Cheers: To a moving economy. Port of Vancouver officials report that 2018 was another record year, with 8.1 million metric tons of goods being moved. That marks an 8.3 percent increase over 2017 and the fifth consecutive year of record activity at the port. That translates into $38 million in operating revenue for one of the region’s primary economic engines.
The publicly owned port has made significant improvements in recent years, and CEO Julianna Marler said, “By continuing to invest in critical infrastructure and diversifying our portfolio of cargoes and customers, we were able to deliver another record year during a time of significant uncertainty in global trade.” The hope is that such uncertainty will stabilize and that the Port of Vancouver will continue to provide vast benefits for local taxpayers.
Jeers: To a change of plans. A proposal to move the regional office of the National Park Service to Vancouver has been nixed. Federal officials planned to rehabilitate a vacant federally owned building at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and move the office from San Francisco, but a budget agreement signed by President Trump includes language that scuttles the plan.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., inserted the language to keep the office in her home district, even though the move would save the federal government about $4 million a year. The situation warrants jeers for several parties. The National Park Service planned the change without going through standard procedures, and Congress then blocked it as a tiny part of a 1,000-page budget agreement. The losers are Vancouver and taxpayers who could have saved money.
Cheers: To transportation alternatives. Uptown Apartments, at Main Street and McLoughlin Boulevard, is planning to institute a car-sharing service for residents. Management will make available two Teslas for residents who sign up and pay a usage fee. The service will allow residents to avoid the hassle of fueling, maintaining or parking a vehicle and, as the president of the development company said, “fits within our vision to provide a healthy, energy-efficient home for our residents.”
It remains to be seen whether the program pencils out financially for property managers and residents. But at a time when more and more people are seeking alternative transportation, it is worth a try.
Sad: The death of Carolyn Propstra. The longtime philanthropist died last week at the age of 85, leaving behind a significant legacy throughout Vancouver. Along with her husband George, the founder of Burgerville who died in 2004, Carolyn Propstra donated millions of dollars for projects to benefit the community.
She was particularly involved in the development of Propstra Square, the corner of Esther Short Park that includes a water feature, clock tower and plaza. Through the square and Propstra Stadium and Propstra Aquatic Center, the family’s impact on the region will be appreciated for generations to come.
Cheers: To wolves. The latest survey shows that Washington’s population of gray wolves continues to grow and that, for the first time, there is a pack living west of the Cascade Range.
While ranchers might not be wolf fans because of the toll the predators can take on livestock, the species has been shown to have ecological benefits. For example, in Yellowstone Park, the reintroduction of wolves has brought back the beaver population and allowed various vegetation to thrive. It’s all part of the wonders of an interconnected ecosystem.
