Steven Hill to speak at
Washington State University Vancouver’s 2009 Chancellor’s Series
Steven Hill
Steven Hill,
administrator for Washington State Health Care Authority, is the
first guest speaker at Washington State University Vancouver's 2009
Chancellor's Seminar Series. Hill will offer information from a
state and national perspective on health care issues that shape the
debate— affordability, quality and access—as well as share thoughts
on the course of health care reform and the implications for
families, employers and governments.
Hill's lecture, "Health Care Reform: A
Moral and Fiscal Imperative," will begin at 11:45 a.m. Friday, Sept.
25, in the Firstenburg Student Commons. Tickets are $25 and include
the lecture, lunch and parking. For tickets, call
694-2588 or visit
www.vancouverusa.com.
WSU Vancouver's Chancellor's Seminar
Series examines timely topics and extends an invitation to exchange
ideas. The series gathers students, faculty, staff, business
leaders, elected officials and community members on campus for an
in-depth conversation about a topic of current interest or concern.
Guests are encouraged to ask questions and share ideas after the
presentation.
Save these dates to attend the whole
series:
Friday, November 13,
Barry Hewlett, WSU Vancouver
Professor of Anthropology, "Containing Ebola Outbreaks: Lessons for
Bio-security and H1N1 (Swine Flu)."
Friday, January 15,
Rogers Weed, director,
Washington State Department of Commerce, "How Can the State Work
with Businesses and Partners to Grow and Improve Jobs?"
Friday, March 5,
Ann Daley, executive
director, Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, "System
Design Plan and Its Effect on Higher Education."
All Chancellor's Seminar Series events
begin at 11:45 a.m. and are held on campus in the Firstenburg
Student Commons. To learn more about the series and the speakers,
visit
www.vancouver.wsu.edu/css.
Clark College to offer
class on franchising
Robert MacLellan
Clark College is offering a two-session class on “Essentials of
Franchising” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, and Saturday,
Oct. 3. Which will be held in the college’s Columbia Tech Center,
18700 SE Mill Plain Boulevard.
The course will be taught by business entrepreneur
Robert MacLellan, whose
career encompasses restaurant and retail experience in both the
corporate and the entrepreneurial environment.
Participants will learn about the advantages of the franchise
business model versus the non-franchise model. Discussion areas will
include criteria in selecting a franchise, the typical franchise
contract and its important components (fees, royalties and
geographic territory), how to value the business, profit margins,
multi-unit benefits and requirements, and site selection criteria.
Three case studies will be utilized covering name brand franchises
(Taco Bell, MacDonald's and Wendy's), their national expansion and
why they continue to succeed after 30 years. In addition,
participants will learn why Subway sandwich sales are increasing
during this current recession. A field visit to a regional Starbucks
outlet will aid in understanding site selection criteria.
The fee for the two-day session is $149. For additional information,
call 992-2484. Information
about all corporate and continuing education classes is available at
www.clark.edu/cce.
Clark County nonfarm
employment falls
Clark County seasonally-adjusted nonfarm employment edged downward
by 100 jobs in August, the eleventh consecutive monthly decline.
Unadjusted employment was estimated at 125,100. Payrolls dropped by
2,300 from July due to seasonal layoffs in education. Gains in
transportation and health care & social assistance were offset by
losses in manufacturing and retail trade. Employers in the county
have shed 8,300 jobs in the past
year (-6 percent), with every sector in retreat with the exception
of education & health care and government.
Construction employment was unchanged over the month at 9,300
jobs—usually August brings 200 seasonal hires. Total payrolls are
down 2,800 from a year ago, an astonishing 23 percent decline.
Through July, officials had issued permits for 375 housing units,
keeping the county on track for the lowest year on record going back
to 1980. The Case-Shiller housing price index for the Portland
metro area rose slightly in June, the first increase since May
2007. The index is not adjusted for inflation, so essentially there
was no change in prices. This is a mixed blessing: stable prices
may help limit foreclosures but will also hurt sales and
construction of new homes. In any case, prices are likely to
continue to decline (relative to inflation) for some time to come.
Manufacturing shed another 200 jobs in August, including 100 in
electronics. St. Gobain Crystals in Washougal closed early in the
month, throwing almost 60 people out of work. The losses brought
total employment down to an even 12,000—1,500 less than a year ago
(-11 percent).
Trade, transportation and utilities, the county’s biggest sector,
was unchanged over the month at 24,200 jobs. Wholesale trade held
steady at 5,300 jobs, down 200 over the year. Retailers cut
payrolls by 200 jobs, and employment fell to 15,000, a drop of 900
from last August. Transportation added 200 jobs over the month, but
the 3,900 job total was still short 200 over the year. Add it up,
and the sector lost a total of 1,300 jobs over the year (-5
percent).
Information services slipped down 100 jobs in August and at 2,600
was 100 lower than a year ago.
Financial activities employed 5,900 in August, the same as July but
700 lower than a year ago, a drop of 11 percent. Both banking and
insurance (-400) and real estate and leasing (-300) have been
shedding jobs.
Professional and business services were unchanged over the month at
13,900 jobs. Professional services employed 7,000 a year ago, but
only 6,400 this August. Business services has declined by twice as
many jobs (-1,300) to 6,300. Half of the loss has been at temp
agencies.
The county’s jobless rate was estimated at 13.9 percent in August
(highest in the state), up from a revised 13.1 percent in July
(second highest in the state), and not quite double the 7.7 percent
from a year ago. More than 30,000 county residents were jobless and
seeking work. Of those 30,000, about 8,600 filed a regular
continued claim with the state of Washington—more than double that
of a year ago—and an estimated 4,700 filed a claim with Oregon.
Over 800 Clark County residents who have filed claims on the
Washington side are exhausting their benefits each month (they are
still counted as unemployed as long as they are looking for work).
They are then eligible for federal Emergency Unemployment
Compensation for 20 weeks, and ,if still jobless, they can claim
state Extended Benefits for another 33 weeks. An estimated 73
county residents completely exhausted all types of benefits in
August. An additional 400 may run out of benefits in September.
Calendar
Camas Farmer’s
Market will be from 3 to 7 p.m. tomorrow, Sept. 16, at 600 block of
NE Fourth Avenue, between NE Everett and NE Franklin.
<> Art
Conversations is set to meet 7 p.m. tomorrow, Sept. 16, at the
Slocum House Theater, 605 Esther Street.
Tuesday on the air
September 11th Commemoration—Patriots Day (9-11)—4:15 p.m. CVTV
C-Tran Board
of Directors Public Hearing (live)—5:30 p.m. CVTV
Chicago
White Sox at Seattle (live)—7 p.m. FSN KFXX
City Council Workshop (9-14)—7:30 p.m. CVTV
Vancouver City Council (9-14)—9:30 p.m. CVTV
Community Calendar Links
Tuesday,
September 15, 2009 Headlines
Links to news of
local & national significance
City
loan helps out homeowners--Columbian, Cami Joner
Two-alarm fire damages Hostess House--Columbian, Jeffrey Mize
Washington view: Medical malpractice also needs to be
reformed--Columbian, Don Brunell
Clark County at work: Green Chic Bag Company--Columbian, AP
New standard links mileage and gas emissions--New York Times, John
M. Broder
Blogging the House action on Wilson--New York Times, Kate Phillips
Toys R Us to open temporary stores as retail battle
escalates--Washington Post, Yian Q. Mui
