Summers resigns city council post
Bruce Summers, who was elected to a second term last year on the Woodland City Council, resigned Sept. 18.
Summers said he and his family will move out of the city limits to live on the Lewis River Reforestation farm, located about four miles from Woodland.
“I won’t be moving until next month, but I discussed my resignation with the mayor (Doug Monge) and we decided it would be better to get a new person before the budget process starts,” he said.
The city council will begin to discuss the upcoming 2007 budget Oct. 2. Monge said he hopes a new council member will have been selected by then. Candidates for the position will be invited to attend the council retreat Sat., Sept. 30, at The Oak Tree Restaurant.
“It’s been fun at times, challenging at others,” Summers said about his council service.
Summers’ decision to resign comes at a time when the council is again discussing a swimming pool for the city. He has been opposed to the placing a swimming pool in Horseshoe Lake Park.
Early in his service, he tried to persuade the council to rescind an agreement between the city and the Woodland Pool and Recreation District that allows the city to give 1.44 acres in the park to the district for an indoor pool. Summers said his effort failed on a 3-2 vote.
“I’m opposed to using open space for an indoor pool,” he said. “Anybody can read the park report that says we don’t have park space to give away.”
The report, compiled by the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments, states that Woodland has less than eight acres of city-owned parkland, but based on population, Woodland should have about 30 acres of park property.
Summers has made a recommendation for his replacement. He has suggested that the council appoint his brother Bill to his position.
“Bill has the same opinions and beliefs as I have,” he said.

Five parks delayed
Bill Myers
staff reporter
Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation plans continue to shift with budget realities.
Department officials announced Sept. 19 that construction starts of five neighborhood parks expected in 2006 will be delayed until 2007.
The decision will delay start dates on the Cherry Neighborhood Park, on NE 101st Way between 145th and 146th avenues in Brush Prairie; the Greyhawk Neighborhood Park, between NE 50th Ave. and NE 126th St. in Pleasant Valley; the Little Prairie Park, on NE 142nd Ave. north of NE 76th St., and the Sifton Neighborhood Park on NE 131st Ave. at NE 71st St., in the Sifton area; and the Tenny Creek Neighborhood Park, on NE 88th St. betweeen NE 32nd and NE 31st avenues in Hazel Dell.
Parks officials are notifying all residents within a half-mile of the proposed parks of delays.
Orchards Highland Park completed
Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation director David Judd said the Orchards Highlands Neighborhood Park was substantially completed and dedicated this month. The park is located at NE 112th Ave. and NE 93rd St. and has the distinction of being the first Greater Clark Parks District project completed.
Judd said a new, improved website for the Greater Clark Parks District is up and running, at www.clarkparks.org.

Librarian picked for Woodland
Abbie Anderson, who is currently curator of educational programs at the Mathers Museum in Bloomington, Indiana, has been named the new community librarian at the Woodland branch of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library.
Mathers interviewed for the full-time position Sept. 12-13, and was offered the job Sept. 14. She will begin work in Woodland on Nov. 6.
Anderson left her native Seattle 23 years ago to attend Indiana University where she studied ethno-musicology, the study of music and culture. She holds a master’s degree in the field with a minor in African studies. She recently earned a master’s in library science.
“I’m excited about coming to Woodland,” said Anderson. “I look forward to being an active part of the community.”
Anderson, 41, said the presence of family members in the northwest motivated her to seek employment in the area. Her husband, Bill, will be able to tele-commute and continue his employment with the American Indian Studies Research Institute. He is originally from Louisiana. Anderson said her husband enjoys gardening and is looking forward to living in “zone 8.”
While she has never worked in a library, Anderson said she has library-like experience. She conducts public programming for the Mathers Museum which is a museum of world cultures and anthropology, located at Indiana University.
“I was looking,” said Anderson about finding the Woodland position. “I wanted to come back to the Pacific Northwest. She said she has relatives, including parents, sister, aunts, uncles and cousins, who live in the Seattle, Longview and Portland areas.
