of months ago, Woodland said Woodland Fire assisted Fire District 1 with a medical aid call on the North Fork, Brentin said. A fisherman suffered a heart attack.
"In those situations where we need a boat, we really need it," Brentin said.
The department also uses a boat to patrol on Horseshoe Lake Park during Planters' Days and fireworks shows.
Volunteers are now working to re-equip the boat. Funds from the SWIFT grant will be used for the project, and Fire District 12 has agreed to provide a contribution.
In-kind donations from the community are also sought. Brentin hopes to have it operational by Planters' Days in June.
Anyone interested in helping outfit and ready the boat can contact battalion chief Bruce Summers at (360) 225-7076.
WOODLAND TO VOTE ON PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX
by Michelle Kapitanovich
Woodland city officials will ask voters to approve a $5.65 million bond issue for a Public Safety Complex.
City council members unanimously approved presenting the bond to voters in a May 17 special election. The decision came following an executive session during the council's March 21 meeting.
If approved, the bond will fund property acquisition, and build and equip the Complex. It is expected to cost voters less than $1 per $1,000 of assessed value of property, said mayor Doug Monge.
City officials made a contingency offer of $700,000 on 5 acres at 300 E Scott Ave. A former maintenance yard, the location has received favorable environmental reports.
The complex will house the city's fire and police departments. Both agencies now operate out of city hall, where space is at a premium.
"Our police and fire departments are at maximum capacity now," Monge said.
Tight conditions make the departments less efficient and create an array of unique problems.
For example, the fire department has equipment scattered throughout the city, which causes maintenance and security issues. The new fire truck the city ordered won't fit into the fire bay without modification.
If funded, the complex will play a "huge part in the city's economic growth over the next few years," Monge said.
"We'll be able to house our fire and police departments for the next 15 years and have room to grow," he said. "We hope to put together a full-time fire department, which will help lower fire insurance rates. And we'll be a more attractive location for businesses because of strong fire and police coverage."
New council member selected
The council selected 22-year-old Erica Rainford to replace council member Chris Haughee. Two other candidates attended the evening's interview.
Rainford, an agent at Woodland Real Estate, took the seat that evening. She plans to file for re-election in July.
Haughee's resignation was effective March 8. He had served on council since January 2004 and resigned to accept an associate pastor position at First Presbyterian Church in Helena, MT.
Rainford is a member of the Woodland Rotary Club and owned Blackwater, a downtown cafe, for nearly two years.
Rainford believes Woodland is at a crucial point in its history and wanted to help in decision-making.
"I'm mainly interested in the position for the opportunity to learn how the city runs on a daily basis and to try and play a hand in the direction Woodland is going," she said.
Prior to the council's three-one vote, Rainford said her age shouldn't be a deterrent.
"I know I'm younger than most," she said, "but I could bring in a new perspective."
Housing code hearing set for manufactured homes
Woodland Planning Commission members will hold a hearing Tues., April 12, 7 p.m., concerning manufactured homes on individual lots.
In general, manufactured homes are only allowed in specific home parks and subdivisions within the city limits.
But in Senate Bill 6593, state legislators determined such rules are discriminatory.
As a result, city officials have drafted rules to allow manufactured homes in all single and multi-family residential zoned districts. Those rules include several restrictions, such as minimum size requirements and permanent foundations.
New staff added to city
Woodland fire and police departments have each added new staff members.
Jim Keller will begin his job as a police officer with the department April 1. He last worked for Federal Way and will join seven other officers.
The Fire Department has hired Joe Tone as its second full-time firefighter.
Tone had served as the department's volunteer battalion chief. He has volunteered with the department since 1998 and will begin his new job April 1.
IS HAZARDOUS WASTE BURIED IN BATTLE GROUND?
Unsafe debris may be at public works site near water table
Heidi Wallenborn, news director
Allegations of an illegal hazardous waste dump area have arisen about the Battle Ground Public Works site at 1308 SE Grace Ave.
Falsifying of drinking water test documents is part of the claims.
City manager Eric Holmes has directed Sam Adams, public works director, to arrange for a "full Level 1 operations review of the operations center" by officials of Department of Health, Department of Ecology, Environmental Protection Agency and Southwest Clean Air Agency.
