COMMISSIONERS TO CONSIDER REVISED HABITAT ORDINANCE

Proposed revisions to the Clark County Habitat Conservation Ordinance will be considered during a public hearing by the Clark County commissioners Tues., April 25, 7 p.m., at Hockinson High School, 16819 NE 159th St., Brush Prairie.

The commissioners considered the matter in November 2005, and formed a citizen's committee to review a previous draft of the ordinance.

Joel Rupley with the county's Endangered Species Act Program, said the citizen's committee met eight times with 18-20 active members.

Neither the prior proposal nor that latest version contains an exemption for agriculture.

Rupley said setbacks from streams and seasonal runoff have been reduced.

The setback from seasonal and non-fish bearing water is now proposed to be 30 feet.

The setback from smaller fish-bearing water is proposed at 50 feet.

The setback from seasonal water is 75 feet, and from larger streams such as Salmon Creek and the Columbia River is proposed at 250 feet.

Cattle and horse grazing, said Rupley, is considered "clearing" because they are "tromping stuff down."

Rupley said the latest draft contains a self-regulation feature.

Landowners who obtain training may prepare their own management plans which would allow them to move closer to water, said Rupley, and in some cases use streams for watering livestock.

The draft habitat ordinance can be viewed at the Clark County website: clark.wa.gov

Rupley can be reached at 397-2022, ext. 1.

LEVY WILL AID STUDENTS, OFFICIALS SAY

Heidi Wallenborn

news director

Approval of the proposed two-part Battle Ground School District levy would mean increased academic support for students, according to District superintendent Shonny Bria.

A levy failure, however, would result in larger classes and cuts in student services for such things as health and safety.

Health services affected by levy failure

District communications consultant Kelly Keister said the District currently employs 10 and one-half nurses and 13 part-time health assistants. Generally each campus now has one nurse and each school has a part-time health assistant.

With levy passage, the District would employ two additional nurses, and add health assistants for new schools.

With levy failure, however, the District would employ nine and one-half nurses, and about six and one-half health assistants with one at each campus.

Darcy Hurst enjoys her part-time, hectic job at Maple Grove Middle School.

Hurst is a health assistant who helps students with a variety of issues that make it to the health room.

She's not a registered nurse as all school nurses are, but Hurst acts as a nurses' eyes and ears.

Today's "sick room" is not the same as 22 years ago, said nurse Diane Dunlap, Hurst's supervisor.

Health assistants deal with bee stings, dispense prescription medicine, watch out for students with registered medical emergencies such as diabetes and heart problems, take care of bloody noses and dodge surprise fountains of vomit, she said, among other ailments.

Health assistants analyze situations and take care of minor issues as they can, or notify nurses that more help is needed.

Sometimes students illnesses may not be physical, said Dunlap, such as stress-induced tummy aches, so the appropriate action would be talking with a counselor or just laying down for awhile.

During five hours every day, Hurst acts as a liaison between parents, teachers, nursing staff and the Clark County Health Department. She has CPR and first aid training annually, uses "communication and kid skills," and fields phone calls from parents.

"I'm a mom," she said. "I love these kids and I want to continue working here."

Assistant principals help with student/teacher success

Keister said levy passage would allow the district to retain its current 11.5 assistant principals and add five additional assistant principals.

With levy failure, however, the District would employ only five assistant principals with three at Battle Ground High School and two at Prairie.

Diana Harris has been the assistant principal at Captain Strong Elementary School since last year.

On April 13 she was "swimming in WASLs," she said.

Harris said her tasks are varied. She is an instructional leader helping teachers succeed so students can succeed.

That means she oversees facilities, is aware of safety issues, keeps track of curriculum and student learning, disciplines students when needed, works with students to solve problems and make better choices, works with parents, figures out plans for students with special needs and disabilities, and works with Child Protective Services and law enforcement--for a student body of about 900.

And Harris takes over when principal Laurie Sundby is gone. Currently Sundby splits time between the elementary school and overseeing the process of the new school that will be constructed.

"We make sure the school runs efficiently and effectively," Harris said. "It can be overwhelming for a principal to do alone."

"There's not enough time in the day to address legitimate concerns," Harris said, adding that a typical work day for her is 7 a.m.-6 p.m. "Everybody is important."

"I love this District and I believe in the community and in the kids," she said. "I believe people will do what's best for the kids."

Classroom sizes could increase

Keister said with levy passage the District would retain its current teaching staff and add 16 more teachers.

With levy failure, however, some 40 current teaching positions would be eliminated.

As a result, classroom sizes would increase.

Shane O'Reilly looks barely older than the students he teaches at Battle Ground High School.

The 26-year old instructs freshmen and sophomores in English I and II, and reading and writing for students of all ages who wrestle with those subjects. Last year, 50 percent were special education students, and "a lot of students" are "at risk," O'Reilly said.

His primary and essential goal is to keep students in school by teaching to them individually.

"I try to help them like school again," O'Reilly said.

His classes average 22 students, under the 25-student cap District officials have placed for freshman and sophomore classes.

If the levy fails, class sizes could go as high as 37, he said.

"It would be nearly impossible to maintain control and to teach each individual student at that number," O'Reilly said.

"As a teacher, you can only do so many things at once," he said. "With a larger group, there's lower accountability."

O'Reilly's students' perception of the levy issue has been interesting too, he said, and how they will be affected.

"One said that it's a shame we'd lose all the young teachers," O'Reilly said.

