It’s finally over for Vancouver Public Schools and its support staff union as, after months of bargaining, the union agreed to a contract.

The Vancouver Association of Educational Support Professionals voted overwhelmingly Friday to approve a three-year contract, giving 700 paraeducators, clerks, secretaries, technical support and other classified staff double-digit percent raises for the 2018-2019 school year. Of the 428 members who voted at the ratification meeting, 94 percent supported the contract.

Support staff will see on average an 11.4 percent raise in 2018-2019, which includes retroactive pay. In year two, members will receive a 3 percent cost-of-living increase followed by a 3.1 percent cost-of-living increase in year three.

Under the previous contract, VAESP members were paid between $16.53 an hour to $25.32 an hour, depending on the individual’s position and years of experience. In 2018-2019, that range will increase to $18.41 an hour to $28.76 an hour, according to a copy of the salary schedule.

“It’s for the kids, too,” VAESP President Andrea Adams said. “We need to attract and keep really good people. With these changes, I believe it can happen.”

The union and district have been locked in bargaining for about nine months, which turned sour in recent weeks. A tentative agreement announced Dec. 21 was canceled, with both the district and union blaming the other for backing out. Then, the union voted to strike Friday if a deal was not reached.

Meanwhile, the district filed an unfair labor practice claim against the union, which it announced it has since withdrawn.

But at 12:08 a.m., the union and district finally came to a deal, narrowly avoiding school shutdowns due to striking staff for the second time this year.

“The VPS and VAESP bargaining teams worked very hard to finalize an agreement, and we are grateful for their collaboration,” VPS Superintendent Steve Webb said in a news release. “We also appreciate the efforts of the new state mediator who helped this week to clarify the misunderstanding that occurred with our tentative agreement reached last month.”

The meeting at Fort Vancouver High School was closed to the public but was punctuated by cheers and shouts that could be heard from the outside hallways. Leaving members described feelings of elation and gratitude that it was finally over.

Despite excitement over salary increases, some still expressed frustration with the school district. Evonne Ferderer, a special education paraeducator at Alki Middle School, was cautiously optimistic about the new contract. She expressed frustration with the back and forth that has marked bargaining in recent weeks.

“If it is what they say it is and everything works out, then yes, it’ll be good,” Ferderer said.

Christi Hosking, a Braille transcriber at Fruit Valley Elementary School, and Marika Wilkerson, an associated student body clerk at Fort Vancouver High School, said they wished the district provided more support to classified district staff.

“They could have handled this a lot sooner,” Hosking said. “I don’t know if the district really values what we do and how much work we put into our job.”

Wilkerson said the last couple weeks of bargaining have been “pretty taxing.”

“I can’t imagine how our bargainers feel,” Wilkerson said.

Still, Hosking said she was grateful for the work union bargainers put into negotiating this new contract.

“I’m happy we ended up with the money we did,” Hosking said. “I’m glad they finally came to terms and took us seriously.”

A county-by-county study from the Washington Employment Security Department found that the federal government shutdown cost Clark County workers $584,847 a week in lost wages.

The shutdown lasted five weeks, which means that employees in Clark County collectively missed out on $2.92 million since Dec. 21.

Most of that should be restored in back pay following the announcement Friday morning that Congress and the White House struck a deal to temporarily reopen the government.

According to the report, Clark County is home to 3,398 federal jobs, or about 0.7 percent of the population. Of those, an estimated 333 employees were directly impacted by the shutdown — Southwest Washington’s largest federal employers, including the Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, operate on funding independent from the contentious federal budget and remained unscathed during the D.C. standoff.

In an interview with The Columbian last week, regional economist Scott Bailey said that the economy in Clark County wasn’t hit as hard as other parts of the country.

“If I’m one of them, it’s significant, but in the overall economy, it’s not a big factor,” Bailey said.

