Camas, WA — The public is invited to tonight’s dual celebration of Camas history and Spring for April’s First Friday, from 5-8 pm.

The fun includes:

  • Play the “Guess About Camas” history game around town, learn about why Camas is so great, and be entered to win prizes!
  • Play the Legacy Square Game for raffle tickets!
  • Mill historians will show us why our mill is cool–make paper with them at the Mill Interpretive Center!
  • Two Rivers Heritage Museum will be on hand with local historic artifacts and to share stories about our town’s unique history. Come new learn about the Gathering Place, Washuxwal. You will be able to donate to this exciting new project that will create a community space inspired by our rich, Native American heritage in the Camas/Washougal area.
  • Nan Henriksen, one of Camas’ former mayors will be on hand to teach about the rich Camas history and, how she and the city leaders created opportunities and growth in the 80’s/early 90’s that helped shape our town and economy for a better today and future! She will talk for 15 minutes at 5:30 and 6:30 – come learn about more about Camas!

Art Shows and receptions at all our art galleries

  • Friends of the Camas Arts will be at Journey Church with for their Art Show and Silent Auction, come help support these young artists and their mission – Supporting education in the arts in the Camas School District.
    Enter to win a beautiful, signed, limited edition, Pendleton Roundup tapestry depicting three handsome cowboys from the Pendleton Roundup, donated by Attic Gallery! The tapestry was inspired by a painting created by Sandra Jones Campbell, one of Attic Gallery’s artists. Her father was part of the Pendleton Roundup, she will also be the featured artist at Attic Gallery’s Reception!
  • The Camas Gallery features Toni McCarthy this month: She’s a designer and maker of hand-made original jewelry. You can learn more at www.beadsandthreads.com
Friday

Jewelry by Toni McCarthy.

  • Help Attic Gallery celebrate their 45th Anniversary!!!!
  • Celebrate Motion Picture History at The Liberty Theatre – The 1968 smash hit, Planet of the Apes will show at Friday, April 6th at 8:30 pm – $6

More fun!

  • Come taste the candy that was created the year the town was founded. Also, you can taste a bite of something that relates to our town’s history, hmmm – wonder what it will be?
  • Lisa Le’ Properties, A Boutique Experience will host a collaboration of professionals: Free health assessment by Life Force Chiropractic; $5 Brow wax by Skin by Tammy; Makeup matching by Vancouver Laser and Skin Care Center
  • Natalia’s Cafe will be going back to the ’50’s with hamburger and fries $4.99, hot dog and fries $3.99, milkshakes or malts $2.99.
  • Kids’ crafts–a fun tribute to the famous people who have made a difference in Camas plus something to celebrate Spring!
  • Plus all the great shopping and dining in Downtown Camas!
    For every $10 spent on food, wine, merchandise – anything, get a FREE raffle ticket to win items!

To learn more, visit www.downtowncamas.com

 

Friday

Construction in the 1950s at the Camas Mill.

Editor’s Note: This is the second of a series of articles about Papermaker history — telling part of the story about the Camas Mill. The first article looked at the mill’s history from its inception until the 1920s.

Camas, WA — The Camas Mill has undergone many name changes, renovations, additions, and has a Papermaker history filled with fascinating stories dating back to the 1880s.

Longtime mill employees Anna Fry and Caroline Mercury (who recently retired after 36 years) spent considerable time gathering the history (artifacts, logs, books, photos, tools, etc.) and have created a Mill Interpretive Center, or museum, that gives visitors a comprehensive look at what turned Camas into a town, and why we’re called the Papermakers.

The Interpretive Center is open on First Fridays, near the mill’s main entrance on Adams Street (with the black canopy) and provides visitors with an excellent 10-minute movie that provides a light overview of the mill’s history, the people who built it — and those who continue to work there today.

Key Historical Points:

  • 1920 — The wood mill installed the first drum barker and the first Jensen towers in the sulfite mill.
  • 1924 — The first sulfite mill bleach plant was installed.
  • 1925 — A new dock was built.
  • 1926 — The first Kraft mill at Camas started up.
  • 1928 — Crown Willamette merged with Zellerbach Paper to become Crown Zellerbach.
  • 1930 — Newsprint manufacture ceased and was replaced with specialty papers. The converting plant started up and began producing “Zee” bathroom tissue.
  • 1941 — The mill machine shops were converted to shipyard parts manufacture for the war effort.
  • 1946-48 — A Kraft mill bleach plant was added and production capacity increased to 750 tons per day. Five digesters, two paper machines (14 and 15), and a new wood mill were installed.
  • 1950 — Facial fold napkins were produced for the first time.
  • 1955-57 — A major expansion included a 300-ton capacity Kraft bleach plant, a 350-tons per day recovery furnace, a new lime kiln, and eight stationary digesters. The Central Research Division was formed.
Papermaker

Architect’s rendering of the mill’s research center.