Levy statistics

Voters will face propositions 1 and 2 that total $59.9 million rather than the $67.1 single-levy proposition that was defeated in March.

Proposition 1 totals about $55 million over four years; Proposition 2 would add another $5 million. But Proposition 2 cannot be collected if the first proposition fails.

Funds would be collected beginning in 2007 after the existing levy ends on Dec. 31, 2006.

The tax rate of Proposition 1 is estimated at $2.19 per $1,000 of assessed property value in the first year. Part 2 would add 20 cents for a total of $2.39.

District patrons currently pay about $1.64 of $1,000 assessed value in the final year of a three-year levy. That levy was approved by voters at an estimated rate of $2.02.

Increased assessed values of properties brought the tax rate down.

In the proposal, the passage of Proposition 1 would keep

teachers, assistant principals, part-time health assistants, and nurses on board, among other staff, such as custodians and assistant secretaries.

Proposition 2 would fund site repairs and building and department budgets, make salary adjustments for staff, and fund security and unfunded state and federal mandates such as WASL testing and the No Child Left Behind Act.

ORCUTT SAYS STATE DEPARTMENT HEAD MUST GO

State Rep. Ed Orcutt (R-Kalama) said he has asked the state Fish and Wildlife Commission to fire Jeff Koenings, director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"I've lost faith in the director's ability to manage this agency--the people, the policies, and most of all, the resources," said Orcutt.

Orcutt serves on the Natural Resources, Ecology and Parks Committee in the state House of Representatives.

Orcutt said he recently viewed a filmed video of malnourished elk dying in the Mount St. Helens wildlife area, inside the state's Loowit game management unit.

Orcutt said he visited the site April 5 and found "numerous elk carcasses."

Orcutt said he walked up to a calf elk so emaciated it could not stand "much less run away."

Additional hunting should have been allowed last fall, said Orcutt, to reduce the herd to a sustainable level.

Orcutt said state officials told him the elk deaths were "a natural effect--normal winter kill."

"I'm not buying it," said Orcutt. "The site is 1,780 acres, and the department acknowledges it can sustain only 400 elk, but then it admits counting 600 elk there in December 2005--near the end of hunting season."

Koenings said the December 2005 count of 600 elk "was an estimate." An exact number is not known, he said.

Koenings said that the past winter was severe, especially in the Mount St. Helens area, and the cold, wet spring caused further wildlife problems. He said elk mortalities were not out of line with expectations.

"We are trying to match the carrying capacity with the number of elk," said Koenings. "There are not enough nutrients in the Mount St. Helens area."

Koenings said officials will monitor the Loowit situation to make sure the herd is not in danger. Otherwise, he said 10-15 percent winter mortality is expected.

Had it been a mild winter, said Koenings, fewer elk would have died.

"Their count came way too late to make adjustments to harvest levels which could have gotten the number of elk much closer to a sustainable population that could have made it through the winter," said Orcutt. "This type of situation should not occur when the resource is properly managed. The department showed little desire to do anything different. That's inexcusable."

Koenings said it is difficult to count elk earlier in the fall because leaves remain on deciduous trees and therefore elk cannot be seen from the air.

"When you have 600 elk on land that can only support 400, you don't have 400 healthy elk and 200 dead ones," said Orcutt. "You have 200 dead and 400 still starving and susceptible to disease, predation and death. That's what I saw."

"Fishing and hunting mean a lot to the economy of southwest Washington, and I question whether the Department knows what it's doing when it comes to fish and wildlife management," said Orcutt. "The variation in their counts and when they do them makes it impossible for them to know how many elk there are. They seemed uninterested in collecting appropriate data."

Koenings said his agency has increased hunting quotas elsewhere in the state when wildlife numbers are high, but in the case of the Loowit unit, that would not be appropriate because "we might be wrong," he said.

Koenings said another elk count will be performed soon.

"I'm not the only legislator who's seeing this agency as more of a hindrance than a help," added Orcutt. "We need new leadership at the top to change the attitude of this agency from top to bottom."

Koenings was appointed director in 1999.

"The year before the current director arrived, the Legislature had to step in because of a budgeting fiasco involving the Wildlife Account revenue. Here we are seven years later, and the Legislature again had to tell the agency to come up with a new forecasting model for the Wildlife Account," said Orcutt.

Woodland Concerned Citizens, through their attorney John Karpinski, filed an appeal April 4 of the city of Woodland's decision that Phase 3 of the proposed Meriwether development poses no significant adverse environmental impacts.

The Concerned Citizens group, headed by Kathy Kirby, alleges that the city did not use a new Environmental Checklist and Threshold Determination process in reviewing Phase 3, but rather "rehashed" environmental information prepared for Phases 1 and 2.

The appeal contends that Phase 3 of the Pacific Lifestyle Homes plan poses new and significant environmental problems not covered in studies of the two earlier phases.

None of the phases has yet been constructed. The development proposal is for a total of 132 homes on about 30 acres in three approval phases.

Rob Vanderzanden, director of public works for Woodland, said the state Department of Ecology makes rules on environmental review. Those rules specify, he said, that one environmental review is to be done for linked projects. He said three phases of the Meriwether development were covered in the prior environmental study.

The appeal also alleges that environmental work does not include an engineered plan to deal with stormwater.

Matt Lewis of Pacific Lifestyle Homes said issues raised in the appeal will be addressed during the development review process.

"I don't want to speak about claims in the appeal," said Lewis. "Several are not relevant. The SEPA hasn't gone through the approval process."

