A Stevenson man charged with murder in Skamania County has successfully blocked the prosecutor and sheriff’s office from releasing a recording made from the jail there to his attorney.

Skamania Superior Court Judge Randall Krog ruled Thursday that William Prosser, 25, has a clear right under the state’s Public Records Act to prevent the disclosure of the recording.

“Mr. Prosser will suffer substantial, and irreparable harm if the recorded attorney-client call is released,” the judge wrote in a permanent injunction and restraining order. “Release would not only invade his privacy, but violate his attorney-client privilege.”

The Skamania County sheriff’s and prosecutor’s offices did not respond to Vancouver attorney D. Angus Lee’s complaint filed earlier this month.

“We would take issue with a good deal of the factual allegations in the complaint, but we’re in favor of the order, which was an agreement” between the attorneys, said Skamania County Prosecuting Attorney Adam Kick.

Prosser, through Lee, alleged that the sheriff’s office records all of its outgoing calls without giving notice to the people on the other end of the telephone line — a violation of Washington law governing the recording of private conversations.

According to the complaint, Prosser was being held in December 2017 as a suspect in the death of 37-year-old Michael K. McLaughlin, a Tigard, Ore., resident, when the sheriff’s office recorded an outgoing call and subsequent conversation between Prosser and his attorney.

During the conversation, Prosser and the attorney discussed facts about his case, as well as a defense theory. The call was downloaded and placed in a file accessible to every member of the Skamania prosecutor’s office and the lead detective in the murder case, according to the complaint.

Lee made a handful of additional allegations against prosecutors and deputies involved in the murder case, such as describing the practice of the sheriff’s office recording outgoing calls as “flatly illegal and constitutes a gross misdemeanor,” the complaint says.

Krog agreed to stop the recording from being released to anyone submitting a public records request, but he did not address Lee’s arguments on how the recording was shared or the sheriff’s office’s recording practices.

Prosser was arrested more than a year ago when McLaughlin was fatally shot on the morning of Dec. 17, 2017, outside a residence in Stevenson, Skamania sheriff’s deputies said at that time.

The deputies were called about 8:35 a.m. to the home in the 1500 block of Lakeview Drive. The caller reported hearing multiple gunshots and people screaming for the police, according to the sheriff’s office.

Responding deputies found McLaughlin dead outside the residence.

The initial investigation found that Prosser, McLaughlin and three other people were at the Bagby Hot Springs in the Mount Hood National Forest and then later drove to Stevenson. Shortly after they arrived, Prosser and McLaughlin got into an argument that ended with McLaughlin being shot, according to the sheriff’s office.

Editor’s note: This story contains graphic descriptions of crimes that some readers may find disturbing.

A former Evergreen Public Schools substitute teacher pleaded guilty Thursday to molesting a physically disabled female student at a school in March.

Mark Anthony Lugliani, 60, of Battle Ground, admitted in Clark County Superior Court to committing third-degree child molestation.

On March 29, Lugliani forced a female student into a classroom closet, where he inappropriately touched her and masturbated on her, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The girl refused another sexual advance from Lugliani the following day, according to the affidavit. When Lugliani asked the victim to meet with him a couple months later, she reported the abuse to a school counselor, the affidavit said.

Lugliani was immediately removed from the substitute teacher roster when the abuse was reported, Evergreen Public Schools spokeswoman Gail Spolar previously told The Columbian. He had been a substitute teacher with the school district since January 2012 and taught at the district’s middle and high schools.

Before working in the Evergreen school district, Lugliani was a teacher in Battle Ground Public Schools. There, he demonstrated repeated inappropriate behavior, including an incident in which he grabbed a student by the collar and shouted at him, an investigation by The Columbian found.

Battle Ground removed him from the list of approved substitute teachers for calling female students “honey” and “sweetheart.” The district failed, however, to report the incidents to the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction until after his arrest.

Lugliani appeared out of custody Thursday but was taken into custody after the hearing.

His standard sentencing range for the child molestation conviction is six to 12 months. But, as part of his plea, Lugliani admitted to an aggravating factor — violating a position of trust. The aggravating factor allows for a sentence outside the standard range.

Lugliani may also be eligible for a special sex offender sentencing alternative, which would allow him to spend all or part of his sentence out of custody in a sexual deviancy treatment program.

A sentencing hearing was set for Feb. 22.

Reporter Katie Gillespie contributed to this report.

A former Bonneville Hot Springs Resort massage therapist says the resort’s former owner sexually harassed her and at least a dozen women at that resort and Carson Hot Springs Resort, LLC, according to a lawsuit filed in Skamania County Circuit Court.

Former Bonneville owner Purfil “Pete” Cam initiated “unwanted touching, embracing and fondling” of massage therapist Holly Nelson, including “pushing up against her and rubbing his clothed erect penis on her backside,” says Nelson’s lawsuit.

Nelson left her job at Bonneville as a massage therapist in early 2016 because of Cam’s alleged harassment, says the lawsuit, which also accuses General Manager Marfa Scheratski of not stopping the alleged behavior.

Cam and Scheratski co-owned Bonneville Hot Springs Resort, Inc. and Carson Hot Springs Resort, LLC, the lawsuit says. Bonneville Hot Springs, it says, was sold in fall 2016 shortly after its owners learned of Nelson’s allegations “as a means to avoid corporate liability, transferring all or a substantial portion of the profits of the sale to themselves individually” and to Carson Hot Springs Resort.

No dollar amount is listed in the lawsuit, filed Wednesday. Nelson, who began work at the resort in 2012, is seeking damages for emotional distress, lost wages and attorneys’ fees, and for assault and battery.

Bonneville Hot Springs Resort, in North Bonneville, was sold in 2016 to Foundations Recovery Network, a Tennessee-based mental health and substance abuse company. Carson Hot Springs Resort is in Carson.

Scheratski, the lawsuit says, “aided, abetted and incited discrimination, retaliated against women who complained, and failed to take any meaningful remedial action to prevent Cam’s sexually aggressive and predatory conduct toward women employees, and actively worked to conceal a pattern of sexual harassment and retaliation by Defendants spanning a period of years.”

A Carson Hot Springs Resort employee said Thursday that Cam was not at the resort. A voicemail left for Cam was not returned Thursday. Attempts to reach Scheratski Thursday also were not successful.

This is not the first time Cam has been accused of sexual harassment, said Nelson’s attorney, Greg Ferguson of Vancouver. And the federal government shutdown may have stalled an investigation of Nelson’s claims, Ferguson said.

In 2007, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Cam, who eventually settled with the government, paying a $470,000 fine with an agreement that Bonneville would issue new internal policy barring further discrimination and retaliation against female employees, Ferguson said in a news release. The agreement also called on the resort to conduct annual sexual harassment training for employees and managers for three years following the settlement.

Nelson also filed a charge of discrimination with the EEOC in December 2016. Following a yearlong investigation, the agency concluded that reasonable cause existed to conclude that sex discrimination had occurred, according to Ferguson.

“I find that there is reasonable cause to believe that (Nelson) was subjected to an ongoing pattern of unwelcome touching and comments of a sexual nature by Purfil Cam during the course of her employment,” says a July 19, 2018, letter from the EEOC’s Seattle field office.

A Vancouver man appeared Thursday on allegations he broke into a woman’s home, pepper-sprayed her and stole more than $30,000 in antique items.

Robert Wallace Hunt, 34, appeared on suspicion of first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, third-degree assault and two counts of first-degree theft. His bail was set at $250,000. He entered not-guilty pleas to all of the charges.

At roughly 5:30 a.m. Nov. 24, Hunt used a rock to smash a window in the loft of a home in Vancouver’s Riverview neighborhood, according to a probable cause affidavit. After entering the house, Wallace pepper-sprayed a 70-year-old woman, who was in her bedroom and on the phone with emergency dispatchers, the affidavit said.