However, that 333 figure doesn’t count the Clark County residents who commute to Portland for federal government jobs, mostly as security workers at Portland International Airport and the U.S. Coast Guard.

It also doesn’t count the private government contractors impacted by the shutdown who won’t receive any back pay, or the lost revenue from businesses who might have seen a downturn in revenue as a result of less disposable income among federal workers.

“There’s been stories of small business that somewhat depend on federal employees spending money,” Bailey said. “Those folks never get their money back if sales drop.”

Unsurprisingly, the hardest-hit county in Washington was its most populous. King County is home to 8,207 federal workers who were furloughed or unpaid over the last 35 days. Collectively, they weathered an estimated $16.58 million a week in postponed wages, totaling $82.9 million.

Across the state, an estimated 15,675 federal employees were impacted by the shutdown — a little more than a fifth of total federal employees in Washington. Together they missed around $146.5 million.

Bagley Downs — The Free Clinic of Southwest Washington received a $2,000 grant from the ReMax Equity Group Foundation to help cover costs associated with the children’s immunization program. An average of 500 immunizations are given each year for uninsured children in the community through the program. By promoting the immunization program in the uninsured community, the Free Clinic is not only helping those children, but also protecting other children in schools and the community while helping ensure that uninsured children are not denied attendance to school or a child care facility. The funds from the grant will be used to purchase medical supplies for vaccinating patients at the Free Clinic or at community events, such as the Vancouver Public Schools Annual GoReady Back to School event.

Mountain View — Cascade Park Kiwanis Club members provided and served the meal at the club’s annual Foster Family Holiday Party, which was attended by more than 475 children, their families and volunteers on Dec. 21 at Mountain View High School. Attendees played games, danced and had the opportunity to take pictures with Santa. Key Club members from Mountain View, Camas High School, Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School and Union High School helped with the event, which was co-sponsored by the Department of Social and Health Services and Crossroads Community Church.

LA CENTER — The Miss Teen La Center Court was busy during the Christmas season. Queen Sara Baldwin and Princesses Danielle Gawronski, Grace Nolan, Keira Crocker and Raegan Boyse volunteered with Shop with a Cop, helped Santa and Mrs. Claus at the La Center Christmas Tree Lighting and helped decorate and raffle a Christmas tree at La Center’s Holiday Bazaar. They also participated in Santa’s Posse with the Clark County Fair Court, Sara Snyder, Rachel Sherrell and Rebecca Merrill.

Battle Ground — The Battle Ground Education Foundation donated a check for $3,989.12 to Battle Ground Public Schools to be used for the purchase of two automated external defibrillators. The donation means that every school in the district will have one of the life-saving devices. “Each year, there are more and more people working, learning and recreating in district buildings,” Cathy Shannon, the district’s school health services and nursing supervisor, said in a release from the district. “Improving access to AEDs in our schools is more important than ever and can literally be the difference between life and death, so we are very grateful for the donation from (the education foundation).” An automated external defibrillator at Chief Umtuch Middle School was used to save a man’s life after he went into sudden cardiac arrest while playing basketball in April 2017.

Brush Prairie — Hockinson Middle School students hosted their first-ever Community Service Day in December, with students collecting food, blankets and chew toys. Joe Loper’s home base students bagged and boxed donations to the school’s annual food drive, in which the school broke its previous record and collected more than 5,100 cans, boxes of cereal and bags of pasta and beans to bring to Fire District 3’s Station 31. Seventh- and eighth-graders worked with sixth-graders to turn fleecy fabrics into 37 blankets, which were donated to Vancouver’s Winter Hospitality Overflow shelter. Other classes started their day creating care packages and writing cards that will be delivered to students affected by the Camp Fire in California and organized holiday gifts for people in need in Hockinson and at Vancouver’s Share House. Others turned rags and other materials into chew toys for pets in shelters.

