Clark County to conduct household travel survey

The Clark County Household Travel Survey, funded and administered by the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council, and conducted by NuStats LLC, begins today and will continue for a three - month period in an effort to identify future travel needs and problem areas in the current transportation network.

Travel information will be collected from 1,650 randomly selected households. Each member of participating households will be asked to record their travels in a travel diary, giving information on arrival and departure time from the location, how they got there, and the name and address of the location.

Later, the survey will provide information on how Clark County residents make travel decisions and these choices play out across the transportation system now and how they will do so in the future, as well as how they help identify future transportation needs so that public funds can be invested wisely in a system that will support the growth of local jobs and the local economy while maintaining Clark County's quality of life.

For more information about the survey, call Mark Harrington at 397-6067, or email survey@rtc.wa.gov, or visit http://www.rtc.wa.gov/survey.

Business and citizens encouraged to lower flags half-staff in honor of Washington soldier

Gov. Chris Gregoire has directed that flags at all Washington state agency buildings be lowered to half-staff Thursday, Aug. 27, in memory of U.S. Army First Sergeant Jose S. Crisostomo of Spanaway. Crisostomo was killed on Aug. 18 in Kabul, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle.

Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business Thursday, or first thing Friday morning, Aug. 28.

Congress amended the U.S. Flag Code to give governors the authority to lower flags when a state resident in the military is killed in the line of duty. Other government entities, citizens and businesses are encouraged to join in this recognition.

Battle Ground Community Day at Parade of Homes

The City of Battle Ground will be joining the 2009 Parade of Homes event for Battle Ground Community Day from noon to 5 p.m Saturday, Aug. 29, to provide information about city services.

Public works/engineering staff will be on hand to provide information about the City’s Clean Water Program. In addition, the city’s sweeper and camera trucks on display for tours and information. The Parks and Recreation department will provide information on their services, including summer playground, senior activities, the Battle Ground Community Center, and facility rentals. Permit and planning information will be made available by the city’s Community Development Department, and the Police Department will be on site with information and for tours of police vehicles.

For more information about the Parade of Homes event and Battle Ground Community Day, please go the Battle Ground website at www.cityofbg.org or call the city at 342-5004.

Webworm nests unsightly but not harmful to plants

The City of Vancouver's Urban Forestry Division has received a growing number of phone calls seeking help in the increase of fall webworm activity, which has caused concern for homeowners as many of the webworm caterpillars have taken over branches in trees and shrubs.

Though the webworm caterpillars and their nests are unsightly, they are primarily a cosmetic nuisance and the majority of plants will survive. These caterpillars feed on the leaves of the plants they inhabit. Generally, the plants will put out new leaves within the same season or the next. Rarely will the plant die as the result of webworms.

"Homeowners are understandably concerned to see their plants infested with these caterpillar masses," states Charles Ray, City of Vancouver forester. However, he encourages homeowners to refrain from using pesticides to remove the webworm caterpillars. "Pesticides don't just remove fall webworms," he said. "They also remove beneficial insects, including those that are the webworm's natural predators." Ray suggests property owners manage the problem by physically removing the webworm nests if they become too unsightly. 

For more information on fall webworm, please contact Washington State University Extension Service at 397-6060 or visit http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb0827/eb0827.pdf.

For more information on Vancouver's Urban Forestry Division, contact Jessica Antoine, urban forestry outreach coordinator, at 619-1108 or jessica.antoine@ci.vancouver.wa.us, or visit www.cityofvancouver.us/urbanforestry.

News Briefs

The Fort Vancouver National Trust, which operates the Pearson Air Museum, has reported that Saturday’s “Dancing with the Local Stars” event broke records for attendance and dollars raised. The August 22 hangar dance competition was attended by more than 550 people and raised more than $72,000 for the aviation museum’s educational programs. <> Evergreen Public Schools' Board of Directors meetings will be changed from the usual Tuesday nights to Wednesday nights to accommodate a scheduling conflict for the months of September, October and November. The 5:30 p.m. meeting time remains unchanged. The December meeting date remains unchanged. For the most updated calendar information, visit http://www.evergreenps.org or follow the district on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/evergreenps. <> First Friday’s Art Walk begins at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, on Main Street from 7th to 11th Streets and will be closed for dancing featuring Cumbia, Zydeco, Ballroom and Swing. Local restaurants will be serving food outside and shops will be open. Visit www.vdausa.org for more information about  Downtown Association and this event.

Calendar

Bicycle Advocacy Group is having its monthly meeting with a presentation given by the Columbia River Crossing staff at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the Wallis Engineering Building, 215 W 4th Street. Input on bicycling related aspects of the project are welcome. For more information, call 253-1742. <> La Center City Council meets at 7 p.m. tonight, Aug. 26, in the Council Chambers, 214 East 4th Street. <> Loaves & Fishes will be providing a hot meal to senior citizens noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, Au. 27, at the Community Center, 1000 E 4th Street, LaCenter. For more information call 567-7670.

 

 Wednesday on the air

 

Clark County Focus (7-16)—5 p.m. CVTV

Columbia River Crossing Vancouver Working Group (7-23)—5:30 p.m. CVTV

Oakland Athletics at Seattle (live)—7 p.m. FSN

Tacoma Rainiers at Portland (live)—7 p.m. KKAD

Vancouver Planning Commission (7-28)—8:30 p.m. CVTV

Vancouver Code Enforcement Appeal Hearings (7-23)—9:30 p.m. CVTV

Humane Society for Southwest Washington Public Review (7-19)—10 p.m. CVTV

Clark County Board of Commissioners—Land Use Appeals (8-5)—11:15 p.m. CVTV

 

Community Calendar Links

• Southwest Washington Center for the Arts

• Greater Vancouver Chamber

• City of Vancouver Calendar

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 Headlines

 

Links to news of local & national significance

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy dies at age 77--Columbian, AP

Writer Dominick Dunne, 83, dies in NYC--Washington Post, Polly Anderson

Battle Ground adopts leaner school budget--Columbian, Howard Buck

County combining environmental agencies--Columbian, Michael Anderson

Verizon infrastructure sale still in works--Columbian, Libby Tucker