Majors A’s Beat Astro’s in Battle of Undefeated

It was a battle of the pitchers Saturday at Forest Home Park as two undefeated Little League teams, the Majors Astro’s and the A’s, duked it out to see who would maintain the division’s No. 1 spot.

The home team A’s started All-Star Ryan Behnke, who struck out several Astro’s players and only allowed one run – in the first inning, which was made by Tony Lattanzi.

The Astro’s started All-Star Michael Kuhlman, who pitched an amazing game, and gave the A’s fits. He also only allowed one run, which was made by All-Star Zach Convey. Convey ripped it into the outfield earning a triple, which gave the A’s a boost in the middle of the game. A sacrificial bunt by the A’s Grant Heiser brought Convey home and tied up the game.

All-Star Carson Williams relieved Behnke and maintained a similar performance. All-Star Christian Geigenmiller was the closing pitcher at the top of the sixth and kept the pace of his fellow teammates. The game was stayed 1-1 at the bottom of the sixth.

 

Little League
All-Star Zach Convey gets ready to steal home and tie up the game,
which was a battle of the pitchers.
The game changed dramatically, though, when Kuhlman was relieved (he hit his 85-pitch count limit) and All-Star Patrick Upkes took the mound. Behnke was walked and would end up being the winning run by stealing home. It was a close call. A’s won 2-1!

Astro’s had three hits, two by Lattanzi, and one by Gage Clarkson. The A’s had two hits — by Convey and Williams.

The victory puts the A’s in a solo first place position in the Majors Division at 5-0. The Astro’s are now 3-1. They have to complete another game that hit a time limit.

“I am so happy with the win,” said A’s Manager, Doug Williams. “What a game!”

 

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Oregon Relays: Camas Track & Field Top 10

The Camas Track & Field Team finished ninth overall with 56 points as the two-day event at Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, OR wrapped up Saturday.

Freshman Alexa Efraimson wowed crowds with her first place finish in the 1500m run with a time of 4:34.23 just edging out her closest competitors.

“Today I wanted to push myself, but I didn’t want to take a lead until I knew I could win it, or have the potential of winning it,” Efraimson said. “I wanted to be able to present myself as not just a Freshman that’s quick but a runner that’s quick.”

Freshman Cole Zarcone placed fourth in the Freshman 100m race with a time of 11.78.

In the Triple Jump, Senior Sydney Allen got a fourth place finish at 35 feet, 9.5 inches.

Amber Corbett placed second in the Girl’s Javelin competition at 126 feet, 7.5 inches. She also scored a personal best.

Junior Andrew Kaler scored a personal best in the 1500m with a time of 4:15.09. He raced in the 3000m on Friday.

The Boy’s Sprint Medley team placed fourth, which consisted of Zarcone, Kyle Schrader, Josh Golden and John Doyle.

The CHS team competed against 45 other scoring teams and held their own, but have fared better in years past.

“I am so impressed with so many of these kids,” said Co-Head Coach Alisa Wise. “Two years ago, we won the whole thing, but to be in Top 10 is great. This is a big event and kids usually set PR’s in events like this, but that didn’t happen as much as we expected. In this big atmosphere you want them to be at or near their personal records. We want them to be consistent as we prepare for state championships.”

She attributed Efraimson’s success to her patience, training and overall personal strategy.

“She was extremely focused,” said Wise. “She was prepared.”

This was the school’s sixth time competing at Oregon Relays, which intertwines college and high school athletes at Historic Hayward Field, home to the Track & Field Olympic Trials and numerous historic events at University of Oregon.

The event itself is amazing and gathers some of the best Track & Field athletes from several states and British Columbia. CHS sent 28 of their best athletes, but several weren’t in attendance due to the Prom on April 21.

One observer from Gig Harbor said many eyes are on the Freshman this year from Camas. “Word has gotten around how good they are,” he said.

 

Alexa Efraimson
Alexa Efraimson won the 1500m race with a time of 4:34.23.
 
Girls Track
Some member of the CHS Girl’s Track & Field Team.

 

Cole Zircon
Cole Zarcone, right, prepares for the Freshman 100m race.

 

Cole Zarcone finished 4th in the Freshman 100 race.

 

Running
Alexa Efraimson before she pulled out front. She won the Girl’s 1500m race.
 

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CHS Track & Field Competes at Oregon Relays at Historic Hayward Field

 

The Camas High School Track & Field Team competed in their first round of events at the Oregon Relays in Eugene, OR, on April 20. The setting at Historic Hayward Field was majestic with an enthusiastic crowd, sunny skies and 70-degree weather. It was amazing.

College and high school teams from several states and British Columbia compete in the annual event at Hayward Field, which is the home of the Track & Field Olympic Trials.

“This place has a lot of history,” said co-Head Coach Alisa Wise. “A lot of dreams have been realized here.”

Lyndsey Wourms and Megan Napier competed in the Girl’s 3000m race and placed tenth and 16th, respectively. Andrew Kaler and Andrew Duffy also competed in the Boy’s 3000m race. Kaler got ninth place with a time of 9:00; and Duffy placed 11th.

“I’m having a great time,” said Kaler. “I got nine minutes in the 3000m and I’m a bit sore but I’m excited to compete in the 1500m tomorrow.”

