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Diverse group of citizens
supporting C-TRAN proposal
Neither C-TRAN nor its employees can
put the arm on citizens to go out and vote for a three-tenths-of-a-cent increase
in sales tax to restore the transit agency’s ability to provide first-class bus
service in Clark County, but people like Mike
Worthy, president of the Bank of Clark County,
David Cooper, executive director of The
Arc of Clark County, Jeanne Harris,
Vancouver City councilmember, Val Ogden,
former 49th District legislator, and Trent Kuntz,
Vancouver lawyer, can, and yesterday they began their effort with a rally for
public transit in Esther Short Park. Worthy and Cooper are co-chairs of the YES
for C-TRAN campaign.
Requiring but a simple majority of
votes, Proposition 1 on the November 2 ballot calls for a .3 percent sales tax
increase that would go directly to the transit agency’s budget, restoring
approximately the same amount of taxpayer support taken away in 2000 when
Initiative 695 was approved by voters, eliminating the automobile excise tax, a
portion of which funded mass transit in the state of Washington.
Since then, C-TRAN, which in past
years had put together a healthy amount of reserves designated primarily for new
equipment, has managed to provide countywide bus service, although on a
decreased schedule. The agency also did considerable cost cutting, decreasing
service by 13 percent and laying off 78 employees.
During the past 18 months, the agency
has conducted an outreach program with hundreds of citizens and groups, sharing
with them three proposals. Selected was the option before voters, restoring and
improving the system. The agency and the citizens groups rejected the option of
doing nothing, which would mean cutting service, including Vancouver-Portland
commuter routes, leaving service only within the Vancouver metropolitan area.
Also rejected was an option of seeking a .6 percent sales tax increase, which is
permitted by state statute.
C-TRAN already receives a .3 percent
sales tax benefit, from the agency was created in 1981.
Backers point out that C-TRAN is an
efficient, well-run organization, which over the past five years has come in
under budget. During that period, beginning in 1999, the share that bus riders
pay in fares per ride has increased by 50 percent. Ridership has increased 12
percent, to 6.91 million passenger miles (as of 2003). Productivity has
increased by 12 percent in terms of trips per revenue hour.
While the transit agency can’t wage a
campaign for passage of Proposition 1, it can inform the electorate and to do so
has set a series of seven open houses to provide information on how the transit
agency works.
The first open house is at 10 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 25, in the Vancouver Housing Authority offices, 2500 Main
Street. For further information, call Scott
Patterson, C-TRAN director of public affairs at
695-0123, or go to the agency’s website,
www.c-tran.com.
Sue Armitage named history center
director
Sue
Armitage, nationally known scholar and Washington State University
history professor for the past 25 years, has been named director of the Center
for Columbia River History, a regional partnership supported by WSU Vancouver,
Portland State University, and the Washington State Historical Society. Armitage
succeeds Portland State University’s Bill Lang.
Armitage says she plans to bridge the
gap between scholars and the public through public programs, research and
student training.
The Center for Columbia River History
is located in the Vancouver National Reserve. For further information, call
258-3289, or go to the center’s website,
www.ccrh.org.
Winter hours mean free admission to
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
When the Fort Vancouver National
Historic Site switches to winter hours on Sunday, Oct. 31, admission to the
reconstructed fort becomes free, reports National Park Service’s
Greg Shine, chief ranger.
Winter hours mean that the Visitor
Center and the reconstructed fort will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Winter
hours coincide with daylight saving time.
In 1948, Fort Vancouver was
established as a unit of the National Park system to commemorate and interpret
the role of Fort Vancouver as the birthplace of Euro-American civilization in
the history of the Pacific Northwest. “Today,” according to Shine, “it is the
premier historical archaeology site in the region.”
The site includes the fort,
agricultural fields, village and waterfront of the former Hudson’s Bay Company,
and also includes sections of Vancouver Barracks, the post parade grounds.
Clark College faculty members to
presenting recital in Italian, French and English Sunday
Clark College Music Department faculty
members April Brookins Duvic, soprano,
Gretchen Tucker, violin, and
Corey Averill, cello, accompanied by
Portland Opera’s pianist, Douglas Schneider,
are presenting a voice and instrumental recital at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept.
26, in the Clark College Decker Theatre.
Duvic presents works in Italian,
French and English. There is no charge for the recital, although donations for
the Clark Music Department scholarship fund will be accepted.
News briefs
Clark County commissioners meet in
informal session at 1:45 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22.
g The Puget Sound
Blood Center is conducting a blood drive at Glad Tidings Church, 305 NE 192nd
Avenue, from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22.
g The Pearson Air
Museum Cruz-In resumes at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, at Pearson Field, 1115 E
5th Street. Adult admission is $5.
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