The Woodland library previously shared a librarian with La Center. Bruce Ziegman, who heads the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, said both Geraldine Veenstra and Bridget Cain-Bushman, who previously managed the two branch libraries, found the situation to be difficult. Both said they could not give enough attention to either community, said Ziegman.
Cain-Bushman left Woodland for a position with the Multnomah County Library in Portland.
Anderson plays the bassoon.
Becky Rose from Virginia has been hired as librarian in La Center. Rose said she would prefer to discuss her background and her new position at a time closer to her planned arrival in late November.

Charles “Chuck” Tourtillot of Great Falls, MT has begun work as executive director for the Humane Society for Southwest Washington.
Tourtillot began work Sept. 1. He was most recently the executive director of the Humane Society of Cascade County in Montana.
While there, he gained experience working with a non-profit agency and providing animal control services for the city.
As executive director, Tourtillot’s role is to provide leadership, vision, and managerial skills to develop and carry out strategies in line with the agency’s mission and goals.
The mission is to provide relief in the suffering of animals, the prevention of cruelty to animals, and to extend humane education to area citizens.
“We’re very excited to have Chuck come on board with us,” said board president Jeff Firstenburg.
Firstenburg added that the board feels confident that Tourtillot is the right match for the organization.
The shelter, located at 2121 St. Francis Lane in the Port of Vancouver, is open for adoptions Mon.-Fri., noon-6 p.m., and Sat-Sun., noon-5 p.m. For more information, call 693-4746.

Lottery Winner
Bill Myers
staff reporter
A 63-year-old Ridgefield widow, while vacationing at the Washington coast, bought a Washington State Lottery Lotto ticket worth $7.2 million.
Dropping by Okie’s Sentry Market for groceries in Ocean Park was a habit for several years, said Ridgefield resident Donna Jean Boone. Buying a $1 lottery ticket at the store was also a habit.
Because she was on vacation, Boone decided to splurge and spend $5 for five tickets. The fifth ticket was a charm. It proved to be worth, under state lottery rules, an after-tax lump sum of $2.7 million, or an after-tax income of $18,000 per month.
Boone said she was at the Eagles Lodge in Ocean Park when a lady friend told her that the Okie’s store had sold a jackpot ticket. The two women began to look at numbers on Boone’s Lotto ticket and within minutes they began screaming.
Boone said she began shaking and a nurse visiting the Club took her pulse, gave her a glass of water and told her to sit down.
“Then I said, ‘Drinks are on me,’” said Boone with a chuckle.
The Mount Vista area resident, a 16-year employee who manages the office of M.J. Olson Enterprises, a Kalama construction company, said she doesn’t yet know exactly what she will do. Her attorney will help steer her decisions.
Boone, the mother of three grown children, said a top priority will be to make sure her 10-year-old grandson, “C.J,” has his college expenses put aside.
“I may retire, but will more than likely work part-time,” said Boone.
Boone is not a regular gambler, but likes to visit Reno now and then. She said her largest previous win was $2,500 from a slot machine.
Boone was born in Oregon City, OR, and raised in Longview where she graduated in 1962 from R.A. Long High School.

Rasmussen, Swanson to vie for commissioner’s post
Alice Perry Linker
staff reporter
Cowlitz County Commissioner Jeff Rasmussen handily defeated his Republican opponent in the Sept. 19 primary in his bid for re-election. Democrat Axel Swanson was victorious over two fellow Democrats.
Swanson, who had earned 771 votes by Sept. 20, received more votes than Rasmussen, who earned 459 Republican votes.
“I’m excited,” Swanson said. “I didn’t expect to get more votes than the incumbent.”
According to early returns, Swanson earned more votes than the two Republican candidates combined. Rasmussen’s Republican challenger Ken Spring garnered 199 votes or 30.15 percent of the ballot. Rasmussen’s 459 votes represent 69.55 percent.
