City Council Member, BLM Activist, Alex Yost Joins Washougal’s CTE Program

Washougal, WA — The successful Washougal School District Career and Technical Education (CTE) program focuses on providing students with real world experiences led by knowledgeable, passionate staff.  The newest addition to that staff is Alexandra Yost, Washougal’s first CTE Professional Technical Assistant or Pro Tech, for short. 

“We are delighted that Alex is bringing her extensive business and culinary background to the team,” said Margaret Rice, WSD CTE Director.  Yost is the former owner and chef of OurBar in downtown Washougal and is currently a member of the Washougal City Council. She is also very politically active in the area, and frequently attends and organizes local Black Lives Matter (BLM) rallies condemning police violence while calling for racial equality and justice. She has also advocated for defunding the Washougal police.

“Alex’s focus along with supporting CTE teachers will be managing two new, exciting CTE educational opportunities that feature project-based learning,” said Rice. “One is the development of a CTE operated food truck and the second is implementation of a Green Schools Program to our high school in collaboration with WSD Culinary Services.”

In spring 2020, a food truck was purchased by the WSD CTE Department with the goal to create a student-led food truck business.  “This truck will literally be a vehicle for learning,” said Rice.  “Literally!  It is also an extension of our professional kitchen facility in the Excelsior Building at WHS.”

The learning around the food truck is expected to reach far beyond the development of food plans and food service. 

“WHS students will participate in all aspects of the project development,” explained Yost.  “Students will work on a business plan, learn about health department rules, navigate through local permitting and licensing, develop manuals for training and safety and even the creation of marketing.  There will also be opportunities in manufacturing, welding, small engine service/repair and maintenance for students interested in those CTE experiences.”

When operational, the food truck will be available for hire to serve the community at events and will be student led.  Yost is developing a team of mentors to counsel students in this project work.

“We want as many aspects of the food truck as we can to be project-based and student led/created so the first step is a contest to develop a name and will be open to all students of WSD,” explained Rice. “The name should be representative of our community, perhaps with some derivative Washougal.  It needs to be appropriate for all ages, be catchy and not already copyrighted.” 

The contest process is in the works and will be announced soon and run through February 26. Details can be found on the Washougal School District website at http://www.washougal.k12.wa.us/cte/food-truck/.  The next student contest will be to design the artwork to adorn the truck.

Yost is also tasked with development of a CTE Green Team.  This effort will bring education, sustainability, and reduced carbon footprint to the WSD High School Culinary Services department, which became self-operated over the summer.

“A major aspect of that transition has been the move to scratch production of meals,” said Rice. “With that change it was also the right time to bring the Green Schools concept to the high school.  Our students have been sorting and recycling food waste and trash in our elementary and middle schools for some time. The high school program will provide an opportunity for students to continue these efforts.”

“Ultimately we want to take this Green Team experience and education down to the classroom level as well as eventually developing a Green Ambassadors program in which students are driving the program forward leading a sustainable program that can be passed on for years to come,” said Yost.

This environmentally focused program sits firmly in WSD’s mission pillars of sustainability and stewardship of resources, partnerships to support students, educational engagement, and equity to include all students. The goal is to involve students to significantly reduce our carbon footprint and contributions to the landfill while taking these experiences forward in life.  Their efforts also help to save District operational funds by reducing waste and disposal costs.  

“The program also brings in aspects of our career and college readiness by introducing students to companies such as Waste Connections,” said Rice.  “They will see various elements of career opportunities they may not have realized existed. In a time when it seems like everything is changing and nothing is ‘normal’, we are trying to take every opportunity to teach our students how to learn from change, collaborate and adapt to find efficiencies in the ‘new’ so we can continually improve the current situation.”

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Hindu Prayer to Open Washougal, Clark County Council Meetings in January

Hindu prayer will open meetings of both Washougal City Council and Clark County Council in Washington on January 11 and 19 respectively, containing verses from world’s oldest extant scripture. 

