WASHOUGAL, WA – Friends of Washougal teen Charleigh Chaston are holding a fundraiser for her Tuesday, September 5 from noon-7 pm at Washougal High School to help her family pay for medical expenses after she sustained severe injuries in a 60-foot fall.

Chaston and her family were hiking at Panther Creek when she slipped and fell 60 feet to a rock at the bottom of the falls. Immediately after the fall, a nurse, a chiropractor, and her brother Taeg took care of her until she was life-flighted to a Portland hospital with severe injuries to her legs and jaw.

Her family reports she had no neck, head or spinal injuries.

Her injuries include shattered legs and jaw bones, as well as foot, heel, ankle and pelvis breaks. Chaston has already had several surgeries, with more to come.

Her legs are rodded, plated and screwed back together. Her jaw bones were also plated, screwed and wired shut. Her pelvis is cracked, but stable, and she will have surgery next week to repair her foot, heal, and ankle.

Until August 30, she was in ICU in critical condition, but stable condition. She is currently in a less critical pediatric unit.

The Chaston family has been grateful for the overwhelming love and support they’ve received from family, friends, and the community.

The road ahead will be challenging, and expensive as it will include four more weeks of hospitalization, physical therapy, and high school tutoring.

Friends of the Chaston family are holding Tuesday’s fundraiser to help with those expenses. Any and all donations will be accepted.

For more information, call 360.991.1135.

 

When former Washougal city councilwoman Molly Coston officially announced her 2017 Washougal mayoral campaign August 6 it set the stage for a vigorous Fall political season in a city rocked with leadership turmoil.

Coston is competing with Washougal city councilman, Dan Coursey, for the mayor’s position to succeed former mayor Sean Guard, who resigned earlier this year amid harassment allegations. A completed Washington State Patrol investigation shows a string of electronic communications between Guard and an unidentified woman that may result in the case being handled by the county prosecutor.

Following Guard’s resignation, Coston was encouraged by supporters to run for Mayor. And, this isn’t the first time she’s answered the call to serve amid unfavorable conditions.

Coston has been active in city politics for much of her 16 year residency in the city, serving on the city council from 2005-2011, and as Mayor Pro Tem in 2010 when former Washougal mayor, Stacy Sellars, abruptly resigned.

“There was a dispute about her mayoral policies,” said Coston. “And when Stacy resigned I spent three months as acting Mayor. It was a very difficult time filled with confusion and challenges. I gained a good understanding of how the city works. And here we are again.”

She said Washougal has been pummeled by turmoil which is why she’s created a vision for the city.

Top Reasons Coston Is Running

“I have a vision for Washougal,” she said. “And, it’s very bright. I want an engaged community with a focus on public safety, a vibrant economy, and continued improvements in transportation.”

Coston outlined a three-pronged vision for Washougal, which is as follows:

  • Economy: Create a favorable business environment for businesses by keeping government that is small and stable. Coston believes in working with private enterprise to create public-private partnerships to attract more companies into Washougal.
  • Public Safety: “We need more policemen,” she said. “I want to add one more per year as our economy and community grows. Our officers answer more calls than Camas does.” She wants to engage local neighbors and build community with more communication and involvement.
  • Transportation: Find a way to reasonably manage current roads and walkways. “As we continue to grow, we need solutions and the public-private partnerships are key to making this happen.”

Molly Coston

Community Involvement

As a city councilwoman, she was involved in the following:

  • Parks Board  (Council Liaison) 2005- 2011
  • Cemetery Board (Council Liaison) 2005-2011
  • SW Washington Regional Transportation Council-  2008-2010; Elected as Camas/Washougal Representative to serve on the Board of Directors. RTC Board of Directors Chair – 2010
  • Clark County Community Action Advisory Board – Director representing East County  2009-2011

She has served in the Camas-Washougal Rotary Club since 2004:

  • Club President – July 2014-June 2015
  • Local Foundation President – July 2015-June 2016
  • Community Service Chair – July 2016-present

League of Women Voters of Clark County, 2000-present

  • President 2007-2010
  • Board of Directors 2005-2012

Civil Service Commission: 2013-present

Columbia Gorge Refuge Stewards, 2010-present

  • Board of Directors – 2014-present
  • President, 2016-current

Citizens for Better Schools PAC, 2005-present

  • Chair – Washougal Schools District Levy Campaign 2005 (successful)
  • Active Member – Washougal School District Levy Campaign 2008
  • Active Member – Washougal School District Levy Campaign 2014
  • Active Member – Washougal School District Bond Campaign 2015

Unite! Washougal Community Coalition, 2010-present

  • Long standing member of state funded coalition that work together to support youth, enrich community, encourage families, and guide healthy choices. 