Washougal — Columbia River Gorge Elementary School’s Kindness Project started with a holiday giving tree for local families. It originally had 30 gift requests for the Columbia River community to fill, and within two days, all the requests were taken. The school added more requests from other families, and the community ended up fulfilling 74 gift requests. The Booster Club wanted to continue the kindness beyond the holidays, and teamed up with fifth-graders Grace Hack and Bella Bradford, who were working on creating a kindness initiative. They created a calendar that students can fill out with tags. Each tag lists the student, their teacher and their kind action, and it can be written by the students themselves or by another person who witnesses them doing something kind. A random tag was picked in the morning to read during the school news broadcast.

Ridgefield — Ridgefield High School’s chemistry, art and shop classes worked together to build a brick kiln. Following an archeological dig in Spain last summer, chemistry teacher Kara Breuer and art teacher Tamara Hoodenpyl became inspired in learning about ninth and 11th-century pottery and glazes. Chris Shipp’s shop class helped build the outdoor wood-fired kiln, Hoodenpyl’s art class created and glazed the tiles and Breuer’s class led the chemical analysis after the tiles were fired. Students learned art history, building techniques and elements of chemistry.

In 2008, I was getting ready to start my 25th year as a principal of Rosa Parks Elementary School, in the Lake Washington School District. A parent called to say her fifth grade son, Jacob, was no longer Jacob. Jacob was now her daughter, Jessica.

This did not surprise me. Jacob had an outstanding fourth-grade teacher who had noted his differences.

After some reflection, I invited some parents I knew well to provide some thoughtful counsel about the transition. They helped me understand the range of feelings in the community and how kids might react.

Jessica would be in the fifth grade. I had a fantastic fifth-grade teacher who was skilled, kind and compassionate, with high expectations for all kids. She was very understanding and supportive of diversity in all its forms. I called her. She was honored to be selected to have Jessica in her class.

Jessica’s parents came to discuss issues specific to Jessica’s transition. They lived outside of the school’s attendance area but had enrolled their child because of its diversity (in the heart of Microsoft territory), vision of the arts, laughter and joy. Kindness, compassion, respect and friendship were intentionally embedded into the daily life of the school.

They felt that Rosa Parks would be a good fit for their child, who was a bit quirky. They were right. This was the culture of the school the parents had chosen for Jacob, who had become Jessica.

Jessica’s parents provided me information from a transgender conference they had attended. They were concerned that students would struggle to accept Jessica’s new identity. Our school counselor helped us developed a plan for the first day of school. The plan included Jessica’s use of the women staff’s restroom; a letter that I would send to all parents of fifth- and sixth-graders focused on acceptance and tolerance; and plans for a meeting that the counselor and I would hold with fifth- and sixth-grade students on the first day to inform them of Jessica’s transition and to answer their questions.

I contacted the TransActive Gender Center, which provides training and education in transgender issues, and two of its staff visited Rosa Parks. They were women, but early in their presentation they said: “We know that you are wondering if we were once men? Yes, we were.” At the end of the session, school staff members thanked our guests for their knowledge, strength and the information they had provided.

Jessica arrived on the first day dressed in jeans, a tank top and pink coat. She went to the library while the counselor and I spoke with her classmates about her transition. As the year went on, some kids continued to not understand Jessica. Some laughed and gossiped, but Jessica was strong and ignored these kids.

The majority of students openly accepted Jessica and often confronted the bullies. The staff was very supportive. Jessica’s parents felt that the transition to fifth grade was a huge success! They had been greatly concerned about how Jessica would be accepted, not only by kids but by staff and the school district.

Early in the year, a parent with a strong Christian background, with one daughter in Jessica’s class, told me that she was not supportive of Jessica but that her daughters would not act in a disrespectful manner. But several months later, she told me that she had done some research and was now fully in support of Jessica. Her daughter became an advocate for Jessica with other classmates.

In sixth grade, Jessica began using the girls’ restroom. She performed in the school’s drama presentations and attended camp. Near the end of sixth grade, Jessica’s parents came in to talk about junior high. We found her a placement at a school that was going to be great for her.