On the Democrat side, Elizabeth Webb received 458 votes, or 29.42 percent, and Chuck Wallace earned 323 votes, 20.75 percent. Swanson received 49.52 percent of the ballots cast.
“I feel very good about last night’s results,” Rasmussen said on Sept. 20. “Now I have seven to eight weeks of door-to-door contact. My strategy is to hear from the citizens and talk about the issues.”
Rasmussen, who is completing his second term as a county commissioner, has campaigned on the issue of reducing crime throughout Cowlitz County. He said one of his greatest achievements was maintaining law enforcement strength in the wake of a loss of state funding. He has said crime is the county’s biggest issue.
“The issues are crime and who is the candidate with a proven record of service, and keeping the county on the economic rebound,” he said. “I’m at a bit of a disadvantage (campaigning). My opponent drove into town in June and is not working. He has more time to campaign.”
Swanson, a 2006 graduate of Vermont Law School, has listed growth management and jobs as the biggest issues.
“We’re going to stick with the same strategy (in the general election campaign). We’re not going to change anything,” he said.
Like Rasmussen, Swanson plans a countywide door-to-door campaign.
“The main focus of what I’m hearing is not drugs and crime,” he said. “People want to hear about future growth and jobs.”
The contenders will face each other in the general election Nov. 14.

Skate park to open in November
Alice Perry Linker
staff reporter
Woodland skateboarders may have only a few more weeks to wait before the city’s first skate park opens in Horseshoe Lake Park.
Built almost entirely from contributions, the skate park is the dream of Blayden Wall, a Woodland police officer. His goal is to see the park open in November, two months later than planned.
“We’re about a third of the way finished” he said.
Woodland Rotary has stepped up to take over the financial part of the project, lending its name as a non-profit organization.
The Woodland City Council has earmarked $20,000 for the skate park and is expected to release the funds to the Rotary Oct. 2. Mayor Doug Monge said the city needed to prepare a contract with Woodland Rotary before it could release the funds.
“The Rotary made a large donation,” Wall said. “They have done fundraising, and directed volunteer labor.”
Kathleen Griffin, Rotary president, “has been a very positive, supportive influence,” Wall said.
The 8,300-square-foot skate park sits at the northeast end of Horseshoe Lake Park and will be open to all comers at no charge.
Wall said he and a number of skateboarders have been developing rules for the park.
“The kids have been a part of the project,” Wall said. “They’re taking ownership of the park.”
Wall began meeting with skateboard enthusiasts before the Rotary became involved.
“They came to us,” he said.
Woodland’s other civic organizations have played a role in building the park. Woodland Lions gave a large donation and the Grange has also been a donor.
“The park has really been a part of this community,” he said. “It’s been great.”
Businesses, too, have donated goods or services. Creagan Excavating donated the dirt for the base. Glacier Concrete and Parr Lumber discounted their prices on materials, Wall said.
Dreamland Skate Park of Newport, OR, is the contractor.
Constructing a skate park takes “considerable skill,” Wall said.
“Dreamland is a company of professional skateboarders,” he said. “They know how to build a park that’s safe and fun to use.”
The cost of construction will reach $76,000, Wall said. The builders have chosen concrete as construction material.
“This park will be around for 50 years,” Wall said. “We chose concrete because it will last the longest and it’s safer.”
Concrete does not have the sharp edges that may occur in wood and metal parks, he said.
Fundraising has included dodgeball tournaments, and Wall said another tournament will begin Oct. 14, with a championship tournament set for Nov. 4. Cost of entering the tournament is $100 per team, and between six and 10 people may make up a team. The tournaments take place in the Woodland High School gym.
Registration and open play will begin Sept. 30 and continue every weekend through October.
For information about the tournament or the skate park, call Wall at 609-4641.

