VaNessa Duplessie appointed
National Self-Employed Rep.

VaNessa Duplessie, a general partner with Ridge Partners, LLC and has been named southern Washington membership representative for the National Association for the Self-Employed.

Duplessie is a licensed health insurance agent and a certified personal development coach.

Duplessie is a graduate of San Francisco State University. She is a 2006 Marshall Public Leadership Award recipient and a 2007 Vancouver Business Journal's Accomplished Under 40 recipient.

NASE, formed 20 years ago, is a leading resource for self-employed and micro businesses.

Columbia Crossing bridge
tolling talks begin Monday

The Columbia River Crossing Project Sponsors Council will begin a discussion of I-5 bridge tolling at its next meeting at 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 4, in the Sixth Floor hearing room in the Public Service Center.

The public agenda includes an update on recent tolling legislation, a background presentation and discussion of lessons learned from tolling outreach on other northwest highways, and a beginning discussion on how to study and engage the public on tolling for the Columbia River Crossing project.

Multiple sources will be necessary to fund construction of the Columbia River Crossing project, including federal, state, regional and local sources, and tolls. Specific toll collection strategies have not been identified, but tolls would be collected electronically to avoid the need for toll booths.

The Project Sponsors Council also will begin discussing the concept of “performance measures” for ensuring optimal long-term performance of the Columbia River crossing. The need for such measures was identified during the March Project Sponsors Council meeting. A performance measurement technical group will be formed in June to develop performance measurements for consideration later this year.

Meeting materials are available at: http://www.columbiarivercrossing.org/Project
Partners/PSCMeetingMaterials.aspx.

Sam Jones memorial
service Wednesday

A memorial service for Clark County native Samuel Thurston Jones, raconteur, community volunteer, known for his acerbic sense of humor and heart of gold, who died April 18, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, in the New Heights Church, 7913 NE 58th Avenue.

Mr. Jones was active in politics. He was a retired Vancouver firefighter who  went on to careers in automobile and real estate sales. Mr. Jones created the Columbia Barracks Military Historical Society and Museum.

A military veteran, Mr. Jones also offered his services to the Vancouver Jaycees, the Vancouver Stockaders, and Rotary International. He was instrumental in the revival of the Clark County Fair in the early 1950s.

Mr. Jones’ wife of 55 years, Barbara, preceded him in death earlier this year.

Mr. Jones is survived by his children, Sam Jr. Toni, Spencer, and Jeena and Grant Corliss; two sisters, Mildred and Emaline; and a brother, Cliff.

Julia Anderson will emcee
ACE fundraiser next week

Julia Anderson, business editor of The Columbian, will emcee Affordable Community Environment’s “Raise Your Hat to Housing” construction trade show and auction from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 7, in the Columbian Building Pavilion across the street from Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver. Beverages and “construction food” will be served.

Items to be auctioned include a personally guided tour of Officers Row by mayor pro-tem Pat Jollota, a

flight over Mt. St. Helens and Clark County, and a dinner for six people prepared by former state representative Val Ogden.

The second annual event will help ACE in its work building housing throughout Clark County. ACE has two new housing projects in the Fruit Valley neighborhood and Washougal.

“We’re creating our own economic stimulus, Clark County style,” says Leah Greenwood, ACE executive director.

Tickets, $30 in advance, $35 at the door, can be purchased online at www.acecommunities.org or in person at 204 E 16th Street in Vancouver.

River crossing project seeks
more help from motorists

Drivers of vehicles that crossed the Columbia River on I-5 or I-205 during daylight hours on Saturday, April 18, will receive from the Columbia River Crossing project a short 9-question survey in the mail pertaining to travel origin and destination. The bi-state project aims to reduce congestion, enhance mobility and improve safety on I-5 between SR 500 in Vancouver and Columbia Boulevard in Portland

According to Doug Ficco, CRC project director, the more people who return the completed surveys, the clearer the picture will emerge of the types of trips and distances that people travel, and the better the project will be able to do its work.

For more information about the project, visit http://www.columbiarivercrossing.org/
CurrentTopics/Surveys.aspx.

NASCAR returns to Portland this summer

After more than twenty years, stockcar racing returns to Portland with the NASCAR Camping World West series at Portland International Raceway July 18-19. The Bi-Mart Salute to the Troops 125 NASCAR race will be the main event.

In 1986, legendary Hershel McGriff took the checkered flag at Portland Speedway on his way to winning the season’s Winston West championship. Although he “retired” from racing in 2003, McGriff plans to be back at the road course to defend his 23-year-old title as race champion.

Tickets are available online at www.portlandnascar.com and will be available soon at Portland Metro area Bi-Mart stores. The special advanced price for the combined Saturday and Sunday is $25, with children 12 and under admitted free. U.S. armed forces personnel with valid military I.D. will be admitted at no charge. Reservations are being taken now for motorhome and camping spaces.

Calendar

The Running of the Turtles at downtown Vancouver’s Turtle Place is between 5 and 8 p.m. today during Vancouver’s First Friday Celebration at the former C-TRAN downtown transit center on 7th Street between Main and Washington Streets. <> Vancouver Police Department recruitment information meetings are being held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 1, and from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 2, in the Luepke Center community room, 1009 E McLoughlin Boulevard.

Turtle Place in mid-town Vancouver gets grand opening treatment at
from 5 to 8 p.m. today, May 1. New art park is the result of Downtown Vancouver’s Association efforts to rehabilitate former C-TRAN transit center.

 

 Community Calendar Links

• Southwest Washington Center for the Arts

• Greater Vancouver Chamber Community 

• City of Vancouver Calendar