Some folks might think of Melissa Etheridge as “the female Bruce Springsteen,” but as far as her die-hard fans are concerned, Bruce is only the male Melissa Etheridge.

Etheridge, the raspy-voiced rocker whose songs range from fierce declarations of love and longing to battle cries for progressive politics, will play a concert July 31 in the Cowlitz Ballroom at ilani. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday for $35 and $55.

Etheridge was born in Leavenworth, Kan., and she started playing the guitar at age 8. Her intense, confessional style is sometimes called “heartland rock,” but folks in the heartland may not have realized that Etheridge is a lesbian until she said so publicly. That was in 1993, long before homosexuality had gained anything like general acceptance in American culture — but Etheridge’s rock ‘n’ roll star was rising fast by then. Ironically, the album release where she declared herself a lesbian, “Yes I Am,” is the same album release that made her a mainstream rock star.

Etheridge has been nominated for Grammy awards 15 times, and won twice; she also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “I Need to Wake Up,” which was featured in Al Gore’s climate change documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.” While known as a soulful rocker, Etheridge has also made a name for herself as an activist for LGBTQ and environmental causes. She was open about her battle with breast cancer, her endorsement of medical cannabis and the fact that her tour bus got busted in 2017 at the U.S./Canada border. (She was carrying cannabis oil, which she said she takes for post-op cancer pain.)

Now, Etheridge is back with a new album called “The Medicine Show.” Some critics have wondered if the big, rocking album is Melissa Etheridge trying a little too hard to sound like Melissa Etheridge — but many more critics and fans are lapping it up. “The Medicine Show” reached No. 1 on the Americana/folk album charts in April.

“Calling the album `The Medicine Show’ puts straight up, front and center, that this is about health, wellness … however you want to understand it,” Etheridge said. “It influences every song on the album.”

If You Go

What: Melissa Etheridge.

When: 8 p.m., July 31.

Where: Cowlitz Ballroom at ilani, 1 Cowlitz Way, Ridgefield.

Tickets: $35 or $55.

On the web: ilaniresort.com

Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, introduced a bill that would allow reserve medical officers to defer their mandatory retirement if the military determines a need for their continued service.

The Reserve Medical Officer Parity Act, introduced Tuesday, gives military department secretaries authority to postpone a reserve officer’s retirement by granting the same extension offered to officers in the regular commissioned military.

Currently, all reserve medical officers are required to retire at 68. In the Army, about half of the total medical officers are in the reserves.

“Congress should give the military the tools it needs to ensure troop readiness, and an important part of that is providing our service members with quality medical care in a timely manner while serving,” Herrera Beutler said in a media release. “When the military has a need for more doctors, medical specialists and surgeons, they should be able to extend reserve medical officers’ service to help meet that need.”

The bill would allow each branch of the military to extend a medical reserve officer’s retirement age past 68 if they determine a need for more medical personnel. The status and length of an individual officer’s deferment would be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Angie Riesterer, a spokesperson for Herrera Beutler’s office, clarified the officer would need to give his or her consent to continue serving if the military chooses to retain the officer past retirement age. It wouldn’t be a top-down decision.

According to the media release from Herrera Beutler, the issue of forced retirement was first raised by Dr. Mike Kelly, a Vancouver surgeon who served in the reserves.

“I served as a surgeon in the reserves beginning after 9/11 with multiple overseas deployments and continued actively in my local hospital unit,” Kelly said in the press release. “When I applied to extend my service after the retirement age, I was told that the law governing military matters prevented me from continuing in service to the country, the Army and our unit.

“Herrera Beutler’s bill is important for those in the reserves who are capable and want to continue serving their country,” Kelly continued.

The Reserve Medical Officer Parity Act is the latest of the congresswoman’s narrowly targeted bills designed to improve military affairs.

Earlier this year, Herrera Beutler introduced H.R. 1448, which would expand a home mortgage loan program to active-duty Purple Heart recipients.

The legislation would waive the funding fee, up to $10,000, for a Department of Veterans Affairs home loan program among current military members who were wounded in action. Currently, the fee waiver is only available to veterans, not active-duty service members. The change would affect around 8,000 people nationwide.

Before that, Herrera Beutler’s Protecting Military Honor Act would have established a confidential process among military discharge review boards, so that sexual assault survivors who served in the military could contest the terms and characterization of their discharge. The bill has been sitting in committee since July 2017.

The city of Battle Ground warned residents Wednesday of a recent rash of vehicle prowls and several vehicle thefts.

Battle Ground police officers responded to a dozen reports of people prowling vehicles and three car thefts Monday and Tuesday in multiple neighborhoods, according to a city Facebook post.

The Crystal Springs neighborhood, in northeast Battle Ground, was “hit especially hard,” the post says.

Officers are actively working the case but have asked for the public’s help. Anyone who hears or sees any suspicious person or vehicle between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. should call 911.

If anyone has information about earlier suspicious activity, they should call 311.

Residents and businesses are being asked to review security video from earlier this week, between the hours of 1:30 to 4 a.m. Particularly, police are seeking footage from places in Crystal Springs and the southeast section of the city, from Parkway Avenue to Grace Avenue, and Main Street to Eaton Boulevard.

“The suspect(s) in this criminal activity appear to be especially bold — do not confront anyone you may suspect; call 911. Be sure to always lock your vehicle and remove any valuables,” the city said.

Port of Vancouver CEO Julianna Marler lauded recent accomplishments and highlighted upcoming redevelopment of the port’s property west of the Interstate 5 Bridge during her “Port Report” Thursday.

“The port is working to redevelop our 10 acres of waterfront property into a community asset featuring a public marketplace, retail and office space, a new hotel, renovated piers, riverbank and trail, public places to gather, public art and much more,” Marler told about 100 people at WareHouse ’23.

Marler said the port’s work at Terminal 1 will include extending the popular Waterfront Renaissance Trail.

“We will continue to reach out to those interested in our Terminal 1 development, including potential vendors for the public marketplace, the arts community and the growing river cruise industry,” she said.

Jerry Oliver, president of the port’s three-member board of commissioners, also singled out the upcoming work at Terminal 1, which he said will transform the site.

“We’re not sure, at least I’m not exactly sure, what that’s going to look like,” he said. “But I’m here to tell you, with a salesman’s enthusiasm, it’s going to look great.”

Oliver, who was first elected in 2007, is wrapping up his second six-year term on the port commission and is not seeking re-election. Two candidates, Jack Burkman and Dan Barnes, have filed for the nonpartisan position.

“These 12 years,” Oliver said, “have been the most gratifying of my 60-plus-year business career.”

Thursday’s hourlong event was punctuated by short videos highlighting upcoming redevelopment of Terminal 1 and less weighty subjects, such as the port’s handling of grains needed to brew beer.

Absent from Thursday’s event was any reference to the nasty fight over building the nation’s largest crude-by-rail oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver, which Gov. Jay Inslee rejected in January 2018. Environmental activists continue to press port commissioners to enact a policy pledging not to build any bulk fossil fuel terminals at the port, something that also was not mentioned Thursday.

Instead, Marler devoted her speech to the port’s continued growth and economic contributions. The port primarily exports cargo, with about 84 percent leaving the U.S. and 16 percent coming in from other countries, she said.

During 2018, the port moved a record 8.1 million metric tons of grains, automobiles, steel and other cargo across its docks, an increase of 8 percent from the previous year, Marler said. Also in 2018, 391 vessels berthed at the port, a decrease of one vessel from 2017, she said.