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will deliver the invocations from ancient Sanskrit scriptures remotely before both Clark County Council and Washougal City Council. After Sanskrit delivery, he then will read the English interpretation of the prayers. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and root language of Indo-European languages. 

Zed, who is the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, will recite from Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use; besides lines fromUpanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. He plans to start and end the prayer with “Om”, the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.  

Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Rajan Zed plans to say “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya”; which he will then interpret as “Lead us from the unreal to the real, Lead us from darkness to light, and Lead us from death to immortality.” Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita, he proposes to urge county councilors and city councilmembers and others present to keep the welfare of others always in mind. 

Zed, a global Hindu and interfaith leader, has been bestowed with World Interfaith Leader Award. Zed is Senior Fellow and Religious Advisor to Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, on the Advisory Board of The Interfaith Peace Project, etc. He has been panelist for “On Faith”, a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced by The Washington Post; and produces a weekly multi-faith panel “Faith Forum” in a Gannett publication for over nine years. 

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about 1.2 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA. 

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Tommy O’s At The Camas Hotel Offers New Year’s Brunch — 2 Days Only

Camas, WA — The team at Tommy O’s at the Camas Hotel invites you to ring in the New Year with some delicious brunch options — available this weekend only.

For two days, Friday Jan 1st and Saturday Jan 2nd, from 10 am-2 pm, Tommy O’s is offering six dishes, and four speciality drinks to help you celebrate 2021.

Here’s what they are offering:

  • Huevos Rancheros — Crispy tortillas layered with black beans, cheddar cheese, and rancheros sauce, topped with two eggs and finished with pico de gallo and sour cream.
  • Loco Moco — Hamburger patty, fried onions and steamed rice, smothered in brown gravy and topped with two eggs.
  • Veggie Scramble — three eggs scrambled with pepper, onion, and spinach. Served with your choice of steamed rice, hash browns, or breakfast potatoes.
  • Big Island Scramble — three eggs scrambled with pepper, onion, spinach, and Kalua Pork. Served with your choice of steamed rice, hash browns, or breakfast potatoes.
  • Hash House — (Featured image with kalua pork added) which is hash browns, provolone cheese, sautéed veggies, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
  • Kim Kam — (Featured image below) Pork belly friend rice topped with sautéed spinach and two eggs finished with teriyaki.

Add Kalua Pork, Spam, breakfast potatoes, hash browns, cheese, sour cream, pico, guacamole, or avocado to any dish!

Speciality drinks include Tropical Mimosas, Lilikoi Margarita, Tommy O’s Mai Tai, and Bloody Mary.

Call 360.833.0115 to preorder.

Tommy O’s
The King Kam. Pork belly fried rice with sautéed spinach and two eggs finished with teriyaki.

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Pop-Up Blood Donor Center Event Coming to Black Pearl in January

Washougal, WA — For the first time ever, Washington State and Oregon held Blood Donor Day on December 18 to commemorate the Amtrak 501 passenger train heading from Seattle to Portland that was tragically derailed on December 18, 2017, prompting immediate action by first responders to aid everyone aboard the train. Injured passengers were transported to local hospitals, and cared for with the blood donations made by our community. The care provided was only possible because our shelves were stocked, weeks prior, with enough blood.

“But our efforts to keep a health and safe blood supply doesn’t end there,” said Lauren Reagan, of Bloodworks. ”Bloodworks needs all donors to keep donating throughout the winter season to help our preparedness plan and be ready for anything. Donating blood is a simple act that can mean so much to those in need.”

Today’s special day is also preparation for January, which is National Blood Donor Month.

“January is National Blood Donor Month, so what better time to make a donation and impact someone’s life? That “someone” could be a loved one or friend,” said Reagan. “It’s the time of year when local blood supplies are dipping due to high patient demand. Don’t wait until a person close to you needs blood, act now by giving at a Pop-Up Donor Center near you.

