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Southwest Washington's Community News Service
Friday, July 23, 2010

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MacKay and Sposito Inc. announces first female partner

Lisa Schauer

The partners of MacKay and Sposito Inc. (M&S) recently promoted a woman to partner for the first time in the firm’s 36-year history. Lisa Schauer, CPSM, has been invited to join the partnership group.

A graduate of Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Arts and a double major in political science and public relations, Schauer has been with M&S for 10 years.

She is involved on numerous boards and in civic organizations including the Columbia Credit Union Board, Children’s Center Board, and the ZweigWhite Marketing Advisory Board. She is also a Meals on Wheels driver for Loaves and Fishes. Schauer lives in Camas with her husband, Al and young daughter, Sydney.

"Because of Lisa's leadership and unlimited energy, her fingerprints are found on nearly every successful company initiative or direction taken during her tenure," says Derrick Smith, senior vice president and branch manager of the firm’s Kennewick branch.

Founded in 1974, M&S offers full service civil engineering, land and construction surveying, land-use planning, landscape architecture and construction management services with offices located in Vancouver, Kennewick, Wilsonville, Ore., Bend, Ore. and Salt Lake City, Utah. The firm employs over 65 employees companywide.

For more information on M&S, call Stephanie Hadley 360-823-1322 or visit mackaysposito.com.

Congestion expected on I-205 this weekend

Drivers who typically use southbound I-205 and the Glenn Jackson Bridge should plan ahead for weekend-long lane closures and congestion this weekend, according to the Washington Department of Transportation.

Sunny weather, travel season, and community events this weekend mean that drivers on southbound I-205 could see 10-mile backups and two-hour delays as the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) continues work on the Glenn Jackson Bridge.

The two southbound lanes will close by 9 p.m. tonight and reopen by 5 a.m. on Monday, July 26. The ramps from State Route 14 to I-205 will close at the same time.

Daytime traffic on southbound I-205 is expected to back up from the Glenn Jackson Bridge to the I-5/I-205 split (mileposts 26 to 37) during the around-the-clock closures. WSDOT is encouraging drivers to delay travel if possible or take alternate routes. Transportation officials also advise planning trips before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m.

"We anticipate long backups, and we’re asking drivers to avoid traveling south on I-205 when the contractor has two lanes closed around the clock," says Deputy Regional Administrator Rick Sjolander. "As we’ve seen before, congestion is also heavy on I-5 during these closures."

Drivers can view Vancouver traffic flow maps and area web cameras at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/vancouver/VancouverTraffic/. For statewide traffic information, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic, or call 511 or 1-800-695-ROAD. Oregon travel information can be found at www.tripcheck.com. For more information on the I-205 Glenn Jackson Bridge Joint Replacement project, visit www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION1/GlennJackson/.

The closures are scheduled every other weekend through September.

Amtrak Cascades continues record ridership

The Amtrak Cascades route has experienced double-digit ridership growth and record-breaking totals each month this year.

Ridership for April, May, and June recorded the highest second quarter totals since 1994, with 214,641 passengers. Compared to the second quarter of 2009, this is an increase of nearly 12 percent, or more than 25,000 new passengers. The first quarter of 2010 also had record ridership with an increase of nearly 34,000 riders since 2009.

"The growth of Amtrak Cascades this year has been phenomenal and is a strong indicator of the demand for this service," says Scott Witt, State Rail and Marine director. "Combined with the addition of the second train service to Vancouver, B.C., and a strong summer travel season, Amtrak Cascades is on pace to finish 2010 with the highest ridership ever."

Total ridership on Amtrak Cascades year to date is 398,414 through June 30. That represents a 17.3 percent increase over 2009.

A portion of the ridership growth is due to both the additional service to and from Vancouver, B.C., that began in August 2009 and the 2010 Olympic Games that were held in Vancouver, B.C., in February and March.

Amtrak Cascades operates four daily round trips between Portland and Seattle, one daily round trip between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., and between Portland and Vancouver, B.C., and daily service between Eugene and Seattle, via Portland. Amtrak Cascades is operated by Amtrak in partnership with the Washington and Oregon Departments of Transportation. For Amtrak Cascades fares and schedules, visit AmtrakCascades.com.

