The Columbian from Vancouver, Washington • 3

The Columbian Thursday February 9 1995 A3 I INK ordon backs rail route necessary" he added they need to be up front and come up with the best possible But backers of losing proposal had argued that more people live near 1-5 than 1-205 They say that would mean higher rldership on an 1-5 route and thus a lower per passenger cost of operation Gordon said if C-fran were to come back to voters with a less expensive proposal that require building another bridge or a tunnel voters might flavor it But he said they by and go back in May with the same proposal they'll get the same By putting a light-rail system across I-205 would eliminate a lot of County's new comissloner ensured bridge was built for rail in the 70s but Oregon officials set 1-5 route By CATHY KESSINQER The Columbian New Clark County Commissioner Mel Gordon silent through the light-rail campaign says he would campaign for a route across the Interstate 209 Bridge But light-rail supporters say an I-205 crossing wont happen Gordon has been a proponent of light-rail crossing the Columbia River via 1-205 since his days as a Multnomah County commissioner in the 1970s In that role Gordon held up fhnding for the 1-205 Bridge until space was reserved on it for light rail ballot measure defeated 2-to-l by county voters would have increased sales and excise taxes for a line along Interstate 5 with a light-rail bridge near the 1-5 span On 1-205 a new bridge for the trains would not have to be built The rail line could replace the present bike lane between the northbound and southbound spans That would make construction cheaper via 1-205 Gordon says still think light rail is good and But Sturdevant said Wednesday the message had nothing to do with where the line would have crossed the river no question in my mind the answer was Sturdevant said Regardless of what it would cost to run light rail on 1-205 he added it wont happen That'll because Oregon officials have decided their north-south light rail system will follow 1-5 he said For those who would favor a Clark County line crossing at 1-205 Sturdevant said an easy answer like to know what I-205 advocates think the line would connectto" By DAVE JEWETT The Columbian Kindness in bloom at onramp Margie Bedno of Vancouver is bubbling with delight over what happened when she got caught in a traffic Jam She had been shopping at the 01 Joels store at Delta Put and when she tried to head back home found northbound traffic backed up for miles on Interstate 5 Traffic was not only bumperto-bumper on the freeway but also backed up at the roads and ramps leading out of Delta Park to go northward When die made it to the bottom of the ramp she saw a car being hers with the male driver waiting and waiting to make a left turn onto the same ramp Bedno waved him ahead of her and he waved back a thank you At the same location there was a woman along the roadway hawking bouquets of roses When Bednok car edged up near the flower seller the woman approached the car and told Bedno that the man in the car ahead had paid for a bouquet of half a dozen roses for her She had her choice of red or pink and selected the pink Up on the freeway Bedno later honked a gentle thank you to the male driver She hopes he'll read this and know how he made her day She also hopes this will encourage others in random acts of kindness Shels been enjoying the roses ever since carefully placing them in her refrigerator at night to keep them fresh HERE ARE two more reports about our spring-like weather right smack dab in the middle of winter Settle Wennes a bird watcher since her days as a form girl back in Ohio called to report sighting her first robin And on Tuesday afternoon I spotted my first convertible with the top down A FTER THE the light-rail pro-i posal was overwhelmingly JLjLderailed by Clark County voters Tuesday Itt-Met director Tom Walsh was quoted as saying do not take this as a Since the taxing measure got only 322 percent voter approval you have to wonder just what he would consider a rejection warm hearts Service reported a high of 64 degrees breaking the mark of 60 degrees set In 1970 But spring will soon turn to winter again The weekend weather is expected to be dry but cold with a chance of snow by Tuesday The afternoon eun worms the bodies and hearts of Mary Dinsmore and her 18-month-old daughter Elsa as they play in Camas' Crown Park this week They enjoyed record temperatures on Wednesday: the National Weather Md Gordon An 1-205 light-rail route eliminate a lot of opposition" Not in the cards While Gordon stayed on the sidelines in this light-rail campaign his fellow commissioners John Mag-nano and Dave Sturdevant were vocal backers of the proposal TROY WAYRYNENTh Cotambtan er prior to the explosion It alleges that the explosion would not have occurred if they used ordinary care" in its repair and operation The boiler was used to produce steam for