Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month? Makes sense, seeing as one of the dates in September is 9-1-1. This is also the month when Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA) invites the community to their Annual Open House; taking place this year on Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 11 am to 2pm at 710 W 13th Street, Downtown Vancouver.

There are lots of activities planned throughout the day, including “a “thank you first responders” coloring station, face painting, creative button making, exploring homeland-security & emergency vehicles, meeting firefighters, police officers, search and rescue dogs and horses.  Local businesses have donated hot dogs, pizza, chips and beverages available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The public will have the unique opportunity to tour the 9-1-1 center and see dispatchers in action taking emergency calls.  Sneak a peek inside the workings of our Emergency Operations Center.  Subject matter experts from throughout the region will be on hand to answer all of your questions.  Interact with representatives from our Homeland Security Program, a National Weather Service Meteorologist, a county mapping expert and Amateur Radio technical experts.  Parents can also pick up free Child ID Kits.

Enjoy lively demonstrations from police K-9 teams, SWAT, and many local skilled Search and Rescue Groups.  Explore the latest in specialized public safety vehicles including an Armored Personnel Carrier, a Heavy Rescue Vehicle, Fire Engines, Ambulances, Police Command Vehicles, and much more.

There will even be a geocaching event this year which encourages participants to find certain markers throughout the event related to emergency preparedness.  To participate in the geocache, we would like folks to pre-register so that we can share information with you in advance of this event.  The pre-registration form for the geo-caching is located at this location by clicking HERE. ” ~CRESA Blog

CRESA also has a month long game going on right now called “30 Days, 30 Ways“; check it out and see how much fun being prepared can be!

This post: “CRESA Getting Prepared for Some Fun” was originally featured at Clark County Live!

For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

Come help celebrate the Grand Opening of Vancouver’s new City Hall on Saturday, September 17, 2011 from noon to 3pm at 415 W. Sixth Street (next to Esther Short Park). “Dedication of a new City Hall may only happen once in a lifetime for many of us,” said Vancouver Mayor Timothy D. Leavitt. “This is Your Key to the City of Vancouver – come help us celebrate an historic occasion. This is a turning point in the renaissance of historic Vancouver, the birthplace of modern settlement in the Pacific Northwest on the Columbia River.”

Come take a tour of new Vancouver City Hall, meet Vancouver City Council, staff and volunteers as well as colorful characters in Vancouver’s history. Guests will have the opportunity to participate in “We are Vancouver” filming, take a free Zumba class, view historic airplanes from Pearson Air Field and Museum, and take a guided walking tour led by the Clark County Historical Society. Kids can join in Junior City Council sessions and play Mayor for a day, up on the City Council dais viewable on the Clark-Vancouver TV screen.

For more information, view the schedule of events, or call 360-487-8600.

This post: “Vancouver USA is on the Move” was originally featured at Clark County Live!
For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

Is the end in sight? Clark County’s second season – road construction – comes in to full swing this week as crews start the local roads paving segment of the Salmon Creek Interchange Project. According to a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) release, WSDOT work will begin July 11, and Clark County crews will be at it beginning July 12. Aside from long delays, what else should you expect? Long delays.

What can drivers expect?

Both directions of I-5 between NE 134^th and NE 179^th streets
Northbound I-205 near NE 134^th Street
Watch for shoulder closures during the day and single-lane closures at night for the first two weeks of work.

Both directions of I-5 between NE 134^th and NE 179^th streets
Starting in late July, crews will close two lanes and shoulders from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night, Monday through Thursday.

NE 10^th Avenue and NE 139^th Street
Plan ahead for delays during paving on NE 10^th Avenue, north of NE Tenney Road, and on NE 139^th Street, west of NE 10th Avenue. Drivers will be able to travel through the area using the temporary one-way pattern implemented in May, with one-way northbound on NE 10^thAvenue and one-way westbound on NE 139^th Street.

Please keep an eye out for crews and take it slow in work zones!