Council declines to hear swimming pool letter
Alice Perry Linker
staff reporter
A Woodland-area resident’s attempt to read to the city council a letter opposing a swimming pool in Horseshoe Lake Park was thwarted when City Attorney Paul Brachvogel recommended that public comment be limited because of possible litigation.
Carol Heermann asked to read the letter from the Heermanns’ attorney during the public comment period of the Sept. 18 council meeting. Mayor Doug Monge said a copy of the letter would be available on request at the City Hall Annex, 230 Davidson Ave.
Heermann, who had submitted the letter to the City Council before the meeting, said she would like the letter to become part of the public record and be included in the minutes. Monge said that the contents of the letter would not be included in the minutes but would be part of the record and available to the public.
Council member Erica Rainford asked why the letter could not be read out loud during the public meeting.
“Aren’t we here to listen to the public?” she asked. “The public feels that (it) cannot speak when we shut people out in the public comment period.”
Brachvogel said that he “generally” agrees that the council should listen to the public.
“There’s a part of the letter than I’d rather not have public comment on,” he said. “We can discuss this in executive session.”
Executive sessions are closed to the press and public.
Council member John J. Burke asked Monge, “If she had sat down and started to read it (the letter), would you have stopped her?”
“Yes,” Monge replied.
“This is potential litigation,” Monge said. “It’s a matter of litigation and liability and presents one side only.”
Rainford asked if public comment should be “censored.”
“Anybody can speak in that time frame (citizens comment period). Is it right to censor?” she said.
The issue of a Woodland swimming pool has been controversial for years. One faction wants to build an indoor pool in Horseshoe Lake Park, and the other side prefers to have the pool located in at the intersection of Glenwood and Columbia streets, at the edge of an industrial area.
Opponents of the pool in the park have said they are opposed to using park land for an indoor pool. Recently, a report on parks in Woodland stated that the city has too few parks for its population.
The letter presented by Heermann and written by attorney Keith H. Hirokawa supports the city’s right to rescind an agreement between the city and the Woodland Swimming Pool and Recreation District, an area that covers the Woodland School District.
The agreement, signed in 2002, allows the city to transfer 1.44 acres in Horseshoe Lake Park to the pool and recreation district for an indoor swimming pool. The council tried to void the agreement during the Aug. 21 meeting, but Monge advised the council not to vote to rescind the agreement because of possible litigation.
Hirokawa wrote that he discussed the issue with Brachvogel “regarding litigation threats from Mr. Dobbe (Benno Dobbe of the swimming pool committee), which were repeatedly voiced by the mayor last week. We understand that the litigation threats were intended to prevent the city council from considering the needs and welfare of the city in this matter.”
The swimming pool committee, under Dobbe’s leadership, supports building a pool in the park, and Dobbe has said he will donate about an acre adjacent to the pool’s proposed location. A drawing of the building has been posted at the park’s entrance.
Dan and Carol Heermann unsuccessfully sued the city to prevent the agreement from being implemented.
Hirokawa’s letter says, “...(T)he pool building will dominate the open space at Horseshoe Lake Park and will convert the park from open space to fee-based, indoor uses. The current uses of the park for Planters Day, the Easter egg hunt and other public events will essentially be evicted.”
Supporters of the park site have said that the park is more centrally located and easier to access for nearby communities, and they have said that outdoor park events would not be affected.
Recently, the YMCA agreed to manage a pool. There has been no discussion regarding construction or administrative costs of the pool.
The city council scheduled a public meeting in Horseshoe Lake Park Sept. 25, too late for Reflector deadline.

Growth plan comment period extended
The deadline for public comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement dealing with the Clark County comprehensive plan update has been extended to Mon., Oct. 2.
County planner Marty Snell said public comments on the document will be used as a “preferred alternative” plan is prepared.
The EIS includes three alternatives to deal with growth over the next 20 years.
Officials now estimated population growth at 2% per year, higher than he 1.67% rate forecast when the county growth plan was updated in 2004.
The 2% growth rate would result in 192,635 more people in the county by 2024, and would bring the county population to more than 584,300 people.
