COUNTY GETS TOUGH WITH TEMPLE

Heidi Wallenborn, news director

Clark County commissioners have countered Eric Temple's eviction notice to a railroad volunteer group with a notice of their own.

A two-page letter signed by all three county commissioners sent to Temple June 22 advises that he is in breach of contract by not working "in good faith" with the Battle Ground/Yacolt/Chelatchie Prairie (BYCX) railroad group toward accommodating future operations.

The letter states that Temple "over reacted" to an emergency action by a volunteer who trespassed on the north line to remove what was perceived as imminent danger to the public.

"We're still formulating a response," said Temple. "We're not changing our mind about the eviction."

Temple owns the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train and is a partner in Columbia Basin Railroad (CBRC) of eastern Washington that leases the 33-mile line from Clark County.

On June 13, Temple told the BYCX group to pack up and move all their stuff out by Aug. 7, and that whatever is left at that time will be scrapped.

Through spokesman Dave Gray, Temple later said the BYCX could not use the rail to remove their cars, equipment and supplies.

Temple said June 27 that his staff will remove cars and equipment for the BYCX group, using rail.

The two sides had been working since January with County staff toward an agreement for BYCX to run a tourist train on the north line which stretches from Battle Ground to Chelatchie Prairie.

In the interim, BYCX has been banned from using the tracks.

On June 5, a BYCX volunteer noted vandalism at the Moulton Falls station which had left a speeder car and two "floating cars" unchained and in danger of running away downhill on the tracks.

Bryan Baker, BYCX president, moved the cars upline to Yacolt where he secured them. He notified Temple of his actons the next afternoon via e-mail.

Temple complained to the Federal Railroad Administration, sent an eviction notice to the BYCX, and reporteldy attempted to have Baker arrested by the FBI.

The letter from the commissioners states, "breaking off negotiations and attempting to have Bryan Baker arrested by the FBI for moving the speeder car is so over reactive we believe it will appear to a neutral third party as pretextual."

Commissioners accuse Temple of "using this single incident as justification to avoid entering into an agreement with the BYCX."

However, in Temple's eviction letter, he said the volunteer group twice before violated his order to stay off the track.

"Just as strong about keeping them on"

Commissioner Marc Boldt, who was not in office as a commissioner at the time the contract between the County and Temple was signed in December 2004, said the issue is "a chess game with a lot of emotions."

Boldt said the letter was strongly worded, and hoped that the entities could get back to the bargaining table. But he said he isn't optimistic.

"To tell the truth, it looks like the first step will be an arbitrator," Boldt said. "Eric is pretty strong about the Aug. 7 date to get off. I'm just as strong about keeping them on."

Boldt said County legal staff are looking into legal ways to rescind Temple's eviction notice.

"I've asked [BYCX] not to move," Boldt said, citing safety issues of trying to move a lot of heavy equipment in so short a time.

When asked what the County would do if Temple backed out of the contract, Boldt said he didn't think it would affect the County "at all."

"[Commissioner] Betty Sue [Morris] is zealous about zoning land that is conducive to the rail industry," he said. "All the preliminary work is done and a lot of people are interested in it now."

"Eric thinks it will be easy to replace the BYCX with another volunteer group," he added, "but I think it will be just as easy to replace Eric."

Steve Schulte, advisor to the County Railroad Advisory group, said he'd received a copy of the letter to Temple but could not comment on it.

"I'm supportive of the commissioner's actions," he said. "What's next is that Eric needs to respond to the County and to the letter he received with the direction he'd like to go."

Still moving

At this point, volunteers are working every chance they can to pull their belongings off the track and County-owned property that is leased to Temple, Baker said.

"We're scrambling," he said. "I feel like I've got a gun to my head. That Aug. 7 deadline is coming up pretty fast."

Baker said he has 44 cars, engines and cabooses in addition to other items.

"We assume [Temple] will follow up on his threat to scrap everything that's left," Baker said. "I'm assuming he is the kind of person that will follow through on his threat."

The group is taking inventory. Baker said the task is "monumental."

Boldt called the breakdown in communications "one of the worst disasters I've had in my political career. Almost a nightmare."

"The possibilities [for a contract between the two] was really good," Boldt said. "BYCX was more conscientious and more professional. We've come a long ways to have it fall apart."

"I think without question we are negotiating in good faith," said Temple. "BYCX has been very difficult to negotiate with."

"We're disappointed in the action of the commissioners," said Temple. "They did not interview us prior to sending the letter. They did not interview their railroad expert Will Cahill. They just took the word of the BYCX and wrote a letter about it."

"The problem is the BYCX needs to follow out instructions and the law. They have done neither."

Temple said he has not had time to think about a replacement group for the BYCX. He said he had no one in mind.