Confidential memos from Battle Ground Det. Mike Molzahn to police chief Ron Johnson dated December 2003-March 2004 reveal the detective's concern.
In a December 2003 memo, a former public works director reportedly told Molzahn he is concerned about buried asbestos pipe and 55-gallon drums of petroleum products (oil) near a high water table and natural waterway.
Molzahn wrote that employees under the director's supervision did "improper disposal" by burying "hazardous waste" without the director's authorization.
In fact, the former director alleged that he told one supervising employee several times how to properly dispose of asbestos pipe, and that it should be double-bagged and shipped to a hazardous landfill.
The former director reportedly told Molzahn that he maintained a file marked "confidential" in his desk with documentation. When he left to work in another city, he reportedly left the file there and does not know what happened to it.
The file was not turned over to anyone, the former director reportedly said.
In the December memo, Molzahn told the police chief he fears the information is lost or destroyed.
Molzahn also told Johnson he is concerned that buried asbestos and petroleum poses a threat to city employees, the citizens of Battle Ground, the surrounding area and environment.
In a January 2004 memo, Molzahn wrote to Johnson that he had been told that a public works employee falsified drinking water test documents, and that he passed the information on to Public Works director Sam Adams.
"Illegal taping"
On Dec. 1, 2003, Molzahn was investigating complaints of harassment by public works employees against another worker, according to the first memo.
During the course of that investigation, the former director spoke via telephone to Molzahn about "information that I feel is very important with respect to public health, employee health and environmental health," Molzahn wrote to Johnson.
During the course of the December interview, the former director reportedly told about environmental crimes he witnessed. Molzahn recorded the conversation to use for notes, said an Internal Affairs (IA) investigation report on Molzahn about the matter.
After the conversation, Molzahn went to his supervisor, Lt. Roy Butler, and told him about what he had been told and the tape to document it, said the report.
However, Butler confiscated the tape and began an internal investigation, the report said, because Molzahn did not tell the former director he was being recorded. Butler said that violated police department policy.
Butler and Johnson sought to have Molzahn prosecuted for the incident by city prosecutor Chris Sundstrom, according to reports in the IA. Sundstrom refused.
A letter from Sundstrom said Molzahn was engaged in his capacity as a police officer and conducting an interview of a witness, not a defendant, which would have ended up recorded in writing and in a police report anyway. State law allows such recordings under certain circumstances.
Sundstrom said Molzahn did not break state law, which supersedes city law, and cited a case which he said proves the detective's innocence. More cases were available for their review, he said, if they wanted more proof.
"His actions are not criminal," Sundstrom wrote.
However, Butler and Johnson disciplined Molzahn anyway. According to documents, Butler recommended a permanent letter of reprimand in his file and three days suspension without pay.
Because the investigation into the matter was closed and Sundstrom said the taping was not illegal, The Reflector requested a copy of the tape in December 2004 under the state Public Disclosure Act. City staff refused. City manager Eric Holmes said legal advisors told him it is not disclosable because it was illegally obtained.
The request was renewed twice, citing state law and prior cases in favor of releasing the tape. Again, city staff refused.
On Feb. 7 this year, city attorney Brian Wolfe wrote that the recording was made in violation of state statutes despite Sundstrom's view.
The most recent refusal letter from city officials dated March 22 states, "The record you have requested is a transcript of an illegal recording of an interview with a confidential witness in violation of RCW 9.73.030."
City officials also said in the letter that the city will not give up the transcript unless ordered to do so by a court.
Concerns kept in-house
Chief Johnson told deputy city manager Dennis Osborn that he forwarded the memo about drinking water test documents to department head Adams and city manager Eric Holmes, but not Ecology or council members, Osborn said.
Adams said he conducted an "in-house" investigation into drinking water allegations and found nothing irregular. He did not notify the state Department of Health, because there was "no reason to."
Public works employees were questioned, records searched, and there was no evidence that the allegation was true, Adams said.
"We didn't even have a specific day to look at," he said.
On Feb. 11, 2004, Adams also sent a memo to a concerned employee regarding the employee's concerns about disposal of asbestos pipe and three 55 gallon barrels. He said the debris was properly disposed, and that there was no sign of an active dump site.
