The Business Growth Mentor and Analysis Program was selected as one of two finalists for Nonprofit Network Southwest Washington’s Excellence in Impact award. The members of the review committee spoke highly of the well-articulated economic and educational impact of the program—particularly in light of the short amount of time it has been in existence. The Parks Foundation went home with the award last Tuesday night, but it was an honor for Business Growth MAP to be nominated and selected as a finalist.

The State of Washington’s Commute Trip Reduction program recognized WSU Vancouver for reducing its drive-alone rate by 5.9 percent this year. The statewide Commute Trip Reduction program promotes carpooling, riding the bus, riding a bike, walking, etc. as an alternative to driving alone to work. Many sites in Clark County participate in the CTR program, but relatively few were recognized for making significant progress toward the 10 percent goal.

Wendy Niehaus has joined the Office of Academic Affairs as principal assistant to the vice chancellor. Wendy is a 2010 WSU Vancouver alumna. Her past experience includes working as the executive assistant to the president of the Northwest Food Processors Association in Portland, Ore. Wendy can be reached at 6-9535 or by email.

Special thanks go to Holly Davis for pulling double duty by covering the principal assistant position during the search process. Holly has resumed her role as academic coordinator in the Office of Academic Affairs.

SelectPlus is a self-service solution that grants faculty and staff access to local caregivers. The membership to SelectPlus is paid for by WSU. Employees are responsible for making all arrangements including selecting providers and the cost of care.

SelectPlus offers two programs:

• Sittercity, which offers individual in-home caregivers including babysitters, full- and part-time nannies, pet sitters, tutors, housekeepers and individual senior caregivers
• Years Ahead, which offers a nationwide network of senior care providers, including certified senior care advisors for guidance; specialized facilities including memory and hospice care and independent and assisted living communities; and in-home healthcare and senior care companions

For more information, visit http://hrs.wsu.edu/Select+Plus. To register, visit http://www.sittercity.com/wsu. If you have questions about the service, please call Human Resources at 6-9094.

Due to the construction of the new NE 139th Street bridge, the northbound I-5 on-ramp will be moved from its current location on NE 134th Street to the new NE 139th Street interchange. Until the rest of the NE 139th Street interchange can be opened to traffic next year, there will be long delays on NE 134th Street and NE 20th Avenue.

Once the ramp is moved, northbound drivers can access I-5 by traveling north on NE 20th Avenue and turning left on NE 139th Street to merge onto the new on-ramp.

Closures between NE 134th Street and I-5 to make way for the new bridge are scheduled for:

• Sept. 23 – 27: both directions on I-205 will be closed between NE 134th St. and I-5 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Sept. 28: Both directions of I-205 will be closed between NE 134th St. and I-5 from 10 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday.

Avoid travel on Saturday night Sept. 28 and Sunday morning Sept. 29. Big backups are expected. Through traffic can use SR 14 and I-5 to detour around the closure area. Local drivers can use I-205 to access SR 500, Padden Parkway and other local interchanges during the closure.

You can learn more by checking out the maps and detour routes on the project website.

Retirement seminars for PERS2 and PERS 3 members will be held on campus Sept. 30 in the Engineering and Computer Science building, room 309. Choose from:

11 a.m., PERS 2/3 Plan Choice Seminar: Overview of the differences between Plan 2 and Plan 3 for new employees and for transfer-eligible employees.

NEW! 12 p.m., Plan 3 Workshop: Learn about online calculators to project retirement estimates from Plan 3. Bring a printout of your last quarterly statement. New employees may calculate a comparison of Plan 2 and Plan 3.

1 p.m., Getting to Know Plan 3 Seminar: This is a review of Plan 3 for current members. This seminar will give you a simple step-by-step process to help you feel confident about making your Plan 3 investment decisions.

2 p.m., Withdrawing from Plan 3:  Outline of Plan 3 pay-out options, examples of payout income streams and retirement investing strategies. This seminar is especially helpful for Plan 3 members who might separate from service within the next five years.

If you have questions, please call Human Resources at 6-9094.

Jamie Callison, executive chef of WSU’s School of Hospitality Business Management, is the lead author of a new cookbook, "The Crimson Spoon: Plating Regional Cuisine on the Palouse.” The 224-page, photo-illustrated cookbook features 105 low-effort recipes anyone can follow to create high-impact cuisine. Recipes showcase a unique blend of ingredients and foods produced by WSU departments and regional resources, including the famous Cougar macaroni and cheese.

Linda Burner Augustine is a co-author. Books sell for $38 and will be available Oct. 7 for online purchase at crimsonspoon.wsu.edu. To preorder, call the WSU Creamery at 800-457-5442.