Mark Miller appointed Columbia
Bank senior vice president

Mark Miller has been appointed vice president and private banking officer for Columbia Bank, reports Mark Brandon, Columbia Bank’s senior vice president and southwest Washington and Oregon regional manager.

Miller has 20 year’s experience in the financial industry, and most recently was with the Wells Fargo Private Banking Group. Miller is series 6 and 63 licensed for securities and has current licenses for life, health, property and casualty insurance in Washington and Oregon.

Miller is president of the Evergreen School District Foundation and is a founding member of Junior Achievement’s Vancouver Advisory Council. Miller, a Vancouver resident since 1994, is a graduate of the University of Washington.

Columbia Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Banking System, Inc. and has 53 banking offices in Washington and Oregon.

Burkman to run again
for Vancouver council

Former Vancouver city council member Jack Burkman reports he is once again a candidate for that office. Burkman says that he will run this fall for the position held by Pat Jollota, who has said she will retire from the council.

Burkman retired served on the Vancouver City Council from 1998 to 2001, He did not run for reelection, citing a family situation. The Burkman's daughter was struggling with drug addition. "Today she is doing great," Burkman says.

Burkman is a member of the Clark College board of trustees, YWCA board of directors and is chair of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library Board of Trustees. He retired from Hewlett Packard in 2005.

Oliver Orjiako promoted to
Community Planning director

Oliver Orjiako, who joined the Clark County Planning Department in 1989, and for the past nine months has been interim director of Community Planning, has been named director, reports county administrator Bill Barron.

Orjiako has been involved in the county’s Comprehensive Growth Management Plan since its inception, according to Barron. Orjiako has overseen the Three Creeks Special Planning Area, the sub-area plan for Highway and the Rural Lands Task Force.

Orjiako is a member of the board of the Southwest Washington Columbia Land Trust and is a member of the American Planning Association. He earned a doctorate in urban studies and masters in urban and regional planning, both from Portland State University.

SMG opens clinic
in Battle Ground

   
     Jeff Bowden             Chong-Yang Tan

Southwest Medical Group this week opened a full-service medical clinic at 720 W Main Street, Battle Ground, SMG’s executive director Kurt Litvin announced this week.

The new clinic is staffed by physicians Jeff Bowden and Chong-Yang Tan. Bowden is a graduate of Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. He specializes in sports medicine, preventative care and primary care. Bowden formerly practiced at Family Physicians Group at Fisher’s Landing. Tan is a graduate of Midwestern University, Glendale, Ariz. His areas of interest are diabetes, treatment of high cholesterol, preventative medicine and mental health. Tan most recently practiced in Tempe, Ariz.

Southwest Medical Group is comprised of 40 primary care physicians and specialists and is affiliated with Southwest Washington Medical Center.

To the Editor:
We read the unfortunate news in the Tuesday, Jan. 3, Daily Insider that Clark County homeowners and renters who were pummeled by recent winter storms aren’t eligible for federal disaster assistance. [This is correct.]

We’re writing today to let you know that property-tax relief is available for owners of property that was damaged or destroyed by snow and flooding. Property owners can apply to the Clark County Assessor to reduce the taxable value of their hard-hit property. Relief might include a partial abatement or refund of taxes paid in 2009, or a reduction of future taxes until the property is restored. Applications are available at the assessor’s office, or online at http://dor.wa.gov/Docs/forms/PropTx/Forms/
TaxpClaimReducAssmtDestryRealPersProp_
E.docandhttp://dor.wa.gov/Docs/forms/Prop
Tx/Forms/Pet
ForPropTxRefnd.doc. The forms should be submitted to the assessor’s office. The Clark County Assessor’s phone number is 397-2391; the Web site is http://www.co.clark.wa.us/assessor/Office_of
_Assessor.html, and the e-mail address is assrgis@clark.wa.gov.

More information on property-tax relief in general is available at http://dor.wa.gov/Content/GetAFormOr
Publication/PublicationBySubject/TaxTopics/
PropertyTax/Floodrelief.aspx. You might also want to check the state Department of Revenue’s Web page at http://dor.wa.gov.

Sincerely, Reps. Jim Moeller (D-49th) and Jim Jacks, (D-49th).

Calendar

Today is the deadline to register for the 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, State of the County address, to be delivered by Clark County commissioner Mark Boldt in Camas High School. Call Tina Redline, 297-2232, to register. <> The City/County Telecommunications Commission meets at 7 p.m. this evening in City Hall and will review the franchise agreement between the commission and the current franchise holder Comcast. <> Nancy Baker, president of the Port of Vancouver commission, and executive director Larry Paulson will present the Port of Vancouver’s report for 2009 at a breakfast meeting at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow, Feb. 5, in the Red Lion Hotel at the Quay. <> Portland International Airport is holding an open house to discuss the draft environmental assessment of its airport deicing program at 4 p.m. tomorrow, Feb. 5, in offices at 7720 NE Air Cargo Road, next to the U.S. Post Office on Airport Way. For further information, call (503) 944-7047.

Additional Community Calendar Links

• Southwest Washington Center for the Arts

• Greater Vancouver Chamber Community 

• City of Vancouver Calendar