To learn more about her campaign, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/mollyformayor/

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past month or two, you’re probably aware of all the recent excitement regarding the rare and brilliant celestial event where the moon eclipsed the sun.

“Have you bought your pair of ISO 2312-2 eclipse-viewing glasses, yet?” was a common conversation topic – especially up here in the northwest – during the weeks leading up to the big day. I spent this long-awaited moment up at Washington State University Vancouver, standing amidst a sea of people in the campus courtyard, all staring up at the sky and sporting our delightfully-ridiculous specks. While doing so, I couldn’t help but think about how we should be doing this kind of thing more often – gathering together and taking a moment to celebrate vast astronomical wonders. Even something as simple as stargazing in a field or on your roof with some close friends or a loved one on a warm summer night can be so relaxing and memorable. So… grab a warm blanket, a cup of coffee, and a good friend, and press play on this stargazing-themed playlist. We all know that we won’t have these quality, cloudless and rainless skies for too much longer!

Stargazing Playlist

This playlist includes – but is certainly not limited to – two David Bowie tunes (he is the original starman after all. How could I settle for just one?), and a groovy extraterrestrial ballad by a singer-songwriter named Jim Sullivan. Six years after releasing his debut album U.F.O. in 1969, the struggling musician decided to venture from Los Angeles to Nashville (NPR staff, para. 1). However, Sullivan’s deserted Volkswagen Bug – containing his guitar, wallet, and a box of his unsold records (Mastropolo, para. 14) – were later discovered in the middle of the New Mexico desert and he was never to be found (NPR staff, para. 1). Ironically, his vanishing reflects the mysteriousness reflected in “U.F.O.” itself – some even theorizing that Sullivan himself was abducted by aliens (NPR staff, para. 10).

 

Stargazing

Songs for Stargazing.

Works Cited

Mastropolo, Frank. “Rock’s Unsolved UFO Mystery: The Night Jim Sullivan Vanished Into Thin Air.” UltimateClassicRock. 2 July 2014. Web. Accessed 22 August 2017. http://ultimateclassicrock.com/missing-ufo-singer-songwriter/.

NPR Staff. “Jim Sullivan’s Mysterious Masterpiece: ‘U.F.O.’” NPR. 9 Dec. 2010. Web. Accessed 21 August 2017. http://www.npr.org/2010/12/09/131936448/jim-sullivan-s-mysterious-masterpiece-u-f-o.

by Veronica Whitney

The summer vacation season is shorter for most Southwest Washington families, given the extended snow make up days from the 2016-17 school year, so it seems early to get a jumpstart on Back to School (B2S) shopping, but it’s really a good time to find the best deals.

Deloitte recently conducted its 10th annual Back to School (B2S) survey, which takes a detailed look at this year’s shopping and spending trends. Total B2S shopping in the United States is expected to reach $27 billion, and department stores fall from second to sixth place as favorite shopping destinations. Mass merchants have jumped to first place.

That $27 billion projection would make 2017 the second biggest B2S shopping season on record.

B2S is the second biggest shopping season of the year, affecting 29 million U.S. households, 53 million children, and accounts for 50 percent of all school-related expenditures, according to Deloitte.

In this B2S shopping season, Deloitte says “consumers are focused on different retailers and items to fill their carts. Mass merchants and off-price retailers are becoming the go-to venues while traditional department stores and specialty clothing retailers take a back seat.”

Here are some of the survey’s findings:

  • 81 percent of respondents plan to shop at mass merchants. This is a 24 percentage point jump over of last year.
  • 28 percent plan to shop at off-price stores. This is up from 10 percent in 2016.
  • 28 percent say they’ll shop traditional department stores, which is down from 54 percent last year.
  • Just eight percent of parents plan to visit specialty clothing stores, falling from 25 percent in 2016.
School

Welcome back to school written on a sheet of paper school with colorful pens

Local retailers have seen an earlier spike in traffic this year, and many attribute that to the heat.

“We think they’re coming in to escape the heat,” said one Target employee.

Retailers also get the most dollars spent at their stores the earlier they advertise their sales, according to the survey.

“I love to save money,” said Marcia Wahlman, a Wal-Mart shopper. “I love finding the best deals.”

