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In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories of the weekend:
Ilani Casino Resort will officially open its doors at 10 a.m. April 24.
The opening was confirmed by casino officials Friday afternoon, punctuating a torrid two weeks of announcements of the casino’s restaurants and shops, and even a ceremonial blessing of the new Interstate 5 overpass nearby.
“We are extremely pleased to open the doors to Ilani and provide the local community with a source for economic growth,” said Bill Iyall, chairman of the Cowlitz tribe, who is jointly developing the project with the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut.
“Our destination is expected to attract over 4.5 million visitors a year, and we feel certain that local businesses will benefit from increased visitation to the area,” Iyall said.
Officially, the space will include 100,000 square feet of gaming space with 2,500 slot machines and 75 gaming tables. Games offered will include blackjack, roulette, midi baccarat, craps and Pai gow poker.
The casino will also have a dozen restaurants, three shops and a food court. Among the restaurants named are Michael Jordan’s Steak House and seafood restaurant Line & Lure Seafood Kitchen and Tap. There will be no buffet.
Read the full story: Ilani casino sets opening date: April 24
About three months ago, my phone pinged. A message from my boyfriend popped up, asking me to come check out an apartment in Uptown Village with him.
We were in the midst of looking for an apartment, hoping to move our belongings and cat, Lucy, from a 2,600-square-foot house we shared with roommates to our own place. But there’s a catch. My boyfriend, Justin, and I hope someday to build a tiny house. With rent skyrocketing in the Vancouver-Portland metro area, and tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt between us, we dream of the kind of tiny home you see on the idyllic HGTV shows.
Probably the kinds you laugh at, actually.
You know the type: Family of four moves into 350-square-foot craftsman style home with a cabinet for children’s art supplies that can be used as a table with the right configuration.
Free spirit builds 80-square foot shack complete with solar panels and a composting toilet so she can live off-grid.
Millennial couple saddled by debt parks their 250-square-foot tiny cabin on their family’s land in order to rid themselves of excessive belongings and live mortgage-free.
Yes. We are those weirdos, especially those last ones.
Read the full story: Couple rise to challenge of ‘Tiny House Lab’
There are no words to describe what Larry Till felt after his wife died unexpectedly last August. He says “shocked” comes the closest.
Leisha Till was only 40 years old when she died from a brain aneurysm at her Vancouver home. She was up late, reading a book on her tablet. Larry Till found her in the morning.
“It was instant as far as anyone can tell. Nothing could have prepared us for this,” her husband of 23 years said.
Like an estimated two-thirds of Americans, the Tills did not have a will or trust.
“It was such a chaotic time. We didn’t really think things out. We were young,” Larry Till added. “We knew we wanted to be cremated and that’s as far as it went.”
But amid his grief and the chaos, Till had something else to think about: His wife left behind at least a dozen online accounts that needed to be dealt with immediately.
With the rise of the internet — and social media — people’s digital presence has created another layer to consider when trying to bring a loved one’s life to a graceful close. If not handled properly that digital life can create complications for those left behind who are still grappling with the concept of literal and virtual death.
Read the full story: When death comes, survivors cope with digital afterlife
Kaare Hyde grazed his shoe across the refinished maple floors in the Artillery Barracks and smiled.
Hyde smiled at the quirks of craftsmanship in the wooden floor, which oddly switches from 2-inch-wide strips to 4-inch-wide planks seemingly without reason. The nearby stairs are built from ancient oak and fir.
Historical touches remain throughout the 1904 building, even as its two floors plus an attic are readied for a high-tech future. Once home to homesick Doughboys, the barracks is now stuffed with modern amenities such as motion-sensitive lights and highly efficient heating and cool units.
“The exciting part for me is that we finally have people in the building,” Hyde said.
Hyde, the facilities manager for the Fort Vancouver National Trust, spent a recent morning looking over the rehabilitation work. Soon the building will be a home to RealWear, a maker of wearable computers, and dozens of its employees.
Mayor Tim Leavitt announced the lease with the Silicon Valley company at his State of the City Address held in the building last month.
The announcement marked the arrival of a promising technology company to downtown Vancouver and another anchor to Vancouver Barracks, an historic site in the care of multiple government agencies who want it to sustain itself.
Read the full story: High-tech tenant hopes to flourish at fort