The next Pop-Up Donor Center will be held January 4 and 5 at the Black Pearl on the Columbia, which is located at 56 South 1st Street, Washougal, WA 98671. Hours are 8:30-2:30 pm each day.

• Link to Book Appointment:  https://schedule.bloodworksnw.org/DonorPortal/GroupLanding.aspx?s=686b

• Bloodworks Vancouver Donation Center: 9320 NE Vancouver Mall Blvd Ste. 100 Vancouver, WA 98662

All donations are by appointment only. The one hour donation appointment is a safe and essential action to support local hospitals and patients. The pop-up centers are being conducted in accordance with social distancing guidelines. No walk-ins, guests, or people under age 16 are permitted onsite. All donors are required to wear masks during their appointment. Bloodworks has posted information addressing questions and concerns for blood donors at bloodworksnw.org/coronavirus.

Blood
www.acreativetwistcorp.com
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How Trauma Impacts Your Health — by Dr. Cynthia Bye

As practitioners of naturopathic oncology, we know that the vast majority of cancer diagnoses occur within 5 years of a major trauma. These include the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job, to name a few. However, even early childhood trauma can have negative health outcomes many years after the fact. ACEs, or “Adverse Childhood Experiences” are recognized by the CDC as contributing to conditions like heart disease, diabetes, depression, and cancer. When I did my residency at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, all patients had the option of seeing a Psychoneuroimmunologist (PNI). Big word, but basically their job was to ferret out the traumas that impacted the patient’s psychology that impacted the nervous system which ultimately impacted the immune system. 

The underlying issue is “toxic stress.”  This is a prolonged period of stress in which the body is responding physiologically without ever being given a chance to recover. This leads to immune suppression, increased blood sugar, and changes in brain chemistry that predispose people toward anxiety and depression. As many know, toxic stress can lead to stress eating and poor nutritional choices. Ironically, sugar and carbs can increase serotonin transiently which makes you feel better short term until the blood sugar drops and that is another stressor. Stress also tends to reduce our exercise and can lead many times to substance use like alcohol, marijuana, and other recreational drugs. The consequence of these stress behaviors results in increased blood sugar, insulin, obesity, insomnia. All of which increases inflammation and reduce immune function and thus increasing the probability of major disease such as cancer.

As naturopathic physicians who specialize in oncology, we take a detailed look at all aspects of every patient’s health. This includes mental and emotional health. Everyone experiences stressors in their lives. Some people have more trauma than others. What matters is how each person copes with these major stressors. Naturopathic medicine emphasizes lifestyle and nutritional medicine as a first-line approach to health and healing. For example, studies show the simple act of meditating for 15 minutes daily can make an enormous difference in brain function and levels of stress hormones in the body. Making sure to eat whole foods instead of processed “frankenfoods” gives the body what it needs to heal and remain healthy. We also have other tools to address toxic stress such as botanical medicine, targeted supplementation, and homeopathy. When appropriate we will refer our patients for additional counseling. 

If you have experienced a major trauma and are struggling with your health, call our office today to make an appointment.  We take a whole-person, patient-centered approach to health and healing.  No stone will be left unturned.  

Yours in health,

Cynthia Bye, ND, FABNO

Board certified in Naturopathic Medicine

360-695-8800

www.cynthiabye.com

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Lacamas Magazine Editor Writes Tribute to Papa Jim Coss: 1947-2020

At 5:06 am on Friday, December 4, I received a call from my mom. Her first words were: “dad’s passed away.”

Nothing quite prepares you for the news of losing a parent, and the grief that overcame our family was nothing short of an emotional punch in the gut or blow to the head. It broke our hearts. It was sudden and unexpected. We are still picking up the pieces.

Over the course of the next several minutes, I learned about the details of Papa’s death (that’s what his grandchildren call him), which happened just two hours earlier. Dad suffered from multiple ailments that have afflicted his health for many years. His body succumbed to these ailments, but he was ready to be released and God was ready to receive him. His earthly mission was completed in the comfort of his California home 73 years after it began.

