As the holidays draw closer, the time comes to turn your focus to your dining room. It’s the place where you’ll do most of your hosting. If you want to make a positive impression, consider the style and design. Just a few tweaks can change take your dining room to another level. Here are seven ways to spice up your dining room for the holidays.

1. Purchase A Rug

You can easily freshen up your dining set with a new rug. Size is an important consideration when investing in a new rug. Most dining room rugs are 24 inches. You also want to make sure that the rug isn’t so thick that it catches on the chairs whenever you pull them out.

The right size and color can add that comfort and warmth you seek during the holiday season. Consider a rug that features an abstract, multicolor, or red floral design. Any of these would be appropriate for a holiday party.

2. Invest in Black Wall Paneling

Another way to elevate this space is with black wall paneling. You don’t have to have a boring room. To make it pop, incorporate it with natural elements and a gray patterned rug. Or, you may want to add some refined elegant tones such as merlot or emerald green.

3. Add Natural Textures

This might sound unusual, but natural textures are on trend and can bring light into your dining room. This is necessary for those long winter days. Simply changing your dining set to oak will give this space a different feel. It’ll add some style and energy to an otherwise boring and drab dining room.

4. Replace the Light Fixtures

This calls for simplicity. Something replacing your light fixtures with something minimalist and understated can transform the look and feel of any dining room. A glass chandelier adds a touch of luxury while a glass lantern brings more light and color. Alternatively, twinkle lights provide that whimsy you want during the holiday season.

Ry Luikens
Visit www.Ry4Camas.com

5. Introduce Color in Your Home

Incorporate some color into your home. It’s predictable to decorate your dining room with the same Christmas decor. However, you could add a pop of color with a floral wallcovering. This provides a dramatic backdrop that complements your best dishware.

6. Add A Built-In Bar

An open bar keeps any party going. It’s a good way to keep everyone invested and entertained. Ensure you stock non-alcoholic options like seltzer, sparkling water, and mocktails. You also want to have lots of ingredients for cocktails and cream liquors.

A built-in bar is a custom unit that looks like furniture. It’ll blend in with the rest of your dining room. Maybe you’ll want to paint it in a bold hue such as black or forest green. Either of these shades will make your bar stand out in a good way.

7. Change Your Chairs

Sometimes all it takes is changing the chairs. For instance, you might want to add some comfort with fur cushions or plush throws. You might even consider velvet blankets, faux sheepskins, or fleece, depending on the style of your dining room.

You can also swap out the chairs for a bench. It offers that cozy feeling you get when you eat out at a restaurant. This provides room for everyone to sit at the table together. No one will wonder about where they should sit. If you want to break up the style of a dining room set, this is a great way to do it.

Spicing Up Your Dining Room

Each of these ideas will improve your dining room in a great way and will make your guests’ stay as comfortable as possible. The best meal is one that’s enjoyed with your friends and family. Making your dining room more stylish will impress anyone who visits, even the pickiest of guests.

Sometimes it could be as simple as getting a new area rug or chairs. Or, you can do a transformation with a black panel wall or a built-in bar. You can also keep it simple with light fixtures and splashes of color. No matter what you choose, you’ll have a stylish space that offers lasting memories for the holiday season.

By: Hannah, a writer for Exit Realty Number One

In recent years, CBD has been all the rage, and for good reason. It can help with a variety of health-related issues and has been providing relief for millions of people. Cannabidiol, or CBD derived from cannabis, is a natural remedy that has been proven to be highly effective. Here are 5 health-related benefits that people may not know about CBD, the active ingredient that is derived directly from the hemp plant.

1. CBD Helps to Manage Daily Pain

Millions of people have pain each day, whether it be mild joint pain due to aging, or something more severe. CBD can help with this by targeting endocannabinoid receptor activity therefore reducing inflammation as a result. It can help with issues such as fibromyalgia and even sciatic pain, making it an excellent choice for those who need relief.

2. It Can Provide Energy

So many people feel sluggish throughout the day and are looking for a safe, natural way to feel more energized and alert. CBD can help increase focus and concentration, giving anyone the added boost that they need to get through the long, busy day and be as productive as possible.

