What will will the weather throw at us this week? Find out with our local weather coverage.
Here are some of the stories that grabbed readers’ attention this weekend.
It’s the first day of school, and at Fruit Valley Community Learning Center, Principal Matthew Fechter is sitting with a second-grade student.
She’s having a hard day and refused to leave her desk to join her classmates on the carpet for storytime. So her teacher called Mr. Fechter.
Fechter leans over and whispers something to the crying girl. She nods, still sniffling, and joins her classmates on the carpet. Fechter sits with her for a time before handing her a folded note.
“Think good things,” it reads. “Good things happen.”
Good things do happen in Fruit Valley, a community that’s physically and financially on the edge. Isolated by railroad tracks and industry that towers over smaller, older homes, the median household income is only about $32,000, compared with about $61,000 countywide, according to Census data.
Read more about Principal Fechter and the work he is doing at Fruit Valley Community Learning Center.
Outgoing Port of Vancouver District 1 Commissioner Brian Wolfe said he won’t take any actions that might extend Vancouver Energy lease’s before his term is finished, easing fears that the board would move to block the influence of Commissioner-elect Don Orange.
Wolfe’s is the swing vote between District 3 Commissioner Jerry Oliver, who is a fervent supporter of the proposed oil terminal, and District 2 Commissioner Eric LaBrant, who is firmly against it.
“My present thinking is I won’t side with Mr. Oliver to eliminate the termination clause in the lease,” he said. “And my thinking today is I wouldn’t side with Mr. LaBrant to terminate the lease now or before the end of the year.”
Learn more about Commissioner Wolfe’s decision.
This week, two different downtown Vancouver art galleries issued virtually identical statements about closing up shop: “Economic and other factors beyond the gallery’s control have made it necessary to leave.”
After two years occupying the lower level of the big Boomerang cafe and resale shop on Main Street, the gallery curated by abstract painter Tom Relth will move out. Relth will hold a final moving sale during this weekend’s Clark County Open Studios tour. “My dream was exposing Vancouver to all different kinds of art,” he said. “Creating some new patronage for art and for Boomerang.”
But business was never enough. Developer Ryan Hurley, who owns the Boomerang real estate, said by email that plans are still under wraps, but the gallery’s departure will “make way for a new concept we are rolling out at the first of the new year.”
A few blocks away, Gallery 360 will leave the historic Slocum House, in the southwest corner of Esther Short Park, at the end of this year — after a final “Deck the Halls” show and sale. While that won’t be the end of the nonprofit Mosaic Arts Alliance, which has leased and operated the space, it will be the first time since 2005 that Mosaic has no gallery and no base.
Find out more about why the galleries are calling it quits.
Lisa’s Country Kitchen started up in 2008 on Mill Plain Boulevard, where the little diner earned itself a loyal following. Lisa’s has relocated to another well-established neighborhood and is in the same strip mall as Lucky’s bar on Northeast 76th Street. Traditional American breakfast and lunch are served daily until 2 p.m.
Read the review and other dining news.
So I got my first look of the season at the Hockinson football team on Friday, and this statement likely won’t stop the presses, but the Hawks are pretty darn good.
The unbeaten Hawks piled up 531 yards of offense, including 142 yards rushing. Three different receivers had multiple touchdown catches. The defense came up with three interceptions and held Pullman to 113 total yards.
It was all part of a 53-18 rout in the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs that ended with a running clock for the final 10 minutes.
