The only magazine dedicated to SW Washington families.
The only magazine dedicated to SW Washington families.
Local News
Mall Library Square Footage and Services to be Reduced in 2013
The decision to reduce the size of the library space was necessitated by the district’s inability to afford the substantially higher rates Westfield management required to renew the lease on the current space. The 2013 annual total cost of the new lease is approximately the same as the current one, $72,000, with an automatic 4 percent annual increase.
“We’re glad we were able to work out with Westfield Vancouver a way to keep a library presence there,” said Patty Duitman, interim executive director for the library district. Duitman continued, “Vancouver Mall Community Library has been an important and popular element of library services in the Vancouver area. While we know the changes coming will be of concern for our patrons, staff and the community, we see this as an opportunity to re-focus our presence in this part of the Vancouver area. It’s also a chance to develop a new model for providing limited library services where it may not be possible or desirable to build a full-service library facility.”
Tentative plans call for the current library space to be closed permanently beginning Monday, Dec. 24. The work to clear out the old library space, demolish existing walls, and to rebuild and outfit the new space will require two to three months. No re-opening date has been set yet.
With a reduction of library space by approximately one-half, the district will need to determine in the next few months which services it will be able to offer in a space that size. “We know that we won’t be able to offer the same array of library services in the smaller location,” said Duitman. “We’ll need to carefully consider what services patrons need most from the available space, and do those well.”
The library district will base the new library-space design, open hours and array of services on its analysis of future needs, current usage patterns, services available at other Vancouver-area libraries, and staffing needs.
In its new contract with Westfield, the district committed to being open at least 40 hours a week. The library currently is open 73 hours a week.
“The most unfortunate aspect of the reduction is the impact on the mall library’s 15 employees, who have done a marvelous job of creating a welcoming environment and providing outstanding services and programs,” Duitman said. The district won’t know until planning is complete exactly how many positions will be needed to staff the reduced space, nor how many places might be available at other FVRL locations in the area to absorb staff members whose current jobs will be eliminated.
The reduced library space the district will create in the mall may not be a final, long-term solution for that part of its service area. “In the facilities studies we’ve done in recent years, we identified a large service-area gap to the north of the mall and slightly east,” Duitman said. “Perhaps in the next 10 years we will see the potential for community support for the additional funding required to build a larger, full-service library building somewhere in the Orchards-Sifton area. Alternatively, we may find that the smaller library-service model we develop, combined with existing full-service facilities in the area, may give us needed flexibility in how we provide services, in the mall area and elsewhere.”
General comments, questions or concerns about the Vancouver Mall library changes may be directed via email to contact@fvrl.org, via telephone to 360-906-5106, or submitted in writing at any FVRL location. Patron comment forms are available at all 13 FVRL libraries, on bookmobiles, and at district headquarters (the former main library building) at 1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, Wash. 98663.
The library district considered closing the mall library in 2009 due to tax revenue shortfalls combined with a requirement from Westfield that the library space be remodeled at FVRL expense. The district and Westfield later worked out the current two-year lease that deferred the remodeling requirement.
Fort Vancouver National Trust Announces Dancing with the Local Stars
The Fort Vancouver National Trust has announced the eight local residents who will take the stage to show off their best dance moves at Dancing with the Local Stars, a fundraiser for the Trust, on September 15, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. at Pearson Air Museum, located at 1115 E. Fifth Street, Vancouver.
2012 Dancing with the Local Stars Contestants:
* Victoria Bradford, President of Comfort Interiors
* Jennifer Evans, Marketing Director at Chuck's Produce & Street Market
* Julie Kuni, Community Volunteer
* Avaly Mobbs, Executive Director at Building Industry Association of Clark County
* Edward Barnes, Chair, IBEW 48
* Ryan Hart, District Director for Congresswoman Jamie Herrara Beutler
* Steve Horenstein, Partner at Horenstein Law Group
* Aaron Kraft, Project Manager at Veolia Water North America
Each dancer has been paired with an Arthur Murray dance instructor and will receive professional dance lessons from Arthur Murray Dance Studios. While the competitors' dances will be judged by the audience on the evening of the event, it is the dancer who raises the most money who is declared the winner. The community is encouraged to "vote" with their dollars for their favorite dancer. Last year's champion was Jason Hudson of Waste Connections. Donations are accepted online at www.fortvan.org/dancers, by mailing a check to the Trust or by donating at the event.
Individual tickets to the event are $50 and include a catered dinner, no-host bar and open seating. Reserved tables for eight cost $500, VIP Tables for eight are $1,000, and Sponsor Tables for 10 are $2,500. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.fortvan.org/stars. Pearson Air Museum is located at 1115 E. Fifth Street, Vancouver. The event is from 6 to 10 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m.