“We’ve seen this number inch down over the last several years,” she said. “The Columbia River channel deepening project took the navigation channel from 39 to 43 feet, which means vessels can load more cargo (and) draft deeper. More cargo per vessel means more efficient operations and fewer annual vessel calls, even as our tonnage has gone up.”

Rail traffic continues to increase with the port having a second record year in a row, she said, with 67,734 rail cars in 2018 “carrying everything from grain and autos to wind blades and bentonite clay.”

For more than 15 years, the port has handled heavy wind blades and turbines, primarily because of its investment in two heavy lift cranes, Marler said.

“I am very pleased to announce that in late June, the port will receive the largest shipment of Vestas wind blades ever arriving in the U.S. and potentially globally on a single vessel,” she said to applause.

Marler mentioned the importance of international trade and referred to Washington as the “most trade-dependent state in the United States,” but she steered clear of any personal views about ongoing battles over tariffs and related issues.

Marler, however, did say the port was strongly supportive of replacing the I-5 Bridge.

“We have the only bridge that can stop traffic on the interstate corridor from Mexico to Canada for something as simple as a bridge lift for a sailboat,” she said. “This is an economic issue for our community, region and the entire West Coast.”

Battle Ground High School

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 10 at Battle Ground High School Gym, 300 N. Parkway Ave., Battle Ground, with 440 graduates.

Honors: Valedictorians are Julie Koskiniemi, Montzerrat Pantoja, Linnea Peldo, Anna Sarkinen, Anthony Tobias and Zachary Walters. Salutatorian is Samantha Brooks.

CAM Academy

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 12 at Prairie High School Auditorium, 11311 N.E. 119th St., Vancouver, with 49 graduates.

Baccalaureate: 3 p.m. June 9 at Peace Lutheran Church, 14208 N.E. 249th St., Battle Ground.

Honors: Valedictorian is Josiah Thulin and salutatorian is Jessica Barnes.

Camas High School

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 14 at Doc Harris Stadium, 841 N.E. 22nd Ave., Camas, with 525 graduates.

Baccalaureate: 7 p.m. June 12 at Grace Foursquare Church, 717 S.E. Everett St., Camas.

Honors: Valedictorian is Monica Yang Chang and salutatorian is Abigail Yuan-Shan Jiang.

Cascadia Technical Academy

Graduation: None. Students graduate from their sending high schools in each of the 10 member districts. Each Cascadia Tech program has its own end of year celebration. There are approximately 420 participating seniors who will be graduating from their respective schools.

Cedar Tree Classical Christian School

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 6 at Glenwood Community Church, 12201 N.E. 72nd Ave., Vancouver, with 11 graduates.

Honors: Valedictorian is Marissa Hunter and salutatorian is Annalise Peterson.

Columbia Adventist Academy

Graduation: 10 a.m. June 9 at Meadow Glade Seventh Day Adventist Church, 11001 N.E. 189th St., Battle Ground, with 22 graduates.

Baccalaureate: 11 a.m. June 8 at Meadow Glade Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Columbia River High School

Graduation: 8 p.m. June 12 at Sunlight Supply Amphitheater, 17200 N.E. Delfel Road, Ridgefield, with 305 graduates.

Baccalaureate: 5 p.m. June 9 at Columbia River High School Hoover Gym, 800 N.W. 99th St.

Top 5 percent: Natalie Black, Curran Connelly, Madelyn Dobbe, Grace Gordon, Ava Greer, Eva Hanes, Vy Lauren Huynh, Makenna John, Nathan Kessi, Madeline Kim, Symphony Koss, Zoe Luderman Miller, Mikayla Munger, Ivan Tarasenkov and Alicia Wallingford.

Evergreen High School

Graduation: 8:30 p.m. June 8 at McKenzie Stadium, 2205 N.E. 138th Ave., Vancouver, with 375 graduates.

Top 5 percent: Yekaterina Andriuschenko, Benjamin R. Betts, Fiola A. Castaneto, Lilith N. Douglas, Katelyn R. Ebert, Aenea I. Ferguson, Madison N. Fleming, Carolina Gomez, Kheara M. Hill, Davin V. Hing, Autumn I. Messenger, Krishna E. Mojica-Zavala, Rasema Residbegovic, Kai J. Sakota, Jacinto Silva-Alvarez, Tasmen G. Tanner, Vinh Q. Truong, Emily R. Vandeberg, Rachel M. Wellington and James D. Withers.

Firm Foundation Christian High School

Graduation: Held May 18 at Firm Foundation Christian School, 1919 S.W. 25th Ave., Battle Ground, with 22 graduates.

Honors: Valedictorian is Daniel Kogler and salutatorian is Brooklyn Warren. High honors (3.7-4.0 GPA) are August Helmes, Alyssa Jolma, Joshua Mueller, Katelyn Rommel, Katerina Sladko, Kayleigh Tingwall and Linnea Wilson; honors (3.3 to 3.69 GPA) are Esther Hume, Colton Close, Seth Graham and Darya Quint.

49th Street Academy

A transitional program of Evergreen School District that supports kindergarten through grade 12 students with 22 graduates.

Graduation: 12:30 p.m. June 6 at Mountain View High School, 1500 S.E. Blairmont Drive, Vancouver.

Fort Vancouver High School Center for International Studies

Graduation: 5 p.m. June 12 at Sunlight Supply Amphitheater, 17200 N.E. Delfel Road, Ridgefield, with 289 graduates.

Senior Awards ceremony: 6 p.m. June 6 at Fort Vancouver High School Center for International Studies Auditorium, 5700 E. 18th St., Vancouver.

Top 5 percent: Melissa Blanco Vargas, Marija Borovkova, Paulina Y. Gelever, Anna L. Harrison, Justine K. Jacob, Kristina A. Kaizer, Dina A. Kaizer, Jessica Kharitonenko, Anna T. Nguyen, An Nguyen, Rheanna M. Nortz, Emily K. Phelps, Lindsay M. Saint-Fort, and Fu-Pei Shen.

Hayes Freedom High School

Graduation: 2 p.m. June 15 at Liberty Middle School Gym, 1612 N.E. Garfield Street, Camas, with 32 graduates.

Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School

Graduation: 5 p.m. June 7 at McKenzie Stadium, 2205 N.E. 138th Ave., Vancouver, with 130 graduates.

Top 10 percent: Amelia Bahl, Brooke Billiar, Ridge Bynum, Steven Dearey, Ellis Donaghey, Cali Dorszynski, Willy Tuan Ha, Mia Levy, Nicole Nugent, Christia Salmo, Mary Smith, Ramiz Tanous, and Tyler Yoon.

Heritage High School

Graduation: 4 p.m. June 8 at McKenzie Stadium, 2205 N.E. 138th Ave., Vancouver, with 400 graduates.

Baccalaureate: 4 p.m. June 2 at Faith Center Church, 11608 N.E. 107th St., Vancouver.

Hockinson High School

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 13 at Hockinson High School, 16819 N.E. 159th St., Brush Prairie, with 149 graduates.

Baccalaureate: 6 p.m. June 12 at Hockinson High School.

Hudson’s Bay High School

Graduation: 5 p.m. June 13 at Sunlight Supply Amphitheater, 17200 N.E. Delfel Road, Ridgefield, with 304 graduates.

Top 5 percent: Madelyn Barnes, Fernanda Cerrillos Anzar, Maya Cooney, Aldryn De Leon, Gabriela Heras Ruiz, Olivia Hewett, Jenna Porter, Thomas Shackelford, Nazariy Simonchuk, Michelle Vargas-Vargas.

King’s Way Christian High School

Graduation: 1 p.m. June 8 at Vancouver Church, 3600 N.E. 78th St., Vancouver, with 41 graduates.