The Camas Girl’s Distance Medley Relay team (Camille Parsons, Kimi Knight, Austen Reiter and Alexa Efraimson) placed second with a time of 12:12.11 and broke the CHS record for that event.

The Boy’s Distance Medley Relay team (John Doyle, Kyle Schrader, Jackson Cutler and Tucker Boyd) placed ninth, and just missed scoring. First through eight place scores.

Daniel Ryan cleared his opening height in the High Jump and Paige Jackson competed in the Pole Vault. Triton Pitassi competed in the Shot Put.

In all, 28 CHS student athletes are competing at Oregon Relays this year.

 

 

Baton
Tucker Boyd receives the baton from Jackson Cutler going into the last leg
of the Boy’s Distance Medley Relay on Friday, April 20.
Running2
CHS track stars Andrew Kaler (foreground) and Andrew Duffy compete
in the Boy’s 3000m race on Friday, April 20.

 

Track
CHS track star Megan Napier competes in the Boy’s 3000m race.

 

Oregon
College students compete in separate events at the Oregon Relays.
 

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Clark GOP Convention, Part III: Delegate Challenge

 

By Ernie Geigenmiller

Editor’s Note: This is the third article following the results of the March 30 Clark County GOP Convention held at the Vancouver Hilton. The event itself has been laden with charges of incompetence, vote tampering, political shenanigans, and fraud.

On Thursday, April 19, GOP Delegate Nathan Mellor, from Precinct 925, filed a legal challenge to the results of 18th Legislative District (LD) caucus election of delegates and alternates to the Washington State GOP Convention.

According to Mellor, the basis of his challenge is “simple – the 18th LD caucus election was fraudulent, violated the rules of the Washington State Republican Party, and should be set aside, because significantly more ballots were cast than the number of eligible voters (credentialed delegates) present at the caucus.”

Mellor is referring to events on the afternoon of March 30. The credentials committee representative Margie Ferris declared, prior to voting on delegates for the state convention, that 213 delegates were credentialed to vote.

After the first round of voting, 284 votes were cast, and that cast doubt on the entire process, which was beset with a confusing registration process and numerous delays.

Mellor contends in his challenge that there are only two possible explanations for the outcome.

“Either a significant number of people who voted who were not properly credentialed,” Mellor says. “Or else credentialed delegates cast multiple ballots.”

 

GOP
Legislative District 18 in a caucus breakout session gathered
on March 30 to vote on 32 delegates to send to the Washington
State GOP Convention in May.
He’s also upset that caucus leadership permitted the results of the election to stand.
Mellor claims Washington State Republican Party (WSRP) rules were violated. He cites rules 14, 15, 24 and 29. In rule 24, he says “rules are obviously designed to ensure that only qualified votes are allowed to vote in the election of delegates to the state convention.”
He says the 18th LD violated both the letter and spirit of the WSRP rules.
“The fraudulent results of this caucus must be struck as void, and the delegates and alternates elected from the 18th LD should not be seated at the state convention,” Mellor stated.
The proceedings were filled with confusion and delays. Several delegates were concerned that caucus leadership did not sufficiently control access to ballots. It was also clear that non-credentialed individuals were allowed to mix with delegates in the room. Daniel Rupp was seen carrying four ballots. It was later explained he was voting for his father, and that teller security officers closely monitored the process. An explanation for the other two ballots is less clear, but party officials state two ballots were destroyed.
“I smelled a rat from the beginning,” said Delegate Susie Huckvale, who witnessed the proceedings as they happened. “The whole day was chaotic.”
Delegate Craig Rollins, who was also witnessed the proceedings, said “I saw very well-meaning people overwhelmed and unprepared for the details of the day.”

“I really don’t know what happened with regard to credentialing,” Graham said. “But I felt from the aspect of running our district caucus we did the best we could. We had to give everyone time for nominations and speeches and that took a long time, but those are the rules.”

She said when Ferris provided her report to the district “she looked horrible, like something bad happened to her – and that’s not her, she’s usually very upbeat and happy.”