This was not a COVID death.

Friday was spent contacting family and friends. Mom had given me instructions to not say anything publicly until she gave me the green light. I honored her wishes. I’d been assigned to call specific people to convey the news, and had my own short list of contacts, and when I reflect upon who they are they are the ones I trust implicitly and love with all my heart. Time and distance doesn’t matter.

Dad’s life began in 1947 in Mexico, Missouri, and as the youngest of four siblings, he completed the Cloyd and Edna Coss family. Doted on by his oldest sister, Martha, and by a loving mother, Dad enjoyed an idyllic childhood in a tiny town called Vandalia, MO. He would live in one home, a modest but well-designed dwelling built by his father — a brick plant worker, skilled carpenter, small business owner, and home builder — until adulthood.

His parents instilled in him family stability, the values of hard work, and a love of God. And, yes, as the baby he was spoiled. Even into adulthood I recall Grandma Coss telling him “Jimmy, what do you want me to make you today?” I always loved catching glimpses of conversations between mother and son.

Papa
Our family in Summer 1985.

Papa was very athletic and always had a love for baseball, basketball and football. He graduated Van-Far High School in 1965 and attended one year of college before serving four years in the US Air Force, three of which were spent in Germany.

Upon his return to the States, he worked briefly in Quincy, Illinois, but decided his future would be in California, so he packed up his light blue Dodge Coronet and headed to San Francisco. Over the next few years, Papa enrolled in a technical school, earned his certification and by 1974 began a career at Watkins-Johnson in Palo Alto, California, where he would work with his future brother-in-law.

The following year he’d meet a young, Mexican woman named Linda (my mother), a recently divorced mother of one, and he said the attraction was instant. He’d tell his mother, “mom, I’m gonna marry a Mexican woman who has a little boy.”

Grandma Coss was delighted.

In 1976, Papa married my mom in a simple ceremony in the Redwood City, CA apartment of a local pastor. In attendance were my Aunt Yolanda, Uncle John, my cousins Cecillie and Nathan, and me.

Within two years, they would move to Fremont, CA and join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which would forever alter their lives.

A year later, my brother Matt was born. By November 1980 our family moved to Blue Springs, MO, a cherished place where we welcomed Taylor and Katie.

In May 1984, we moved to Morgan Hill, CA, another cherished community. In time, Susie was born.

In 1993, the family would settle in Ripon, CA, a quiet San Joaquin valley town known as the almond capitol of the world.

Dad worked as a Technical Writer in the Bay Area until his retirement eight years ago.

Over the years, Papa served his church in various callings, as usher, Bishopric member, seminary teacher, Sunday School teacher, among many others.

Papa loved his meat and potatoes, doughnuts, Diet Coke, See’s candies and football. He would chat for hours about politics, family history, sports and his love of the Savior and His Gospel.

His commitment to the Savior only grew.

Papa is free from physical pain, the trials of mortality and the craziness of this pandemic. He’s with his parents, cherished family members and close friends. He made it.

Papa is survived by his wife of 44 years, Linda Coss; brother Fred; sister Dottie; 5 children, Ernie Geigenmiller, Matt Coss, Taylor Coss, Katie Coss Shepard and Susan Coss Schiele; one daughter-in-law, Liz Barber Geigenmiller; two sons-in-law, Jon Shepard and Daniel Schiele; and 10 grandchildren: Brendan Geigenmiller, Christian Geigenmiller, Jordan Geigenmiller, Grace Shepard, Sophia Shepard, Aaron Geigenmiller, Liam Schiele, Reina Shepard, Jay Shepard, and Charlotte Schiele.

Families are forever.

