The post-session 49th Legislative District town hall meeting will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 11. It will include State Senator Craig Pridemore, Rep. Jim Moeller and Rep. Sharon Wylie. They will discuss the legislative session and take constituent input.

The meeting be at the Clark County Commissioners hearing room in the County’s Public Service Center at 1300 Franklin St. in Vancouver.

Kris Krohn

On Thursday, May 19, Affordable Community Environments hosted a grand opening celebration at its new residential community,  McCallister Village. The celebration was the formal opening of the 48-unit mixed-use rental apartment community in the Fruit Valley Neighborhood, as well as ACE’s annual event to recognize key supporters.

At the event, ACE Board Chair Bryan Cole of Mackay and Sposito presented the Valeria Award to Kris Krohn, a former ACE board member and current program manager for the ARC of Southwest Washington. She served on the board of directors for nine years.

Val and Dan Ogden

The Valeria Award was created in 2009 to honor founding board member and former state representative Val Ogden, who served on the board for more than 11 years.  Ogden and her husband, Dan, were in attendance at the event.

ACE is a nonprofit organization that develops sustainable and affordable housing in Southwest Washington. For more information about ACE, visit www.acecommunities.org.

The Paper Tiger Coffeehouse, 703 Grand Blvd., will host writer Mike Guimond at 7 p.m. at its Third Thursday poetry night, June 16.

Inside the CRC offering something new.

Todd Cox celebrating birthday with wine.

Larry Smith receiving props for Memorial Day service.

Jeanne Kojis recovering from e-mail bankruptcy.

The Women Entrepreneurs Organization of Vancouver is hosting a roundtable discussion at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, at the Heathman Lodge, 7801 N.E. Greenwood Dr., Vancouver. This month’s theme is “Business re-invention: How do you stay true to self and succeed in business, too?”

The cost is $35 for members or $40 for visitors and includes dinner. Reservations are required and can be made at eserve@weowa.org or  360-907-4407.

Online reservations are available at www.WEOwa.org.

The 27th annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner and Auction, a fundraiser for the Clark County Democrats, starts at 5 p.m. on Saturday June 11, at the Hilton Vancouver Washington, 301 W. Sixth St.

The keynote speaker is Congressman Jay Inslee, who represents Washington’s First District which encompasses much of the Puget Sound area.

State Senator Craig Pridemore is the Master of Ceremonies. Tickets are $65 per person until Saturday, June 4, or $75 per person after that date and at the door. Tickets are available online through www.bluedonkeys.com.

For more information, contact Meaghann Ande at meaghannande@gmail.com or 360-823-9510.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray was scheduled to join the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association and community members today in Vancouver to celebrate the successful Columbia Snake lock repair. Murray advocated for $68 million in federal funds for three new lock gates and other repairs on the Columbia Snake River System.

The event was at 10:30 a.m. at the Vancouver Landing on the Columbia River, just west of the Red Lion Inn at the Quay.

The Divine Home and Garden Home Tour will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 11, in historical downtown Vancouver. The fundraiser will benefit organizations that serve at-risk youth.

Seven homes located throughout the historic downtown district will be open. They include the Kiggin’s House and a home on Officers’ Row. Tickets are $20, if purchased before the event, and can be purchased at Divine Consign or online at  www.divineconsignfurniture.org.

The tour starts at 11 a.m. at 1101 Officer’s Row in front of Grant House.

As part of the tour, The Grant House will  serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations are required either by going online at www.thegranthouse.us or by phone at 360-901-1101.

Divine Consign is a program of Gifts for Our Community, a nonprofit that provides resources to local nonprofit organizations. It is located at 904 Main St.

Spencer J. Brown

The Oregon Entrepreneneurs Network is presenting “Double Pitch and Hot Mic Night,” the latest in the Clark County Pubtalk series, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, at AHA!, 415 W. Sixth St., Suite 605, Vancouver.

The event will feature a panel of business experts, including Spencer J. Brown, who served in a variety of senior corporate leadership positions in public and private companies. He is also a retired Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Early in his career, he was an auditor at Peat Marwick Mitchell (KPMG).

The event is also presented by the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council and the Columbia River Economic Development Council

For more information contact PubTalk Event Coordinator Maria Swanson, at 503-655-2346 or mdcswanson@gmail.com.

U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Washington

Last week, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler released the following statement after voting against a four-year extension of three provisions of the Patriot Act.

“I believe we need to continue to hunt down and bring to justice those who would commit acts of terror against Americans. For that reason, I supported a short-term Patriot Act extension earlier this year in order to allow time for a robust debate on this important and controversial bill,” said Herrera Beutler. “However, I believe a multiyear extension of a law as far-reaching as the Patriot Act deserves a full and open debate on the House floor, with opportunity for amendment. Without that opportunity, I must reserve my support for the bill.”