The statistics show that families spend, on average, $501 per child, which is on par with 2016. Fifty-seven percent of respondents will use cash or debit cards for their purchases, while others will use credit or retail credit cards.

In-store purchases account for 57% of total B2S sales, with 21% online, and 22% undecided.

The Southern portion of the U.S. accounts for 44%, giving that region the highest average spend. The West accounts for 18% overall.  The Midwest is 20%, and the Northeast is at 18%.

So, how much will your family spend?

School

Kids ready for the start of the new school season.

The City of Camas is issuing a voluntary water use restriction advisory in an effort to conserve water during this summer’s heat wave. The advisory is as follows:

Water your lawn on odd or even days depending on the last digit of your home address. The current heat wave is generating higher water use and stressing the City’s water supply.

Other ways to conserve water include: 

  • Accept a dry lawn – grass becomes dormant during periods of drought but rejuvenates naturally when winter approaches
  • Let your grass grow taller in  the summer – longer blades promote deeper rooting and shade the root zone, reducing water loss
  • Use a broom to clean driveways and paths – sweeping will get them clean without wasting water.
  • Water your grass or garden in the evening – give your gardens a light water at dusk (between 7pm – 9pm); if you water in the middle of the day, it evaporates
  • Take short showers
  • Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth
  • Only wash full loads in your washing machine or dishwasher (unless they have a setting for half loads)

As part of the city-wide effort, the public works department is reducing irrigation at local parks and facilities, as well.

Click here for more information – http://www.cityofcamas.us/pwwater

Local swimmers from Columbia River Swim Team (CRST) and Lacamas Headhunters have seen a lot of competition this season with the Summer Blast Swim meet series, Senior Sectionals, State Championship, and now at Futures National Championship, which is located in Santa Clara, CA.

The Summer Blast series is designed to keep the athletes swimming competitively while preparing for the larger events. Senior Sectionals brought swimmers from all over the Western US region (including college-level athletes), and saw some gains and improved personal times for both clubs. CRST swimmers are in peaking training mode with twice-a-day practices at two pools.

“It’s a pretty intense time,” said CRST swimmer, Max Dolbinin. “We’ve been focusing on the larger meets.”

CRST coach Darlene Hill has been pleased with results from State, and says her team is currently seeing personal bests at Futures this weekend.

“We’ve had several successes this summer,” said Hill. “The kids have been working hard.”

Ilia Zablotovskii swims in the 200 M Medley Relay at Senior Sectionals.

 

Swim

Mark Kim, of Lacamas Headhunters Swim Club, at warm-ups at Senior Sectionals.

 

Maddie Wick at Summer Blast #3.

State Long Course Competition

State competition, held just last week at Mt. Hood Community College, also saw gains and improvements for the swimmers.

Here are some State stats from local club swimmers:

  • Madison Wick, CRST: 50 Free (29.40) – 2nd place
  • Annette Chang, CRST: 50 Free (29.40) – 3rd place
  • Justin Xue, CRST: 50 Free (26.58) – 3rd place
  • Tom Utas, CRST: 50 Free (24.15) – 2nd place
  • Avery Gunderson, CRST: 200 Breaststroke (2:54.54)
  • Eric Wu, CRST: 100 Breastroke (1:08.96) – 2nd place
  • Madison Wick, CRST: 100 Back (1:15.37) – 3rd place
  • Annette Chang, CRST: 50 Free (1:15.83) – 3rd place
  • Finn McClone, CRST: 200 Back (2:16.17) – 2nd place
  • Eric Wu, CRST: 200 IM (2:16.02) – 3rd place
  • Andrew Chang, CRST: 200 IM (2:20.52)
  • Jace Creech, Lacamas HH: 200 IM (2:30.47)
  • Sammy Empey, CRST: 50 Free (28.53) – 1st place – 11 y/o
  • Sammy Empey, CRST: 100 Fly (1.08.01) – 1st place – 11 y/o
  • Sammy Empey, CRST: 50 Back (33.00) – 1st place – 11 y/o
  • Sammy Empey, CRST: 50 Fly (30.60) – 1st place – 11 y/0
  • Sammy Empey, CRST: 100 Free (1:02.04) – 1st place – 11 y/0
  • Nathan Kim, Lacamas HH: 50 Back (33.63) – 3rd place
  • Finn McClone, CRST: 400 Free (4:25.64) – 3rd place
  • Finn McClone, Ilia Zablotovskii, Jacob McCarthy, Christian Madden, CRST: 200 M Medley Relay (1:53.65)
  • Alex Wahlman, Steven Wu, Caden Lee, Sammy Empey: 400 M Free Relay (4:37.90) 3rd place 11 y/o
  • Nick Wahlman, CRST: 200 Fly (2:25.25) – 2nd place
  • Tom Utas, CRST: 100 Free (53:34) – 2nd place
  • Max Dolbinin, CRST: 100 Free (54.23) – 2nd place
  • Ilia Zablotovskii, Eric Wu, Tom Utas, Max Dolbinin, CRST: 400 Free Relay (3:36.88) 1st place
  • Eric Wu, CRST: 400 IM (4:43.31) – 1st place
  • Eric Wu, Tom Utas, Illia Zablotovskii, Max Dolbinin, CRST: 200 Free Relay (1:38.45)
  • Nick Wahlman, CRST: 200 Breaststroke (2:32.95) – 2nd place
  • Eric Wu, Tom Utas, Finn McClone, Max Dolbinin, CRST: 800 M Relay (8.08.27) – 1st place