Alternative 1 in the draft EIS is the no-action alternative. Officials discount this alternative because it would not provide sufficient land to accommodate predicted growth.
Alternative 2 would add 10,850 acres to urban areas. This action, states the EIS, would result in more vehicle congestion, and I-5 and I-205 would operate at near failure level of service in the morning rush period.
Under the proposed plan, Battle Ground would gain 1,507 acres, La Center, 1,213 acres, and Ridgefield, 2,144 acres. Nearly 4,000 acres would be added to the Vancouver urban growth area.
Alternative 3 provides options for adjusting the urban growth boundaries in Alternative 2. The “sub-areas” mapped in Alternative 3 could be added to the urban growth areas in Alternative 2 while same-size areas are removed.
County commissioner Betty Sue Morris said the plan stresses the importance of job growth and requires that the county equalize land allocation and job/population ratio so that cities have equitable shares of jobs and a diverse job base.
Copies of the draft EIS are available for review at city halls in Battle Ground, La Center, Ridgefield and Yacolt, libraries in Battle Ground and Ridgefield, and at The Reflector in Battle Ground.
Snell may be reached at 397-2375, ext. 4112.

Comments invited on proposed C-TRAN service changes
A series of public meetings will continue through Oct. 9 for comments on proposed changes in bus service offered in Clark County by C-TRAN.
Proposed changes affect various routes in Vancouver, as well as service in Battle Ground, Salmon Creek and Yacolt.
Public meetings on the proposed service changes will take place Sept. 27 in Vancouver, Oct. 3 in Orchards, and Oct. 9 in Camas.
C-TRAN spokesman Scott Patterson said service changes are needed because of the pending closure of the downtown Vancouver transit center on 7th St., lack of a long-term commitment to use the Vancouver Mall as a transit center, and the planned construction of a transit center on NE 99th St. near I-5.
Patterson said consultant Thomas Wittman with Porteet Inc. interviewed bus riders, reviewed rider comment cards, and met with representatives of cities, schools, and businesses to develop alternate proposals for service changes.
Wittman determined, for example, that of about 10,000 daily trips to downtown Vancouver, about 70 percent of riders transfer to other routes, including a Tri-Met bus to Portland.
Funding stabilization brought about by voter approval of a transit tax allows for better planning, said Patterson.
Some routes are proposed to be reduced or eliminated while others may be expanded, noted Patterson, with the overall goal being to increase ridership and better meet rider needs.
Changes proposed for Battle Ground
C-TRAN service in Battle Ground is proposed to be changed from the current connector bus that responds to rider phone calls, to a fixed route schedule.
Jim Quintana, also with C-TRAN, said two options are proposed for Battle Ground service.
Under one option, the bus would travel from the future library location off SE Grace Ave. to the existing park-and-ride on Main St., then along Rasmussen to Parkway, Parkway to Main, and west on Main to 20th Ave. From there, the bus would travel along SR-503 to Vancouver Mall via Five Corners and other locations.
Under another option, the bus would travel more directly to Vancouver Mall and continue to a central transit center.
The proposed Battle Ground fixed-route service would operate every 60 minutes from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and every two hours 6-10 p.m.
The connector service has not proven successful in Battle Ground, said Patterson, with ridership declining from the former fixed-route system.
Service to Yacolt would also be changed. One bus every weekday would leave Yacolt at about 6:15 a.m., and a bus would arrive in Yacolt at about 6:15 p.m. Another option with somewhat different times is also proposed.
No changes in the current connector service in La Center and Ridgefield are proposed.
Other changes
C-TRAN’s Route 4, which connects Vancouver Mall with downtown Vancouver, could continue into Delta Park to a light rail station at the Expo Center in Portland. At present, riders may transfer in Vancouver to a Tri-Met bus for the ride to Portland. C-TRAN currently pays Tri-Met each year to subsidize the Vancouver-Portland service.
