Ron Goodman named emergency services
director for American Red Cross chapter

Ron Goodman has been hired as emergency services director for the Southwest Washington chapter of the American Red Cross.

Goodman will oversee disaster response, preparedness and training, Armed Forces Emergency Services casework, and international tracing services.

Goodman is a long-time volunteer for the Red Cross, where as a public affairs immediate response volunteer he provided media coverage during local disasters. Goodman, most recently with Comcast Cable, is a graduate of Clark College, is a former teacher at Portland Community, Mt. Hood Community and Clackamas Community Colleges.

John Wiesman tabbed for extra duty
as interim community services director

Clark County Public Health director John Wiesman today was appointed interim Clark County Community Services and Corrections director by county administrator Bill Barron.

Barron said Weisman will serve until a permanent director is selected to succeed Mike Piper, who left the position to join the City of Vancouver staff in the new position of sustainability coordinator.

Wiesman has been county health director since 2004. He is a graduate of Lawrence University and holds a masters degree in public health from Yale University.

Port of Vancouver considering deal
to jump start waterfront development

Port of Vancouver commissioners are considering a proposal to lease 3.26 acres south of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad right-of-way and west of the Vancouver Landing on the Columbia River to the City of Vancouver and Columbia Waterfront LLC.

The property would be used for retail, office, hotel/motel, public access, restaurants, a pedestrian plaza and other commercial activities that would be a centerpiece of the proposed mixed use waterfront project on property currently owned by Boise Cascade.

The lease contains a provision that Columbia Waterfront would negotiate in good faith with the Red Lion Hotels to build a new hotel on the property. Otherwise the existing lease with Red Loon Hotels is not affected by the deal.

The lease would also be contingent on Boise Cascade completing the sale of its 28-acre site on the river to Columbia Waterfront.

Terms of the lease are such that the port would earn $17 million in revenue in the first 50 years of the deal.

Day-long “Couv” music festival
to rock Westfield Vancouver Mall

The biggest music festival ever to play the Westfield Vancouver Mall opens at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 16, and continues until 10 p.m.

The extravaganza of rock, indie, rap, hop-hop, and whatever else is new, called the “Couv,” is presented on two stages.

All entertainment is local. The main stage features the following ten bands: Love Trucker, O’Brian’s Enemy, The Reds, The Revenants, Throwback Suburbia, Silversafe, Sonsofday, Squish, The Young Immortals and Xile.

Second stage entertainment includes the following: Civil Disturbance, Refrain, Voyd, Grove Nation Hip-Hop Dancers and Slam Poetry Performances.

The event, sponsored by the mail, Cricket Wireless, City of Vancouver, Downbeat Sounds Recording Studio and Northwest Entertainment productions, helps celebrate Vancouver’s 150th birthday.

 AARP offering consumers free seminar
on how to get wise to investment scams

The American Association of Retired Persons and the state Department of Financial Institutions is holding a seminar on how to get wise to investment scams from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 20, in the Red Lion Hotel at the Quay.

The seminar is the first of its kind to use detailed insights into the minds of con artists as a way to protect consumers, according to Jason Erskine, AARP spokesperson.

There is no change for the seminar or lunch, Erskine says, but registration is required. For further information, call Erskine at (877)-926-8300, or go to www.aarp.org/wa to register on line.

Wine & Jazz Festival
lineup just in

Seven headliners for the 10th annual Vancouver Wine & Jazz festival have been announced by impresario Michael Kissinger. The festival in Esther Short Park will be August 24 through 26.

Headliners in alphabetical order are as follows: Blind Boys of Alabama, Kenny Loggins, Melissa Manchester, Poncho Sanchez, Ramsey Lewis, Take 6, and The Yellowjackets.

Ticket prices are $20 for Friday, $25 for Saturday and $25 for Sunday, of $50 for three days.  

People

Biniam Afenegus, Greater St. Helen’s League Class 3A Soccer Coach of the Year, has been appointed men’s soccer coach at Clark College. Afenegus has nine years’ coaching experience with high schools and premier club teams in the region. For the past two years he was soccer coach at Fort Vancouver High School. Afenegus graduated from and earned a masters degree in education from Concordia University. While at Concordia he earned all-league and all-regional honors in soccer. The Clark College soccer team, which won the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges championship in 1997, has five regional championship titles including the 2006 regional championship.

News briefs

The Clark County Board of Equalization is one of the few volunteer county boards for which members are paid $75 for attending meetings. Meetings are called a few times a year to help adjudicate disagreements over property assessed valuations. A vacancy for a three-year term on the board is open, and letters of interest for the position must be received by the board of Clark County commissioners no later than Friday, June 29. Qualifications include knowledge of Clark County, real and personal appraisal techniques, property tax law, and experience and understanding of the building trades. <> A three-year term on the Clark County Solid Waste Advisory Commission is also vacant. This is a volunteer position. For further information, call Anita Largent, 397-6118, extension 4484.

Calendar

The Third annual Microblues Festival opened at 3 p.m. today for a three-day run in Esther Short Park this weekend. The festival features microbrews and high-powered blues. Hours are noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 16, and Sunday, June 17. Admission is $8 a day. Children under 12 are admitted free. For further information, call 450-7087. <> A jazz concert by the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, produced by Bravo! Vancouver in the St. Joseph Catholic Church, 400 S Andresen Road, is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 16. All tickets are $20. For further information, call 906-0441. <> The Slocum House Theatre presents He and She, directed by Mike Heywood, at 8 p.m. this evening and Saturday, June 16, and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 17, in the Slocum House Theatre, 605 Esther Street. For further information, call 696-2427. General admission is $10; seniors $8. <> Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile, directed by Llewellyn Rhoe, is being presented by ArtsEquity Theatre at 8 p.m. this evening and Saturday, June 16, in the Main Street Theatre, 606 Main Street. Ticket prices range from $10 to $25. Theater packages with a three-course dinner at the Restaurant in the Historic Reserve are available for $55 each. For further information, call 695-3770. <> A legislative town hall meeting is being presented by State. Rep. Deb Wallace (D-17th) at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 16, in the Firstenburg Community Center, 700 NE 136th Avenue. <> U.S. Rep. Brian Baird (D-3rd) and Air America radio personality Thom Hartman are speakers at the Clark County Democratic Central Committee’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner at the Hilton Vancouver Washington, Saturday, June 16. A social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. Dinner and an oral auction begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are a minimum of $50 each. For further information call, 838-1032.

Headlines Friday, June 15

Clark parades Penguin pride at graduation--Columbian, Isolde Raftery

Old Glory gets proper salute--Columbian, Jose Paul Corona

Republican Dino Rossi gathers ideas at Vancouver forum--Columbian, Kathie Durbin

Troopers checking bad driving from chicken truck--Columbian, John Branton

Home sellers waiting for home buyers--Columbian, Cami Joner

Raid makes debate over sanctuary real--Oregonian, Angie Chuang and Nancy Haught

Two killed when light plane crashes in southwest Portland--KATU

Sunni mosque is destroyed in retaliation--New York Times, Alissa J. Rubin

Senate leaders agree to revive immigration bill--New York Times, Robert Pear and Jeff Zeleny

Space station's computers functioning again, USA TODAY, Traci Watson

Dow finishes week with biggest 3-day gain since '04--USA TODAY, AP, Tim Paradis

Iraq Coalition Casualties

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