Futures National Championships

These championships, located in Santa Clara, CA, are open to swimmers who are members of USA Swimming, and who have achieved the published time standard in one or more events.

“It’s a great pool, exciting to race all the fast swimmers around,” said Dolbinin, of the Futures National. This is his second time to attend this meet.

Currently, CRST swimmers has seen personal best times at this meet. Current stats are as follows:

  • Max Dolbinin: 200 Free (1:59.9) – PR
  • Tom Utas: 100 Fly (59.6) – PR
  • Eric Wu: 100 Breaststroke (1:09.1)
  • Eric Wu: 100 Fly (58.77)
Swim

From right: Tom Utas and Max Dolbinin at Futures National Championship, in Santa Clara, CA.

Swim

From left: Finn McClone, Tom Utas, Max Dolbinin, and Eric Wu.

More details to follow. The meet ends on Sunday, August 6.

To learn more, visit www.crstwaveriders.org and www.lacamasheadhunters.com

First Friday in Camas is coming today with a focus on “Small Town Summer Fun” with the fun beginning at 5 pm in downtown Camas on 4th Avenue. The festivities end at 8 pm.

Due to the heat, several of the outdoor games and crafts are moving indoors.  

Downtown shops, restaurants, galleries, and the Liberty Theatre will have their air conditioning to keep things nice and cool. Stop by Journey at 304 NE Birch for games, crafts, and your activity list for the evening.

First Friday Activities

  • Play the “Guess the Missing Word” game in downtown businesses & earn tickets to win great summer prizes!
  • Outdoor fun & games including duckie race, marble grab, cornhole, ring toss, and more with prizes (*most will be brought inside Journey due to the heat)
  • Woo-hoo! 3 Ribbon Cuttings and Grand Opening Celebrations for Salon 904 at 5pm, 904 NE 2nd; Camas Beauty Bar at 5:15pm, 210 NE 4th; and Salud! Wine Bar-Event-Center-Wine Storage at 5:30pm, 224 NE 3rdAvenue. All are invited.
  • Free kids’ painting sponsored by The Paint Roller Mobile Paint Party
  • Make a paper boat and see if it floats!
Friday

Artist working on 4th Avenue in downtown Camas.

To learn more, visit www.downtowncamas.com

The cities of Camas and Washougal are opening COOLING STATIONS this week due to the extreme heat warning for the Pacific Northwest.

The City of Camas is extending hours at the Camas Public Library.

“The Camas Public Library will be utilized as a cooling center to provide relief to those trying to keep cool,” said Camas City Councilwoman, Bonnie Carter. “Library hours have been extended — from 10 am to 8 pm.”

The City of Washougal will be opening COOLING STATIONS all week at the municipal complex in downtown Washougal, which is located at 1701 C Street, as follows:

  • Tuesday – City Hall and Library (8 am-5 pm), Community Center (5-9 pm)
  • Wednesday – City Hall and Library (8 am-5 pm), Community Center (5-9 pm)
  • Thursday – City Hall and Library (8 am-5 pm), Community Center (5-9 pm)
  • Friday – City Hall and Library (8 am-5 pm), Community Center (5-9 pm)

There are also several churches with the community participating in the relief effort. Look for the COOLING STATION signs throughout Washougal.

CRESA has information regarding ways and places to stay cool. Clark County Public Health, in coordination with CRESA, has also released information about how to avoid over-heating and the prevention of health-related illness.

 

 

 

Mt. Hood Community College, OR — Several of the best local swimmers, including many with Washington State titles, will convene at the 2017 Speedo Western Region Section Championships this Thursday for a four-day event that drives athletic excellence.