The Route 4 bus would also operate later in the evening under the proposed service changes.
A Fourth Plain limited express bus is also proposed that would connect Vancouver Mall with Portland every 30 minutes.
Patterson said the Route 4 service is the busiest in the C-TRAN system, with about 1.5 million rides per year. Some buses on the route have standing room only, he said.
In the Salmon Creek area, a connector bus is proposed to serve Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital, Vancouver Clinic, Washington State University Vancouver, and various points along NE 134th Ave. The connector would also travel between the 134th St. and 99th St. transit centers.
Patterson said the legal and access issues at the 99th St. site will soon be resolved to the satisfaction of C-TRAN and area businesses, allowing construction of the site as both a transit center and park-and-ride by late next year.
A bus that travels along Mill Plain from Fisher’s Landing to downtown Vancouver could be slightly rerouted to pass by Clark College, said Patterson.
An I-5 express bus is proposed to connect the 99th St. park-and-ride with downtown Portland, with and without a stop in downtown Vancouver.
Quintana said C-TRAN buses presently connect the 134th St. park-and-ride with downtown Portland, a trip that takes 31 minutes during the morning rush hour.
Another new route would connect Washington State University Vancouver with Clark College, traveling via I-5 and stopping at both park-and-rides.
Patterson said “super stops” are contemplated at two locations in downtown Vancouver where up to three buses could move out of the roadway and the same time. Those super stops are proposed for Evergreen and C St. where a new library is to be built, and at 15th and Main where a light-rail stop is being contemplated.
Some aspects of the proposed changes have yet to be defined.
Patterson said officials of the city of Vancouver want the 7th St. transit center closed because of possible commercial developments in the area.
The new 99th St. transit center and park-and-ride is to be in operation by fall 2007, said Patterson. The service changes are to be implemented at that time as well, he said. Stable funding, assured by voter approval of a taxing measure last year, allow C-TRAN to make decisions about service with firm information about revenues, said Patterson.
Those not able to attend a public meeting are invited to send comments to P.O. Box 2529, Vancouver, WA 98668-2529, or call C-TRAN at 696-4494. Proposed route changes may be examined on the C-TRAN website: www.c-tran.com

Holmes to leave as BG city manager
Eric Holmes will leave his post as Battle Ground city manager, and take over as chief operating officer for MacKay & Sposito of Vancouver.
“I was looking for a new challenge,” said Holmes, who has been city manager for nearly five years.
With MacKay & Sposito, an engineering, surveying, land-use planning and construction management firm, Holmes will be responsible for overseeing corporate administrative functions, human resources, finance, marketing and technology departments.
Holmes will also play a role in managing the company’s far-flung projects. MacKay & Sposito has offices in Vancouver and Kennewick, WA, and Kennewick and Wilsonville, OR.
Battle Ground mayor John Idsinga said he is somber over Holmes’ departure.
“Eric is one of the greatest people I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with,” said Idsinga. “He’s great at everything he does. It has been an honor for me to work with him for the last nine years--an awesome experience for me.”
“I hate to see him go,” added Idsinga. “But I do know for Eric there are greater things out there. We will see his name in lights someday in the most positive way. He’s been a joy to work with.”
Idsinga said Holmes’ strongest attribute is his ability to communicate.
“Eric needs a challenge,” said Idsinga. “He’s a go-getter. He has met every Battle Ground challenge.”
Idsinga said the city council has named deputy city manager Dennis Osborn as interim city manager with a 6-month contract and a 3-month review. No other search for a replacement for Holmes is planned at this time, said Idsinga. “He (Osborn) could end up with the job.”
Holmes, 37, started work for Battle Ground in 1997 as planning manager. He was named deputy city manager in 1999 and then city manager in 2001 with the departure of city manager Dave Mercier.
Holmes holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon and a master’s from Lewis and College in Portland. He was employed as a planner with the city of Lake Oswego, OR in 1992, and then as a planner for Clark County 1993-96. He worked as a planner and development director for the city of Washougal 1996-97, before joining Battle Ground Dec. 1, 1997.