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News Briefs

Poetry Night: The Paper Tiger is hosting a Poetry Night at 7 p.m. on Aug. 19. The coffee house is at 703 Grand Blvd. in Vancouver. Writer Kori Sayer is scheduled to appear. An open mic will be offered before and after her appearance.
Six Confusion: As reported last week, Vancouver Fire Department will close Station 6 on 112th Ave. near Burton Road in December. Because Fire District 6 and Station 6 share a similar name, many citizens have confused the two and now believe that Fire District 6 is closing its department, which is not happening, said Dawn Johnson with Fire District 6.
Bike There: The City of Vancouver, Bike Me! Vancouver and the Riverview Six to Sunset concert series have partnered to provide staffed bicycle parking for the Six to Sunset concerts on Thursday evenings at Esther Short Park. The staffed bike parking will be located at the northeast corner of Esther Short Park in the grassy area near the stage. The free bike parking will be available from 5 p.m. until after the concert. Riders are asked to provide their own bike lock. For more information, visit www.cityofvancouver.us/concerts.
Free Fitness Walk: Receive a free pedometer and a copy of the new Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation trails brochure, by attending a free two-hour fitness walk along the Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway, led by walking coach Carmen Jackinsky, on Saturday, July 24. The walk is one of several offered by Portland Metro, as part of this summer's Walk There! event series. Besides Metro, this walk is hosted by Kaiser Permanente and Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation. Walkers will meet at 8:45 a.m. in the north parking lot of Leverich Park. Leverich Park is just north of East 39th Street. For more information, call 503-813-7575.
Summer Playground program: The Battle Ground Parks & Recreation traveling Summer Playground program will be held at four local neighborhood parks this summer. The free 10-week drop-in program is designed for children ages 4 to 10 and will bring a variety of arts, crafts, games and sports to local neighborhoods in the City of Battle Ground. For more information about the Summer Playground Program or the Battle Ground Parks & Recreation Department, visit the City’s website at http://www.cityofbg.org or call 360-342-5380.
Youth drug prevention team seeks new members: The Clark County STASHA (Strong Teens Against Substance Hazards and Abuse) Peer Education Program is recruiting youth to fill vacant positions for the 2010-11 program year. Clark County peer educators are dedicated to addressing alcohol and other drug issues among youth in Clark County. To be eligible, youth must be Clark County residents and have an interest in sharing their opinions and perspectives about substance abuse prevention. Training is provided. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, August 4. Applications are online at http://www.clark.wa.gov/youth-family/prevention.html. For more information or to request an application, please contact Angela McKinney, peer education coordinator, at 360-397-2130, ext. 5841 or angela.mckinney@clark.wa.gov.
Art in the Heart: Thirteen Downtown Vancouver art galleries and Vancouver’s Downtown Association have joined forces to bring a free, family-friendly community event to Downtown Vancouver streets the first weekend of August. The “Art in the Heart” event kicks off Friday, Aug. 6, at 5:30 p.m. After the free concert, many local restaurants and bars will also have live music. The galleries will be open again on Saturday, Aug. 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Evergreen Public Schools Registration: Families with students new to Evergreen Public Schools or who have moved to a new school area can now take advantage of centralized school registration hours starting this week. The registration will take place at Evergreen Public Schools Administrative Service Center located at 13501 NE 28th St., Vancouver, in the Home Choice/IQ Internet Academy Building. Registration forms can be found online at http://www.evergreenps.org/AboutEPS/Pages/CentralizedStudentRegistration.aspx or picked up at the registration desk. More information is available at www.evergreenps.org or by calling 360-604-4163.
Burn Ban: In cooperation with the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Clark County enacted restrictions on all outdoor burning effective July 15. All land clearing and residential burning will be restricted until further notice.
192nd Avenue signals: A new fiber optics communication system will better coordinate traffic signals along Southeast 192nd Avenue. Drivers along the road should experience smoother traffic, but motorists approaching from side streets may notice slightly longer signal delays.

Calendar

July 23: Vancouver photographer Kate Singh of Aevum Images is offering social media photos for $35 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at SoHo Marketing Guru, 951 Officers Row, Vancouver. Free social media strategy consultations with Brandie Kajino, Veronika Noize, Rinatta Paries, or Dotty Scott will also be available that day. Reservations are strongly advised. For photo sessions, contact Singh at 360-735-1595 or via her website at www.AevumImages.com. For the consultations, contact Kajino at 360-907-6485; Noize, 360-882-1298; Paries, 503-583-2573 or Scott, 360-607-4767.
July 24: The Clark County Historical Museum offers staff-led walking tours every other Saturday morning, beginning at 9 a.m. and lasting about two hours. The next tour is Saturday, July 24. Day Hilborn’s architecture is featured. The cost for the Saturday tours is $5 for members and $10 for non-members. More information is available by calling 360-993-5679. For more information about the museum and events, visit www.cchmuseum.org.
July 27: The Clark Public Utilities board of commissioners meets at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 27.
July 28: An artist's reception showcasing the new summer exhibits at Washington State University Vancouver is planned from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 28. The new displays will be up through late August.
Aug. 27-29: The 13th Annual Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival is Aug. 27-29 at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver. Ticket prices are: Friday, $20; Saturday $25, Sunday, $25. Three-day passes are $50 in advance, $60 at the gate. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.vancouverwinejazz.com or through TicketsWest, http://www.ticketswest.com. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 503-224-8499 or 1-800-992-8499.
Sept. 16: The Port of Vancouver is offering two more "V.I.P. family tours" this summer of its site on 3103 NW Lower River Road. The events are 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, July 17, and 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16. To reserve a spot, contact Andrew Ness at 360-992-1137 or amness@portvanusa.com.