Earlier this month, some surprising results of a national study were released to the public. According to the study funded by Reading Is Fundamental and Macy’s, only one in three parents read bedtime stories to their children every night. The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, also found that 50 percent of parents say their children spend more time with TV or video games than with books.
The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and those who like to celebrate with fireworks should know that the rules and regulations governing their sale and use vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In Camas city limits, a new set of laws was implemented in 2012. According to the guidelines, the sale, purchase and discharge of consumer fireworks are allowed July 1 through July 3, between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m., and July 4, between 9 a.m. and midnight. On July 5, fireworks can only be purchased and sold between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. — discharge is not allowed. In unincorporated Clark County, fireworks can be legally discharged June 28, from noon to 11 p.m.; June 29 through July 3, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and July 4, from 9 a.m. to midnight. They can be sold from noon on June 28 to 11 p.m. on July 4.
Camas and Washougal are two communities that have changed drastically over the years. Their active economic developments began when they became mill towns, and sites for dairy farming and logging, as well as other endeavors related to the timber industry. Over the years, they have both slowly transformed into so much more.
The city of Camas would like to have its own seat on the C-Tran Board. That was the message delivered by Camas Mayor Scott Higgins on June 11, during a meeting of the C-Tran Board's Composition Review Committee. Higgins said over the years Camas, with a current population of 20,020, has grown to become the second largest city in Clark County. It's seen a substantial amount of economic growth, including new jobs and residential housing. There is currently one job for every three citizens, he said.
A Camas man was arrested Monday afternoon following a physical altercation that involved a handgun. According to a Camas Police Department press release, earlier in the day Steven W. Timmons, 54, became upset when he found a note left on his door by city water department employee Tobin Reed Sr. regarding violation of city code. Timmons had painted a fire hydrant in front of his house red instead of yellow — the color all other hydrants in the city are painted. No one was home when the employee stopped by, so a note was left at the house advising them of the error, with suggestions on where the proper colored paint could be purchased.
This weekend, more than 600 seniors will go through commencement ceremonies in their quest to officially become high school graduates.
The Lacamas Lake Lodge and Conference Center project is going to be more expensive than Camas city officials originally anticipated. All four bids opened on May 13 were approximately $20,000 higher than the city engineer’s estimate of $1.79 million. Adding to the overall higher price tag for the project is fuel tank remediation work recently completed at the site. All told, Public Works Director Eric Levison said an additional $200,000 will be needed to fully fund the project. The city had already secured a $1.65 million 10-year, 3 percent interest loan from the State of Washington LOCAL program. Another $350,000 is being provided by the Friends of the Camas Community Center.
Washougal third-grader and cancer survivor Sammy Mederos got her long locks of curly hair shaved off during a fundraiser for St. Baldrick's Foundation this afternoon at Washougal High School.
At its heart, the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society is an organization that does an incredible amount of good work in the Camas and Washougal communities. The no-kill shelter located in the Port of Camas-Washougal Industrial Park is a nonprofit group funded mainly through donations. The city of Washougal also contracts with the dog shelter to provide space for dogs brought in by animal control.
"Paying it forward." It's a term we've often heard used in the movies, but when one Washougal resident uses this term to describe some of her recent activities, she truly means it. Mary LaFrance has overcome some serious medical issues in her life. Diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in 2005, she underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments. And when doctors later discovered that some potentially cancerous cells were once again growing in her breast tissue, she made the incredibly brave decision to have a complete double mastectomy.
heather.acheson@camaspostrecord.com