As the woman screamed into the phone, experiencing difficulty breathing and speaking, Hunt stole two antique samplers, according to the affidavit. The samplers, multicolored works of cross-stitching with words, pictures and geometric designs dating back to around the 1700s, are valued at more than $30,000. Hunt also stole an iPhone but dropped it as he fled the home, the affidavit said.

Video surveillance near the front door of the home showed a man matching Hunt’s description holding a can of pepper spray, according to the affidavit.

A couple of weeks later, Hunt gave his sister one of the antique samplers as a Christmas gift, but she became suspicious after he asked her if she had looked up the item, according to the affidavit. Then, after searching online for the sampler, she apparently came across a news story asking the public to watch for the stolen items and contacted Vancouver police, the affidavit said.

Detectives saw texts between Hunt and his sister dated Jan. 12 in which he chastised her for not contacting him and expressed suspicion toward her, the affidavit said.

“Have you done anything with that pic?” one of the texts read, according to the affidavit. “Did you turn it in?”

An arrest warrant was issued Jan. 17 for Hunt before he was taken into custody Sunday night. Hunt’s trial is slated for March 18.

A man killed in a head-on crash earlier this month in east Vancouver was identified Thursday as Jerimee L. Williams, 46.

Williams, of Vancouver, died from multiple blunt-force injuries in the Jan. 9 crash, according to the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

That morning, a northbound vehicle crossed the centerline and hit a southbound car head-on, causing it to hit a third car, according to a press release from the Vancouver Police Department. A woman in one of the cars was taken to a hospital in stable condition, said Kevin Stromberg, a firefighter-paramedic.

Authorities closed a section of Northeast 136th Avenue for more than six hours. For most of the day, C-Tran buses weren’t serving 136th Avenue between Mill Plain Boulevard and Ninth Street.

Vancouver Public Schools and its support staff union announced a tentative agreement at about 12:30 a.m. Friday, clearing the way for schools to open.

The Vancouver Association of Educational Support Professionals will not strike after all, and the details of the agreement will be released following the ratification of the contract, a district news release said.

“I am grateful to the bargaining teams for continuing to work together to finalize this agreement and keep our students in school,” VPS Superintendent Steve Webb said in the news release. “I appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we concluded these difficult negotiations.”

This story will be updated.

Why: Dop Pho is celebrating its grand opening in Hazel Dell and is already attracting return visits for dining in and pick-up orders. The casual-style restaurant is open seven days a week serving traditional pho and a selection of other Vietnamese favorites.

Atmosphere: Located in a strip mall space that has housed several restaurants, Dop Pho has a simple, uncluttered appearance. Upholstered benches run parallel on opposite walls and are faced with tables and chairs. A rear wall and a canopy above the kitchen are covered with artificial greenery. The color palette is earthy, giving the restaurant a mellow vibe. Condiments are placed at each table, and water is served in a large glass bottle with accompanying glasses for diners to serve themselves.

What I tried: I started my meal with the pot stickers. From the pho options, I settled on the eye round steak pho. Although I don’t usually find tofu appetizing, there was a photo of the vermicelli lemongrass tofu that looked appetizing, so I gave that a try, as well. To drink, I had some hot Vietnamese coffee. The pot stickers are prepared fried with a nice, crisp exterior and a tasty, savory filling. Dipping sauce and julienned vegetables doused in some variety of sweet vinegar are served alongside. They were a delicious kick-off to my meal. The pho arrived piping hot with the traditional basil, bean sprouts, sliced, fresh jalapenos and a lime wedge to add in. The steak serving was generous and the portion was large. The flavors were sweet, salty and hearty, and it had a wonderful aromatic quality that added to the experience. As good as the pho was, the vermicelli lemongrass tofu was equally impressive. It was served in a bowl of rice noodles and bean sprouts with shredded lettuce, cucumbers and carrots. The tofu was topped with a yummy fried peanut type of crumble and possessed a surprisingly hearty flavor that I thoroughly enjoyed. I delighted in every sip of the sweet Vietnamese coffee.

Menu highlights beyond what I tried: Among the appetizers are salad rolls, egg rolls, and grilled, coconut and tempura shrimp. There is a papaya salad made with diner’s choice of either beef or shrimp. Rice plates include a house special as well as grilled pork and grilled chicken. Vermicelli is available with a single choice of protein or a combination, including pork, chicken, shrimp or egg roll. Kitchen specialties offer a spicy beef noodle soup and an egg noodle soup with shrimp and pork, as well as vermicelli lemongrass. I thought the Vietnamese chicken wings sounded intriguing. There are 11 pho options, and vegetarian options include tofu dishes and veggie and vermicelli veggie egg rolls. Boba smoothies come in avocado, mango, strawberry, taro, greek tea and honeydew melon flavors. Other beverages include Thai tea and Japanese matcha milk tea in addition to Pepsi products.

Other observations: The service was friendly and attentive and the food is made to order. Prices are a bargain for the quality and quantity. The atmosphere is comfortable.

Cost: Appetizers are $5 to $6.75. Salad is $6.75. Rice plates cost $10.50 and $12.50. Vermicelli dishes are $9.50 to $12.50. Specialties are $10.50 and $11.95. Pho options cost $6.95 to $12.95. Vegetarian dishes are $5 to $10.50. Boba smoothies are $4.50 and other beverages are $1.50 and $4.50.

Dining out guide: Dop Pho

Where: 8902 N.E. Fifth Ave., Suite 113, Vancouver.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Contact: 971-386-9807 or Facebook.com/pages/category/Vietnamese-Restaurant/Dop-Pho-200509324234835

Health score: Dop Pho has received a pre-opening inspection and is scheduled for a routine inspection in the near future. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants with a score of 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.

Sitting on the floor of her fourth-grade science classroom at Silver Star Elementary School, 9-year-old Makenna Burrows held up three fingers.

Her eyes were glued to a circle of rulers and yardsticks MacGyvered into makeshift racetracks. Brightly colored robots, called Spheros, were perched at the starting lines.

“One, two, three!” Makenna shouted, and the robots shot forward, colliding into each other.

First of all, who doesn’t want to crash robots into each other? But there is an academic point to all this. Students are studying the concept of force and impact, tracking how different speeds, track formations and other variables affect the way these robots rebound after hitting each other. You may have done a similar experiment in school with marbles and ramps.

But it’s 2019, and Evergreen Public Schools students are doing it with programmable robots.

“I feel like my job is trying to make engineers,” fourth-grade teacher Mark Sterling said. “The sooner the better.”

This is an example of the type of activities funded by local levy dollars. On Feb. 12, voters in Clark County’s two largest school districts will consider whether or not to fund levies.

Evergreen Public Schools is asking voters to approve the following:

• A three-year school program renewal levy. Taxpayers will pay $1.50 per $1,000 in assessed value on their property, meaning a family who owns a home valued at $300,000 should expect to pay about $450 per year. This replaces the existing maintenance and operations levy, and is not a new tax.

• A six-year technology capital projects levy. Taxpayers will pay 37 cents per $1,000 in assessed value on their property, meaning a family who owns a home valued at $300,000 should expect to pay about $111 per year. This is a new tax for the Evergreen district, which has not run a technology levy before.

Vancouver Public Schools is asking voters to approve the following:

• A four-year replacement levy for maintenance and operations. Taxpayers in this district will also pay no more than the capped amount of $1.50 per $1,000 in assessed value on their property. This replaces Vancouver’s existing maintenance and operations levy, as well.

• A six-year technology levy. Taxpayers should expect to pay between 30 and 32 cents per $1,000 in assessed value. This is also a replacement levy, and not a new tax.

This is the first time the two districts are running school levies in the aftermath of the state’s new school funding model.

In response to the 2012 McCleary lawsuit, which ruled that the state was failing to fund basic education, legislators voted in 2017 to raise the state school levy rate while dropping and capping local levies at $1.50 beginning in 2019. Taxpayers experienced sticker shock last year on seeing their property taxes, which included the higher state school levies as well as the higher level of maintenance and operations levies. Evergreen taxpayers paid $3.21 per $1,000 assessed value in local levies last year, and Vancouver taxpayers paid $2.64 per $1,000 in assessed value.