"There are a lot of people out there," said Temple, adding that it wouldn't be hard to find another group to run tourist rides.

"I consider this to be a positive development in some ways," said Temple. "I'm glad this story has come out. This is the way they've (BYCX) been for some time--loose on the rules."

Would Temple consider dealing with the BYCX in the future? "I'm not going to say never," he said.

NEW ROAD UNDERWAY IN RIDGEFIELD

Bill Myers, staff reporter

Work on Union Ridge Parkway, located south of the Dollar Tree Distribution Center, is underway.

According to a Nutter Corporation project map, the 3,000-foot road will be built behind the Distribution Center, connecting with NE 10th Ave. east of the Center and with S 74th Place west of the Center.

South 74th Place was partially completed earlier this year as an access road to other construction south of S 5th St. (formerly NE 264th St.)

The project will include construction of a new road, S 10th St., which will extend about 700 feet southwest from the intersection of S 74th Place and the planned Union Ridge Parkway.

Stetler said a westerly fire access extension from S 10th St. would connect S 10th St. with S Dolan Rd.

Stetler said total cost of the project, with expansions of storm water facilities, will be about $3 million.

Nutter project manager Doug Stetler said the project client is Pioneer Estates, LLC, a Colorado company.

A master plan submitted to city officials by Pioneer Estates, LLC, Ridgefield Junction, LLC and SC Graf, LLC, 730 17th St., Suite 615, Denver, CO, proposes 386 acres in the Union Ridge development as mixed use.

Stetler said construction will be accomplished with oversight by Ridgefield city engineers. Completion of the road and stormwater project is targeted for year-end.

Nutter spokesperson Lisa Schmidt said the roadway will improve access to a growing mixed use and industrial area east of the I-5 interchange at Pioneer St.

EXPLOSIVE TOY CLOSES REST AREA

Heidi Wallenborn, news director

A gray plastic grenade stuffed with a firecracker, powder and a fuse closed the northbound Gee Creek rest area along I-5 June 23 for about 35 minutes.

About 12:40 p.m., state Patrol troopers were called about a suspicious device that looked like a hand grenade.

The area was secured while the Portland Police Bureau Bomb Squad examined the device.

Trooper Mike Kesler said the gadget held the potential of an M-80, a large firecracker. He didn't know if it was intentionally left at the rest area or not.

No other explosive devices were found. Anyone who has information is asked to call the state Patrol at 449-7950.

RIDGEFIELD POSTPONES SCHOOL BOND

Marcus Brotherton, staff reporter

Plans for a September 20 bond were put on hold June 20 by Ridgefield School Board members, despite the board's unanimous approval of the date three weeks earlier.

Board members called a special meeting to repeal their earlier resolution.

No date has been established for when the bond will be rescheduled, but Board members will be asked to consider a November 8 bond during a regular Board meeting June 28.

If a bond is not run in November, the next possible date will be Feb. 7.

Superintendent Mary Vagner said postponing the bond was in response to public opinion.

"It's a matter of timeliness," Vagner said. "People felt that with school not being in session over the summer and people away on vacations and all, it would be difficult to focus on a bond."

Yet running a bond as soon as possible is key for the District's long-term success, Vagner added. Construction costs will only increase the longer the District waits. A later date also delays solutions to space issues.

The bond package had been set at $56 million to fund construction of a new high school and modify and improve the District's existing four schools.

If passed, state matching funds would contribute another $7.9 million to the package. Another $3.6 million would be used from impact fees and interest. In all, about $66.4 million would be spent.

The plan would boost Ridgefield property owners' annual tax rate from about 42 cents per $1,000 assessed value to about $2.24--or from least expensive to about mid-level compared with other school districts in the area.

The money would be used to build a new 1,200 student high school with 23 classrooms, labs, workshops, a 400-seat performing arts center, five fields and six tennis courts.

Minor modifications would be made to the existing high school to convert it to middle school use.

The next Board meeting will be held at Ridgefield High School, 2630 S Hillhurst Rd.. Ridgefield.

BG BOARD MULLS HIGH SCHOOL BOND

Marcus Brotherton, staff reporter

Battle Ground School Board members are scheduled to wait until July 26th to determine the content and date of a possible fall bond election, but the late date of decision has some citizens concerned.

September 20th is the earliest any bond could be run, with possible dates of Nov. 8 and Feb. 7 after that.

If Board members opt for a September 20th, concern is that eight weeks between the Board's decision and the vote would not be enough time to organize a campaign.

On June 21, Board members mulled findings from three public forums held in early June to gather community input on possible next steps for a bond. Two symposiums are also set for July 19 and 20 to discuss the matter.

At question is whether construction of a new north county high school should be placed before voters, and if so, should a bond also make provisions for renovations to the sports stadium at Battle Ground High School.

