Craig L. Lyons Jr. named executive
director for the Council for the Homeless

Craig L. Lyons Jr. has been appointed executive director of the Council for the Homeless, reports council president Barb Baldus. Lyons succeeds Mark Baum, who resigned earlier to follow another career path.

Lyons most recently was program director for Juneau Youth Services, where he has worked for the past six years. He is a graduate of Union College, Schenectady. Lyons was a member of the Juneau Child Advocacy Center, the Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness and the Juneau Partnership for Families and Children.

Baldus said Wednesday that Lyon’s background in housing and homelessness program management will help the council achieve a 10-year plan to end homelessness in Clark County.

Nationally and statewide, ending homelessness is the goal of homeless agencies. In Clark County the short-term goal is to reduce homelessness in the county by half by 2015. Currently it is estimated there are just under 1,400 homeless persons in Clark County. 

Skateborders and BMXers invited
to extreme sports park meeting

Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation is asking skateboarders, BMX bicyclists, their families and their friends to participate in a special public meeting to help plan an accelerated opening of one half of the community’s newest extreme sports park in Pacific Community Park on Vancouver’s eastside.

The first 10,000 square feet of a planned total 20,000 square-foot extreme sports park includes a vertical bowl and street elements designed for skateboarders and BMX bicyclists of all skill levels.

Parks & Recreation project manager Lisa Goorjian says that during several years of planning for the extreme sports park skateboarders and BMX bicyclists have helped with the design and have written rules for the facility.

Even though only half the extreme sports section of Pacific Community Park is expected to be completed next month, its opening will precede the opening of the larger park by as much as a year.

This will be the first time part of a park under construction will have been opened. This presents several challenges, including lack of parking, says Goorjian.

Clark County public works director Pete Capell says, “We want to let people use the new park as soon as possible.”

About $300,000 is needed to complete the second half of the extreme sports park, according to Goorjian. She says a fund to accept tax-deductible donations has been established through the Parks Foundation, adding that a BMX competition and other fund raising projects have kicked off the final financing drive.

Information on how to contribute to the Parks Foundation can be found by calling 693-7050.

The public meeting will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 18, in Fisher’s Grange Hall, 814 NEW 162nd Avenue, not far from the new park. For further information call 397-6118, extension 4949, or go to www.clarkparks.org/projects/pacific.htm.

Bank of Clark County
adds four new couriers

    
          Joshua Dunham                            Ron Hall
    
           Steve Hecker                              Marti Teel

The Bank of Clark County now has a staff of nine couriers, serving customers from as far north as Longview and as far south as Oregon City, reports Cheryl DeHann, Bank of Clark County courier service team manager.

The service is offered bank business customers at no charge.

Four newly hired couriers are as follows:

Joshua Dunham, a Washington resident since 1998, Dunham is a former retail sales manager. He is a former Republican Party precinct committeeman.

Ron Hall, retired after 30 years of service with Clark County Public Works. He is a graduate of Clark College.

Steve Hecker, a retired Vancouver School District teacher and most recently with HOSTS Learning, is a graduate of Eastern Washington University and holds a masters degree in science from Portland State University. Hecker is a Vancouver School District lunch buddy and a member of the Kiwanis Club.

Marti Teel, who moved to Vancouver from Oregon in 2002, has an extensive background in retail service. She is a former public school volunteer and is active in the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

News brief

A breakfast and lunch program for more than 250 Vancouver area kindergarten through 8th grade students is being conducted by Share in partnership with Evergreen Public Schools, which, in addition to meals for low-income children, provides the youngsters with educational activities 9 a.m. to noon

In its third year, the program opened on July 9 and continues through August 3. The program is free and open to the public. Share, which operates four homeless shelters, provides bus service for youngsters in Share facilities. Share will celebrate the 2007 program with an 11:30 a.m. kickoff Tuesday, July 17, in Sunset Elementary School, 9001 NE 95th Street.

Calendar

Port of Ridgefield commissioners meet in regular session at 6 p.m. this evening in port offices at 111 W Division Street. <> The second of two open houses discussing plans for the Chelatchie Prairie rail and trail planning project, sponsored by the Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation and Clark County Public Works, is at 6:30 p.m. this evening in the Yacolt Elementary School, 406 W Yacolt Road.

Headlines Wednesday, July 11

C-TRAN's 610-slot 99th Street park and ride hub over budget but on time--Oregonian, Allan Brettman

Driver targets wrong victim in alleged road rage--Columbian, John Branton

Vancouver Plaza in transition--Columbian, Cami Joner

90-room Holiday Inn Express Hotel may come to Vancouver Mall area--Columbian, Cami Joner

Mayors Pollard and Potter show teamwork--Columbian, Tom Koenninger

Lady Bird Johnson dies at 94--Washington Post, AP

Iraq Coalition Casualties