Man’s desire to aid Storro backfires
Fundraiser, first considered a scam, withdrawn at family’s request
When a Brush Prairie church received a letter from a man identifying himself as “Reverend Garner” pleading for money for Bethany Storro’s medical expenses, the church’s business administrator smelled a scam. Instead, the letter seems to be a well-meaning but misguided effort by someone Storro met at Elahan Place, a Vancouver rehabilitation program operated by Columbia River Mental Health Services.
The best medicine
Look in kitchen cupboards for health
St. Johns-Highway 500 interchange project gears up
Officials break ground on $49 million project
The Washington State Department of Transportation took another step toward removing traffic signals from state Highway 500 on Tuesday when it broke ground on a $49 million interchange at St. Johns Boulevard.
Clark County homeownership rate plunges
While it dropped in past decade, it’s still higher than state’s
The American dream of homeownership has become more elusive in Clark County over the past decade, no surprise to anyone who has watched foreclosure rates here skyrocket during the Great Recession. The homeownership rate dropped from 67.3 percent in 2000 to 65.8 percent in 2010, but remains higher than Washington’s rate of 63.9 percent, according to U.S. Census figures released today.
Older and out of a job
For many, the consequences of late-career layoffs are dire
Vancouver residents Mark McCloud and Fred Schwarz represent the two — what seem to be inevitable — outcomes of late-career job loss. McCloud, 63, hasn’t been able to find another job, and is at the brink of a retirement he wouldn’t have chosen and might not be able to afford.
County to buy landfill for $1.5M
Part of 74-acre site, closed since 1991, will be used for road
Clark County commissioners Tuesday approved the purchase of the closed Leichner Landfill and surrounding land for $1.5 million. “By moving ahead now, we can bring this land into productive re-use,” said Jeffrey Mize, a spokesman for the county public works department.
Ridgefield military wife’s blog a ‘secret’ no more
Lori Volkman started a blog to cope with her husband’s military deployment last September. “It started out just as a diary,” the Ridgefield resident said. She gave little thought to the fact that people might actually read it. In less than a year, the blog has garnered almost 25,000 hits.
Fatal house fire stuns neighbors
Details about homeowners emerge; identities of six victims still unconfirmed
As arson investigators dug through the rubble of Vancouver’s deadliest fire in a half-century Monday, residents of Northeast 13th Circle in Vancouver questioned how such a horrific event could happen in their quiet neighborhood.
Money matters for students
Camas High School adds a class called Financial Fitness to teach students how saving can be fun
Students in Camas High School’s Financial Fitness class huddled to craft campaigns touting the importance of saving. Christine Moss, 17, and her group planned a video spot to explain the rule of 72 and other key formulas.
Discover family fun of Discovery Walk
Annual festival also includes bicycling and swimming activities
This weekend, a scaled-back International Discovery Walk Festival returns for its 15th year. The economic downturn didn’t spare the beloved celebration of walking. International participation fell last year, and so did sponsorships. Organizers are weary, and ready to hand on the baton. Sound like bad news?
Clark County’s CSAs need customers for their locally grown food
If you’ve ever wanted to subscribe to receive a weekly delivery of fresh produce from a local farm, now’s your chance. The popularity of community-supported agriculture programs, or CSAs, has rocketed in past years to the point that you’d be lucky to find a farm that still had openings in April. This year is different. Farms find themselves under-subscribed, perhaps because of the extended economic downturn, said Luisa DePaiva, owner of Purple Rain Vineyard in Brush Prairie.
Helping native artists flourish
Native Arts & Cultures Foundation makes its presence known from Officers Row headquarters
More than a decade of meetings among Native Americans across the country have manifested in an elegantly appointed office near Fort Vancouver. There, a staff of four people work at creating a sort of National Endowment for the Arts for native artists. The Native Arts & Cultures Foundation, created with a $10 million grant from the Ford Foundation, awarded its first grants last year — $394,319 to 26 Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian artists and organizations in 12 states.
