Tony Johnson elected president
of Vancouver Rotary Club

Tony Johnson, president of T.J. and Associates, has been elected president of the Vancouver Rotary Club. Other officers are as follows: Jerry Petrick, Vancouver president/president elect; Victor DeAntonis, secretary; Les Mischke, treasurer; and Kate Benson, sergeant-at-arms. Nadine Robertson is immediate past president.

Club directors are Steve Rosvold, Jerry Rolling, George Middleton, Timothy Buckley and Rick Takach.

Harley Morgan was named recipient of the Distinguished Rotarian Service Award. George Middleton was selected as Rotarian of the Year and Ron Prill was named Rookie Rotarian of the Year.

Port accelerating groundwater cleanup in Fruit Valley

Having already removed a significant amount of solvents in the groundwater below property in Fruit Valley, the Port of Vancouver, Department of Ecology is embarking on a program to accelerate the final clean-up.

Port of Vancouver Executive Director Larry Paulson today said that the port will be installing a pump-and-treat system to remove the solvent contamination from an aquifer below Fruit Valley industrial and residential lands, where contamination was discovered in the late 1990s. The aquifer is not a source of drinking water, and drinking water service in the Fruit Valley Neighborhood is safe.

The port, which has already spent $13 million anticipates it will spend another $21 million to complete the clean-up. The Washington Department of Ecology has given the port a total of $6.3 million to assist with funding the clean-up.

Since the clean-up started, the port has removed and treated 14,000 cubic yards of soil from the former Swan Manufacturing site. A second source of contamination is located on the Cadet Manufacturing property, where three remediation systems have been put in place on the site. The port purchased property at Cadet Manufacturing in 2006, and took control of the clean-up activities.

The port has been working in partnership with the Washington State Departments of Ecology and of Health to get the clean-up done. The port also is cooperating with Clark Public Utilities and the City of Vancouver, which have interests in providing the public with clean, safe drinking water.

Since the mid-1990s the Port of Vancouver has returned 55 acres of contaminated sites to productive industrial lands for use by tenants such as Pacific Coast Shredding, TriStar Transload PNW, Columbia River Sand and Gravel, and Marine Terminals Corporation.

First Discover VancouverUSA Ramble takes off Saturday

Walkers, joggers and runners will ramble through southwestern Clark County Saturday, July 21, participating in the first Discover Vancouver USA Ramble, sponsored by the Columbia River Orienteering Club.

The ramble is a variation of orienteering, a sport in which participants use maps, compasses and GPSs to follow unmarked trails to predetermined destinations.

Saturday’s series of events is simple enough that a map will do, according to Jerry Rhodes, director of the local ramble.

Courses have been set up in the Historic Reserve, downtown Vancouver, along the Columbia and along burnt Bridge Creek, as well as in several area neighborhoods.

Discover VancouverUSA Ramble is a fund-raising event for the Parks and Recreation Foundation of Vancouver and Clark County. Fees are $10 for individuals, $20 for teams or families of two, and $25 for teams or families of three to five persons.

For further information, call Rhodes at 253-8632, or go to www.vancouverusaramble.org.

Local “stars” to shine for
Pearson Air Museum contest

Pearson Air Museum’s fund-raising Dancing with the Local Stars contest has a local all-star cast, as follows: Shel Bailey, 97.1 Charlie FM; Tim Leavitt, Vancouver City Council; Robert MacClellan, Pacific Coast Restaurants; Nadine Robertson, Vancouver Rotary; Stacee Sellers, mayor of the City of Woodland; and Mike Williams, Comcast.

Master of ceremonies is Rod Hill, KATU meteorologist. Judges are Bob Knight, Clark College president, Ginger Metcalf, executive director of Identity Clark County, and Phil Auer, owner of the Arthur Murray franchises in Vancouver and Portland. Music is by The Pranksters Big Band.

Admission to the function to the 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, July 27, function in Pearson Air Museum, 1115 E 5th Street, is $20 per person.

Calendar

The Vancouver City Council meets in workshop session at 4 p.m. today and will discuss the Columbia River Crossing Project. The Vancouver City Council also meets in a regular session at 7 p.m. this evening.<> Port of Camas-Washougal commissioners meet in regular session at 4 p.m. today, in port offices at 24 S A Street, Washougal. <> Clark Public Utilities’ commissioners meet in regular session at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 17. <> Clark County commissioners meet in regular session at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 17.

Headlines Monday, July 16

Clark County, magnetic north--Oregonian, Allan Brettman and Laura Oppenheimer

WSU Tri-Cities freshman class numbers climbing; Tri-Cities Regional Chamber of Commerce offers scholarships, internships and laptop computers as incentives--Evergreen, Kaci Boyd

Multnomah County judge rules that lesbian partner of Portland mother is entitled to legal parental status--Oregonian

Legislators setting up interactive Web forums--Columbian, Kathie Durbin

Ten years after tainted stretch of Columbia River at former Alcoa smelter site discovered nothing has been done--Columbian, Erik Robinson

City, county continue talks on growth plans--Columbian, Jeffrey Mize

Artists being asked to provide finishing touches on land bridge between Fort Vancouver and Columbia River--Columbian, Dean Baker

Portland's Roadmaster Inc. coming to Vancouver with 300 employees--Columbian, Cami Joner

Great Western Malting's beer making malt in high demand--Columbian, Julia Anderson

WSU Vancouver's Susan Finley's summer school program for children of low-income and homeless families working--Columbian, Isolde Raftery

Don't we all wish we were the guy in the lawn chair with balloons at 15,000 feet--Oregonian

Picker puts steel in immigration battle--Oreognian, Angie Chuang

More Washington liquor stores staying open on Sundays--Seattle P-I, Tom Paulson

President Bush proposed middle east peace conference--Washington Post, Peter Baker

Car bombs kill at least 80 in Iraq--Washington Post, Megan Greenwell

Earthquake rocks Japan, at least 8 die--Washington Post.com

Pace considers bigger troop buildup in Iraq--USA TODAY

Iraq Coalition Casualties