3. CBD Helps With Stress Relief

Everyone experiences stress at some point. While there is simply no way to avoid it altogether, some may need a little help with the management of daily stressful situations. CBD can help by inhibiting the release of stress hormones and balancing hormone production in order to make a person feel calmer and more in control. CBD may also influence the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, another important factor in the management of daily stress and the effects it can have on the body.

4. CBD Can Help With the Symptoms of Epilepsy

Those who suffer from epilepsy that can benefit from the use of CBD. By helping to reduce the adverse effects associated with anti-seizure medication, CBD can have a positive impact on epileptic patients. Those with rare seizure disorders can benefit most. Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and tuberous sclerosis complex are three disorders that can be helped by the use of CBD. Patients will find that side effects such as dizziness, nausea, headache, fatigue, vertigo and blurred vision can be reduced.

5. Anxiety Can Be Treated

Anxiety is an all too common complaint among millions of people, and so many are looking for an effective way to reduce the symptoms they have. CBD can be an effective treatment for those with generalized anxiety and even physical symptoms. By interacting with the cannabinoid type 1 receptor, the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor, and other receptors in the brain that regulate fear and anxiety-induced behaviors, CBD can greatly reduce the difficult symptoms that so many people experience on a daily basis. Those with mental-health related symptoms may see significant improvement and an overall increased quality of life. Options for those with anxiety include oils, gummies, sprays, capsules, flowers and more.

By: Katherine Robinson, a writer for Redeem Therapeutics

Camas, WA — Perfect Harmony is a music academy in Camas, Washington, with youth and adult rockstar programs where students are taught music, how to play instruments, how to play in bands, and then play live concerts. They will be performing hits of the nineties, such as the Goo Goo Dolls, No Doubt, Sublime, etc., at the Fern Prairie Grange on October 28th for a Halloween spooktacular where costumes are encouraged.

About Perfect Harmony Academy of Music


Perfect Harmony Academy of Music has been teaching students for close to 10 years. It is located in Camas, Washington and serves students in Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver. Three time Best of Camas award winning music education. We also have programs where instruments are donated and scholarships are given.

You may learn more at https://camasmusiclessons.com

Fern Prairie, WA — For more than a decade, Shangri-La Farm has hosted an end of summer celebration known as its famous annual Hootenanny. But this year, the event will transform into a fundraiser on Saturday, September 30th from 5-9pm to benefit the Maui Strong Fund. This fund provides financial resources to support the immediate and long-term recovery needs for the people and places affected by the Maui wildfires. 

As of September 14th, $120,730,844 has been donated to the Maui Strong Fund which is administrated through the Hawaii Community Foundation.

“The public is invited to attend this event at our Shangri-La Farm,” said organizer Liz Pike. “Attendees will be treated to a delicious western BBQ dinner and homemade pie. We encourage folks to wear their cowboy or Aloha attire for an evening of fun, music and dancing.” 

Tickets are $40 per person and advance registration is required by September 25th. A limit of 200 tickets will be sold. To RSVP, please text or call Pike at (360) 281-8720 or email: [email protected] . Pre-pay $40 per person with Venmo to Shangri-La Farm or pay $40 at the door. All net proceeds from the event will be sent to Maui Strong Fund.

The Hootenanny features live music by Kista Roberts and Whiskey Blue Band. Guests are also encouraged to bring $5 and $20 bills to play Chicken Poop Bingo.

“My ties to the beautiful Hawaiian Islands run deep,” said Pike. “I lived on the Island of Oahu for about ten years and my twin children were born in Honolulu in 1989. Like most Americans, my husband Neil and I have enjoved vacations in the Hawaiian Islands. When we heard about the horrific wildfires on Maui, we decided this year’s Hootenanny should be about helping those in need.”

Guests will park at Grove Field Airport, 632 NE 267th Avenue, Camas. The Port of Camas Washougal is contributing the use of the Grove Field airport parking lot for this fundraising event to partner with Shangri-La Farm to benefit Maui Strong Fund. From the airport, follow the meandering trail 1/4 mile through the woods to Shangri-La Farm or take a fun ride on the free Sunflower Mobile shuttle to the farm.

For more information, contact Liz Pike at Tel. (360) 281-8720 or email

[email protected]

Downtown Camas

Camas-Washougal, WA – The Community Garden Club’s decades of service in Parker’s Landing Historical Park ended in 1999 with a granite plaque placed in the grass near the garden volunteers’ garden shed and a dogwood was planted nearby. The expressions of gratitude to the club was most likely initiated by Rosalee MacRae, park advocate and founder who was also a Community Garden Club member. Rosalee served as the Parkersville Site Development Committee Secretary, continuing her service as a Parkersville National Historic Site Advisory Committee (PAC) to the Port member until her passing. 

In 1971, Rosalee attended a shower hosted by Mary Van Vleet in her guest house (formally the “little green house”) that had been converted into living quarters by Louis and Nina Chevron in 1942 when they discontinued their Parker’s Landing Dairy, also called Chevron and Sons. They closed their dairy due to the cost of pasteurization and decision to move out of the Van Vleet home they rented to be able to move in their son Vernon and his family.

In 1978, just before moving out, Mary Van Vleet invited Rosalee to her home. She had heard of Rosalee’s interest in seeing the inside of the 100 year-old main house. That year the paper reported others asking the Port to make the Van Vleet site a park, a request denied. At an American Association of University Women (AAUW), Dorothy Pionek put Rosalee in contact with Bernice Pluchos. In a public meeting called by the AAUW the idea of forming a historical society was put forth resulting in the Camas-Washougal Historical Society (CWHS). That year Mary passed away in August and in October the Van Vleet home was burned to the ground by an arsonist.

Downtown Camas

In 1980, a petition of nearly 1,200 names was submitted to the Port requesting the site become a park in perpetuity.  In 1985, notices were published in the newspaper inviting all interested citizens to join a committee named Parkersville Site Development Committee (PSDC). A month later a preliminary plan was presented to the Port with a 50-page park plan prepared by the PSDC and presented to the Port in 1986 with estimated costs to start the park. The first step was mounting the Department of Interior and State Bronze Plaques on a 25-ton Basalt boulder obtained from Fisher Rock Quarry. The dedication of the Parkersville National Historic and Archeological Site and opening of the Parker’s Landing Historical Park was held on Saturday, June 1, 1986.

At the Community Garden Club of Camas-Washougal (“Garden Club”) September meeting, Susan Tripp will share more about the park history and how Rosalee recruited her to join the PAC which led to being a PHF Director when Rosalee died. Susan’s presentation kicks off a new dedicated Garden Club team that will continue the club’s important history in the park. Learn more at the Community Garden Club of Camas-Washougal meeting in the Camas Community Center on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at 1 pm. Meetings are open to the public.

For more information contact Diana Hogg, President at [email protected], or visit https://gardenclubofcamaswashougal.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/CommunityGardenClubOfCamasWashougal

Camas, WA — The community is invited to celebrate the bounty of the season at the Camas Farmer’s Market Harvest Festival on Wednesday, September 27th from 3 pm-7 pm. This event marks the end of the 2023 season for the market, hosted in historic Downtown Camas. The festival features fall themed games, décor and photo ops alongside local farmed produce and flowers, artisan foods, and diverse dinner options. The Harvest Festival is located at 625 NE 4th Avenue, in front of the Camas Library.

Shoppers have shown their affinity for shopping local and supporting local food systems throughout this year’s 18-week market season. The Camas Farmer’s Market saw record highs for attendance and many vendors enjoyed record sales, despite multiple days of high temperatures. The sustainably harvested farm-to-table produce, flowers, and honey, in addition to hand crafted artisan foods including pasta sauce, nut butters, kombucha, and wide variety of international cuisines, have been a winning combination for vendors and shoppers alike. 

All vendors accept cash and credit cards at their booths, and participating farms also accept WIC/Senior benefits cards. SNAP beneficiaries can start their shopping trip at the Information Booth at the corner of 4th and Everett, to take advantage of the SNAP Market Match Program, where they can receive up to $25 additional match dollars for fresh market produce.