Get your game on
No reason to be bored with GameStorm 13 coming to Vancouver HIlton
Economy tanks, move 10 spaces ahead. A poor economy has actually boosted board-game sales even as overall toy sales fell. Looking to pinch pennies, many families brought back game night.
At market, folks sample foods, business ideas
A farmers market booth lets an entrepreneur pitch his brisket face-to-face with the customer base
The spotlight shines on Portland’s food-cart scene, but you could say Vancouver has had one for more than 20 years. It’s just that it’s only around on weekends — and just from spring through autumn.
Ready for a big one in Clark County?
Editor's note: Here is a story The Columbian published March 15, 2010:
Stolen Sweets at home in an earlier era
Group will play music from the 1920s-'40s in Ridgefield
If you’ve ever felt like you were born too late, you can step back in time at Ridgefield’s Old Liberty Theater on Saturday to listen to the sounds of the 1930s as performed by The Stolen Sweets. “All of us in the band, we joke we were born in the wrong era,” said Jen Bernard, a vocalist in the Portland trio. “We just love old theaters. It’s where this music was originally played.”
More theater options in Clark County coming soon
New Cinetopia, return of Kiggins, Liberty will cheer movie fans
From high class to low cost, Clark County’s movie-going options will expand this year. Twenty-six silver screens are expected to open here in 2011. Two historic venues, the two-screen Liberty Theatre in Camas and the single-screen Kiggins Theater in downtown Vancouver, will re-open. And luxury-theater operator Cinetopia plans to open a 23-screen venue at Westfield Vancouver mall in November.
Hispanic population rises quickly
2010 Census figures reveal that number of Latinos in Clark County nearly doubled in past decade
The big jump in Clark County’s Hispanic population comes as no surprise to the Rev. Armando Perez. About 900 people attend his Spanish-language Mass at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church each Sunday.
Playtime options available indoors
It’s pretty easy to keep kids busy when the sun is shining. In Clark County, though, expect 150 days of rain a year. Better have a list of activities for those showery days when kids go nuts cooped up in the house.
Food co-op blossoms
Vancouver program opens storefront downtown, offers online ordering for members
The Vancouver Food Cooperative, a dream that dates back to 2003, is starting to materialize. It may only be open intermittently for pickup of online orders, but the co-op has an actual storefront in the Wallis Engineering building in downtown Vancouver.
2010 Census: A decade of gains and challenges
Only in Clark County would population growth of 23 percent over a decade be considered slow. Clark County’s expansion over the past 10 years fell well short of the 45 percent growth of the previous decade, according to U.S. Census figures released Wednesday.
Miss Washington Jacquie Brown’s crowning achievement
Vancouver native’s third runner-up finish at Miss America Pageant icing on amazing year
Competing in last month’s Miss America pageant in front of 6.67 million television viewers was so intense for Miss Washington Jacquie Brown, a Vancouver native, that she sobbed during commercial breaks. “For me to be there representing my state, it was emotional,” said Brown, 22. “Because I knew how much I put into it, and how much the people around me had put into helping me and supporting me.”
The inspiration of respiration
Doctors, yoga fans proclaim virtues of conscious breathing
Breathing for relaxation • Sit quietly in a comfortable position with your eyes closed.
Touching the past at antiques show
Event’s big draw is casual evaluations of heirlooms, or just objects with history
If you’re planning to head to the Clark County Antique and Collectible Show to find out how much your family treasures are worth, you might be surprised by an appraiser’s advice on what to bring.
Local experts tout benefits of plant-based nutrition
If you want to gain fitness and lose weight, think beyond protein shakes and supplements. Registered dietician Alison Ozgur and certified personal trainer Derrick deLay encourage their clients to eat whole foods, preferably plants.
Public employee pensions draw new scrutiny
Many in private sector face a daunting retirement
Don Bivins became a firefighter 35 years ago to save lives. At age 19, he gave little thought to his retirement. Now, at a time when many of his private-sector peers have seen their own retirement dreams dashed, and with the state facing a two-year $4.7 billion shortfall, Bivins’ pension and those of his fellow government workers are drawing new scrutiny. A fight over public pensions may be looming in the legislative session that begins on Monday.