Legislators promise that taxpayers will see less money going to schools this year because of the levy swap, and school officials say part of the challenge this year has been in making sure people know that.

Vancouver’s chief financial officer, Brett Blechschmidt, said the district is “sensitive to the fact that our taxpayers paid more” in 2018. He reiterated that this is a replacement levy, not a new tax.

“We’ve really tried our best to correct that misunderstanding,” Blechschmidt said.

District officials say the levies fund critical programs at the districts, including salaries for nurses and security guards, improving students’ access to technology and paying for professional development for teachers.

“You just never want to take this for granted,” Evergreen Superintendent John Steach said. “This is funding for what we feel are critical programs for students.”

Even if the levies pass, districts are preparing for budget cuts in light of new teacher contracts. Vancouver Public Schools this week proposed central district office cuts, and Steach told staff in an email last week that the district is evaluating what programs may need to be adjusted in the coming year.

“Voters need to know the state did not close the entire education funding gap, and levy dollars are possibly even more critical funding for our district under the new funding scheme,” Steach wrote.

Teachers unions in both districts are actively involved in the levy campaigns. Rick Wilson, executive director of the Vancouver Education Association, said the union is focused on working with the district “for the betterment of our student bodies.”

“There are just so many things that come out of that levy that enhance education for the kids,” Wilson said.

Bill Beville, president of the Evergreen Education Association, noted that it was important after last year’s union negotiations to show a united front in support of school funding.

“We’ve needed something to kind of get us all on the same page since we returned to work,” he said. “We’ve always had a clear picture that both sides were completely in favor of the new levy.”

Ballots go out today and must be postmarked or dropped off at a ballot box by no later than 8 p.m. Feb. 12.

At the beginning of each year, many of us try a healthier diet for our bodies.

Why not try a diet that is healthier for the planet?

I met with Heather Carpenter, a lecturer in the environmental studies department at University of Portland, to get her advice on how to achieve more environmentally friendly diet.

Limit beef

“Beef is never going to be a good option,” Carpenter explained. “Beef is an easy one. Animals have to eat. So you have a bushel of corn. Do you feed an animal or a human? The thing about feeding an animal is that we only get about 10 percent of the energy from the food we eat into our bodies. So you lose 90 percent of that energy. So you could feed nine more people if you just fed them corn than if you fed them beef, because there’s such an energy loss there. That’s huge. Cows are like 10-to-one. Chicken are two-to-one, so two pounds of grain gets you one pound of meat.”

Cows have to consume massive amounts of corn because their systems are not suited for digesting corn. They have a four-chambered stomach suited to eating grass. In addition, cows create a large amount of waste. A single cow produces about 16 tons of waste per year. This waste (with bacteria that isn’t susceptible to antibiotics) gets into the soil and the groundwater, leading to the growth of green algae and making the water unsafe for humans.

Adopting cooking methods from other cultures that cook slivers of meat with vegetables (like stir fries or fajitas or stew) is an easy way to lower your beef consumption.

Don’t eat shrimp

Carpenter said, “Not eating shrimp is the best way to have a multi-hit approach to making the world a better place.” Wild shrimp are caught by a method called bottom trawling, where the net is weighed down and dragged along the seafloor. Carpenter explained, “It destroys everything in its way. It destroys the corals and all the other little fish. It’s an 80 percent by-catch. Eighty percent is tossed back, and it’s dead. Think of it, just lost to the system.”

Farmed shrimp cause other problems. In order to farm shrimp, mangrove trees are cut down. These mangrove trees provide a habitat where many other economically important fish lay their eggs. They also serve as a buffer for waves during monsoons.

If that isn’t bad enough, Carpenter added, “30 percent of the shrimp in the U.S. comes from Thailand, and most of the shrimp produced in Thailand is produced by slave labor. They traffic highly persecuted groups from Myanmar and they’ll take them out and they will put them on boats that they can’t escape, confiscate their passports and make them work 20 hours a day shelling shrimp.”

Follow the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean Fifteen”

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment, releases a yearly Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce with a list of the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean Fifteen,” based on testing by the United States Department of Agriculture (ewg.org/foodnews). These lists tell consumers what types of produce have the highest concentration of pesticide residue. It also lists a “Clean Fifteen” — conventionally grown produce with the least amount of pesticide residue.

Carpenter focused on No. 1 on the “Dirty Dozen” list: Strawberries. She said, “Get your strawberries organic. You put a chemical on strawberries and it goes right into the strawberry. You only wash grit off a strawberry, not chemicals.”

Eat local and pay attention to packaging

Carpenter said, “I definitely advocate for eating more local and less processed. If it’s processed, it uses more energy. When you tend to do local, there is less processing and packaging. There’s that Costco apple that came from just around the mountain, but they come in clam shells.” She recommends considering the distance produce has traveled and the amount of packaging on that produce.

Eat bugs?

The latest trend in environmentally friendly cuisine is eating bugs. Bugs are unique, because almost 100 percent of the energy they consume ends up in our bodies when we eat them. This isn’t new in many parts of the world, where bug have long provided an easy and plentiful source of protein.

In a recent Washington Post article, reporter Allison Klein interviewed many bug enthusiasts, attended an all-bug feast in Brooklyn, N.Y., and shared photos of various bug dishes such as grasshopper tacos and mealworm-topped pizza. Maybe just start with a bit of cricket powder in your smoothie? It may sound gross, but eating habits change over time. It wasn’t long ago that most Americans would’ve gagged if someone offered them raw fish, and now sushi is so commonplace that there’s a sushi counter at Fred Meyer.

Eat your veggies

You can also eat a vegetarian diet once or twice a week or host a vegetarian dinner. Despite the fact that she is a lecturer, Carpenter doesn’t believe that lecturing people or trying to make them feel guilty are the best methods for getting them to modify their food choices. She said, “I’ve changed a lot more people by making them dinner that was good and didn’t have meat in it than telling them why they shouldn’t eat meat.”

Rachel Pinsky can be emailed at couveeats@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook @couveeats.

The uncomfortable fact is, there aren’t very many black people in the Pacific Northwest: 4.2 percent of the Washington population, 2.2 percent of the Oregon population and 2.3 percent of the Clark County population, according to U.S. Census.

That makes observing certain cultural milestones and celebrations, such as Black History Month, a little tricky for local African-Americans. What if you had to remind everyone, year after year, about the existence of and reason for Easter?

“Living in the Northwest, it is easy to be overlooked and feel like you don’t belong. Black History Month is not automatically recognized,” artist Claudia Carter said. “We have to insist that it be recognized.”

To make that happen, Carter and the Vancouver branch of the NAACP have worked to bring music, artworks and education to downtown Vancouver for several Black History Month events. Black History month is officially February, but the first of these festivities, “African American Culture in the Pacific Northwest,” is set for Saturday afternoon at the Vancouver Community Library.

Here’s the day’s schedule:

• 1 p.m., African dancing and talking drum with Habiba Addo.

• 2 p.m., Buffalo Soldiers of Fort Vancouver, a talk by Frazier Raymond, president of the Moses Williams (Pacific Northwest) chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers.

• 3 p.m., African American Women Through History with Maima Fahnbulleh.

• 4 p.m., Artworks and talk by Vancouver ceramicist and sculptor Russell Ford about his tenure as artist-in-residence at a studio in Zambia. Ford’s artworks, along with pieces by Carter and several others, will be on display throughout February at the library.

Angst Gallery

The following week, during downtown Vancouver’s regular monthly First Friday Art Walk, the Angst Gallery will open a community exhibit about “all aspects of African-American life, culture and history. All media are welcome” in a still-open call for art for this exhibit. You can submit up to three pieces for $10. Drop-off times at Angst are 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday or noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday. Angst Gallery is at 1015 Main St.

There’s an opening night reception set for 5 p.m. Feb. 1. The exhibit stays up through Feb. 23.

