Mercer Island manager to head
local parks and recreation

Peter Mayer, Mercer Island assistant city manager and parks and recreation director, has been appointed parks and recreation director for the joint Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Department, according to Vancouver city manager  Pat McDonnell and county administrator Bill Barron.

One-of-a-kind Emil Fries Piano Hospital
celebrates 60th anniversary today

The Emil Fries Piano Hospital and Training Center, now known as The School of Piano Technology for the Blind, celebrates its 60th Anniversary today with tours and refreshments from 4 to 7 p.m. today.

Founded by Emil B. Fries in 1949 to help blind and visually impaired people live independent productive lives, the school remains the only one of its kind in the world, according to Kim Capeloto, president of the school’s board of directors.

Over the past 60 years, more than 300 students from 36 states and 14 countries have traveled to Vancouver to learn the unique piano tuning and repair techniques developed by Fries.

Since 1949, the Piano Hospital and Training Center has tuned over 56,000 pianos and the school has served as an incubator for over 200 small businesses. The school is at 2510 E Evergreen Boulevard.

WSU Vancouver students
contribute to CREDC Web site

Nine students enrolled in Washington State University Vancouver's Digital Technology and Culture Program, helped today helped launch the Columbia River Economic Development Council’s  new Web.

While the specialized Web site is aimed at business owners who are interested in expansion or relocation, it offers a huge amount of research information that will be valuable for nonprofit organizations and the general public.

"One of the responsibilities of a land grant university, such as WSU Vancouver, is to give back to our local community," says chancellor Hal Dengerink.  "All our students work on projects that directly benefit the community."

In addition to the streamlined site navigation, the nine-member team of students completely redesigned and wrote new copy for the site. 

Features of the site are a searchable database and in-depth information sought after by business owners and site selection consultants including the following:

A comprehensive business information center, an in-depth business profile of Clark County,  information on the region’s industrial clusters, listings of available industrial and commercial buildings and sites, and community attributes such as schools, recreation, and resources provided by CREDC.

The site can be found by going to www.credc.org.

Vancouver accelerating
through the curves

Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard will present “Racing Through the Curves” the state of the city address at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, in the Hilton Vancouver Washington.

Pollard will talk about the challenges and opportunities Vancouver faces in 2009 and discuss how Vancouver will keep moving forward through the economic “curve” we are facing.

Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Admission to the mayor’s presentation, a contribution of non-perishable food that will be donated to the Salvation Army Stop Hunger Warehouse.

Reservations must be completed by Friday, Feb. 13. For further information, call Alexis Blafus, 487-8000.

Video conferencing arraignments
saving district court money

Video conferencing in Clark County District Court cases last year saved taxpayers over $19,000, reports Clark County auditor Greg Kimsey. 

Many Washington counties, including Clark County, have found that advantages accrue from the use of video conferencing for arraignments and other court actions, resulting in cost savings in terms of transportation and law enforcement salaries, according to Kimsey. 

Other advantages include increased public security, and time savings for judges, attorneys and other court personnel. 

Last year 4,310 inmates were arraigned in district court, about one-third the total of county district court arraignments.

People

Julie Bocanegra has been installed as chairman of the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce. She is manager of the Battle Ground branch of Columbia Credit Union.

News brief

Calendar

Vancouver's Downtown Association meets at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, in the Hilton Vancouver Washington. For further information, call 904-3049.

Community Calendar Links

• Southwest Washington Center for the Arts

• Greater Vancouver Chamber Community 

• City of Vancouver Calendar