Honors: Valedictorian is Sarah Turcic and salutatorian is Justin Pilgrim. Graduating with honors are Katrina Cloyes, Brett Filuk, Robert Granlund, Abigail Horch, Amber Kolb, Hannah Moats, Rachel Page, Kate Roseburrough, Tyra Schroeder, Riley Singleton, Seth Woody, Kira Zook and Lacey Zook.

La Center High School

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 8 at La Center Community Stadium, 725 N.E. Highland Road, La Center, with 128 graduates. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the La Center High School Gymnasium, same address.

Baccalaureate: 4 p.m. June 2 at La Center High School Commons.

Honors: Valedictorians are Loren Michael Brown, James Patrick Carmona, and Catherine Audrey Peterson. Salutatorian is Meredith Esther Seppanen. Top 5 percent are Loren Michael Brown, James Patrick Carmona, Catherine Audrey Peterson, Meredith Esther Seppanen, Jackson Charles Leavitt, Lexi Lynn Bellikka and Jane Scott Lambert.

Legacy High School

Graduation: 6 p.m. June 6 at Evergreen High School Gymnasium, 14300 N.E. 18th St., Vancouver, with 83 graduates.

Honors: Valedictorian is Angelica Petriyenko; top GPAs: Jaden Torson, Kyle Cardin, Erin Krummes-Gollehon, Maia Hays, Rachel Manglona and Noah Gress.

Mountain View High School

Graduation: 8:30 p.m. June 7 at McKenzie Stadium, 2205 N.E. 138th Ave., Vancouver, with 490 graduates.

Baccalaureate: 4 p.m. June 2 at Mountain View High School, 1500 S.E. Blairmont Drive, Vancouver.

Top 5 percent: Veronica Armendariz, Keegan M. Boys, Kaiden R. Brar, Elijah T. Carino, Audrey Y. Chang, Emma A. Dacus, Lilah Q. Favour, Grace C. Garmire, Gabrielle L. Harper, Isaac P. Harvey, Dylan Imayama, Jain Anusha, Sean E. Knight, Kalyani Kukkadapu, Darius E. Leahu, Madeline M. Legate, Eunie H. Lim, Anna B. Lu, Tyler P. Nguyen, Sruthi Ravi, Marin A. Rivera, Lily Shiuan, Spencer E. Thompson, Isaac J. Volk, Yaying Wang, Cierra J. Wells, Daniel Yang, Elyn Q. Ye, Kestutis E. Zalpys and Tenzin T. Zingkha.

Prairie High School

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 11 at Battle Ground High School, 300 W. Main St., Battle Ground, with 300 graduates.

Baccalaureate: 6 p.m. June 9 at Prairie High School, 11311 N.E. 119th St., Vancouver.

Honors: Valedictorian is Jayson Maddux. Salutatorians are Justine Ingemanson and Brooke Walling.

Ridgefield High School

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 7 at Ridgefield High School, 2630 S. Hillhurst Road, Ridgefield, with 192 graduates.

Top 3 percent: Ian Abrams, Amy Bishop-Smith, Sabrina Black, Cameron Bosell, Ashley Hunter and Jonathan Zogbi.

River HomeLink High School

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 6 at Prairie High School, 11311 N.E. 119th St., Vancouver, with 83 graduates.

Baccalaureate: 2:30 p.m. June 6 at Brush Prairie Baptist Church, 11814 N.E. 117th Ave., Vancouver.

Honors: Valedictorian is Kayleen Yandell. Salutatorians are Alina Fabyanchuk and Tanner Grieson.

Seton Catholic College Preparatory High School

Graduation: Held June 1 at Seton Catholic College Preparatory High School, 9000 N.E. 64th Ave., Vancouver, with 49 graduates.

Baccalaureate: Held May 31 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 400 S. Andresen Road, Vancouver.

Honors: Valedictorians are Joshua Parker Freitag, Bridget Helena Kasch and Alysia Tiffany King.

Skyview High School

Graduation: 8 p.m. June 13 at Sunlight Supply Amphitheater, 17200 N.E. Delfel Road, Ridgefield, with 485 graduates.

Baccalaureate: None.

Top 5 percent: Isabella Ann Abbruzzese, Gage Conner Blackwood, Anthony Young Chae, Ashlyn Nicole DeBoever, Hailey Jane Donovan, Mikael Justin Mendioro Duldulao, Annika Jayne Epperly, Sophie Marie Friauf, Grace Nicole Fulfer, Morgan Anne Jeffs, Ojasvi Kamboj, Emily Catherine Kophs, Maura Josephine Martin, Anna G. Mottola, James Robinson Churchill Muse, Harrison Alexander Nabors, Allison Wells Owen, AmberLeigh Summer Packard, Samantha Lynn Parker, Kristian Philip Pedersen, Chloe Qian Richter, Natalie Maureen Sacker, John David Sbur, Austin Scott-Clifford Sickles, Rillora Spiering and Raymond Eliseo Tommasini.

Stevenson High School

Graduation: 1 p.m. June 8 at Stevenson High School, 390 N.W. Gropper Road, Stevenson, with 73 graduates.

Honors: Valedictorian is Isaac Hoidal and salutatorian is Emilyann Franklin.

Summit View High School

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 7 at Prairie High School, 11311 N.E. 199th St., Vancouver, with 116 graduates.

Union High School

Graduation: 11 a.m. June 8 at McKenzie Stadium, 2205 N.E. 138th Ave., Vancouver, with 495 graduates.

Baccalaureate: 4 to 5 p.m. June 2 at Union High School Auditorium, 6201 N.W. Friberg Strunk St., Camas.

Top 5 Percent: Mariah Lynn Bandit, Kiyomi G. Boyes, Charles A. Caplice, Lilly A. Caplice, Imani Justus Chapin, Madelyne Adele Cole, Shawn Michael Gowans, Aaron Robert Greene, Ayaka Alisa Hicks, James Hu, Hayoung Jung, Rachel Grace Kinkley, Alex Robert Koga, Prithvi Krishnaswamy, Ryan Kwon, William Lin, Phillip Zhao Meng, Kaitlyn Grace Milliken, Brandon Peter Phelon, Andrew Gregory Ripley-Suiter, Layton Scott Rushing, Gurbaj Sarai, Madison Alexis Schalk, Makayla M. Schilling, Jenny Pan Wang and Michael Edward Weatherford.

Vancouver School of Arts and Academics

Graduation: 8 p.m. June 14 at Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, 3101 Main St., Vancouver, with 66 graduates.

Vancouver Flex Academy

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 14 at Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E. 18th St., Vancouver, with 20 graduates.

Top 10 percent: Alexandra Attebery and Joy Cowan.

Vancouver iTech Preparatory

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 17 at Royal Durst Theatre, 3101 Main St., Vancouver, with 39 graduates.

Top 5 percent: Tyson Boatman and Nellie Ivanov.

Washington State School for the Blind

Graduation: 9 a.m. June 13 at Irwin School Building, 2289 E. McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver, with three graduates.

Washington School for the Deaf

Graduation: 6:30 p.m. June 12 at Washington School for the Deaf, 611 Grand Blvd., Vancouver, with nine graduates.

Opening speaker is Don Adelbert Redford IV and closing speaker is Ashantay Mai Ngoc Truong.

Washougal High School

Graduation: 5 p.m. June 8 at Fishback Stadium, 1201 39th St., Washougal, with 210 graduates.

Baccalaureate: 2 p.m. June 1 at Gateway Community Church, 1235 E St., Washougal.

