http://couv.com Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. Fri, 07 Nov 2014 16:49:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5 Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. no Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. http://couv.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://couv.com http://couv.com/issues/crc-financials http://couv.com/issues/crc-financials#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:49:18 +0000 COUV.COM staff http://couv.com/?p=17589 http://couv.com/issues/crc-financials/feed 0 http://couv.com/issues/elections/vancouver-election-2011 http://couv.com/issues/elections/vancouver-election-2011#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:44:25 +0000 COUV.COM staff http://couv.com/?p=9091 http://couv.com/issues/elections/vancouver-election-2011/feed 0 http://couv.com/issues/election-2011-polls http://couv.com/issues/election-2011-polls#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:00:01 +0000 COUV.COM staff http://couv.com/?p=7884 http://couv.com/issues/election-2011-polls/feed 0 http://couv.com/issues/wentzel-casa http://couv.com/issues/wentzel-casa#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:58:06 +0000 COUV.COM staff http://couv.com/?p=8590 http://couv.com/issues/wentzel-casa/feed 1 http://couv.com/issues/wentzel-interview http://couv.com/issues/wentzel-interview#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:03:51 +0000 COUV.COM staff http://couv.com/?p=8104 http://couv.com/issues/wentzel-interview/feed 0 candidates,carol doane,clark county elections,Elections,josephine wentzel,video Josefa Untalan Funes was 12 years oldwhen she became a prisoner of war during the Japanese occupation of Guam. Her early experience fueled her desire to stand up for what is right - a spirit she instilled in her 15 children. - Josefa Untalan Funes was 12 years oldwhen she became a prisoner of war during the Japanese occupation of Guam. Her early experience fueled her desire to stand up for what is right - a spirit she instilled in her 15 children. Four of Funes’ sons served in the Army in Vietnam. One of her daughters, Josephine Wentzel, served as a police detective on Guam, and later became an activist in Los Angeles. Today, as a resident of Clark County, Wentzel is running for Vancouver City Council. Josephine Wentzel doesn’t have all the details of her mother’s early, devastating experience, but it was so traumatizing that Wentzel always felt the pulse of it. It intensified when one of her brothers took a second tour in Vietnam to help his friends. He told his mother he didn’t think he was coming back. He didn’t. “These guys went in with full intention of defending this country, and the treatment they got afterwards, the bad politics involved in it…” Wentzel sighs and pauses. After an in-person interview, the local paper wrote disparaging commentary on Wentzel's “frequent trips to the podium” at City Council meetings. “What concerned me about the city,” Josephine Wentzel says, “Is the fact that they did not want citizen input. These guys had it all set up to where it’s going to be done their way or the highway. And there was no way that they were going to allow citizens to even give an input. And what was more of an insult, was when they screamed at us, mocked us." That passion to not be deterred and speak up – as her mother taught – seems to have led to the newspaper's label of “chronic complainer” and a further insult, “toxic.” "What are the rules? What are the laws? Where are you taking this city?" asks Wentzel. "Somebody ought to be interrupting and holding government accountable." While the aftermath of the name calling brought out sympathetic supporters, it wasn’t enough to encourage Wentzel to return to the paper when invited to participate in one of their online candidate chats. “Why would I go to a live chat that’s being controlled by the same people who called me names?” The campaign trail has had a few bumps and Wentzel has bounced back and brushed off the dust. Her advice is “don’t judge a book by its cover” and “listen to everybody who decides to run.” She believes candidates deserve full credit because “it’s not that easy putting your name out there.” Wentzel is quick to note that she is not running because she wants a job and it’s not about being elected. She's running because many people have come forward and asked her to represent them. “Win or lose, I’m doing this because I believe people need choices.” CREDITS Video shot and edited by Ed Stortro and Scott Thompson Josephine Wentzel presents proof of CASA volunteer service: CASA confirms Wentzel's participation as sworn in volunteer   Editor's note: Wentzel is employed by US Digital. US Digital and COUV.COM are sister companies. Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. no 4:51 http://couv.com/issues/josephine-wentzel http://couv.com/issues/josephine-wentzel#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:00:53 +0000 COUV.COM staff http://couv.com/?p=6091 http://couv.com/issues/josephine-wentzel/feed 0 http://couv.com/issues-viewpoint/governors-endorse-truss-bridge-for-crc-project http://couv.com/issues-viewpoint/governors-endorse-truss-bridge-for-crc-project#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:40:19 +0000 COUV.COM staff http://couv.com/?p=461 http://couv.com/issues-viewpoint/governors-endorse-truss-bridge-for-crc-project/feed 1 christine gregoire,citizen reporter,columbia river crossing light rail project,CRC,crc funding,governor,joe cortright,john kitzhaber,josephine wentzel,video Listen to an audio podcast of this video here: - On April 25, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber announced their plan to break ground on the Columbia River Crossing Light Rail project* in 2013. - Listen to an audio podcast of this video here: On April 25, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber announced their plan to break ground on the Columbia River Crossing Light Rail project* in 2013. 14:00 Kitzhaber: "I appreciate very much the concerns about financing expressed by my longtime friend Joe Cortright and others who shared his view, and I've taken that input seriously. Governor Gregoire and I are absolutely committed to an inclusive, transparent, accountable process as we begin this new phase of project finance. Towards that end, we have directed the treasurers of our two states to work with their own bond experts and if necessary with external specialists, to conduct an independent financial review of the CRC's financial options that would include an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses as well as the project's phasing schedules - with contingency plans if some of the funding does not materialize. This review, which will be completed later this year, will then be followed by investment-grade analysis of the project financing." US Digital spokeswoman Josephine Wentzel recorded the joint press conference held by the governors in Hayden Island. If you're out and about recording news in the 'couv, send your stories, photos and/or video to contact@couv.com. For more information on the governors' announcement read the Governors' press release and check the The Columbian's story. * The well-documented cost to taxpayers, if the CRC stays on budget, is $10 billion. This was established by the Cortright Report (PDF) which used data from an independent review panel hired by the governors of Washington and Oregon. (View the panel’s final report.) See our continuing coverage of the Columbia River Crossing Light Rail project. Do you have information to share on the CRC? To respond anonymously call 260-816-1426. To allow your comments to be used on COUV.COM call 260-816-1429. Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. no 14:49