The Columbian (Vancouver, WA) articles from September 2007

The Columbian (Vancouver, WA) archives from September 2007

Clinic receives $155,000 Murdock grant to enhance its mental health services.
September 30, 2007... Byline: Tom Vogt Sep. 30--Vancouver's free mental health clinic has received $155,000 to help put the Wellness Project on a firmer financial footing. The Murdock Charitable Trust awarded the $155,000 grant to Community Services...

Plans protect species by killing off rivals.
September 30, 2007... Byline: Erik Robinson Sep. 30--Kill a sea lion, save a salmon. Kill a barred owl, save a spotted owl. In each of these high-profile cases, armed enforcers ranging from angry sport fishermen to the U.S. government have suggested...

Baird backs bid to cease infighting.
September 30, 2007... Byline: Kathie Durbin Sep. 30--U.S. Rep. Brian Baird has signed onto a bipartisan compact intended to steer the U.S. House away from partisan infighting on the Iraq war. Twenty-eight members of the House, 14 from each party, have...

Want job? Have good answers.
September 30, 2007... Byline: Julia Anderson Sep. 30--Why should I hire you? It's a question some job seekers might view as too open-ended, but experts at Accountemps, a job placement service, say applicants should be prepared with an answer. Even if...

Obituaries.(Obituary)
September 30, 2007... Sep. 30--The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash., Obituaries RETA JUNE DESROCHERS Reta June DesRochers, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, born, July 4, 1928 to Howard and Fay West in Long Beach, CA, passed away on September 16,...

Study: Job security affects creativity.
September 30, 2007... Byline: Isolde Raftery Sep. 30--Workers who fear losing their jobs are generally less creative than those who aren't as worried, according to research by Washington State University Vancouver Professor Tahira Probst. They are also less...

Science: Healthy Victory.
September 30, 2007... Byline: Tom Vogt Sep. 30--The few remaining yellow pills rattling around in the plastic bottle cost about $50 apiece, but that's not how Paul and Greta Hutchison measured their value... or their importance. Those particular pills...

Upset of USC eludes Huskies again.
September 30, 2007... Byline: Nick Daschel Sep. 30--SEATTLE -- On Upset Saturday, when five Top-10 teams went down to defeat, Washington went for the home run. But No. 1 Southern California's offensive firepower and a couple of fourth-quarter breaks...

UW Notebook: Trojans No. 1, but hardly perfect.
September 30, 2007... Byline: Nick Daschel Sep. 30--SEATTLE -- When the country's No. 1 football team comes to town, there's an expectation of a polished, dominating squad. Southern California was far from that during Saturday night's game against...

The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash., Greg Jayne column: Commentary: Even in defeat, UW proves something.(Column)
September 30, 2007... Byline: Greg Jayne Sep. 30--SEATTLE -- They had to believe that anything could happen. That the dragon could be slain. That pigs could fly. They had to believe that, on this wacky weekend of college football, impossible was nothing....

PDX planners get a Vancouver's-eye-view of airport.
September 30, 2007... Byline: Justin Carinci Sep. 30--As their tour bus rolled past homes both squat and sprawling on Southeast Riverside Drive and Evergreen Highway on Saturday, members of an airport planning group couldn't help but gape at the backyard: a...

Pac-10 Gameday.
September 29, 2007... Byline: Nick Daschel Sep. 29--NO. 1 USC (3-0, 1-0) AT WASHINGTON (2-2, 0-1) GAME FACTS: 5 p.m. at Husky Stadium, Seattle. Television: KATU (2). Radio: KUIK (1360). AT STAKE: Washington ends a difficult September schedule in style...

Obituaries.(Obituary)
September 29, 2007... Sep. 29--The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash., Obituaries Ernest J. Brenot, 83, Ridgefield, died September 21, 2007. Woodland Funeral Home, 360-225-8441 Norman J. Brown, 78, Vancouver, died September 26, 2007. Cascadia Cremation & Burial...

Evergreen 41, Heritage 13: Evergreen breaks loose.
September 29, 2007... Byline: Paul Valencia Sep. 29--The Evergreen Plainsmen won four consecutive Class 4A Greater St. Helens League titles before finishing in second place last year. It's quite clear the Plainsmen want that title back. Evergreen...

Union 39, Kelso 28: Union still unbeaten after beating Kelso.
September 29, 2007... Byline: Paul Valencia Sep. 29--All they know is they are 5-0 now. More importantly for the Titans, they are 1-0 in the Class 3A Greater St. Helens League. Mitch Saylor had two touchdown receptions, a kickoff return for a score,...