Lewis said environmental issues including stormwater planning and filling the flood plain will "all be adequately addressed" during the planning and approval process with the city.

Karpinski contends that, because lots are to contain up to eight feet of fill, runoff from rainfall is likely to flood neighbors. "This needs to be thoroughly studied before any fill is placed or any construction commenced," states the appeal.

Lewis said a 48-inch stormwater pipe connecting the development area with the Lewis River was the city's idea and will benefit neighboring properties that now have standing water.

The appeal contends that the proposed development would be incompatible with the neighborhood. Three-story, 35-foot tall homes sitting on 5,000 square foot lots and 6-8 feet of fill are not compatible with neighboring, single-story homes on half-acre lots, states the appeal.

Karpinski cited other cases in which developments have been denied on the basis of incompatibility.

The appeal also contends that Woodland has insufficient water and sewer capacity to serve the new development, and that existing residents could face water rationing.

Vanderzanden disputed those claims.

Vanderzanden said a sewer pump station near the Meriwether development is near capacity. The Meriwether developer will rebuild that, said Vanderzanden, as a condition of approval.

The city has sewer treatment capacity for a population of 12,000, said Vanderzanden, with a current population of about 4,500.

Additional water treatment capacity will be needed, said Vanderzanden, which will be paid for by hook-up fees, including those charged at the Meriwether development.

Karpinski noted that natural gas pipelines traverse the proposed development, and that officials of Williams Northwest Pipeline have objected to aspects of the development plan.

Jan Camp, senior land representative for Williams, said in a Feb. 2 letter to the city of Woodland that Williams would not agree to roads or access routes that run parallel with its pipeline easement.

Camp also objected to splitting lot lines within the gas pipeline easement. Both of the issues raised by Williams, said Camp, have to do with ease of access to the pipeline area.

Karpinski suggested further study of the pipeline impacts, including a reconfiguration of lots.

Karpinski said the city's Mitigated Notice of Non-Significance should be withdrawn until an environmental impact state is prepared and changes are made in the development proposal.

FAMILIES INCLUDED IN HOMELESS COUNT

Homelessness is not just for men anymore.

Data compiled in January 2006 shows that 1,391 people in Clark County are considered homeless, about half of whom are in families.

Of an estimated 688 homeless individuals, more than 200 are women.

While most homeless people in the county found housing in shelters or with friends, some 271 were "unsheltered"--living in cars, parks or other outdoor conditions.

The data was compiled by the Council for the Homeless, a non-profit organization charged by Clark County, the city of Vancouver and the Vancouver Housing Authority with leading the community's effort to end homelessness through advocacy, planning and resource development.

According to Council data, 665 of the people counted were in families with children, and 38 were unaccompanied homeless youths.

Kim Conner, executive director of the Council for the Homeless, said 24 percent of those counted were in emergency shelters, and 56 percent were in transitional housing programs operated by Share, YW Housing, Open House Ministries, Janus Youth and Columbia River Mental Health.

Conner said homelessness is largely an economic issue. The most frequently-cited causes for homelessness were lack of income and job loss, followed by substance abuse and family crisis.

Conner said people move in and out of homelessness. Last year, said Conner, the Emergency Shelter Clearinghouse, a program that helps families access an emergency shelter, received calls representing 3,312 people who needed shelter. Throughout 2005, 1,129 people were housed in shelters for families, not including domestic violence shelters.

St. Paul and St. Andrew lutheran churches also provide temporary winter shelters.

People who become homeless or are on the verge of becoming homeless can call one hotline number at the Emergency Shelter Clearinghouse to find a shelter vacancy, said Conner. The hotline number is 695-9677.

The Clearinghouse provides information on domestic violence shelters as well, said Conner.

The Council for the Homeless continues preparation of a 20-year plan designed to end homelessness in Clark County.

The plan was the subject of an April 12 public meeting, and contains both short term and long range goals.

The plan conforms to a 2005 state law that requires 10-plans to deal with homelessness.

Whereas state law requires planning to reduce homelessness by 50 percent by 2015, said Conner, the Clark County plan is aimed at ending homelessness.

Conner can be reached at 993-9570.

Homeless in Battle Ground

In Battle Ground, Elaine Hertz, coordinator of the North County Community Food Bank said her agency service some homeless people with food and clothing.

Of the 230 families that rely on the North County food bank for help, Hertz said some are homeless, living in cars or parks.

Eldon Jordan

Eldon C. Jordan, 32, has been homeless for 10 years.

Jordan was raised in Arkansas and dropped out of school in the ninth grade. After visiting his mother in eastern Washington, and settled in Vancouver.

Jordan said he lost his job due to mental health issues and those same problems prevent him from employment. He said he continues to battle the problem.

Jordan said he has a social disorder that causes him to think others are talking about him.

Jordan is not happy being homeless and hopes to get over his problems, get a job and find a place to live. He attends group therapy sessions three times a week and sees a therapist four times a week.

Jordan obtains clothing at Share House where he eats all his meals. To obtain money, he panhandles, he said, and collects cans and bottles which he recycles in Oregon. He knows of a place that has free pool on Sundays.

Jordan sleeps in a parking garage in downtown Vancouver. He said he has "sort of" a girl friend.

Shawn Jaeger

Shawn Jaeger, 48, agreed to be interviewed to help tell the story of homelessness. "It needs to be expounded on--what the plight of the homeless is," said Jaeger.

Jaeger graduated from high school in Portland and attended Mt. Hood Community College for nine months. He quit college to take a job in horticulture and forestry.