‘NAACP Generations’

Stories of local black history and the key role played by the Vancouver NAACP are the focus of the regular First Thursday panel discussion hosted by the Clark County Historical Museum. “NAACP Generations: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” will feature several past and present presidents and officers of the Vancouver chapter of the NAACP, including Earl Ford, Bridgette Fahnbulleh and Jasmine Rucker Tolbert.

The moderator will be author Jane Elder Wulff, who was hired by the Vancouver NAACP to research and write its history, and who published “First Families of Vancouver’s African American Community” in 2012.

“The Vancouver NAACP was established during World War II when better paying jobs in the shipyards brought forth the single largest increase in Vancouver’s African-American population,” Fahnbulleh said. “For more than 70 years, the organization has served the local community by working to combat and eradicate racial discrimination in the area.”

Today, Fahnbulleh added, the need to fight racism and support local black culture has never been greater. “There is a strong need in Clark County for culturally affirming resources to inspire and support our diverse community members,” Fahnbulleh said. “Many people are feeling culturally isolated.”

Fahnbulleh, the outgoing Vancouver NAACP president, will talk about the group’s current priorities; and Tolbert, the incoming president, will look to the future. The event is set for 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Clark County Historical Museum, 1511 Main St. General admission is $5.

‘Soundtrack for a Revolution’

At the end of the month, Ridgefield’s Meaningful Movies documentary series will screen a film that’s sure to get you singing along with the struggle for civil rights. “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” released in 2009, traces the efforts of civil rights activists with an emphasis on the music that sustained them. The film features historical footage as well as live performances by current and recent stars like John Legend, Ritchie Havens, the Blind Boys of Alabama and The Roots (the house band on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon).

Perhaps best of all, a treasured local jazz singer and bandleader will be on hand to speak after the movie. He’s David Watson, aka “The Doctor of Bebop,” and a Ridgefield resident for the last several years.

Look for a story about Watson in an upcoming edition of The Columbian.

Black History Month events:

What: “African American Culture in the Pacific Northwest,” featuring speakers, storytellers, African drumming and artworks.

When: 1 to 6 p.m., Saturday.

Where: Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St., Vancouver.

Admission: Free.

•••

What: Black History Month community art exhibit.

When: Opening reception: 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 1. Regular exhibit hours: Noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, or via Niche Wine Bar after 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Exhibit on display: Feb. 1 to 23.

Where: 1015 Main St., Vancouver.

Admission: Free.

•••

What: “NAACP Generations: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” a panel discussion.

When: 7 p.m. Feb. 7.

Where: Clark County Historical Museum, 1511 Main St., Vancouver.

Admission: $5; $4 for seniors and students; free for under 18.

•••

What: “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” a documentary film and follow-up discussion with Ridgefield resident David Watson, “The Doctor of Bebop,” about music in the civil rights movement.

When: 7 p.m. Feb. 27.

Where: Old Liberty Theater, 115 N. Main Ave., Ridgefield.

Admission: Free.

The Columbia River Economic Development Council kicked off the new year by welcoming three members to its board of directors, along with the economic development organization’s new president, Jennifer Baker.

Baker most recently served as the deputy district director for the Portland office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and previously worked in multiple business and trade fields, including four years as an international trade specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be handing the reins over to Jennifer,” said Max Ault, who served as interim president in 2018. “2018 was a really busy year for us, and that momentum continues into 2019.”

Baker began her tenure Jan. 14, and the new board members were officially voted in at the council’s annual investor event at the ilani casino on Wednesday. Alan Hwang of ACH Marketing, Andy Lowery of RealWear, Kara Fox-LaRose of ilani and Tim Price of Yaculta were elected to three-year terms on the board.

The council’s board officers are: chair (2018-2019): Casey Wyckoff, LSW Architects; vice chair (2018-2019): Lisa Lowe, Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt; immediate past chair (2018-2019): Greg Seifert, Biggs Insurance Services; treasurer (2019): Lisa Dow, Columbia Bank; secretary (2019): Helen Devery, BergerABAM.

The event included a recap of the council’s progress on the Clark County Comprehensive Economic Development Plan, a five-year strategic plan that the organization adopted in 2017, which focuses on three core goals: expand the existing business base, support people and create place.

In her closing remarks to CREDC investors, Baker said that 2019 would be a year of increased direct action, and she urged the members to reach out to her and share their stories, as well as reaching out to others in their networks and focus on asking the questions that will spur action.

Earlier in the day, The Columbian sat down for an interview with Baker at the council’s downtown Vancouver office to learn more about her plans for the CREDC. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Coming from the U.S. Small Business Administration, what was appealing about the CREDC and Clark County? What kind of opportunities did you see there?

I fully subscribe to the vision of the Clark County Comprehensive Economic Development Plan, and that vision is to recognize Clark County as the most inclusive, healthy an amenity-rich community in the U.S.

Those values and the commitment and investment that I see from community members is palpable in the meetings I attended when I was an SBA employee, and certainly now that I’m president of the CREDC. Being a part of a community that’s so invested allows us to do great things.

How much interaction did you have with the CREDC prior to seeking out this role?

The CREDC was part of a consortium of partners who were administering a Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge grant several years back, and so I worked with Elizabeth (Scott), who is now our business development director, on the implementation of that grant.

What appealed to you about this position, and how will your background contribute to your job performance?

I would say that I’m resourceful and diplomatic, and I feel like I have a knack for asking the right kinds of questions to help bring awareness and drive decision making. The experience of having worked with big businesses on international trade issues and businesses as small as a food cart — that expanse of experiences is what I’ll draw on to be particularly creative and resourceful as I liaise with the board and the investor community in realizing the next steps for the economic development plan.

One of the things in particular that fuels me is when I can drive by a warehouse or a business that was able to grow by virtue of the help that’s been infused by an organization — in this case, CREDC — and know that there are people employed by virtue of the efforts of the community. That’s very gratifying, to be able to see the results in our community and to know that employment opportunities are being created.

Do you see this transition as a continuation of your more recent work with small businesses, or more of a transition back towards the kind of trade and commerce work you did prior to the Small Business Administration, or both?

I hope it’ll be both. Well, I know it will be both. Depending on the industry, the SBA defines a small business as anything with 500 employees or fewer. So ‘small’ tends to still be pretty large in the lens of the SBA. I’m not anticipating a huge vacillation, and harkening back to my commerce days, I certainly worked with some very large corporations, helping them with trade policy.

Clark County is doing well economically, but like the rest of the Portland region, there have been struggles with housing affordability and struggles for businesses to attract skilled labor. What can the CREDC do to help address these issues, and what are some of the other issues facing the county that you want to be able to play a hand in tackling?

Stemming from the CREDC vision, we’ve outlined three business goals. (The first is to) expand the existing business space, and that entails building out traded sector. (The second is) supporting people, so making sure that the Clark County workforce is gaining skills and capacity to be a collaborative partner with industry, and/or attracting workforce from outside of Clark County to bolster workforce where there happen to be specific needs.

The third prong of the plan is creating place, and we keep an eye on the lands available for development and coordinate with our city and county partners on that inventory. But another part of creating place is the quality of life factor; being able to reach out and share that Clark county has amazing natural amenities.

Whether that’s kayaking up in Ridgefield or taking a hike on trails around La Center, or taking a stroll around the Vancouver Waterfront, or walking through Main Street in Camas, or the old historic district in Battle Ground, there are so many amazing amenities that we can share about the quality of life here, and I think that will continue to attract top talent.

Clark County has a growing technology sector. What is it going to take to keep it growing and make the county competitive in the tech field?

That relates directly to the second two goals of the strategic plan, which are support people — helping to build a workforce that is capable of meeting the needs of the tech industry as they look to move to town — and creating place.

Tech industry salaries tend to be higher-end salaries, averaging around $102,000 annually, and oftentimes employees in tech firms want to move somewhere where they can work hard and play hard, and here you have a fusion of both.

The diversity of towns that are relatively proximal means that you can have employees who live in different towns depending on whether or not they really subscribe to an urban experience or if they want to have a wooded lot somewhere.