Hockinson 41, Ridgefield 7: Hockinson's win over Ridgefield is team effort.
September 29, 2007... Byline: Paul Danzer Sep. 29--HOCKINSON -- For a half Friday, the Ridgefield defense frustrated the Hockinson offense. But the Spudders couldn't match what Hockinson's defenders were doing. Takeaways by the Hawks' defense...

Taking Stock: Third quarter unkind to many local firms.
September 29, 2007... Byline: Jonathan Nelson Sep. 29--The volatility that rocked the stock market during the third quarter was evident Friday afternoon as the closing bell left local stocks of interest in tatters. Of the 27 publicly held companies The...

Believe the Hype.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Nick Daschel Sep. 28--SEATTLE -- To believe the hype this spring and summer regarding Washington newbie quarterback Jake Locker, you would have thought he was Barry Sanders with Roger Clemens' arm, a Peyton Manning who could run...

Pioneers face new challenges in WHA.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Paul Danzer Sep. 28--There will be some familiar faces on the ice tonight when the Fort Vancouver Pioneers begin play in the World Hockey Association with a game in Squamish, British Columbia. The roster includes a half-dozen...

Confident Oden predicts a full recovery.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Brian Hendrickson Sep. 28--TUALATIN, Ore. -- Greg Oden was still groggy from the anesthetic when his eyes opened after surgery 15 days ago and saw Portland Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard standing nearby. Oden...

Hunter stumbled upon pot plants.
September 28, 2007... Byline: John Branton Sep. 28--AMBOY -- An elk hunter who wandered into a large marijuana growing operation near Amboy is fortunate to be alive, officials said Thursday. "He happened to stumble across it in the forest," said Sgt....

Murray-Clinton bill requires women be told of 'morning after' pill.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Kathie Durbin Sep. 28--Sen. Patty Murray joined with Sen. Hillary Clinton on Thursday in introducing a bill that will require the federal government to inform women about the availability of the "morning after" pill that provides...

BRIEF: Ex-teacher's abuse sentencing rescheduled.
September 28, 2007... Sep. 28--Sentencing for a former Vancouver teacher who sexually abused a student was rescheduled Thursday to Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. Daniel R. Sammons, who taught language arts and coached volleyball, basketball and track at Gaiser Middle...

Abuse defendant attempts suicide.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Stephanie Rice Sep. 28--His career in the U.S. Army took him to Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq. But it was sitting in Clark County Superior Court on Tuesday and hearing damning testimony from his two daughters that nearly did in...

Former addict recounts battle with meth.
September 28, 2007... Byline: John Branton Sep. 28--Sarah Bowens was introduced to a town-hall meeting about methamphetamine Thursday night as "the one that didn't give up when others were giving up." And Bowens told a story that drew enthusiastic...

Obituaries.(Obituary)
September 28, 2007... Sep. 28--The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash., Obituaries ELMA JUNE HEIMBIGNER Elma Heimbigner passed away September 25, 2007, in Vancouver, WA, at the age of 93. She was born in Walla Walla, WA, on October 30, 1913, and moved to...

Area pay 4% over national average.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Jonathan Nelson Sep. 28--It might not feel like it, but federal statistics released Thursday show that those hours on the job earn local workers a paycheck that beats the national average. The 2006 figures from the Bureau of...

New transit center to open Nov. 18.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Don Hamilton Sep. 28--C-Tran has set Sunday Nov. 18 as the new opening date for its transit center in Hazel Dell and the launch of a series of service changes. Last week, the agency announced that construction problems had...

Vancouver excavation company violated labor laws, authorities assert.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Kelly Adams Sep. 28--The owners of a Vancouver excavation business stand accused of violating labor laws. Jerry and Jim Schram, brothers and business partners in Schram's Excavating, 13603 N.E. 59th St., will appear in Clark...

BRIEF: Vancouver, Woodland school board hopefuls fined.
September 28, 2007... Sep. 28--Jim Yount, a candidate for the Woodland school board and Melinda McDermott, a candidate for the Vancouver school board, have been fined $150 each by the Public Disclosure Commission for not filing required forms. Yount has since...

Trail project closes fort, parking lot and garden.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Dean Baker Sep. 28--Fort Vancouver, its gravel parking lot and the garden around it are closed through Monday while trails are being built around them. "This closure is necessary to ensure visitor safety, the park's No. 1...

Repaired railcars to return to Amtrak's Cascades service.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Don Hamilton Sep. 28--Newly repaired Talgo cars will start returning to Amtrak's Cascades trains this weekend and should all be back in service by early November, Amtrak announced Thursday. The tilt cars, as they're called,...