After 10 years of employment, he returned to Portland to help his family that had trouble with gambling and debts.

Jaeger became homeless in 1995 to lead some people away from his family. He has slept under a bridge for the past 2 1/2 years, and has slept in an old warehouse. He has been in Vancouver for 2 1/2 years.

Jaeger said he would choose to have a job and place to live were it not for "certain circumstances that happened in my life. There would not be a good place to inhabit. I've got to keep moving."

Jaeger eats some meals at Share House, and others at fast food restaurants. He gains money by "flying a sign"--standing at an intersection with a sign that says homeless vet needs help. He said income from "flying a sign" fluctuates.

Jaeger obtains clothing from Share House and Fish, a food bank in Orchards.

Jaeger said he has many friends among the homeless. "Some have issues," said Jaeger, "which is a polite way of saying mental issues."

Jaeger said he had a girl friend, but "she took off, found someone else," and is no longer homeless.

Jaeger said there are many homeless people others never see, such as those who live in cars. Homeless men outnumber homeless women about 3-1, he said.

Jaeger said he is in good health, although he was shot in the abdomen in 1984 and has had nine surgeries on one leg.

George Gray

George Gray has been homeless for about 20 years.

Gray, 53, was raised in Kentucky. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade. He now spends winters in the Vancouver area and summers in Kentucky.

Gray travels by "hobo freight" in moving across the country. "I like to see the mountains here," said Gray. "I like Vancouver and Portland." He has relatives in Kentucky, including brothers and sisters, and even a girl friend.

Gray worked at a race track in Kentucky before he became homeless.

Gray said he got a job in Kentucky a few years ago, and a place to live, but he did not earn enough to pay rent and buy food. "I can't enjoy life," he said. "I'm doing better out here (on the street)."

Gray said he rides the rails all the time. "They just don't see me," he said.

Gray eats some of his meals and obtains clothing at the Share House. He camps out at night in a location he would not disclose.

Gray said he does not have very many friends. "I move on my own," he said.

Gray said he can't get medical attention. He complained of problems with a knee, his neck and toes. He said he had pneumonia last year and stayed at Share House until he recovered.

Gray is not anxious to find a job. "I can't work with people, man," said Gray. "I ain't lazy or nothing like that. " can't work with people."

Gray said he is determined to be the best worker at anything which causes problems with co-workers. "If they want it that bad, let them have it," Gray said of former co-workers. "Lots of things irritate me."

Gray said he has ideas for inventions and would like to find investors who would support his ideas help him seek patents.

While he "runs signs," Gray said he doesn't need money. He does not consume alcohol or drugs, he said.

EDITORIAL:

HEARINGS SET ON CASINO IMPACTS

Bill Myers

staff reporter

Officials of the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs will host public hearings Wed.-Thurs., June 14-15, on expected impacts of a proposed tribal casino near La Center.

Both hearings will start at 6 p.m. in the Skyview High School auditorium, 1300 NW 139th St., Vancouver.

Federal officials scheduled the hearings to hear public comments on Cowlitz Indian tribal plans to build a casino, convention center, 250-room hotel and other facilities west of the junction of I-5/NW 319th St.

Tribal officials in 2002 requested that the land, about 152 acres, be taken into trust by the U.S. Department of Interior. They also asked the U.S. Secretary of Interior to acknowledge the land as the tribe's "initial reservation."

Officials of the Bureau of Indian Affairs are required to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) when processing a trust application.

An Environmental Impact Statement is part of the NEPA process and includes a review of socio-economic impacts.

Under federal law, trust status and an "initial reservation" designation would pave the way for gaming at the site.

Tribal leaders hope the Secretary will take the land into trust as part of the "initial reservation" of the tribe, or as "restored lands."

Either action could qualify as "statutory exceptions" to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988 and allow gaming at the site.

Absent statutory exceptions, the Secretary could, with a state governor's approval, permit gaming on trust land if gaming was in the best interests of a tribe and not detrimental to the surrounding community.

Elected officials of the city of La Center recently approved a letter opposing the tribal project. The letter claims a nearby tribal casino would wipe out most of the city's revenue, which comes from taxes on private card rooms.

Council members Dale Smith and Troy Van Dinter planned to hand-deliver the letter April 15-18 to James Cason, assistant secretary at the Department of Interior, and to offices of elected officials in Washington, D.C.

GREEN MOUNTAIN LEVY SEEN AS ESSENTIAL

Failure could cause talk of school closure

Bill Myers

staff reporter

Voters in the Green Mountain School District will decide April 25 whether to continue or end levy funding in the District.

If approved, the levy would replace an expiring levy that provides funds for salaries, maintenance and school supplies, said superintendant Mike Grubbs.

"This is a maintenance and operations levy, needed for on-going operations, not new programs," said Grubbs.

The expiring levy currently costs District taxpayers $1.91 per $1,000 on assessed property valuations. The newly-proposed, 2-year levy would tax property owners at an estimated $2.01 per $1,000 in 2007 and collect $210,000. Collections in 2008 would be $240,000, with a projected levy rate of $2.19 per $1,000 assessed valuation.

Last November, voters rejected a proposed replacement levy of $2.91 per $1,000 assessed valuation. The levy proposed addition of a music teacher and full-time maintenance worker.

Grubbs said "drastic cuts" will be needed in the next two years if levy income stops. He said cuts of 15 to 18 percent would be essential without levy income.

