There are a lot of people in Clark County who have always agreed on one thing: “We’re not Portland.” That attitude is a badge of honor for some, while others yearn for more Portland-like elements to be present. Areas such as Uptown Village, with its emerging arts district, coffee shops, and other small business have an eccentric urban feel. Clark… Read more →
There is new life breathing at a landmark location in Vancouver’s Uptown Village – a spot that is home to a beloved mural. The building at Schofield’s Corner, located at 18th and Main Street, is fully renovated after a fire damaged much of the building last fall. Units in the newly remodeled strip mall are for lease, with one already… Read more →
On August 16th the registered voters of Yacolt and Clark County will vote whether to approve or fail two levies concerned with funding Emergency Medical Services in Clark County. The first levy comes from the Town of Yacolt, while the second levy comes from Clark County. Both of the levies, if passed, would raise $1.32 million dollars to fund the… Read more →
On a quiet Sunday night, as the “magic hour” set in on downtown Vancouver, the city’s new downtown library was already a draw. Pamela and Dale Wilson pulled up to the front of the building to check it out, though they had missed the official opening day ceremonies earlier in the day (see links below). The Wilson are longtime residents… Read more →
Using The Columbian’s Data Center it is possible to view the 2010 High School Proficiency Exam Scores by High School around the State of Washington. For this article, the 2010 HSPE scores for Grade 10 were taken for each of the High Schools in Vancouver Washington and tuned into a simple graph illustrating the performance of each institution. The purpose… Read more →
With summer in full swing in Clark County the number of garage sales is picking up. While the goal of finding a good deal hasn’t changed, the means to that end have. The tradition of chance encounters with signs taped to telephone poles is gradually being eclipsed. Formerly the territory of newspaper classified listings, today bargain shoppers are turning to… Read more →
The Washington State Department of Transportation has begun construction work on a $27.2 million freeway styled interchange at the intersection of SR 500 and St. Johns Boulevard in Vancouver Washington. The project, which was awarded to Tapani Underground Inc., consists of raising St. Johns Boulevard by 25 feet over SR 500 and building interchange ramps to connect both streets. While… Read more →
For the second year in a row, Clark County is unable to provide lifegaurds at popular swimming areas such as Klineline Pond. The reasons behind Clark County having cut lifeguards from the Parks and Recreation budget was to keep these spaces open during the Winter of 2010. Additionally, according to a Clark County press release, “In mid-April, the county announced… Read more →
The annual Recycled Arts Festival is maturing nicely after a half-dozen years in Downtown Vancouver’s Esther Short Park. This year’s event once again had perfect weather – not too hot, not rainy – and drew dozens of vendors and thousands of visitors from throughout the Pacific Northwest. The event started humbly in its first few years, but is definitely now… Read more →
According to a company statement made on March 5th, “…the 307 E. Mill Plain Blvd Burgerville location is closing.” This location, known for its “drive-in and walk-up” serving style, is one of the longest operating Burgerville chain restaurants (built in 1962) and has become an icon in downtown Vancouver mythology. In its place, ” …[a] $16 million project will feature… Read more →
The inaugural Vancouver USA Marathon is hopefully just the first of many to help revitalize the downtown core, at least that’s the wish of one Uptown Village merchant. Tony Curtis is owner of Current Home Technologies, a custom home electronics storefront near the corner of 23rd and Main Street in Vancouver. On a Father’s Day morning that waxed and… Read more →
The news that Washington State University Vancouver Chancellor Hal Dengerink has announced his intention to resign, effective August 15, is a big one for the Clark County community to absorb. Those sentiments were expressed by WSUV Associate Professor Dene Grigar, Director of the CMDC program, when contacted by Clark County Blog, who said via e-mail: “Hal Dengerink will be sorely… Read more →
On June 4th, 2011, the Fort Vancouver Regional Library permanently closed it’s location at 1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd. This is a significant change in the landscape of inner-city Vancouver. With Hudson’s Bay High School, the Marshall Center and Clark Community College all within walking distance of this location, the moving of the public library even half of a mile… Read more →
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed In late 2007, the City of Vancouver began decommissioning the 7th Street Transit Center. This project was a part of the Mayor’s (Royce Pollard) “Main Street Rediscovered” initiative. Through which Main Street and Broadway were reconstructed as 2-way streets alone with public beautification projects. The 7th Street Transit Center was doomed…. Read more →
So it finally happened for 2011. On June 3rd of this year, we had our first perfect day. As a result, we quickly forgot about the recent rainy days; our struggle to wait for the weather to change. As I am writing this piece I am sitting outside, almost as if I need evidence that the day is really this… Read more →
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed This year marks Burgerville’s 50th birthday and they’re celebrating it with a tour around Southwest Washington and Northern Oregon. Called the, “My Burgerville 50th Birthday Party Tour,” all 39 Burgerville restaurants will celebrate the anniversary on a specific date. One of the purposes of the tour is to connect with the… Read more →