However, after a Public Records request letter from The Reflectorasking for documentation, Adams produced a record for the asbestos removal only.
In a Feb. 24, 2004 letter, Adams wrote, "We do not have any records regarding the disposal of the oil drums."
Ecology notified four months later
The state Department of Ecology was notified in March 2004 when Molzahn contacted them without city officials' knowledge. An April 2004 memo apprises the chief that Ecology officials visited the site and that a search warrant was not needed to inspect the area because they have a right of entry by state law.
During their visit, Ecology officials said the natural waterway and wetlands through the site are classified as state property, Molzahn wrote in the memo.
While at the site, Ecology officials found a section of asbestos pipe sticking out of the ground, a 55 gallon drum laying on its side with the cap off and oil-soaked ground around it, trash, debris, vehicle tires and asphalt in mounds of dirt, solid sewage waste dumped on the ground, signs of an equipment wash area where it appeared the runoff goes into a drain and into the seasonal creek, and signs of where someone had been dumping material into the sewage lagoon.
Since then, Ecology has worked on issues with city staff and are making progress, according to Steve Rommell, public works superintendent.
"We are re-educating employees," he said. "They can't do things the way they've always been done. There are regulations and laws to follow."
Council members in dark
After Ecology's visit in April 2004, the council was "briefed" about what was going on, but not shown any memos or told about greater concerns, several council members said.
"I heard some stuff about testing," said council member Alex Reinhold. "But I don't think it applied to anything I see here [in memos supplied by The Reflector.] I have got a lot of questions. I wasn't aware of these memos."
Council member Bill Ganley said he "never saw any memos" and didn't recall hearing anything about allegations of water test documents being falsified.
"Maybe some policies need to change," he said. "As we get bigger we need to deal with more stuff."
Council member Lisa Walters said she is "absolutely concerned that council is not being made aware of issues. Anything having to do with the safety and well-being of the citizens of Battle Ground is the concern of council."
Mayor John Idsinga said department heads and the city manager run day-to-day operations, but even so, he likes "to be aware. I am always concerned for health and safety."
Council members Sandra Barnes and Mike Ciraulo could not be reached for comment.
Last week, Holmes said he did not have a good answer as to why council members were not advised of the allegations.
Holmes is working with Adams to put together a summary of activity about allegations for council members.
The pending investigation will include current and historical information regarding any false records, improper operation of the head works, improper disposal and interviewing all employees, Holmes said.
"We want advice and technical assistance and to implement best practices," he said.
When asked why such an investigation was not done when he was first notified of potential problems more than one year ago, Holmes said he did not know.
"We're not circling the wagons," Osborn said. "If there's a problem, we want to take care of it."
Holmes agreed and added that he wants to get "beyond a shadow of a doubt."
Gerd Hattwig, special agent for Ecology's Environmental Crimes Unit in Seattle, said he would neither confirm nor deny a pending investigational trip to Battle Ground.
The next council meeting is set for Mon., April 4, 7 p.m., at city hall, 109 SW 1st St.
LA CENTER SEEKS NEW SUPERINTENDENT
Alice Perry Linker, staff reporter
La Center High School principal David Holmes is a finalist for the position of La Center School District superintendent.
Holmes is among five applicants who were selected from a field of 15.
Other applicants are Richard Conley, superintendent of Mary Walker School District, Springdale; Thomas Lockyer, superintendent of Ocean Beach School District, Ilwaco; Mark Mansell, superintendent of St. John and Endicott School Districts, St. John and Endicott; and Rick Winters, interim superintendent of Naches Valley School District, Naches.
Holmes has been La Center High School principal since 2000. He began as a high school science and math teacher in 1988 and has also been vice principal.
Two finalists were to be chosen by March 28. Board members will visit the finalists' home Districts before making a decision.
Superintendent Charles Anderson is retiring after eight years in La Center. Before taking the La Center job, Anderson was superintendent of the Kalama School District for seven years and a principal and teacher in Battle Ground for 15 years.
HOCKINSON GROUP FIGHTS PARK PLAN
Alice Perry Linker, staff reporter
Some Hockinson people who live next to a planned community park don't like what the future holds for them.
