Omnibus Bill includes funds for Port of Ridgefield rail overpass project

The Port of Ridgefield’s Pioneer Street rail overpass project will receive $974,000 in additional funding for fiscal year 2010. The funds were part of a $447 billion omnibus bill approved by the U.S. Senate last Sunday and signed by President Obama on Wednesday.

“This is great news for the Port and the City of Ridgefield,” said Randy Mueller, director of business development for the Port. “These funds will allow the Port to take the project to a shovel ready status and put us in an excellent position for additional funding as it becomes available. This is an important project that will provide a long list of benefits to the port district and this community, not the least of which will be the closure of at least two (and possibly four) at-grade railroad crossings, including the Mill Street crossing which is ranked the 5th most dangerous rail crossing in Washington State.”

When completed, the overpass would provide access to the Lake River waterfront, which is currently undergoing environmental cleanup and redevelopment by the port. Other benefits include increased rail capacity, extension of the high speed rail corridor, and improved access to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, which attracts over 100,000 visitors a year. Construction of the overpass may begin as early as 2011.

For more information on the project, visit the Port of Ridgefield web site at portridgefield.org.

City receives 15 applications to fill City Council mid-term vacancy

The Vancouver City Council received 16 applications for the City Council position vacancy created by the election of Councilmember Tim Leavitt as mayor. Applications were accepted from Nov. 30 through 5 p.m. Dec. 18 in the City Manager's Office. The names of the applicants, in alphabetical order, are, Shane Gardner, Bart Hansen, Paul Harris, Don Houston, John Jenkins, Frank L'Amie, Kathy Marshack, Steven Nitsch, Anne McEnerny-Ogle, Eric Olmsted, Debbie Peterson, Lee Rafferty, Charles Stemper, Michael Teefy, and Marc Zimmerman.

The vacancy will be filled by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Vancouver City Council. Should the appointee wish to continue to serve, he or she would be required to stand for election at the next general election in November 2010, with any other candidates who may run at that time. The successful candidate in 2010 will also be required to stand for election again in the November 2011, the next regularly scheduled Councilmember election, if he or she wishes to continue to serve.

Wal-Mart donation helps children of domestic violence

Wal-Mart donated $8,000 to the City of Vancouver for the Domestic Violence Prosecution Center (DVPC) for Kids and Cops shopping expeditions that took place at the Hazel Dell, 192nd, and Mill Plain Wal-Marts earlier this month.

The Kids and Cops Program gave 69 children of domestic violence families an opportunity to go holiday shopping at one of the local Wal-Marts with a law enforcement officer in a positive and fun environment. The families were selected from closed cases by victim advocates from the DVPC.

The Domestic Violence Prosecution Center is a partnership with the City of Vancouver Attorney's Office, the Clark County Prosecutor's Office and the YWCA of Clark County that provides victims of domestic violence a unified support system to help them bring to an end the violence in their lives. The Center includes prosecutors, victim advocates and support staff whose sole focus is to provide victims of domestic violence with a coordinated combination of understanding and legal assistance.

Three citizen openings available on Evergreen Public Schools’ Instructional Materials Committee

Evergreen Public Schools is looking for three citizens to serve two-year terms on the district's Instructional Materials Committee. Two of the citizens must have a child enrolled in one of the district's elementary schools. The third citizen must have a child enrolled in either a district middle or high school.

Interested citizens should submit their name and address to the district office by calling Pat Norby at 604.4078 or emailing pat.norby@evergreenps.org by January 31, 2010. After this date, interested applicants will receive a biographical data form to fill out which will be forwarded to the Evergreen Public Schools' Board of Directors for evaluation.

News Briefs

Clark County residents will have an opportunity to recycle block foam and old electronics for free from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 2, in the Yellow 1 parking lot at Clark College, on the west side of Fort Vancouver Way. The free collection event accepts polystyrene and polypropylene block foam. The foam can be any color, but it must be clean and bagged. No plastic-wrapped yellow urethane foam, hot tub covers or packing peanuts will be accepted. Only Washington-licensed cars may participate. Anyone dropping off foam must remain until staff has examined and accepted the material; unacceptable foam will be returned. The program also allows businesses to bring in small loads, no bigger than what fits into a passenger or cargo van, at no charge. Larger business loads should be taken to Total Reclaim, 5805 N.E. Columbia Blvd., Portland, during the company’s regular weekday hours. For more information about this program, contact Clark County Solid Waste at 397-6118 ext. 4352 or City of Vancouver Solid Waste Services at 619-4120. <> Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation's Fifty and Better program is hosting Swinging in the New Year's Eve Dance, featuring Beacock's New Horizon Dance Band from 8 p.m. to midnight, Thursday, Dec. 31. Cost is $10 per person and includes refreshments. Call 487-7100 and sign up for activity #72890, or register at the Marshall Luepke Community Center. <> Clark County Fire & Rescue Firefighters Association will host the Annual Ridgefield Christmas Celebration at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 23, in the Ridgefield Community Center, 210 North Main Avenue. Santa will arrive at 7:00 p.m. on a CCF&R fire engine. The festivities include visits with Santa, free refreshments, and performances by the Detchman Family Brass Band. For additional information, call 887-4609.

Calendar

Vancouver City Council will meet for a full Council meeting and public hearings at 7 p.m. tonight, Dec. 21, in Council chambers, 210 East 13th Street. <> Battle Ground City Council meets at 7 p.m. tonight, Dec. 21, in Council chambers, 109 SW 1st Street, 2nd floor. Call 342-5008 for more information. <> Washougal City Council meets at 7 p.m. tonight, Dec. 21, in Council chambers. <> Public Utility District of Clark County Board of Directors meet for a preliminary agenda at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22.

Monday on the air

 

City Council Workshop (live)—4:55 p.m. CVTV

Vancouver City Council (live)—6:55 p.m. CVTV

Clark County Planning Commission Joint Hearing with the Clark County Board of Commissioners (11-16)—11 p.m. CVTV

 

Community Calendar Links

• Southwest Washington Center for the Arts

• Greater Vancouver Chamber

• City of Vancouver Calendar

 

Monday, December 21, 2009 Headlines

 

Links to news of local & national significance

State salmon spending reaches East Fork--Columbian, Erik Robinson

Crafting a new life--Columbian, Erin Middlewood

Time runs short for sending packages--Columbian, Zachary Kaufman

Seeing public subsidy (not public option) investors flock to health insurers--Huffington Post, Shahien Nasiripour

Ford: Buyouts, early retirement offered to all 41,000 of its U.S. hourly workers--Huffington Post, Tom Krisher

Health-care bill clears crucial vote in Senate, 60 to 40--Washington Post, Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery