Camas-Washougal Post-Record

January 1, 2013

Contributed photo
Artist Sue Clancy works on a commissioned portrait of New York Times best-selling author Billie Letts. Here, she focuses on ink and acrylic detailing, after the cut paper pieces have been glued on and have dried.

Savoring the little things

In a seemingly nonstop, 24-7 world of technology, sometimes it is necessary to "unplug" and enjoy the little pleasures in life."Often I have, like many people, gotten so busy, so stressed, that it felt like I was chasing my tail," said artist Sue Clancy. "Remembering to savor a moment, to pay attention, to enjoy the little things is essential to mental and physical health. The ability to allow oneself to delight in things is an essential part of being happy."

January 1, 2013

Volunteer Bessie Jarrel jokes with David Sanks at the Washougal Community Center during lunch, served daily by the Meals on Wheels People. The organization's goal is to expand the home delivery program to at least 100 people. "Right now we only serve 40, and that's a shame," Washougal Center Manager Wanda Nelson said. "There are so many more people we can help."

Local Meals on Wheels center is trying to serve more in Camas and Washougal

Many think Meals on Wheels is a charity service, but this is far from the truth. "It comes down to ability," said Wanda Nelson, manager for the Washougal center. "Can you stand at a stove or drive your car? If you can't, and are 60 or older, you are eligible to have a hot meal delivered to your home. It has nothing to do with income level. Our biggest fight is getting those facts out to people."

December 25, 2012

Neumann's cat, Kanga, is a constant companion at his desk while he composes music.

A love of music Camas middle school student hopes to make his passion a career

At the age of 14, John Neumann is already an accomplished musician who plays four different instruments. The Skyridge Middle School eighth-grader has also begun composing music for different occasions. Recently, one of his pieces, "Semper Tubas," was played at a Metropolitan Youth Symphony winter concert at Tigard High School in Oregon. Neumann, tall and soft-spoken, has no fear of playing his tuba in front of large crowds, or acting as conductor for his compositions. When he is standing in front of the concert band, directing, he appears well beyond his years. "I rarely get nervous," he said. "I love all the instruments equally and just enjoy making music with them."

December 25, 2012

District considers all-day kindergarten

At some point in the not-to-distant future, all-day kindergarten could be required from every school district in the state. In an effort to prepare for this, the Washougal School District conducted an informal building capacity study at all of its schools. All of the schools are currently well below design capacity, but utilizing that space would mean making decisions on how to use that space most effectively. Design capacity is defined as all places where a teaching station could be placed. "The district has to decide what is protected educational space," said Dawn Tarzian, superintendent. "Such as, music will have a space, but art will be taught in the regular classroom. If we have an influx of kids, we need to make decisions on where they will go. Sometimes you see classrooms on a stage or in the cafeteria, and we have to decide how long we'll run things until capacity is reached and we need to expand. We need to get the kids out of those portables and build the space to fit the capacity needs."

December 18, 2012

Jake Peterson, a consultant at Hero Support, works on a Lego set. Legos, new and used, are one of the many stocking stuffers available for under $15 at the store.

Finds under $15

You've gotten most of the holiday shopping wrapped up, so to speak.But what to do with the stockings? Instead of frantically racing through a big box store on Christmas Eve, you can find a variety of inexpensive, fun, and non-sugary stocking stuffers for everyone on your list in Camas and Washougal. The Post-Record recently visited four local businesses, which had not been featured in a prior holiday gift giving story, to see what could be found for under $15. These businesses are just a small sampling of the many items to be found locally.

December 18, 2012

Grass Valley Elementary School kindergarten teacher Ellen Keller and her students participate in an interactive math lesson. Grass Valley has been named a statewide "School of Distinction," for improving performance for all students.

Schools recognized for high improvement

Two local elementary schools have made the prestigious statewide, "Schools of Distinction" list. The awards were created by the Center for Educational Effectiveness in the summer of 2007, to recognize the highest improving schools in the state. This year, Grass Valley Elementary in Camas and Cape Horn-Skye Elementary in Washougal were honored. "The awards are not designed as a replacement for state and federal accountability measure of school performance, but rather as a supplemental measure to recognize and celebrate school staff, students and leadership who improve performance for all students over a sustained period of time," stated the CEE website.

December 11, 2012

Annie and Hope Garcia (front row) perform during a master's workshop at The Portland Ballet this past August. Both girls enjoy dance for different reasons. Annie loves the challenges of learning new steps, while for Hope, performing for an audience is the "zenith" of it all.

Annie and Hope Garcia are members of The Portland Ballet

Anyone who thinks of ballerinas as dainty waifs has never met Annie and Hope Garcia.These young women are tall, strong and athletic to the core, spending several hours every week practicing ballet. They study and perform in the American ballet style, described as "intensively aerobic and athletic." It requires a combination of skill, attention to the minute details, athleticism and the ability to push through pain, all with a smile. "I've heard some people say that ballet looks easy," said Hope. "It looks easy because we make it look that way. You have to smile no matter how it feels."

December 11, 2012

WHS student Cheyene Dady is collecting mittens, scarves, coats and hats for the homeless as a part of her senior project.

WHS senior collecting items for the homeless

Most of us will never know what it is like to stand shivering on a cold street, homeless, with nowhere to go.But for some, it's a way of life. Washougal High School senior Cheyenne Dady wants to make the winter a little more bearable by collecting new and gently used hats, scarves, coats and mittens for those in need. "I wanted to help the homeless in our community," she said. "Last year, I handed out coats to the homeless with my church, and really enjoyed it."

December 4, 2012

Camas Parks & Recreation provides a variety of opportunities for kids to be creative during winter break, such as this cookie baking preschool camp last year.

Many local organizations offer fun camps during the holiday break

Whether you're a working parent looking for childcare while school is out, or just want to keep your kids occupied during the upcoming winter break, there are a plethora of options available in the local area.Camas Parks and Recreation, Camas Community Education, Jack, Will and Rob Boys & Girls Club and Washougal Community Education & Recreation all offer camps geared for kids who want to cook, craft or work on their jump shot.

December 4, 2012

Umpqua Bank recently donated $2,000 to Jemtegaard Middle School through its "Give Back to School Fund." Pictured here are, left to right, Principal Ron Carlson, parent/nominator Jenny Dayley, student Cameron Dayley, special education teacher Lou Peterson and fund organizer Lori Wick.

Giving back to schools

When parent Jenny Danley clicked "like" on Umpqua Bank's Facebook page, she never imagined it would result in a $2,000 grant for her son's school. But that's exactly what happened. Jemtegaard Middle School in Washougal was randomly selected as one of Umpqua's "Give Back to School Fund" winners. Every "like" generated $1 for the fund, totalling $20,000.