Shawn Weimerskirch joins
Keith Upkes Consulting

Shawn Weimerskirch has joined Keith Upkes Consulting as an accountant, reports Keith Upkes, company CEO.

Most recently Weimerskirch was accounts payable manager for Nautilus. Her 16 years of accounting experience includes her stints as accounts payable and payroll manager for Labtec/Logitech and general accounting analyst for the Tidland Corporation.

Founded in 2003, Keith Upkes Consulting offers accounting and financial management for businesses.

Jim Dunn appointed ranking Republican
on state legislative Housing Committee

State Rep. Jim Dunn (R-17th) has been appointed top ranking Republican on the House Housing Committee.

The House Housing Committee considers issues relating to the accessibility and affordability of housing, state assistance to low-income housing, landlord-tenant laws, manufactured housing and mobile homes, housing authorities, and the Housing Finance Commission.

Dunn was the successful prime sponsor of House Bill 2060, which provided maintenance and operating funds to housing trust fund projects that have experienced operating problems, and which  gave local counties money to fund affordable housing projects.

Dunn, who was first elected to the House in 1996, and served until 2002. He was again elected to the House in 2004 and re-elected last November.

Storm-related damages should
be reported to CRESA soon

Clark County commissioners today signed a declaration of emergency for Clark County, and it has been forwarded to the state so that Clark County residents and businesses that suffered damage from high winds yesterday and this morning may qualify for state and federal disaster assistance.

Commission chairman Marc Boldt says that damage must be reported in a timely manner, that is, as soon as possible.

The Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency operations center will begin accepting damage claim information at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 18. Only damage to primary buildings should be reported. Damages to grounds, landscaping, outbuildings and other areas do not qualify for assistance.

Call CRESA at 992-9229 to report damages.

Vancouver urban forester advises
Proper tree pruning in wake of storm

Maintenance of street trees in Vancouver is the adjacent property owner's responsibility and requires a permit for major pruning and removal, reminds city forester Charles Ray. Ray says that the storm that hit the Vancouver area overnight caused significant damage to many landscape trees in the city.

Ray said, “It is crucial that qualified tree care professionals, such as arborists certified by the International Society of Arboriculture, are hired to properly prune trees and prevent unnecessary damage and removal of healthy trees."

According to Ray, improper pruning, such as topping, may ultimately cause more damage to the tree than was initially caused by the storm.

The Vancouver Urban Forestry website offers advice on how to hire a professional tree care provider at www.cityofvancouver.us/urbanforestry.net.

Vancouver's 14 snowplows ready to roll

Snow, sleet or ice, City of Vancouver crews and fleet of plows, sanders and de-icers are ready to roll.

When temperatures drop around the freezing level and just slightly below, overpasses and bridges receive a preventative treatment of de-icer where needed. Isolated patches of ice or frost on well-traveled routes are also likely candidates for a spot of ice prevention.  

Vancouver has snowplows, 12 of which are combined units with sanders, and the other two of which also have de-icing capabilities, for use on the city's more than 1,650 lane-miles of streets.

The City's primary focus is to clear and maintain streets that are necessary for emergency services. That includes all main arterial streets which provide a network connecting hospitals, police and fire stations. Next in line are the remaining arterials, selected corridors, snow bus routes around schools, and hills. In severe winter conditions, priority route clearing becomes a repetitive process.

Property owners are required by city ordinance to keep sidewalks clear and safe. Snow removed from sidewalks and driveways must be piled in yards, not in the street.

News brief

During the worst of the wind storm about 8 p.m. last night about 35,000 Clark Public Utilities’ electric customers had lost power but by 4 p.m. today, power had been restored to all but 2,300, according to utility spokesperson Mick Shutt.

Calendar

The Clark County Skills Center is offering a special benefit dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. this evening in the Skills Center Restaurant, 12200 NE 28th Street. The menu features pasta salads and pasta main dishes. A $15 donation is recommended. n Herringbone, the one-man musical starring Taylor Askman, is being presented by the Arts Equity Theatre at 7:30 p.m. this evening and Saturday, Dec. 16, in the Main Street Theatre, 606 Main Street. Tickets are $8 to $24. For further information, call 695-3770. n The Vancouver Youth Theatre Group presents Breakfast with Santa in the Salmon Creek Burgerville, NE 124th Street and Highway 99, at 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. A full breakfast buffet offers waffles, eggs, bacon, pastries, milk or juice. Admission is $10 adults, $6 children ten and under. For further information and a price-break on pre-purchased tickets, call Unraveled Yarns, 993-5835. n The Columbia Dance Theatre’s presentation of the Nutcracker is at 7 p.m. this evening, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, in the Vancouver School of Arts & Academics, 31101 Main Street. Admission is $12 for adults and $8 for children 12 and under and senior citizens.  

Friday, Dec. 15 headlines

High-tech push at Washington State University Vancouver gets high level backing--Columbian, Courtney Sherwood

Seventh-day Adventists begin move into $8.1 million five-state regional headquarters in Ridgefield--Columbian, Cami Joner

Joan Wolverton closing Salishan Vineyards, Clark County's oldest--Columbian, Dean Baker

More than 200,000 PGE, Pacific Power customers still without power--Oregonian

Windstorm damage path stretches from coast to mountains--KATU, AP

NOTE TO SEATTLE TIMES READERS: See an electronic version of today's printed paper. Due to a power outage at The Times' Bothell production plant, most copies of the paper will not be printed today. About 13,000 copies that were printed prior to the outage are being delivered to some outlets in downtown Seattle and Bellevue. Subscribe to the e-Edition.

For only third time in history the Seattle P-I was not published