The festival will feature market favorite musician Terry Baber from 3 pm-7 pm. Terry has been playing steel pan drum for nearly 20 years. Listeners will enjoy his relaxed island-inspired steel drum classics. The market will feature a variety of delicious dinner options, including Greek options from Getta Gyro authentic Mexican inspired fare from Razo’s Tacos, empanadas from Melted Crumbs, and hot pretzels from XYZ Baked Goods. Festival Goers looking for a sweet treat will find no shortage of artisan baked goods, such as European baked goods from Camas Market and Bakery, finely decorated cookies from Blue Gem Bakery, and rice crispy treats and other goodies from truly scrumptious. Games and activities for all ages will be offered, including a raffle for a grand prize of a wagon full of local produce and treats, donated by Camas Farmer’s Market vendors. Kids can enjoy free face painting from Mandi Moon Artistry. Games include pumpkin bowling, corn hole, and a harvest spinning wheel.

Downtown Camas

At its core, the Harvest Festival is a celebration of local farmers. The market hosted over 20 unique farms in 2023. Some farmers, like Dan and Caroline Swansey from Yacolt Farm, have been in the market for over 10 seasons. This year also brought opportunities for vendors that are new to farming, including artisan mushroom grower Rod Seal from Shroom’n 2 U. Visitors are encouraged to shop, dine, and connect with their community at the final market of the season.

“We are so excited to celebrate the end of the Market and harvest season with the community!” says Shannon Van Horn, President of the Camas Farmer’s Market Board of Directors. “We are very grateful for all the support from our sponsors, the City of Camas, and our customers! It was wonderful to see how many people still braved all weather conditions to support all their local farmers and other vendors!  Please join us for a fun celebration to round out our 16th season, and we look forward to seeing you again in Spring 2024!”

The Camas Farmer’s Market is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides local and sustainable foods to the community of Camas and beyond. For more information, visit camasfarmersmarket.org. Follow the market on Facebook or Instagram. Get up to date information about events and vendors from the Camas Farmer’s Market newsletter, click here to sign up.

Written by Downtown Camas Association.

Bridge Beyond, a new band featuring Jason Ingram and Steve Dole, is performing live in front of Nuestra Mesa this Friday, August 4 from 5- 8 pm.

Ingram, a local firefighter and longtime Camas resident, set aside his music career for 20 years to raise his sons, teamed up with Dole to collaborate. Dole plays guitar, while Ingram does vocals, piano, and guitar.

“I was working as a musician in the 90s, put out an album and even had air time on the radio,” said Ingram. “As a two piece, we are doing a lot of harmonies, and we are doing an acoustic set. This is a unique sound for what we’re playing. Music is what I’ve been my whole life, and I need to get back into it.”

The name, Bridge Beyond, has a lot of connotations. It’s a bridging of two people from different ages, and also relating to people and connecting with others through music. Bridge Beyond, Ingram says, is symbolic is that there is no end to what their music together can do to connect people.

Camas-Washougal, WA — Camas and Washougal history will be celebrated and shared at the second annual Parkersville Day, on Saturday, June 3, 2023, from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Parker’s Landing Historical Park in Washougal, located at the Camas-Washougal Port Marina.

Parkersville Day harkens back to the olden days. In May of 1879, a Parkersville event advertised as a “Grand Excursion & Picnic at Catalpha Grove on the beautiful steamer City of Quincy” took place in Parkersville. The activities included swings run by horsepower, an aerial trapeze performance, fat men’s race, wheelbarrow races, croquet grounds, sack race, and greased pig race – all with prizes. There was a large dance floor with a fine brass band playing.

The Vancouver Independent reported on July 8, 1880, that “More than 1,000 people were present at Catalpha Grove at the celebration on Monday, and the festivities did not close until a very late hour.” 