Graham said there were problems all over the place and was worried because there was no Sergeant-At-Arms. Graham is also addressing fraud allegations from delegates who claim there were alternates in the room than necessary – and that they came in before being credentialed.
“I’m looking closely at caucus paperwork and matching those names to registration records,” she said. “We are taking an exhaustive look at everything.”
Delegates from Precinct 966 felt disenfranchised because six delegates were voted in at caucus but the County GOP turned three away. What happened?
“The precinct representation shrunk over time,” Graham said. “Why? Because their voting habits show a decrease in voting, so they were cut in half. We flipped a coin to see which three would have to be turned away.”
Other precincts have reported their full delegation was in attendance and saw alternates mingling and voting at the convention.
“Those alternates should not have been there,” said delegate Rick Russell. “Our entire delegation was there and there were alternates from our precinct walking around and voting. I want that investigated.”
Graham says they continue to look into the matter and are checking registration records. And therein lies the problem – registration was chaotic.
Brent Boger, a GOP rules official said “it was a train wreck and I could see it coming.”
Boger said simply a lot of people were not properly checked in, so chaos ensued.
“It was clear there were alternates that should not have been there,” Boger said. “The convention showed problems within the party apparatus. There are many things that need to be fixed. I also wanted more rules to be transparent in the official book, but I was limited to two pages. I really wanted people to have all the rules in front of them, but I wasn’t allowed to do that.”
He also places blame at Ron Paul supporters.
“They like to cause chaos and delay and get their opponents worn out so they go home early,” Boger said. “We have lives, the Ron Paul people don’t.”
Regarding this challenge, Boger believes it would be embarrassing to have no representation from the 18th LD, but “to have no Romney delegates from a district that went overwhelmingly to Romney is simply wrong.”
If this challenge holds up, Boger says, the 18th LD results from March 30 would be null and void.
Mellor thinks the problems from March 30 stem from “a lack of planning for a group of this size.”
Mellor believes a good reform is to abolish the caucus system and reinstate a binding primary again for Washington state.
Brian Kashas, a Ron Paul supporter, disagrees. He says “our founders wanted a representative democracy and the caucus system does that.”
Kashas says the results of the convention were raw politics, but legal. But he agreed the process was disorganized and confusing, and invited tampering. He wasn’t pleased with the process and the delays.
Mellor also calls for an investigation on why the credentials report was so inaccurate.
 “Individuals who had not been credentialed were permitted to mix with delegates on the floor and ballots were distributed without verifying credentials,” Mellor said in his legal challenge. “These individuals could have been alternate delegates, they could have come from other counties, or they may even not have been registered voters or Washington voters.”
He says democracy was turned upside down and that the only way to protect voter rights is to not seat the 32 delegates because “they were elected by fraud.”
He says this will send a strong message to people who try to commit fraud and shenanigans.
So where is the problem?
An anonymous source within the County GOP thinks the party needs to purge the Ron Paul supporters from two leadership posts.
“They say one thing and then do another and then scream the loudest!” the source says. “They cause confusion and want to abolish everything. Sometimes I think they’re really radical Democrats, other times I think they’re anarchists. Either way, they really don’t belong in the Republican Party. They’re not our friends.”
Boger agreed with the anonymous source. “Ron Paul supporters don’t back down and have very strong opinions that are more in line with the Libertarian Party and that’s where they should be,” he added.
Huckvale questions Ron Paul supporter’s motives.
“I question whether they really support GOP principles or are just trying to make noise,” Huckvale said. “In the end will they really support the GOP nominee?”
The anonymous source also points blame directly at Katja and Mike Delavar. “They play right into the Ron Paul playbook which is delay, confuse, delay, confuse and then try to be the stand-up’s in the room. When the 284 count was announced Katja was the first to cry foul and then started yelling. They did this before and they’ll do it again. Katja stood up many times during the proceedings to interrupt and throw everyone off track. They just try to tire everyone else out so they go home before voting is complete. It pads their numbers.”
Dirk Bunker thinks Ron Paul supporters are “really Democrats trying to screw up the Republicans – and it’s working.”
“Katja acted like she knew what was going on,” said Rollins. “But we’re not so sure.”
The anonymous source also thinks long-time GOP activist Mike Gaston needs to go. For the record, Gaston is not a Ron Paul supporter.
“He has served the GOP well,” said the source. “But it’s time for him to go. He hasn’t kept up with technology and is very disorganized. We all end up following his lead – to our detriment. His heart is in the right place, but it’s just time he leave.”
The WSRP provided a letter from Chairman Kirby Wilbur, indicating they were in receipt of Mellor’s challenge.
In the letter, Wilbur states “I will refer these materials to the Credentials Committee of our Republican State Convention for their consideration. The Credentials Committee will review the challenge, and make a determination of how to proceed. WSRP staff does not evaluate the materials upon which credentials challenges are based or where the challenge complies with the convention rules. Those decisions are made by the convention’s Credentials Committee.”
There are several outcome scenarios. One outcome is that the entire 32-seat delegation will not be seated, citing irregularities and rule-breaking as the basis. Another outcome is to change nothing. Still, a third outcome, says Boger, is to re-do the 18th LD elections – but that’s unlikely.
The WSRP Credentials Committee will make a decision in May.
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CHS Baseball: Varsity Wins Against Prairie

The Varsity Baseball team won another close game 4-2 over Prairie. Gabe Heredia picked up the win on the mound pitching two innings of scoreless relief.

Tyler Hallead pitched a scoreless 7th inning to get the save. Hallead was 1-for-2 with an RBI in the game and the offense drew nine walks from Prairie pitchers (2 with the bases loaded).

The C Team won their fourth straight in Tuesday’s double header against Prairie, beating them 14-3 and then 6-1 at home. They also won Saturday’s double header against Skyview and Battle Ground.

Brennan Dyehouse
Brennan Dyehouse takes the mound at a double header at CHS.






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Fever is our friend, acetaminophen is not

By Cynthia Bye, ND
Lacamas Magazine Contributor

For those that have been with me for a while, you know that I am an advocate of letting yourself or your children have a fever. Remember the body does things for a reason. When we get an invader in the body, the body in its infinite wisdom raises our body temperature to a level that is inhospitable to the invader. The only danger is if the temperature goes too high, or in children it raises too fast. In the case of children where a fever comes on quickly they can have a seizure and the first thing to do is put them in a cold bath and call 911. They will usually come out of it quickly as the cold bath brings down their temperature. My brother used to have these when we were growing up. A good immune response is a fever in the 101-103 range. Most bacteria and virus can not live at that temperature.