 

Photo Gallery

Hood River Valley is home to 14,000 acres of fruit trees, making it one of the best places for people to get their blossom fix this spring!

Here are three top ways to celebrate this springtime feast for the eyes in and around Hood River:

Explore the Hood River Valley. Nestled between Mount Hood and the Columbia River, this vast and bountiful valley is home to pear, cherry, and apple orchards and vineyards. During April, many of the seasonal businesses feature special springtime events as a part of Hood River Valley Blossom Time. Visit hoodriver.org/hood-river-valley-blossom-time/ for a regularly updated list of events.

Get a bird’s-eye view. To get a feel for the variety of agriculture that defines Hood River Valley, stop at Panorama Point, where you’ll also have views of Mount Hood and Mount Adams on a clear day. This is a perfect picnic spot, so be sure to grab a to-go lunch in town before you head up the hill!

Drink the fruits of the orchards’ labor—while surrounded by orchards—at the fifth annual Hood River Hard-Pressed Cider Fest! The festival returns Saturday, April 21, and is presented by Pacific Northwest Federal Credit Union and produced by the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce. It features more than 25 local and regional cideries, including six that are new to the festival. The participating cideries will be sampling more than 50 original ciders that showcase the wide variety of styles coming out of the Pacific Northwest’s cider scene.

Hood

Hard-Pressed Cider Fest.

Two of this year’s new participants are Hood River institutions introducing new beverages to their lineups. Hood River’s original brewery, Full Sail Brewing, is launching KYLA Hard Kombucha—a new take on the popular fermented probiotic drink, with an alcohol content of 4.5 percent. Hood River County Fruit Loop favorite Draper Girls Family Farm will be sampling its new hard cider line, Draper Girls Cider Company, which uses its homegrown apples, pears, cherries, peaches and plums.

For more information on the festival, visit www.hoodriver.org/cider-fest

 

This information about the Student Wellness Series is provided by the Camas School District.

The public is invited to attend THE STUDENT WELLNESS SERIES: TEENS & THEIR SCREENS – MARCH 26.

Please join us for a free parent education night with Yshai Boussi of Portland Family Counseling talk about how electronics are affecting student brains. He has become the areas’s go-to counselor on navigating the challenges of teens and devices.

The event – which is geared toward an adult audience – is coming up Monday, March 26, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, at Hayes Freedom High School. We welcome parents and guardians of students of every age to join us for this valuable information. There is no admission fee.

 

Up Next:

On Tuesday, April 10, from 6:30-8:00 pm in the CHS Theatre, Licensed Professional Counselor Howard Hiton will be speaking on “Competition and High Expectations: Supporting Your Children to be Independent and Resilient.”

We thank Camas Educational Foundation for the grant that helped make these opportunities possible in conjunction with the newly founded Student Wellness Program of Camas School District. Stay tuned for even more events!

*PLEASE SHARE WITH FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS – ALL ARE WELCOME*

Contact jennifer.mcmillan@camas.wednet.edu with questions or for more information.

For more on the Student Wellness Program, see Camas-Washougal Post-Record’s March 3 article here: http://www.camaspostrecord.com/news/2018/mar/01/camas-schools-prioritize-wellness/

My three-phased approach to a healthy garden (also a great way to understand complementary cancer care).

Phase 1 – Identify factors that allowed cancer to grow in the first place.

Cancer is a multifactorial disease. I see some common threads. I liken the body to a garden and cancer cells as weeds in the garden. We are all making some weeds every day; the question is, why is the garden letting the weeds take over to form tumors? At Journey to Wellness, we treat the multiple factors that allowed it to grow in the first place with a multifactorial approach.

Phase 2 – Help cancer patients while they are going through treatment.

The standard of care says pluck some weeds out with surgery, put some herbicide on them with the chemotherapy, and radiate some. All necessary, but standard of care diminishes the viability of the garden. This is where my training as a Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology (FABNO) comes in. My job is to help with side effects, reduce the chance of metastasis and protect the garden without interfering with the effectiveness of the treatment. 90% of cancer patients are going on the internet and taking natural products and not telling their oncologist. This is dangerous.