To a District with a $1 million budget that means cuts of at least $150,000. Four teaching aides, certain maintenance and repairs, and school lunch programs could be cut, said Grubbs.

Touring the grounds, Grubbs pointed to moss on roofs, peeling paint, four-inch grass, a lab without hot water, invasions by carpenter ants, rotting porch timbers and a library without book shelves.

"We have a half-day maintenance person and need him full-time," said Grubbs.

Grubbs said school board directors have a history of saving taxpayers. A two-portable, four-class middle school is a good example, he said.

Last year, board members salvaged two used portables from the La Center School District.

Board members had the portables cleaned, painted and set up with integrated boys' and girls' rooms with decking between them.

The result was a middle school with room to study for 40 students, paid by timber impact fees, at a cost to the District of less than $100,000.

It would normally take $1 million to build a four-classroom middle school from scratch, said Grubbs.

Middle school students no longer have to sit on stairs outside the school building to do assignments, Grubbs said.

Unsigned flyer wrong on issues

ESD 112 accountant Brett Blechschmidt said someone recently delivered pamphlets containing misinformation to District residents.

Blechschmidt said the pamphlet accused board members of wasting school funds on a stage in the school auditorium.

Funds used for the stage came from a $25,000 "Golden Apple Award," presented by the state for WASL testing achievements, said Blechschmidt. State officials required that the award be spent in accordance with student wishes, and they wanted funds spent on the stage, he said.

Blechschmidt said the pamphlet also criticized school officials for tapping District reserves. "They need the levy income to start building the reserve account and stop tapping the reserves," he said.

Grubb said he doesn't know who is distributing such material. "Whoever it is doesn't show up at board meetings," he said.

Talk of consolidation, annexation?

Grubbs said a levy failure is likely to cause talk about consolidating or annexing Green Mountain with a larger school district.

Closing a successful K-8 learning environment would be a big mistake, said Grubbs. He said educators in California are starting to realize that children make better progress at smaller schools.

Green Mountain students historically have high state test scores, said Grubbs.

Woodland school officials agree. John Shoup, principal at Woodland High School for eight years, said Green Mountain students are "tremendous, in both academics and citizenship."

OFFICIALS SAY GROWTH WILL REDUCE SCHOOL BOND TAX

Bill Myers

staff reporter

Ridgefield school officials hope at least 60 percent of voters will think of growth when casting ballots at a May 16 bond election.

Growth, with more homes and higher property values, lowers the tax rate per $1,000 of assessed valuation on property.

For example, a $100 dinner tab can be paid with $25 from four people--or with $10 from 10 people.

The same principle is in play as more homes are built, assessed valuations climb, and more citizens share costs of schools, said Ridgefield School District superintendant Mary Vagner.

Vagner said growth also creates crowding and critical needs in a school district.

Ridgefield district voters will decide in May on two bond propositions.

Proposition I would issue bonds for $49.5 million and build a new, 1,000 student high school on property acquired by bonds approved by District voters two years ago.

The measure would fund conversion of the existing high school to a middle school.

The tax rate for this proposal is projected at $1.62 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Proposition II, which can pass only if Proposition I is approved, would authorize $7.5 million of bond sales to improve sewer, stormwater, pedestrian, parking, play fields, and other facilities at South Ridge and Union Ridge elementary and View Ridge Middle schools.

The tax rate for Proposition II is estimated at 23 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

The total financing for both propositions is $47 million, with an initial taxing rate at $1.85 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

"The $47 million amount doesn't increase as assessed valuations go up," said Vagner. "As valuations go up, property owners pay lower, not higher, tax rates," she said.

The bond proposals are based on conservative estimates of assessed valuation increases (2007-2011, 8 percent; 2012-2016, 5 percent; and 2017-2032, 3 percent) with a level taxing rate of $1.85 over 20 years, said Vagner.

Vagner said a more likely estimate is that valuations in 2007-2011 will climb by 15 percent, in 2012-2016 by 8 percent, and in 2017-2032 by 5 percent.

School board member Chris Swindell, a builder, said a 15-8-5 percent scenario might even be conservative.

Swindell said the current value of land bought by the District two years ago for a new high school illustrates what is happening to property values.

District taxpayers in 2004 approved $1.6 million in bond financing to buy the land. Swindell said the land now has a market value of about $10 million.

A 15-8-5 percent projection at the District starts the combined taxing rate for both bond proposals at $1.85, and shows significant drops each year. The taxing rate would reach 99 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation by 2025, and the bond debt would be paid off by 2028.

Taxpayers in Ridgefield School District currently pay $1.94 per $1,000 of assessed valuation (the $1.87 levy and .08 high school land purchase).

The Ridgefield taxing rate is lower than Battle Ground ($2.63), Green Mountain ($2.73), La Center ($3.59), Washougal ($4.17), Camas ($4.31), Hockinson ($4.35), Vancouver ($4.41) and Evergreen ($4.89).

Voter-approval of both bond measures would put the Ridgefield District taxing rate in the middle of the pack.

School board member Julie Olson said citizens were heard at recent Listening Posts held in the community. "Good communication is in place, and I hope citizens will support the measures," she said.

Voters rejected a $56 million bond measure to build a new high school and make over district improvements last November.

WOODLAND MAY GROW THIS YEAR BY 358 HOMES

Alice Perry Linker

staff reporter

Three subdivisions containing 358 residential lots may be developed in Woodland this year.

Two subdivisions, River-view with 109 lots and River Front Village with 112 lots, will be located between Lewis River Road and the Lewis River. The third, Woodland Creek with 137 single-family home lots, will be built west of Lewis River Road. All are east of I-5.

