Firstenburg Tower tours
are Saturday and Sunday

The PR folks at Southwest Washington Medical Center, billing it the unveiling of the newest and most experienced hospital, are inviting the public to tour the new Firstenburg Patient Tower between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, and Sunday, Jan. 28.

Indeed, at least half of the medical center’s Mill Plain Boulevard campus is absolutely the newest in Clark County. The completion of the Firstenburg Tower, along with related improvements, adds 307,000 square feet to the center nearly doubling the size of the facility.

State-of-the-art eighth-floor private patient room in Firstenburg Tower at Southwest Washington medical Center awaits first patient expected in February.  

Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital, operated by Legacy Health System, was completed a little over a year ago.

The eight-story Firstenburg Tower has space for 154 private patient rooms, 13 state-of-the-art operating rooms , and a consolidated Heart and Vascular Center. The expansion project also added over 600 parking spaces at the 32-acre campus.

Some of the advanced medical features being put into practice at the medical center are complete electronic medical records, a medical imaging network providing digital imaging storage of all diagnostic imaging services, bi-plane technology in new cardiac catherization laboratories, two dedicated open heart surgery suites, and bedside patient registration, information and entertainment systems.

Family space is provided-for in each of the private patient rooms.

The $146 million expansion is the beneficiary of more than $44 million in locally donated gifts.

The first patients are to be admitted in February, according to medical center president and chief executive officer Joe Kortum.

Valet parking service is available for those making the hospital tours this weekend.

Republicans book Oregon
GOP chairman Vance Day

The chairman of the Oregon Republican Party, Vance Day, and World War II veteran Lynn “Buck” Compton are the speakers at the Clark County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner and Auction, set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, in the Hilton Vancouver Washington.

Attendees will cast straw-poll votes for favorite 2008 Republican presidential candidates.

Admission is $60 in advance, $65 at the door. For further information, call 600-6668, or 695-1609, or go to www.clarkcountygop.org.

Genealogical Society
offers winter classes

Five different genealogy classes are being offered this winter by the Clark County Genealogical Society in the society’s office at 715 Grand Boulevard.

Classes are as follows: Choosing and Using a Genealogy Database Program, Larry Dean, Wednesday, Feb. 28; Organizing, Documenting and Preserving Your Genealogy, Jane Germann, Wednesday, March 7; County Land Records, Lethene Parks, Wednesday, March 14; Researching Your Indian Ancestor, Glen Jones, Wednesday, March 21; and Military Records: Revolutionary War, War of 1812, DAR and Civil War, Parks, Sandy Thompson and Alice Allen, Wednesday, March 28.

All classes are from 10 a.m. to noon. Class fees are $10 if pre-registered. For further information, call 750-5688.

Calendar

Annual three-day Clark College northwest high school jazz festival continues today with first-day final competition beginning at 7 p.m. in the college’s Gaiser Hall. Competition continues all day Saturday, Jan. 27, beginning at 7:40 a.m. Final festival competition begins at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $5 each day. For further information, call 992-2188 or 992-2662. n A mature audience play, Hot-’N’ Throbbing, is being presented by Arts Equity Onstage in the Main Street Theatre, 606 Main Street at 7:30 p.m. this evening and Saturday, Jan. 27. Reserved seating ranges from $8 to $24. For further information, call 695-3770.

Friday, Jan. 26, headlines

Freightliner is set to lay off nearly one half of its work force at Swan Island by March 30--Columbian, Jonathan Nelson

Battle Ground School District expecting another close vote in February--Columbian, Howard Buck

Battle Ground students marching to promote special levy--Oregonian, Holley Gilbert

Restaurateur Ron Onslow named to the Ridgefield city council--Columbian, Jose Paul Corona

It's hard to define the Pacific Northwest place in the world--Columbian, Don Hamilton

High school jazz bands strut their stuff at Clark College--Columbian, Brett Oppegaard

Nationally new home sales strong in December, but 2006 drop was worst since 1989--USA TODAY, Reuters

Durable goods orders strong--USA TODAY, AP

NATO allies wary of adding troops in Afghanistan--New York Times, Helene Cooper

President rebuffs opponents of Iraq plan--Washington Post, William Branigin and Ernesto Londono