Head of Salem’s transit district
gets nod to lead C-TRAN

Jeff Hamm, general manager of the Salem-Keizer Transit District, will become C-TRAN's new Executive Director/CEO effective January 1, 2007.

Hamm has been with the Salem-Keizer Transit District since 1999.  Hamm served as general manager at Jefferson Transit in Port Townsend for nine years and as a supervisor at Metro Transit in Seattle.

He is a graduate of Beloit College and earned a masters degree in urban planning at the University of Washington.

"We're quite pleased to have Hamm join us," said C-TRAN board chair Betty Sue Morris, after the board had concluded a rigorous two-and-a-half-day interview process with four finalists to head the Clark County transit agency.

Vancouver and Clark County's public transportation system provides 26 local and premium commuter routes and 5 connector service systems for the cities of Camas, Battle Ground, La Center, Ridgefield and the Town of Yacolt.

Ed and Dollie Lynch get surprise honor
at 10th anniversary of Historic Reserve

Ed and Dollie Lynch were named Washington Generals by Lt. Gov. Brad Owen during a surprise award ceremony last night as the Vancouver National Historic Reserve celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Also honored for their successful efforts in forming the historic reserve were Washington State University Vancouver chancellor Hal Dengerink, former Vancouver city managers Paul Grattet and John Marshall, and former Vancouver mayor Bruce Hagensen.

Washington generals are honorary titles bestowed on those who have made significant contributions in support of their communities. Owen, a Washington general, who nominated the couple, said that although the Lynches were nominated as a couple, each was deserving of the title in his and her own right. "They are the epitome of a community spirited couple,” Owen said.

Dan Clune appointed mental health
director at Lifetime Connections

Dan Clune, former director of Mental Health for Daytop Village, New York City, has been appointed director of Clinical Services for Vancouver’s Lifeline Connections, the Clark County-based chemical dependency treatment center in the new county Center for Community Health, 1601 E Fourth Plain Boulevard.

Clune provided post-9/11 crisis intervention and stress debriefing for major client tenants of the World Trade Center, including individual and group counseling to families of those who died in the attack. Working with the U.S. Department of State, Clune helped bring therapeutic techniques and training to counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists and doctors in China, Pakistan, Malaysia, Peru, Brazil and Thailand. Clune has also taught at City College of New York and Marymount College in New York City.

Cline earned a masters degree in social work from Maywood College, Scranton, Penn.

Licensed by Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, DSHS Mental Health Division and Washington State Department of Health, Lifeline Connections provides a 14-bed non-medical detoxification facility, a 60-bed chemical dependency intensive inpatient treatment facility and a 16-bed intensive inpatient treatment facility for addicted deaf persons in the Center for Community Health. Lifeline Connections also provides extensive out-patient services.

The private non-profit corporation has been providing non-hospital based intensive inpatient treatment services for the Vancouver-Portland metropolitan area since1962. It is also the only intensive inpatient treatment service provider for deaf addicted consumers in the western United States.

State university honors programs
to get airing at WSU Vancouver

High school juniors and seniors and their parents will be given a preview of honors programs offered at Washington State University Vancouver and the University of Washington during an informational program in the Student Services Building on the WSU Vancouver campus at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6.

The event is sponsored by the Mentoring Advance Placement program, a partnership of Educational Service District 112, Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council, Clark County school districts and local businesses. For further information, call Natalie Pacholl, MAP coordinator, 750-7500.

News brief

A little more than half of the 188,409 general election ballots mailed to Clark County voters are expected to be returned, reports county elections supervisor Tim Likness. Completed ballots must be returned to the county elections office postmarked no later than Tuesday, Nov. 7, to count, according to the elections supervisor. Ballots that are not mailed can be taken to several locations in the county and to the drive-up drop-off box at 1408 Franklin Street by 8 p.m. election day.

Wednesday headlines

City manager's budget preview is balanced, but may need help--Oregonian, Allan Brettman

Battle Ground history book back in print--Reflector

Washington apple crop falls on bat times because of worker shortage--Seattle Times, Hal Bernton

Fed leaves interest rates unchanged for third time--USATODAY, Sue Kirchhoff

Putin says he won't seek third term--USA TODAY, AP

Bush 'not satisfied either' with war in Iraq--USA TODAY

Iraqi PM disavows timetable; troops raid Shiite stronghold--USA TODAY, AP

Iraqi prime minister lashes out at U.S.--Washington Post, John Ward Anderson