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Opinion

August 6, 2013

Camas congresswoman should also consider the plights of other families

Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler and her husband, Daniel, termed "miraculous" the birth of their daughter, Abigail, several weeks ago. They had chosen to continue the pregnancy after receiving the diagnosis of Potter's syndrome which is essentially the failure of the baby's kidneys to form. I am not a fan of Rep. Herrera Beutler's politics, but I was saddened by the news of the baby's condition and what it would mean to her family. I also viewed the situation as an incredible opportunity for this congresswoman to experience firsthand the agony of a family faced with the heartbreaking choices involved in managing such a pregnancy.

July 31, 2013

Vote Greenlee for Washougal City Council

With a controversial issue, its mayoral seat and several City Council seats set to be on Washougal voters' General Election ballots this year, it certainly won't be a boring election season in the small city of 15,000 people. But on Aug. 6 Primary Election ballots, there's just one city government issue to decide on, and really it's a decision that shouldn't be too hard at all. For the Position 3 seat, voters have a choice between incumbent Paul Greenlee, city political arena newcomer Lisa Voeltz, and George Kolin, who unsuccessfully ran for Washougal City Council once before in 2011.

July 31, 2013

Is today’s gridlock turning off tomorrow’s leaders?

With beautiful mid-summer days in full swing, it would be easy to completely forget about the so-called important issues we normally wrestle with locally in Camas, Washougal and throughout Clark County. Especially if you are a young person 18 to 25 years of age. Really, do we think many of our 18- to 25-year-olds, currently enjoying days at the river, trips to the beach, concerts in Portland or getting prepared for college in the fall are going to give scant attention, right now, to the issues that may affect them considerably in years to come?

July 23, 2013

Give parents full-day option

After many years of discussion and speculation, during this most recent session state legislators and ultimately Gov. Jay Inslee approved funding in the state operating budget that will allow for a greater number of schools to offer full-day kindergarten to some students. As detailed in a article in today's Post-Record, the funding is a step toward compliance with the Supreme Court McCleary decision, which mandates that lawmakers must fully fund basic education, including kindergarten, by 2018. In its first year, grants for full-day kindergarten at schools with the highest rates of poverty were given first priority.

July 23, 2013

Letters to the Editor for July 23, 2013

Trees could have been saved Along with Camas Mayor Scott Higgins' crocodile tears, I cried for the 20 or so big beautiful old trees that were taken down as part of the construction of the new Camas community center.

July 19, 2013

ECFR asks citizens to respond to survey

Citizens of the East County Fire & Rescue district, watch your mail in the next few days. The ECFR newsletter is being mailed out this week, and it includes a survey asking for your opinion. If you live or own property in the ECFR District, ECFR wants to know what you think about having a bond issue on the upcoming Nov. 6 General Election Ballot. The bond is for 20 years, and the survey presents you with three alternatives: Yes or No to a $1,275,082.00 bond with an estimated cost of 9 cents per $1,000 of assessed value or approximately $1.33 per month for a $180,000 home; yes or no to a reduced bond with an estimated cost of 8 cents per $1,000 of assessed value or approximately $1.18 per month for a $180,000 home; or no to the bond being on this Nov. 6 ballot.

July 16, 2013

Military news a mixed bag for state’s economy

Military installations and defense contractors are taking the brunt of the automatic budgets cuts mandated by sequestration. Why should we care? Washington has major bases and military suppliers such as Boeing. They contribute more than $13 billion to our economy, about 4 percent of total GDP. A July 2012 study by George Mason University projected that sequestration could cost our state 41,000 military-related jobs. The U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan will also have an impact.

July 16, 2013

Summer in the City

It's officially "Summer in the City." The cities of Camas and Washougal, that is. And next to the beautiful weather that has graced the area during the past few weeks, the best indication of this are the many events and activities on the calendar that bring these communities together, and welcome visitors to see all that this corner of Southwest Washington has to offer.

July 11, 2013

Please know, your excess is going up in smoke

Noise and chaos around the corner. People reluctantly running with their children in their arms to the city's gathering areas to see the commotion. Soon, social media is on fire with news about a historical event a year in the making.

July 9, 2013

Opportunities to inspire

One generation inspiring another. This theme is weaved throughout the pages of today's Post-Record. A World War II and Korean War veteran going out of his way to share his story and American history with Washougal High School students. The First Friday car show that brought car aficionados of all ages together to share their expertise with each other, and pass a love for the classics on to others. A father and his teenage son who have traveled to Omaha, Neb., to participate in the Senior U.S. Open -- the chance of a lifetime. The owner of a cutting edge design and invention business who wants to give back to his community and the next generation of innovators through an internship program.