There have been many studies showing the side effects of all the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS). We know that aspirin is hard on the gut, and acetaminophen and ibuprophen are toxic to the liver and kidneys.

Now a study about acetaminophen adding to asthma. We have known that there has been a significant increase in childhood asthma since the 1980′s. Many things contribute to this increase, change in diet, more sugar, dyes and preservatives in food, and now we are making the connection to the use of acetaminophen. The most recent studies show that acetaminophen decreases glutathione in the lungs. Glutathione is an enzyme that helps repair oxidative damage that causes inflammation in the lung tissue.

I know I sound like a broken record, but if you have enough pain or inflammation to need a NSAID, you need to treat the cause of the inflammation. The longer I am a physician the more I see that all disease is caused by inflammation. I see this in all my cancer patients. What is inflammation except the immune system reacting to some irritant. So let’s figure out what is irritating the body instead of taking a NSAID to reduce the symptom of inflammation, treat what is causing it. If you have a fever the irritant is a invader, if you have joint pain or allergies you most likely have a food allergy or bad digestion. Treat cause not symptoms.

Take medication only when you have to, and then work on why you have to take the medication so you can get off of it.

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Alexa Efraimson Sets Camas High Record in 1600m Run! CHS Takes Home 2 Trophies

The Camas Track & Field team had a successful night at the Jon Ingram Twilight Meet at Columbia River on Friday, taking home two trophies and a new school record to boot.

Camas Track & Field runner Alexa Efraimson finished the 1600m run in 4:57, breaking the Camas High School record for that event.  Camas swept the tops spots in both Boys and Girl’s 1600m runs!

Zack Marshall took first place in the 200m at 22.57 and also placed second in the 100m. Tucker Boyd bested the competition in the 800m run with a time of 2:01.00.

Camas also dominated the Boy’s 1600m run with Andrew Kaler, Tucker Boyd, and John Doyle taking the top three spots.

William Ephraim placed third in the Men 300m Hurdles with a time of 43.81. Camas placed second in the Boy’s 4×100 Relay with a time of 45.28; Columbia River won that event.

 

Alexa
Alexa Efraimson set a new CHS record in the 1600m run at Columbia River.

 

 

Daniel Ryan placed second in the Boy’s High Jump at 5′ 10″.

Efraimson won the Girl’s 800m run with a time of 2:15.32; Austen Reiter placed third in the same event. Efraimson, Reiter and Camille Parsons also dominated the 1600m, taking the top three spots.

Kimi Knight continued her success in the 100m Hurdles, placing second at 16.14. Camas Girls also won the 4×400 Relay with a time of 4:25.21.

Lauren Neff capture third place in the Girl’s High Jump at 5 feet; she got second place in the Triple Jump. And Paige Jackson got the third spot in the Pole Vault event at 9 feet.

The team competes against Prairie and Hudson’s Bay on Monday, and then head off to Oregon Relays in Eugene, OR on Friday.

 

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Answering Myths, Misconceptions About Chiropractic

By Dr. Marc Davis

Do you know somebody with misconceptions about chiropractic?  As is usually the case with misleading information, confusion about chiropractic is based on rumors, not on facts.  

Marc+Davis.jpgHelp dispel the myths by sharing the following facts with friends, family and co-workers.

Myth:  Chiropractic is only good for back problems.

Although doctors of chiropractic, such as Dr. Davis, excel at providing swift, all-natural relief from back pain, chiropractors are much, much more than mere “back doctors.”

Doctors of chiropractic are prevention specialists.   Chiropractors focus on warding off disease and injury, rather than masking symptoms with medication.  By caring for the whole person, chiropractors help patients create winning wellness plans that combine regular chiropractic checkups with exercise recommendations, nutritional counseling, stress reduction programs and other lifestyle adjustments.

Spinal health is the cornerstone of the chiropractic approach to prevention.  Specifically, Dr. Davis works to keep patients’ spines free of vertebral subluxation, areas where movement is restricted or bones (vertebrae) are out of alignment.  This condition is linked with a myriad of ailments such as carpel tunnel syndrome, ear infection, back pain, vertigo, neck pain, headaches, high blood pressure and epilepsy.  Preliminary scientific evidence also suggests that vertebral subluxations may have a negative effect on the immune system (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1992; 15:83-9).

Chiropractors correct vertebral subluxations with gentle maneuvers called chiropractic adjustments.

Myth: Chiropractic adjustments hurt.

New patients are often apprehensive about receiving their first chiropractic adjustment.  Much of this fear comes from knowing that a “cracking” sound results from some adjustments.  However, this sound (known as cavitation) is simply a drop in air pressure within a joint, which occurs when a “stuck” joint becomes “unstuck.”  Cavitation is NOT the sound of bones cracking or rubbing against each other.

Chiropractors are extensively trained to perform adjustments gently and to custom tailor these maneuvers for each individual’s unique body type.  The vast majority of patients experience no discomfort whatsoever from adjustments.  Rather, most patients report that they enjoy the procedure and find it relaxing.

Myth: Once you begin chiropractic care, you must continue it for the rest of your life.