Corrections.
September 28, 2007... Sep. 28--Cheerleading coach: Clark College does not have a school-sponsored cheerleading squad. Suspected sex offender Neil A. Finger worked with a student club, Penguin Cheer. An article on Page C1 Thursday incorrectly described Finger's...

Robber politely holds up Shell gas station.
September 28, 2007... Byline: John Branton,Kelly Adams and Isolde Raftery Sep. 28--A robber said, "Have a nice day," after pointing a handgun at a service station clerk early Wednesday morning. The man entered the Shell gas station at 11817 N.E. 117th Ave....

Blazing a wide trail of color.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Dean Baker Sep. 28--A fter 61 years of growing some of the world's top dahlias, Philip Mingus plans to hang up his pruning shears at his farm in the Glenwood area and go fishing. "I've got too many health problems to keep...

Boy on bicycle slams into C-Tran bus.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Jose Paul Corona Sep. 28--A 12-year-old Vancouver boy was seriously injured Thursday morning when he apparently ran a stop sign while riding his bicycle and collided with a C-Tran bus. Matthew Dahlin hit the bus at about 9:25...

Prairie stuns Skyview in football.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Paul Valencia Sep. 28--Biggest win in the program's history? Nah, not even close. Biggest win this century? You bet. The Prairie Falcons, who went 1-3 in the non-league season, stunned defending league champion Skyview...

High schools: Joy of Passing.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Paul Valencia Sep. 28--Just call it the Wow factor. Heritage sophomore quarterback Garrett Grayson, in just a little more than two-and-a-half games, has amassed more than 1,000 yards passing. The first time Evergreen...

Family center construction starts.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Cami Joner Sep. 27--Construction has begun near the Westfield Vancouver mall on a building to house programs that help children and adults with disabilities. Nonprofit Innovative Services NW is building the $7.3 million...

Creative Drive.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Howard Buck Sep. 27--CAMAS -- A tired sedan, a quiet schoolyard, 200 antsy students. Time for a sledgehammer, right? Wrong. Skyridge Middle School students are painting Ann Hofmann's 1991 Mazda Protege with love....

Clark County's first land trust to host open house today.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Erik Robinson Sep. 27--Clark County's first community land trust, designed to encourage home ownership among lower-income families, will host a coming-out party of sorts today. The Southwest Washington Community Land Trust...

Motorcyclist dies in crash with truck on Highway 503.
September 27, 2007... Byline: John Branton Sep. 27--Police report A Vancouver motorcyclist was killed Wednesday in a collision with a pickup truck on state Highway 503 in far-north Clark County. Denis G. Hathaway, 51, was pronounced dead at the scene,...

Coach accused of sex with student.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Stephanie Rice Sep. 27--The owner of Vancouver Cheer Academy will be arraigned Oct. 9 on a charge that he had sex with a student. Neil A. Finger, 28, made his first appearance Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court on...

BRIEF: Local angle: Clark County sex offender tracker backs plan for electronic oversight.
September 27, 2007... Byline: John Branton Sep. 27--A Clark County Sheriff's Office detective who tracks nearly 1,200 sex offenders likes the idea of mandatory electronic home monitoring for the most dangerous ones. "I think it's a good idea," said...

Mill owner ordered to extinguish fire.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Kathie Durbin Sep. 27--A Vancouver air quality official has ordered owners of the former Stevenson-area mill that burned to the ground Friday to extinguish the fire at their own expense or face a stiff fine. The blaze that...

Fee hike OK'd for ambulance service.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Julia Anderson Sep. 27--American Medical Response, the company that provides ambulance service to most of Clark County, has won a 2.4 percent rate increase effective Monday. The increase means the average patient charge per...

La Center mayor golfed on taxpayer dime.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Don Hamilton Sep. 27--La Center taxpayers paid nearly $800 for Mayor Jim Irish and five family members to take part in a charity golf tournament and -fundraising dinner last month for local parks. The payment also included...

Mueller drops bid for seat on Ridgefield City Council.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Jose Paul Corona Sep. 27--Randy Mueller announced Wednesday afternoon that he has accepted a full-time job with the Port of Ridgefield and is dropping out of the Ridgefield City Council race. Mueller, 36, was one of three...

Vancouver men arrested in Oregon marijuana bust.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Kelly Adams Sep. 27--Three Vancouver men were jailed in Oregon after police found three pounds of what was identified as marijuana in their vehicle. According to information released by the Oregon State Police, a Jeep...