lumber-drying kilns and to heat the building The suit says the defendants were negligent for to properly design and test the reconditioned boiler" It asks the court to award damages for among other things loss of eapings ftineral expenses and the pain and suffering Taggart experienced prior to his death The four districts plan to try again on their bonds and levies with opportunities for follow-up elections in April or May But they will be keeping tabs on any plans by C-Tran for another light-rail election Transit officials have said that another election would be held in May if at all There is some sentiment given the severity of the measure's defeat that no flirther attempt should be made to gain voter approval don't know if it is the most critical factor but we will consider it" Beck said will have to debate whether we want to distance ourselves from that" According to Likness Tuesday's election cost Rattle Ground about $16000 Washougal paid about $5100 while Ridgefield paid about $3500 Estimated cost for Hockinson was about $2300 and about $1300 for La Center Since it had the biggest share of voter turnout C-Tran paid 75 percent of the $130000 election bill It also paid an additional $25300 for a pamphlet Family sues in boiler explosion pouce i Robber with revolver hits market in Minnehaha By JOHN BRANTON Th Columbian A gunman held up a Minnehaha supermarket early today and escaped with some cash About 427 am according to a Vancouver police report a man walked into Dave's Minnehaha Thriftway 3200 52nd St and bought some chewing gum He then demanded money and pulled out a long-barreled revolver cocking the hammer back at one point He grabbed money from a cash register then walked out and escaped The robber was described as a thin light-skinned black man about 20 who stood about 5 feet 10 inches! tall He had a light mustache and wore a black stocking cap black sweater and black sweat pants THEFT REPORTED: of a Vancouver dentist said a pair of thieves stole credit cards and cash from their office Wednesday after- noon About 2:40 pm according to a police report the thieves walked into the office of dentist Robert Laws at 2912 Main St and when no one was looking rummaged through some employee lockers The thieves who were seen inside the office were described as heavyset black women one about 18 and tiie other in her early 20s One wore white stretch pants and the other black stretch pants the report said Open house set on Cispus watersheds Learn about the past present and fliture of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest's Upper Cispus and North Fork Cispus River watersheds at an open house Thursday Feb 16 in Randle Wash The meeting runs from 7 to 9 pm in the conference room at the Randle Ranger District administrative offices The US Forest Service is in the process of developing a strategy to guide fliture decisions about the watersheds in the Randle and Pack-wood ranger districts of Lewis and Skamania counties That means determining legal and resource lim- its to the land According to Margaret McHugh Cispus adaptive management area director the Forest Service may become more protective of some areas but consider some timber thinning in others During Thursday's open house McHugh and other Forest Service officials will discuss fire's effect on forest patterns trends in fish populations and the histoiy of people's use of the area For more information contact the Forest Randle Ranger District at (360) 497-7565 Public forum to focus on light-rail concept A public forum dubbed for the Right Rail" is set for 7 pm March 1 at the Moose Lodge 8205 NE Fourth Plain Blvd Debbra Maul chairwoman of the Ogden Neighborhood Association said she believes that voters' rejec-' tion of the light-rail Binding measure was not necessarily a rejection of the idea of building a light-rail line to Clark County Comments' from the forum will be forwarded to C-Tran she said Correction If you see a mistake in a story please call us at 6993047 so we can make a correction Callers should ask for Mary Ricks The Colum- JL' bian's information editor One end of the boiler flew about 60 feet breaking two roof supports in the building The other end flew an estimated 200 feet out an open door and struck a rail car The state Department of Labor and Industries is investigating the cause of the explosion A spokeswoman said this morning the investigation is continuing Pieces of the boiler have been sent to a laboratory for examination she said The lawsuit claims that Northwest Thermal Systems and Boiler and Combustion Service had repaired or reconditioned the boil by light-rail vote? Warm baby rior Court The suit alleges that the port Northwest Thermal Systems Inc and Combustion Service Inc all were liable in the Dec 20 explosion Taggart was a partner in a hardwood distribution business that was renting a 23000-square-foot building at the former Pacific Wood Treating facility on Lake River