Papa
My parents with my sister’s family. Summer 2020.
Papa
Our extended family, November 2017.
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Local Band Creates Ultimate Expression of Love For Holidays in Lockdown

Folk duo Fox and Bones offers custom songwriting services for the perfect contact-free gift

Camas, WA — With lockdowns and quarantines affecting many long-standing holiday traditions this year, local band Fox and Bones has come up with the perfect contact-less gift that allows people to express their love from a distance. The duo, who previously made their living touring internationally but moved home to Camas when the first wave of lockdowns hit, put their minds together to create “Our Custom Song”, a boutique personalized songwriting service where they are commissioned to write what they call “the ultimate expression of love” —  a highly personalized, radio quality song.

Though Fox and Bones, aka Sarah Vitort and Scott Gilmore, launched this new service in the wake of COVID-19 shutdowns, the idea for Our Custom Song initially came to the real life couple three Christmases ago, when Gilmore wrote Vitort a song and gave it to her as a Christmas present. 

“To this day it’s the best gift I’ve ever received, truly a gift that keeps on giving. There is nothing quite like the feeling of being someone’s muse,” said Vitort. 

Vitort realized that equipped with 20+ combined years of songwriting experience that feeling was one they could offer to others and became more valuable than ever when COVID changed everyone’s lives.

The custom songwriting process begins with an hour-long ZOOM consultation, where Vitort and Gilmore ask thought provoking questions in order to step into their customers’ shoes before writing the song. In addition to the initial consultation, customers get two rounds of edits between the first and final drafts to ensure the song is exactly what they want. Customers also get to choose the genre, feel and instrumentation of the song, and are offered add-ons like their own photo slideshow music video, an engraved lyric plaque, or a CD of the song.

“It didn’t feel somebody created this song just because it was purchased, it felt like you guys really could understand how we felt, and took all the stories and things that we talked about and made them come to life,” said Shelby Cinnamon, who, with her siblings, commissioned a song for her mom for Mother’s Day. 

BAND
www.champpizza.com

Her sister Carley, a Camas resident, added, “I wish I had the words to convey to people how special and how meaningful the entire process was. It’s such a priceless song that we will treasure forever.”

In addition to custom songs, Our Custom Song also offers a more budget-friendly option in the form of “Song-Grams,” where clients can choose any song for the duo to cover with a special dedication to the recipient, a nostalgic cross between a singing telegram and a radio song dedication. 

Our Custom Song was created by Vitort and Gilmore as a way for people to commission personalized songs for the people they love most. Vitort and Gilmore use their 20 years of combined songwriting and music industry experience and their deep ability to empathize to create heartfelt, radio quality songs for their customers. The pair has been lauded for their songwriting in outlets such as Parade Magazine, No Depression, and Pop Matters since they formed in 2016.

Interested parties are encouraged to learn more and book their song at www.ourcustomsong.com

 

Band
Sarah Vitort and Scott Gilmore of Fox and Bones.
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Clark County Public Health Releases Latest COVID-19 Data; 170 Avg. Cases Per Day

Vancouver, WA — Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the last Clark County Public Health update was Wednesday morning (included all cases reported to them on Tuesday). Today’s update includes new cases reported to Public Health on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

  • 849 new cases (average about 170 cases/day Wed-Sun)
  • 8,841 cases to date
  • 397 active cases (currently in isolation period)
  • 77 COVID-19 patients hospitalized
  • 9 persons under investigation (PUIs) for COVID-19 hospitalized

The health department provided this reminder about active cases: “This reflects the number of confirmed cases who are currently in their isolation period. For most people, isolation is based on when symptoms began, not when they received the positive test result. Some individuals learn they are COVID-19 positive and only have a few days of isolation remaining.”

You may also learn more on their COVID data webpage: https://clark.wa.gov/public-health/covid-19-data

If you’ve been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, please stay home for 14 days from your last contact with the sick person.

Staying home for the full 14 days – even if you have a negative COVID-19 test – is important because it can take up to 14 days for an infected person to develop symptoms. But people can spread COVID-19 before they know they are sick – up to two days before symptoms develop.