As you said, there are different cities here that are very diverse and the county overall has a lot of variation to it — so how do you balance the competing business interests? How do you find solutions that are going to fit with everybody in Clark County?

I think that really correlates back to the cities and their uniqueness. Each city has something distinct to offer that makes Clark County desirable and accessible and inviting. So I think in some ways it’s up to those who are exploring Clark County to see what really fits with their life philosophy, because I think we really offer a little bit of it all.

The CREDC has been very public about wanting to move forward on replacing the Interstate 5 Bridge. What role do you see the CREDC playing in trying to pick those discussions back up, and how can we avoid another stalemate?

CREDC has set up an I-5 corridor task force and we’re inviting city representatives, Port (of Vancouver) representatives and regional transportation representatives to the table. (A new bridge) really will help connect Clark County to the rest of the West Coast more fluidly, and Clark County internationally. We’re pleased that Gov. Jay Inslee proposed a $17.5 million budget line item for an I-5 project office.

Coalescing the voices of the business industry and emphasizing the importance of transportation infrastructure to traded sector will help inform the dialogs to come. I think we have a huge commitment on behalf of interested parties to help share our story and help share the benefits of an optimized I-5 project.

Are there any other large-scale projects that the business community or the CREDC see Clark County as needing right now?

Investment in people is one of the key investments. I know I’m transitioning from infrastructure to workforce, but one of the common themes we hear from business owners in Clark County is that they’re really having to be effortful to find the right workforce contributors to grow their businesses, so I think continued investment in skilled labor and STEM — those will all be important ingredients to building out the most competitive economy.

Is there anything else you’d like to say about the job, or to introduce yourself to residents and business owners in Clark County?

The community has been very welcoming so far, and I’m so excited to be out and about and hearing people’s stories; their experiences building a business or resourcing business components or trying to explore new markets and troubleshoot parts of the supply chain. I think hearing those stories and being able to translate them into opportunity for other businesses and for businesses outside of the community will be really valuable.

The bright lights, flashy, brassy songs: What could be better than some tunes from Broadway to highlight the Vancouver Symphony’s pops concert this weekend? The orchestra will collaborate with Susannah Mars and the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus in a program of favorites from the Big Apple.

Mars is considered one of the top tier singer-actresses in the Pacific Northwest with well over 100 concerts and shows to her credit, including numerous musicals. She has performed on nearly every stage in the Portland metro area and has appeared in TV shows, such as NBC’s “Grimm.” Her talent and consummate professionalism helped her to receive two Portland Area Music Theatre Awards and six Portland Drama Critics awards.

Mars maintains a busy schedule and is just returning from Florida where she sang a concert series called In Perfect Harmony. After her concert with the Vancouver Symphony, she will be working with Northwest Dance Project on a piece in February for their gala, and then return to her podcasting for Artslandia magazine, interviewing people in the arts from around the Pacific Northwest.

“It’s a dance to make everything work,” Mars said over the phone while making lunch and looking up her schedule on a laptop. “That’s life!”

She will team up with the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus to sing “Hello Dolly,” “Blow Gabriel Blow” from “Anything Goes,” “What I Did for Love,” from “A Chorus Line,” and “Make Our Garden Grow” from “Candide.”

“I haven’t done these pieces in quite awhile,” Mars remarked. “There are many versions of each song. ‘Blow Gabriel Blow’ has versions that go back to the Cole Porter days. There are a lot of specifics to fine tune, depending on the style and lyrics.”

Mars has worked with the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus many times over the years and they have even released a recording called “On Broadway,” which is packed with favorites.

“I love that group of people,” Mars said of the chorus. “There is something about their spirit with which they make music that is so joyful. They inspire me every time we work together.”

The feeling in mutual from the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, according to its artistic director Bob Mensel.

“Susannah is our favorite leading lady,” Mensel said. “She’s amazing! We did that CD back in 2009, and we used several members of the Vancouver Symphony. It’s great that we are doing a live performance together.”

Mensel, who has been at the helm of the chorus since 1993, has prepared the ensemble in three pieces that it will do on its own: “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin” from “Oklahoma,” “To Build a Home” from “The Bridges of Madison County,” and “Wheels of a Dream” from “Ragtime.”

“We love this music. We will have 90 to 100 of our singers on stage,” Mensel said. “We are bringing our risers to accommodate everyone. We’ll be all along the back wall behind and above the orchestra.”

Young voices

The concert will also feature the voices of three young women from the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics. They will sing the peppy “America” number from “West Side Story.”

The orchestra will own the spotlight for a couple of symphonic works that have a distinctly American sound from two composers born in New York City. “An American in Paris,” written by George Gershwin, has lively, jazz-inflected melodies that made the piece an instant hit ever since it was played for the first time by the New York Philharmonic in 1928.

Up until that point, Gershwin was acclaimed across nation as a composer of popular songs and Broadway musicals. He uncorked “An American in Paris” after a visit to France to study with Maurice Ravel. It has a loose episodic structure that charts the adventures of an American tourist sampling the glories of Paris and succumbing to fits of homesickness along the way.

The orchestra will also play the suite of four dance episodes from the ballet “Rodeo,” which Aaron Copland wrote for the great dancer and choreographer Agnes de Mille in 1942. “Rodeo” followed the success of his other cowboy-themed ballet “Billy the Kid” with a love story between a cowgirl and the Head Wrangler. “Rodeo’s” premiere at the Metropolitan Opera delighted the audience so much that the performers received 22 curtain calls.

The orchestral suite, which received its first performance by the Boston Pops in 1943, consists of four segments: “Buckaroo Holiday,” “Corral Nocturne,” “Saturday Night Waltz” and “Hoe-Down.” The first and last contain American folk tunes that are largely unknown today. “Hoe-Down” quotes dance numbers from the 19th century Anglo-American square dance tradition, such as “Bonaparte’s Retreat,” and “McLeod’s Reel.”

If you go

What: VSO pops concert with Susannah Mars and the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus.

When: 3 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Skyview High School Concert Hall, 1300 N.W. 139th St., Vancouver.

Cost: $50 for reserved seats, $38 for general admission, $34 for seniors and $10 for students.

There’s something dark and strange about the fellow who calls himself The Musicianer. Not even The Musicianer himself knows what it is.

But people around him sense it. He’s a charming throwback of a street busker who seems out of place in these modern times. It’s almost as if he’s made an ill-fated trade for immortality with — well, you know who.

“He’s never sure where and when he is,” said Beth Harrington. “Everyone around him knows more about him than he knows about himself.”

Singing and strumming for tips in the park one day, The Musicianer meets an ethnomusicologist headed for a hifalutin’ academic conference. Intrigued, she invites him to watch rare footage of a striving hillbilly musician from the 1920 — one Yodelin’ Vern Lockhart.

That’s how the earthy sound of American roots music blends with supernatural spookiness in the pilot episode of “The Musicianer,” an original digital TV series now under development by Vancouver documentary filmmaker Beth Harrington. The pilot gets its world premiere at the Kiggins Theatre on Jan. 27, in a special event that also includes a related premiere — a Harrington music video called “The Ballad of Handsome Ned” — and a Q&A with the filmmaker and her lead actors, Grey DeLisle Griffin (ethnomusicologist Jo Cullen), Lowell Deo (Reggie) and the musician and actor who goes by the moniker Petunia.

There’s something truly uncanny about Petunia himself, Harrington said, and that’s how the idea for “The Musicianer” was born.

Harrington, who lives in east Vancouver, met Petunia, who lives in that other Vancouver — the one up in Canada — after the longtime documentarian achieved a new level of success with “The Winding Stream,” a study of the trailblazing women of country music who set the stage for Johnny Cash’s stardom. Released in 2014, “The Winding Stream” received great reviews and got Harrington noticed.

That’s when a mutual friend introduced her to Petunia, whose vintage charisma and Jimmy Rodgers-esque yodel seemed to step right out of the pre-Cash era.