Honors: Valedictorians are Beyonce M. Bea, Ryan J. Davy, Amelia K. Pullen, and Paige K. Wilson. Salutatorian is Audrey N. Flock; top 5 percent: Benjamin J. Adams, Griffen D. Agnello, Emily R. Johnson, Jadyn L. Kuhn, Layci J. Livengood, Jaden R. Moore, and Troy A. Prince-Butterfield.

Woodland High School

Graduation: 7 p.m. June 7 at Woodland High School, 1500 Dike Access Road, Woodland, with 164 graduates.

Baccalaureate: 3 p.m. June 2 at Woodland High School. 

Drivers getting on Interstate 205 northbound near Vancouver Mall are in for a change starting with Monday’s afternoon rush hour.

The Washington State Department of Transportation will activate ramp meters, from state Highway 500 and Northeast Fourth Plain Boulevard, onto the freeway for the evening commute.

Bigger changes are in store for commuters next year when WSDOT installs meters on five onramps to Interstate 5 southbound, at Northeast 78th Street, Main Street, 39th Street, Fourth Plain Boulevard and Mill Plain Boulevard.

Ramp meters are mini signals used during rush hour and other peak travel periods to control the frequency of vehicles entering the freeway. Typically, ramp meters give alternate green lights to two lanes of vehicles queuing to get onto the freeway.

WSDOT says ramp meters are part of a broader strategy to move more freeway traffic during peak periods. According to the agency, ramp meters are a cost-effective technique to avoid flooding the freeway with too many vehicles, which eases congestion, reduces rear-end and sideswipe crashes, and delays the need for costly freeway-widening projects.

The two ramp meters to be activated Monday are just north of where Fourth Plain Boulevard crosses over I-205. The project is expected to cost about $540,000.

“During peak evening travel times, the onramp to northbound I-205 becomes a choke point as several drivers try to merge onto the freeway simultaneously,” said Mike Southwick, a WSDOT traffic engineer. “Ramp meters will help improve travel times and safety by breaking up traffic and allowing smoother merging onto the highway.”

WSDOT is still dialing in when the ramp meters will be used, with 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays providing a general time frame, Southwick said. The meters could automatically turn on during other periods of heavy congestion, with WSDOT’s traffic management center monitoring traffic flow using cameras and other technology, he said.

Southwick said he expects WSDOT will also put ramp meters from Mill Plain Boulevard onto I-205 northbound “in the near future.”

Currently, the only ramp meters in Clark County are at the confluence of two onramps to I-5 southbound, from state Highway 14 westbound and from downtown Vancouver near Fifth and Washington streets. Those meters have been used since January 1998.

The upcoming work to install ramp meters for I-5 southbound will have a bigger effect on commuters and a hefty price tag: $4 million to $5 million.

Southwick said construction could begin this fall and will include “active traffic management” elements, such as message signs over travel lanes displaying information about lane closures, advisory speeds and travel times.

Another part of the project is restriping the onramp from Highway 14 westbound to I-5 southbound to two travel lanes. That will create a three-lane ramp meter for vehicles getting onto the freeway near the north end of the Interstate 5 Bridge.

WSDOT hasn’t decided if it will turn on all five ramp meters at once or one at a time, Southwick said. It also hasn’t decided precisely when the ramp meters would be used, with 5:30 to 9 a.m. weekdays providing a general time frame.

The I-5 ramp meters will be in the test mode for about 20 days, with current plans calling for them to go live in July 2020, said Celeste Dimichina, a WSDOT spokeswoman.

That schedule is so the meters would be fully operational before the September 2020 trunnion replacement on the I-5 Bridge. The project is expected to close the bridge’s northbound span for up to two weeks as construction crews replace a 20-inch axle that helps turn the wheels used to raise and lower the drawbridge.

Drivers who are unaccustomed to ramp meters should pull up to the white line and stop if the signal is red. When the signal turns green, they should merge onto the freeway. Only one vehicle is allowed to proceed per green.

When ramp meters are not on, drivers can proceed without stopping.

Did You Know?

• Ramp meters were first installed in the 1960s on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290) in Chicago.

• Today, 17 states, plus Washington, D.C., have ramp meters.

• Three metropolitan areas — Los Angeles, Minneapolis and San Francisco — have more than 300 ramp meters.

SOURCE: Federal Highway Administration

WOODLAND — There are two upcoming vacancies on the Woodland Planning Commission, and city officials are looking for residents to apply for the volunteer positions.

The first seat’s term begins June 5, and the six-year term runs until June 5, 2025. The second position’s term starts June 30 and runs until June 30, 2025.

The commission typically meets at 7 p.m. the third Thursday of each month. Other meetings might be required as deemed necessary. Anyone interested can pick up an application at City Hall, 230 Davidson Ave., or apply online at www.ci.woodland.wa.us by 5 p.m. June 7. The seats will remain open until filled.

Grandpa’s old apple tree has a whole new meaning.

This year, Washington became the first state in the U.S. to legalize natural organic reduction, a process of converting human remains into soil that has been casually referred to as “human composting.”

Senate Bill 5001 offers two new post-death alternatives to burial and cremation, the only legal options available in Washington.

“The main purpose is to provide more options to people in terms of how they can dispose of their own remains and those of their loved ones,” said state Sen. Jamie Pedersen, the Seattle Democrat who pre-filed the bill. “There are people who are very troubled by the environmental consequences with the current means of disposing with remains.”

In addition to natural organic reduction, or recomposition, as it is called in S.B. 5001, the bill also allows a process called alkaline hydrolysis, which dissolves bodies using potassium hydroxide or lye in a pressurized vessel. Alkaline hydrolysis is already legal in more than 15 states, but recomposition likely isn’t legal anywhere in the world, according to a New York Times story.

“It’s just amazing that we have this completely universal experience of dying and we live in a world that has been transformed over 100 years, or 50 years, or 10 years, or even five years by technology — and yet technology has not really helped us with this universal experience of what to do with dead bodies,” Pedersen said. “Because the law continues to say — or at least it will until next May — continues to say that the only permitted means of disposing with remains are burial and burning, which have been with us for thousands of years.”

Pedersen said cremation and burial are more costly and worse for the environment than recomposition, which involves placing a body in a vessel with mostly wood chips and straw. The vessel is then turned gently over 30 days and a stream of warm air is applied, Pedersen said, with about two wheelbarrows worth of soil returned at the end.

Families can then spread that material as they see fit, said Katrina Spade, who founded Recompose and aims to open the first recomposition facility in Seattle in late 2020.

“We have this beautiful, nutrient-rich soil, let’s go grow a tree that generations of our family can know came from this one person. It’s a really nice way to leave a legacy,” Spade said.

Spade explained that for every person who chooses recomposition over cremation or burial, about a metric ton of carbon will be saved. Washington State University conducted a study last year on six donated bodies and found that recomposition is safe and effective. Pedersen said that at a bill hearing, one woman who was a friend of one of those six who donated their body, testified her friend found comfort in leaving the Earth in an environmentally friendly way. That woman’s soil was spread in a garden.

“On the one hand, it’s sacred. It feels very important, the material we’re creating,” Spade said of the soil. “On the other hand, it’s just soil. We get to cease to be human in the process. Molecular change happens, and we get to be back to nature. It’s an interesting paradox to be very simply dirt and be sacred.”

Spade started pondering recomposition in graduate school while considering her own mortality, and how she wasn’t fond of either cremation or burial.

State Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, also sponsored the bill. Pedersen called her an “early and enthusiastic” proponent of the bill. Rivers didn’t respond to calls or a text from The Columbian. Spade said people from Clark County can send remains to the Seattle facility and have the soil returned to them.