People in quarantine should not go to work, school, child care or church, or participate in other social or community activities. This ensures that if a person in quarantine does get sick, they don’t spread the virus to others.

COVID-19
www.acreativetwistcorp.com

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Downtown Camas Holds Little Box Friday, Small Biz Saturday Events This Weekend

Camas, WA — Join Downtown Camas merchants November 27th (the day after Thanksgiving) in Downtown Camas! In celebration of the joy of shopping locally (no “big boxes” here), participating downtown merchants will each have a “little box” of coupons, specials, gifts, and other surprises for you to draw from. A little something extra for supporting local!

Also receive a free Golden Ticket in each location with any purchase to be entered to win a gorgeous holiday merchant basket! The Golden Tickets also enter you to win merchant prizes and a shopping spree!

The Golden Ticket Event in Downtown Camas starts on November 27th (day after Thanksgiving–also Little Box Friday!) and runs through December 18th. With any purchase from a participating merchant during this time, receive a “Golden Ticket” that enters you to win a fabulous prize from that merchant! Shopping multiple times during this time period and receiving a ticket each time is encouraged! 🙂 Plus your tickets will be entered into the Grand “Golden Ticket” drawing for a $250 Downtown Camas Shopping Spree, compliments of Carla Edwards, local Real Estate Broker!!

Please, bring receipts to the Liberty Theatre from any local Downtown Camas businesses from this day totaling at least $100 and receive 2 free movie tickets! (Turn in the receipts to theater 11/27 from *12:00pm – 3:00pm. You can buy popcorn during this time as well! One set per person. Pass use subject to capacity.) *times changed due to theatre closure mandate.

More fun promotions to come! Fantastic kick off to holiday shopping!

Participating merchants include:

4Ever Growing Kids
Allure Boutique
Arktana
Caffe Piccolo
Cake Happy
Camas Antiques
Camas Bike & Sport
Juxtaposition
Natalia’s Cafe
Navidi’s Olive Oils & Vinegars
Papermaker Pride
Sass Beauty
The Soap Chest

Featured image by Megan Kingston, and provided by Juxtaposition.

Little Box
www.artfuljuxtaposition.com

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As COVID-19 Cases Surge, Inslee Warns of More Statewide Restrictions

Olympia, WA — Governor Jay Inslee warned Tuesday that hospitalizations statewide continue to rise in rates similar to the early days of the pandemic as coronavirus continue surge and indicated he may expand business restrictions. 

He repeated his concern about families meeting for the Thanksgiving holiday, but emphasized that Washington is doing better than other states by limiting contact this weekend. 

Inslee spoke with his wife, Trudi, in a public address on November 12 that prohibited families and friends gathering on Thanksgiving. He mandated that families stay home with immediate members of their household.

Inslee is clearly concerned about the direction the state is headed in with its COVID-19 cases. The state’s cases are now soaring at 300 per 100,000 residents when the desired rate is 25 per 100,000.

Clark County’s COVID-19 activity rate is climbing rapidly. This week, the rate increased to more than 359 cases per 100,000 residents – up from 254 cases per 100,000 last week.

“We’re concerned Thanksgiving gatherings will cause our case numbers to rise even higher,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County Public Health Director. “Please celebrate safely and only gather with the people you live with.”

The increase in COVID cases has increased the possibility that local hospitals may need to suspend elective procedures and non-emergency operations. 

“We cannot tolerate the continuation of that straight up curve for very much longer,” Inslee said. “And what we have done is we’ve hard targeted reductions of social interaction in the hope that we can change the slope of that curve. But if it does not, we will have no other option but to extend those restrictions to other parts of the economy.”

Inslee also expressed concern for the frontline healthcare workers who have worked in challenging conditions for more than eight months. He’s worried about their well being as many are hitting burn out.

Mathaesthetics
www.acreativetwistcorp.com
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