“There is something really powerful and mysterious about Petunia,” Harrington said. “He really could be from another planet or another time.”

And Petunia, who really does yodel like he was born doing it, told Harrington: “If you ever need somebody to be Jimmie Rodgers in a film, I’m your guy.”

Vancouver locations

Something like two-thirds of the pilot for “The Musicianer” was filmed on location in Vancouver, Harrington said: sites such as Esther Short Park, Providence Academy, the Hampton Inn (for academic conference scenes) and the Fruit Valley rail yard at night (for super-creepy atmosphere scenes). “It was just a joy, it was so easy to literally shoot in my own back yard,” Harrington said. She did need to get permissions and permits, but “the city was so helpful,” she said.

Another star of “The Musicianer” is Grey DeLisle Griffin, a singer and voice actress whom you might know as the voice of Emily Elizabeth on “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” or from numerous video game soundtracks. She has voiced more than 700 different characters in all, yet this is one of her first on-screen parts.

“Her role is equally important to Vern’s, and if we have the chance to develop this you’ll see her character come out more. Each character features prominently” in the eight-episode story arc that Harrington has mostly scripted already, she said.

Future episodes will also include a rich assortment of guest-starring musicians and singers, she said.

All Harrington needs now is financial backing.

“It all clicked so well, we would love to keep doing it,” she said. The good news, she added, is that industry hunger for new independent small-screen series and pilots seems to be growing. “It’s the first time in my career as a filmmaker that I can see, there’s the glimmer of the idea that they need us more than we need them,” she said.

That’s a big change for the longtime maker of documentaries and historical films (like her recent half-hour episode of the Oregon Public Broadcasting show “Oregon Experience,” exploring Fort Vancouver). Harrington said she’s both thrilled and anxious to see how the audience likes it.

Scripting fiction from her own imagination “was very freeing, I guess we’ll find out if I’m any good at it,” she laughed.

If You Go

What: World premiere of the pilot episode of “The Musicianer,” written and directed by Beth Harrington.

When: 1 p.m. Jan. 27.

Where: Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main St., Vancouver.

Tickets: $10 in advance or $12 at the door.

Learn More: www.kigginstheatre.com, www.bethharrington.com, themusicianer.com

Video Preview

Check out a creepy musical preview of “The Musicianer” at themusicianer.com/trailer

Lifetime Achievement

Beth Harrington, a Boston native who has lived in Vancouver for 22 years, will receive a Lifetime Achievement award from the Clark County Arts Commission at 6 p.m. Feb. 5 in the county council chambers, 1300 Franklin St., sixth floor. A reception will follow at the Kiggins Theatre. In addition to being a working filmmaker and documentarian for decades, nominator Elizabeth Holmes wrote, Harrington is a loyal Vancouver booster whose “faith in this community gives confidence as we pursue a bright future for our local arts. ...  You can count on Beth to provide encouragement, wisdom and a push for action when needed.”

Harrington, 63, said she is honored — and a little worried. “Does this mean I’m supposed to be wrapping it up?” she laughed.

Deputies are investigating after a body was found Thursday afternoon in northern Skamania County, about 6 miles west of Cougar near the Gifford Pinchot National Forest boundary.

According to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 2:15 p.m. to a call about “suspicious circumstances” on National Forest Road 83, near the junction with National Forest Road 90. There, they found a dead person.

Due to the setting sun, deputies secured the scene and arranged for additional help to investigate the next day, the sheriff’s office said Friday morning.

“This investigative effort is in the very early stages, and as a result, there is no additional information that can be released or reported,” Skamania County Sheriff David Brown said in a news release.

The sheriff’s office said investigative work will likely cause traffic delays on National Forest Road 83, impacting recreational traffic to Ape Cave and the Marble Mountain sno-park, which provides access to a Mount St. Helens climbing route.

The agency said it expected traffic delays would be limited to the morning and early afternoon Friday. However, in an update late Friday afternoon, Brown said “the processing and mapping” of the scene was taking longer than anticipated.

One of four co-defendants charged with helping a mother abduct her 4-year-old daughter during a supervised visit in October at Vancouver Mall was sentenced Friday to 17 months in prison.

Francisco Javier Hernandez-Reyes, 18, was convicted of helping to kidnap another man whose car was used in the child’s abduction.

He was facing charges of first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, second-degree theft and first-degree custodial interference. But he pleaded guilty to amended charges Friday in Clark County Superior Court. His charges were reduced to second-degree kidnapping, vehicle theft and first-degree custodial interference under a plea deal.

Defense attorney Jason Bailes said the prosecution agreed to amend his client’s charges and recommend the imposed sentence due to Hernandez-Reyes’ level of involvement and his lack of a criminal record.

“It’s really fortunate you’re not looking at more prison time,” Judge Suzan Clark said. “It’s one of the worst kidnapping cases I’ve seen in my time with the court.”

Esmeralda Lopez-Lopez, 21, allegedly kidnapped her daughter, Aranza Ochoa-Lopez, on Oct. 25 after asking permission to take the child to the restroom at the mall during a Child Protective Services supervised visit, according to a search warrant affidavit.

Instead, she fled with the girl. The visitation worker tried to follow them, he said, but Lopez-Lopez, her daughter and a 16-year-old accomplice fled in a stolen vehicle, according to the affidavit.

Family says Lopez-Lopez and her daughter are in Mexico.

Hernandez-Reyes and three others — Sherri Franchesca Trigueros, 16, Alejandro Xulu-Sop, 15, and Erick Garcia-Valdovinos, 18 — were arrested in connection with the abduction and kidnapping of a Centralia man, whose car was stolen and used in the child abduction plot, court records say.

The cases for Hernandez-Reyes’ co-defendants are still pending.

The victim, Jose Orellana-Gomez, told investigators that Lopez-Lopez lured him to her Vancouver apartment under the premise that she needed a ride to Centralia. But when he got to the apartment, several people — armed with kitchen knives and wearing masks — entered the apartment, pushed him down, bound him with duct tape and carried him to a bedroom where he was taped to an office chair, according to court records.

They blindfolded and gagged him, and placed headphones over his ears. The assailants demanded his car, a red Chevrolet Cobalt, and told him they would only need it a few hours. They also took his debit card and demanded the PIN, court documents say.

Orellana-Gomez estimated he was held in the room for more than 15 hours, before he managed to free himself from the chair. He jumped from a second-story window — his hands and ankles still bound with tape — and hopped to a passerby who called 911 for him, court records state.

Deputy Prosecutor Kelly Ryan read a written statement from Orellana-Gomez during the sentencing hearing. The victim said he now lives in fear, and his life has been difficult since the kidnapping. He said he hurt his back and head in the fall from his apartment.

“I practically lost everything I had,” Orellana-Gomez wrote.

Hernandez-Reyes was ordered to pay about $1,550 in restitution.

Multiple bus routes will be detoured Sunday morning and early afternoon for the Race for Warmth event in downtown Vancouver.

C-Tran said it expected service impacts from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The detoured routes are:

• Route 25
• Route 31
• Route 32
• Route 37

All stops on Evergreen Boulevard between Grand Boulevard and C Street, and all stops on Fort Vancouver Way between Evergreen and Mill Plain Boulevard, will be temporarily closed for the race.

Passengers can use alternate stops along Grand or Mill Plain during the detours.

Stops at Evergreen at Broadway (Stop ID 0635) and Evergreen at C Street (Stop ID 1104) will be closed. Stop 0632 Stop at Broadway at Evergreen, and Stop 6067 at Evergreen and Daniels, will stay open.

Information will be posted at the affected stops.

Contact C-Tran at 360-695-0123, or check www.c-tran.com, for questions or trip assistance.

Jack Burkman, a former Vancouver city councilor and longtime local civic fixture, announced Friday his intent to run for Vancouver port commissioner.

Burkman is running for the District 3 seat, currently held by Jerry Oliver. Oliver announced Dec. 12 last year he did not intend to run for re-election.

