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Medicare punishing best hospitals--New York Times,
Reed Abelson
Business sector, builders critical of county growth
plan update--Oregonian, Bill Stewart
City looks at changing hotel-convention center bond
insurer--Columbian, Jeffrey Mize
Hotel-convention center bonds won't be sold until
2003--Oregonian, Alan Brettman
Renee Branch named development director for
Community Foundation--Columbian, Kelly Adams
Downtown looking for upscale restaurant--Columbian,
Jonathan Nelson
Port of Vancouver to go ahead with Vancouver Lake
flushing channel dredging--Oregonian, Bill
Stewart
Grand Ronde Tribe floats another casino proposal for
downtown Portland--KATU
Boeing 7E7 should be built in Everett--Seattle
Times, Dominic Gates
U.S. Jobless rate declined again in November--New
York Times, Kenneth Gilpin
Unhappy business
organizations call news conference on growth but may
have said it all Monday at county commissioner’s
hearing
It’s clear
that most business organizations in Clark County are
unhappy with the county’s four-year effort to
update—as required by law—the Growth Management Plan
to cope with and shape growth for the next 20 years.
The plan,
according to chamber president
John McKibbin,
“is neither bold nor practical. It lacks the
boldness needed to build on a proud community with a
high quality of life and it is impractical in its
response to the demands for basic community
services.”
Led by the
Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, a large group
of organizations, which includes two school
districts and the Clark County Roundtable, have
called a news conference for 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec.
11, in the Chamber’s office at 1101 Broadway, when
it will express its collective feelings.
However, most
of the organizations are expected to make their
concerns clear Monday, Dec. 8, at the Clark County
commissioners’ opening hearing on the growth plan
update.
Representatives of cities, school districts, other
government entities, and organizations with
professional spokespersons have been asked by the
board of commissioners to testify during the hearing
that begins at 1:30 p.m. in the sixth floor hearing
room at the County Public Services Center.
The
organizations that have signed on for the news
conference, in addition to the Vancouver chamber,
are as follows: Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce,
Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce, Building
Industry Association of Southwest Washington, Clark
County Association of Realtors, Responsible Growth
Forum, Identity Clark County, Port of Vancouver,
Port of Ridgefield, Clark County Labor Roundtable,
and the Vancouver and Evergreen School Districts.
The update of
the growth plan had been expected to be adopted this
year, but the county commissioners seem willing to
go beyond that deadline as they continue to accept
input until a workable plan is worked out.
Further
information about the plan updates, as well as maps,
can be found on the county Community Development
website.
Jim
Crawford assigned Office of Domestic Preparedness
committee job on fire grants
Vancouver
Fire Marshal Jim
Crawford has been appointed to a U.S.
Domestic Preparedness committee which will review
2,500 grant applications from fire departments
across the country.
At stake is
$27 million in fire and life safety grants to be
provided through the U.S. Fire Administration and
Office of Domestic Preparedness.
Crawford has
been a nationally recognized leader in fire
prevention and public education for the past two
decades.
Renee
Branch to head development for Community Foundation
for SW Washington
Renee Branch,
formerly assistant director of development at the
Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute at Johns Hopkins
University, has been appointed to the new position
of development director for the Community Foundation
for Southwest Washington. The goal of the foundation
is to increase its $1.3 million endowment fund to $5
million by the end of 2005.
News
briefs
The
Children’s Trust Holiday Ball begins at 6:30 p.m.
today in Royal Oaks Country Club. ----U-pick
Douglas fir Christmas trees are available Saturday
and Sunday, Dec. 6 and 7, from Bridget Schwarz’s
tree farm, 2110 NE 179th Street. All proceeds go to
the Humane Society of Southwest Washington. Hours
are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.--- Bravo! Vancouver
opens its 2003-2004 season with Handel’s
Messiah at 3
p.m., Sunday, Dec. 7, in St. Joseph Catholic Church,
400 Andresen Road.
--- State Rep.
Deb. Wallace
(D-17th) is conducting a long-term health forum at
12:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8, in the Luepke Senior
Center, 1009 E McLoughlin Boulevard. |