The idea that chiropractic is “addictive” — or that patients must continue care forever to maintain relief from a specific injury — is a common misconception.   This myth is perpetuated by some factions of the health-insurance industry and other groups that focus on “quick fix” approaches like drugs and surgery, which often fail to provide lasting results and have potentially hazardous side effects.  In contrast, doctors of chiropractic concentrate on prevention.

The truth is, most chiropractic patients who seek care for pain relief recover from their symptoms within a short period of time.  In 1994, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed this claim after intensive investigation.  The AHCPR states that: “For patients with acute low-back symptoms without radiculopathy, the scientific evidence suggests spinal manipulation is effective in reducing pain and perhaps speeding recovery within the first month of symptoms.”

True, popping a pill is faster than phoning your chiropractor for an appointment.  But unlike medication, chiropractic produces permanent relief — often in patients who have suffered from chronic pain for years.  That’s why many patients choose to continue periodic checkups, after their symptoms have subsided, to ward off other future ailments.

Focusing on prevention means averting disease before the onset of symptoms.  For example, prevention-oriented individuals visit their dentist regularly to remove plaque before it triggers tooth decay.  Concentrating on prevention also means exercising on a daily basis to prevent the buildup of fat on artery walls, which leads to cardiovascular disease.  In much the same way, patients who seek preventive chiropractic care don’t wait until vertebral subluxations multiply before taking steps to correct them.  These patients aren’t addicted to chiropractic any more than individuals who see their dentist regularly —  or who work out a few hours a week — are addicted to teeth cleanings or exercise.

Myth: Chiropractic is unsafe.

According to a wealth of scientific evidence, chiropractic is an extremely safe health-care option — especially when the alternative (medication or surgery) is considered.  Medication and surgery have staggeringly dismal safety records.  Even the seemingly benign class of over-the-counter medication called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has disastrous side effects.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 76,000 people are hospitalized each year due to adverse reactions to NSAIDs.  And, an estimated 7,600 will die this year alone as a direct result of NSAIDs.

Myth: Chiropractors are poorly educated.

Think doctors of chiropractic aren’t well educated?  Think again.  Here are the facts:

Prior to applying to chiropractic school, college students must complete the identical “pre-med” curriculum that medical students follow.  This includes courses in physics, chemistry, biology, psychology and liberal arts.  These prerequisite courses take at least two years to complete.

Chiropractic school consists of another four years of full-time study.  The average number of basic science hours is 1,420, including approximately 570 hours of anatomy, 305 hours of physiology, 205 hours of pathology, 150 hours of biochemistry, 120 hours of microbiology and 70 hours of public health (Chiropractic in the United States:  Training, Practice and Research, 1997).

And that’s just the beginning.  Merely completing six years of intense study isn’t enough to become a doctor of chiropractic.  He or she must pass a series of four comprehensive national board examinations and a local jurisprudence examination before obtaining a license to practice.

Myth: Massage therapy produces the same results as chiropractic.

Massage therapy is a highly effective, drug-free approach to relieving strained muscles, increasing circulation, easing stress and inducing deep relaxation.  Preliminary research also suggests that massage therapy boosts the immune system.  Because of these benefits, doctors of chiropractic frequently recommend massage as an adjunctive to chiropractic care.  Many chiropractors even invite massage therapists to join their staff.

Despite its benefits, however, massage therapy is not a substitute for chiropractic care because it does not correct vertebral subluxations.  Unlike chiropractors, massage therapists are not doctors:  They do not have the same extensive training and are not qualified to perform spinal adjustments or diagnose medical disorders.

Myth:  Chiropractic is expensive.

Industry studies reveal that chiropractic costs less than traditional medical care when chiropractors are the first doctors visited (Med Care 1996; 34:191-204).

Researchers at Oakland University focused on patients suffering from one or more of 493 conditions.  Roughly one quarter of the 395,641 patients studied were cared for by doctors of chiropractic.  Findings revealed “patients receiving chiropractic care experienced significantly lower health-care costs.”  Specifically, chiropractic patients saved approximately $1,000 each over a two-year period (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1993; 16:291-9).

Another study looked at 3,062 workers’ compensation claims for low-back pain.  The analysis found that the compensation costs of claims for injuries treated by medical practitioners were 10 times the costs of those handled by chiropractors (J Occup Med 1991; 33:847-52).

Dr. Marc Davis can be reached at 360.823.2225 or at www.davisfamilychiro.com

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Clark County GOP Convention, Part II: Some Questions Answered; More Questions of Fraud, Ballot Control; And Vote Tampering Linger

By Ernie Geigenmiller
Days after last weekend’s confusing and emotional Clark County GOP Convention, new answers shed light on the event while persistent questions linger that could put the county’s state delgation into jeopardy. 
The issues at hand include fraud, disorganization, violation of state and GOP party rules, irregularities, vote tampering, and disenfranchisement.
Numerous questions linger within several precincts in the 18th District, and several are crying fraud. Some of these complaints stem from delegates being denied participation on multiple occasions and through multiple mediums. Charges of vote tampering run rampant. One delegate received notice in the mail that his delegate status was denied. Another, Steve Gillespie, was elected, but never received any type of verification or confirmation from party officials.
GOP
An accurate and legal vote count is at the heart of
the Clark County GOP Convention controversy.
 