He was inventorying lumber when a natural gas-fired boiler exploded just a few feet away Taggart was pronounced dead on arrival at Legacy Emanuel Hospital derailed tions officials at several of the school districts said Tim Likness Clark County election supervisor said the turnout was 50 percent above normal in some school districts Hockinson had a 55 percent turnout while La Center was at 49 percent and Ridgefield at 47 per cent Washougal and Battle Ground each had 45 percent turnouts could be wrong but I don't recall 2000 voters before" said Brent Garrett Washougal School District superintendent election drew 2736 Washougal voters is Garrett said obviously brought out a lot more voters than Likness said referring to the proposed light-rail tax so many of them translated that to a negative school said John Simpson superintendent at Ridgefield voters cannot seem to split the issues" Simpson said they were mad at light rail I don't know why they would vote against kids" C-Tran officials voted two months ago to put the light-rail measure on Tuesday's ballot while the February election date is a traditional one for schools can plan on them booking it years in advance Itk almost automatic" Likness said didn't relish running this with the light-rail said Leo Beck Battle Ground School District voters cannot seem to split the issues If they were mad at light rail I know why they would vote against John Simpson Ridgefield superintendent Brush Prairie man was killed in December accident at Port of Ridgefield By BRUCE WESTFALL The Columbian The family of a Brush Prairie man killed in a boiler explosion at the Port of Ridgefield is suing the port and two businesses for negligence Renee Taggart the widow of Robert Taggart filed a lawsuit this week in Clark County Supe Schools Defeat of levies linked to huge turnout for light rail school superintendents say By TOM VOGT The Columbian Several Clark County school districts got caught Tuesday in the charge of the light-rail brigade Eight money measures went before voters in five school districts Only one measure survived a huge say turnout generated by light-rail election there an influence? You better believe said Cliff Campbell superintendent of the La Center School District it negative? Certainly" The voters rejected two bond issues in Washougal two levy proposals in Battle Ground a levy in Ridgefield and a bond in La Center Voters approved one levy proposal in Ilockinson and rejected another Sixty percent approval is required to pass school money measures Three of the foiled issues foil three or four points short Three others didn't get to 50 percent But that was way ahead of light rail's pace which amounted to just 322 percent approval among county voters And there were a lot of voters with 52364 going to the polls It generated the sort of turnout normally seen in presidential elec Deciding to promote from within KPDX-TV Channel 49 has called off its search for a weeknight news anchor Cam Johnson anchor of the station's weekend editions of the news is being promoted to coanchor the news roundup week-nights at 10 pm with Eric Schmidt said Man Benschoter Channel 49k director of programming and operations Johnson got the promotion because of the good job he did while filling in as a temporary anchor with Schmidt "It soon became clear that the best candidate for the co-anchor position was right under our nose" Benschoter said Replacing Johnson as anchor of the weekend news reports starting this weekend will be Ken Boddie This will be in addition to his continuing duties as weekend anchor on KOIN-TV Channel 6 KPDX news programs are produced by KOIN ONE OF THE exhibitors at this year's Portland Home and Garden Show Feb 22 through 26 has a vision of bamboo forests in the Northwest and hopes to grow one Samuel Ike of the new import company Bamboo King sees bamboo floors which he'll be showing as an alterative to using regular wood takes only three to six years to grow a bamboo he said and old-growth advocates should And my alternative inviting" i DamJMMttt INK ookjmn appaare hm on Monday Thursday nd MdV I you haw an Bom of bitemt cal Dowo al Tho Columbian SM-SOM or drop Nm kw superintendent Had concerns had expressed concern that this had potential of a negative echoed Brent Garrett Washougal School District superintendent Three of the districts were on Tuesday's ballot only because of previous election misfortune recently the school levies were on even-numbered Likness said and Battle Ground both failed twice so they came back the next year and wound up on an odd numbered year The same thing happened with Hockinson which foiled twice last year" Hockinson is currently living with cuts forced by last yearls double defeat That could be the reason it was the only district to pass a measure this time "Following our levy failure in 1993 we had a very positive vote for 1994-95" said Ridgefield's Simpson that would relate somewhat to.