The initial applications have been filed with the City of Woodland by Phil Morford of Pacific Development and Associates in Lake Oswego, OR.

Morford said he does not yet know if the company will build houses in the subdivisions or develop the lots only.

"These are planned communities," he said, "and right now we're concentrating on laying out the streets, lots and open spaces."

He said he hopes to be ready to begin development by summer's end.

The two-story houses of River Front Village will be attached in groups of two, although each house will sit on an individual tax lot, Morford said. In a few instances, three houses will be attached with each having a separate tax lot.

Two walls separated by an air space will connect the houses.

"That's important," Morford said. "They're completely individual."

Morford said the River Front Village property is zoned for multi-family housing.

Pacific Development and Associates will donate 15 acres to the city to add to an 8-acre undeveloped city park adjacent to the Lewis River, Morford said.

Access to the three subdivisions will be from Lewis River Road. Morford said the company will widen the road.

"We'll do significant widening and improvements," he said.

Some of the property within Riverview and Woodland Creek is considered sensitive, and a creek runs through a portion of Woodland Creek. Both sections contain wetlands.

The city has granted Morford the right to transfer density, meaning that some lots will be smaller than the regulation size to accommodate the critical areas.

According to the application, Pacific Development will preserve about 19,173 square feet in Riverview in its natural state. Another 169,000 square feet in Woodland Creek will be maintained as open space.

Lots in the two subdivisions will range in size from 6,000 to 10,900 square feet.

The applications must be presented to the city's hearings officer but no date has been set for a public hearing.

The city is accepting written comments on the subdivisions until May 5. Comments may be sent to the city, P.O. Box 9, Woodland 98674. Information is available at 225-7999.

MURDER TRIAL BEGINS FOR BG DENTIST

Defense pleads "diminished capacity"

Heidi Wallenborn

news director

No one at James Classen's trial denies the former Battle Ground dentist murdered his wife with a pair of her sewing scissors.

In fact, in a videotaped confession taken by deputies and shown to a jury on April 12 in Clark County Superior Court, the 60-year-old man admitted killing EveAnn Classen.

What is argued is Classen's mental state at the time of the Feb. 8, 2005, murder at the couple's Salmon Creek area home. At that time the couple were planning to divorce after 31 years, and Classen lived in an Orchards duplex.

Prosecutor Tony Golik is pushing for a conviction based on premeditation. But defense attorney Jon McMullen said Classen was so mentally distraught that he didn't have the ability to plan the murder or have intent to kill.

In the video, Classen told Clark County Sheriff's deputies that he "didn't realize what I'd done until I was up at the cabin. It was surreal. I was in a fog."

After killing his 56-year-old wife, Classen drove back to his duplex and cleaned himself up, he said. He wrapped his bloody clothing, shoes and the pair of scissors in a towel and headed to the family's cabin near Beacon Rock. He turned the water pumps on, built a fire, and called a friend about three hours after the 2 a.m. murder and said, "I've killed EveAnn," he said.

But when Classen left, she was still breathing slowly, he told deputies.

Golik said EveAnn died from loss of blood and suffocation due to a punctured lung. She had about 70 stab wounds mostly to her face and 27 defense wounds on her arms and hands.

"She fights for her life," Golik told jurors. "She begs him to stop as he's stabbing her in the face over and over and over again....he disfigured her horribly."

Full of rage

Throughout the attorneys' opening statements and the confession, Classen's state of mind at the time of the murder was referred to as "full of rage."

The couple reportedly had a rocky marriage for several years. In 2002, Classen was arrested for punching and pushing his wife, and a no-contact order was issued. After a year with no re-offense, the charge was dropped.

The couple separated, with Classen living alone at the cabin in 2003. During that time, he decided the relationship wasn't healthy, he said, and filed for a divorce.

However, EveAnn surprised him by saying she wanted to try to make the marriage work, he said, although he "didn't see much effort."

Classen described his wife as a perfectionist, a disciplinarian who held people to standards she did not abide by, always angry, irate, with a "burr under her saddle," and that she had been "ratcheting up on mean and demeaning comments," to the point where their youngest son asked his mother why she was mean to dad.

The couple have two grown sons in their 20s.

But the couple began spending weekends together even while she was enjoying a friendship with another man. Classen began asking "When can we live together?" he said. About a month before the murder EveAnn announced during a counseling session that she no longer wanted to continue trying, he said.

Classen said he became suspicious and started driving by her house during late hours to see if she was home. Several times she stayed out all night, he said, likely with the other man.

About three days prior to the murder, EveAnn admitted that her friendship with the other man was intimate, he said, even while he and EveAnn had been in counseling.

"This was a real slap in the face," Classen said in the video. "I felt totally rejected."

After working in his practice on Feb. 7 and attending choir practice that evening, Classen went to his duplex, he said.

Anti-depression medication he took at night to help him sleep wasn't working, so he had a small glass of sherry and watched the news, he said.

However, the fact that he was "rejected so casually," and that EveAnn was "lying and deceitful" to him gnawed at his mind.

When asked if he went to the family home to see if his wife was sleeping alone, Classen said, "Maybe, I don't know, I think so. I didn't go armed with anything."

When asked if he would have killed the man if he had been there, Classen first said he didn't know, then later said he might have left.

Classen was asked what was going through his mind when he walked up the stairs, took the sewing scissors out of an adjacent room, opened the bedroom door and turned on the light.

