The Clark County Board of Freeholders will meet in Camas, to discuss the drafting of a home rule charter. The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, at the new Lacamas Lake Lodge and Conference Center, is open to the public, and will include an extended public comment period, at the beginning and end.
The Camas-Washougal Post-Record recently chronicled the story of Camas sisters Kimberly Abell and Jennifer Chilton, two incredible women who lived through brutal childhoods to become strong wives, mothers, individuals and citizens. After years of abuse at the hands of their father, they testified against him and he was put in prison. After being released early, he attempted to contact them. Disturbed that this was not against the law, Abell and Chilton worked to change the laws first in California and recently here in Washington.
A potential new endeavor involving the cities of Camas and Washougal, and the Port of Camas-Washougal could provide the seed money to take part in a federal tax credit program aimed at supporting local economic development projects. Consultant Don Mazziotti and Stephen Brooks, principal with Portland-based Pilot Management Resources, Inc., recently presented information on the New Markets Tax Credit Program to both city councils, and the port commission.
There is no doubt that women have made some incredible strides during the past century. Once denied the right to vote, own property, attend school or hold jobs in certain professions, all of these opportunities are now open to both men and women without discrimination. And they now represent just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what women can and do achieve through hard work and determination.
The Lacamas Lake Lodge and Conference Center is now open. A dedication ceremony is planned for Tuesday, March 25. The event, emceed by Camas Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman Brent Erickson, will begin at 4 p.m. Speakers will include Mayor Scott Higgins, Camas City Councilman Tim Hazen and Friends of the Camas Community Center President Nan Henriksen. Contractor JWC Construction began work on the new facility in July. The 5,000 square foot building offers a main banquet hall that seats 150 people and overlooks the lake. There are two conference rooms, a large covered patio and a warming kitchen.
During the past few months, Northwest Sixth Avenue in Camas has become an obstacle course of potholes. Rain, snow and ice this winter wreaked havoc on the road, which serves as a main arterial funneling traffic east and west between Highway 14 and downtown Camas. Potholes of all shapes and sizes formed when water seeped into cracks and froze, acting as a wedge and breaking the pavement apart. Last night, the Camas City Council approved a $66,400 contract with low bidder Granite Construction of Vancouver to perform what Public Works Director Eric Levison describes as "grind and patch repair" work. It will fix 91 potholes equalling 14,000 square feet, located between Adams and Norwood streets.
During the past 80 years, Jacquie Svidran has transformed herself into a menagerie of unique and memorable characters. On stage she has played roles ranging from a jovial Catholic nun to a Jewish matchmaker to Queen Victoria. Television audiences in Alaska knew her as "Mother Moose," a role that required her to wear a 75-pound puppet head. "I had a brake cable inside that I pulled to make the eyes roll, and these bosoms were as big as basketballs," she said, describing the costume. "I could only wear it about 15 minutes, then I'd have to take it off and rest."
Dianne and Darin Van Dyken are lucky to be alive. As profiled in an article in today's Post-Record, before the two met in 2012, they had both had serious addictions to drugs and alcohol. The destructive paths they chose to take in their lives led to very dark places. Darin ended up in what he describes as "the ghetto," essentially homeless and dealing drugs to survive, while Dianne had attempted suicide and was eventually arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants -- her blood alcohol level pushed to a point that could have been deadly. Both had several unsuccessful attempts to get clean.
The Camas City Council is interested in knowing exactly what citizens think about Initiative-502 and how its implementation should -- or shouldn't -- impact the local community. During last night's Camas City Council meeting, Mayor Scott Higgins said he would like more information, so that he can gauge whether the community has a strong feeling about the issue one way or another. "I don't believe we've heard from a lot of our community yet," he said. "I personally haven't received much feedback at all as far as what course of action the community should take on that, and I think I'd really love it if we invited it."
On Saturday, my Mt. Norway kitchen was overflowing with the aromas of delicious, savory delights -- pork marinated in ginger and a thick, sweet soy sauce, then cooked for nearly two hours on a low heat with Asian chile powder to create a unique stew. Mint, onion, ginger and garlic later joined the flavor palate to create a potato salad tossed with gently seasoned oil. On Sunday, sweeter scents prevailed as a mixture of fresh pineapple, sugar, cinnamon and clove simmered on top of the stove in my favorite bright red dutch oven. The result was a ridiculously sweet, syrupy jam that I later spooned into a hot cup of English breakfast tea, and spread on top of a slice of crusty bread.
heather.acheson@camaspostrecord.com
