County seeks public comment on park fees proposal

Pedestrian injured in hit-and-run; driver arrested

A pedestrian was injured Saturday, June 24, in a hit-and-run crash near the intersection of Northeast Washougal River Road and Southeast 412nd Avenue.

According to a Clark County Sheriff’s Office news release, an occupant of a vehicle that had crashed into a tree around 1:24 a.m. Saturday was hit by another car after exiting their damaged vehicle. First responders arrived at the scene and provided medical aid. The victim was transported to PeaceHealth hospital with significant injuries.

The second driver fled the scene, but Clark County Sheriff’s Office detectives later identified the driver as Ryan Lynch, 23, of Vancouver. Lynch was taken into custody and booked in the Clark County Jail on charges of a hit-and-run involving an injury.

Port to host July 4th celebration

The Port of Camas-Washougal will present its annual Fourth of July Celebration event, featuring a fireworks display after sunset, on July 4.

The free, family friendly event will feature music from Portland bands Shades of Huey and Five Guys Named Moe, food vendors and fireworks. The live music will begin at 6 p.m., with fireworks starting at 10 p.m.

This year’s Fourth of July Celebration will take place at the Port’s Marina Park, near the Port’s headquarters at 24 “A” St., Washougal.

Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, in the park’s grassy area. Parking will be available in the overflow parking lot east of the Port’s headquarters.

Fire marshal reminds residents of fireworks laws ahead of July 4

In advance of the July Fourth holiday, the Camas-Washougal Fire Marshal’s Office is reminding residents that consumer fireworks can only be discharged, July 4, in Camas and Washougal.

Additionally, a 2017 ordinance limits fireworks use in Washougal to “safe and sane” fireworks only. Any fireworks that fly, explode, or travel more than six feet on the ground or one foot into the air (such as mortars and roman candles) do not fit the definition of “safe and sane,” and are illegal for use in the city limits of Washougal.

To combat the illegal use of fireworks, fire and police personnel will be patrolling neighborhoods.

Camas-Washougal Fire Marshal Ron Schumacher cautions that using illegal fireworks or discharging fireworks outside of legally permitted dates and times may result in a fine and/or confiscation.

“The penalties start at $250 for the first offense, $500 fine for a second offense,” Schumacher said. “There’s a $750 fine for a third offense and a $1,000 fine for each subsequent offense within a three-year period.”

Fireworks stands in both Camas and Washougal will be open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday, July 2 through Tuesday, July 4, and in Camas again from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 5.

The Fire Marshal’s office has provided these safety tips to ensure everyone can enjoy their legal fireworks in a safe manner:

• Be courteous and let neighbors know when you plan to use the fireworks

• Be prepared in case of fire and have a pre-connected garden hose on-hand

• Use fireworks on flat, hard surfaces away from buildings, vehicles, dry brush and bystanders

• Place discharged fireworks in a bucket full of water overnight

• Closely supervise children and pets and do not let children ignite fireworks

• Beware of sparklers, as they can cause serious burns or catch clothes on fire

• Clean up any trash left behind by fireworks

Schumacher also cautioned residents to be aware of summer weather conditions and reminded those who choose to discharge fireworks to be vigilant with fireworks safety.

July 3 and July 4 are the busiest times for first responders with call volume tripling. Injuries and fires will take priority, and other regular calls for service are still happening and need to be addressed such as medical calls and car accidents. Please note, there may also be delays in response due to extreme call volume.

What can you do?

• Talk to your neighbors first

• Prepare your household for the reality that people will use fireworks

• Remember fireworks are legal in many portions of Clark County

If you witness or see something on fire, or if there is a medical or life-threatening emergency, call 911.

For up-to-date firework information, visit cityofcamas.us/fire-ems/page/fireworks-safety

New principal hired for Columbia River Gorge Elementary

The Washougal School District has selected a former Camas School District associate principal to lead Columbia River Gorge Elementary School.

The Washougal School Board approved the district’s selection of Hannah Hartman as Columbia River Gorge Elementary’s principal at its meeting on Tuesday, June 20.

“I am honored to join the amazing team at Columbia River Gorge Elementary,” Hartman said in a news release. “I am committed to building strong relationships, empowering students and supporting all students to rise. I believe it is our job to make learning fun and to prepare students to be successful and positive contributors in our world. It is an exciting time to be a River Otter.”

