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This time Vancouver voters
will decide fate of library
Vancouver voters will be asked in November to form a
Library Capital Facilities District conforming to the city limits, the Fort
Vancouver Regional Library District board decided in a strategic planning work
session last week. At the same time, voters will be asked to approve a bond
issue, yet to be fleshed out, that would modernize and expand the overcrowded,
40-year-old Vancouver Community Library and move a greatly expanded Cascade Park
Library into the Firstenburg Community Center in east Vancouver.
The new district would be smaller than the Library
Capital Facilaities District, that voters approved in March 2004, which included
Vancouver and the Vancouver urban growth area. Although the district was formed
by a nearly 60 percent majority, the accompanying $48 million bond issue
proposal, while getting a 55 percent favorable majority, failed because it
missed the statutory 60 percent favorable vote.
Says library executive director
Bruce Ziegman: “We’ll be carefully
re-examining over the next few months the best package to present to Vancouver
voters. Some factors have changed since we put the 2004 proposal together, but
the great need for better library facilities in Vancouver has certainly not
changed. We’re looking forward to making better libraries a reality this time.”
Plans will address the fact that the current Vancouver
Community Library is woefully undersized to handle its volume of patrons, lacks
adequate book shelf space and is not configured for the changes that technology
has brought. The Cascade Park Library is so small that children’s summer reading
programs have to be held outdoors.
The library board also directed staff to further study
the effectiveness of the way the library delivers information services, how the
library serves as a physical and philosophical community “commons,” and the
library’s role in supporting early learning needs of very young children.
The library’s strategic planning began in August last
year and included input from a 30-member citizen planning committee.
The board is expected to review more specific plans at
its June 13 meeting.
Student Union at Clark opened
Sue Fratt, president of
the Clark College board of Trustees, college president Wayne Branch, and student
body president Micah West cut ribbon to open new Clark College Penguin Student
Union. Far left is Tami Jacobs, Disability Support Services manager and far
right is Bob Knight, vice president of Administrative Services.
Amid day-long activities, the Clark College $9.9 million
Penguin Student Union opened in Gaiser Hall today.
One of the few student union facilities in Washington
community colleges, more than 80 percent of its cost was paid through student
fees.
Severing the ribbon to make the opening official were
Sue Fratt, president of the college board
of trustees, college president Wayne Branch,
and associated students president Micah West.
The student union offers a lounge area, café, game room,
performance area, and a wireless network system and computers.
Vancouver Dance Theatre
presenting Coppelia
Coppelia, from
France, believed to be the first to introduce a folk dance in ballet, is being
presented by the Vancouver Dance Theatre at 7 p.m. Friday, April 15, and 2 and 7
p.m. Saturday, April 16, in the Washington Auditorium in Fort Vancouver High
School, 5700 E 18th Street.
The light-hearted love story, directed by
Patrick Russell, includes a cast of 35
dancers.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students,
and are available at Beacock’s Music, Fisher’s Landing and Music World, Hazel
Dell, and will be available at the door. For further information, call
601-1799.
How many rights make a wrong?
The Daily Insider
was right in the first place. That’s what makes it wrong. Last week
Bob Byrd, co-owner with his older brother
Bill Byrd III, of Pacific Die Casting,
was correctly identified in the Insider
as being a member of the board of directors of Identity Clark County. However,
two readers, who shall remain unidentified, reported that the board member was
Bill III. So, we made a correction stating that Bill III was the board member.
Wrong! Bob, who is good humored about this reportorial goof, is also chair of
the ICC Transportation Committee.
News brief
Port of Ridgefield commissioners meet in regular session at
6 p.m. this evening in port offices at 111 W Division Street.
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MIRIAM GREEN 
"Working to help you!"