Focusing on a good life beyond cancer
After a double mastectomy but still facing more treatment, Krista Colvin of Camas hits high points of her family’s holiday traditions and looks at a calendar full of activity
Krista Colvin slowly wakes from surgery. She slips in and out of consciousness. In this dreamy state, she thinks more about when she’ll get to see her family than about the fact that she no longer has breasts. She had time to work through the impending physical loss in the months leading to her mastectomy. Krista, 43, was diagnosed in March with cancer. Now surgeons have removed her right breast, which had two tumors, as well as cancerous lymph nodes. Because Krista carries a gene mutation that increases the chance of cancer recurring, her healthy breast was removed, too.
Vancouver native sings on national TV
Jeff Horenstein, a 1997 Mountain View High School graduate, is competing for a Sony recording contract and $100,000 on the NBC show, “The Sing Off.” His a cappella group, Groove for Thought, consists of seven singers from Western Washington. He started the group 10 years ago.
Women with cardiac problems find support and education in WomenHeart
When B.J. Babcock underwent surgery to replace a faulty heart valve, she asked her doctors if there was another woman with a similar problem she could contact. “Both the surgeon and cardiologist said ‘no,’” recalled Babcock, a 58-year-old Ridgefield resident. “I needed companionship from someone who had been through the healing process.”
Festival of Nativities to mark 10th year
LDS church will display more than 600 crèches
Vancouver retiree Bruce Preece spent 50 hours crafting a lawn display of baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, wise men and shepherds out of plywood a couple of years ago. The stark white figures stand out against a gold-hued cutout of Bethlehem, which he designed from his memory of a 1978 visit to the holy city. His handiwork will be among 600 similar scenes of all sizes and media on display this weekend at the 10th annual Festival of the Nativities at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Vancouver.
Artists invited to offer mural ideas for Schofield Building
The historic Schofield Building in downtown Vancouver will get a face-lift, but the property owners want to put a little lipstick on it in the meantime. The Schofields are renovating two buildings — one built in 1867 and the other in 1905 — that cover three-quarters of the block at Sixth and Main streets. During the work, six large windows will be boarded up. Instead of bare plywood, property manager Ed Aschieris envisions works of art.
Family has gift for recycling
Their crafts will be available at green holiday bazaar
At first, Matthew Dukart didn’t think of what he did as art. His wife and daughters were crafty, but he never had considered himself to be the type. Then, a couple of years ago, he started folding the pages of a sports magazine and weaving them together into a rudimentary purse. He gave it to his wife.
Feast to fete local, sustainable food
Area groups want residents to look close to home for eats
Aside from complaining about the rain, most people don’t give too much thought to the change of seasons, let alone what it means for food. Why would you when you can buy strawberries in December at the grocery store?
Vancouver Symphony faces down tough economy
Executive director works to keep music playing
That the Vancouver Symphony is staging its second concert of the season this weekend is an achievement. Earlier this year it looked like the organization was in danger of folding altogether. It had to launch an aggressive fundraising campaign and slash its budget by about 25 percent to keep the music playing.
Cancer patient Krista Colvin has mastectomy, prepares for reconstruction
The evening before Krista Colvin undergoes surgery to remove her breasts, her children say goodbye. Both Annie, 8, and Wes, 10, are heading to friends’ houses for the night because Krista has to report to the hospital first thing in the morning. Annie smiles big, trying to stay strong and upbeat, but her eyes shine with tears as she lays her hand on her mother’s breast. Wes closes his eyes and snuggles into his mother’s bosom. This is the children’s way of bidding farewell to a part of her body that had nurtured and comforted them throughout their lives.
New way to heat H20
Vancouver family part of nationwide project to test heat-pump water heater efficiency
When Clark Public Utilities approached the Wrights to test out a heat-pump water heater, the Vancouver family of four decided to give it a go. They already had been systematically replacing their appliances with more energy-efficient ones.
