PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

ARNADA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER • December 2012BOORHOOGGHG OO

Thursday, November 13th 7pm

Vancouver Housing Authority 2500 Main Street

1st Floor Community Room

Agenda• Update on the Tree Of Heaven over-growth near and around Arnada Park.

• Jeannie Hoxer from Vancover Wa-tershed Alliance will speak about their upcoming neighborhood grants.

NEXT MEETING October Neighborhood Meeting 7pm - Thursday, October 9th, 2014

Vancouver Housing Authority - 2500 Main Street

October ANA Meeting Minutes

November 2014

SUSAN SANDERS - Urban Forestry representative - Susan spoke with neighbors about the tree of heaven, a non-native, very invasive tree. She distributed information concern-ing identifying the tree, methods of removal, sharing samples of this tree. Friends of Trees, a volunteer driven organization will be planting on the West side on February 21st. Contact them if you would like to participate. Trees are available through them. They have lots of varieties and can help in choosing the right trees for your space.

PATRICK SWEENEY - City Transportation Planner - Patrick discussed his role in the 2 year West Side Mobility Strategy. This project area is west of I-5 from 78th Street to the Columbia River. The West Side Development street construction and park have a tenta-tive start date of January, 2015. An open discussion with neighbors’ concerns followed. His number one priority is a detailed look at traffic movement in our area.

JULIE RAWLS - Port of Vancouver - Port of Vancouver announced a new tenant in the new Centennial Industrial Park, a 50 acre site. EVRAZ is a steel slab transport company. They will be using Mill Plain Blvd. to move these very large shipments in slow moving trucks between 6:00 PM and 4:00 AM. Ground Breaking is slated to begin in late 2015.

JERRY CLARK - Arnada Garden Club - Jerry reminded everyone about the Harvest Party scheduled for October 28th, Thursday at 6:30 PM. There will be refreshments served and pumpkins and prizes for the children. The Garden Club is also encouraging a food drive during the holidays. Bring donations to the November and December meetings.

Next Meeting: Thursday, November 13th at 7:00 PM - Vancouver Housing Authority, Com-munity Room - 2500 Main Street.

ARNADA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION | November 2014

Here’s what you missed at the Arnada Harvest Party on October 28th

The rain didn’ stop the Harvest party from happenng. The festivites moved to the VHA. It was nice to the see the new faces show up and see what pumpkin designs the kids created. We highly recom-mend bringing your kids to next year’s event. Special thanks for Anita and Baraba of the Arnada Gardening Club for making this happen.

Ahem! No need to wait until next halloween for another neighborhood get together. Your families can meet me at the ANA Holiday Christmas Potluck on Friday, December 12th. Join me, won’t you? Bring a dish!

ARNADA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION | November 2014

Festival of Trees Events starting in November

The 19th Annual Vancouver Rotary Foundation’s Festival of Trees will be held on Thanksgiving Weekend at the Vancouver Hilton. This is a great event for families and includes entertainment, a scavenger hunt and, of course, Santa. Twelve lavishly decorated trees with gifts will be raffled to the public. Raffle tickets will be available at the Festival for $5 each.Festival Events include:Oct. 30-Nov. 22 – Tree Preview at Divine Consign, 904 Main Street in downtown Vancouver. View the 12 lavishly decorated trees, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. An opening reception will be held on November 7, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Divine Consign during the monthly First Friday event.Nov. 28- Nov. 30 - Tree Viewing Plus Santa, Entertainment, Family Scavenger Hunt and Tree Raffle – Friday, November 28, 10 a.m. to 9 pm; Saturday, November 29, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, November 30, Noon to 4 p.m. – Vancouver Hilton, 301 W 6th St. in downtown Vancouver, WA.. Free with suggested donation of $5 per family. Non-perishable food donations requested. Raffle tickets for the Festival trees will be available. Nov 28 - Community Tree Lighting, Train Rides and Concerts - Esther Short Park and Vancouver Hilton

3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Loci Train Rides around Esther Short Park - Free 4 p.m. – Vancouver Community Band Concert - Hilton. Free, donations requested 5:30 p.m. - Community Tree Lighting with Music and Santa –Esther Short Park, free 6:20 p.m. - Vancouver Pops Concert - Vancouver Hilton, free, donations requested

Nov. 29 - Pets with Santa - 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Free. Bring your own camera and your pet!Nov. 29 – Loci Train Rides around Esther Short Park - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free.Nov. 29- Nov. 30 - Vancouver Farmers Market - Holiday Market - in Hilton Hotel Convention Center, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Nov. 30- Raffle Drawing for 12 Festival Tree Packages - 4 p.m. The Festival of Trees is the chief fund raiser for the Vancouver Rotary Foundation, which supports scholarships and community projects. For more information, visit www.rotaryfestivaloftrees.org or call 360-750-0409.

