VAN MALL AREA TO GET NEW PARK * NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS GROUP HELPS REDEVELOP CAMP BONNEVILLE * ROSEMERE NEIGHBORS GETS THREE GRANTS * HAZEL DELL MAN PROPOSES BY LIGHTS * TREE LIGHTING SET AT VANCOUVER BARRACKS * MEN REPAIR BIKES FOR NEEDY KIDS * HEARTHWOOD STREETS GET SAFETY FUNDING * CARTER PARK ADDS CRIME WATCH EFFORT * NUTCRACKER TO PLAY IN CAMAS * PROJECT TO CLOSED NORTHEAST 78TH ST. * STOP SIGN SET FOR WEST MINNEHAHA

The Columbian (Vancouver, WA) December 14, 1995 | THE COLUMBIAN A new neighborhood park in the Van Mall is close to reality.

Dan George, manager for the Vancouver Parks and Recreation Department, said bids to develop the park will go out within the month.

George described the park’s location as the “last remaining open space on the west side of 72nd Avenue.” The park area actually includes an additional two acres on its west side, which is being used for street drainage.

The park will serve the Van Mall Neighborhood area, bordered by state Highway 500 to the south, Northeast Andresen Road to the west, Van Mall to the east and Van Mall Drive to the north.

Once completed, the park will include playground equipment, picnic tables and park benches.

The idea to build a park started three years ago, George said.

“The land acquisition stage took the longest,” he said.

“There has been such a flurry of development in this area, it made it very difficult to find a piece of property that stayed around long enough to be considered appropriate for a neighborhood.” The local Van Mall Neighborhood Association has been involved in park development process, and is working to come up with a name for the park, he said.

Jan Sorensen, Van Mall Neighborhood representative, said a special dedication ceremony is tentatively planned for June.

CAMP BONNEVILLE Folks in the Northeast Foothills community have gotten used to living near a military camp. Now they’re helping the area make a transition to civilian status.

Camp Bonneville, a 3,840-acre military camp southeast of Hockinson, will close by November 1998.

The Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA), comprised of the three Clark County Commissioners and planning/steering committees, has the task of finding out what to do with the camp.

The Northeast Foothills Landowners Association will also have its say. Jim Davis, the association’s new chairperson, said his No. 1 goal is to involve the neighborhood in the planning process. website free grant money

“People have a lot of ideas what to do with the camp, from a youth camp, to horse and even ATV trails even a conference center,” he said.

“We want to be proactive on issues of concern to this community so it’s important to be involved at this (early) stage.” A neighborhood representative will take an active role on LRA committees, Davis said.

Janice Davin, LRA coordinator, said the camp will most likely be used for two main purposes a park and recreation area and shooting ranges.

“We need to find ways to make the part self-sustaining,” she said.

“We hope the community can come up with some creative ideas.” The number of unexploded rounds in the area since the camp’s opening in 1917, limits the building alternatives on available open space, she said.

ROSEMERE One Vancouver neighborhood has found the key to free grant money simply apply for it.

The Rosemere Neighborhood Association submitted four grant proposals to the city of Vancouver and received funding for three of them totalling $557. Rosemere was the only neighborhood to apply for grants during the fall application period.

Rosemere will use the money to design its neighborhood exhibit to be on display at the annual Vancouver Neighborhoods Conference. The association will also use the money to sponsor a holiday event for Rosemere senior citizens and a holiday party for neighborhood children, fifth grade and under.

Sue Sugg, representing the Office of Neighborhoods, said a matching grant fund can be used for just about everything, from playground equipment to sponsoring emergency preparedness seminars. To be eligible, the applicant must be an official neighborhood association, have non-profit status, and present an idea that has a direct benefit to the neighborhood.

To apply, call the Office of Neighborhoods at 696-8222.

Neighborhoods will have three deadlines March, May and Oct. 1 to apply for 1996 matching grant funds.

HAZEL DELL It was far different than last year’s 35-foot Christmas tree. This year, Mike Kroon used his annual yuletide display to propose to his future wife.

Every year, Kroon takes pride in transforming his home into a winter wonderland thousands of lights illuminating the I-205 freeway.

He loves sending a message of Christmas cheer to everyone traveling north into the Hazel Dell area.

This year’s message was much more personal.

Above the 12,000 lights in his front yard, and in the middle of a 50-foot lighted archway spelling “Happy Holidays” in red, Kroon placed these words: “Debbie, Will You Marry Me?” He boldly entered the word “Yes.” “I told Debbie I would ask her in a way everybody knew about,” Kroon said.

And what if she’d said, “No”?

“Then I’d pretty well had to unplug that part,” Kroon said.

OFFICERS ROW The Vancouver Barracks will host a special tree lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. Friday. The event is open to the public.

The lights will be mounted on a living tree in front of post headquarters, at the intersection of Hathaway Road and McLoughlin Road in the barracks area. Music will be provided by Hudson’s Bay and Columbia River high schools students.