Pedersen said the response to the bill has been generally positive. It passed the House and Senate easily with bipartisan support. Pedersen said some concerns come from not understanding the process of recomposition.

“Part of the problem is that a lot of people when they hear ‘composting’ have this vision in their mind of Uncle Mel or grandpa being thrown out in the backyard in a heap of food scraps with the extra carrots and beef stew tossed on top of him left to rot,” Pedersen said. “Obviously, that’s very different from the process that’s approved.”

Pedersen has heard from government officials in California and as far away as New York, who are interested in recomposition. He thinks the idea will continue to spread. He added that he would consider recomposition when he dies, although he called himself traditional and said he still might like some kind of marker with his soil. Spade knows this is the option she wants.

“This is the option I want, but I think the caveat is I would like to stick around for another 30, 40, 50 years,” Spade said with a laugh. “So it’s hard for me to really put myself in that position, but I absolutely would choose to be reduced via natural organic reduction for sure.”

To Learn More

If you’d like to learn more about natural organic reduction, visit: https://www.recompose.life/.

A June 12 workshop will provide ranchers and other landowners with techniques and practices to keep their pastures greener, healthier and more productive,

Gary Fredricks, a Washington State University Clark County Extension livestock and forage specialist, will discuss methods, costs and equipment to renovate pastures.

Fredricks also will cover reseeding techniques, grass and forage options, and grazing practices to improve pasture and water quality.

Reference materials will be provided to workshop participants, who are invited to bring hay samples with them for help in evaluating their forage’s quality.

The Small Acreage Program, co-sponsored by WSU Clark County Extension and Clark County Public Works’ Clean Water Program, will provide handouts, and answer landowners’ questions at the Pasture Management and Improvements workshop.

The workshop is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. June 12 at the La Center Community Center, 1000 E. Fourth St. Cost is $10 per person, plus a $1.49 service fee, and class size is limited. Registration is available online at pasture2019.bpt.me.

For more information, contact Teresa Koper at 564-397-5729, or by email at teresa.koper@wsu.edu.

The city of Vancouver is seeking to fill a vacant position on its Civil Service Commission.

The commission consists of three citizen members who oversee the administration of rules guiding employee hiring and discipline within the city government. The group meets 8 to 9 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at Vancouver City Hall.

To be eligible, an applicant needs to have lived within Vancouver for at least the last three years. The chosen applicant will serve until October 2025.

Apply online at cityofvancouver.us/boards. To request an application or for more information, contact Michelle Bartley via mail at P.O. Box 1995, Vancouver, WA 98668-1995, via email at michelle.bartley@cityofvancouver.us or by calling 360-487-8607.

Applications are due 5 p.m. June 28. Links to past Civil Service Commission meeting minutes and agendas are available at cityofvancouver.us/csc.

Why: UnPhogettable opened approximately a month ago in the strip mall on the corner of Highway 99 and Northeast 99th Street in the space once occupied by 7-Eleven. It brings another fast-casual, family-friendly restaurant serving traditional Vietnamese dishes to Clark County and is open seven days a week.

What I tried: My dining companion and I chose the beef short ribs to start. We settled on the Bun Xao Chay, the Pho Chin Nam and the grilled pork Banh Mi to complete our meal.

The beef short ribs are cut across the bone, which leaves a bone disc in each piece. The portion was generous enough to share among three people, and the meat was deliciously marinated, but it was quite fatty and difficult to eat.

The pho we ordered was made with brisket and flank. Again, the portion was large, even for a small bowl, and the flavor possessed that traditional aromatic appeal, but the meat was very fatty, which made it problematic to eat given the size of each piece of meat.

Bun Xao Chay is a vermicelli noodle dish with barbecue fried pork sausage. The dish comes with shredded iceberg lettuce, cucumber sticks, bean sprouts, julienne carrots, crushed peanuts and mint leaves, as well as a portion of fish sauce. The slices of sausage were interestingly square and reminded me of Spam. The flavor was very mild, and I would not have known it was barbecued but for the menu’s description. Overall, this dish was so-so.

The biggest disappointment of the meal was the grilled pork Banh Mi. Done right, I enjoy these sandwiches. I did not experience this at UnPhogettable. The sandwich contained a single stick of cucumber spanning the length of the bun, as well as a pepper, just a few (I could count them on one hand) julienned carrot pieces, and a portion of fatty pork and liver mayo that I had to open the sandwich to see. It was garnished with a sprig of cilantro. I compared it to the picture on the menu — obviously a stock photo and not even a close representation. The photo had, at least, four times the amount of meat, a plentiful balance of vegetables, all of which held the bun apart to an appetizing distance.

Menu highlights beyond what I tried: Salad rolls, coconut prawns and egg rolls are available. Pho comes with chicken, seafood, shrimp, flank, brisket, tripe, tendon and meatball, or vegetable options. Rice dishes are served with tomato and cucumber. The protein choices — beef, chicken, shrimp, pork, seafood and sausage — span the menu categories of traditional Vietnamese dishes.

Atmosphere: The first impression is appealing. It has a clean, open atmosphere with a bar-style feature in the center, where the cashier faces the entrance and seating wraps around. Large-screen TVs are mounted above for viewing from every table. Wood wainscot on the walls provides a handsome border, and walls are painted gray and white. Lighting consists of decorative brass shades above tables and halogen track lights elsewhere. Condiments are available at each table. The floor is sealed concrete and the ceiling is open to structural elements and painted gray. Tables and chairs are contemporary style in contrasting wood tones.

Other observations: I met my dining companion at the restaurant and ordered a Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk while I waited. I will never understand why a dine-in customer is served coffee in a to-go cup. This was the case here, and I had to ask for a mug to pour it in. Unfortunately, the coffee was not piping hot, either, though it did have that wonderful flavor that I am very fond of. If you have never had Vietnamese coffee, it tastes similar to Werther’s coffee candy. The service was attentive and the atmosphere is comfortable, but regarding the food, there is room for improvement in the selections I chose.

Cost: Appetizers cost $5.50 to $7.95. Sandwiches are $5.95. Fried rice costs $11.50. Pho options are $9.95 for the small bowl and $10.95 for the large bowl. There is also the House Special soup for $12.95. Kitchen specialties are $12.95. Entrees are $11.50 and $11.95. Rice dishes are $11.95 and $12.95. Vermicelli noodle options cost $11.95 and stir fried noodle options are $11.50.

Dining out guide: UnPhogettable

Where: 9900 N.E. Highway 99, Vancouver.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Contact: 360-448-7644.

UnPhogetable 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.

“We make a super fresh product, so it’s the same concept with the doughnut,” Treat Bakery owner Stephanie McNees explained. The doughnuts at Treat are similar to the brioche dough doughnuts filled with flavored pastry cream that are being made in most major cities (including at General Porpoise in Seattle).

McNees humbly said, “We literally make them the way you would make them at home.”

I guess if I was Christina Tosi, I would make a lean brioche dough, ferment it in the refrigerator for 18 to 20 hours, cut and roll each doughnut by hand, proof the dough for 60 to 90 minutes, deep fry it, and then pipe in fresh fillings. But I’m not a world-famous pastry chef; I can’t even make Tollhouse cookies that my kids will eat. When I want doughnuts this good, I go to Treat Bakery.

Treat has been serving doughnuts on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for the last couple of months. Adding doughnuts to Treat’s production of ice cream and baked goods was a challenge in Treat’s small space. And McNees refuses to compromise on her commitment to making everything fresh from scratch every day.

