Clark Public Utilities’ offering new stewardship
course, expanding Stream Team to Lewis River

Clark Public Utilities, long in the forefront of watershed protection programs along Salmon Creek, is expanding its reach to the East Fork of the Lewis River and is offering a free eight-week course for Clark County residents to become Stream Team stewards.

The utility’s Stream Team currently consists of 300 stewards who donate about 3,000 hours of their time each year. Those involved in Stream Team activities include utility employees, college students, scout groups and a wide variety of individuals, according to Lisa Beranek, Stream Team program coordinator.

Since the program was formed in 1992, more than 600,000 trees have been planted to restore approximately 120 acres of land along the 15-mile length of Salmon Creek.

Clark Public Utilities is the second largest water utility in the county, serving customers northwest of Vancouver. The utility is also providing water for residents along the East Fort of the Lewis River and is now including that stream in its purview.

Stream Team volunteers plant trees, monitor stream conditions and help provide maintenance along the drainage system.

The course of instruction, according to Beranek is a professional level workshop series that provides lecture and hands-on experience with local hydrology, geology, botany, wildlife, water quality monitoring and restoration.

Stewards repay their tuition by volunteering 45 hours with Stream Team or one of its partners. There is, however, a $10 fee to cover administrative costs. Classes, which run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays, begin this fall. For further information, call Beranek at 992-8585.

Port of Camas-Washougal to study
150-acre addition to industrial base

A 150-acre industrial site next to the Port of Camas-Washougal industrial park is ready for a feasibility study, reports Sheldon Tyler, port executive director. Tyler said requests for qualifications from potential contractors are being called and proposals are due by 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24.

The property was acquired by the port in the 1980s, but wetlands studies were completed only recently. Of the total 165 acres, 15 are considered wetlands. The majority of the land is zoned for heavy industry.

For further information, call Tyler at 835-2196, extension 101.

County to experiment with
two-bin recycling system

Clark County begins a six-month test today to see whether residents would recycle more if the number of recycling containers were reduced from three to two.

Currently, recycling is done by a three-bin system, one for glass, plastic and metal, one for newspapers, and one for other kinds of paper and pasteboard.

The proposed system would provide a roll cart for paper, cans, plastic, etc., and a separate bin for glass.

The test involves 5,000 customers in rural Clark County, Vancouver, Camas and Washougal.

According to Mike Davis, spokesperson for the county solid waste program, Clark County’s recycling rate lags behind the state average.

Healthy Steps community health fair Saturday

Healthy Steps Women’s and Children’s Clinic is sponsoring a community health fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, in the clinic at 6100 Fourth Plain Boulevard. The goal of the health fair is to introduce people to health care services and agencies available so that they can be proactive about improving their own health and wellness, according to Nancy Fogg-Shankle, Healthy Steps social worker.

The first 100 families to attend will receive free digital thermometers, Fogg-Shankle said.

Partner agencies include ABC Dental, Columbia United Providers, Children’s Center, Children’s Home Society, Clark College, Columbia River Mental Health Service, Dental Van, Free Clinic of Southwest Washington, Dental Express, Headstart, Honey Bees Vision, NW Community Services, Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation, SeaMar Clinic, Southwest Washington Medical Center Breast and Cervical Center, Vancouver Public Library, WIC, WorkSource and YWCA Clark County.  

For further information, call 514-7262.

Dumb editor at it again

The worst thing we did to Jule Woodruff last Tuesday was to call her by another name under her picture in a story about her advancement to senior vice president at Riverview Community Bank. We also failed to note properly that after having been a Hazel Dell Branch manager for ten years, for the past four years she had been retail service coordinator for the bank. We have apologized to Jule. Maybe we were concentrating too much on spelling her first name correctly.

Calendar

The Vancouver City Council meets in workshop session at 4 p.m. today. <> The Vancouver City Council, meeting in regular session at 7 p.m. this evening will consider an agreement to vacate a portion of D Street in the vicinity of the proposed Al Angelo Company redevelopment of the former Denny’s Restaurant site as a five-story office building and development of the block west of that site with an office, retail structure. <> Clark County commissioners, because of a lack of a quorum, will not meet this week.

Headlines Monday, Aug. 20