Flu Season is approaching. Get vaccinated now for early, season-long protection against flu

Flu vaccine is widely available in Clark County, and health officials are recommending everyone six months and older get vaccinated soon.“Flu season starts early some years, so we encourage people not to put it off,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County health officer. “Protection doesn’t kick in until two weeks after you get vaccinated, so don’t wait until flu is widely circulating before you get your shot.”Flu occurs primarily from October through May. A contagious respiratory disease, flu kills more people in the U.S. than any other vaccine-preventable disease. On average, nearly 24,000 people die each year of flu, and more than 200,000 are hospitalized. Flu shots remain the best method of preventing flu-related illness and missed days at school or work. To get vaccinated, call your health care provider or pharmacy. If you don’t have health insurance, call Sea Mar Community Health Centers at (360) 852-9070 or the Vancouver Free Clinic at (360) 313-1390 to make an appointment for a low-cost flu shot. Businesses wanting to provide onsite flu shots can call:

Adventist Health: (503) 408-7040 Get a Flu Shot: 1-877-358-7468 (Getaflushot.com) Maxim Healthcare Service: (360) 896-7289 Passport Health: (360) 597-4495

In addition to flu shots, these everyday practices can reduce the chance of catching or spreading disease:

Cough or sneeze into your arm or cover your nose and mouth with a tissue. Throw away the tissue and wash your hands. Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home and limit contact with others. Avoid close contact with sick people. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way. For more information, see http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/index.htm.

ARNADA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION | November 2014

Compost is rich in nutrients that help plants to grow, acts to retain soil moisture and can help suppress plant disease. Using compost is good for your soil and can reduce the need to irrigate your garden or use toxic herbicides or pesticides. It’s easy to turn your yard debris and kitchen scraps into compost. Just as in nature, leaves and plant debris feed and enrich the soil, you can recycle the food scraps from your kitchen and yard debris back into your soil.

Learn how by attending a Free Backyard Composting Workshop, or Wormshop ($35 materials fee). The Master Composter/Recycler Program is a volunteer-based community program whose mission is to educate the community about recycling and help keep recyclable materials out of the waste-stream.

Compost bins are for sale at Columbia Springs; the FreeGarden brand compost bin is $55 and the Seattle Composter is $65.

CompostingMaster Composter/Recycler Training and Workshops

Composting WorkshopsLearn the basics of backyard composting. Pre-registration is required.

Time Date Class

10 a.m. - noon Sat. Sept 6 Backyard Composting 6:30 - 8 p.m. Tues. Sept 23 Backyard Composting

To purchase a compost bin, find out more about the Master Composter/Recycler Program, or register for a class: call 360-882-0936, ext. 224, or e-mail MCR@columbiasprings.org

Their website is www.columbiasprings.org/MCR

WormshopsParticipants will learn about the care and feeding of redworms for vermicomposting. Family Wormshop participants assemble their own worm bin to take home. ($35 includes the cost of the workshop, bin and worms.) These workshops are family friendly. Pre-registration is required.

Time Date Class

10 a.m. - noon Sat. Oct 4 Family Wormshop ($35)6:30 - 8 p.m. Thurs. Oct 23 Vermicomposting ($35)

Sponsored by:

City of Vancouver residents: Funding for your participation in this program is provided through your garbage rates.Clark County residents: Funding for participation is provided by Clark County Public Works and Environmental Services.

(of up to 5 cubic yards)

Prevent street flooding – NEVER blow or place leaves in the street. Use this coupon for free leaf disposal from:

To redeem coupon, complete the following information:Name: _____________________________________________________________

Street Address/Zip: ___________________________________________________

Coupons must be presented at the drop-off site and are for LEAVES ONLY, up to 5 cubic yards.

Yard debris or mixed loads will be charged at regular prices.

Leaves must be emptied from plastic bags.

For Vancouver and Clark County residents only October 1 - December 20, 2014Free Leaf Disposal

Public Works

2014 Coupon Disposal Locations: City Bark, H & H Wood Recyclers and West Van Materials Recovery CenterPlease see reverse for hours and addresses.

What’s with the traffic signs in neighbors’ yards about slowing down?

You’ve hopefully noticed signs peppered through Arnada stuck in neigh-bors’ lawns. It’s not the political ones, but the signs asking you to make sure you stick to driving the 25mph speed limit.

There is a nationwide push to promote drivers to stick to the 25mph speed limit on neigborhood streets.

Here’s a graphic from NY DOT detailing the biggest reason why 25mph is a nessessary speed limit. The stopping distance is dramatically less than if the car is driving 30mph.

Take Care of those Chimneys When You Start Your Fires this Winter

As temperatures drop, many people in Vancouver start using their fireplaces and stoves to stay warm.Between October and April 2013, the Vancouver Fire De-partment responded to 28 active chimney fires. Of those, five had already spread to the structure by the time they were reported.

