Greg Ermis has several very vivid memories of serving as the maintenance supervisor at the Port of Camas-Washougal. When he retired in 2008, he had been the longest-serving employee after working at the port for 30 years and six months. Ermis remembers the snowfall in 1980 that caused about "half the marina" to collapse, and he recalls the flood of '96.
Former Washougal City Councilman and Finance/Economic Development Director Jeffrey Bivens has pleaded guilty to making materially false statements to the Small Business Administration and Wachovia Bank. Bivens, a tax attorney licensed in the State of Washington, represented Donald Chill, owner of Charles Prescott Restoration, Inc., a disaster restoration company specializing in rehabilitating real and personal property damaged by fire, flood, wind and vandalism.
A smooth transition is forecast for a downtown Camas business, and the community is invited to bid farewell to one owner and greet a new one. Pam Brown, owner of Caffe Piccolo Paradiso for more than seven years, has sold her business to Jodi Vaughan. "It feels great," Brown said. "It's what I wanted. It makes it worthwhile that something I put my heart and soul into is going to continue. "I'm very happy with the new owner," she added. "It will be an easy transition."
Nora Cobb has lived most of her life in a house on "G" Street. Now 60, she can remember hearing her father yell at drivers of speeding vehicles as he sat on the porch many years ago. Cobb's father has passed away, but she and her mother remain in the neighborhood that can sometimes be the scene of a "deafening roar," according to Cobb. One of her neighbors Terye Laidlaw agrees that speeders can be quite loud with "squealing" tires.
Robert Shipley III remembers the origins of Camas Karate, when it opened in 1990 as Camas Fitness Center. At that time, it included aerobics and a weight room. "At first aerobics did better than karate, but within about three years, we were pretty much just teaching karate," Shipley said. "We've always tried to serve the community by teaching family values and the value of organization, hard work and preparation."
Joseph Harris could be considered a trend setter, among local athletes. As a Washougal High School freshman, he tried out for the varsity cheerleading squad and succeeded. That was last year, and it took some time for Harris to enjoy being a member of a predominantly female team.
Washougal residents could expect to see several increases in their utility payments next year. During a workshop last night, City Council members heard from Karyn Johnson and Samantha Holert, with FCS Group, a consulting company located in Redmond, Wash.
Jennifer Peters had a summer vacation to remember with her children, thanks to donations made to the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation. Peters, of Vancouver, had been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. On July 18, 2009, her doctor gave her a prognosis of one year to live. Peters, 44, spent four days in June at Disneyland with her daughters Briona Woodards, 13, and Kianna Woodards, 11.
While some people might think sex trafficking is a problem that only occurs overseas, Linda Smith reminded local Soroptimists that it is very much a Northwest issue as well. Smith, founder and president of Shared Hope International, recently spoke to members of Soroptimist International of Camas-Washougal at Zion Lutheran Church in Camas. Shared Hope, based in Vancouver, exists to prevent, rescue and restore women and children who have been victims of sex trafficking.
Cowboys, cowgirls and city folks are invited to attend the grand opening of a new feed and tack store in Fern Prairie. Bits n Spurs, located behind Fern Prairie Market, has dog, cat and bird food, puppy shampoo, sock monkey dog toys, feed oats, stall forks, stove pellets and animal bedding. There are also saddles and bridles, poultry grit, western-theme photo frames, John Deere thermometers, Ransom Ranch clothing, wormers for cats, dogs, cows and horses, and other animal health and grooming supplies.
dawn.feldhaus@camaspostrecord.com