Jessica, now 22, is a beautiful young lady. She has a job and is very happy with her life. Her mom’s final words to me: “We couldn’t have done it without the love, support and understanding of you and the school! We were all pioneers!”

Everybody Has a Story welcomes nonfiction contributions, 1,000 words maximum, and relevant photographs. Send to: neighbors@columbian.com or P.O. Box 180, Vancouver WA, 98666. Call “Everybody Has an Editor” Scott Hewitt, 360-735-4525, with questions.

After months of outreach and deliberation, C-Tran will begin introducing its preferred option for a second bus rapid transit line.

The first presentation will take place at Monday’s Vancouver City Council meeting, where the council will get its initial look at a locally preferred option for the line running along Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard.

The first Vine route opened in January 2017 and runs along East Fourth Plain Boulevard. Ridership continues to increase, only further encouraging C-Tran to seek a second line. The transit agency reported ridership increased more than 19 percent in 2018 with more than 1.3 million individual trips taken on the Vine.

New route proposal

The recommendation from the Corridor Advisory Committee and Technical Advisory Committee is to align the new route with East Evergreen Boulevard in downtown — connecting with the existing Turtle Place stop used by the Fourth Plain Vine — and with a new transit center near S.E. 192nd Ave. on the east side.

Vancouver’s long range planning manager, Rebecca Kennedy, said Monday’s workshop won’t include any decisions from council but rather provide an opportunity for the governing body and anyone watching to understand the process that’s led to this second route and its alignment.

“Transit is a very important piece of our regional transportation system,” Kennedy said. “When the community makes investments in infrastructure that moves people more efficiently with greater reliability from where they live to where they want to go and vice versa, the whole transport system works better.”

Although the city council doesn’t actually make a formal decision on the new BRT route, Kennedy said city staff and members of the council have been involved in the planning process and will be involved in the final decision-making process as the C-Tran board of directors also includes representatives from the council. Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle serves as the board’s vice-chair, and Councilors Bart Hansen and Ty Stober are members of the board.

Next steps

When completed, the new BRT line should cost less than $50 million, according to C-Tran’s estimates. The bulk of that funding should come from the Federal Transit Authority’s Small Starts Grant Program. C-Tran is seeking $25 million in grants.

But there’s been a snag.

“We were in line to get that approval no later than the first of February, however with the government shutdown, we’re now in this indefinite hold period,” said Scott Patterson, C-Tran’s chief external affairs officer.

Patterson is confident the project will receive funding, but it’s anyone’s guess as to when the announcement will be made with the government only temporarily reopened. Once the grant is secured, the project can enter its next phase and start project development.

Randy Parker, the project manager, said this time around the FTA has streamlined the process, making it a little quicker to get approval and start work on transit projects.

“If they’re open,” Patterson quipped.

The project proposal will next travel to the C-Tran board of directors in February for a first look and tentative final adoption in March.

Clark Asks: “What can I do to join or start a roadside trash cleanup group? I’m tired of seeing all the overabundance of roadside trash on I-5/I-205.”

The reader who wrote into Clark Asks to find out how they might rid the street of trash may have wanted to remain anonymous, but they weren’t alone in their annoyance.

Roadway garbage is a daily blight — something that makes all of our lives ever-so-slightly, yet undeniably, more irritating. And nothing motivates action like irritation.

Take Cascade Title Company Vice President Rhett Hendrickson, who rallied his staff to join the Adopt-A-Highway program through the Washington Department of Transportation.

“We just were kind of annoyed with all the garbage piled up,” Hendrickson said.

The company took on a stretch near the East Mill Plain Boulevard exit of Interstate 5 about a year ago. Hendrickson, who grew up in Clark County, was sick of seeing the state of the roadways in his hometown, especially during the winter.

“The staff was on board so we signed up, and we try to get out once every couple months or so to tidy up,” he said.