So to make doughnuts possible, the baked goods menu will be consolidated. Fear not, the Ding Dongs (despite the fact that it takes 26 steps to make them) will stay, and so will five of the most popular cookie varieties and the house-made ice cream. The plan is to offer doughnuts in the morning and ice cream and cookies starting at 11 a.m.

Treat’s doughnuts are a sugar-covered fried dough oasis in the doughnut desert known as downtown Vancouver. But don’t show up seeking crullers or fritters; Treat makes one type of doughnut — an airy brioche doughnut shell sprinkled with sugar and filled with pastry cream or jam. The pastry cream is made the night before and is inspired by the fillings Treat uses in its holiday pies. Vanilla bean, double dark chocolate, passion fruit, coconut cream and Nutella filled doughnuts will always be available, along with a rotating seasonal doughnut.

This summer, you may see strawberry rhubarb, marionberry, blueberry and peach. McNees explained, “We’re really excited for peach season. Once fresh fruit comes in, we’ll make them more of a sandwich style with whipped cream and fresh fruit.” In addition, McNees plans on offering doughnuts filled with Treat’s ice cream.

I came in at 10 a.m. on a Thursday. The glass case was filled with coconut cream, passion fruit, double dark chocolate, vanilla bean, Nutella, and Oregon marionberry doughnuts. I took one of each along with a salted chocolate chip cookie (for my son) and a Ding Dong (that may or may not still be around when my daughter gets home from school).

I sat and gazed at my bounty of doughnuts — one for every mood. The passion fruit is very popular and was my favorite. I had a passion fruit wedding cake and the doughnut’s fruity but slightly tart filling brings back fond memories.

If you aren’t up for any shenanigans, vanilla bean or double dark chocolate are good choices — straightforward, reliably delicious. Feeling continental? Try Nutella. Wish you were on a vacation in Hawaii? Try coconut cream. Ready to take a chance? Try the rotating seasonal offering. On this visit, it was an Oregon marionberry jam-filled doughnut. Jelly doughnuts have always been my favorite, but this jelly doughnut will make other jelly doughnuts jealous.

You can email Rachel at couveeats@gmail.com. You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook @couveeats.

If you go

What: Treat Bakery

Where: 210 W. Evergreen Blvd., Suite 600, Vancouver.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Closed on Monday.

Doughnuts served on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (and on Sundays in June).

Contact: 360-750-0811 or www.facebook.com/TreatVancouver

PORTLAND — It seemed like the whole world was watching “The Ed Sullivan Show” on Feb. 9, 1964. Except Lori Benton. Her parents “forced me to go to church on Sunday nights,” she said.

So Benton missed a major milestone in the history of Western civilization: The Beatles’ first appearance before the astonished eyes and ears of America.

She eventually gained some musical freedom. Benton remembers spinning pop, folk and blues 45s on her brother’s little turntable: Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

“It sure opened up a whole world beyond church hymns,” Benton laughed. “I became an avid rock ‘n’ roll fan. It was fabulous.”

Benton recently relocated from Portland to Vancouver, but she was back downtown, at the Oregon Historical Society Museum, on a recent afternoon to visit a fun, impressively thorough traveling exhibit about the Fab Four’s early, touring years. The exhibit remains on display through Nov. 12 — featuring rare American tour memorabilia, TV and film clips, audio interviews with Beatles, their professional colleagues and their star-struck fans; there are even a couple of interactive opportunities to sit in for Ringo on drums and vocals.

Museum marketing manager Rachel Randles said music lovers of every age have been pouring through the door. The music and story of The Beatles just never seems to get old, she said.

“They are a powerful, multigenerational force,” Randles said. “We’ve been amazed to see a huge uptick in visitors since this exhibit opened.”

On a weekday afternoon, most exhibit visitors were sufficiently gray on top to cherish their own firsthand memories of Beatlemania, a disease that infected much of the world from 1964 to 1966.

“As they matured, so did I,” said Jill Hibbs, visiting from Oregon City, Ore.

“I’m going to have to go back and listen again,” said Joan Smith of Portland, a married mom who couldn’t afford to buy records in those days — but who vividly remembers dancing with her children when The Beatles rocked her radio. “The Beatles are deep in my soul,” she said.

Jackets and contracts

Some of the artifacts in this exhibit are large as life and instantly recognizable. A stage set of the band’s guitars and drums is arranged in proper iconic fashion, with George and John’s electric six-strings pointed this way, left-handed Paul’s violin bass pointed that way, Ringo’s shiny, miniature Ludwig drum kit behind. See the tan jacket (complete with sheriff’s star) that Paul wore at the record-setting Shea Stadium concert as well as at the Portland show, and the black jacket sported by Ringo while ambling across Abbey Road for that famous album cover. (The exhibit provides an Abbey Road backdrop for you to amble across too, while your bandmates snap photos.)

Other artifacts are easy to miss, unless you squint. Hidden among the many autograph cards, newspaper stories, concert programs and gold records are a few song lists that were hand-scrawled by different Beatles and affixed to the edges of their guitars for quick reference. (Also here, in Paul’s hand on Atlantic City hotel stationery, is a draft of lyrics for a real non-hit, “What You’re Doing.” Remember that one? Didn’t think so.)

The exhibit even features a grab bag of artifacts from the Beatles’ own heroes and influences, including a guitar played by blues master B.B. King and, amazingly, the 1959 death certificate for Buddy Holly.

Look carefully for a couple of telling historical details. One concert-tour contract includes this rider: “The artists will not be required to perform in front of a segregated audience.” If you saw Ron Howard’s great Beatles-on-tour film, “Eight Days a Week,” you saw both Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney expressing outrage at the very idea of dividing fans by skin color.

The exhibit touches on a controversy that helped spur the Beatles to abandon live concerts and become a studio-only band: the reaction to John Lennon’s offhand remark, in March 1966, that the Beatles had grown “more popular than Jesus.” He meant this as a comment about religion versus mass media in people’s lives, but religious fundamentalists reacted with fury — and held Beatles record-burning parties. That summer, the Beatles permanently gave up touring.

If You Go

What: “Ladies and Gentlemen … The Beatles!”

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Exhibit on display: Now through Nov. 12.

Where: Oregon Historical Society Museum, 1200 S.W. Park Ave., Portland.

Admission: $10; $8 for teachers, students; $5 for 18 or under.

To learn more: https://www.ohs.org/

The East Fork of the Lewis River has been called an environmental jewel.

In reality, that jewel has been tarnished by more than a century of human activity.

Mining, logging, farming and residential development have taken their toll on the free-flowing river. Today, the East Fork is on the Washington State Department of Ecology’s polluted waters list for elevated water temperature and fecal coliform bacteria.

The Ecology Department has scheduled a town hall meeting for 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the La Center Grange, 328 W. Fifth St., to raise awareness, share information, answer questions and encourage property owners to support restoration efforts. The event is being hosted in partnership with Clark County Public Works, the city of La Center, Washington State University Clark County Extension, the Clark Conservation District and the Watershed Alliance of Southwest Washington.

Devan Rostorfer, an Ecology Department water quality specialist, said the meeting will be a good way for landowners to learn how they can help improve water quality.

“Our long-term goal is to support recreation and aquatic life so people can swim, fish and enjoy the East Fork Lewis River,” she said.

Ongoing restoration efforts have been bolstered by the East Fork Lewis River Partnership, a collaboration of local, state, tribal and federal governments, nonprofit organizations, watershed groups, private industries and landowners.

The partnership has been meeting since August 2018. Multiple participants are expected to attend Monday’s town hall meeting in La Center.

43.5 miles long

The East Fork tumbles from the Cascades and flows west for 43.5 miles through Skamania and Clark counties before its confluence with the North Fork west of La Center.

