Volunteers Receive 2007 Spirit of Clark County Awards

During the State of the County presentation on Friday, February 16, the Board of Clark County Commissioners presented Spirit of Clark County Awards to Dale Erickson, the Volunteer Mediators of Community Mediation Services, and the Meth Task Force.

Created in 2001, the Spirit awards acknowledge the special efforts and extraordinary contributions of the county’s many volunteers. The 2007 award winners below represent just a few of the volunteers who have made a real difference in our community.

Dale Erickson, A member of the Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission from February 1999 through December 2006, Dale Erickson was honored for his unwavering support, dedication, and extraordinary leadership in helping make the Greater Clark Parks District a reality.

Funded by property taxes, the Parks District was created by voters in February 2005 to provide maintenance and operations funding for 30 new neighborhood parks, five new community parks, seven miles of new walking trails, and additional sports fields for youth sports programs.

Erickson was part of the task force that researched and developed the Parks District concept, including an early education effort that included meetings to seek public comment from neighborhood associations, school and civic groups, and business organizations.
 
His involvement didn’t stop there. After the county commissioners approved the proposal and placed it on the ballot, Erickson was active in developing and financing the campaign to pass the measure.
 
Community Mediation Services Volunteer Mediators
Last year, a dedicated group of 57 volunteers spent more than 4,000 hours training, mediating difficult cases, and teaching conflict resolution. Through Community Mediation Services, they offered Clark County residents an informal, private way to resolve disagreements and improve communications.
 
Mediation reduces caseloads of all county departments and agencies that work with people in conflict with others, especially District Court, the Sheriff’s Office, Code Enforcement, Animal Protection and Control, and Transportation.
 
In October 2006, Community Mediation Services celebrated Clark County’s second annual Conflict Resolution Month with five free public workshops about conflict resolution skills. Volunteers also worked with community partners to sponsor a multicultural, interfaith community event entitled How Strangers Become Neighbors: Building Cultures of Peace in our Families and Our Community.
 
It takes dedication to voluntarily spend time in contentious, emotional meetings and to develop skills that can transform angry encounters into positive outcomes, not only for the individuals involved, but for neighbors, coworkers, families and friends. Clark County is very fortunate to have such generous volunteers who are skilled in providing quality conflict resolution services.
 
The Meth Task Force - Methamphetamine abuse is filling Clark County jails, clogging court dockets, taxing Sheriff’s deputies, and creating increased demand for mental health and substance abuse treatment, while costing an untold amount in child welfare and public health expenses.
 
The Board of Clark County Commissioners held a work session in late 2005 to discuss this with experts from law and justice, public health, treatment providers, and prevention specialists. At the request of the commissioners, a Meth Task Force was formed to make formal recommendations on how to address the problem.
 
This group of volunteers met routinely from October 2005 through April 2006, forging recommendations that will have both positive and sustained impact on Clark County’s efforts to combat methamphetamine abuse. These contributed significantly to the Board’s decision to tap the local option for a 1/10 of one percent sales tax to enhance treatment services and courts that address mental health and substance abuse.
 
The work of the Meth Task Force will improve Clark County’s ability to confront the social and financial problems associated with methamphetamine abuse and will therefore help generations of Clark County citizens.