Burkman was on the city council for 12 years, first from 1998 to 2001, then from 2010 to 2017, when he chose not to run for re-election. He said he took the time off to focus on family and home life, catching up on projects around the house and spending time with his grandchildren.

Burkman also served 10 years as a Clark College trustee, eight on the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council board, seven on the Fort Vancouver Regional Library board and four as a local League of United Latin American Citizens executive council officer, among other roles.

“But what I realized is I really missed making a contribution to the community,” Burkman said. “The port role is less intensive than being on city council, so it fits into my life that it still allows me to have that time for the grandkids and hobbies and such.”

His time on the council will be helpful, he said, as port and city projects and issues often overlapped, as would his experience on regional transportation planning and business experience. Burkman also spent 30 years working for HP Inc.; 20 of those were spent locally managing product development.

“That’s what I’m really looking to do, is bring forward that extensive experience in business, local government and leadership, and take that into the port board,” he said.

The port handles more than 7 million tons of cargo annually, is home to more than 50 industrial tenants and generates about $2.9 billion in revenue, according to port staff.

Burkman said the port, with its hundreds of acres of unused land, some already with infrastructure, presents opportunities to create well-paying, stable jobs in Clark County.

“And then we got to fix the bridge, because, in particular, freight is just getting hammered,” he said, with the traffic on Interstate 5 over the bridge to Portland.

Burkman pointed to his contributions in building out the 192nd Avenue corridor, and how it took the combined effort of local government and business groups to lobby for attention, and assistance, from the Legislature for development.

“There is no one group or one person that makes this work,” he said, adding that’s what it can take to draw the focus from the larger Puget Sound area. “It’s about all the organizations working together, and in particular, heading to Olympia and saying, we’re Southwest Washington, and we’ve got to fix the problem.”

Any bridge work will take the same sort of effort, he said, along with collaboration with stakeholders in Oregon.

In his announcement, Burkman also emphasized his intent to create a climate action plan for the port that “balances business and environment needs,” contribute to building a skilled workforce in the community and continue efforts toward greater community involvement and transparency.

The election is in November. Port commissioners serve six-year terms.

“Bottom line is, I’m not quite sure what retirement means,” he said, laughing.

Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency Friday statewide due to the measles outbreak that started in Clark County.

Clark County Public Health has confirmed 30 measles cases and nine suspected cases since Jan. 1, according to a Friday news release. The Clark County Council declared a public health emergency for the county Jan. 18.

“Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease that can be fatal in small children,” Inslee stated in a proclamation. “The existence of (31) confirmed cases in the state of Washington creates an extreme public health risk that may quickly spread to other counties.”

Public Health announced one new Clark County exposure location Friday: God Will Provide Church, 7321 N.E. 110th St., Vancouver, from 7 to 11 p.m. Jan. 18.

The Oregon Health Authority also on Friday confirmed a measles case in a Multnomah County, Ore., resident. The agency is working with Multnomah County and state agencies in Oregon and Washington to notify people of their potential exposure, and help them prevent exposing others should they become ill.

The exposure sites related to the Multnomah County case include:

• Legacy GoHealth, 22262 N.E. Glisan St., in Gresham, Ore., from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 20.
• Fred Meyer, 22855 N.E. Park Lane in Wood Village, Ore., from 11 a.m. to noon Jan. 20.
• Gresham Troutdale Family Medical Center, 1700 S.W. 257th Drive in Troutdale, Ore., from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Jan. 23.
• Walgreens Pharmacy, 25699 S.E. Stark St., in Troutdale, Ore., from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 23.

The majority of cases in Clark County are in children younger than 18 with one case in an adult age 19 to 29. Twenty-six of the cases were not immunized; the immunization status of the other four cases is unverified.

According to Inslee’s proclamation, state agencies and departments can utilize state resources, and do anything reasonably possible to assist affected areas. The proclamation is also necessary to utilize the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to request additional medical resources from other states.

The proclamation also means the state Department of Health has launched the infectious disease Incident Management Structure, which helps “manage the public health aspects of the incident to include investigations, laboratory testing and other efforts to protect communities,” a news release from Inslee’s office states.

The Washington Military Department is also coordinating resources to support the health department and local officials in alleviating the impacts to people, property and infrastructure.

Clark County Public Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick said the state of emergency declaration might allow Washington to use federal resources in fighting the outbreak. The state has already been assisting Clark County in outbreak response, which has cost the county more than $100,000. On average, about 50 people work on the response effort — about five of those people are from the Department of Health.

Public Health has had to shift its own staff from other areas, such as food inspection, to assist in the outbreak response. The state-of-emergency declaration might mean more state staff could help in Clark County, Melnick said.

“We’re only a couple weeks into this,” Melnick said. “We’re in this for the long haul. We had one nurse who worked for 12 straight days and was even taking calls at night. People are getting tired. People need relief, so bringing more assets in will really help.”

Public Health – Seattle & King County said Wednesday that a man in his 50s was hospitalized with a confirmed case of measles but has been released. Officials say the man recently traveled to Vancouver, but it’s not clear if that’s where he might have been infected. Melnick said measles will likely spread to more counties, as well as into other states.

“It’s a realization that this is not nearly over,” he said of Inslee’s declaration.

Lawmakers from the state’s 17th and 18th legislative districts issued a statement late Friday afternoon: “We appreciate Gov. Inslee issuing a state of emergency this morning. The outbreak of measles in our local communities is extremely concerning, but we are thankful every resource has been made available to help the Department of Health respond quickly and effectively.

“The governor’s proclamation not only provides essential resources and personnel, but also brings a heightened public awareness about this dangerous and preventable disease. While this is an uncertain and unfortunate time for many across our county, this state of emergency will help reduce the spread and length of the outbreak. We will continue to closely monitor the situation.”

What to do if you might be infected

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 90 percent of unvaccinated people exposed to the measles virus come down with the disease. The virus lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person, and can survive for up to two hours in an airspace where the infected person coughed or sneezed.

Health officials are urging anyone who has been exposed at an identified location and believes they have symptoms of measles to call their health care provider prior to visiting the medical office to make a plan that avoids exposing others in the waiting room.

If you are unsure of your family’s immunization status, you can view, download and print your family’s immunization information online at MyIR.net or request a copy of your immunization record from the Washington State Department of Health.

Anyone with questions about measles infection or the measles vaccine should call their primary care provider or a county health department:

• Clark County Public Health, 360-397-8021.
• Multnomah County, Ore., Public Health, 503-988-3406.
• Washington County, Ore., Public Health, 503-846-3594.
• Clackamas County, Ore., Public Health, 503-655-8411.

Clark County Public Health has been regularly updating its list of locations where people may have been exposed to measles. There are dozens of locations in total, including hospitals, Portland International Airport and multiple schools.

For a complete list of exposure sites, visit the Public Health measles investigation webpage.

Measles symptoms begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash that usually begins at the head and spreads to the rest of the body. A person can spread the virus before they show symptoms.

People are contagious with measles for up to four days before and up to four days after the rash appears. After someone is exposed to measles, illness develops in about one to three weeks.

Assistant metro editor Jessica Prokop contributed to this report.

Measles exposure sites

Clark County Public Health released the following list of locations where people may have been exposed to measles in the Portland-Vancouver area:

Health care facilities:

• Memorial Urgent Care, 3400 Main St., Vancouver, from 4:30 to 7:50 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19.

• Vancouver Clinic Columbia Tech Center, 501 SE 172nd Ave., Vancouver, from 11:30 am to 4 pm Friday, Jan. 11.

• Magnolia Family Clinic, 2207 N.E. Broadway, Suite 200, Portland, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 8.

• The Vancouver Clinic, 700 N.E. 87th Ave., Vancouver.

3:30 to 7 p.m. Jan. 11.

10:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 12.

4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13.

9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 14.

• Kaiser Cascade Park, 12607 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver

1 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 12.

7 p.m. Jan. 15 to 2 a.m. Jan. 16.

12:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19.

• PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Emergency Department, 400 N.E. Mother Joseph Place, Vancouver.