What’s next?
WSDOT will continue working on I-5 and I-205 as Stage three of SCIP gets under way. Stage four, the project’s final stage, is expected to begin this winter. Stage four improves safety and traffic flow on the interstates and NE 134^th Street by building a new I-5 interchange at NE 139^th Street. Paving on local roads indicates that work is beginning to wrap up on Clark County’s portion of this $133 million joint project. Most work on the west side of I-5 is expected to be complete in late August, although weather and other factors can affect construction schedules.

So for those on the west side of the freeways, especially north of 134th around 10th avenue, prepare yourself for the extended drive to your next destination. Leave yourself plenty of time, and please watch out for crews out there.

Salmon Creek Community Club Neighborhood Park is at the corner of NE 159th Street and 20th Avenue in the Fairgrounds area. The 4.5-acre neighborhood park currently features trees and a small area of open lawn. Whipple Creek runs through the property along the northwest boundary and connects with the Whipple Creek Greenway to the north.

All interested neighbors are encouraged to attend the April 20, 2011 meeting at 6:30 pm at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds (17204 NE Delfel Rd, Ridgefield), where project staff will present a draft concept plan for review and discussion. Public input will be used to develop a preferred draft concept plan, which will be presented to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission later this spring.

For more information, visit the Greater Clark Parks District, Salmon Creek Community Club Neighborhood Park.

When was the last time you visited Fort Vancouver? Well, it’s time to plan another outing! Fort Vancouver is the heart of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve, and as part of National Park Week, admission is free April 16-24!

“The Reserve brings together a national park, a premier archaeological site, the region’s first military post, an international fur trade emporium, one of the oldest operating airfields, the first national historic site west of the Mississippi River, and a waterfront trail and environmental center on the banks of the Columbia River. The partners of the Reserve teach visitors about the fur trade, early military life, natural history, and pioneers in aviation, all within the context of Vancouver’s role in regional and national development. The Reserve’s vast array of public programs — including living history events, festivals, cultural demonstrations, exhibits, active archaeology, and other special activities — create a dynamic, fun, and unique tourist destination for people of all ages.”

An added bonus for those of us with kids, Junior Ranger Day will be on Saturday, April 23 between 10 am and 3 pm. This day gives youth the opportunity to learn about the jobs of the employees at Fort Vancouver (archeologists, park guides, cultural demonstrators) in a fun and interactive environment. “Young visitors can go from station to station learning more about the many things park staff do at Fort Vancouver and other national parks. Those who visit each station will earn the Junior Ranger Day Patch and become a Junior Ranger!”

I was born and raised in Vancouver USA, and have visited Fort Vancouver many times over the years. And you know what? I enjoy it every time I go and see and learn something new every time!

Isn’t it time you visited The Fort again? With free admission, what have you got to lose?

For more information, call 360-816-6243.

This post: “Fort Vancouver is Fee Free for a Week” was originally featured at Clark County Live!

For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

Celebrate Earth Day with free family friendly fun for all at Salmon Creek Park (Klineline Pond) on Saturday, April 23, 2011 from 10 am to 2 pm. Enjoy live music, wildlife shows, and free children’s activities. The Stream Team has a ton of fun, informative and interactive things scheduled for the day.

The fun begins at 10 am with free activities, a wild salmon release, informational booths, and over 20 different interactive activities from biodiesel and green energy to native plants and recreation. Prizes and fun to be had by all!

Enjoy a fashion show where local artists will show off their recycled content creations, take a walk along the creek for a Saving Salmon Tour before enjoying live music from the Christie Snow Band, and see the Birds of Prey Wildlife Show before the closing ceremonies.

This event is a part of the annual StreamTeam Earth Day Celebration. Co-sponsors are Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation and Clark County Department of Environmental Services. For more information, contact Lisa Beranek at 360-992-8585

This post: “Earth Day Celebration at Salmon Creek Park” was originally featured at Clark County Live!
For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

Salmon Creek is a great place to live, work, play, and have kids go to school. There’s shopping, restaurants, a state of the art hospital, and the WSU Vancouver Campus. We’re a stone’s throw away from fun things like the Sleep Country Amphitheater and the Clark County Fairgrounds. And we have easy freeway access to both I-5 and I-205…

OK, sometimes the freeway access is not so easy, but it’s going to get better!

