Girder setting marks major milestone for West 39th Street Bridge
The $11.6 million Vancouver Rail Bypass and W. 39th Street Bridge Project reached a big milestone last week as crews started setting girders on the 740-foot bridge over the Vancouver rail yard.
The first girders arrived from Tacoma on April 20, with crews working through early May to set a total of 30 concrete and steel girders, ranging in length from 100 to 178 feet each.
Once complete, the new bridge will take cars, bicyclists and pedestrians over the Vancouver rail yard, where trains are expected to occupy the railroad tracks an average of 20 hours each day by the year 2020.
Vandals strike Vancouver Farmers Market
The Vancouver Farmers Market has been hit three times with vandalism since its reopening March 21, with the latest incident occurring last week. The first attack was on the market truck and trailer just before Opening Day, with another truck getting tagged by vandals a week later. The latest tagging incident involved the Farmers Market office.
According to president Debbie Whitman, the string of vandalism incidents is the worst in the Farmers Market's 20-year history.
Clark County business leaders elected to GVCC Board
The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce announced that its membership had unanimously elected three nominees to the GVCC Board of Directors.
The new directors are: Winston Asai, vice president of finance and administration and chief financial officer, Columbia Machine; Jonathan Avery, chief administrative officer, Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center; and Kristy Weaver, senior vice president and Southwest Washington Team Leader, Pacific Continental Bank.
"These new members will further expand the depth and breadth of expertise, business knowledge and experience, and community commitment already represented by current GVCC Board members," said GVCC president and CEO Kim Capeloto.
The newly-elected members will serve three-year terms.
Urban planning expert and author to speak at Washougal Town Square
James Howard Kunstler, the author of "The Geography of Nowhere" and "Home from Nowhere," will speak about the high costs of our automobile-centric culture and show how to create public spaces that enhance quality of life.
The free event will be held at Washougal Town Square, 1700 Main St. in Washougal on Tuesday, May 4 at 7 p.m.
Kunstler has lectured extensively about urban design for the American Institute of Architects, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the International Council of Shopping Centers.
Local humane society to compete for $100K
Last week, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced the launch of the Save More Lives – ASPCA $100K Challenge, a contest wherein 50 animal shelters across the country, including the Humane Society for Southwest Washington in Vancouver, will compete to save at least 300 animals.
The shelter that achieves the greatest increase in animals saved during a three-month period over last year will receive a $100,000 grant from the ASPCA to continue their life-saving work. A second grant of $25,000 will be awarded to the shelter contestant that engages the largest number of community members in helping to save more lives.
LCC gets community support
Southwest Washington business managers, nonprofit leaders and school system administrators, among others, came out recently in support of Leadership Clark County.
In a recently completed four-minute video, 14 community leaders encouraged citizens to kick-start their community involvement by participating in LCC's leadership training program, which is accepting applications by Friday, April 30.
Community leaders in the video included state Reps. Jaime Herrera (R-Ridgefield), Jim Jacks (D-Vancouver) and Ed Orcutt (R-Kalama).
