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Opinion

April 9, 2013

Happy birthday Camas library!

Ninety years ago, when the Washougal Women's Club opened the first library in downtown Camas, they may not have known the impact they would be making on future generations of Camasonians. That first library was housed in Arthur Thayer's drug store, located across the street from the paper mill's offices. The facility loaned out books donated by local residents, and the state's traveling library.

April 2, 2013

Local treasure re-opens to the community

The Gibbons Creek Wildlife Art Trail, a true treasure in our community, re-opened to the public on Friday, nearly six months after a fire burned 148 acres of the 1,049-acre Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Washougal.

April 2, 2013

Citizens should ‘take a stand’

In our scheme of government, we elect representatives to take a stand on issues that affect their constituents. Among those representatives, leaders take a stand. Politicians don't. Leaders study the issues and decide what policy best supports the interests of their constituents as a whole. Politicians take a position based on what is best for the advancement of their own interests.

April 2, 2013

Letters to the Editor for April 2, 2013

Washougal should stay neutral on CRC As a concerned citizen of Washougal, I am opposed to have my city create any kind of a resolution, pro or con, concerning the CRC project. This is a collaborative project that is 11 years in the making, legislatively it concerns the state of Oregon and the state of Washington and our federal government.

March 26, 2013

Science of climate change made simple

My greenhouse is covered with a thin plastic film. A few molecules of plastic are all it takes to make it 30 Fahrenheit degrees warmer inside than out. When coal, gasoline, and natural gas are burned, they produce carbon dioxide which traps heat just like the plastic film of my greenhouse.

March 19, 2013

Many employers can’t afford paid family medical leave

When people who want more government regulations argue in favor of a new mandate on employers, they usually say, "Well, one more rule won't break the bank." However, seemingly harmless regulations have a cumulative effect that eventually cripple employers and prevent entrepreneurs from creating the jobs needed to fix our weak economy.

March 12, 2013

Thinking about running for political office?

This past week, the first signs popped up indicating that election season isn’t too far away. Port of Camas-Washougal Commissioner Bill Macrae-Smith, wanting to get an early start, announced that he will be running for re-election. Although many of us are still making the transition to a new year and getting used to the handful of new elected officials who just took office in January, the truth is, the filing period is right around the corner. Filing week begins May 14, and the Primary Election is on Aug. 6. Now is the time for those who may have casually thought about running for local public office to seriously consider doing so, and there will be many seats to choose from this year.

March 12, 2013

Lawmakers are currently considering important legislation

Imagine a child with a life-threatening food allergy. Now imagine that child having a severe reaction while at school. If that student is fortunate enough to have an epinephrine autoinjector on school grounds, he or she may receive a dose to help reverse the reaction and potentially save a life. But what about students with a food allergy who don't have their injector with them? What about students who haven't been diagnosed with an allergy, but experience their first life-threatening reaction while at school?

March 5, 2013

A celebration of Women’s History Month close to home

During Women's History Month in March, we're often encouraged to remember the people who have left their imprints on the world on a national scale. The names that often come to mind are that of Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Eleanor Roosevelt, Geraldine Ferraro, Gloria Steinem, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Maya Angelou, Amelia Earhart, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. And the list goes on and on.