The river’s watershed drains about 212 square miles. More than 75 percent of the watershed is in Clark County, with the river’s upper reaches in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Skamania County.

Water quality problems have been long documented. In 2010, Clark County released a stream health assessment that rated three tributaries — Lockwood, Mason and McCormick creeks — as being in “poor health,” with the overall East Fork watershed in “fair health.”

Rostorfer said the county’s findings are similar to the state’s conclusions, but there is still reason for optimism.

“There are opportunities to restore and make a difference in the watershed,” she said. “It isn’t degraded to a point that it is not recoverable. There are a lot of opportunities for salmon recovery.”

Animal, human waste

Fecal coliform bacteria is from human or animal waste entering the East Fork’s watershed. Potential sources include failing septic systems and excrement from wildlife, livestock and domestic dogs and cats. Storm runoff can pick up these contaminants and carry them to the river.

Elevated water temperatures can be caused by the loss of Douglas firs and other vegetation, which shade the river and drop woody debris in its channel. Both are important to provide clean, cold water and diverse habitat salmon and steelhead need to survive and spawn.

Richard Dyrland, president of Friends of the East Fork, said mining and other activities have added sediment to the river. Sedimentation has caused the East Fork to become wider and shallower, which in turn leads to higher water temperatures, he said.

“The river has become so wide,” said Jim Byrne, vice president of the local chapter of Trout Unlimited, “even if you have trees on the bank, the middle of the river is going to be in direct sunlight.”

Rostorfer said she has heard similar comments about the river’s width and depth, but the state has not studied that issue.

2018 assessment

In May 2018, the Ecology Department released its East Fork Lewis River Watershed Bacteria and Temperature Source Assessment Report, a pivotal document that initiated the current effort to improve water quality.

The 135-page report reached a number of conclusions, including:

• Fecal coliform levels increased from 2005 to 2016, although concentrations in the East Fork generally were within water quality standards, with the exception of part of the river’s lower watershed.

• Some of the highest fecal coliform concentrations are in McCormick and Brezee creeks in the La Center area.

• The upper portion of the East Fork’s watershed has the lowest water temperatures, and temperatures tend to get higher in the river’s lower watershed.

• A shade analysis found the biggest deficiencies were along a 4-mile stretch of the East Fork north of Battle Ground, which creates opportunities to increase vegetative shading in county parks, namely Lewisville and Daybreak regional parks, and publicly owned greenways.

Landowner cooperation

One of the primary aims of the effort is to work with property owners to address problems, such as livestock getting into creeks feeding the East Fork or homeowners failing to maintain or replace septic systems.

“Part of this is trying to break down the public perception of Ecology,” Rostorfer said. “A lot of people are alarmed if Ecology or Clark County shows up on their property.”

Although Ecology can swing its regulatory stick, Rostorfer said “voluntary cooperation is ideal.” The department may be able to provide funding to help landowners pay for livestock fencing and build alternate watering facilities.

“We are really focused on private landowner outreach,” she said. “We need people who are willing to implement best management practices for water quality on their property. We are looking for willing landowners who are interested in riparian planting on their property.”

It can take decades before newly planted trees along the river can make a difference in water temperatures, Rostorfer said.

“The long-term solution for lowering temperatures in the East Fork will be multifaceted,” she said. “By making efforts to plant trees on both public and private property and add woody debris to the watershed, there are opportunities to lower temperatures.”

If You Go

What: Town hall meeting on water quality in East Fork of the Lewis River.

When: 6 to 8 p.m. Monday.

Where: La Center Grange, 328 W. Fifth St.

More information on East Fork restoration: ecology.wa.gov/EastForkLewisRiver

Report Pollution

The Washington State Department of Ecology encourages residents to report pollution and other environmental issues online, ecology.wa.gov/ReportAnIssue, or by telephone, 360-407-6330.

Doctors told 24-year-old Alexandrew Harner that the impact from the vehicle that struck him from behind caused his spine to “snap like a log,” family members said.

Harner was skateboarding on Northwest 99th Street in front of Columbia River High School on Tuesday night when he was hit by a Pontiac minivan traveling 30 mph, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office has not identified Harner, but his family spoke with The Columbian on Friday partly because his recovery will be lengthy and will cause financial hardships for a growing family.

Amanda Kessel — Harner’s girlfriend’s mother, who referred to herself as his mother-in-law as they’re close and the couple are engaged — said doctors relayed that chances are poor Harner will walk again.

“(Social Security) is his only income, and he has 6-month-old boy to care for,” Amanda Kessel said.

Clark County sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and medics responded about 9:30 p.m. to 800 N.W. 99th St. for a report of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash.

A man identified as a Vancouver resident was hit from behind while heading west on the road in a crouched position, sheriff’s Sgt. Scott Schanaker said.

The driver of the Pontiac was cooperative with investigators, Clark County Fire District 6 Battalion Chief Bryan Baum said. No arrests or citations were made. An on-duty sergeant said Friday that the case has been handed over to the traffic unit, but no other details were immediately available.

Harner lives with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD, as well as bipolar and schizophrenic disorders; he does not have a license, said Amanda Kessel. He uses his skateboard, bicycle and the bus to get around town, she said.

“He loves to skateboard. He goes everywhere on it,” she said.

Harner was headed to Amanda Kessel’s home, where his son is living, to say goodnight to the baby boy for a “6-month birthday,” Kessel said. He told Amanda Kessel he was westbound on 99th, riding crouched down in the bike lane. There were signs on the sidewalk, he told her.

A water main break in front of the high school has prompted ongoing repairs in the area. On Friday, work crews were out in full force, redirecting westbound traffic into a single lane. The sidewalk on the south side of the street was blocked off.

“The car hit him from behind, and that’s the last thing he remembers,” Amanda Kessel said.

Doctors rushed Harner into emergency surgery. They inserted a metal rod and four screws into his spine. They stitched up cuts on his face and head, said Angelea Kessel, Harner’s fiancee.

“He likes to be up and doing things all the time,” Angelea Kessel said, adding the new father may not be able to be active with his son, Skyler Mark Kessel-Harner, who was born prematurely and needs care of his own.

“I’ve been bedridden for three days. There’s no feeling in my legs,” Harner said from his hospital bed, before promptly getting off the phone, because nurses brought a wheelchair to offer him some mobility.

Amanda Kessel said Harner’s disability insurance will pay for some of his medical bills, but the crash will make things more difficult than they already were going. The couple are temporarily homeless; they couldn’t afford a place to live, Amanda Kessel said.

Treatment and accommodations that can help Harner live a normal life will also be needed.

“We could just really use some help, even advice for what’s best to do and how we can move forward,” said Amanda Kessel.

The family has set up a Fundraiser page on Facebook to help cover expenses. It can be found at https://www.facebook.com/donate/337210453645030/. They are also working to set up a Gofundme.

A Vancouver man who’s been convicted six times for driving under the influence is facing a new DUI allegation following a fender bender, according to court records.

Durbijay Sharma, 50, appeared Friday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of hit-and-run injury, DUI and first-degree driving with a suspended or revoked license.

At 1:30 a.m. Thursday, Vancouver police responded to a crash in the 13200 block of Southeast Seventh Street. The victim said his vehicle had been struck from behind, and the suspect vehicle fled. Police found a license plate from the suspect vehicle underneath the victim’s vehicle, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The victim suffered a small cut on his forehead and complained of neck pain, but he didn’t want to speak with medical personnel. He said he’d go to his personal physician, the affidavit says.

Police ran the license plate and obtained the address for the registered owner. Upon responding to the address, they located the suspect vehicle with Sharma sitting in the driver’s seat, court records state.