Questions also remain as to the size, cost, and design of a new high school. Some 51 acres were secured in Amboy in April for $1.5 million, with costs being covered by the bond that voters approved in March.

About 58 percent of voters supported the idea of a new north county high school in Part B of the March bond, but the measure needed 60 percent approval to pass.

Schools activist Russ Wadleigh addressed Board members at the June 21 meeting, advocating a September 20 bond election as well as a high school-only bond. He also urged Board members to make a decision prior to the July 26 meeting.

Critical to the issue is that, if a September bond is chosen and it passes, the state will allow the District a one-time option to use enrollment numbers from either 2004-2005 or 2005-2006 to plug into formulas to obtain school match funds, said superintendent Shonny Bria. Higher numbers mean more state dollars.

Enrollment at a high school level is being watched closely because of grades being added at Hockinson High School each year, Bria added.

No easy decisions

Stadium upgrades were part of a bond package that failed in 2004, but the upgrades were removed from the line-up of projects for the March 2005 package that passed.

Part of what is prompting stadium upgrades to be placed back on a bond is concern over conditions that could result from heavy use.

Sports teams from both Battle Ground and Prairie high schools use the stadium.

Sports activist Pete Manson has been pushing the District to address stadium concerns for several months. He would like to see stadium upgrades on an upcoming bond.

"Everyone agrees that the new north county high school needs to be built," Manson said. "That's a no-brainer. The question is, where are those kids going to play sports? The current stadium can't handle all the use it gets now."

Stadium or no stadium, Sue Cranke, who co-chairs Citizens for Better Schools, the citizens' committee that promotes bonds, urged Board members to consider a later bond date.

She pointed to state statistics that show September bonds typically having low success rates, although all September bond elections in the state passed last year.

"The key is having enough time to educate voters," Cranke said. "A September election just doesn't give us enough time."

Better Schools co-chair Lisa Henry also voiced concerns with a September bond.

Henry characterized Battle Ground voters as "fatigued" right now. Voters will also face a replacement levy election in February, something that comes around every three years.

Henry advocated pushing a high school bond off several years.

But Vicki Sparks, who chaired Better Schools for 10 years, offered a different view. Sparks said that if Board members decided on a September bond, she would pull together volunteers to organize the campaign while still using the Better Schools umbrella.

"There's still a lot of support out there for a September bond," Sparks said. "I believe voters will go for it."

Schools activist Carol Blomquist, who attends a majority of Board meetings, praised Board members after the meeting, saying this was one of the first times she has observed Board members "really listening to and interacting with" the public.

BG SCHOOLS SETTLE WITH TEACHER

Marcus Brotherton, staff reporter

A settlement was reached June 21 between the Battle Ground School District and James Bergren, a former music teacher at Captain Strong Elementary School.

Bergren agreed to resign from his position immediately in exchange for full salary and benefits until December 31, 2005.

He will also receive a lump sum payment of $30,000 and agree to not sue the District. The District will provide a letter of recommendation for Bergren as part of the settlement.

According to District spokesperson Kelly Keister, Bergren was placed on paid administrative leave March 18 after allegations of poor judgement involving children.

The matter was immediately turned over to Battle Ground police, who investigated and found no cause to press charges.

Keister said despite the exoneration, the District believed it was in everyone's best interest for the teacher to not continue in his role at the school.

In order to avoid potential legal costs from a lawsuit that could arise if the teacher was fired, a settlement was reached, Keister said.

Parent Carol Blomquist, who had students at Captain Strong at the time of allegations, is not bound by the same confidentiality requirements as the District, and spoke openly about the matter.

"I'm glad he's gone," Blomquist said.

Bergren could not be reached for comment.

CHURCH PLANS REGIONAL FACILITY AT JUNCTION

Bill Myers, staff reporter

Construction of a Seventh Day Adventist Church three-story educational facility near the Ridgefield junction could get underway this summer.

Church officials submitted an application May 3 to build a 35,640 square-foot building on 29 vacant acres at 1715 NW 289th St.

The site is bordered on the west by I-5 and on the north by NW 289th St. Two site accesses are planned from NW 289th St.

The site, adjacent to Tri Mountain Golf Course, is currently zoned Master Planned Business Park.

Mark Remboldt, spokesman for the North Pacific Union Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, said the facility will be a regional headquarters for churches and affiliated schools in the northwest.

Most training will be done by employees of the regional center at churches and schools off site, said Remboldt. Occasional training sessions and conferences will be held at the new center.

About 60 employees may work in the completed project. Parking is planned for 103 vehicles.

Ridgefield community development director Kevin Snyder issued a SEPA mitigated determination of non-significance related to the project on June 22.