The evening's program includes:
* 5:00 p.m. - Doors open, dinner and no-host bar
* 5:30 p.m. - Ballroom dance lessons from Arthur Murray Dance instructors
* 6:00 p.m. - Dance competition begins
* 8:30 p.m. - Hangar dance featuring the Pranksters Big Band
The 2012 Dancing with the Local Stars sponsors are Riverview Community Bank, Neil Jones Food Company, Arthur Murray Franchised Dance Studios and RiverBend Productions.
Fort Vancouver National Trust Launches $16 Million Capital Campaign to Purchase and Restore the Historic Academy Building and Grounds
At a press conference held today at the Academy, the Fort Vancouver National Trust announced the launch of the Academy Campaign, a $16 million effort to raise funds for the purchase and restoration of the historic Academy building and its seven surrounding acres in downtown Vancouver, adjacent to the Fort Vancouver National Site.
The purchase of the Academy will enable the Trust to preserve its heritage and ensure its active and continued use. Building on its historical significance related to Mother Joseph and the Sisters of Providence, the Trust will continue to provide for community gathering and commercial space needs by restoring and maintaining the grounds and building in perpetuity.
"Since the founding of the Fort Vancouver National Trust in 1998, we have dreamed of adding the Academy and its grounds to the portfolio of properties to enhance the Fort Vancouver National Site," said Ed Lynch, Trust Co-Chair and Chair of the Academy Campaign.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Academy is an iconic symbol of Vancouver's heritage. The building was once known as Providence Academy and is still regarded as a cornerstone of the Providence Healthcare System's mission. The Academy was built in 1873 by Mother Joseph, a Sister of Providence in the Catholic Church. Mother Joseph arrived in Vancouver, Washington from Montreal, Canada in 1856, along with four other sisters to establish an order in the Northwest. The Academy served the community as a school until its closure in 1966.
In 1969, the Academy was purchased by Robert Hidden, grandson of Lowell Hidden, founder of Hidden Brick Company, which supplied the bricks for the Academy's construction. Robert Hidden's sons Bill, Oliver and Monte participated in the purchase of the Academy and have served as its stewards for more than 40 years.
"There is arguably no more important historic structure in the region. The connection between the Fort Vancouver National Site, Mother Joseph and the Academy is deeply intertwined, said Elson Strahan, CEO and President of the Trust. "As the third and final owner of the Academy, the Trust will continue the stewardship of the property and keep alive the story and history of Mother Joseph."
For more information about the Academy Campaign or to donate online, visit www.AcademyCampaign.org.
The Fort Vancouver Regional Library District Board of Trustees announced at its regular Monday, April 9 meeting in Vancouver that the district has reached tentative agreement on a new 10-year lease with Westfield mall management for a much smaller library-services space in approximately the same location in the shopping center. The current lease for a 7,215 square-foot space for Vancouver Mall Community Library expires on Dec. 31, 2012. The new lease will be for an approximately 3,575 square-foot area carved out of the current space on the upper level, with library access located closer to JC Penney.
Fort Vancouver National Trust Announces Sing Fourth Teen Vocal Competition Auditions
Registration is open for auditions for this year's Sing Fourth Teen Vocal Competition presented by Davidson Insurance and Liberty Northwest Insurance Company. Auditions will be granted to the first 45 Clark County high school students who contact contest organizers at the Fort Vancouver National Trust at 360-992-1804 or events@fortvan.org. Auditions begin at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, June 9. Contest information, including the registration form, is available on the Trust's website: www.fortvan.org/fourth.
A panel of judges will select 10 finalists who will compete in the Sing Fourth Teen Vocal Competition presented by Davidson Insurance and Liberty Northwest Insurance Company, which takes place on the Vancouver Toyota main stage during Independence Day at Fort Vancouver presented by Bank of America, at the Fort Vancouver National Site. The Sing Fourth Teen Vocal competition begins at noon on Wednesday, July 4.
The auditions and competition are open to high school students who are legal residents of Clark County and who have been enrolled in public school, private school or home schooled during the 2011-2012 school year, including high school graduates from the Class of 2012. Contestants are asked to bring a karaoke-style CD of their musical accompaniment to the audition. Songs must be three (3) minutes or shorter. Please make sure the recording can play on a standard CD player. Finalists will be expected to perform the same musical number in front of a panel of celebrity judges for the Sing Fourth competition. Contestants will be judged based on the following criteria applied equally: originality, skill, poise, likely audience appeal and family friendly content.
The first place winner receives a $1,000 scholarship to the college of their choice, the second place winner receives a $500 scholarship, and the third place winner receives a $250 scholarship. All three winners will also receive Beacock Music gift cards. All 10 finalists will receive a DVD of the Sing Fourth program.
Lydia Moynihan, of CAM High School won the 2011 competition with her performance of "The Girl in 14-G."
