Cheers: To making the old new again. The Schofield Building, believed to be the oldest commercial building in downtown Vancouver, is undergoing a renovation designed to combine the past with the future. Portions of the structure at the northwest corner of Sixth and Main streets were constructed in 1880 and have been home to a variety of businesses since then. As the complicated renovation continues, Schofield Properties plans to retain a classic look for the exterior, using a 1910 photo of the building as a guide.
With modern buildings going up in and near downtown, Vancouver can benefit from retaining some of its historic zeitgeist. Robert Aschieris, part of the fifth generation of the Schofield family to own the property, noted that lower Main Street can experience a revival along with the rest of the city. “We corner the market on charm,” he said.
Jeers: To declining firs. Officials in Oregon report that the Northwest’s iconic Douglas firs are suffering under the effects of climate change. “A lot of people really notice it, especially driving down I-5,” Christine Buhl, an entomologist for the Oregon Department of Forestry, told The (Salem) Statesman Journal. “They see a lot of dead trees in the hills.”
Drier summers and frequent drought conditions also are damaging grand firs and might be contributing to declines in Western red cedar and bigleaf maples. Declines were first noted in drier parts of the region. “Now, we’re seeing Doug fir dying in other areas where maybe they could have lived before,” Buhl said.
Cheers: To a feline homecoming. Jack the cat reportedly is back at his Hough neighborhood home. The feline was taken from the back porch of his home on June 5, and surveillance video showed a teenage boy picking up the cat and walking away.
Vancouver police identified and interviewed the 14-year-old, who told them the cat looked friendly, so he picked Jack up and carried him a few blocks before setting him down. There’s no word yet on what Jack has been up to for the past seven weeks, but at least the tale of a catnapping has a happy ending.
Jeers: To an ill-advised nightcap. Eilanna Aguilar-Aguilar is facing charges after allegedly pouring Hennessy cognac into the mouth of a Taco Bell employee at a drive-thru in Beaverton, Ore. Not surprisingly, this happened at about 1:20 a.m. on a Saturday. According to the Associated Press, “The driver reached out the car window and poured the bottle of cognac into the mouth of an apparently willing employee.”
The problem, in addition to foolishness: A police officer happened to be behind Aguilar-Aguilar in line. The 23-year-old was booked into jail on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants.
Cheers: To good neighbors. Matt Sullivan of Washougal came to the rescue of a neighbor last week when flames engulfed the man’s house. Upon noticing the fire next door, Sullivan rushed over and knocked on the door, then broke a window. When he couldn’t get a response, he moved to the garage door and heard from the neighbor, who was inside.
Sullivan pounded on the garage until he could slip his hands underneath and wedge the door open enough for the neighbor to crawl out. The victim, who has not been identified, was covered in soot and burns. “There were some pretty bad burns on his hands, probably up his forearms a little bit, too,” Sullivan said. “He was real calm, not panicked at all. I think maybe he didn’t realize he was injured.”
