Prune
Hill in Camas has enough fluffy stuff for boys and beasts alike. The
forecast calls for heavy snow tomorrow afternoon and evening upon
the arrival of an "impressive Pacific frontal system,"
according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters are
predicting freezing rain to follow, beginning early Sunday morning.
City road crews on
12-hour shifts
Vancouver
road crews are continuing round-the-clock coverage of streets,
applying deicer when encountering limited icy patches amid
mostly wet pavement in pre-dawn hours.
Vancouver's
Public Works Thursday activated 12-hour shifts of street and
water crews in response to the fluctuating winter weather and
predicted threat of severe storms.
Street crews have been applying a preventive
sodium deicing brine to overpasses, steep grades and major
arterial streets, with special attention to the critical street
network serving police, fire and medical services. Those same
crews are ready and equipped to shift quickly from preventive
deicing to protective plowing if and when needed.
Meanwhile, frozen pipes and meters have
continued to be a problem for some Vancouver
residents. On Tuesday, the city received more than 50 calls from
water customers experiencing broken pipes. On Wednesday, about
another 30 customers called to report broken water pipes.
Frequently, frozen water pipes and meters remain undetected
until a slight warming thaw, when residents experience the full
brunt of broken plumbing.
With weather forecasts again calling for
freezing temperatures and possible snowfall, Vancouver
urges water customers to check and protect water pipes.
To report a problem with City of Vancouver
streets or water, please call Public Works Operations at 696-8177.
Clark
county cancels garbage pickup
Due to inclement weather,
Clark County will delay regularly scheduled
garbage, recycling and yard debris collection services today.
Collections missed today will be handled next week, according to the
Clark County Regional Solid Waste Program.
This schedule change will
affect unincorporated Clark County and the cities of Vancouver, Battle
Ground, Camas, La Center and Ridgefield and the Town of Yacolt.
Customers
normally scheduled on Friday will not have waste collection until
Saturday, December 27. Friday customers who have been missed should plan
on setting out up to twice their normal amount of waste on Saturday,
December 27. For more information, visit the county website:
http://www.clark.wa.gov/recycle/disposal/schedule.html
Gregoire presents
budget
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire
yesterday proposed her 2009—2011 state budget.
The proposal closes a projected $5.7 billion shortfall through a
combination of program reductions, suspension of state employees,
teacher and care worker salary increases, pension changes, increased
federal contributions and the use of the state’s rainy day fund.
“The deepening national recession is already the longest in a quarter
century and has resulted in dramatic budget gaps in states across the
nation,” Gregoire said. “Our state is not immune and our revenue —
largely reliant on a sales tax — is down significantly, resulting in the
largest budget gap in state history.”
Gregoire said her proposal will close the projected shortfall without
raising taxes.
“Now is not the time to be raising taxes on our residents and
businesses,” Gregoire said. “Our families are tightening their belts,
and that’s what government needs to do. The state must squeeze every
ounce of value from each taxpayer dollar while maintaining our
priorities of protecting families and children the best we can.”
For more information on the Governor’s proposed budget, visit
12/23--The
Clark County Fire & Rescue CCF&R Board of Commissioners meeting is
rescheduled to Tuesday, December 23, 2008. The Board normally meets on
the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.
1/15/09--The Forum at the Library presents:
Manmade global warming and the Washington Climate Action
Team: The science, controversy, benefits, and cost. Panelists
include Spencer Reeder,
Ph.D. Physics, Lead Policy Strategist for Climate Change, WA Department
of Ecology, Dr. Gordon Fulks,
Ph.D. Physics, Bill Turlay,
Commander, US Navy (Retired). The moderator is
Maury Wilson, Rainmakers of
Oregon. The Forum will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room at
Clark Public Utilities, 1200 Fort Vancouver Way.
Additional Community Calendar
Links
The Southwest
Washington Center for the Arts has
published its December newsletter and calendar of events.
Click here for
the PDF file.
Greater Vancouver Chamber Community Calendar: Click
here
City of Vancouver
Calendar of Community Events:
Click here
Today's Headlines
Links to News of local & national significance
Tauf Charneski practicing roll call.
<>Jonnie Martin writing up a Texas
storm.<>
Jim Martin fiddling a happy tune.<>Allen Williams playing with the big
toys.<>Barbara Kerr checking in.
<>
Gary Hollingshead
making it happen. Friday,
winter weather continues, cold returns, snow showers likely, 18-28.
Saturday,
breezy and cold, cold lingering, heavy snowfall predicted, 24-23. Sunday,
snow and freezing rain, 25-34.
The Daily Insider is
published by Tony Bacon P.O. Box 2597, Vancouver, WA 98668. (360)
696-1077.
Fax 694-9886. E-Mail
tony@dailyinsider.info. Annual subscription, $335.00. Free to all
retired persons.
