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Still too close to call, Gregoire
leads Rossi by 196 votes
Democratic Washington gubernatorial candidate
Christine Gregoire is leading Republican
candidate Dino Rossi by 196 votes, and
the counties must certify ballot totals tomorrow.
The final tally could easily lead to a mandatory recount.
A recount would occur automatically, according to secretary of state
Sam Reed, if the vote difference between
the two candidates is less than one-half of one percent and is less than 2,000
votes.
Never has a governor’s election in this state been this
close, 1,361,029 for Gregoire, 1,360,833, Rossi. The third major party
candidate, Libertarian candidate Ruth Bennett
polled 62,451 votes.
If a recount is ordered, county auditors across the state
will begin the ballot counting process all over again.
The secretary of state has until Tuesday, Dec. 2, to
certify the state totals.
Local employment statistically
struggling, but jobs increased
Clark County’s unadjusted unemployment rate for October
was pegged at 6.5 percent by the state Employment Security Department, showing
an improvement from a 9.3 percent rate a year ago, but it was up two-tenths of a
percent over September. Clark County was tied with Lewis County with the sixth
worst rates of all of Washington’s 39 counties. Counties with higher
unemployment rates were Ferry (8%), Grays Harbor (7.8%), Columbia (7.6%),
Klickitat (7.5%) and Cowlitz (7.2%).
Nevertheless the total number of local jobs increased by
2,200 over September, to a total of 172,800 in October.
The statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for October
was 5.6 percent, unchanged from September, but down from 7.5 percent in October
2003. Nationally the unadjusted unemployment rate was 5.1 percent for October
and September, both down from 6.0 percent in October 2003.
Jane Elder interprets Sacagawea’s life
for WSU Vancouver audience tonight
Sioux historian Jeanne
Elder, recognized nationally as a leading interpreter of Sacagawea and
her role with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, will be joined by historian
William Lang, Portland State University,
and Ray Gardner, vice chair of the
Chinook Nation, to present an interpretive description of the only woman to
accompany the explorers in 1805-1806, at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Student
Services Building, room 110, at the Washington State University-Vancouver Salmon
Creek Campus;
The program is sponsored by the university’s Department
of History and the Center for Columbia River History. There is no charge.
Workshop Friday previews 2005
Strategic
Leadership Development Institute series
The final strategic leadership workshop of the year by
the Clark College-Washington State University Vancouver Center for Continuing
Education, 7:30 to 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 19, in Oxford Suites, Jantzen Beach,
will provide senior- and mid-level managers with a preview of the 2005
Leadership Development Institute.
Carol Sanford,
international business consultant to such companies as Colgate, De Pont and
Yahoo, will discuss how management and staff leadership affect business
directions, at the $45 workshop. For further information and to register, call
992-2939.
Dan Ogden to moderate
church vs. state issue
Democratic activist Dan
Ogden will moderate a forum dissecting the issue of separation of church
and state, at the Forum at the Library at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, in the
Vancouver Community Library, 1007 E Mill Plain Boulevard.
Panelists are Paul King
and Bob MacGregor.
Questions under discussion are as follows:
Does the use of “under God” in the pledge of allegiance
insert religion into government?
Is the stripping of “under God” from the pledge a case of
political correctness run amok?
Is our founding fathers’ plan to secure citizens from a
plague of religious suppression still relevant?
If “under God” disappears from pledges, what about “God
Bless America” and “America the Beautiful”?
People
Evergreen High School 2004 graduates
Rafael Walden and
Stephanie Anderson have been awarded
full-tuition scholarships from First Independent Bank to attend Clark College.
Two-alarm fire this morning at Prairie
High School routs students, but evening activities to resume
Two fires in restrooms at Prairie High School routed
1,500 students who were sent home for the day. There were no reported injuries.
All evening activities will go on as scheduled, and
classes will resume Wednesday, Nov. 17.
Fire officials say the fires were purposely set.
Correction
Fran Rutherford
says: “Thank you, Tony, for inserting the announcement about the Festival of
Nativities [3 to 9 p.m. Thursday
through Saturday, Dec. 2-4, at The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints, 10509 SE Mill Plain Boulevard. Unfortunately my phone
number is listed incorrectly. The correct number is
896-2283. I would appreciate it if you
could correct this.” Sorry for our typo, Fran.
News briefs
The C-TRAN board of directors meets at 5:15 p.m. today in
the Rose Besserman Room of the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center to discuss cuts
in service. g Washington State
University president V. Lane Rawlins and
WSU Vancouver chancellor Hal Dengerink
will discuss the proposal that Washington State University Vancouver begin
accepting freshmen and sophomore students in 2006, in a public hearing at 7 p.m.
this evening in the Student Services Building on the Salmon Creek Campus.
g The Vancouver Parking Advisory
Committee meets at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, in the Vancouver Housing
Authority conference room, 2500 Main Street.
g Kathy Gunson will discuss her
experiences as a Vietnam nurse at the 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, Women in
Action Luncheon in the Red Lion Hotel at the Quay. Call
Anissa Russell,
263-6389 for reservations.
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MIRIAM GREEN 
"Working to help you!"