Statewide, volunteers with the Adopt-A-Highway program picked up 21,000 bags of trash from the roadway in 2015 (the most recent numbers available), WSDOT spokeswoman Tamara Greenwell said.

In an email to The Columbian, Greenwell said the program helps supplement the $4 million the state spends annually on roadside cleanup.

“Unfortunately, even with this large expenditure, the litter cleanup needs are greater. Limited funding means cleanups often fall behind other maintenance priorities,” Greenwell wrote. Potholes, broken guardrails and cracked pavement tend to jump ahead of litter, she added.

“We rely heavily on our partners — such as local government, businesses, law enforcement and the public to help,” she wrote. “That includes working together to share cleanup responsibilities, but also increasing awareness and enforcement to prevent litter in the first place. Properly covering and tying down loads, for example, greatly reduces the amount of litter along roadways.”

Anybody can start a roadside cleanup crew through the Adopt-A-Highway program, said Kevin Reese, WSDOT’s local coordinator, but there are a few restrictions. For starters, you need to be joined by at least one other person.

“That way when you’re out picking, there’s two of you,” Reese said. “You have to have people who use their head.”

It’s a matter of safety, he added. It’s just not common sense to stand alone next to a highway. Reese also discourages people from joining pre-established road cleanup crews, urging them instead to get their own group together to adopt a new section of highway.

He avoids giving out personal contact information of Adopt-A-Highway group organizers to strangers hoping to join a crew, he said. But if you personally know an individual or business participating in the program, you’re welcome to ask them directly.

There are about 20 cleanup crews in the Southwest Washington region, which encompasses Clark and Cowlitz counties. Anyone looking to adopt a portion of the highway needs to make sure it’s not already under someone else’s custody, though some of those groups are more active than others.

“There’s still signs out there for people who haven’t picked in years,” Reese said.

And finally, you’ll have to consider the safety of the selected stretch of road. Before giving new crews the green light, Reese needs to ensure that there’s no unnecessary traffic risk to the roadside cleaners. There’s always going to be a risk, he added, but some spots are less risky than others.

“Part of my job is to make sure, is this a safe area?” Reese said.

Of course, our industrious reader could always skip the red tape and turn to crime. Larch Corrections Center participates in the Washington State Department of Corrections Work Crew program, including landscaping and cleanup. But we wouldn’t recommend it.

To join the Adopt-A-Highway Program:

1. Visit wsdot.wa.gov/Operations/adoptahwy/information.htm for general information.

2. Contact regional organizer Kevin Reese at 360-619-0620 or reesek@wsdot.wa.gov.

3. Work with Reese to select a portion of roadway. Adopted stretches are usually about 2 miles long, and selection is subject to safety concerns.

4. Pick a name for your cleanup crew. This goes on the blue Adopt-A-Highway sign that recognizes your stretch of road.

5. Collect highway cleanup gear — signs, cones, vests, hard hats, trash bags — from the local Washington State Department of Transportation office. Pickup sticks are not provided.

6. Roll up your sleeves and get to work.

You can also become a highway sponsor, who pays for a pre-approved contractor to pick up trash along the roadway. Sponsors cover the cost of placing the sign — between $300 and $900, depending on the location — as well as the contractor fee, which varies depending on a few factors. To find out more about sponsorship, visit wsdot.wa.gov/Operations/adoptahwy/Sponsorship.htm.

If you’re reading this column today, that means I am on a cruise!

I don’t claim to know everything about the news business, but I will claim to have considerable knowledge about cruising. I think this is cruise No. 27 for me, in a string that began in 1987. So, since I am on vacation, I am going to take this chance to share a few of my observations.

First of all, most cruises still tend to go to the Caribbean or Alaska, but there are a lot more cruises to a lot more places these days. My wife and I like to sail on Princess Cruises. When we started cruising, the line had four ships. Now it has 17. And the ships are much bigger. My first ship — Royal Princess — was then one of the largest at sea, carrying 1,200 passengers. The current Royal Princess, the third with that name, carries three times as many passengers and is only the 25th biggest ship afloat.

