Vancouver’s Citizen’s Commission on Mayor/City Council Salaries has scheduled the third meeting and public hearing for Thursday, March 8, at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall, 415 W. 6th St., 1st Floor, Aspen Conference Room. Parking is available for visitors in the building’s south visitor parking lot. If this lot is full, parking is available on-street. Visitors are welcome to check in with the information desk upon arrival.

The commission was established by a city charter section approved by Vancouver voters in 1994. The commission is comprised of five members of the community who are appointed by the mayor, subject to approval by the city council. The commission’s purpose is to study the relationship of salaries to the duties of the mayor and city council members, and to set their salaries.

Salary reviews are performed on a bi-annual basis to coincide with the city’s budget cycle. The commission must file the schedule of salaries for the Mayor and Council members with the City Clerk by May 1 for inclusion in the 2013-14 budget.

Drivers on State Route 500 and St. Johns Blvd. will see closures next week as crews place bridge girders as part of a project to build a new interchange at SR 500 and St. Johns Blvd. The intersection will be closed beginning at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 5, and Tuesday, March 6, while they lift 14 concrete girders into place above SR 500. Both directions of St. Johns Boulevard and the westbound lanes of SR 500 will reopen by 5:30 a.m. The eastbound lanes of SR 500 will reopen by 7 a.m. Girder installation will close SR 500 between I-5 and Falk Rd., and St. Johns Blvd. between E. 33rd St. and N.E. Petticoat Lane. Drivers can follow signed detour routes to navigate around the closures, and crews will maintain local access to residences and businesses throughout the work. Drivers can follow the project’s progress by signing up online to receive email updates, or viewing project photos on Flickr.

Clark County law enforcement will conduct extra DUI patrols from Friday, March 9, through Sunday, March 18. Public education combined with strict enforcement is a proven method for reducing DUI crashes and fatalities. DUI patrols will be working on county roads, state routes, and city streets to reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office encourages everyone to be responsible during the St. Patricks holiday weekend by choosing designated drivers, calling cabs or friends for rides, and taking the keys of those who shouldn’t drive. To learn more about the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, visit www.wtsc.wa.gov.

Murderball star and Paralympics gold medalist Mark Zupan will speak at Washington State University Vancouver‘s Spring Marquee Diversity Event at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7, in the Firstenburg Student Commons. The event is free and open to registered guests. WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th St. exit from either I-5 or I-205, and is bus accessible. Parking is free after 7 p.m. Register here.

Zupan found his sports-driven lifestyle challenged during college, after a car accident left him paralyzed. Nevertheless, Zupan graduated from Georgia Tech and became a civil engineer. Zupan stayed active in sports, enlisting in quad rugby league soon after the accident. Zupan’s determination and positive mindset propelled him to a string of successes, including becoming a two-time quad rugby national champion, earning the title of 2004 quad rugby player of the year, winning an Olympic quad rugby bronze medal, and becoming a spokesperson for Team USA.

Zupan gained further national recognition after starring in the 2005 documentary Murderball, chronicling Zupan’s journey to the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The film follows the fast-moving competitors as they compete on the courts, as well as the challenges and accomplishments of their disabilities off the courts.