"I don't know," he said. "I was so full of rage, I just wanted to get back."

"I just got to thinking in a vein," he said. "I don't know. I didn't premeditate."

"Things were welling up as I walked up the stairs," he said. "I just acted on it."

"I was overcome with rage at this point," Classen said.

EveAnn was sleeping alone and on her stomach when he first stabbed her in the back of the head, Classen said. She turned over to defend herself and he pulled her off the bed.

"I was saying, `EveAnn, I think you're evil,'" Classen told deputies, "and she said `Maybe I am. Don't do this, don't do this. Think of our boys.'"

She was still breathing slowly when I left," Classen said. "She was still alive."

"I'm extremely, extremely sorry," Classen said in the video. "I don't know how I got to that point, I was doing better."

"I regret," he said. "It was a horrible, horrible thing to hurt so many people--EveAnn, the boys--we've been through so much over the last few years. Now everything is destroyed."

Classen's trial is expected to last another week in judge John Wulle's courtroom. If convicted of first degree murder, Classen faces a minimum 22 years in prison. But the jury could convict him of second-degree murder or a lesser-serious charge of manslaughter, which carries a 10 year sentence. Classen is currently in jail with bail set at $3 million.

POWER OF ATTORNEY, HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE MAY HELP FAMILY MAKE CHOICES

Alice Perry Linker

staff reporter

Although people prepare for the future by writing wills, they forget about preparing for a time when they may not be able write checks or pay bills.

"They don't think about 'what if something happens?'" said Vancouver lawyer Elizabeth Perry.

Perry and Battle Ground lawyer Jill Kurtz suggest that people prepare durable powers of attorney to designate somebody to pay their bills and make the doctors' appointments when they're no longer able.

"They can be either immediate or effective in the future," Kurtz said.

Both recommended that a lawyer be asked to prepare the power of attorney.

"Attorneys know the language that you have to have in there; what happens to your assets when you're still alive," Perry said.

A durable power of attorney is different from a health care directive.

"A health directive is your statement of what to do if you are unable to tell the doctor," Kurtz said.

The directive follows state law and does not require a lawyer to write. Forms are available at some hospitals, such as Kaiser Permanente and Southwest Washington Medical Center.

"It says, 'I do not want hydration; I do not want nutrition,'" said Susan Schmidt, Perry's legal assistant. "It's an actual 'pull the plug' document."

The health care directive allows doctors to stop administering artificial life support under certain conditions. The form must be witnessed by two people who are "not interested in your estate," Kurtz said.

People who have written wills sometimes go through changing circumstances.

"I find in talking to clients it seems to be a mystery as to what issues dictate re-looking at the estate planning they may have done a long time ago," Perry said.

Changes include grandchildren, changes in assets such as homes, divorce, moving to a new state.

In some cases, a married couple may choose to prepare a community property agreement that allows the surviving spouse to inherit property owned together and separately.

"A community property agreement might avoid probate," Perry said.

Kurtz said she encourages people to write wills "in case something happens to both; so they can say who will take over if both are gone."

A will "provides for the orderly disposition of the estate," she said.

Perry may be reached at Landerholm, Memovich, Lansverk & Whitesides, 696-3312.

Kurtz, who is with Jackson, Jackson and Kurtz, may be reached at 687-7106.

GROWING ENROLLMENT CHALLENGES LA CENTER SCHOOLS

Alice Perry Linker

staff reporter

La Center Elementary School is "bursting at the seams," according to Superintendent Mark Mansell.

Looking at the community's projected growth, Mansell said the district's enrollment could double in 20 years.

"We have a little under 1,500 (students) now," Mansell said. "We could go to 3,100 by 2025. That's our best guess."

The pace of growth indicates that another 1,000 homes could be built in the next three to four years, he said. The increase could bring as many as 570 new students.

The elementary school has the greatest need, he said, and the school board is considering placing a bond issue for a new building on the November ballot.

Mansell said that current estimates put the cost of property and construction at $17 million, although the exact amount of the bond has not been decided.

Finding property for a new school has been a problem, partly because land values are high, he said.

"We're trying to find property, but we have to compete with private developers," he said. "We're facing a bit of a challenge."

The district is expected to hire an architect to develop an elementary school plan. Mansell said the board probably will hire an architect by the end of April.

Four architectural firms will be interviewed during the board meeting Tues., April 25, 7 p.m. The four are LSW Architectural Services of Vancouver, Architects West of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Northwest Architectural Co. of Seattle, and Dull, Olson & Weekes of Portland.

After a decision on the amount of the bond is made, the board and school district officials will have public information meetings in La Center.

"We'll be having a number of conversations with the community about our needs," Mansell said.

In addition to seeking a bond, the district has asked the City of La Center to increase the school impact fees to $4,442 per single-family home and $4,587 per unit for multi-family dwellings from about $2,000 and $1,000.

The school impact fees are levied on new residential development only.

Mansell said the higher amounts bring the district in line with other school districts in the county.

The city council approved the higher fees last December but did not approve a city ordinance authorizing the fees until April 12.

The elementary school has four portable classrooms and a fifth will be added during the summer, Mansell said.

"If we don't do something permanent, we'll spend our impact fees on portables," he said. "We don't want most classrooms to be housed in portables."

More than classrooms are needed, Mansell said. The maintenance buildings are aging and workers are spread out through the district.

"Parking is in short supply," he said. "We'll be talking about a variety of things we'll have to have in our conversations with the community."