“I thought that was strange,” he said. “And when I saw the results from the convention, I thought it was strange given how the county had given Romney bigger numbers from the caucus.”

Another delegate, Mike Convey, was elected a delegate at the March 3 Caucus and participated in a pre-convention organization meeting. A few days prior to the convention, he too received a notice that his services as a delegate were no longer needed.

“The letter stated the local GOP had made a mistake in the number of delegates – that they went from 8 to 3 for our precinct,” said Convey. “It was odd. I had already gone to one meeting and they said I would receive notice about a second meeting, and then I got that letter, so I didn’t attend the convention.”

Romney supporter Susie Huckvale said, however, she saw Convey’s name on the caucus verification ballot/list while trying to register at Saturday’s convention. “Mike Convey’s name was on the list,” she said. “I saw it with my own two eyes. I know he was elected as delegate and now someone has disenfranchised him. He’s a good man and he was denied this opportunity. It’s fraud.”

Delegate Spencer May said on Monday he plans to file a challenge to the state GOP over a motion that was made to extend Saturday’s convention from 6 to 8 p.m. His claim is that because the rule was changed any votes after that hour should be null and void. He said the motion wasn’t properly debated. His motion could put the county’s state convention delegation into jeopardy.

Of the 75 delegates elected, Clark County GOP state committeeman Ryan Hart said Monday that 37 are for Ron Paul, 30 are for Santorum, six are for Romney and two are for Newt Gingrich.
Delegate Rick Russell is also upset that several alternates from his precinct were voting. “Our delegation was there,” he said. “So there was no place for our precinct’s alternates. They shouldn’t have been in the room, and they definitely should not have been voting. They’re all Ron Paul people.”
Disorganization issues included hundreds waiting in line for hours, confusion at registration, lack of proper credentialing, and lack of ID verification, among others.
 
He’s also “concerned with the Ron Paul cowboy guy who we all saw carrying around four ballots … he said he was voting for others that had already left.”
Delegates, alternates and observers felt organizers were overwhelmed, said Cynthia Haddock. “It was like they didn’t plan but they had to know how many people were coming.
The March 3 Caucus provided clear paperwork on how many delegates and alternates would be coming. That paperwork was in the possession of the Clark County GOP organizers.
They were overwhelmed, said GOP Rules official, Brent Boger, who is asking people to put the event in perspective.
“Were things screwed up?” said Boger. “Yes, absolutely. These are good, hard-working volunteers who simply didn’t prepare for an event of this size.”
Boger said GOP leaders called him a week ahead of the convention to ask for his help with the rules. Boger has been a long-time GOP activist who once served on the party’s state rules committee and understands how rules are supposed to work.
“I saw the train wreck coming,” he said. “There were no checks, no balances, and no ID’s were checked in the 18th Legislative District meeting. Because of that we had to try to verify by precinct and saw slots and openings and realized the credentials list was inaccurate. It was a mess.”
He said the local party was simply “unprepared,” and that he spoke with Brandon Vick, the County GOP Chairman about the consequences before the convention started.
The Romney people also talked with local leaders about having more check-in tables, but were ignored.
The Clark County GOP hasn’t yet issued a statement on the matter, but Lacamas Magazine is expecting a response. Phone calls were returned.
On history, Boger said once the state legislature denied Washington a primary, he recommended that the state GOP set up a caucus system that would mirror a primary as much as possible.
“The state committee disagreed,” he said. “And now we have this mess. They didn’t learn from what the Ron Paul people did in 2008, and I warned them and we all now realize the caucus system is absurd – it’s time to end it.”
As a solution, Boger says any GOP member can submit a rule change with the state committee, who would have to adopt said rule. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it is possible.
He recommends the state provide a primary only, and that delegates be apportioned according to the primary results. He says the party should bypass the state committee and simply allow the campaigns to pick the delegates.
“This is one reform,” said Boger, “and it’s not too hard to do. It’s a mail-in ballot. We all like those.”
Another reform is to elect state convention delegates at the caucus level and bypass the county convention. Boger recommends caucus goers vote on a slate, which he believes would save time, money and headaches.
As previously reported the 18th Legislative District had the most problems, the largest of which was ballot discrepancy. At the onset of voting, party officials announced that 213 delegates were certified to vote at the convention. When ballots were cast and tallied, the total was 284, and the worn out, exhausted crowd was aghast. It sent confusion and anger throughout the room.
Boger believes the disorganization and irregularities at check-in were the cause.
“A lot of people simply were not checked in,” he said. “There were alternates that should have not been in there. We all know that. It’s likely that there were people voting that should not have been voting.”
Boger also sheds light on technology and ballots.
“We’re using a machine that works but is very, very old,” he said. “And we simply don’t have enough ballots to fill the machines, so they didn’t have enough placard ballots and the 17th District was using recycled ballots – they were using pre-punched ballots!”
The convention lacked ballot control.
“People were passing out ballots without checking ID or credentials,” said Russell. “Anybody off the street could come in and vote and that’s why we have this disaster. We spent 12 hours trying to do our jobs in a system frought with fraud and lack of ballot controls. It’s ridiculous.”
Liz Pike, who is running for the 18th Legislative seat was witness to the events at the convention and understands why people are discouraged.
“It was my honor to meet many of you for the first time at last Saturday’s GOP convention, and it was a pleasure to see long-time friends again too,” she said. “If you attended the convention, thank you for giving up your day to be part of the solution to get our county, state and nation back on the right track. Please do not be discouraged. Volunteers and party officials worked hard on Saturday. The convention undoubtedly had its challenges but it is time to put that behind us. Although we may not all agree on who should be our Presidential nominee, we are united in our enthusiasm for conservative values and preservation of founding principles that make America great.”
GOP
Delegates in the 18th Legislative District Meeting vote at Saturday’s meeting.
Boger understands why Romney supporters are upset. He said many are participating for the first time and they see the caucus straw poll with Romney at 37 percent and then the convention gives him seven percent.
“It’s a mess, for sure, and it’s wrong,” Boger said. “But to the Romney people, realize this is Ron Paul’s high water mark – I don’t think we’re leaving the UN or going onto the gold standard anytime soon.”
As to the Unity Slate and the Open Slate controversy, Boger says the problem is “this is Santorum’s method of operation … he says one thing and then does another … and this is why he shouldn’t be president.”
The Unity Slate was an agreement by the Romney, Santorum and Gingrich people to elect delegates that would vote for the eventual nominee. It was designed to minimize the impact of the Ron Paul delegation. The Santorum people backed out of the agreement and forged a temporary coalition with the Ron Paul delegation, which enabled them to shut out the Romney delegation from the 18th District.
“It turned the will of the people upside down,” said delegate Don Thurston. “It’s just not right. Romney got the most votes on March 3 and now we’re sending no Romney delegates from the 18th District.
And that’s where this story continues, as there is growing evidence that more people voted than were credentialed, which puts the convention results into question.
More to come.
  