We’re currently cruising in Southeast Asia. As larger, newer ships sail the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe, the North American lines have reposition their older vessels to new markets such as Asia and Australia. That gives us a chance to be sailing today on Sapphire Princess, one of my favorite ships. It’s my third vacation on this beautiful, comfortable ship. If you’ve ever thought about seeing some of the exotic spots of the world, but are worried about all of the details of overseas travel, check into a cruise — the price might be surprisingly affordable. And it is so nice to have your fully air-conditioned oasis waiting for you after a day in a place like Jakarta, Indonesia.

If you haven’t been on a particular cruise line, do a little research before you book. (This can be as simple as looking at a few YouTube videos of the ships you’re considering to see who and what’s onboard.) If you like a lot of choices, like zip lining and ice skating, book a large ship on a mainstream line like Royal Caribbean, Carnival or NCL. If you think “nice jeans” are a thing, don’t book a cruise on fancy Cunard. If you like less-visited ports, book a smaller ship like Pacific Princess.

Look at the ship’s deck plans before you choose a cabin. Some vessels involve a lot of walking. If that’s not your thing, get a cabin near the elevators. If you go to bed early, don’t room above the disco. If you go back-and-forth to the pool all day, don’t book on Deck 5.

First-timers: You won’t get seasick. Cruise lines don’t have billions in annual sales thanks to people who are willingly nauseous.

Be sure to understand the real price. When I started cruising, the cruise fare included airfare, transfers to and from the airport to the ship, and sometimes even a pre-cruise hotel. Now those cost extra. So do taxes, port charges and gratuities. And once you are onboard, you’re likely to spend money on things like drinks, photos, internet access, shore excursions and specialty dining. That’s not a bad thing, but be aware that no $479 cruise is actually going to cost you only $479.

It sounds silly, but make sure you understand which ports the ship is visiting and what hours you will be in port. If you want to visit a port’s Saturday market, don’t go there on Tuesday. If you want to go to the Caribbean, don’t book a cruise to the Bahamas.

Some of my favorite ports that I have visited over the years: Komodo Island, Indonesia; Tallinn, Estonia; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Sitka, Alaska (I got engaged there); Castries, St. Lucia; and Devil’s Island, French Guiana. Of course there are many dozens of ports to visit. The important thing is to get out there and see them.

What’s in store for the weekend’s weather? Check our local weather coverage.

In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories from the week:

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 and 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 on 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.

Have questions about property taxes? County officials will be available next week to answer them.

Clark County Treasurer Alishia Topper and Assessor Peter Van Nortwick will be available to discuss property taxes from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Evergreen Room/Tan Complex, at the Evergreen Public Schools Administrative Service Center, 13501 N.E. 28th St.

“I’m looking forward to helping people plan ahead and answer any questions they might have about the changing tax climate,” Topper said in a written statement.

The state is in the middle of a two-year process that has significantly changed how property taxes are collected and distributed to local school districts. Last year, most property owners saw significant increases in their property tax bills to meet the state’s education funding requirements under the McCleary lawsuit. This year, property tax rates will again change that should result in lower bills for most property taxpayers.

“The property tax change impacts are school district specific, and we want to ensure transparency to taxpayers,” Van Nortwick said in a written statement.

Clark County Public Health has confirmed 31 measles cases and eight suspected cases since Jan. 1, according to a Saturday news release.

Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency Friday statewide due to the measles outbreak. The Clark County Council declared a public health emergency for the county Jan. 18.

On Saturday, Public Health identified one new location where people may have been exposed to measles: Legacy-GoHealth Urgent Care Cascade Park, 305 S.E. Chkalov Drive, Vancouver, from 6:25 to 10:15 p.m. Jan. 22.