The Salmon Creek Interchange Project, which is currently underway, “will reduce traffic congestion and improve safety in the fast-growing Salmon Creek area by constructing a new I-5 interchange at NE 139th Street, improving the I-205 northbound off-ramp to NE 134th Street, and constructing other local road improvements”, according to the WSDOT website.

Local road improvements on both sides of the freeways is expected to be complete by Summer 2012, with the entire project scheduled for completion in June of 2014. To keep up to date on current progress, visit WSDOT Salmon Creek Interchange Project online.

When I was a small child, I used to love to go visit my grandparents in the summer. We lived here, in Vancouver, and they lived in California. I remember the smell of the lemon tree in the backyard, my first trip to Disneyland, and THE MAP! It was a World Map, with stick pins marking all the spots they had been to. But, a lot of their trips were on backroads, with the local folk, and so they also had lots of local maps, and stories about the local people.

So, where is this story going, and how does it relate to Clark County? Good question. I guess it’s just to say that I like maps…local maps, especially. And the 2011 Clark County Road Atlas is now available to purchase…

“The 33rd edition of the Clark County Road Atlas is now in stock and can be purchased at the GIS Map Store on the second floor, Suite 232, of the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St., Vancouver. Store hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays. The Map Store is closed on Fridays.

Price of the atlas, including tax, is $22. The spiral-bound, 2011 atlas is about 9-inches by 12-inches and includes:  Public and private roads, hiking and biking trails and parks, airfields, boat ramps, recycle centers, major public sites ( including city, county, state and federal buildings), road index (including courts, places, loops, circles and ways), fairgrounds complex, Clark College campus map, Washington State University Vancouver campus map, index of special interest points (such as emergency facilities, schools, Park & Ride lots and golf courses), and address grid for streets and avenues.

The atlas is a color, computer generated publication that features updated Geographic Information Systems technology, aerial photography and enhanced symbology.” According to the Clark County press release.

This post: “How to Find Your Way Around Clark County” was originally featured at Clark County Live!

For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

On Thursday, January 6^th, State Attorney General Rob McKenna will be visiting the City of Battle Ground for a tour of the City led by Mayor Michael Ciraulo.

Mayor Ciraulo stated, “We are honored that Mr. McKenna will be touring and speaking in the City of Battle Ground.  The priorities of the Attorney General’s Office – consumer protection, government accountability and community safety – clearly serve the citizens of Battle Ground.”

Following the tour, Washington’s 17th Attorney General, Rob McKenna, will be discussing the business climate in Washington and speaking about “Legal Issues Affecting Washington State Business” at the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce Meeting on January 6 at 11:30.

The luncheon will be held at the Battle Ground Community Center (912 E Main Street). Tickets are $16 and includes admission, lunch and gratuity (you do not need to be a Chamber Member to attend this event).The ARC of Clark County will also be on site to collect gently used clothing.

Visit the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce for more information or call Shirley Laxson at (360)-687-1510.

This post: “Battle Ground Hosts Washington State Attorney General” was originally featured at Clark County Live!

For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!

Face to Face with Mayor Leavitt and the Vancouver City Council is an opportunity for you and your neighbors to chat informally with the Mayor and City Council members, as well as get your questions answered, about topics of interest to you and the Vancouver community. The fourth and final forum of the year will be held Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at the Wy East Middle School Auditorium (1112 SE 136th Ave.) between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm.

“We appreciate the chance to talk with Vancouver’s citizens about what is on their minds in a more casual setting”, said the Mayor. What do people talk about at these events? Everything from Accountability to Zoning; visit Face to Face with Mayor Leavitt and City Council for a summary of past topics discussed and responses.

Everyone is welcome, there is no fee to attend, and no RSVP required.

This post: “Face to Face with the Mayor and Vancouver City Council Members” was originally featured at Clark County Live!

For more detailed coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events throughout the neighborhoods of Clark County, please visit Clark County Live!