The chaplain of the 104th Division of the Army Reserves will pronounce the invocation leading up to the moment when Colonel William C. Llewellyn, base commander, flicks the switch to light the tree.

The action will switch to the auditorium across the road, where Santa Claus arrive on a train full of treats for children.

NEAR CLARK COLLEGE It started out as just a good way to help someone in need. Now Brian McGreevy and Adam Stanck are helping underprivileged kids full-time.

The two men live at Columbia River Mental Health Services, 1950 Fort Vancouver Way. A few months ago they made a choice spend the day wasting time or do something good. Several Vancouver kids are glad they chose the later.

As of September, the two men have repaired over 60 bikes at no charge for children from low-income families. Once they got their certification as a non-profit organization, they officially became known as “Bikes For Tikes.” Since that time, the Vancouver Police Department has supplied the two men with a steady stream of surplus bicycles in need or repair Stanck said the work, which amounts to about 30 hours a week for both men, has been a labor of love.

“I really enjoy doing it,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun.” The men are raising $1,000 to buy bicycle parts for 110 bikes hopefully before Christmas.

To contribute, contact Columbia River Mental Health Services or call 696-1125.

“Doing this is kind of neat,” he said. “I like contributing something to the community.” HEARTHWOOD Two Hearthwood area streets have a jump-start on county traffic safety funding.

Hearthwood Boulevard, a north-south street that runs in front of a Hearthwood Elementary School, and 147th Avenue, which is two blocks east, have been selected to receive $20,000 each in 1996-97 county traffic safety funding.

Chuck Green, Clark County transportation engineer, said the funding won’t necessarily lead to speed bumps and other traffic calming devices at least not yet.

However, the money could be used to promote speed watch programs on those streets. For example, money is needed for computer programs that list license plates of speeders, which neighbors use to issue warning letters.

Green has warned Hearthwood residents not to rely too heavily on the proposed funding. At any point over the next few months, the county could reprioritize the money and push Hearthwood funding into 1998.

Still, Hearthwood is a step ahead of many of the 75 to 80 county streets being considered by the county’s Transportation Management Advisory Committee, Green said.

CARTER PARK Residents in the Carter Park neighborhood are getting more serious about crime. go to website free grant money

The neighborhood association recently voted to begin five new Crime Watch blocks in the neighborhood with hopes for more by mid spring.

Janis Lord, Carter Park Neighborhood chairperson, said the new Crime Watch programs were announced after a recent meeting with Vancouver police officer Gus Lehto. The police department will help train the five new Crime Watch block captains, who will in turn train the membership in their block programs.

“Like any neighborhood, I’m sure we’ve got our problems, but there is no big crime wave,” Lord said. “For me, I just want to improve the security of my neighborhood.” Lord hopes that Crime Watch programs will encourage neighbors to get to know one another.

“It’s important to get together, to know each other’s faces,” Lord said. “There are a lot of good ramifications from a Crime Watch program.

“We want to have a block captain on every block,” she said.

CAMAS The original holiday version of “The Nutcracker” ballet is set for Friday through Sunday at the Garfield Performing Arts Center, 1612 N.E. Garfield St.

The program will be directed and choreographed by Columbia Dance Ensemble artistic director Wendy De La Harpe.

Approximately 150 cast members will be involved.

Reserved seating will be $12 for adults and $6 for senior citizens and children younger than age 12. General admission tickets will be $8 for adults and $5 for children and senior citizens.

Tickets are available at Runyan’s Jewelry, 900 Washington St., Vancouver, and 327 N.E. Fourth Ave., Camas; and N.E. Angels of Love, Vancouver Mall, 5001 N.E. Thurston Way.

For more information call Kathy Merida at 737-1922.

EAST OF HAZEL DELL Folks wishing to use Northeast 78th Street, just east of St. Johns, will be out of luck this weekend.

Reconstruction of Northeast 78th Street, including the replacement of railroad crossings 700 feet east of St. Johns Road, will result in complete closure of that portion of Northeast 78th Street from 7 p.m. Friday to no later than 6 p.m. Dec. 18.

Work on the railroad crossings, which requires complete closures for a portion of the construction time, will be completed this weekend. Arlen Clark, representing the Clark County Department of Public Works, said the closure allows construction to be finished in less time and provides safer construction for periods of critical work.

The replacement of the railroad crossings is part of the overall reconstruction of Northeast 78th Street between St. Johns Road and Northeast 50th Avenue.

For more information, call Clark at 699-2375, Ext.. 4728.

WEST MINNEHAHA The Vancouver City Council on Monday night voted to place a shop sign on Northeast 45th Street at its intersection with Leverich Park Way.

A new subdivision was recently developed northeast of the intersection, which will increase northbound traffic in the area. The council decided a stop sign for westbound traffic at the intersection would help control the increased traffic.

THE COLUMBIAN