Phase 3 – Recover and reduce the drivers of cancer.

After treatment, we need to amend the soil and help the garden to recover and stop producing so many weeds. The unfortunate truth is our standard of care makes us more vulnerable to letting the weeds grow back. We need to amend the soil help it recover and address those things that allow weeds to grow. Whether in remission or if you still have some residual cancer, we must help you reduce its drivers.

Studies show that when patients participate in their care they have better outcomes. As I tell all my patients, the only person in charge of your health is you. It is vitally important that we all participate in our healthcare. If you are battling cancer or recovering from treatment, your Naturopathic Physician can help.

Yours in health,

Cynthia Bye, ND, FABNO
Board Certified in Naturopathic Oncology
Call 360.695.8800

www.CynthiaBye.com

Camas, WA — The highly anticipated opening of Grains of Wrath Brewing in downtown Camas happens this weekend, and beer drinkers, foodies, and people who-love-anything-Camas are pretty excited about it.

Operators Mike Hunsaker, an accomplished brewer who loves his craft, and Brendan Greenen, gave us a tour of the well-adorned and functional brewery, which seats more than 100. Sitting in the old Lemon-Aid Automotive location, Grains is a total remodel, and a major site improvement in the beloved downtown Camas area.

Hunasker launched Grains, with partners Greenen, Brendan Ford, and Shawn Parker, to bring a new dimension to the growing Camas area.  Hunsaker was the Head Brewer at Fat Head’s Portland, where he established himself with original IPA recipes, including the GABF Gold Medal winning Blitzkrieg Bock. His team has been working round the clock for 14 months to bring Grains online.

Hunsaker showed off his shiny new 10bbl JVNW brewhouse that was built to his own specifications.

“Before we do anything, we test the water, and balance the chemistry to get everything just right,” said Hunsaker.

Hunsaker said they have nine beers on tap, and will offer these staple beers year-round:

  • Lulu: A tart peach golden ale
  • Lugar: German style Pilsner, floral black tea, crackery malt, hay, crisp finish
  • Papermaker Pale: Light, biscuit malt, grapefruit, pineapple, balanced bitterness
  • EGA IPD: Melon, pine, soft tropical fruit, papaya
  • Overkill PA: Stonefruit, diesel, passion fruit, citrus, piney, dank

The team has created a fun punk pub with fun options for everyone. The new pub also has a large patio seating area that will be a great place to relax during the warm, summer months.

Greenen comes from Caps N’ Taps, also in downtown Camas, and he works the back-end of the business.

He said the beer-making process takes two to six weeks, depending on the style. The whole process begins and ends at Grains. Everything in the brewery is state-of-the-art.

Grains

Mike Hunsaker gives a tour.

Grains Food

Grains of Wrath Executive Chef, Fabiola Ponce-Wyatt brings 14 years of Pacific Northwest cooking experience, being a veteran of Roman Candle Baking and Southpark Seafood. A graduate of Western Culinary, Fabby, as she likes to be called, is excited about the elevated pub food that Grains is serving.

They make everything onsite, except for the bread, and serve lunch and dinner daily. They even have an assortment of pickles made in their kitchen, which has two cooking lines.

We sampled the Fried Chicken Sandro, which is on a potato bun, with ranch dressing, iceberg lettuce, zucchini pickles, and cheddar cheese. It’s delicious!

 Grains

Fried Chicken Sando.

They also offer a great brisket and chuck patty burger with cheddar, iceberg lettuce, aioi and zucchini pickles on a sesame brioche bun. Fabby recommends the Carnitas Torta with black bean puree, cotija cheese, cascabel chile aioli, and pickled carrots. The roasted bone marrow with onion jam served on grilled flatbread is also on the top of the list.

Vegetarians will have options, as well: Try the Veggie Burger, which is made with beet, carrot, white bean and a quinoa patty with a pumpkin seed spread. It’s good stuff.

Happy hour is 3-6, and 9-close on weekdays.

They are located at 230 NE 5th Ave. Camas, WA 98607

www.gowbeer.com

Grains

Casey Taylor

Dear Friends, Our MarchKindness Day 2 feature was a video about Dawn Stanchfield, owner of Lily Atelier, who does a lot for Camas Lacrosse teams.

Vancouver, WA — Cherish DesRochers-Vafeados and Jamie Spinelli work on a shoestring budget each week to help dozens of homeless people get the nutrition they need and get access to a warm shower.

