Firstenburg Tower gets
design award of excellence

Southwest Washington Medical Center’s newly opened Firstenburg Tower has won one of four national Awards of Excellence presented by Modern Healthcare magazine for new hospital construction. The winners were selected from 181 entries.

“The primary goal in building the Firstenburg Tower was to provide space and technology for our state-of-the-art centers of excellence, particularly the Heart and Vascular Center, the Brain and Spine Center, and general surgery,” says Rainy Atkins, Southwest Washington Medical Center’s chief operating officer.

According to Modern Healthcare judges, the winners showed a consistency of quality “from parking lot entrance to the individual rooms,” as well as capitalizing on uses of natural light, vegetation and landscaping.

Jeopardy! Clue Crew coming to
Pacific Middle School Wednesday

Local television station KATU, Channel 2, will film its Jeopardy! Clue Crew in the Evergreen School’s  Pacific Middle School between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26. The Clue Crew episode will be hosted by former high school teacher Jon Cannon and features a classroom edition of the game show Jeopardy.

The show will be filmed in math teacher Tyler Carlson’s classroom. Some of the game show elements will be taken from Carlson’s current curriculum.

Anyone interested in attending the filming should call Pacific Middle School principal Kathleen Stellfox, 604-6500. Pacific Middle School is at 2017 NE 172nd Avenue.

Yellow left turn arrows debut on
Mill Plain Boulevard next month

Flashing yellow left turn arrows at intersections, signaling that a left turn can be made if no oncoming traffic is in the intersection, are coming to some signalized Vancouver intersections in October. The first two yellow left-turn arrows will be installed at Mill Plain Boulevard intersections at NE 168th and NE 190th Avenues.

A steady green arrow provides protected left turns from oncoming traffic, while the flashing yellow arrow indicates that left turns may be made after first yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

Clark College showcasing travel programs

Clark College, which annually offers travel opportunities through its travel studies programs, will be presenting its 2008 schedule during a travel studies open house from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, in the Penguin Student Lounge at the college’s main Fort Vancouver Way campus.

According to travel coordinator Carolyn Johnson, a number of trips will be open for registration during the presentation. For further information, call 992-2422.

News brief

A free screening event and seminar regarding a new therapy procedure for stroke victims is being presented by Southwest Washington Medical Center from 1 to 4 pm. Thursday, Sept. 27, in the Health Education Center at medical centers main campus on Mill Plain Boulevard. To be presented is a new SaeboFlex spring-loaded finger extension system for rehabilitation of arm and hand motor functions in stroke victims. To register for the seminar, call Sue Doyle at 514-2910.

Failed to mention

Former Clark County Democratic legislator Denny Heck took the Insider editor to task Friday for failing to explain that Dave Lasher, earlier improperly identified in the Insider as Clark County treasurer Doug Lasher, was the father of the younger Doug.

Calendar

The Fort Vancouver Regional Library District budget committee meets at 3 p.m. today in the Vancouver Community Library, 1007 E Mill Plain Boulevard. <> The Vancouver City Council meets in a workshop session from 4 to 5 p.m. this afternoon to discuss possible high-capacity transit options to be considered with reconstruction of the Interstate Bridges. The council meets in executive session at 5 p.m. and then convenes a regular meeting at 7 p.m., during which the council is expected to approve an agreement with the Al Angelo Company that would result in construction of a 60,000-square-foot five-story office building between Mill Plain Boulevard and E 15th Street at the location of the former Denny’s Restaurant, and a 90,000 square-foot office building west of D Street between Mill Plain Boulevard and E 15th Street. The agreement calls for selling D Street between E 15th Street and Mill Plain Boulevard to the Angelo Company for it to become part of the total project. <> The Clark County Board of Health meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, in the Public Service Center. <> Clark County commissioners meet in regular session at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25. The agenda includes public hearings on the county’s new traffic impact fee program, on the proposed amendments to the county Comprehensive Growth Management Plan, and the Salmon Creek moratorium. <> Andrew Meltzoff, internationally recognized expert on cognitive and social development in infants and children, is the speaker for the third annual Clark County Early Learning Fund Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, in the Hilton Vancouver Washington. A minimum donation of $55 is suggested for those attending the luncheon. For further information, call Patricia Nierenberg, 604-0029.

Headlines Monday, Sept. 24