They say the Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation representatives were not candid about plans for a 240-acre rural area.
Margaret Hegewold and her neighbor Claire Sprowl say they think they were misled by parks and recreation officials.
The park, designated as one of five community parks in the county, is to be partly developed into 15 Little League baseball diamonds, five adult softball diamonds and eight soccer fields, said Jim Sandlin of Parks and Recreation.
Teams from two Little Leagues, one adult softball organization and various soccer groups will use the fields, he said.
About 55 acres will be developed into playing fields, while another 80 will have activity areas for skateboarding and BMX bikes, and 105 acres will be wooded wetlands with walking paths. The playing fields will be lighted.
During public meetings last fall, Hockinson-area residents were asked their preferences for park use by Parks and Recreation officials, Hegewold said.
"We said we wanted it as natural as possible," she said. "We'd like hiking trails, horse trails, picnic areas, on and off-leash [areas] for dogs."
Hegewold and Sprowl said they don't object to a few daytime ball fields, but they don't want lighted, night-time, adult softball.
Thirty neighbors have signed a petition objecting to the baseball and softball fields next to their homes, Hegewold said. They will present the petition at a public meeting Thurs., March 31, 7 p.m., at York Elementary School.
Hegewold and Sprowl said the neighbors were not told about the high number of playing fields before the Feb. 8 election when voters in the Vancouver urban growth area narrowly approved an increase in property taxes to pay for park development.
Sandlin, however, said he did present the plan. He acknowledged that some residents dispute his memory.
"At the first public meeting, we said there would be 16 Little League fields and five adult fields," he said. "But I've heard from the adjacent landowners that they never heard that."
Steve Duh of Parks and Recreation said playing fields have been considered for the 240-acre park since 2001 when the park was purchased from the state Department of Natural Resources for $2 million.
"We knew there would be a sports component, but we didn't know how many fields," he said.
"We didn't realize so many leagues would be involved," Sprowl said. "Apparently there were lots of league/park meetings."
Sprowl and Hegewold said they think the decision to build several playing fields was made before the plan was presented to neighbors.
"They withheld information until after the vote," Sprowl said.
Sandlin agreed that park designs were not presented to the community until after the February election, but the delay was not related to the election, he said.
Meetings with County officials about wetlands and other environmental issues were not finished until mid-February, he said.
A portion of the park will be retained in a natural state, Sandlin said.
Sprowl, whose house sits on an acre adjacent to the park, said the portion of her land closest to the park boundary is a wetland.
"In a normal winter, we have pools of water back there," she said.
Duh said playing fields will be constructed in dry areas. Wetlands on the border and in the northeast section will be retained.
According to a statement on the Parks and Recreation website, "While all parks are open to everyone, community parks typically serve residents who live within three miles of the park."
"We want the park," Sprowl said. "We're just opposed to having a huge stadium in our back yard."
LA CENTER GREETS NEW POSTMASTER
Robert Vore of Portland has been appointed postmaster of the La Center Post Office.
"I am very excited to be given the opportunity to serve La Center," Vore said. "I'm looking forward to being involved in the local community."
Vore is an operations support specialist for the Portland Processing and Distribution Center. He began working for the post office in 1983 as a mail handler in Pasadena, CA.
Vore, who is married with two children, enjoys the outdoors and is involved with Boy Scouts.
MOUNT ST. HELENS REOPENS FOR SEASON
Heidi Wallenborn, news director
Despite Mount St. Helens volatile nature in recent months, scientists have determined it is safe to reopen some areas that were closed last fall around the moody volcano.
Ape Cave, located outside the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument closure area, reopened March 25, but no interpretive staff will be on hand until later in the season.
Johnston Ridge, with a close-up view only 5 miles from the gaping maw of the crater on the north side, will open Fri., May 6, in time for people from around the globe to visit the volcano on May 18, the 25th anniversary of the eruption heard `round the world.
"As long as the volcano continues its quiet dome-building eruption, we believe conditions will allow the public to safely view this amazing, unfolding of nature in action," said Cliff Ligons, Monument manager.
"Of course, as we've seen, things can change quickly and we are prepared to re-assert closures as necessary. People's safety is always our top priority," he added.