Police find marijuana growing near Amboy.
September 27, 2007... Byline: John Branton Sep. 27--AMBOY -- Drug detectives Wednesday raided a marijuana-growing camp in steep, brushy terrain in the 18100 block of Northeast Cedar Creek Road, in far-north Clark County near Amboy. Three men who were seen...

Fort Vancouver, trails closed through Monday.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Dean Baker Sep. 27--Fort Vancouver, its gravel parking lot and the garden around it are closed today through Monday while historic trails are being built around it. "This closure is necessary to ensure visitor safety, the...

BRIEF: Motorcyclist killed near Amboy.
September 27, 2007... Byline: John Branton Sep. 27--A Vancouver motorcyclist was killed Wednesday in a collision with a pickup truck on state Highway 503 in far-north Clark County. Denis G. Hathaway, 51, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a...

BRIEF: Bicyclist, 12, seriously injured Thursday morning.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Craig Brown Sep. 27--A 12-year-old bicyclist was seriously injured Thursday morning when he apparently ran a stop sign and struck the side of a passing C-Tran bus, firefighters said. The accident occurred at about 9:25 a.m....

Wild weekend in store for church.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Mike Bailey Sep. 27--The wild kingdom will merge with the Kingdom of God this weekend when a 350-pound Bengal tiger joins pastor John Bishop on stage for seven services at Brush Prairie's Living Hope Church. Bishop says he...

Hazel Dell abuzz with project ideas.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Michael Andersen Sep. 27--A little California of landscaped shops and condos up and down Highway 99. A rundown trailer park replaced by a leafy loop of townhouses. A paved bike trail and disc golf course beneath the big...

BRIEF: Underwood water deemed safe to drink.
September 27, 2007... Sep. 27--State health officials Wednesday lifted a boil-water advisory issued Friday for the Underwood area after tests showed the water is now safe to drink. Major firefighting efforts in the Columbia River Gorge last week drained local...

BRIEF: Outdoors: A Preview for Hunters.
September 27, 2007... Sep. 27--Thousands of hunters scattered between Camas and Colville, Anacortes and Asotin, will head afield Oct. 13 for the opening of Washington's deer and waterfowl seasons. In a special section in today's Columbian, the outlook for...

Prospects appear down for local deer hunters.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Allen Thomas Sep. 27--Harsh winter two years ago will result in fewer yearling bucks available By ALLEN THOMAS Columbian staff writer Times were tough for wildlife in the woods two winters ago, harsher than initially...

County gets new operator for English Pit Shooting Range.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Allen Thomas Sep. 27--Closed for 30 months, English Pit Shooting Range has a new operator and will be open beginning Saturday for hunters to sight-in their rifles. The Clark County commissioners on Tuesday approved a...

The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash., By Nick Daschel column: Commentary: UW being dismissed too soon.
September 27, 2007... Byline: By Nick Daschel Sep. 27--If the oddsmakers prove correct this Saturday, Arizona State will be 5-0 and Washington 2-3 at the end of September. Arizona State is one of the country's buzz teams. The Huskies, after a 2-0 start,...

College Notebook: Fort Vancouver grad finds his way in world of college football.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Anthony Reimer Sep. 27--After redshirting for Western Oregon last season, safety Alex Sfetku is happy to be getting some time on the football field. "I'm having a lot of fun," Sfetku said. The 225-pound Fort Vancouver...

Obituaries.
September 27, 2007... Sep. 27--The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash., Obituaries E. JUNE ANDREWS E. JUNE ANDREWS June Andrews of Vancouver, WA passed away on September 22, 2007 at the age of 83. She was born on September 10, 1924 in Deer Park, WA to James F....

Northern ducks respond to great nesting conditions.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Allen Thomas Sep. 27--It's a recipe that works almost every time: Add lots of water to the prairies and pothole country of the United States and Canada and the ingredients produce lots of ducks. That was the case this spring,...

BRIEF: Local hunters due about 5,000 pheasants.
September 27, 2007... Sep. 27--Approximately 5,000 pheasants will be released for hunters in the Vancouver Lake lowlands this fall. Pheasant hunting season opens Saturday and continues through Nov. 30 in Western Washington. Most pheasant hunting in...

County approves urban expansion.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Michael Andersen Sep. 26--Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to allow development on 19 square miles of rural Clark County, a major step in the county's long journey from sleepy military and farming community to full-fledged...

Amboy couple remain in detention in Canada.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Stephanie Rice Sep. 26--A Clark County couple will remain in a Saskatchewan detention center pending a hearing on whether they should be deported from Canada, an official ruled Tuesday. An adjudicator with the Immigration and...

