Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced that she filed a petition with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration asking the agency to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule 2 drug, which will allow its use for treatment, as prescribed by doctors and filled by pharmacists. The view expressed in the petition is backed by the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, the Washington State Medical Association, and the Washington State Pharmacy. The petition includes a substantive science-based report that has been peer reviewed and cites more than 700 independent references, many of which are new science since 2006. It details non-smoking methods, and describes how recent scientific developments like affordable DNA analysis supports the pharmacy model. To read the petition, click here.

Monica Bottelberghe pools her success.

Anthony Chamberlain wants Parker Henry to get a ring.

John Langolf is on the road again.

Durk Irwin gets it straight.

The Clark County Canvassing Board met at 3:30 p.m. yesterday to certify the results of the Nov. 8 general election. A recount of ballots for the office of City Council, Position No. 2, City of Washougal and City Council, Position No. 7, City of Woodland, was scheduled by the board for Monday, Dec. 5, at 1 p.m. The recount of ballots in this race will continue until complete. Recount results will also be on the County Auditor’s internet Web site at http://www.clark.wa.gov/elections/results/index.html. For more details, contact Susan Hopper at susan.hopper@clark.wa.gov or 360-397-2345, or visit
clarkvotes.org.

Drivers on both directions of I-5 and I-205 near Salmon Creek can expect nighttime lane and ramp closures on both routes starting tonight, Nov. 30, and continuing through Friday, Dec. 2. Drivers should expect delays and consider taking alternate routes as crews work to repair pavement that was damaged during last week’s downpour. WSDOT will fully close the northbound I-205 off-ramp to N.E. 134th St. from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. tonight. Local traffic and drivers heading to Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital should exit I-5 at N.E. 179th St. and follow a signed detour. Crews will also close lanes on both directions of mainline I-5 and I-205 between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. Driivers can stay informed by visiting WSDOT’s travel alerts and construction update Web pages.

Clark County’s annual report on internal controls provides a review of internal controls surrounding receipting and handling of cash and checks in selected areas throughout the county, including review of selected professional service contracts.

In 2011, Audit Services performed 31 reviews of the 79 cash fund accounts held by departments and offices in the county. These reviews included unannounced cash counts and examination of internal controls and other safeguards over processing and receipting of payments and cash funds. Professional service contracts were also reviewed to determine if adequate documentation and support is kept in line with the purchasing department’s policies and procedures. Overall, the report finds that cash handling and receipting, along with professional service contracts, are well controlled. The full report can be viewed by clicking here or obtained by calling 360-397-2310, ext. 4790.

The Woodland School Board approved a two-year M&O replacement levy on Monday, Nov. 28, at its regular board meeting. This levy will replace the current levy of $3.1 million that expires at the end of this year. To keep up with inflation, the proposed levy for 2013 would increase to $3.25 million and $3.4 million in 2014. The M&O levy represents an estimated 16 percent of the budget for school operations, providing funds not otherwise provided by state or federal governments for “basic” education. The replacement levy is designated to help fund classified and certified staff, technology and extracurricular activities such as athletics and arts. Also paid from levy money are mandated but unfunded programs such as transportation and special education. For more details, contact Michael Green at greenm@woodlandschools.org or 360-814-2700, or visit www.woodlandschools.org.

The next RTC board of directors meeting will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 4 p.m. in the sixth floor training room of the Clark County Public Service Center. Click here for directions. Copies of the agenda and related materials will be available at the meeting. For more details, e-mail  meetings@rtc.wa.gov.

Amy Roloff

On Monday, Dec. 5, Clark College will host a daylong event, “History and Bias Encoded in Language,” featuring speaker and author Amy Roloff, known for her appearances on TLC’s “Little People, Big World.” The keynote event will be a reader’s theatre presentation from 7 to 9 p.m. in Clark’s Gaiser Student Center.