“The vehicle had substantial damage to the hood, which is consistent with rear-ending another vehicle,” the affidavit reads.

In an interview with police, Sharma said he didn’t’ recall crashing and wasn’t sure what happened. He said he was coming from a friend’s house to pick up his wife. While talking with police, Sharma had a difficult time maintaining his balance, and officers noted an odor of intoxicants coming from him. He also struggled to follow simple instructions and stay focused, according to court documents.

Sharma agreed to take field sobriety tests, including the horizontal gaze nystagmus, walk and turn, and one-leg stand; he performed poorly on each. He was then arrested on suspicion of DUI. Sharma denied he drank anything and said he doesn’t drink at all. He declined to give a breath or blood sample, the affidavit says.

A review of Sharma’s criminal history found he’s been convicted of DUI six times — five misdemeanors and one felony in July 2000, February 2001, May 2001, January 2006, October 2014 and December 2010, according to court records.

On Friday, Judge Daniel Stahnke set Sharma’s bail at $50,000. He will be arraigned June 12.

A Vancouver man who shared child pornography through Skype, an online communications app, was sentenced Friday to two years in prison.

Brian S. Heller, 67, previously pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to two counts of first-degree possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Heller’s attorney said before sentencing that his client was covering for someone else.

Skype flagged Heller’s account July 22, 2016, for uploading suspected child pornography and sent seven cybertips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The activity was believed to be coming from Vancouver, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The Vancouver Police Department’s Digital Evidence Cybercrime Unit began investigating and recovered at least 10 images of child pornography, depicting boys and girls between the ages of 2 and 10. The Skype account was later linked to an email and internet provider traced back to Heller’s residence, the affidavit says.

Upon serving a search warrant at Heller’s house, he told officers he knew why they were there and that it was for what was on his computer. In an interview, he admitted to using Skype to send child pornography to someone and believed his account was shut down afterward, court documents state.

Heller told investigators he looks at child pornography out of “boredom” and draws no distinction between children and adults, according to court records.

On Friday, Judge Bernard Veljacic agreed to follow the jointly recommended sentence of 26 months in prison. Heller was given credit for 36 days already served. He must register as a sex offender and is not to have contact with children.

A Vancouver man who possessed hundreds of images of child pornography was sentenced Friday to nearly four years in prison.

Jacob L. Bynum, 30, pleaded guilty April 25 in Clark County Superior Court to two counts of first-degree possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of first-degree viewing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

In February 2018, the Vancouver Police Department’s Digital Evidence Cybercrime Unit began investigating after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Dropbox, a file-hosting service, had reported a video containing suspected child pornography, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Dropbox provided investigators with several internet protocol, or IP, addresses associated with the account, which were later traced to Bynum, the affidavit says.

A re-constructed account belonging to Bynum held multiple folders containing photos and videos of girls, ranging in age from infant to pre-teen, being sexually abused, according to court documents. The images were downloaded and saved to the account over several months.

A forensic analysis found about 111 images of child pornography and 147 images that were difficult to determine the victims’ ages, court records state.

When contacted, Bynum admitted to investigators the Dropbox account was his and said he saved child pornography to the account. His cellphone was also seized, and child pornography was found on it, the affidavit says.

During sentencing, Bynum’s defense attorney, Darquise Cloutier, said her client was “surfing the web” when he accidentally came across child pornography. It triggered something, she said, and he started seeking out child pornography. Cloutier said Bynum was abused as a child.

“He realizes it was wrong,” she said.

Bynum apologized to the court, his family and friends for his behavior.

Judge Bernard Veljacic noted Bynum’s “good, repentant attitude” and agreed to follow the joint sentencing recommendation of 46 months in prison. Bynum was given credit for four days already served. He must register as a sex offender, undergo psychosexual treatment and is not to have contact with children.

Former Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard is stepping down from the Clark College Board of Trustees.

The announcement comes after several contentious months between the college and its faculty union, the Clark College Association of Higher Education. The college and union are in the midst of collective bargaining over salaries, and Pollard has gained a reputation for colorful outbursts at trustee meetings targeting union members.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Pollard. “Their demands are outrageous.”

Still, Pollard said his decision to step down has nothing to with the ongoing bargaining.

“I’ve been on the board for nine years, and I’m tired,” said Pollard. “Hell, I just turned 80 years old. I need to pay attention to my family.”

Pollard, who most recently served as board chair, was appointed by Gov. Christine Gregoire in 2010. His term was slated to end in 2021. Vice Chair Jane Jacobsen will serve as chair in the meantime. He issued his resignation on May 20 to be effective at the end of May.

Pollard said he needs to take care of his wife, who is in poor health, and spend more time with his children and grandchildren.

College spokeswoman Kelly Love reiterated that Pollard’s decision has nothing to do with recent board meetings or bargaining. Pollard has butted heads with union members in meetings, most recently calling out union President Kim Sullivan on May 22 for her six-figure salary.

He also told union members in January that if they didn’t travel to the state Legislature to advocate for new money for salary increases, “then shame on you.”

Union representatives did not return The Columbian’s requests for comment on Friday.

Pollard’s decision also comes within months of President Bob Knight’s retirement from the college. Knight, who is leaving Clark College after 13 years as its president, praised Pollard as a committed community leader. Pollard ended a long U.S. Army career as Commander of the Vancouver Barracks and served as Vancouver’s mayor from 1996 to 2010. He was named Clark County’s First Citizen in 2010.

“Royce has a long record of service to our country, our community and our college,” said Knight in a college news release. “He’s a steadfast and impassioned leader who has been instrumental in the growth of this community and this college. I think we all respect and honor his decision to put his family’s needs first.”

Pollard said he always intended to leave shortly after Knight, and he said it’s crucial that the new board member be there in time to help select his replacement. In his resignation letter to Gov. Jay Inslee, Pollard urged the governor to appoint a replacement before June 12, when the five-member board is tentatively slated to appoint an interim president.

“This is critical that we have the right kind of person on that board for the future,” Pollard said.

Finding a replacement on such a short timeline seems unlikely; Love said it can take months to appoint a new trustee. The board is slated to conduct interviews with interim presidential candidates next week.

Still, Clark College’s to-do list in the coming months is long. The college has requested a mediator from the Public Employment Relations Committee to help in union negotiations, and while trustees are not on the college’s bargaining team, they must ultimately approve the collective bargaining agreement. The board must also appoint a permanent president to replace Knight over the next year. Clark College announced in May that it selected Gold Hill Associates at a cost of $45,000 plus travel expenses to recruit a new president.

Hudson’s Bay — Clark Public Utilities received a national commendation from the American Public Power Association for its support in electric power restoration efforts around South Puget Sound and Western Oregon after the organization sent crews to assist Peninsula Light Co. and Pacific Power in February and early March. Those companies suffered widespread outages due to aggressive and repeated winter storms. A crew of four Clark Public Utilities linemen worked from Feb. 11 to 14 to restore power around Gig Harbor, clearing fallen trees and freeing downed power lines in forested terrain to restore power to Peninsula Light customers. From Feb. 25 to March 5, two crews and a superintendent were dispatched to Albany, Ore., and Roseburg, Ore., to work on lines located in extremely isolated and remote areas. Crews were required to carry in equipment on foot in Southwest Oregon, where residents had been without power for more than a week. “Once we ensured the safety and security of our own system and had confidence that the worst of the weather had missed the Southwest Washington region, we were quick to respond to requests for mutual aid assistance from our regional colleagues struggling to restore service to their customers,” Clark Public Utilities General Manager and CEO Wayne Nelson said in a release.