Holmes said MacKay & Sposito has experienced rapid growth, adding 25 people just this year and bringing employment to 85. The company has seven owners and is headed by president Al Schauer.
“There is nothing chasing me away,” said Holmes of his planned departure, noting that the city is stable financially. He said various projects are underway and will continue in the years ahead, including the rebuilding of Fairgrounds Park with construction of a new skateboard facility, the building of a sports complex, and the reconstruction of S Parkway and S Grace avenues. Negotiations are underway, said Holmes, between the city and two labor organizations.
While Holmes has been city manager, the city established a new city hall, new police station, and new public works operations center. West Main Street was widened and N Parkway Ave. reconstructed. The Old Town area gained new life. Kiwanis Park has been remodeled and the city added several parks and has developed plans for more.
“It was a very hard decision,” said Holmes. “There are many wonderful rewards that come with this job.”
Holmes said he recommended to the mayor and city council that there not be a protracted period of indecision on his replacement. He recommended a continued sense of stability. He did not recommend a replacement or a replacement process, which he said was difficult because he is often ready with recommendations on pending decisions.
Osborn ready to take reigns
Dennis Osborn said he is pleased that the city council has faith in him.
“I’m very flattered by that,” said Osborn, who said he plans to continue in the direction in which the city has been going under Holmes.
“We have a great core management group,” said Osborn. “I have met with the department heads. I plan to keep the core group together.”
Osborn, 43, said he has experienced greater personal, professional development under Holmes than any of his former, outstanding supervisors during his 17 years in the public sector.
Osborn began employment with the city in 2002 after serving as community development director for the city of Chelan for five years.
If offered the job permanently, Osborn said he would likely accept.
Osborn and his wife, Christy, have two children, daughter, Riley, 11, and son, Cameron, 7. He lives near the Clark County Amphitheater.
Idsinga said planning is underway for a going-away gathering to honor Holmes.
Party planned
Holmes will be honored during a reception set for Wed., Oct. 11, 5-8 p.m., at Summit Grove Lodge near La Center. Those attending are invited to speak during an open mic period.
Information about the reception is available from Idsinga, 687-6690, and Alicia, 342-5007.

Hot Air Balloons
Bill Myers
staff reporter
Hot-air balloon pilots Crystal and Don Stout say shooting flames are a normal--and necessary--part of balloon flights.
Crystal Stout said now and then a citizen, alarmed by seeing a flame shooting upward from a gondola as a balloon rises or settles to earth, calls a fire department. This wastes firefighter time and resources and is unnecessary, she said.
The flame, created by releasing propane from pressure tanks through an ignition system, will normally shoot upward about 15 feet inside a hot-air balloon, said Stout.
The Ridgefield residents describe ballooning as a safe, colorful, and fun hobby. “Getting alarmed about seeing a hot-air balloon would be like being alarmed over seeing someone on a rider-mower in a vacant mall parking lot,” said Don Stout.
They should know. Crystal started flying 21 years ago. Don started piloting balloons in 1998.
Balloon flights, except for those in smaller, one-person ultralight balloons, are governed by Federal Aviation Association (FAA) rules, said Crystal Stout.
New balloon pilots, in order to pass required tests for FAA flight certificates, will usually average 50 hours of ground school, oral and written tests, and about 10 hours of flight training, she said.
The Stouts are commercial pilots who take fare-paying passengers aloft.
Passengers often reserve balloon rides for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions.
For example, a balloon launching and flight on Sept. 12 celebrated the birthday of Battle Ground resident Charley Mapes.
As the rising sun brought the first light to a field near their home that morning, Charley Mapes and his wife, Sharon, climbed into a gondola with “Captain Crystal Stout.” Over them loomed a large, inflated, blue and white balloon.