Roloff established the Amy Roloff Charity Foundation, which advocates for children and youth who face social, mental, physical, emotional or economic challenges. She will speak about disability biases and biases in general. During the program, members of Alpha Sigma Phi, the Clark College chapter of international honor society Phi Theta Kappa, will narrate readings related to biases including appearance, race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, and education.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Phi Theta Kappa chapter will host bias awareness displays in Bauer and Gaiser Halls and in the lobby between Foster and Hanna Halls. At each of the displays, students and visitors may obtain a punch card for visiting. Each booth will have a different hole punch. People who obtain all six punches will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift card to the Clark College Bookstore. The winner will be announced during the reader’s theatre. The winner must be present to claim the gift card.

All events are free and open to the public. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. More information about Roloff is available at www.amyjroloff.com. Information about Alpha Sigma Phi is available at www.clarkptk.com.

Meet Smedley the Bookstore Cat at Cover to Cover Books' Holiday Book Fair

Guests at Cover to Cover Book’s Holiday Book Fair will mingle with local writers and readers of all ages on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ten area writers and poets, including bestselling young adult and urban fantasy author Lili Saintcrow, will be on hand to autograph books and discuss their genres, plots, characters, inspirations, upcoming projects, and aspects of the writing life.

Cover to Cover Books, formerly in downtown Vancouver, was damaged by smoke and fire a year ago. While many bookstores, victims of the economy, closed their doors this year, Cover to Cover reopened in the spring at 6300 St. James Road, Suite 104B. The Holiday Book Fair will celebrate a commitment to serving Vancouver readers and providing a venue for poets and writers to gather and exchange ideas. Cover to Cover is home to two monthly events, the popular open-mic poetry night Ghost Town Poetry, and the Vancouver Writers’ Mixer, featuring presentations on the craft of writing.

Authors taking part in the December book fair include Bill Cameron, Ron Gompertz, Cheri Lasota, Ann Littlewood, Christopher Luna and Toni Partington. Luna and Partington co-host Ghost Town Poetry, held the second Thursday of each month. For more information, visit www.covertocoverbooks.net.

Marshall Community Center

Visitors to Marshall Community Center’s “Five-star Holiday Bazaar,” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, will enjoy a top-notch holiday shopping experience featuring more than 70 vendors. Shoppers will find handmade crafts, original art, kitchenware, table decorations, ceramics, jewelry, pottery, blankets and quilts, clothing, candles, toys, pet gifts, gourmet foods, calendars, cookbooks, baked goods, and unique items for that hard-to-please person. 

Vendors are still welcome to apply. Tables cost $45. For more detailed information, call 360-487-7055. Vendors can also register in person at the Marshall Community Center, 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd., or call 360-487-7100 to register by phone.

Plans are underway across the country and around the world for the 15th annual Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting on Sunday, Dec. 11, in remembrance of children who have died at any age and from any cause. Services are held in every state and in 15 countries around the world. As candles burn down in one time zone, they are lit in the next, creating a “wave of light” around the world.

The Vancouver event will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 426 East Fourth Plain Blvd. in Vancouver. Attendees will gather from 6:30 to 6:45 p.m., the program begins at 6:45 p.m., the candlelighting and reading of children’s names is at 7 p.m., and music and readings are from 7:10 to 8 p.m. A reception will be held at the church immediately following the ceremony. To have your child’s name read, e-mail candlelightingvigilvancouver@gmail.com or call Kathy Deschner at 360-573-3206.

The candlelighting ceremony is free and open to everyone. Community groups, churches, funeral homes, and hospitals are invited to participate. Thousands of families also light candles in their homes. Family members may post messages in an online “Remembrance Book” at www.compassionatefriends.org on the day of the event. The local chapter Compassionate Friends meets on the last Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Battle Ground Community Center, 912 E.Main St., Battle Ground. To learn more, visit compassionatefriends.org or contact Deborah at 360.910.9669.

Local fire departments are conducting training exercises this week and need volunteers to act as victims for their Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Exercises tomorrow, Dec. 1, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the old City of Vancouver City Hall Building, 210 E. 13th St., between Broadway and C St. Others who have already volunteers said the experience was “fun and rewarding.” Volunteers should wear old clothes and bring their lunches. Only the first several volunteers who e-mail will be accepted, so volunteers should not attend unless they have received e-mail confirmation. Willing participants should e-mail cindy.stanley@clark.wa.gov. Those who are unable to volunteer this time but wish to be on a waiting list for the next exercise should e-mail cindy.stanley@clark.wa.gov.

