Howard Dean to headline
local democrats fundraiser

Howard Dean, immediate past chairman of the Democratic National Committee and former governor of Vermont, will give the keynote address at the Clark County 2009 Jefferson Jackson Dinner and Auction Friday, June 5, at the Event Center at the Clark County Fairgrounds. The event is from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Since stepping down as party chairman, Governor Dean has returned to Democracy for America, the organization he founded in 2004, to support progressive issues and candidates across the country.

The theme for the 2009 fundraising dinner and auction is “Blue Skies Ahead.” Dean will speak from experience about recent victories and the road ahead. “Governor Dean is a passionate advocate for health care reform and a real hero to the Democratic Party. We are very honored to have him join us at the event,” said Dena Horton, Chair of the CCDCC.

The annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner benefits the Clark County Democratic Central Committee. Other invited guests include Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Congressman Brian Baird, and Governor Chris Gregoire. State Sen. Craig Pridemore will emcee the event

Tickets: $65.00 until June 1; $75 after June 1. Call 254-2158 for further information

Wind energy veteran to direct Arch
Miller’s renewable energy institute

Tracy Rascoe, a 9-year wind power training veteran, has been named director of Wind Energy Technology for Vancouver’s new Northwest Renewable Energy Institute.

The institute is a separate division of International Air & Hospitality Academy which plans to begin training wind energy technicians through its courses in Vancouver, this summer.

Rascoe, 46, will join NW-REI from Tucumcari, New Mexico, where he is currently director of wind energy technology at Mesalands Community College.

Rascoe began his wind energy career with Vestas Americas, training at its factories in Denmark and in various wind farms in North America. He designed and applied training curricula for a number of years while with Vestas, including building, assembling, and commissioning turbines with specialization in operations and maintenance. Now headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Vestas is the largest manufacturer of wind turbines in the world.

The new NW-REI training director at one time managed 17 wind farms in California for Vestas, and managed training in Newport Beach, Calif., for wind farm manufacturer Mitsubishi.

A longtime member of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the industry’s trade organization, Rascoe serves as Education Work Group Leader for Community Colleges and Technical Schools. He is also a member of the American Society of Training and Development.

In addition to the new director, Arch Miller, who heads NW-REI, said he will be hiring 12 instructors, three admissions representatives and a financial aid specialist. A total of 19 additional employees will be needed to staff this division.

Governor hails session accomplishments,
cautions public on severe program cuts

Olympia—Gov. Chris Gregoire today thanked members of the Legislature for their hard work and

dedication following their adjournment yesterday, having confronted and resolved some of the most significant challenges the state has faced in decades.

“Unfortunately, the people of Washington will feel the pain of the difficult choices required to address the budget crisis,” Gregoire said. “Like nearly every other state, we are managing our way through a deep recession, and severe budget cuts across the entire government were unavoidable.”

“The Legislature summoned the courage and the spirit of sacrifice to confront the challenge of a generation and passed a responsible budget for very tough times,” the governor said. She added, “We also prepared our state for a 21st-century economy, especially in the monumental steps we took to build a transportation system that will create jobs and help us emerge stronger from this recession.”

But, the governor said, there may be a need for a special session. “I will be meeting with legislative leadership soon to determine when to call a special session to address these important issues.”

News brief

Evergreen Public Schools kindergarten open houses begin next week and run through May 20. Each school has scheduled a time for parents and students to visit their school's kindergarten class, meet the teachers and principal and become acquainted with the school. In order to attend kindergarten for the 2009-10 school year, students must turn five years of age on or before midnight on August 31, 2009. The schedule of all open houses is available on the district website at: http://www.evergreenps.org. For further information, call Cathy Johnson, 604-4012.

Correction

The Insider Friday reported that C-TRAN buses were providing free shuttle service to the Clark Public Utilities Home & Garden Idea Fair, but it was not so. The Home and Garden Idea Fair is provided its own shuttle service and using C-TRAN's Fisher's Landing and 99th Street transit centers as drop-off and pick-up locations for the shuttles.

Calendar

Vancouver governmental relations consultant Mark Brown will provide the Vancouver City Council with a 2009 legislative wrap-up at 5 p.m. today in City Hall. <> The Vancouver City Council meets at 6 p.m. today to consider a consent agenda. <> Clark Public Utilities’ commissioners meet in regular session at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 28. <> Clark County Commissioners meet in regular session at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 28. <> Vancouver’s Charter Review Committee meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, in the Elm Room in the Marshall Community Center, 1009 E McLoughlin Boulevard.

Community Calendar Links

• Southwest Washington Center for the Arts

• Greater Vancouver Chamber Community 

• City of Vancouver Calendar