StairMaster is moving it’s Headquarters to Vancouver Washington and thus create 100 jobs. Other than locally, Irvine, CA was also considered. However, according to Dustin Grosz, President of StairMaster, “Cultural fit is very important to our business and Vancouver meets all of our needs. The Portland-Vancouver metro is the nation’s hub for outdoor and fitness equipment enthusiasts which allows us… Read more →
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed Ever since I can remember 6610 Northeast Highway 99 has been a “troubled” property in that many businesses have come and gone as tenants. However, Celestial Awakenings has seemingly conquered the riddle of success. Their special sauce is, “…doing things with a community.” It might seem like a simple message, but… Read more →
It looks like the Columbia River flooding won’t be much of an impact to Vancouver and Clark County residents. Melting mountain snows have seen the river rise a few feet over the past couple of weeks, with the only known impact being a small stretch of the Waterfront Trail near the I-5 bridge having gone under water. This is not… Read more →
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed On the calm morning of May 21st, 2011 200 people gathered at Clark College in Vancouver Washington to celebrate the recovery of Dina Hovde who suffered a “severe brain injury” earlier. Originally the event was designed to raise money for the continued care of Dina who was, at that time, in… Read more →
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed One of the more crowd pleasing presentations today at the 140 Character Conference was the presentation by Cheryl Bledsoe, the Emergency Manager at CRESA Emergency Management. At her job, Cheryl Bledsoe deals with disasters of all kinds. From flooding to earthquakes, her attention is in demand. According to Cheryl, “Clark County… Read more →
As part of our live blogging experiment at the 140 Character Conference were able to combine the Twitter and Ustream Feeds in one place. This will allow you to experience the event as it happens for yourself. Ustream Lessons About Embeddable 3rd Party Content Through the use of embeddable Ustream and Twitter feeds, the Clark County Blog was able to… Read more →
Part of the social media universe centers on Vancouver, Washington this week. The one-day 140 Characters Conference Northwest is being held at the Vancouver Hilton on Thursday and it is the dream realized of Clark County resident Cheryl Bledsoe. Bledsoe’s day job is with the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA), the folks that run everything from the county’s 9-1-1… Read more →
Aaron Flies, co-owner, of River Maiden Coffee in Vancouver is in touch with his customers – and the culture of Clark County’s biggest city. Flies (pronounced “flees”) and co-owner Melissa Layman are veterans of the Clark County cultural scene. They have had multiple presences in Vancouver over time, currently with two locations (one downtown and one in east Vancouver). River… Read more →
In 2010, Steve Stuart, the Chair of the Board of Clark County Commissioners, read a proclamation from the County that May 13th, 2010 was Peace Officer Memorial Day. This was an important recognition of the important role that our County’s Peace Officers play in our community. Something that I believe needs to be again recognized in 2011. As we have… Read more →
Neighbors to the north and south are not the rivals of Vancouver and Clark County when it comes to economic development, according to several leaders in area. In fact, Vancouver works cooperatively with Portland and other partners in Southwest Washington to ensure that all boats can float higher. The consensus of three economic development leaders along the I-5 corridor in… Read more →
Recently, we wrote about the City of Vancouver Comcast Franchise Renewal and the potential that it has to benefit the 83,000 local subscribers. As follow up to that piece here is a highlight that speaks directly to how the community of Vancouver as well as Clark County may be able to benefit from upcoming changes; interactive TV. As you heard… Read more →
Earlier, Clark County Blog published a map of the Malicious Mischief reports from the Vancouver Police Department in order to demonstrate how data can be used to map our collective behavior. As another demonstration of the power of publicly available data, we have mapped the publicly available FourSquare Check-Ins from the Clark County area to demonstrate where people are on… Read more →
Clark County Blog had the opportunity to speak with Lisa Nisenfeld, Executive Director of the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council (SWWDC), about economic development efforts as changes occur in the area’s leadership. Nisenfeld is a key player on the economic development scene. In addition to her role with the SWWDC, she is also a board member of the Columbia River… Read more →
I remember when former Mayor, Royce Pollard, bought a coffee mug with the word, “Portland,” printed on it from a downtown Vancouver Starbucks and smashed it on the sidewalk. This was an act with two primary motivations, the first was to again make a statement about how Vancouver Washington is not Portland Oregon. The second motivation was to show Vancouver… Read more →
In my opinion, one of the more important issues the City of Vancouver has dealt with this year is going to be taken up on May 4th at City Hall. This issue will directly affect the majority of the citizens within the city. That issue is the renewal of the 1997 Comcast Franchise agreement. According to the City of Vancouver’s… Read more →
Having grown up in Vancouver I was privy to some of the best hang spots around. Being that there were only so many places to congregate, most of the popular hangout sites were shared by many different social groups. The Vancouver Mall, Parks/Forests and downtown were my hangout spots, but I knew that most of the kids across the city… Read more →