Just like the event in 1879, the annual Parkersville Day offers brass bands, croquet and wheelbarrow races plus Corn Hole (bean bag toss) and Quoits (ring toss) – games played in the late 1800s. Scout Troop 562 will be running the event games with the help of volunteers from Lions, Rotary, Journey Church, and Jeff Carlson from the Parkersville National Historic Site Advisory Committee to the Port. Winners of all ages will receive their choice of historic candy prizes or an event souvenir sticker. Tootsies or Salt Water Taffy – both started in the 1800s – will be the candy choice for game winners. In 1896, Austrian immigrant Leo Hirshfield started the Tootsie candy in a small New York City shop. He wanted an economical chocolate candy that didn’t melt easily in the heat as an alternative to traditional chocolates. He named the candy his daughter’s nickname, Clara “Tootsie” Hirshfield.

When David Bradley’s shop flooded during a major storm in 1883, the salty Atlantic Ocean soaked his taffy. Mr. Bradley jokingly offered a customer “salt water taffy.” Joseph Fralinger popularized taffy in 1886 by boxing it and selling it as an Atlantic City souvenir. Fralinger’s first major competitor, Enoch James, refined the recipe, making it less sticky and easier to unwrap. James also cut the candy into bite-sized pieces and is credited with mechanizing the “pulling” process.

Parkersville Day introduces the community to the Chinook Indian Nation, Clark County Historical Museum, Two Rivers Heritage Museum, Parkersville National Historic Site Advisory Committee to the Port, Parkersville Heritage Foundation, Daughters of the Pioneers of Washington, Whiskey Flats Brass Band, WSU, Washougal High School Band, and an art contest organized by Washougal School District Art Specialist Teacher, Alice Yang, and sponsored by the Washougal Arts & Cultural Association (WACA). 

Alice Yang, Washougal Art Teacher at Cape Horn-Skye Elementary School and Canyon Creek Middle School was recognized with two Smart/Maher Teacher of the Year awards by VFW Post 4278 and VFW District 6 at an assembly on January 17, 2023. She is one of two teachers in Southwest Washington this year honored for her civic engagement and patriotism. She was recognized for being concerned about the younger generation and for making sure that they follow their dreams. Her students erupted in applause and were energized by seeing their teacher honored. Superintendent Mary Templeton is quoted as saying, “The sense of community that Alice Yang builds in her classroom is reflected in moments like this. Yang exemplifies Washougal School District’s mission to know, nurture, and challenge all students to rise.”

On June 3, 2023, start your family fun from 11 am-2 pm, celebrating National Trails Day at the Children’s Natural Play area in Washougal Waterfront Park. Then hop across the Best Western and Port Marina parking lots to Parkersville Day from 12 pm-3 pm to enjoy Chinookan history, music and dance, play free family-friendly games, eat ice cream, listen to music and story tellers that bring local history back to life, view Washougal schools art based on a Chinook theme of longhouses, dugout canoes, salmon, baskets, and camas bulbs, see local museum displays, take a WSU tour of the park trees, and meet park supporters.

For more event information, email [email protected] or follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ParkersLandingHistoricalPark

Parkersville Day

Washougal, WA — Washougal High School drama presents “Mean Girls the Musical” on May 12, 13, 19, and 20 at 7 pm and on May 13 and 20 at 2 pm. The nostalgic musical was written by Tina Fey and is an adaptation of the 2004 movie by the same name. Tickets are $10 per attendee and are available at the door. Students who qualify for HB1660 can come to the ASB office the week before the performance to get tickets. 

“This is a fun, wild ride through the world of classic movie high school,” said Kelly Gregersen, drama teacher at Washougal High School. 

The plot follows sixteen year old homeschooled student Cady Heron who moves to the United States from Africa and navigates difficult social dynamics at her new school. Claire Zakovics, 11th grade student at Washougal High School, plays the lead role of Cady Heron. 

The cast of 47 student actors have worked diligently since March to prepare the production for the stage. Twenty student members in the technical and musical crews support the production. 

“The most exciting part of being a part of the Mean Girls cast is realizing that everything is student made, from the pit playing the songs live to the set and posters being made by students. It shows how hard our community works and cares about each other,” said Daisha Paz-Mondoza, senior at Washougal High School. Paz-Mendoza plays the role of Janis Sarkisian, one of Heron’s first friends at the new high school.