Pumpkin playtime: County farms pump up the fun
Sure, you can pick up carving pumpkins at the grocery store. But when was the last time you saw hay rides or corn mazes or petting zoos there? Four farms in Clark County have carved out a niche for themselves at pumpkin time by offering a variety of activities to round out a fun family outing.
Out of grief came Africa
After Vancouver nurse’s husband died, she answered a call in Somaliland
As a nurse, Joanne Antonelli has held hands with countless people whose loved ones died. “I thought I knew grief,” she said. “I had no idea.”
Four decades of helping others
Nurse who helped design Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center’s family birth center bids adieu to patient care and mentoring other nurses
Much has changed in maternity wards since Gretchen Amacher entered nursing school in 1966. Then, mothers were sedated to deliver their babies. Fathers were sequestered in waiting rooms. Once born, babies stayed in the nursery and were wheeled to their mothers every three to four hours for feeding, mostly by bottle. Fathers were allowed only during visiting hours and didn’t get to hold their babies until they were discharged.
Clark County tour of farms
Ten open to the public Saturday for local showcase of agriculture
A child visiting Northwest Organic Farm spotted an unfamiliar creature on neighboring property. “What are those?” he asked Joyce Haines, who runs the farm with her husband, Greg Valdivia.
Crowning achievement
Miss Washington, from Vancouver, knows firsthand the value of youth mentoring
The stress mounted as Jacquie Brown, Miss Greater Vancouver, prepared for the Miss Washington pageant. Then her 1991 Honda Civic broke down. Not sure what to do, and preoccupied with the July pageant, she decided to ignore the car until things calmed down.
Humane society to fete one year of pets
The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is celebrating its first year in its east Vancouver location with a party for two- and four-legged friends. The animal shelter will offer reduced prices for animal adoptions during the celebration, which runs from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. The event offers family activities, free popcorn and drinks. Food vendors and peddlers of pet-related products will be on hand as well.
'Central Park Jogger’ sharing message of hope
Survivor of highly publicized rape, beating to be keynote speaker at YWCA benefit luncheon
She’s known as the Central Park Jogger. Trisha Meili was 28 and rising fast on Wall Street when she went for a run in Central Park April 19, 1989. Her body was found hours later in a shallow ravine. She had been raped and so brutally beaten a co-worker could only identify her by a ring she wore. It took months for her to recover from traumatic brain injury, which left her with no memory of the attack. She had to learn to button her blouse again, to walk again, and later, to run again.
On 5th try, Vancouver woman earns spot on Blazer Dancers
Amanda Greger almost gave up. She had auditioned four times for the Portland Trail Blazers’ dance team.
Clark County program helps low-income people learn to nurture produce
Growing vegetables takes seeds, soil, sun, water — and consistent effort. That can be tough for people juggling family and work responsibilities.
Mill grinds out nostalgia, nutrition
Blueberry Festival puts focus on local farms, unrefined flour
A visit to the Cedar Creek Grist Mill takes you back to a time before the terms “locavore” and “whole foods” were bandied about. Eating whole, local food wasn’t a matter of choice but of necessity. Refined flours were a luxury, not a staple.
Combating cancer is a family affair
This is the summer when Krista Colvin’s kids fix their own cereal in the morning. This the summer when they watch a little too much TV, play a few too many video games. Krista figures she has a pass.
Successful Cruisin’ the Gut event returns for second year
Phil Medina said he expected perhaps 300 cars to show up for the Vancouver cruising event he organized last year. He underestimated the power of nostalgia.
Lung Cancer: One fight, many battles
In the war against lung cancer, perhaps the greatest enemy is the stigma
Roberta “Birdie” Urban struggles to catch her breath sometimes. Understandable, given that she’s missing a lung and several ribs. It’s a wonder that she’s drawing breath at all. She beat the odds. Seven years ago, she underwent drastic surgery to remove lung cancer. Only 15 percent of lung cancer patients live five years past their diagnosis.
Putting best face forward in cancer battle
Krista Colvin strives to stay active, attractive
Krista Colvin struggles to mask the roiling chaos inside her body. Some days are better than others.
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