Chimney fires occur when creosote build-up within the chimney catches fire. Creosote is a byproduct of burning wood and other combustibles and is very flammable.Brick and mortar and metal pipe chimneys designed to convey heat and smoke out of the fireplace are not designed to contain a creosote fire. Creosote fires inside a chimney can burn through the mortar between the bricks and enter the structure, or it can overheat a stove pipe to the extent that it “cooks” the wood around it, making it even more flammable. Sparks and embers from the creosote fire within the chimney can also float down to the roof shingles and gutters, where there may be flammable leaves or pine needles.

Chimney fires can be prevented with regular inspection and cleaning. The Vancouver Fire Department and Fire Marshal’s Office encourages property owners to have their chimneys inspected once a year and cleaned as needed, based on the results of your inspection. There are several chimney inspection and cleaning services in the Vancouver area and even more in Portland.

Keep your home and family safe this winter!

Good food for thought. Staying at 25mph is worth it.

ARNADA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION | November 2014

2014 ANA VolunteersElected ANA Board:Chair Jim Girard - 696-2949

Secretary Kathy Lane - gorgegirl999@gmail.com 903-8205

Treasurer Anita Reyes - leftcoastnaturals@hotmail.com694-7937

Committe Representatives/Coordinators:

Advertising CoordinatorAmy Shearer - arnadaneighborhood@gmail.com

Neighborhood Traffic Safety Alliance Richard McShan - ramcshan00@gmail.com360-597-4131

Tool Lending Library Jim Girard - 696-2949Suze Marshall - suze@suzespencermarshall.com

Newsletter Editor/LayoutTodd Bachmann - rockinbach@centurylink.net

Newsletter DistributionJim Girard - 696-2949

City ContactsNeighborhood LiaisonAnnette Griffy annette.griffy@ci.vancouver.wa.us487-7130

Neighborhood Police OfficerCorporal Neil Martinneil.martin@cityofvancouver.us 360-487-7365

Office of NeighborhoodsJudy Bailey - 487-8608

Neighborhood Fire StationDowntown station 900 W. Evergreen Blvd.Station Captain - Warren Wyant487-7301 - Warren.Wyant@ci.vancouver.wa.us

Code Enforcement 487-7810

Clark County Animal ControlWeekdays 8:30-4:30 Ph 397-2488File an online report at:http://www.co.clark.wa.us/development/animals/report.html

Traffic Complaint Hotline487-7402

Parking Hotline619-1284

** - For more information, see the City of Vancouver’s Website: http://www.cityofvancouver.us/calendar.asp ANA = Arnada Neighborhood Association CCHM = Clark County Historical Museum, (1511 Main St) VHA = Vancouver Housing Authority (2500 Main St.) VSD = Vancouver School District The City of Vancouver supports the Neighborhood Associations in their effort to share vital information with residents to create a more informed public. However, the information provided and the opinions and views expressed in the Neighborhood Associa-tion newsletter or other documents do not necessarily represent the position of the City of Vancouver, nor does the City de-termine whether the information published is accurate or appropriate. Printed by the City of Vancouver Office of Neighborhoods.

November 2014November 4th - Election Day - Don’t forget to vote. When one can vote from their couch, courtesy of their mail in ballot, how can one not? November 11 - Veteran’s DayNovember 15 - 9a-4p - Lincoln Elementary parent group Holiday bazaar. There will be over 60 vendors with many unique handmade gifts for the holidays.November 27 - ThanksgivingNovember 28 - Community Tree Lighting - Esther Short Park

December 2014December 12 - ANA Christmas Potluck Come meet Santa and your neighbors.December 22 - Jan 2 - VSD Winter Break - No School

Board of Health seeks applicants for Mosquito Control Board Vacancy

The Clark County Board of Health is calling for applications to fill a vacancy on the Mosquito Control Board. Applicants must be residents of Commissioner District 2.The term begins Jan. 1, 2015 and ends Dec. 31, 2016.District 2 covers east Clark County and the cities of Vancouver, Battle Ground, Camas and Washougal.

The Mosquito Control Board is composed of one person from each Clark County city and three people appointed at large by the Board of Health. It establishes mosquito control policy, prepares and approves district expenditures, and contracts for services. Operational activities are contracted with Clark County Public Health, which adminis-ters the program.

The Mosquito Control Board meets quarterly. Regular meetings are scheduled for February, May, August and November and are open to the public. Meetings begin at 7 p.m. and adjourn at approximately 8:30 p.m.To be considered, applicants must submit a resume and letter of interest to Jennifer Clark, Board of County Commissioners, P.O. Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666-5000. Commissioners also will accept applications by fax at (360) 397-6058 and by email to jennifer.clark@clark.wa.gov.

Application deadline is 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, 2014.