Hartman has worked for the past three years as an associate principal in Camas School District. Previously, she served as an elementary school teacher and principal in England, China, Poland, Nigeria, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Canada and the United States for more than 14 years.

“When we asked CRGE parents for their priorities in the next school principal, they asked us to look for an experienced leader with the skills to continue the great work happening in their school,” WSD Superintendent Mary Templeton said in the news release. “Hannah stood out for her commitment to serving students and their families by fostering a strong partnership between staff and the families they serve. Hannah will be an excellent leader and can build on the strengths of the CRGE school community.”

Hartman brings “extensive experience working with school systems,” including Professional Learning Communities, Understanding by Design, standards based reporting, and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support, “to create positive outcomes for all students,” according to the news release.

Hartman earned undergraduate and masters in education degrees from Portland State University and a masters degree in educational leadership from Lehigh University (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania).

“I think that Hannah will be a great addition to our school because she has a strong understanding of evidence-based learning techniques as well as a heart for community,” said Washougal resident Katie Baker, a member of a parent committee that provided district leaders with feedback throughout the hiring process. “She has experience creating strong communities in diverse settings with a focus on education for every child. This will aid her in improving the educational outcomes for students, while also working to create a sense of belonging for every family at our school.”

Washougal students, resident honored by WASA

Three Washougal High School students and one Washougal resident received leadership awards from the The Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) last month.

Washougal High students Megan West, Savannah Yokel and Claire Zakovics received WASA’s Student Leadership Award for the Columbia River Region.

The award is “one of the most prestigious given to students by this state-wide organization,” according to Educational Service District 112 Mike Nerland, who presented certificates to the students during a Washougal School Board meeting on Tuesday, June 20, and spoke about the criteria, which includes demonstrated leadership, serving as a role model, promoting respect, collaborating, and a strong work ethic, for the award.

Washougal resident Anna Paul received the 2023 WASA Community Leadership Award for the Columbia River Region.

“This award is presented to community members or groups in recognition of their outstanding contributions to education and the Washougal School District,” Nerland wrote in a letter to Paul.

Paul helped the Washougal School District form a partnership with Read Northwest, a Vancouver-based nonprofit organization that strives to elevate early childhood literacy in Southwest Washington.

Read Northwest implemented its “reading buddy” program in first-grade classrooms at Hathaway Elementary School in March 2022, pairing students and adult volunteers for weekly reading sessions, then expanded to Hathaway Gause Elementary School for the 2022-23 school year.

County seeks public comment on park fees proposal

Clark County Public Works, Parks and Lands division is seeking public comment on a proposed update to park use fees. This includes fees for picnic shelter reservations, sports field reservations, park-use permits, meeting-room reservations and parking fees.

Parks and Lands has been working with staff and Parks Advisory Board (PAB) members to review existing fees and create a proposal for fee updates. The goal of the proposal is to better recover maintenance and operations costs to ensure park facilities and services meet standards expected by residents.

The comment period on the final proposal is open through 5 p.m. Thursday, July 28. The final report and proposal is posted at clark.wa.gov/public-works/parks-advisory-board. To submit a comment about the proposal residents can email PAB@clark.wa.gov.

State law grants local government agencies authority to charge user fees to recover costs for personal choice services. Personal choice services are those that more directly benefit individual users such as classes and facility rentals. Facilities and programs that generally benefit all taxpayers, such as playgrounds and open spaces, are not considered personal choice services. Charging fees for personal choice services that recover most of their associated costs helps ensure that levy and general tax funds can sufficiently support maintenance and operations of general use services and facilities.

To create the proposal for fee updates, staff and PAB members reviewed current fees for Clark County’s parks, fees charged by neighboring parks agencies, industry-standard best practices, goals identified in the Parks, Recreation and Open Space plan, the existing budget and budgetary needs. The final proposal aims to ensure the Parks and Lands division is strategically meeting the needs of the growing community in a financially sustainable and equitable way. The final report includes recommendations for adjustments to personal choice service fees.

To receive information about road and park projects, closures, opportunities for community input, and more, residents can follow Public Works on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and view information on Nextdoor.