Stout controlled fuel releases from a device over her head that released hissing propane gas. The gas ignited and intermittent bursts of flames shot up inside of the balloon canopy.
Seconds later, the balloon lifted from the field. Stout led spectators in singing Happy Birthday to a grinning Charley Mapes who was now 50-feet overhead and rising.
As the balloon rose to about 1,200 feet, a gentle breeze moved it southward toward Brush Prairie. Don Stout followed, pausing along the way to watch from his truck. He said other motorists who try to watch an airborne balloon while driving put themselves and other motorists at risk.
When the balloon trip ended, Stout contacted her husband by radio and asked him to secure permission from a landowner for a landing and balloon pick up.
Most area property owners enjoy the colorful sport and are very friendly and helpful, said Stout. Helpful land owners are entered in a drawing for free rides.
Asked if people complain about balloons causing dogs to bark, she said no one ever complained about barking dogs. Balloons normally fly silently, high enough over yards to be out of earshot.
FAA rules prohibit flying balloons higher than 8,000 feet over the Battle Ground area because of Portland International Airport traffic, said Don Stout. During a recent trip, their balloon ventured near Portland Airport space.
Stout said they followed FAA regulations and notified Portland air controllers who advised arriving and departing airplanes of the location of the balloon. Judging from the radio chatter, several commercial jet pilots enjoyed having a balloon where they and their passengers could see it, he said.
The Stouts, members of the Balloon Federation of America, American Meteorology Society and Willamette Aerostate Society, say they can take up to five passengers on flights that last at least an hour.
Crystal Stout said there are now about six balloonist families in north Clark County, far fewer than years ago.
A new ,standard-sized balloon costs about $35,000, said Stout. Insurance for non-commercial uses will run between $500 and $700 per year.
Stout said anyone with concerns or questions about ballooning may call her at 887-2388. Information is also available about ballooning at www.nwplace.com.

Fox hearing has been reset to Oct. 30, 31
Bill Myers
staff reporter
Ridgefield city council members voted Sept. 14 to reschedule a public hearing requested by suspended city manager George Fox.
The vote delays a hearing allowing Fox to appeal a council decision to terminate his employment. The council changed the original hearing dates from Sept. 25-26, to Mon.-Tues., Oct. 30-31.
The delay was requested by Fox’s attorney, Donald Greig, who said Fox has a medical condition and doctor’s advice to avoid such proceedings prior to mid-October.
Fox was placed on paid administrative leave by city council members on Dec. 1, 2005, pending an investigation into allegations that he ordered the firing of African-American police officer Carl Mealing in 2005 because of race. Mealing has since filed an action in federal court alleging discrimination.
City council members voted June 22 to terminate Fox. They approved a resolution served June 23 alleging that the city manager failed to properly document reasons for the Mealing dismissal, failed to properly oversee the Ridgefield Police Department, used City resources for personal business, and other shortcomings. In a subsequent statement, Fox denied the allegations.
State law provides that if a city manager appeals a termination of employment within 30 days, a city council shall fix a time for a public hearing on the question of a city manager’s removal.
Fox filed an appeal on July 18 and asked for a hearing, prompting council members to set a hearing in September. The law provides that “pay shall continue until his removal becomes effective.”
Federal judge Franklin Burgess at the U.S. District Court in Tacoma granted Fox a similar extension for medical reasons. Burgess ruled Aug. 24, after a motion from Greig, to postpone a deposition by Fox in the Mealing vs. City of Ridgefield until after Oct. 13.
Ridgefield city attorney Michael Wynne said the hearing will be a quasi-judicial proceeding with witnesses and a court reporter present. Clark County hearings officer Daniel Kearns will preside at the hearing.
Wynne said ground rules, including issues of public participation, will be discussed by attorneys representing Fox and city officials on Thurs., Oct. 12, at a regular city council meeting. The meeting is set to start at 6:30 p.m. at the Ridgefield Community Center, 210 N Main Ave., Ridgefield.