On April 25, Washougal community passed two levies supporting student-centered programs for the next three years. Performing arts productions like “Mean Girls the Musical” are levy-funded. 

“Everyone’s really welcoming and nice,” Washougal High School student Shelby Rappe said of the Washougal High School drama department. “I’ve never felt like I didn’t belong.”

More information about “Mean Girls the Musical” at Washougal High School is available on the Washougal High School website.  

The fertile lands and proximity of Parker’s Landing for transporting milk and butter by steamboat to Portland, Oregon, made Parkersville and Washougal key locations for dairy farms. The dairy legacy at Parkersville and nearby is celebrated with ice cream at the annual Parkersville Day event held at Parker’s Landing Historical Park. Ice Cream Renaissance will be serving this year on Saturday, June 3, 2023, from 12 pm to 3 pm.

There were several well-known, historic locals who operated dairies.

SHEPHERD – According to the 1880 census, David Shepherd, a 57-year-old dairyman, was a naturalized citizen and married to Helen. Both Helen and David were born in Scotland, David around 1823. They lived and farmed on a donation land claim adjacent to the Ough land claim. David Shepherd and his sons also operated and maintained the earliest graves in the Pioneer Cemetery, now Section A at Washougal Memorial Cemetery.

GOOT – Albert Goot, Sr., born in Switzerland in 1857, milked 35 cows at his Goot Swiss Dairy in Washougal after his arrival around 1889. His dairy was located on part of the original Parker and Ough land claims. On his farm, he also raised potatoes, oats, and hay. A portion of his land is now Goot Park, 303 SE Zenith Street in Camas, near the Washougal River Waterway.

WEBBER – Washougal’s first mayor, Morris Webber, was a pioneer and dairy farmer. A few weeks after Washougal’s incorporation in 1908, Morris Webber and Albert Goot, Sr. opened the Columbia Condensed Milk Company. The company put in a deep well with a storage tank and gained the franchise rights to provide the town’s water. Water rates were 1.25/household/month. By 1910, Morris owned a 600-acre dairy farm on Lady Island.

YINGER – The Yinger Family, noted in the newspaper for their fifteen children, started the Steigerwald Dairy in 1913. They operated a dairy herd in the Steigerwald Lake floodplain, keeping cattle in a large barn located at the present-day Bi-Mart store.

Parkersville
Steigerwald Dairy barn

WRIGHT – David William (D.W.) Wright, a dairy farmer and son of pioneers Emily Durgan and Stephen Wright, Sr., came across the plains in a covered wagon, drawn by a team of oxen when he was three years old. He also served on the first Washougal City Council in 1908. Stephen Grover Wright, David’s nephew, and Nina May Wright Chevron’s brother, was also a dairyman living in Washougal.

CHEVRON – Nina and Lou C. Chevron moved into the VanVleet home at Parker’s Landing in 1931, and established Parker’s Landing Dairy, also called Chevron & Sons. Their dairy truck read, Grade A Milk, L. C. Chevron, Parker’s Landing Dairy. Nina May Wright, born on April 22, 1895, married Louis Charles Chevron on December 25, 1911. The dairy sold raw milk before pasteurization started. In 1942, Lou and Nina Chevron sold their prize-winning dairy herd due to wartime gas rationing. After the cows and equipment were sold, Nina and Lou renovated and moved into the “little green milk house,” adding a kitchen and bathroom to it. Their son, Vernon, and his family remained in the bigger house. Nina lived in Washougal until age 95.

Daily milking, separating the cream, and churning butter, initially done by hand was a lengthy process. Visit Two Rivers Museum, Washougal, to see the equipment used during hand milking.

In the 1940s, milking machines allowed farmers to milk multiple cows simultaneously and grow their herds. At one time, Clark County boasted about nearly 200 dairy farms. Only one remains. 

Learn more about local dairy history at Parkersville Day!

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/ParkersLandingHistoricalPark
Questions? Email [email protected]

Parkersville
Columbia Condensed Milk building