Vancouver-based soldiers safe in U.S. after year in Iraq.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Dean Baker Sep. 26--Twenty-six soldiers from the Vancouver-based 396th Combat Support Hospital have returned safely to the United States after a year in Iraq and are expect to arrive at Portland International Airport on Monday....

Birth-to-5 crucial years for learning.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Isolde Raftery Sep. 26--The baby wasn't even a day old, but Dr. Andrew Meltzoff was convinced it would try to imitate him. Dressed in white hospital garb, Meltzoff -- a professor at the University of Washington who studies...

Vancouver Cheer Academy owner arrested; faces sex charges.
September 26, 2007... Byline: John Branton Sep. 26--Vancouver Police Department detectives late Tuesday arrested the owner of Vancouver Cheer Academy on suspicion of two counts of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor. Neil Finger, 28, was taken to...

Cowlitz County cold case thaws after bodies identified.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Kelly Adams Sep. 26--A 20-year-old cold case in Cowlitz County has heated up again with the identification of the bodies of a mother and child. In September 1987, a woman's torso was found in the Lewis River downstream from...

Cheer coach makes court appearance.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Stephanie Rice Sep. 26--The owner of the Vancouver Cheer Academy made his first appearance Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion he had sex with one of his students. Neil A. Finger, 28, will remain out of...

So go wear your baby.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Erin Middlewood Sep. 26--The must-wear item for parents these days? Their babies. Check out any celebrity magazine, and you're likely to spot a photo of Angelina Jolie or Tom Cruise packing their babies around in a...

Neighborhood?s prognosis: Terminal.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Justin Carinci Sep. 26--A real estate listing east of Southwest Washington Medical Center advertises a house in a "Lovely quiet neighborhood close to hospital." That could be an understatement as the hospital expands. ...

Four injured in 8-vehicle Battle Ground crash.
September 26, 2007... Byline: John Branton Sep. 26--Four people were taken to hospitals Monday after a man crashed a black Ford F-250 pickup into a bicyclist and then hit seven other vehicles on West Main Street in Battle Ground. The driver of the pickup...

BRIEF: Northwest Packing's Pear Production Hits Peak.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Steven Lane Sep. 26--The pear harvest in Washington and Oregon is at its peak, and so is production this month at Northwest Packing Co. in Vancouver. About 550 workers are staffing three daily shifts to process 20,000 tons of...

U.S., Northwest economies look rosy.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Julia Anderson Sep. 26--A gathering of Clark County investors and business owners heard a generally positive outlook for the national and regional economies next year at a breakfast Tuesday sponsored by Riverview Asset Management...

BRIEF: Hang Time.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Janet L. Mathews Sep. 26--Ollie Bournival, 11, of Ridgefield practices moves on his skateboard at Ridgefield Community Park on Tuesday. The weather forecast offers a mixed bag for the next few days in Clark County: sunshine today...

2 homeless sex offenders register in area.
September 26, 2007... Byline: John Branton Sep. 26--The Clark County Sheriff's Office has issued routine warnings about two convicted sex offenders who recently registered as living in the Vancouver area. Both are homeless. Timothy Lee Moffatt, 61, and...

What's up with that?: No beginning, no end to The Heights.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Justin Carinci Sep. 26--What area is "The Heights"? I look at The Columbian real estate pages, and it seems to be from Interstate 205 west to the library. But according to the blue neighborhood signs, this area seems very small....

Southern Cal corrals Prairie point guard.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Paul Valencia Sep. 26--It will not be official until she can sign her letter of intent in November, but Ashley Corral has made up her mind. Corral, a senior point guard from Prairie and one of the most sought-after prep...

Bay beats River in volleyball for first time in more than 20 years.
September 26, 2007... Sep. 26--After dropping the first two games to host Columbia River, the Hudson's Bay volleyball team rallied to win its league opener. The Eagles surged to the lead midway through the deciding fifth game and beat the Chieftains in...

Making a day of Kindergarten.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Isolde Raftery Sep. 26--Last summer, the state announced which elementary schools would implement all-day kindergarten programs; in Clark County, only Fruit Valley and Peter S. Ogden elementary schools made the cut. But Paul...

BRIEF: Neighbors speak out: At the Indoor Farmers Market.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Kim Jarvis Sep. 26--Now that the Indoor Market is closing, what would you like to see in this space? "A market called Trader Joe's. It is an ongoing, successful business and the community deserves a successful market." Al...

Journal owes thousands for canceled banquet.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Cami Joner Sep. 26--Michele Larsen said Tuesday she wasn't sure when or if her Vancouver publishing company would be able to refund an estimated $15,000 in ticket sales for a banquet that was canceled Aug. 31. Larsen,...