Among the 31 confirmed cases, 27 of them were people who had not been immunized against measles. The immunization status of the four other cases could not be verified.

The confirmed cases include 21 among children ages 1 to 10, nine cases for people ages 11 to 18 and one case for an adult between the age of 19 and 29.

There has been one hospitalization locally. Clark County Public Health Director Dr. Alan Melnick previously said that child is doing much better now.

Public Health – Seattle & King County confirmed Wednesday that a man in his 50s was hospitalized with 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.

The Oregon Health Authority 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.

Earlier this week, the implementation of an automated call system to notify people who may have been exposed to measles was delayed. It will be activated this afternoon. People who have been identified as possibly being exposed to measles may receive an automated call from Clark County Public Health. The calls will be available in English, Russian and Spanish.

The automated call will come from the county call center (360-397-8021). If you miss the automated call, do not call Public Health. You will receive a second automated call later. People who receive the calls will be asked whether they were at a specific location on a certain date and time, as well as their immunization status and the immunization statuses of household members who were at the location with them.

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.

Measles exposure sites

Health care facilities:

• 12:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19.
• 7 p.m. Jan. 15 to 2 a.m. Jan. 16.
• 1 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 12.

• 11:40 p.m. Jan. 14 to 5:10 a.m. Jan 15.
• 5:45 p.m. Jan. 13 and 12:30 a.m. Jan. 14.
• 8:30 p.m. Jan. 12 to 1 a.m. Jan. 13.

• 12:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 13.
• 10 p.m. Jan. 12 to 4 a.m. Jan. 13.

• 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 14.
• 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13.
• 10:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 12.
• 3:30 to 7 p.m. Jan. 11.

Schools:

Other locations:

• 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.

• 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)

• 1 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 8.
• 5:30 to 8:40 p.m.  Jan. 16

• 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

A Vancouver man was hospitalized following a crash on state Highway 14 Thursday, and the Washington State Patrol said the driver who caused the crash fled the scene.

The state patrol said Brent C. Lefto, 29, and Jose J. Vazquez-Martinez, 41, both of Vancouver, were heading west on Highway 14 just east of Interstate 205 around 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

Lefto attempted to pass Vazquez-Martinez and collided into him, according to the state patrol, causing Vazquez-Martinez’s SUV to roll over. Lefto lost control and struck a concrete barrier on the left side of the roadway, sending his car onto its top and into a guard rail on the right side.

Lefto then fled on foot, according to the state patrol.

Vazquez-Martinez was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center for his injuries. His condition was unavailable. The impact totaled both men’s vehicles, according to troopers.

The state patrol blamed the crash on Lefto’s excessive speed, and recommended charges of hit-and-run against an attended vehicle, reckless driving and reckless endangerment.

Clark College’s Gaiser Hall roared with jazz and the din of hundreds of student musicians, representing more than 40 schools around Oregon and Washington, for the 57th annual Clark College Jazz Festival.

Doug Harris, the new director of bands at the college following Richard Inouye’s retirement last spring, said that since he’s moved here in August, people he meets keep checking with him to make sure there would be a festival this year.

“It’s part of the fabric of the community,” he said.

The festival began in 1962, according to organizers, when Hudson’s Bay High School’s band director organized a one-day invitational performance for local high school bands. Vancouver and Evergreen high schools took turns hosting, with the early years’ trophies made from miscellaneous hardware and car parts.

Now, the college expected to see more than 1,200 student jazz players, with more than 3,000 guests. Volunteers put in about 800 hours of work to make it all happen.

Harris’ acquaintances’ concerns, then, might make some sense.

“As far as I’m concerned,” it’s been a glorious success,” Harris said Saturday afternoon, shortly after the Clark College Jazz Band performed it’s last set of the three-day event.

As the newest feature of this year’s festival, it was relieving, professionally, to see the band perform as well as it did, he said. But on the practical side, it’s also a good pitch.