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Clark County GOP Convention Rocked by Delays, Chaos, Confusion, and Charges of Fraud; Irregularities

VANCOUVER, WA — More than 1,000 Clark County Republicans gathered on Saturday in an emotionally charged convention at the Vancouver Hilton to elect delegates to represent various legislative districts at the GOP State Convention in late May.

Delegates at the State Convention will vote on national delegates to represent Washington state at the GOP National Convention this coming August.
Saturday’s event was to finish business that began on March 3 at the local caucus events, which sent a majority of Romney delegates to the County Convention. Party organizers were again overwhelmed by the turnout, which resulted in hundreds of people waiting in line for hours and a delay to convene the proceedings.
Irregularities began before the event even started, said Romney delegate Rick Russell.
“Some lines are checking ID, while others don’t,” he said. “It seems like anyone can get in here if they get in the right line. They let some people in ahead of others. Some delegates are complaining because their name isn’t on the approved list, and they get turned away. They aren’t checking people in correctly. It’s a total train wreck.”
Dozens of people walked around unsure of where to go and what line to wait in. Emotions were running high before 9 am, and that was before the opening gavel.
 
The story continues after the jump (just below the photos):

GOP Convention
GOP delegates gathered at the Clark County GOP Convention
at the Vancouver Hilton.

 

