The official filing deadline for political offices up for election on the November ballot came to a close on Friday. Based on the number of candidates who have filed for local positions, the races should prove to be interesting, to say the least.
One of the more rewarding aspects of holding a statewide office is to visit schools across the state, especially to high schools where students are nearing the end of their 13-year incubation period as young scholars, ready to fly out of the classroom and land in college, the military or directly in the workplace.
Sometimes, some of the best ideas come out of difficult situations. And the dismal economy during the past several years has created many difficult situations. Among them is access to nutritious food options for those in need -- people who have lost their jobs, are chronically unemployed, and even homeless. For these individuals, any meal rather than a healthy meal has become the priority.
Camas and Washougal should merge I believe there is a great need to make government more affordable to the taxpayer. All options should be looked at, including the merger of the city governments of Washougal and Camas. I believe our fine cities would benefit with a greater voice in Clark County and in Olympia.
As if on cue, the sun began to peek through the clouds just in time for the annual Memorial Day event at the Washougal Memorial Cemetery on Monday. The rays highlighted the hundreds of tiny American flags marking the graves of those who served their country, and flowers placed to honor loved ones who have passed away.
Bridging the Gaps over the river A public forum, "Bridging the Gaps", to discuss options for bridges across the Columbia River, will be held on Saturday June 4 at 1 PM at the LifePoint Campus, next to the new Costco. Experts and elected officials from both states will participate, and questions from the public are encouraged.
It's often been said that in the course of a heated debate, the fewer words spoken the better. Especially when everyone wants to weigh in for as long as they can, fewer words, written or spoken, can have more impact. So, from my chair in the peanut gallery, I offer just five words of advice to those anguishing through the final process of hiring a director for the Camas-Washougal Economic Development Association.
"Girly photo shoots," "big girl panty decorating," and "shooting hoops for boas," don't sound like typical activities one would find in downtown Camas on a Thursday night. But this week it's all part of the fun during the second annual Girls Night Out event.
In his state of the union address, President Obama stated he wants 80 percent of our electricity to come from "clean sources" by 2035. That is a tall order. Credit Suisse estimates it will take $750 billion in capital expenditures to supply just 20 percent of our nation's power demand from renewable sources. Needless to say, coming anywhere near the president's goal will require us to rethink our energy policy.
"From tragedy sometimes comes opportunity," and the current owners of the partially completed building that was supposed to become the community's signature Black Pearl on the Columbia restaurant hope this becomes this statement will soon ring true.
