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Eight
events ready for booking;
dignitaries doing official ground breaking
tomorrow on conference center-hotel
Although
concrete in the footings of the downtown Vancouver
convention center and hotel are barely set
up, eight organizations are ready
to sign letters of intent to book events in the
Vancouver Conference Center and hotel, according to
Kim Bennett,
president of the Southwest Washington Convention and
Visitors Bureau.
Construction
actually began last week, and most of the two-block
site south of Esther Short Park along Columbia
Street has been razed.
To make it
official, dignitaries will gather on the site at 10
a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 30, for the ceremonial ground
breaking of the $72.1 million publicly owned,
226-room hotel and convention center.
Ginger Metcalf,
executive director of Identity Clark County,
initiator of the hotel-convention center concept,
will be the master of ceremonies at tomorrow’s
event.
Speakers will
be the following: Vancouver Mayor
Royce Pollard;
Ed Lynch,
chair of the board of Identity Clark County;
Robert Gallup,
senior vice president, operations, FaulknerUSA,
general contractor of the project;
Tracey Simpson,
associate principal, Fletcher Farr Ayotte
Architects; and Brad
Hutton, area vice president/general manager
for Hilton Hotels Corporation.
When
completed in 2005, the four-star hotel facility will
provide reception space for 1,167 people, banquet
space for 933, and junior ballroom space for 469.
The hotel
also includes a restaurant and lounge.
2004 GEM
executive board completed
Terry McClure,
Vancouver, has been elected chair of the GEM
executive board, succeeding
Steve Roberts,
Washougal.
Elected with
McClure were Chris
Carlson, vice chair,
Amy Sorenson,
secretary-treasurer, both of Vancouver, and at-large
member, Cliff Price.
GEM, an
acronym for grounds, equipment and maintenance, is a
regional network of public agency employees that
promotes governmental efficiency and the sharing of
equipment and expertise. Membership encompasses
regional cities and towns, school districts, fire
districts ports and other municipal corporations.
Fireworks
sales continuing
through 11 p.m. New Year’s Eve
Fireworks for
New Year’s celebrations are on sale through 11 P.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 31, at the following locations:
· 15th
and Washington Streets
· 307
SE Chkalov Road
· 3017
NE 112th Avenue
· 3200
SE 164th Avenue
· Vancouver
Plaza
· 3021
NE 72nd Avenue
· 136th
Avenue and SE Mill Plain
Boulevard
· 15th
Street and SE 164th Avenue
· Vancouver
Mail and Thurston Way
· 200
block of SE 164th Avenue
Realtors
present annual awards
Kathy Rylander,
Windemere Stellar Group, has been named Realtor of
the Year by the Clark County Association of
Realtors.
The local
Realtor’s group presented
Freeman Keller,
who has been a Realtor for 48 years, its Lifetime
Achievement Award.
The
Achievement Award for the current year was given to
Randy Hunzeker,
GMAC Real Estate. Clark County Commissioner
Betty Sue Morris
earned the Realtors’ Citizen of the Year Award.
The
affiliate of the year is REALTOR Multiple Listing
Service. The Media of the Year is the
Columbian.
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