County growth apparently slowing

Clark Public Utilities signed up only 185 new residential customers during April this year. During the first three months of this year, by contrast, an average of over 300 customers a month. signed up for residential electricity

In all of 2005 the utility acquired 4,371 residential customers—an annual rate of growth of 2.73 percent. This year’s annual growth rate is 2.04 percent.

April, traditionally, is a slow residential growth month. Even so, 1,097 new customers for the first four months of 2006 is well below the average.

Reception to honor 59 Clark
College Running Start graduates

A reception honoring 59 Clark College students, all of whom will be graduating from the community college and their respective high schools at the same time, is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, in the Penguin Student Union Building, Gaiser Hall on the school’s Fort Vancouver Way campus.

Running start allows eligible high school juniors and seniors to take classes to earn college credit while they fulfill their high school graduation requirements. The high school students attend Clark College classes during the day or in the evening. Tuition for the courses is paid by the individual school districts.

Graduating from their respective high schools and receiving an associates degree from Clark College are the following:

Battle Ground High School: Stephanie Bieber. Michael Kelley, Thomas Maehara, Caleb Pedersen and Kaleigh Vance; Camas High School: Matt Cornell, Thomas Miller and Thomas Stonick; CAM High School Breeann Christiansen, Isaac Etter, Natalie Fertig, Sommer Knight, Jon Madrigal and Jeremiah McMillan; Columbia River High School: Roger Hamilton and Ashley Shanholtzer; Evergreen High School: Rebecca Ford, Katie Kraus and Katelyn Matson; Fort Vancouver High School: Benjamin Hayford and Timothy Head; Heritage High School: Monty Boldt, Joseph Fricken, Stephen Nitkowski, Austin Reddington, Justin Reddington and Rick Watkins; Hockinson High School: Amanda Bishop, Ian Gavlick, Travis Gomez and Ryan Linton; Legacy High School: Michelle Klenn and Stephen Pick; Mountain View High School: Andrew Crane, Catherine Kohl, Alex Sherman and Joseph Sturdevant; Prairie High School, Mariah Acton, Jasmine Barnhart, Kandra Kulla, Kecia Kulla, Heather Libby and Gabriel Menkhus; Ridgefield High School: Jack Divine and Elizabeth Hidden; River Home Link: Alec Hallman and Rachael Osborne; Skyview High School: Jesse Dunn, Corer Evans and Shalyn Pugh; Summit View High School, Sara Craciun; Washougal High School: Fylicia McCarthy; Woodland High School; Kristi Klein, Carolann Krohn and Jared Price.

People

Four Wells Fargo bankers have been honored by the banking company for top performances in 2005. Du Moran, Vancouver business sales officer, Serina Ratliff, Battle Ground service manager, Leesa Stutesman, Vancouver lead teller, and Loreen Wick, Vancouver personal banker, were among 36 southwest Washington and Oregon Wells Fargo employees honored as business banking stars. The awards were presented in Cancun, Mexico. Wells Fargo & Company has 520 employees in southwest Washington.

News brief

Gov. Chris Gregoire will deliver the commencement address at the Clark College commencement, at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 15, in the Amphitheater at Clark County.

Calendar

Clark County commissioners meet in an informal session at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, in conference room B in the Public Service Center.

O, are we ever sorry

We are in error again. When it was pointed out last Friday we misidentified Vancouver’s famous Tommy O’s Restaurant as Johnny O’s we knew something had to be done.

Johnny O. is not a figment of anyone’s imagination. He [John Ostrowski] is Vancouver’s former public works director, who after retirement became an entrepreneur, consultant, and twice, including his current stint, interim executive director for C-TRAN.

The restaurant Tommy O’s is at 801 Washington Street. The popular island-flavored hangout is the scene today, beginning at 4:30 p.m., of Democrat Clark County commissioner Steve Stuart’s campaign kickoff event for re-election.

To complete the record straightening: Johnny O’s cousin Bobby Ostrowski owns a tavern in Milwaukee, Wis., Bobby O’s.

Headlines at home and from around the world: (Click on the headlines below for the rest of the story)

Tuesday on the air         Employment, Mental Health and Wellness—5/19)—4 p.m. CVTV    Seattle Mariners at Texas (live)—5 p.m. FSN, KFXX    Clark County Close Up (5/7)—5:30 p.m. CVTV    CREDC :Why $70 Oil May Be Good For you (5/25) 6 p.m. CVTV    Colorado Springs at Portland Beavers (live)—6:30 p.m. KKAD    Vancouver Planning Commission (5/23)—7:30 p.m. CVTV

Town Tabloids and the weather Maggie Culbertson making a Chevron connection. n Ann Martinez’s confirming expectations. n Pat McGrary making good use of yard work. n Nancy Barnes touting ice box efficiency. n Larry Bekkedahl delivering travelogue with help. n Scott Campbell’s natal day rates observed. n Tuesday, mostly sunny, 77. Wednesday, occasional showers, 67. Thursday, continuing showers, 68.

Accounting Caley & Associates, James Caley CPA, 695-0065 Peterson & Associates, P.S., Certified Public Accountants, 574-0644 Tax Advisors, PLLC, CPAs Property Tax/Cost Segregation 750-6884 Attorneys Miller Nash LLP. Steve Horenstein, 699-4771 Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, Lisa Lowe, 694-7551 Banks Bank of Clark County, 993-2265 First Independent Bank, 699-4200 West Coast Bank, 695-3439 Beauty and Wellness Iduhair & Company Salon Retreat, Celinda Rupert, 735-1249 Charitable Gift Planning Barbara Chen CFP, Clark College Foundation, (360) 992-2659 David DiCesare, The Community Foundation, (360) 694-2550 Jim Forkner, FAHP, SWMC Foundation, (360) 514-3182 Elson Strahan, CFRE, President, Historic Reserve Trust (360) 992-1835 Cosmetic and Family Dentistry Earl C. (Duke) Simpson, DDS, PS, 993-0300 Construction Management and Development Andersen Construction Co., Inc. Bob Durgan, (503) 720-5234 RSV Construction, Ron Frederiksen, 693-8830 Credit Unions Columbia Credit Union, 891-4000 iQ Credit Union, 992-4242 Development/Investments Killian Pacific LLC, 567-0625 Prestige Development, Elie Kassab, 993-0010 Human Resources Consultation O'Neill & Associates, Paula Johnson, 606-2961 Insurance Services Keenan Insurance Services, Brandon M. Keenan, 213-1500 Investment and Retirement Planning First Pacific Associates, Mark Martel, CFP, (360) 254-2585 Public Relations Hunt Communications Tom Hunt, 693-8180 KMac & Associates LLC, Kathy McDonald, 607-8059 Rocky/Hill & Knowlton, Krista Hildebrand, (503) 248-9468 Real Estate Coldwell Banker Commercial Wally Hornberger, 699-4494 Norris Beggs & Simpson, Roger Qualman, 699-7181 Retirement and Inheritance Planning Andy Nygard, CFP, (360) 695-6431 Signs Security Signs, Designed to inform and sell! Carol Keljo, 817-9959 Speaking and Training Kathy Condon, Career Communications, 695-4313 Window Washing Quality Window Washing, Dave Beecher, 256-7370