Washougal students recognized at FBLA competition

Camas seeks artists for skatepark mural

The city of Camas Parks and Recreation Department is soliciting interest from a qualified artist, or artist team, with expertise in mural design and implementation services for exterior murals at the Riverside Bowl Skatepark, formerly known as the Camas-Washougal Skate Park.

The skatepark is currently under renovation, with construction completion expected in mid-July. The updated skatepark design includes elements for beginner to advanced skaters. In addition, the park renovations will also feature a cement mural wall along the parking lot side of the bowl, and an art mural opportunity above the keyhole entrance into the bowl.

That’s where the artists come in, according to Camas Parks and Recreation Director Trang Lam.

“We’re looking for an artist, or artists, that can incorporate the history of the area and the new park name into the mural,” Lam said. “However, we also really want elements of Camas’ skateboarding arts and culture to be incorporated in the design as well.”

With that in mind, Lam said they’re engaging with local youth and the Camas School District to post images via Instagram with #RiversideBowlSkatepark so area youth can show what they think represents skateboarding in Camas. Artist(s) submitting a mural proposal should incorporate elements of those images into their mural design.

Interested participants can find a copy of the Request for Proposals (RFP) online at cityofcamas.us/rfps.

For questions or more information, contact Trang Lam at tlam@cityofcamas.us, or at 360-817-7230.

Camas City Council Ward 3 town hall set for Thursday, April 27

Camas City Council Ward 3 members Leslie Lewallen and Jennifer Senescu, in addition to Camas City Council At-Large member Don Chaney, will host a Ward 3 town hall at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27, at the Camas School District boardroom inside the Zellerbach Administrative Center.

Camas residents can find their Ward information online at cityofcamas.us/citycouncil/page/ward-information

National TV show features Washougal artist

Washougal artist John Furniss appeared on the nationally syndicated “Kelly Clarkson Show” on Tuesday, April 10.

Clarkson, a former “American Idol” winner and chart-topping musician, praised the work of Furniss, a renowned woodworker who creates tables, lamps, jewelry boxes, bowls and other items from recycled materials with a lathe.

“(Furniss is) spreading the message that disabilities don’t have to hold you back from anything,” Clarkson said. “Even though he’s blind, he does incredible woodwork just by sound and feel, and he has turned it into a full-time job. He details it all on his TikTok channel, ‘The Blind Woodsman,’ and people are fascinated, as they should be.”

After Furniss told Clarkson about his woodworking career and social media initiatives, the host showed one of his bowls to her viewing audience, calling it “beautiful” and “incredible work.” She then told Furniss that PilotPen, a sponsor of her show, would send him $1,000 for his work to “create fearlessly and spread positivity.”

“That’s so amazing,” Furniss said. “I’ll definitely be going down to the wood store.”

To view the clip, visit bit.ly/jfurnisskclarkson.

WHS actors to perform this weekend

Washougal High School drama students will perform “Trap,” a play written by Stephen Gregg, at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 28-29, at Washburn Performing Arts Center.

“Every person in the audience of a high school play falls unconscious — every person but one,” according to playscripts.com. “Using interviews with witnesses, loved ones, first responders, and the investigators pursuing the case, a theater ensemble brings the story of the strange event to life, documentary-style. But as the strands weave together into an increasingly dangerous web, it becomes clear that this phenomenon might not be entirely in the past.”

The play will be free of charge and put on by members of the theater department’s advanced acting class.

WACA makes ‘one more push’ for festival artists

The Washougal Arts and Culture Alliance (WACA) is once again inviting artists to apply for the 2022 Washougal Art Festival.

“We are doing one more push for artists,” WACA board member Susan Warford said.

The festival, to be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at Reflection Plaza, 1703 Main Street, Washougal, is “a juried event focusing on bringing artists and those interested in art together in a fun, festival atmosphere,” according to WACA.

“We are thrilled to invite artists from all over the Pacific Northwest to showcase their talent at the Washougal Art Festival,” said festival organizer Janice Ferguson. “This is a wonderful opportunity to share your work with art enthusiasts, make connections with fellow artists and enjoy the vibrant arts community of Washougal.”

WACA is encouraging artists to send a completed entry form, available at washougalarts.org, and three photos of recent work (.jpg format, no more than one megabyte each) to Ferguson at washougalarts@gmail.com by May 1.

Artists will be notified of acceptance by mid-May and required to pay $50 for a 10-foot-by-10-foot exhibition space.

Camas finance department honored

The city of Camas’ finance department is once again receiving awards. Camas was recently awarded the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for their annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ending December 2021.

According to GFOA, the Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.

“We’re always excited when we receive this recognition from GFOA,” said Camas Finance Director Cathy Huber Nickerson. “All the credit goes to our finance team for their hard work and dedication to be as transparent as possible, when it comes to the city’s finances.”

According to GFOA, the report is judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes Camas demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate the city’s financial story, while also motivating others to read the report.

Washougal students recognized at FBLA competition

Washougal High School students competed at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference in Spokane April 19-22.

Students Ava Rana, Carter Wilson, Xavier Pineda-Gutierrez and Cyrus Rana represented Washougal High School at the conference. The four Washougal High School students competed in five state competition categories: public speaking, journalism, health care administration, computer problem solving, and introduction to business. Participants also attended leadership development sessions each day throughout the conference.

The conference brought together FBLA chapters from across the state, hosting student competitions in topics central to business leadership skills. Washougal High School earned FBLA Champion Chapter recognition and Ava Rana, Washougal High School student, placed within the top 12 in Washington State for public speaking at the conference.

At the recognition ceremony, Washougal High School FBLA was recognized for earning Champion Chapter status. To earn Champion Chapter recognition, teams must complete a series of membership engagement challenges.

“The most rewarding part of attending the FBLA State Conference was seeing how much each individual student improved in their competitive events and grew as individuals,” said Rose Ruff, teacher and FBLA adviser at Washougal High School.

ConMet, a global commercial vehicle equipment supplier headquartered locally, donated $3,600 for Washougal High School students to attend the FBLA state competition. The donation covered registration, hotel, and travel expenses for students in attendance.

FBLA prepares students across the country to become the business and community leaders of tomorrow. At Washougal High School, students participate in afterschool FBLA programs to develop community-minded business skills while preparing for bright future careers. Future Business Leaders of America, Career & Technical Education, and the State Leadership Conference are examples of opportunities for Washougal School District students to develop career-readiness and college-readiness skills.

ConMet, a division of Amsted Industries, is a leading global supplier of wheel hubs, aluminum castings and structural plastics to original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket channels in the commercial vehicle industry.