Two vans and one truck are among the items for sale at the Battle Ground School District surplus-equipment sale this Saturday, Dec. 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the old Lewisville Middle School campus, 406 W. Fifth Ave. in Battle Ground (access via Sixth Ave. off Main St., between Dick’s Tire and the post office). The public is welcome. Old furniture, HP and Dell printers, a trailer and old text books are also among items for sale. For more information, call the district warehouse at 360-885-6505.

Jason Ferriss chases cows.

Kate Rose likes owls.

Simon Spykerman congratulates Dave Blanchard.

Jodi Vaughan makes a perfect Americano.

Zara Lukens runs really fast.

The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce (GVCC) board of directors has voted to endorse a limited five percent admissions tax to help fund the construction of a multi-use stadium at Clark College to help bring baseball to Vancouver. GVCC now urges the Clark County Board of Commissioners to approve the tax. The proposed tax would add five percent to the cost of admission at major movie theater complexes, the amphitheater, the Clark County Fair, professional sporting venues and golf courses. The admission tax would exempt non-profit organizations. In a letter addressed to Commissioners Tom Mielke, Steve Stuart and Marc Boldt, GVCC asked the Board of Commissioners to approve the limited entertainment tax. To read the letter, click here.

Vancouver pianist Jim Fischer presents “Christmas with Jim Fischer and Friends” benefit concert at 3 and 7 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 3, at  the First Presbyterian Church, 4300 Main St., Vancouver. Shows feature The Wiseman Sisters and King’s Way Christian School‘s performers Kyra Smith, Trevor Smith, Tobaj, Inna Crown and Ashton Rogers, as well as Lori Chinn on the pipe organ. Featured musicians include Dr. Keith Collins on bass, Everett Carlson on drums, Ed Bisquera on keyboards, Clark Bondy on saxophone and Max Reese on guitar. The performances will end with an audience sing-a-long. Tickets are $20 at the door, or available by calling 360-750-4752. Proceeds benefit Friends of the Carpenter, a Vancouver-based ministry for the homeless.

State regulators recently approved funds to improve the safety at railroad crossings in Clark County. The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved $19,600 from the Grade Crossing Protective Fund for Clark County to upgrade active warning devices at 10 railroad-highway crossings. The county will replace incandescent lights with energy-efficient, LED flashing lights. These upgrades will improve the visibility and safety at each crossing. To read the full press release, click here.

The Port of Woodland Board of Commissioners has adopted the port’s 2012 preliminary budget and has posted it for public review. Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the budget and consider adoption of the final budget at its Dec. 15 meeting. Revenue growth in the 2012 preliminary budget is due to the port’s attraction of new tenants in 2011. In August, Noah’s Ark Charters moved into the port’s 17,700 square foot building on Schurman Way, and the port recently reached agreement on a lease to fill the only remaining square footage of space on port property. The budget also includes expenses for maintenance and repairs at the Down River Drive Industrial Park, as well as a feasibility study for construction of a boat launch. The budget can be reviewed by clicking on “Port News” at www.portofwoodland.com or by visiting the port office at 115 Davidson in downtown Woodland.

Dave Blanchard, owner of Camas-based Cognesis Marketing, has earned certification from the Infusionsoft Certified Consultants program. Blanchard is the only certified Infusionsoft consultant in the Pacific Northwest. He has more than 25 years of marketing experience with HP and a master’s degree in engineering from Stanford University.

Cognesis Marketing helps small businesses grow by using online marketing methods to attract prospects to their websites, and converting prospects to buyers, repeat customers and referrers. Infusionsoft provides all-in-one sales and marketing software that creates automatic marketing for small businesses by integrating customer relationship management, e-mail marketing and e-commerce. For more information about Cognesis Marketing and Infusionsoft products, visit www.cognesismarketing.com or www.infusionsoft.com, or call 360-954-5392.