Chuck Furno’s 300 closest
friends turning out to cheer

More than 300 fans are expected to whoop and holler for Chuck Furno Thursday evening in the Hilton Vancouver Washington, during a tribute to the former Vancouver coach, teacher and administrator and member of the National High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame. The tribute is being put on by former students, players and friends.

And 300 is only a partial list of Furno’s closest friends, according to one of the event’s principal organizers, Bob Cone.

Everyone is invited to the 6:30 p.m. event for hors d’oeuvres and soft drinks. There will be a no-host bar. Admission is $30 a person and $50 a couple.

Furno, a Vancouver native, graduated from Vancouver High School in 1940. A Willamette University football halfback, Furno was with the team that played in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Dec. 6, 1941. Within a few months Furno joined the U.S. Army Air Corps, and after flight training flew fighter planes in the South Pacific through the end of World War II.

Returning to graduate from Willamette, where he married his wife, Zip, Furno became a coach at Vancouver High School, which later became Fort Vancouver High School. Furno’s 1958-59 Trapper football team was undefeated

Furno also taught history and physical education and ultimately became the superintendent of physical education and athletics for the Vancouver School District. Furno also retired as a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Air Force.

According to Cone, any surplus from ticket sales will go toward the Furno Family Student Athletic Scholarship Fund.

Members of the group organizing the tribute to Furno, in addition to Cone, are as follows: Lu Bain, Rene Bertheau, David Camp, Chuck Chronis, Clem Eischen, Terry Gierke, Ray Groesbeck, Ken Haack, Don Maw and Roy Sandberg. For further information, call Cone at 891-3676.

Clark Public Utilities gets
top ranking nationally

Clark Public Utilities’ rating by its commercial and industrial customers put the public utility in first place in the customer loyalty category in a national survey, Larry Blaufus, senior manager, Energy Technologies & Services and Industrial Accounts manager, reported to utility commissioners today.

Clark, one of the smallest of 66 utilities rated nationally, also placed sixth in overall excellence in large customer satisfaction, up from 28th place last year.

Sixty-six electric utilities participated in the national survey, including PacifiCorp and Portland General Electric. PacificCorp topped all utilities nationally in overall satisfaction.

Each utility was judged by its own customers. One hundred of Clark’s 150 largest customers participated in the national survey conducted by TQS Research, Atlanta.

Blaufus also reported that Clark Public Utilities was rated “most improved” utility of the year.

Said utility commissioner Carol Curtis: “This recognition is a wonderful reflection on all of our employees who work with commercial and industrial customers on a daily basis.”

A job in government awaits you

Clark County commissioners are seeking applicants for a position on the Public Health Advisory Council, a position on the county Board of Equalization, and two seats on the county Planning Commission.

To be considered for any of these positions, applicants should submit a letter of interest and a resume to Jennifer Clark, Clark County Board of Commissioners Office, P.O. Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666-5000, or email jennifer.clark@clark.wa.gov,  no later than Friday, Oct. 27.

People

For the second year in a row, C-TRAN coach operator Randall Smith has earned a first place finish in the annual Washington State Transportation Roadeo. Smith will compete in the national coach operators driving competition in Nashville next year. C-TRAN’s paratransit coach operator Julia Jones placed third in paratransit competition at the Roadeo.

News brief

A Vancouver subcommittee report on recommendations on cargo feeder and general aviation flights at Portland International Airport will be presented at the 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, meeting of the airport’s Citizen Noise Advisory Committee, in Gresham City Hall, 1333 NW Eastman Parkway, Gresham. n The July Freedom Bowl Classic, a Vancouver East-West Shriner’s football game, earned $5,000 for the Shriner’s Hospital in Portland, reports Shrine spokesperson Jeff Easterly.

Calendar

C-TRAN’s board of directors meet in a work session at 4:30 p.m. today in C-TRAN headquarters, 2425 NE 65th Avenue, to discuss the annual budget and in a second work session at, 5:15 p.m., to discuss service design. The directors will follow the work sessions with a regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. n Vancouver’s Parking Advisory Committee meets at 7:30 p.m. this evening in City Hall, to consider a proposal that doubles most of the city’s fines for parking violations. Most violations call for a $7 fine. The new penalty would be $15 in most cases. n Clark County commissioners meet in an informal session at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Tuesday headlines

Vancouver wants land for jobs first before housing--Columbian, Jeff Mize

Pilot project gives local jurors a raise--Columbian, Stephanie Rice

Sen. Murray hears about Clark County growing pains--Columbian, Jose Paul Corona

Restoration of historic Columbian building on Evergreen may bring pub or grocery store--Columbian, Cami Joner

Hopper Dennis Jellison's Shawn Moore keeping busy--Columbian, Cami Joner

Promising Vancouver Symphony better than ever--Columbian, James Bash

Many nations talk of tough measures against North Korea--USA TODAY, AP

Iran leaders reiterate nuclear stance--USA TODAY, AP

U.S. ammo dump burns in Iraq--USA TODAY, AP

Hastert threatens dismissals--Washington Post, William Branigin

Fence meets wall of skepticism--Washington Post, John Pomfret

Explosions kill 17 in troubled Baghdad district--New York Times, Michael Luo