LA CENTER COUNCIL TO DISCUSS SEWER UPGRADE

Clark County Commissioner Betty Sue Morris will meet with the La Center City Council to discuss plans for sewer development as the urban growth area expands.

A work session with Morris is set for Tues., April 25, 5:30 p.m., La Center City Hall. The regular city council meeting will take place Wed., April 26, 7 p.m.

"We'll discuss the role the sewer plays in urban development and the annexation process and what standards they have to meet," Morris said.

The city council will also hear an analysis of the proposed rates for an expanded wastewater treatment system.

Morris said that in providing urban services such as sewer to an urban growth area, the city must "show how they're going to do it. They can't just jump over one area to serve another."

Jeff Sarvis, La Center's public works director, said the council will review the number of connections, the existing sewer capacity, costs of expansion and what the new sewer rate and impact fees will be.

The city is taking over managements of the wastewater treatment plant from Clark Public Utilities.

Annexation requests have been put on hold until the city develops a plan for its wastewater treatment plant, Sarvis said. The plan is expected to be completed by July, he said.

"We have not reached capacity," he said. "Almost any new annexation would push us that much closer. We're trying to look ahead."

New subdivisions inside the existing city limits will be approved, and Sarvis said the city has received applications for about 100 new houses.

"We could easily have 250 new lots approved inside the city," he said.

La Center has asked the county to extend its urban growth area to the I-5 interchange, including property that the Cowlitz Tribe has requested for a casino.

State regulations require that cities provide urban services, including sewer and water, to properties inside their urban growth boundaries.

A updated urban growth plan for Clark County cities is expected to be finished by September.

Alice Perry Linker

staff reporter

On her first day at the new job, she didn't have a uniform --and neither did her employer.

"I wore my old nurse's uniform," said Amelia Koivu, who was one of the first women hired to work behind the counter at McDonald's.

Koivu, who lives in Battle Ground, remembers well the day she was hired. It was August 1969. She and her family were living in Berkeley, CA, and she was cleaning.

"I was up on a ladder cleaning the ceiling, and the girls kept saying they were hungry," Koivu said. "So we went to McDonald's. At that time, a hamburger, drink and french fries were 99 cents."

While they were eating, Koivu spotted a sign: "Women hired."

"I went right away to the manager and he hired me," she said. "They didn't have women's uniforms, and I said I had a nurse's uniform, and the manager said, 'wear it.' We got uniforms the next day."

Women traditionally had not been hired to work in the fast-food restaurants, she said. She was the first to go to work at the Berkeley restaurant, although another woman was hired the same day.

As Koivu recalls the history, McDonald's began hiring women "because the boys flirted so much with the girls who came in."

"Then we were hired and the boys flirted with us," she said.

Koivu was no teenager when she went to work at the fast-food restaurant. She was a 44-year-old wife and mother of four daughters.

She said she fondly remembers her two years at McDonald's.

"I giggled all the time," she said. "I was so happy there. I loved it; it picked up my ego."

The work was demanding, however, and the salary was only $1.25 an hour.

"They started us at $1.50, but dropped it to $1.25 when they realized the boys were making only $1.25," she said.

The demands of the job began to wear on her.

"I ran my legs off for McDonald's," she said. "Each day when I came home my heart would bump, bump, bump so bad."

A friend told her to "leave that work to younger people."

Koivu and her husband Wilbert moved to Clark County 18 years ago. A carpenter, he built a grandfather clock and rebuilt an old mantle that stands in Kovin's home today. He died about two years ago.

Now 80, Koivu lives in Battle Ground, near three of her daughters who live in Clark County. She still knits and crochets, but she's given up hooking and braiding rugs.

"I've made 28 braided rugs," she said.

A hooked rug hangs on the wall and the living room is covered in one of her braided rugs.

Koivu still enjoys an occasional hamburger at McDonald's.

"I eat there about once a month," she said.

OBITS:

JACQUELINE PHILLIPS

Jacqueline Leah (Wise) Phillips, 67, died April 11, 2006, in Portland.

Phillips was born May 1, 1938, in Tacoma, worked as an accountant for Auto Auction, and lived in Battle Ground for 15 years.

Phillips loved horses, did horse shows, was active in 4-H, and was a rodeo queen. She was active in animal causes. She enjoyed crosswords, flowers and gardening.

Survivors include husband of 42 years Patrick Phillips of Vancouver, mother Dorothy Berg of Vancouver, and sons Scott Meyers of Woodland and Corey Meyers of Alaska.

Private services were held, with Layne's Funeral Home, Battle Ground, in charge of arrangements.

MARGARET HENDERSON

Margaret L. (Spencer) Henderson, 98, died April 8, 2006, in Vancouver.

Henderson was born July 8, 1907, in Edmonds, owned a restaurant, and lived in Clark County for 37 years, the last 1 1/2 years in Battle Ground.

Henderson was a past member of the Cedar Creek Seventh-day Adventist Church. She was a church organist. She enjoyed baking pies, and was considered a wonderful cook and good restauranteur. She loved music.

Henderson was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Henderson, and daughter Evelyn Bare in 2001. Survivors include adopted son William Hazle of Idaho, foster daughter Marjorie White of Yacolt, sister Virginia Baccus of La Center, four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial services will be held Sat., April 22, 3 p.m., at Cedar Creek Seventh-day Adventist Church, 11111 NE Cedar Creek Road, Woodland, with interment at Mt. View Cemetery, Amboy. Layne's Funeral Home, Battle Ground is in charge of arrangements.