10 p.m. Jan. 12 to 4 a.m. Jan. 13.

12:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 13. 

• Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center Emergency Department, 2211 N.E. 139th St., Vancouver.

8:30 p.m. Jan. 12 to 1 a.m. Jan. 13.

5:45 p.m. Jan. 13 and 12:30 a.m. Jan. 14.

11:40 p.m. Jan. 14 to 5:10 a.m. Jan 15.

• Rose Urgent Care and Family Practice, 18 N.W. 20th Ave., Battle Ground, 3:45 to 8 p.m. Jan. 14.

Schools:

• Orchards Elementary School, 11405 N.E. 69th St., Vancouver, on Monday, Jan. 14.

• Evergreen High School, 14300 NE 18th St., Vancouver, on Wednesday, Jan. 9.

• Slavic Christian Academy, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Vancouver, on Monday, Jan. 7.

• Cornerstone Christian Academy, 10818 N.E. 117th Ave., Vancouver, on Jan. 4

• Vancouver Home Connection, 301 S. Lieser Road, Vancouver, on Jan. 7; Jan. 8; and Jan. 11.

• Hearthwood Elementary School, 801 N.E. Hearthwood Blvd., Vancouver, on Jan. 7, 9 and 11.

• Image Elementary School, 4400 N.E. 122nd Ave., Vancouver, on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9.

• Eisenhower Elementary School, 9201 N.W. Ninth Ave., Vancouver, on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9.

• Tukes Valley Primary and Middle School, 20601 N.E. 167th Ave., Battle Ground, on Jan. 8.

• Maple Grove School, 601B S.W. Eaton Blvd., Battle Ground, on Tuesday, Jan. 8 and Wednesday, Jan. 9.

• River HomeLink, 601 S.W. Eaton Blvd., Battle Ground, on Tuesday, Jan. 8 and Wednesday, Jan. 9.

Other locations:

• Dollar Tree, 11501 N.E. 76th St., Vancouver, from 8:10 to 10:50 pm Tuesday, Jan. 15.

• Dollar Tree, 7809-B Vancouver Plaza Drive, Vancouver, from 6:30 to 9:10 p.m. Jan. 15.

• GracePoint Christian Church, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Vancouver, from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7.

• Church of Christ Savior, 3612 F St., Vancouver

9:30 a.m. to noon Jan. 6

6 to 11:30 p.m. Jan. 6

9:10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 13.

• Church of Truth, 7250 N.E. 41st St., Vancouver from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 6.

• Portland International Airport, 7000 N.E. Airport Way, Portland

10:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Jan. 7. More specifically, anyone who spent time in Concourse D and the Delta Sky Lounge during that time period.

7:30 to 11 p.m. Jan. 15, baggage claim and south end of the ticket counter (near Alaska Airlines and Starbucks)

• Costco, 4849 N.E. 138th Ave., Portland 

1 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 8.

5:30 to 8:40 p.m.  Jan. 16

• Amazon Lockers, 1131 S.W. Jefferson St., Portland, from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 10.

• Rejuvenation, 1100 S.E. Grand Ave. Portland, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10.

• Pho Green Papaya, 13215 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Jan. 10.

• Chuck’s Produce, 13215 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, from 8 to 11:45 p.m. Jan. 10 and 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.  Jan. 11.

• Ikea, 10280 N.E. Cascades Parkway, Portland, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 11.

• Fisher Investments, 5525 N.W. Fisher Creek Drive, Camas

6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 10

6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 11

6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 14

6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 15

• Moda Center (Trail Blazers game), 1 N. Center Court St., Portland, from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. Jan. 11.

• Verizon Wireless at Cascade Station, 10103 N.E. Cascades Parkway, Portland, from 5 to 11 p.m. Jan. 14.

• A Children’s Dentist, 101 NW 12th Ave., Battle Ground, from 1:30 to 6 pm Tuesday, Jan. 8.

A 23-year-old Vancouver man who originally faced assault charges in connection with an alleged brandishing incident pleaded guilty Thursday to a lesser charge and received no jail time.

Jordan R. Taylor received credit for two days in jail that he already served, according to court documents. His total sentence was a year in jail for unlawfully displaying a weapon; all but two days of the punishment were suspended, however.

Taylor and co-defendant Tyrel J. Griggs, 23, were arrested in November 2017. Officers were dispatched Nov. 7 to a parking lot on the south side of 13707 N.E. 28th St., for a weapons disturbance. The caller reported that two men — one armed with a handgun and the other with a shotgun — were fighting with an unarmed man, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The victims were later identified as a group of five people.

A witness told police that he was sitting in the parking lot when a white car stopped by his vehicle. The driver, identified by police as Taylor, left the car, pulled a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at the group. The passenger, identified by police as Griggs, also left the car and grabbed a shotgun from the trunk. He racked the pump action and pointed the shotgun at the group, court records said.

The two men left in their vehicle before police arrived.

Assault charges against Taylor were dismissed as part of a settlement with the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Defense attorney D. Angus Lee said Taylor had displayed the firearm in self defense.

Griggs’ charges were amended to third-degree assault and felony criminal mischief in December. His trial is set for March 18.

The growing measles outbreak in Clark County has prompted an increase in residents seeking to be tested for immunity to the virus, with multiple local blood test labs and clinics reporting substantial increases in the number of tests performed in recent weeks.

The Vancouver Clinic has seen a more than tenfold increase in testing requests across its four urgent care locations in Clark County, according to marketing director Chastell Ely.

“Typically we’re averaging between 20 and 50 tests per month,” she said on Friday. “So far in January, we’ve done 500-plus.”

The procedure, known as a titer test, analyses a patient’s blood sample to detect the presence of the specific antibodies needed to fight off infections. Some versions screen only for measles resistance, while others combine it with a test for resistance to mumps and rubella, similar to how the MMR vaccination targets all three viruses.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in testing for immunity, starting around last Thursday,” said Eileen Morton, lab manager at the Fourth Plain Boulevard branch of the company Any Lab Test Now, which offers quick $50 immunity tests for measles alone, with results usually available the following day.

The lab’s testing rate for measles has increased by at least 70 percent, she said. Most of the people coming in for the test have been adults over the age of 30 who haven’t been able to track down proof of their immunizations in their medical records, Morton said, and many of them are contract workers at places such as day care centers and need to provide proof of immunity before they’re allowed back at work.

Residents can also contact their primary care doctors to set up the tests, Morton said, but clinics like Any Lab Test Now are another option for people who need results as fast as possible. The clinic expects the increased testing rate to continue until the current outbreak is under control, Morton said.

If the blood test ends up showing a vulnerability to measles, the lab also offers an MMR vaccine. The vaccine is also available at many commercial pharmacy locations such as Walgreens and Safeway.

Not every clinic has seen the same uptick; the Arcpoint Labs branch near Vancouver Mall also offers measles testing, but medical assistant Nancy Goetschius said the lab’s traffic hasn’t substantially changed. That might be due in part to costs, she said; Arcpoint doesn’t offer a singular measles immunity test, only the combined MMR blood test for $129.

“Due to the expense of testing, it’s almost cheaper to just be vaccinated,” she said.

Some residents appear to be taking that approach; employees at multiple local pharmacies that offer the MMR vaccine reported seeing higher-than-usual numbers of people coming in to receive it in recent days.

PeaceHealth Southwest spokesman Randy Querin said the health care center does offer a measles antibody test and has been administering it to its own doctors in the past week to make sure they’re all truly immune.

“The vaccine is excellent, but it’s not perfect,” he said. “For about 2 percent (of recipients), it doesn’t take; they don’t build up immunity to it.”

However, Querin said PeaceHealth is asking patients to speak to their primary care providers about an immunity test and to visit pharmacy locations like Walgreens to get vaccinated, rather than visiting a PeaceHealth location. People worried about their immune history can also visit myir.net, a website that can help track down immunization records, he said.

“The answer (about testing) is yes, but not today,” he said. “We’re not doing that right now because we don’t want people coming to our hospital unless they need to be here.”