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Grad photo re-takes are scheduled February 21, 22 and 23.  Appointment bookings can be made in Room 228 this Thursday and Friday (Feb 9-10) at lunch.  Priority will be given to those students who did not have their photos taken in November.  Please bring $25.00 cash for the sitting fee or return your grad photo proof package when you book your appointment.   If you have any questions, email Ms. Chiarello at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Republican Sen. Joe Zarelli from Ridgefield, center, sits at his desk on the floor of the Senate Chamber.

OLYMPIA Clark County lawmakers this week promoted bills to fund the Columbia River Crossing project and protect education budgets.

Columbia River Crossing

Vancouver Democrats Rep. Jim Moeller and Sen. Craig Pridemore are sponsoring companion bills that would authorize tolling as a partial means to replace the Interstate Bridge joining Portland and Vancouver.

Both bills passed votes in Transportation committees Tuesday and could make their way to the floor in the next couple of weeks.

Finding the money for a new Interstate 5 bridge is a complicated process, Moeller said. It relies upon a combination of funds from Washington, Oregon and the federal government.

“We have to show the federal government that we are serious and that we have a funding plan,” Moeller said.

The Columbia River Crossing is the largest construction project in the history of Southwest Washington, Pridemore said.

“It will bring 16,000 jobs over the next seven years in direct stimulus and more than 27,000 jobs in economic impact,” he said. “It’s the single greatest thing we can do in both the short term and the long term to promote the economic vitality of the region.”

Education

Sens. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, and Don Benton, R-Vancouver, are sponsoring SB 6567, a bill intended to solidify education funding as a top priority.

“It’s just another way to ensure we fulfill our paramount duty,” Benton said.

State government has a spending limit for its general fund. Spending cannot exceed the prior year’s expenditures plus a fiscal growth factor calculated by taking into account inflation and population growth for the previous three years.

This bill would pull education funding out from under that spending-limit umbrella.

The shift would apply not only to K-12 education but also higher-education appropriations and financial aid.

The bill came up for its first public hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee Tuesday. Benton admitted he doesn’t know whether it will gain traction with enough lawmakers.   

“It’s hard at this point to get a sense of anything right now,” he said. “We’re so late at getting things moving.”

Benton said in all his previous years working at the Capitol he never witnessed the Senate struggle so much to focus on budgeting during a short session.

– Justin Runquist

Recruiting takes center stage this Wednesday night as the Maroone High School Gridiron Report counts down toward Feb. 1 with a trio of guests that will help you prepare for National Signing Day.

Joining Larry Blustein between 9-10 on WQAM (560 AM) will be Linda Doyle from Arena Advertising and Marketing, Josh Darrow, Managing Editor of the very popular South Florida High School Sports (http://sfhighschoolsports.com/) website and Charles Fishbein of Elite Scouting Services.

YEARLY EVENT The 4th annual South Florida High School Football Signing Day TV Special and Celebration will take place on February 1st at Dave & Buster’s Hollywood. This Celebration Show starts at 5:30pm and the LIVE TV show airs on NBC6 at 7:00pm. The event is hosted by Joe Rose and Adam Kuperstein.

This event is FREE for ALL senior football players in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County, along with coaching staffs, Athletic Directors, Player’s families and friends are invited to be a part of the TV show and celebration at Dave & Buster’s Hollywood. Last year the event was billed as “The largest gathering of high school recruits ever in South Florida.”

Doyle and her staff have worked very hard to make this a quality event.

IT’S ABOUT RECRUITING One of the “new kids on the block” when it comes to covering high school sports in the region is SouthFloridaHighSchoolSports.com. With a heavy emphasis on football, this is a website that has been a huge addition.

With games and video interviews along with BLOGS and player information, the website has been recognized as one of the main sources for year-round high school sports information.

Darrow has developed the website into a tool that is used by college coaches, high school coaches, parents and players.

On Thursday, Feb. 2 from 7-10 p.m. Bokampers in Miramar is the place to be for a LIVE radio show, devoted to the Miami Hurricanes and other South Florida recruits.

UM signees and their families will join other Hurricane fans for the event.

FINAL DECISION? Over the next week or so, there will be many questions asked of athletes who are ready to sign on that dotted line as part of the Class of 2012.