Public comments are due July 6 at 127 N Main Ave., PO Box 608, Ridgefield, WA 98642. Information telephone is 887-3908.

MAN CHARGED AFTER HITTING GAS PUMP

A La Center man was arrested and cited for DUI on June 18 after driving into a gas pump at the Fargher Lake Store.

A Clark County Sheriffs report said Christopher Scott Mee, 32, drove a 1985 Ford Mustang into a gas pump adjacent to the store at about 1:37 a.m.

Mee was reportedly also cited for not having a valid operator's license or proof of insurance.

Clark County Fire District 10 firefighters responded to the incident. Store owner Bill Doty said an automatic shut-off valve prevented a fuel spill.

Doty said he recently switched from Exxon gasoline to Union 76 to offer customers lower gasoline prices.

Doty said the store has two pumps and gasoline sales won't be interrupted.

The store was recently remodeled to expand grocery, DVD rental and hardware areas, said Doty.

BAIRD WILL SEEK FIFTH TERM

U.S. Rep. Brian Baird (D-Vancouver) has announced his intention to seek a fifth, two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Baird made the announcement during a June 17 appearance at the Red Lion Inn at the Quay, Vancouver.

The announcement came about a year earlier than customary to dispel rumors that he might leave the Congress.

"I am proud of the incredible things we have already accomplished," said Baird. "This year Washington residents will save $500 million from sales tax deductibility and be able to enjoy the new Lewis and Clark National and State Historic Park."

"Local meth intervention, treatment and prevention programs have benefitted from an influx of millions of federal dollars in recent years," added Baird. "Just this week I secured an additional $54 million to improve meth policing and fight international meth trafficking. Southwest Washington has also benefitted from transportation projects that have brought millions of federal dollars to our area, created hundreds of new jobs and eased local congestion."

Baird said he looks forward to building on his recording of accomplishments. "I have dedicated my life to helping people and improving the quality of life in our community," said Baird. He said he will continue to focus on the needs and concerns of people in southwest Washington.

New father

Baird, 49, became a father March 6 when his wife, Rachel, gave birth to twin boys.

William Washington Nugent-Baird and Walter Franklin Nugent-Baird were born 6-7 weeks premature and spent three weeks in Georgetown Hospital in Washington, D.C., before going home March 31. They are now 15 weeks old and doing fine, said Baird spokesperson Meghan O'Shaughnessy.

Son William was named after Brian's father, while Walter was named after Rachel's father.

Rachel Nugent-Baird, 47, works as an economist. These are her first children. Brian has two step-children from a prior marriage.

The Bairds live in Washington, D.C., while maintaining a home in Vancouver. They were married April 23, 2000.

O'Shaughnessy said the Bairds plan to move back to Vancouver when the twins are ready to start school, but Baird will continue to serve in Congress "as long as the people of the district want him."

O'Shaughnessy said rumors in the district suggested that Baird might scale-back his work with the arrival of twins. "He loves his job," said O'Shaughnessy. "He's committed to serving in Congress."

O'Shaughnessy said Baird continues to return to his district as often as his schedule will allow.

Baird's office in Vancouver can be reached at 695-6292, and in Washington, D.C., (202) 225-3536.

GROUP FORMS TO PROMOTE C-TRAN BOND

Kathy McDonald and Randy Mueller will co-chair the campaign to gain voter approval of a tax to bolster C-TRAN, Clark County's public bus transportation system.

Voters will decide the tax issue Sept. 20, having turned down a similar measure last year.

"Many changes were made based on feedback received after the narrow defeat of last year's initiative," said McDonald. "This new proposal reflects a commitment on the part of the C-TRAN board to listen to the public and provide them with just what they're asking for."

Instead of doubling the C-TRAN sales tax from three-tenths to six-tenths of one percent, the new ballot measure would hike the tax to five-tenths of one percent. The increase would be two cents of tax on a $10 purchase.

"The taxpayers said they wanted a leaner funding package that simply restored service and maintained funding levels at last year's level," said Mueller. "This proposal does that, without expanding service or adding any new programs."

Others named to the SAVE C-TRAN steering committee include Tom Mears of Burgerville USA, John Erickson of the Vancouver School District, and Mike Worthy of the Bank of Clark County.

McDonald and Mueller invite anyone interested in volunteering time or donating money to call them at 713-8705.

PROJECT TO HALT EROSION AT DAYBREAK BRIDGE

Marcus Brotherton, staff reporter

A maintenance project is planned for Daybreak Bridge northwest of Battle Ground.

Built in 1966, the bridge is a steel girder bridge that spans the East Fork of the Lewis River. The bridge is about 30 feet wide by 180 feet long.

Inspection reports show that the river channel is attempting to migrate to the south of one of the piers. This migration has exposed a portion of the pier's footing.

Work