GOP Convention
Delegates spent nearly 12 hours at the convention, which
was beset with delays and rule confusion.
Once started, GOP candidates or surrogates from every level spoke on themes of party unity, limited government, taxes, health care, beating the opposition and taking back the White House in November.
U.S. Representative Jaime Herrera spoke on party unity and “how debates are good.”
In her speech, the Congresswoman criticized President Obama’s spending and took him to task on increasing debts. She believes the current debates between factions of the party will eventually make the party stronger and are essential to a free society.
Earlier in the week, organizers from the Romney, Santorum and Gingrich campaigns had agreed on a “Unity Slate” that included 18thDistrict delegates who pledged to vote for the eventual party nominee. That Unity Slate plan was put on ice by an official Santorum representative, who said the campaign was not part of this agreement.  He instead asked supporters to unite behind an Open Convention Slate.
Tensions started to rise at that moment.
Camas resident Susie Huckvale was worried that when the convention divided into individual districts that the Unity Slate plan would fail.
“I don’t feel good about this,” she said. “I smell a rat. The Santorum people are up to something. I think they’re colluding with the Ron Paul people, and double-crossing the Romney delegation.”
When the convention broke into legislative districts, Lacamas Magazine covered the 18th District’s proceedings. The convention was already 90 minutes late and confusion reigned as Mary Graham, the 18th District Legislative Caucus Chair, convened her district’s meeting.
The district meeting’s primary job was to elect 32 delegates to represent the 18th district at the State Convention. Initially, 134 delegates were slated but that soon ballooned to more than 170 as people could nominate themselves.
Katja Delavar, a Ron Paul supporter, consistently interrupted the proceedings by challenging rules and motions, much to the exasperation of many around her. One delegate asked to stop talking and emotions ran high. She and her husband, Mike, a former Washougal city councilman, left their seats and went to the back of the large room.
“I find that woman to be very disruptive and annoying,” said Huckvale.
Once nominations were closed, it was a requirement to allow the delegates 30 seconds to make a personal statement. Delegates attempted to amend this rule and allow no time for personal statements. Again, emotions ran high. The rule stood and the audience listened to the delegates make their case.
Delavar challenged nearly every motion or rule by speaking up or going to the district board at the front of the room.
“Who is this person?” said Huckvale. “She’s all over the place and she’s delaying everything – and look how wrong she is most of the time.”
One member of Precinct 960 is going to investigate why a lower numbered alternate from the caucus was in attendance as a delegate.
“Our entire delegation was here,” he said. “And he wasn’t on our list. Something fishy is going on.”
He plans to take photos of the alternate on Monday to the Clark County GOP and show them evidence of fraud.
The proceedings were delayed another hour as delegates waited on alternate voting to fill in delegate absences. Once that was done, the voting could begin.
The credentials representative reported that 213 delegates from the 18th District were credentialed and allowed to vote.
Instructions were vague and sometimes contradictory as ballots were handed out, and several delegates noted there were no safeguards.
“Nobody is watching how many ballots each delegates receives,” said Cynthia Haddock. “People could take more than one ballot and nobody would notice.”
Santorum and Romney delegates kept raising concerns to officials, only to continue to get brushed off.
“It’s not a perfect system,” said official Brent Boger, multiple times to multiple delegates. “We’re doing the best we can.”
One responded: “This whole thing is flawed. You’re not getting away with this.”
One anonymous delegate reported she received two ballots that were stuck together.
“It was hard to punch through the chads and then I noticed two were stuck together, so I returned one,” she said. “A dishonest person can easily commit fraud.”
Whispers of concern ran rampant as voting for 32 state delegates began. Charges of fraud were audible as one Ron Paul supporter wearing a cowboy hat was seen and videotaped holding four ballots.
It wasn’t a pretty sight.
Votes were counted using a voting machine and party official Mike Gaston announced the first round was complete. “We have 12 winners out of 284 ballots cast,” Gaston said.
Chaos ensued.
Seventy-one ballots were in question. Delavar immediately ran around the convention hallway claiming a break down of the system. “How can that be?” she yelled out. “We only credentialed 213.”
She then returned to her supporters.
Delegates were aghast and concerned about time limits as it neared 4:30 pm. The event was supposed to adjourn at 6 pm and the voting was nowhere near completion.
“We had a credentials report that said there were 213 credentialed voting delegates from the 18th Legislative District,” said Boger.  “We think the 284 number is correct … but we cannot verify that, so we’re going to count everyone in the room … and if we are fairly close to 284 we can just accept that number.”
A worn down and exhausted delegation agreed to the proposal, but once again questioned the integrity of the entire process. Most kept looking at their watches wondering if there was enough time to complete the voting.
Once a manual count of delegates was completed, the original numbers stood, but that left 20 open slots, since nominees were required to receive 50 percent plus one in order to be seated at the State Convention. The first round of elected delegates were Santorum supporters.
“It looks likes the Santorum delegates betrayed the Romney people and colluded with Ron Paul supporters,” said Haddock. “I feel disillusioned.”
A second round of voting began but had to be scrapped because GOP rules require delegates with less than 10 percent in the first round to be dropped from voting in the second round.
Tension and frustration filled the hall.
Romney delegates were shut out completely in the second round as Paul delegates ran away with it. After the third round, Romney delegates realized they had been double-crossed by the Santorum people.
“It’s clear what happened,” said Doug Thurston. “The two other campaigns combined forces to shut the Romney people out.”
He said the disproportion of Ron Paul supporters to the Romney delegates didn’t make sense given the way the caucus turned out.
“Romney clearly won on caucus day,” Thurston said. “And there weren’t this many Ron Paul people that won. Something bad happened.”
Huckvale thinks fraud was rampant all day long.
“The Santorum people double-crossed us,” she said. “And the number of delegates compared to what was credentialed wreaks of fraud. Romney won the caucus and had a clear majority of delegates from the county to win this!”
In the end, only Santorum and Paul delegates were elected from the 18th District.
Delegate Kristy Wasson was saddened by anti-Mormon remarks by Ron Paul supporters. She said one delegate was making fun of Mormons, and then said he was only joking. Another reported several Ron Paul supporters make anti-Mormon comments. Mitt Romney is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“I am at peace tonight,” said Delavar to her Ron Paul supporters. “I can happily lay my head on my pillow tonight for what we did. We wiped out the Romney people and our voice was heard.”
One of the supporters said they wouldn’t support Mitt Romney if he got the nomination. He said they hoped for a brokered convention and would embrace presidential candidate Gary Johnson.
Observers were dismayed by the day’s proceedings.
“There was a 30 percent discrepancy between the credentialed delegates and the number of people voting – that’s significant,” said Thurston. “Ballots were handed out and nobody was double checking – one guy had four ballots in his hand. There were no checks and balances in this system.”
Officials were overwhelmed by the process and kept brushing off complaints.
“The system today has been flawed,” said Romney delegate Joseph Burt. “Today we have had a lot of discrepancy, a lot of problems, complete disorganization. The chairman did not have the agenda until this morning. This has been a flawed system and I’m certain there will be challenges.”
Most delegates spent nearly 12 hours at the Hilton, and by 6 pm at least a dozen gave up and went home. The event ended just after 8 pm.
“That’s what the Ron Paul people do,” said Burt. “They delay, delay, delay, cause panic, cause confusion and get people to leave early so they can inflate their numbers. And today, it worked.”
A video component of this story is being produced and will also be at www.LacamasMagazine.com
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