The slumbering mountain rumbled awake in late September 2004 with several clustered, strong earthquakes and small steam and ash emissions. In October, Monument officials closed a 5-mile radius around the volcano. St. Helens has been at a Level Two advisory for nearly six months.
In March this year, the largest steam and ash eruption since 1982 rocked the mountain, sending a cloud as high as 36,000 feet that was detected as far away as Montana.
Ligon said safety precautions are in place, including evacuation plans, should volcanic activity warrant. Staff work closely with the state Emergency Management Division, Cowlitz and Skamania Sheriff's offices, the state Patrol and state Department on Transportation.
Other openings
Windy Ridge and other viewpoints on the mountain's south and east sides will reopen as normal snow removal and road repairs allow, likely late May to mid-June, officials said.
Ridge-top trails north of the volcano and the Mount Margaret backcountry, a permit-only backpacking area, will reopen as conditions permit.
The volcano will remain closed above Loowit Trail (about tree line), keeping the popular south side trail closed. Forest Road 8100-830 and the Climber's Bivouac will remain closed for road resurfacing and restoration work at bivouac campsites.
Portions of Truman and Loowit trails on the volcano's north side will also remain closed because of potential mudflows.
Off-trail areas north and west of the volcano will remain closed as usual to protect developing plant and animal wildlife and scientific research.
For more information about volcanic closures, Monument programs and upcoming 25th anniversary events, visit www.fs.fed.us/gpnf
BG SCHOOL MEETING FLARES AT AMBOY
Marcus Brotherton, staff reporter
Citizens vented their frustrations March 22 to Battle Ground School Board members during a regular Board meeting held at Amboy Middle School.
Central to the citizens' complaint was the failed portion of the March 8 construction bond--the proposal to build a north county high school within the next several years.
Long bus rides for high school age students commuting to Battle Ground High School push the need for the new school as soon as possible, said north county high school proponents.
Citizens, some children, held signs at the meeting that read: "No more `bones.' We want our fair share of the bond money!" and "`Simple people' are taxpayers too. We want our high school!"
North county resident Karrie Smith announced her intention to run against Board member Fred Striker in the November 2005 election.
Smith criticized Striker for improperly representing north county citizens. She characterized Amboy and Yacolt residents as skeptical and cynical that Board members would ever support the construction of a north county high school.
Smith said one reason the high school bond proposition failed was because Board members approved too high of a proposed construction price--$31 million. She pointed to the newly constructed Cascade Middle School (costing about $13 million) as an example how schools could be built less expensively.
Smith requested that any extra funds left over from the passed part of the bond be used to build a north county high school.
Striker said that any extra funds will be used to pay down existing debt, as promised to voters, and that to use leftover funds to build a high school would be something that voters would need to decide, not Board members. Another election for a high school is being considered for September.
Board member Sam Kim pointed out that high schools cost more to build than middle schools and that prices can vary depending on several factors.
For example, Evergreen School District's new unnamed high school on the east side of Clark County will cost about $52 million, according to Evergreen documents.
Battle Ground resident Russ Wadleigh blamed the north county high school's failure on a contingency clause on the bond. The clause meant Part B would only pass if Part A did. Board members considered lifting the contingency clause, but all except Dave Sonntag voted to keep it intact.
Wadleigh, speaking from the back of the room, called Board members "liars" and "puppets of Sam Kim," who was Board chair when the bond proposal was approved. Striker is the current Board chair.
Wadleigh also criticized Striker for misrepresenting the north end of the county, saying Striker "should be ashamed" of himself and "should resign."
Wadleigh further criticized Board members for their alleged involvement in a publicity brochure put out by Citizens For Better Schools that put forth potentially "misleading" cost figures.
Board members were legally not responsible for the brochure and denied any involvement.
"That's a lie," Wadleigh said, referring to the brochure. "How many citizens voted for this bond because of this lie?"
North county resident and baseball coach Tim Smith criticized Board members for "dangling a carrot" in the face of north county residents by promising a north county high school only if a bulk of projects around the District were approved.
"The people of Battle Ground have all the numbers," Smith said, "and we get left out. We need this high school."
