Vancouver mayor Royce Pollard
announces he is re-upping
Vancouver mayor
Royce Pollard, who has served five
consecutive two-year terms, yesterday announced that he again will be a
candidate for mayor this fall. This time the term is four years.
Among Pollard’s supporters are two
previous mayors, Jim Justin and
Bruce Hagensen.
The mayor said yesterday to a group of
well-wishers in Esther Short Park that his main priorities are “Jobs, jobs,
jobs, economic development, transportation and public safety.”
Pollard was first elected to the
Vancouver City council in 1989, after retiring as commander of Vancouver
Barracks. He was first elected mayor in 1995.
Clark Public Utilities signing
up new families in droves
The pace of residential growth in
Clark County is quickening, according to statistics released by Clark Public
Utilities today.
During the first three months of this
year the electric utility signed up 1,105 new residential customers, compared to
713 in the same period a year ago. The utility added 492 new residential
customers in March, compared to 368 in March 2004.
The county’s annual rate of
residential growth is 2.82 percent.
As measured by new customers being
signed up by the utility’s water system, serving Hazel Dell, Salmon Creek and
city urban growth areas north of Vancouver, the growth rate is even greater. So
far this year the water utility has signed up 348 new customers, for an annual
growth rate of 4.95 percent.
Residents of Vancouver’s outlying
areas
are quizzing themselves on annexation
Questionnaires are being circulated in
the East Minnehaha neighborhood north of Vancouver soliciting information about
how residents feel about possible annexation to the city. Although the Minnehaha
area is within an area targeted for eventual annexation by the city, no current
plans are underway for city expansion there.
In addition to other issues, residents
are being asked whether they would prefer to be annexed to the city, form a new
city with Hazel Dell and Salmon Creek, or maintain the status quo.
Developer building class A office
space on Port of Ridgefield property
A proposal by
Dean Maldonado, owner of PUMA
Construction, to build a
30-000-square-foot Class A suburban office building on three acres to be leased
from the Port of Ridgefield will be considered by Ridgefield port commissioners
at their regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 27.
Under the proposed agreement, part of
office at the southwest corner of the I-5 Ridgefield junction, would be leased
to the port for administrative offices.
Maldonado also built the retail
complex in the southwest corner of the interchange.
According to port commissioner
Bruce Weisman, the Maldonado project is
one of three office buildings which will be under construction on port property
this summer.
Highway 14 traffic changes at 32nd
Street
in Washougal expected to reduce mishaps
Construction of traffic islands at the
intersection of Highway 14 and 32nd Street in Washougal, due to begin Friday,
April 29, will result in elimination of left turns off 32nd Street onto Highway
14 and will prohibit 32nd Street traffic from crossing Highway 14.
The $285,000 state Department of
Transportation project is under contract to Tapani Underground, Battle Ground.
The project is expected to be completed by July.
According to WSDOT, 75 percent of the
injury-causing collisions at this intersection are the result of motorists
turning left onto or crossing Highway 14.
Two positions open on Public
Health Advisory Committee
The Clark County Board of Health is
seeking applications for two vacancies on the 21-member county Public Health
Advisory Committee.
The council also serves at the county
board of health. Representing a variety of professional, medical and community
perspectives, council members provide recommendations on public health issues
and priorities to county commissioners.
Applications are due by Monday, May 2.
For further information, call 397-2232.
News brief
Clark County commissioners meet in
informal session at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 27.
Lawmakers
backpedal on support for Cowlitz--Columbian, Margaret Ellis
Clark County
projects got good treatment from legislators--Columbian, Don Jenkins
Bingen unmanned
airplane maker gets Navy contract--Columbian, Jonathan Nelson
Confluence project scores in Olympia--Oregonian, Allan Brettman
Democrats used power to spend--Seattle Times, Ralph Thomas and Andrew
Garber
Headlines at home and from around the world:
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