A look back at December, 10 years ago
On Dec. 7, 2014, The Reflector reported that a seven-month investigation into a complaint against Battle Ground City Council member Adrian Cortes had concluded with no charges filed. Resident John Hopper accused Cortes of taking $1,765.77 from an inactive Meadow Court Homeowner’s Association (HOA) account. Hopper, who had access to the HOA’s bank statements, discovered the missing funds in early 2014 and reported it to the Battle Ground Police Department. The investigation, led by Sgt. Kimberly Armstrong, found that the HOA had been inactive since 2008. Cortes, who was no longer involved with the HOA, had signing authority on the account and had directed the bank to issue cashier’s checks for charitable donations. Since Cortes returned the funds, Clark County Assistant Attorney General William R. Sherman decided not to file charges, citing the resolution as having resolved the issue.
On Dec. 3, 2014, The Reflector highlighted a historic achievement by Battle Ground equestrian Jessica Wisdom and her Welsh Cob pony North Forks Cardi at the prestigious Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The pair captured first place in the Open Grand Prix Freestyle division and earned third place in the Grand Prix Open Championship. Wisdom, a Battle Ground-based horse trainer, instructor and competitor, trained Cardi at Emerald Valley Stables in Ridgefield. At the time, they were the only pony-rider combination competing at the Grand Prix level of dressage, showcasing feat in a discipline dominated by larger horses.
On Dec. 3, 2014, The Reflector featured Hockinson native Chad Caswell, who crafted a life-sized bronze sculpture honoring World War II veteran Leonard DeWitt. DeWitt, an Oregon National Guardsman with the U.S. Army’s 41st Division, faced a harrowing battle in New Guinea. Alone atop a hill, he confronted enemy soldiers using a ration bayonet to stab one attacker and his helmet to fend off another. Caswell’s sculpture, set for installation in McMinnville on Dec. 7, depicted DeWitt gripping his helmet in a defining moment of courage. For authenticity, Caswell used a World War II helmet borrowed from the Oregon Military Museum at Camp Withycombe in Clackamas County, Oregon.
A look back at December, 20 years ago
On Dec. 7, 2004, The Reflector featured Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, a resident of La Center who had published several children’s books. One of her picture books, “Elizabeti’s Doll,” was inspired by her time serving in the Peace Corps in a Tanzanian village. The story follows the fictional character Elizabeti, who longs to care for a doll, much like her mother cares for her baby brother. Unable to afford a store-bought doll, Elizabeti creates one from a smooth rock, naming it Eva. This picture book, along with “Elizabeti’s School” and “Mama Elizabeti,” highlighted themes of resilience and creativity. One of her other books, “Babu’s Song,” about a Tanzanian boy and his grandfather, received the Children’s Africana Book Award from the Library of Congress. Stuve-Bodeen mentioned that a Tanzanian friend planned to take copies of her books to the village she visited during her Peace Corps service.
On Dec. 7, 2004, a man armed with a knife robbed the Woodland Shell station on Nov. 24. The suspect made off with an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the scene. Woodland police, assisted by Cowlitz County sheriff’s deputies, the Longview police K9 unit and the Kalama police, established a containment area but were unable to locate the suspect. Then-Woodland Police Chief Rob Stephenson stated that the incident was the fourth attempted or successful robbery near or on Pacific Avenue in recent weeks.
A look back at December, 30 years ago
Clark County Citizens United, a group of residents concerned about Clark County’s growth management plan draft, was formed in late November 1994. In the first week of December, co-chairs Carol Levanen and Lonnie Moss met with County Commissioner Dave Sturdevant to discuss their concerns. Group members objected to the county’s proposal to designate 36,000 acres as “agri-forest” rather than “rural,” which would effectively downzone the lands and restrict their use. Levanen also claimed that county officials had failed to retain records of oral or written testimony from earlier hearings that year, which she argued would prevent commissioners from having the information needed to make informed decisions. Clark County Citizens United remains active today. More information can be found at clarkcountycitizensunited.org.
The bodies of a Battle Ground couple, Kenneth Nils Carlson, 47, and Anna Lynn Rochat Carlson, 37, were discovered by a bow hunter in a wooded area of Skamania County, east of Sunset Falls Campground on Nov. 30. An autopsy conducted by Clark County medical examiners on Dec. 2 determined that the couple had died from multiple gunshot wounds. They had been reported missing on Sept. 23 and forensic pathologist Clifford Nelson concluded that their state of decomposition indicated they had been in the area since that time. Ken Carlson’s son, Troy Kristen Oakes, 22, was questioned in connection with the case and remained a person of interest. At the time, Oakes was being held in the Clark County Jail on charges of escape. He had previously been convicted of possession of stolen property and served nine and a half months in jail. After his release, he failed to report for the work crew portion of his sentence, leading to the escape charge.
On Dec. 7, 1994, The Reflector reported that Clark and Cowlitz counties would soon transition from the 206 area code to 360. Linda Buckner of US West Communications explained that the new area code was necessary due to population growth and the increasing demand for phone numbers. The Everett-Seattle-Tacoma area retained its 206 area code, while the rest of western Washington adopted the 360 area code. Eastern Washington continued to use the 509 area code. Buckner noted that Washington would be the first state to introduce an area code without a 1 or 0 in the middle, setting a new precedent for area code formats. The chance was slated for Jan 15, 1995.