Nobody knows more what it’s like this time of year than Fishbein. He has watched many signing days, and understands what’s at stake.

How did Miami do? What about FSU or Florida? Check out to see what Fishbein thinks of those classes.

From Nessa Careys Epigenetics to J-Pop, heres our list of new titles now available:

The Epigenetics Revolution: How Modern Biology Is Rewriting Our Understanding of Genetics, Disease, and Inheritance Nessa Carey

Sayonara Amerika, Sayonara Nippon: A Geopolitical Prehistory of J-Pop Michael Bourdaghs

Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent Power in Action (With a new Afterword by the Author) Dennis Dalton

Psychosocial Capacity Building in Response to Disasters Joshua Miller

Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth-Century America (Now available in paper) Lillian Faderman

Engage in a discussion about the positive portrayal of women in media at a 90 minute screening of MISS REPRESENTATION. Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, this film shares the stories of women from various industries, experiences and ages about the impact media has on its audience. Join in this critical discussion of the portrayal of women in todays media, and how you can help others see what they can be.

Two viewings of MISS REPRESENTATION will be hosted on the College of Charleston campus. This first showing will be held in room 235 of the Robert Scott Small building this Saturday, January 28 from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. The address for this building is 175 Calhoun Street, and is located near the corner of St. Philip Street. The second event will be on Wednesday, February 1 at 3:00 p.m. These showings are free and open to the public.

See you all there!

Midway through the 2011-12 Loyola Ramblers season visiting schools are continuously taking delight in the newly renovated Gentile Arena. The finalization of the court concluded Phase Two of the 100 million dollarreimagine campaign Loyola University Chicago has embarked on. Phase One comprised of erecting the state-of-the-art Norville Center for Intercollegiate Athletics. The Norville Center also houses the Gentile Arena in addition to world class locker rooms and weight lifting exercise facilities. These two athletic department venues together have already shifted the Rambler culture forward and initiated a true “Rambler Renaissance” for the rest of the university.

Complementing the upgrade in facilities, Porter Moser, men’s basketball head coach, and Dr. Grace Calhoun, athletic director, tirelessly work to keep Rambler Pride flowing around campus and within the student body. They have successfully instilled a new-found swagger in students and Loyola alums, evident each home game at the ‘Joe. The tenacious crowd plays well into the thunderous design of the arena.

Mark Lazerus of the Post-Tribune is marveled by the construction and believes Loyola has made the perfect decision on the cozy size of Gentile.  He also sees the gym as a microcosm for other Horizon League arenas.  ”Well, Loyola has created a mid-major paradise,” Lazerus writes. ”The Gentile high school gym has been converted into arguably the nicest facility in the league.” Anyone that has been to the Gentile pre-renovation knows exactly what Mark is talking about by referring it to a ‘high school gym.’ Valpo plays home to a high school style gym and would cherish in the chance to convert the Arc into a Gentile like arena.

Not only have the renovations increased fan fare, but have had an insurmountable effect on recruiting. When talking to Class of 2012 commit Matt O’Leary he stated the following for the reason he chose the Ramblers for college, “What ultimately drew me to Loyola was the fact that the campus is amazing, I see the program as one that has a chance to be very successful in the future.”

Bill Potter, Director of Communications for the Horizon League, finally took in a game last Saturday when Butler paid Loyola a visit. “I was lucky enough to take a hard-hat tour of Gentile Arena earlier in the year, and the finished product is remarkable. The fans are on top of the action, which I think they enjoy, and I think will serve Loyola well in terms of building a home court advantage in the years to come,” Potter explicated. Last month when cross town team DePaul played at Gentile, Blue Demon head coach Oliver Purnell took notice of the crowd right away. Having the Rambler Rowdies jeering and screaming amplified by the dynamics of the stadium is the ultimate form of home court advantage.

“What I was fortunate to see on Saturday was the energy in Gentile. I look forward to seeing the energy continue to pick up as Porter Moser builds his program,” Potter said. As delightful as it is to have a brand new first rate home court, the potential and forward direction for the Ramblers is the most enticing. All of Rambler nation anticipates the return to college basketball greatness.

Porter Moser and his Gentile Arena are just the first two steps.