Part A of the bond includes the purchase of land for a new north county high school. (See a related story in this issue for how each area of the District voted).
Battle Ground resident Carol Bloomquist asked Board members to formalize plans to put a "watchdog" committee in place that would oversee how bond funds are spent. She offered to be on the committee.
Board member Mark Pelletier agreed with Bloomquist that it "makes sense to publicize how bond money will be spent," and that "the commitment to create a facilities committee is in place."
The committee will be formed when bond sales are made final and actual dollars begin to show up in the District, Pelletier added.
Bloomquist videotaped the Board meeting for schools' activist Lou Maurina, who is in the hospital suffering from a stroke.
Bloomquist was required by superintendent Shonny Bria to ask permission of each speaker who came to the podium before videotaping them.
Federal public meetings laws do not require anyone to have permission before videotaping, photographing or quoting anyone in a public meeting.
Bria said that because children were at the meeting and the District is responsible for children at school-related functions, she believed it was most prudent to ask Bloomquist to obtain permission from each speaker.
LA CENTER LEGION NEEDS ATTENTION
Alice Perry Linker, staff reporter
Several Clark County veterans are in the trenches again. This time they want to save the American Legion in La Center.
Commander Don Cannady and past commander G.K. "Gib" Ridout are leading the charge to develop Post 189 into a living, vital organization.
"If we don't reactivate, we could lose our charter," Ridout said.
Cannady agrees.
"The national organization used to let you meet four times a year," he said. "Now they're saying you must meet once a month. If we don't have meetings, we lose our charter."
The two said there has been increased interest in the La Center Post in recent months, and they expect more as service men and women return from Iraq.
The Post will have an open house for veterans of all wars Thurs., April 14, 7 p.m., Summit Grove Lodge, Timmen Road, Ridgefield.
"It will be low-key," Ridout said, "give us a chance to know one another."
In addition to meetings, the post will select a service officer to help veterans with whatever needs they have, Cannady said.
"We have close to 50 people interested, plus 25 new people in the last month," he said.
Ridout visited the La Center Chamber of Commerce and found a few more members.
"We picked up six," he said. "They said, `If you want to do something, we're in.'"
The post was organized several years ago by a now-deceased veteran who did not want to hold meetings.
"Before he died, he asked me to take over," Ridout said. "He said `I don't want to raise dues, have a bunch of meetings.'"
Post members would get together about once a year, Ridout said.
"I was over 60 years old and the members called me `the kid.' We got down to four or five members. There was no question it was winding down," Ridout said.
A successful reorganization will make Post 189 the only American Legion Post in north county, he said. There is no group in Battle Ground, and the Ridgefield Post lost its charter. Ridgefield Legionnaires were directed to the Salmon Creek Post, Cannady said.
For information about Post 189, call Cannady, 256-4788.
WOMAN RESCUED WHILE MEN HUNT BEAR
Alice Perry Linker, staff reporter
When two Clark County men started on a bear-hunting trip, they hoped to kill a bear. They never expected to save a life.
Dave Becker of Hockinson and Ron Veach of Battle Ground traveled to the Quinault Indian Reservation northeast of Aberdeen for a few days of hunting, beginning March 14.
Marian Aldrich, 77, of Castle Rock, had been reported missing that same day, said Capt. Mark Nelson of the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Department.
As Becker tells the story, when Veach and he traveled from a motel to a hunting spot on March 15, they spotted a truck in a ditch on the side of the road.
"We commented on it, but we didn't think much about it," Becker said.
On the morning of March 17 when they and their guides were going to another hunting spot, they saw a woman lying on the side of the road.
"We noticed something wasn't quite right," Becker said.
"She was pretty disoriented," Veach said. "She didn't know her name or where she was from."
The men wrapped her in their coats and called the Quinault Tribal Police.
Becker said he and Veach had not listened to the radio and did not know that there were reports of a missing woman.
Nelson said Aldrich was driving from Castle Rock to her son's home in Union at the south end of Hood Canal.
Dave Pimentel of Gray's Harbor County Sheriff's Department said Aldrich was suffering from hypothermia when she was found about two miles from the village of Taholha. She was treated at the village clinic, he said.