Bravo! Vancouver to bring Dubrovnik
Orchestra to Vancouver in 2008

Maria Manzo and Michael Kissinger, on the billing for Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, will bring Croatian orchestra to Vancouver

Bravo! Vancouver’s artistic director Michael Kissinger and chorale director Maria Manzo returned this week from Croatia with an agreement from the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra to perform with the Bravo! Vancouver Chorale in 2008.

Kissinger and Manzo each took turns in Croatia conducting the Dubrovnik Orchestra in a presentation that included Gershwin and Aaron Copeland works.

In addition, according to Kissinger, who is the founder and artistic director of the Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival, the City of Dubrovnik has agreed to create a Dubrovnik-Vancouver International in Dubrovnik by 2009.

Dubrovnik is a major European tourist destination, served by as many as ten cruise ships a weekend during the summer season.

Bravo! Vancouver opens its Vancouver season with Handel’s Messiah at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, in St. Joseph Catholic Church, 400 S Andresen Road.

Opening new hospital costly

The new Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital, which opened in August 2005, experienced a $28 million loss, according to Legacy Health System’s chief financial officer Pam Vukovich, reporting on the health system’s fiscal 2006 annual report, ending March 31, 2006.

Vukovich said, “We look at Salmon Creek as an investment in Legacy’s future—one that is already paying off.” She added that Legacy achieved a positive operating margin in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Legacy Health System also owns and operates Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Health Center, Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital, Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital & Medical Center, Legacy Meridian Park Hospital, and Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center, in addition to a number of northwest medical clinics.

Overall, the system in fiscal 2006 had operating revenues of $18 million in excess of expenses.

Legacy Salmon Creek admitted 73 persons to its emergency department in the first month of operation in August 2005, compared to 116 admissions in August 2006, according to Legacy Salmon Creek administrator Jonathan Avery. Average daily census rose from 41 to 84 patients during the first year, Avery said, and the number of births increased from 45 in the first month to 159 last July.

The Salmon Creek hospital employs 700 persons and has a staff of 514 physicians.

News brief

An immediate full-time position in public relations has opened at the Port of Vancouver. The job pays between $34,784 and $46,957. Requirements include a bachelors degree in a communications-related field and three years of progressively responsible professional experience in related areas. The candidate must have excellent interpersonal, written and verbal skills. Advanced computer, web and desktop publishing skills are a must. Primary responsibilities include website support, graphic design, presentations, publications and special events. Resumes with a cover letter may be sent to Port of Vancouver USA, 3103 NW Lower River Road, 98660, by 5 p.m.  Wednesday, Nov. 8.

Calendar

The second annual Emil Fries Piano Hospital & Training Center fundraising dinner opens at 5 p.m. this evening with piano tuning and repair demonstrations by students in the Red Lion Hotel at the Quay. Dinner is at 6 p.m. For information on $50 tickets, call 693-1511. n The final workshop on conflict resolution, sponsored by Vancouver’s Community Resolution program, is at 7 p.m. this evening in the Clark County Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin Street. n Arts Equity’s production of Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party is in its final week, with performances at 7:30 p.m. this evening through Sunday, Oct. 29, and a matinee at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, in the Main Street Theatre, 606 Main Street. All seats are reserved. Tickets range from $8 to $24. For further information, call 695-3770.

Thursday headlines

Evergreen High School grad Spc. Blake Schakols is fourth-generation soldier--Columbian, Dean Baker

Columbia River Crossing Taskforce begins to weigh options--Columbian, Don Hamilton

Hillside development proposal stirs up neighborhood--Columbian, Scott Hewitt

Clark Public Utilities reports fewer power hookups--Columbian, Courtney Sherwood

Natural gas rates going up by 3 percent in Clark County--Oregonian

New C-TRAN leader lists priorities--Oregonian, Allan Brettman

Lois Elaine Smith-Zoll celebrating her 40th Miss Clark County pageant--Columbian, Tom Koenninger

Microsoft says quarterly earnings beat estimates--Seattle Times, AP

New  home prices drop 9.7 percent from 2005; biggest fall in 35 years--USA TODAY, AP

U.S. troop deaths spike in October--USA TODAY, AP

Rumsfeld tells reporters to 'back off' on Iraq timeline--Washington Post, William Branigin

Bush's proposal of 'benchmarks' for Iraq sounds familiar; but what may have been more significant were the things he did not say--Washington Post, Thomas E. Ricks