MONDAY, Jan 10, 2005

Vigfusson, Peterson promoted
at Columbia Credit Union

  Bergen Peterson     Dean Vigfusson

      Dean Vigfusson has been promoted to senior vice president, consumer lending, and Bergen Peterson has been promoted to  senior vice president and chief information officer, Columbia Credit Union president and CEO David Doss announced.

      Vigfusson has been with the credit union for the past four years. During that period Columbia increased its home loan volume by five times, according to Doss. Vigfusson is a member of the Clark County Association of Realtors and a member of the Building Industry Association of Southwest Washington.

      Peterson has directed organizational technology strategies for the credit union for the past five years. Peterson is a member of the Vancouver School District Management Advisory Council and the Clark College Business Technology Advisory Council. She is also a volunteer for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the YWCA of Clark County. Peterson is a graduate of Marquette University and has a masters degree in business administration from Portland State University and a masters degree in information management from the University of Oregon.

Gregoire-Rossi election not the
closest for governor in the U. S.

Unless the Washington State Supreme Court intervenes, Democrat Christine Gregoire will be sworn in as governor of the State of Washington by the state legislature Wednesday, Jan. 12.

The race between Gregoire and Republican Dino Rossi was extremely close, the closest ever in Washington, but not the closest for governor ever, according to Clark County auditor Greg Kimsey, who tracked down the facts

The tightest governor’s race in American history occurred in 1839 when Maine Democrat Marcus Morton was elected by a single vote.

Kimsey provides the following information acquired by Kurt Creager, director of the Vancouver Housing Authority from the University of Virginia Center for Politics, which was compiled by Larry Sabato, director of the center:

“The closest senate race was in New Hampshire, 1974, when Democrat John Durkin and Republican Louis Wyman fought to a virtual draw. One count had one of the candidates ahead by 2 votes, another by 10 votes, and it was appealed to the U. S. Senate. The senate could not decide a race so close, and it was sent back to New Hampshire for a special election in September 1975. By then the Watergate scandal had run its course, and President Gerald Ford had pardoned former president Richard Nixon, which contributed to Democrat Durkin winning by a large margin. He served only this partial term and was defeated in the Reagan landslide of 1980.

“The only modern gubernatorial contest to approach Washington '04, was Minnesota in 1962, when incumbent Republican Elmer Anderson was thought to have won a second term in a squeaker and took the oath of office in January 1963. However, a handful of disputed ballots went to the Minnesota State Supreme Court which, two months later, installed Democrat Karl Rolvaag by 91 votes out of almost a million and a quarter cast. Governor Anderson had to vacate his governorship three months into his new term! (Anderson just reemerged for the first time in many years to endorse John Kerry for president in October.)

“At least the Minnesota election was resolved without violence. In 1872, a small-scale civil war was waged for months in Arkansas between two candidates who both claimed to have won the governorship.

“Finally, in 1900 a very close Kentucky election that had apparently been won by the Democrat resulted in the Democratic Governor-Elect's assassination on the steps of the state capitol.”

Brian Baird holding town
hall meeting Wednesday

U. S. Rep. Brian Baird (D-3rd) is holding a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, in the Rose Besserman Community Room, in the C-TRAN Fisher’s Landing Transit Center.

For further information, call 695-6292.

News briefs

The board of trustees of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District meets in regular session at 6 p.m. this evening in the Washougal Community Library, 1661 C Street. g The Neighborhood Associations Council of Clark county meets at 7 p.m. this evening in the Public Works Conference Room, 4700 NE 78th Street. Members of the board of Clark County commissioners are expected to be in attendance. g The Columbian  presents a “Funk Factor Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, in E. B. Hamilton Hall of the Red Cross Building, 605 Barnes Road. Speaker is Steven Tepper, associate director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Police at Vanderbilt University. Tickets are $25 at the door. Call 694-2588 for reservations and $20 tickets. g Clark Public Utilities’ commissioners meet in regular session at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, and will hold a final public hearing on proposed water rate increases for 2005. g Port of Vancouver commissioners meet in regular session at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11. g Clark County commissioners meet in regular session at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11.
 

Headlines at home and from around the world:
(Click on the headlines below for the rest of the story)

Research underway to see whether Vancouver Barracks building will attract artists priced out from the Pearl District--Columbian, Jeffrey Mize

Six-year-old Vancouver boy goes from seizures to skates--Columbian, Ken Olsen

Instant runoff voting could have made governor's race more certain--Columbian, Don Jenkins

Campaign to get Battle Ground voters to approve $63 million school measure has begun--Columbian, Amy McFall Prince

Battle Ground may get its first motel--Oregonian, Foster Church

C-TRAN riders can argue the fairness of the fair Tuesday--Oregonian

Portland company has solution for dirty water--KATU (video)

Day one of the U.S. National figure Skating Championships--KATU, Julia Radlick

Washington's legislative session opens--Seattle P-I, AP, David Ammons

Palestinian Winner Abbas makes peace gesture to Israel--USA TODAY, AP

Mount St. Helens VolcanoCam [updates every five minutes]--USDA Forest Service, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Monday on the air

Portland Blazers at Philadelphia (live)—4 p.m. FSN
Vancouver City Council Workshop (live)—4 p.m. CVTV
Vancouver City Council (1/3)—7 p.m. CVTV
 

Town tabloids and the weather

Ron Paul’s final solo triumphant. g Dale Tolliver putting cello into high gear. g Maria Manzo smashing! g Michael Kissinger getting bravos. g Jan Harte getting closure on specifications. g Linda Marsh gets day off, loves it. g Jason Chambers taking care of details. g Monday, bright and sunny, 43. Tuesday, mostly cloudy, possible sunbreaks, 42. Wednesday, gray, possible showers. 45.