The Clark Public Utilities board of commissioners will hold a special meeting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31.  The meeting will be held at 1200 Fort Vancouver Way.

The Daily Insider will not be published on Monday, May 30, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. Have a safe and happy long weekend. And thank you to all who have served our country.

Vancouver Police Cmdr. Scott Bieber

Vancouver Police Cmdr. Scott Bieber has been named the recipient of the 2011 Clark College Outstanding Alumni Award.

Bieber will be honored at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 9, during the college’s annual Alumni-Student Dinner, presented by the Clark College Alumni Association, with support from Riverview Community Bank. The dinner will be in the Gaiser Student Center on Clark’s main campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver.

The cost for alumni and guests is $25 per person. Tickets are available for purchase through the Clark College Foundation at www.clark.edu/cc/alumnidinner. For additional information, call 360-992-2301 or e-mail to foundation@clark.edu.

Bieber is the Technical Services Commander for the Vancouver Police Department where he has been an officer for more than 20 years. In 1998, he received the department’s meritorious service award.

After studying at Clark College, where he ran on the cross-country team, Bieber earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and a master’s degree in public administration, both from Portland State University.

In addition, Bieber graduated from the FBI National Academy. He serves as vice chair on the board of directors of iQ Credit Union.

Bieber joins a distinguished list of Clark alumni who have received the award. Past recipients  include Tom Koenninger, editor emeritus of The Columbian, and Tony Bacon, founder of The Daily Insider.

Dave Dahl making new friends in Vancouver.

Karyn Criswell proving to be no fair weather camper.

Joy Overstreet embracing impermanence.

The Insider grateful for those who have served.

As the special session of the Washington Legislature came to a close, Gov. Chris Gregoire issued the following statement:

“This session was no doubt the most difficult in recent memory. But we’ve turned a corner in Washington state. With a new spirit of bipartisanship, we’re significantly transforming Washington state government to help move us beyond the worst economic downturn in 80 years,” the written release said, in part. “We’ll walk away from this session with a stronger sense of partnership and cooperation – as well as a balanced budget that ensures we have the financial resources to provide core services now and into the future. No area of our budget was left untouched. Everyone shared in the sacrifice that these times have called for. Our state employees gave, our teachers gave, our retirees gave and I thank them. They have been part of the solution.”

Gov. Chris Gregoire has directed that flags at all Washington state agency buildings be lowered to half-staff on Wednesday, June 1, in memory of U.S. Army Sergeant Clifford Beattie, age 37, of Medical Lake. Beattie died on Sunday, May 22, of injuries sustained in Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business Wednesday, or first thing Thursday morning, June 2. 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.

Megan Berriman has joined Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery as Human Resources Director.

Her previous experience includes more than 20 years as a senior human resources consultant for Providence Health & Services.  She has lived in Vancouver since 1985.

For more information about Rebound, visit www.reboundmd.com.

The National Weather Service has updated the flood warning for the Columbia River in Vancouver. As of 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon, the river was at 15.96 feet, just below the flood stage of 16 feet.

Snow melt, rain fall and releases from the Bonneville Dam are expected to lead to minor flooding on lowland access roads and along the waterfront trail in Vancouver, just east of the Interstate 5 bridge. Flooding is also expected on the Salmon Creek trail and on Cottonwood Beach near Washougal.

The Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency warns against swimming in the river as currents particularly strong, temperatures are very cold, and there is a large amount of debris in the water.

The filing period for citizens wishing to become candidates for elective office starts at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 6, and runs through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 10. The offices open for candidate filings this year include a state representative position in the 49th Legislative District, city and town council positions, including some mayor positions, school district director positions, fire district commissioners, port district commissioners, cemetery and park district commissioners, and a commissioner position in the Clark Regional
Wastewater District.

Candidates wishing to file for office in person can do so at the Clark County Elections Department, 1408 Franklin St., Vancouver.

Candidates will also have the option of filing their declarations of candidacy over the Internet again this year. The online candidate filing system will be available at clarkvotes.org from 9 a.m. Monday, June 6, until 4 p.m. on Friday, June 10.

For more information, contact Clark County Elections Department at 360-397-2345 or elections@clark.wa.gov.

On Thursday, May 26, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington), spoke on the Senate floor to honor the men and women who died serving in the armed forces.

“I come to the floor today to honor and commemorate the men and women who died fighting for our great country. Memorial Day is a day to honor those American heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation,” she said in part, “On this Memorial Day, we need to ask ourselves, are we doing enough for our nation’s veterans? Making sure our veterans can find jobs when they come home is an area where we could do more. For too long, we have been investing billions of dollars training our young men and women to protect our nation, only to ignore them when they come home. For too long, we have patted them on the back and pushed them into the job market with no support. This is simply unacceptable, and it doesn’t meet the promise we made to our servicemembers.”