February 4, 2014
Caring for the Camas Cemetery
Three months after the Camas Cemetery was vandalized, the final step in the effort to make a wrong, right again was put into place.
Three months after the Camas Cemetery was vandalized, the final step in the effort to make a wrong, right again was put into place.
Washougal voters will be asked to approve two school replacement levies on Feb. 11. A three-year maintenance and operations (M&O) levy totaling approximately $19.6 million over three years, 2015 to 2017, will replace the current levy expiring in 2014. Local levy dollars make up more than 20 percent of the school district budget providing money for programs not fully funded by the state. Student health and safety, sports programs, extracurricular learning,
At the close of the marijuana license application submission period on Dec. 20, paperwork for more than 60 retail, producing and processing licenses had been submitted from Camas-Washougal area based businesses to the Washington State Liquor Control Board. The backgrounds of the applicants seem to vary as much as the names they chose for their potential endeavors. But at their core, all for one reason or another have a desire to get into the marijuana business. And as the applications are being processed and scrutinized by the state agency, local cities are heavily involved in their own work to establish a framework for rules, regulations and zonings that will eventually guide how these businesses will fit into the community.
When it comes to downtown revitalization, there is a common thread among the documented success stories: Make the experience unique for shoppers, diners, strollers, movie-goers, and other visitors and they'll continue to come back for more -- and they'll bring their friends and family. With this idea in mind, during the past dozen years downtown Camas has slowly evolved to become an emerging success story, with the potential for much more on the horizon. What makes downtown Camas unique? An illustration of that answer can be found illuminated above the front door of the Camas Gallery on Northeast Fourth Avenue.
Elementary schools are special places in the hearts and minds of youngsters who fill their classrooms. It's often a child's first experience with having teachers, classrooms, classmates and homework. They learn how to be good friends and responsible students, and they also receive that initial critical base education that serves as the foundation for a lifetime of learning.
With this edition of the Camas-Washougal Post-Record being published on New Year's Eve, it just seems natural to remember all of the events, people, decisions and other news that made the pages of this community newspaper during the past 52 weeks. For certain, there was no shortage of local news in 2013. Camas and Washougal city governments produced some of the most notable stories, ranging from the defeat of Proposition 1 in Washougal to the hiring of a new city administrator in Camas. In addition, Lacamas Lake Lodge and Conference Center construction began, Washougal City Council approved a utility rate reduction, Camas dealt with vandalism of its cemetery, and the consolidation of the Camas and Washougal fire departments finally became official.
"Failure is not an option." This statement was made by Mayor Scott Higgins following the recent approval by the Camas City Council of the 10-year inter-local agreement that officially merges the Camas and Washougal fire departments to create one unified entity. The unanimous vote was the final step in a process that has spanned more than two years.
Last night, the Washougal City Council made the right decision to include funding for the East County Family Resource Center in its 2014 budget, as it has done for the past several years. For the second year, the issue of whether the city of Washougal should provide funding to this non-profit social services organization became a topic of discussion and debate during budget talks. This time around, the concern primarily focused on where young women who think they may be pregnant and need a pregnancy test are referred to for additional services. The answer is Sea Mar Community Health Centers, which gives pregnant women information that lays out all options. This could include abortion, in addition to adoption and becoming a parent. According to Sea Mar officials, women are not encouraged to make a particular choice.
In Camas, Washougal and Clark County overall, growth is happening. One need only drive down the west slope of Prune Hill and glance to the north at the number of bare hillside lots ready for construction, to see that many new homes will soon be built for new families moving in. But in case you haven't witnessed that stark scene in west Camas or in other locations in the community, a story published in The Columbian last week provided some new details of local growth.
As the Camas High School football team prepares for the Washington State Championship game on Saturday, football fever is alive and well in Camas. It's an excitement that has slowly built up during what has turned out to be a dream season for the 2013 Papermakers. The past three months have produced convincing wins against all 13 opponents Camas has faced, beginning with a 47-14 win in September against Jesuit High School -- a team that is now playing for the Oregon 6A state championship against Central Catholic.