Swimmers from as far away as Colorado and Arizona will descend on Mt. Hood Community College to compete in 36 individual and relay events. For some, this is an essential stop, or preparation for Future Nationals in August, which is an even more significant meet. 

The Camas High School (CHS) Boys Swim team won the State title in February, which comprised athletes from multiple private swim clubs — Columbia River Swim Team (CRST), Lacamas Headhunters, and Pacific Athletic Club (PAC). It was the first time in 50 years a high school swim team south of Tacoma won the prized victory. Several won individual and relay events.

Many of those same State Champion swimmers, representing their private clubs, have been getting ready for the past weeks and months, trying erase seconds and milli-seconds off their event times.

Mark Kim, representing Lacamas, is the 2017 200 Free Washington State High School Champion (1:40.76) and will be competing in the 100 Free, 400 Free, and 1500 Free events at Senior Sectionals, as well as several relays. He and his brother, Jaden Kim, also won the State High School title in the 200 Free Relay (1:26.82) with Eric Wu and Tom Utas. Jaden, also representing Lacamas, is competing in the 200 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Fly and 50 Free this week.

Swim

Eric Wu in the 400 IM.

Utas, a Camas High School graduate, is also the Washington State 50 Free Champion (21.07) setting a new team record. He added another record placing 3rd in the 100 Free with a time of 46.74. Utas will compete in the 100 Free, 200 Free, 100 Fly, and 50 Free events this week, representing CRST.

Max Dolbinin, a recent Heritage High School graduate, placed 4th in the 100 Free (47.25) and 5th in the 50 Free (21.50) at State. Representing CRST, he will be competing in the 100 Free, 200 Free Bonus, 100 Fly, and 50 Free events this week.

Finn McClone added to the Papermaker Championship in February with 7th place in the 100 Free (48.85) and 5th place in the 100 Back (54.27).

Wu competes in an incredible six events at Senior Sectionals: 100 Breastroke, 200 Free, 400 IM, 100 Breastroke, 100 Fly, and 200 IM.

In total, CRST is sending 10 swimmers. Avery Gunderson, Andrew Chang, Christian Madden, Benjamin Phelps, Nick Wahlman, and Ilia Zablotovskii have been training rigorously for the meet.

“I’m just trying to drop time in my events and hopefully that can put me into finals,” said Chang. “This summer is just about closing out my high school career strong, and set myself up well for college.”

Dolbinin says “Sectionals is a prep meet for Futures, and I want to get good times to have a good spot at Futures, and see what else I have to work on before Futures.”

To learn more, visitSenior Sectionals

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Grove Field, WA — As part of the upcoming Camas Days festivities, the Camas Washougal Aviation Association (CWAA) is hosting two fun events — a Steak Feed Fundraiser this Saturday, and an Open House/Public Plane Ride on Sunday.

“The  Sunday Open House is for our Aviation Association that is based at Grove Field,” said Terah Brice,  CWAA Treasurer and Social Committee Chair. “The funds go towards several scholarship offerings ranging from Aviation Education, Summer Camp financial aid for the week long, the youth camp that we put on every July and also funding for local future pilots to help cover costs of obtaining their private pilots license from our field. So it can cover fuel, airplane rentals, ground schooling or help pay for their flight instructor.”

Costs are $25 per ride.

CWAA member pilots are volunteering their time and planes to give the public a look into what general aviation is really all about, as well as to open up our invitation for people to join and be active with the organization, said Brice.

“Or to give them an opportunity to look into pursuing education or flight training,” she said. “We will be selling rode tickets from 10-2:30pm but often have pilots in the air until after 6pm. We are hoping for a food truck or will have popcorn, hotdogs, chips and water available.”

The annual CWAA events are a fun part of the Camas Days celebration.

Aviation

CWAA pilot gets ready to depart Grove Field.

CWAA Steak Feed

The Steak feed will be held Saturday, July 22 from 5-9 pm costs $20 at the door (gate) and it’s right on the airfield at 632 NE 267th in Camas. CWAA tosses tents up and visitors may eat alongside the runway. There will be raffle baskets donated by downtown shops and restaurants, which will include anything from gift certificates to trinkets to large items. The time is 5-9pm for that. Guests can mingle and have one-on-one talks with pilots if they are interested in pursuing aviation or are simply curious.

@cwaagrovefield

To learn more, visit www.cwaagrovefield.org/home

 

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