Beyond being a fun community event, he said, the festival is also a good means to recruit college-bound high school musicians.

“It’s such a great introduction to the music education community,” he said. “For me, that’s been one of the best things.”

With school district bond and levy elections coming up on Feb. 12, La Center School District Superintendent Dave Holmes is wondering how voters will react.

“This is the first go-around after all the chaos,” he said.

Holmes is referring to this past summer, when an influx of state money for education led to every school district in the state bargaining for new teacher contracts. In Washington, 15 teachers unions went on strike, nearly half of them in Clark County.

La Center teachers didn’t strike. The district pretty much stayed out of the fracas altogether, with the district and teachers union declining to speak publicly for much of the summer.

“We could’ve gotten our members to strike, but for what?” Kathy Bounds, president of the La Center Education Association, said in November. “What was on the table was what was on the table. There’s no way everybody was going to be thrilled.”

La Center teachers signed a contract that gave them a 7.8 percent increase in total salary compensation with an average salary of $72,300.

“I think we came out of McCleary looking like we were responsible, respectful and like we did the right thing,” Holmes said.

The district will really start feeling the impacts of the new education funding model this year, as its running a replacement three-year educational programs and operations levy on the ballot in a special election on Feb. 12. As part of the McCleary decision, which pumped $7.3 billion of state money into education followed by another $1 billion for teacher salaries in 2018, there is a cap on how much districts can ask for in local levy dollars.

Local levies can only go up to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which is what La Center is asking residents to vote for. Before the McCleary decision, La Center expected to have a levy rate of $2.86 per $1,000 of assessed value for 2019. The rate in 2018 was $2.58 per $1,000 of assessed value.

With the levy cap, the district anticipates collecting $1,917,514 in levy dollars for the 2019-2020 school year.

Holmes said the district’s financial outlook is OK for now. With increased teacher salaries, Vancouver Public School officials are looking at potential staff reductions to deal with an estimated $11.4 million deficit.

“It’s looking like we can break even and be just right,” Holmes said. “In our bargaining this spring, we wanted to get a deal done without have to make any serious cuts.”

He did say that current projects call for a “small shortfall” at the end of the upcoming four years, although Holmes said a lot can change between now and then.

Holmes and La Center officials have been vocal about some issues the district has with the McCleary decision. Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, attended a school board meeting in November to talk to the board and district officials about their concerns.

La Center is in a unique position. The state sent a set amount per teacher to each school district, and nearly half of La Center’s 100 teachers have been with the district for 15 or more years. The district’s salary schedule puts 31.5 positions in the highest-paying grid on the schedule, the most of any grid.

“Our money doesn’t stretch as far because of our experienced staff,” Holmes said.

However, if the state passes a levy lid lift, that doesn’t help much either.

“We’re a property poor district,” Holmes said. “In a bigger district, they can raise a lot of money with 15 more cents. Raising the levy lid is inequitable if you’re a property poor district.”

Still, the district has to plan for and manage growth. La Center has 1,722 students at last count. That number is expected to jump to 2,200 in the next three-plus years, and around 3,000 in a little more than eight years, according to Holmes. In 2018, voters passed a $48 million bond so the district can build a new 81,375-square-foot middle school, which would open in time for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. A little more than $1 million of the bond money will go toward renovating the K-8 building into an elementary school.

Melinda Mazna, chairwoman for Citizens for La Center Schools, said the public has been receptive to the district’s needs and what the levy money will be used for.

“People have been pretty supportive,” she said. “They get it once it’s explained. The district has a reputation for spending their money well.”

Holmes said he’s hopeful the new middle school will go to bid between April and mid-summer, and break ground this year.

If the three-year levy passes, it will be used to pay for extra curricular activities, technology, food service, transportation, maintenance, career and technical education and music.

“Without levies, all of this stuff goes away,” he said. “No district without levies can be the kind of district a community wants.”