The Clark County Stream Team regularly takes it upon themselves to celebrate the gradual restoration of important fish habitat. This year the event was held in Northern Vancouver in the heart of the Salmon Creek Watershed. The celebration was termed, “Plant it for the Planet“, and was well attended by both volunteers and the surrounding community. The event seemed to… Read more →
You know it is Spring when the vegetables and flowers return to Vancouver Washington’s Farmers Market. Another reminder that the seasons are changing is the presence of “lawn-decor”. Items such as pots, welded crafts and even fountain pumps are beginning to be put on display. This year I was surprised to see such a wide variety of native edibles so… Read more →
After our post today about today’s Earth Day celebration, we reached out to Camas’ Denis Hayes – organizer of the first event of its kind in 1970. We asked Hayes about how his younger days in Clark County and Southwest Washington influenced an environmental activism that has led him on a life-long mission of advocating for sustainability. Hayes, who is… Read more →
Today is officially Earth day, but Clark County will do its part to celebrate this Saturday. Our area has a special claim to fame when it comes to the world-wide celebration. Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd. This year’s event is the 41st anniversary of the first gathering in Washington, D.C. in 1970. The event is now celebrated… Read more →
Clark County Blog just learned today that it will be a pilot partner of The Oregonian News Network (ONN). ONN coordinator Cornelius Swart announced the news this afternoon on the project’s site: Network Partners ready for takeoff The Oregonian is happy to announce five new Oregonian News Network Pilot Partners. We received over a dozen outstanding applications from around the state… Read more →
It looks like one of the oldest historic attractions in Clark County will be connected to a new generation of modern-day visitors, thanks to a $50,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant that has been awarded to a pair of WSU Vancouver educators. The NEH Start-Up grant was awarded to Dr. Dene Grigar, Director and Associate Professor of The… Read more →
The City of Vancouver will be selling one of its buildings, the prominent Esther Short Building, as it plans to move much of its staff into the former Columbian Building nearby. Andrea Damewood of The Columbian reports today: City to sell downtown building: Workers to begin moving into new complex in June The Esther Short Building — built in 1971,… Read more →
Media Literacy, as I have been exposed to, is the ability to “critically examine existing media”. However, only being able to address mainstream media with a critical eye stunts the student’s growth. The truest form of “literacy” isn’t in the ability to interpret other people’s work, but in the ability to create your own. Being able to examine the machinery… Read more →
A common theme appears to weave through two high-profile Clark County cases that were in court this week. The wild case of Bethany Storro, the now-convicted perpetrator of the acid attack hoax, came to a quiet end this week in Clark County Superior Court. Storro plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge and got a suspended one-year sentence, apologizing for her… Read more →
There is positive news coming out of the tragic stabbing death of Clark County Sheriff’s Office K-9 police dog Kane. The Oregonian’s Eliot Njus reports that the man who honored previously slain police Dakota will do the same for Kane: Kane, Clark County police dog killed Saturday, mourned by deputies and dog lovers Milwaukie artist Mark McLean created and donated… Read more →
This is another indicator about the health of the cultural scene in Clark County. Blogger James Bash of the Oregon Music News site wrote yesterday about some encouraging news for the Vancouver arts and music scene: “Vancouver (WA) arts groups to collaborate on Music Alive! project The Vancouver Symphony is spearheading a collaborative effort that will involve other arts organizations… Read more →
On November 30th, 2010 the City of Vancouver released a document titled, 2011-2012 Budget Outcomes. This two page report showcases the decisions that the City believes are not part of their “priorities of government approach” to budget issues. The document also shows how these decisions are expected to effect the City. Three of the more significant impacts that the 2011-2012… Read more →
The killing of a Clark County Sheriff’s Office K-9 deputy continues to generate an emotional response from the community. The Columbian reports that the alleged criminal in the case made his first appearance in court this morning: Accused killer of police dog Kane appears in court … H. Keegan Graves, 31, appeared at 9 a.m. before Superior Court Judge John… Read more →
VANCOUVER, WA – For the second time in recent years, a K-9 police dog has been killed in the line of duty. First, it was Dakota (in 2007), now it is Kane, who was six years into his work and one year from retirement. The Columbian, The Oregonian, and other news outlets reported about the tragedy that happened on Saturday,… Read more →
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed Vancouver Washington is my home. To learn who we are, we can easily get downtown to visit the Historical Library to learn that life in Vancouver has always been about the community . When we were first conceived of as an extension of an empire, we pulled together to accomplish the… Read more →
We are working hard to get this project up and running. Thanks for coming to visit! It is our goal to connect with the good people of Clark County, Washington, and to blog about things that matter to all of us. We will feature items from Vancouver, Ridgefield, Battle Ground, Camas, Washougal – and all points between.