Cherish is the president of the non-profit, Food With Friends, and its off-shoot organization, Shower Outreach Project, and works very closely with Jamie to find the funds and provide help to people in transition with their lives.

”We started doing street outreach,” said Cherish. “We knew where people needed help so we went straight to them. This was a few years ago. Now every weekend we hand out food to people who desperately need it.”

She said they work closely with Living Hope Church, Friends of the Carpenter and the Shared Day Center to meet people and provide food bags to the downtrodden. Donations come from various businesses, such as Little Ceasar’s Pizza, who provide pizzas, and individuals who want to help out.

They also drive a shower trailer Friday through Sunday.  Each Friday, they stop the shower trailer at the Friends of the Carpenter non-profit. On Saturdays, from noon to 3 pm, they stop at the Shared Day Center, and on Sunday they stop at the Living Hope Church, from noon to 4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has also helped out.

”We provide the shower trailer, the propane to heat the water, and the organizations provide the water,” said Cherish. “We serve about 75 people each week, and it’s great to help people. One man hadn’t showered in 35 days, now he gets to shower at least once a week. It makes people feel better.”

Cherish said a local organization once provided free shower wasn’t able to continue, so they decided to fill the gap.

Friends With Food purchased the trailer last year for $15,000 (at cost) from a man in Portland.

”We held a fundraiser and overnight we received $18,000 in donations,” said Cherish. “It was enough to pay for the shower trailer, so we were thrilled.”

Friends With Food/Shower Outreach Project is still working on logistics and seek help with a hauling vehicle for the shower trailer.

”We’re still figuring out the process,” said Cherish. “Thomas Eaton hauls the trailer for us. We’re grateful for his help.”

Friends served about 20 people per day with food and other counseling services, and recently received an inquiry from the Vancouver School District about reaching out to students who don’t have running water or electricity. They are also trying to get socks and underwear donated. Recently, a donor provided 1,200 pairs of socks.

“A lot of these people are waiting for housing to become available,” said Cherish. “They’re in transition, and we’re trying to help out.”

To contact Friends With Food, email: info@foodwithfriends.net or call them at 360.723.5791. You can also find them on Facebook @FoodWithFriendsWA

Friends Photos

 

Camas, WA — The Downtown Camas March First Friday begins March 2 at 5 pm and it’s recommended you pick up a “green” passport and activity list at Journey Church, which is located 304 NE 4th Avenue.

First Friday’s “Go Green!” theme includes Lucky leprechauns, Eartha the Clown, a “Green Zone” featuring local green schools, green businesses and non-profits that care for the environment, and the wearing of the green will all be a part of this fun event. The event runs from 5-8 pm.

Camas Gallery will feature local artists Heidi Curley and Tom Relth, who will perform a Collaborative Duo.

The two artists will stand face-to-face with easels between, working on to two large canvas/panels.

”I’m excited to see what the final product will be,” said Curley. “Every 15 minutes we will switch back and forth and will do that throughout the whole evening. We want people to come and talk to us.”

Camas Gallery spokesperson said, “We are excited to watch as the artists’ works unfold. It will be a very fun and engaging evening.”

The works will be for sale and will hang in the gallery for the month of March.

Here is a list of all the events happening downtown for First Friday:

  • Eartha the Clown and her cockatoo “Major” will be here to meet families, take pictures, and do education about the environment. 5:30-7:30 pm, walking around town if the weather is nice or near the DCA table at Journey Church, 304 NE 4th.
  • “Find the Lucky Leprechaun”: Each participating merchant will have a “lucky leprechaun” in their business, and for every leprechaun you find, you receive a prize ticket to be entered to win “green” prizes and more from the merchants. Lucky leprechaun “passports” can be found in participating stores and at the DCA table in Journey.
  • Wander through the “Green Zone” at Journey Church and learn how easy it is to make this world a greener place with fun educational kid-friendly activities and giveaways provided by local nonprofits. The nonprofits include Master Gardeners, Waste Connections, Camas Farmer’s Market, World Vision, WRAP (Wrap Recycling Action Program), EOCF (Educational Opportunities for Children & Families), and Clark County Public Health including Master Composters. Camas High School “Green Team” will be there doing fun recycled art activities with the kids. The Green Team advisor is Ali Coker who has been named a 2018 Green Award Winner by Clark County for excellence in “green” education. Miranda and Ian from Mandi MOON Artistry will there to do leprechaun and shamrock airbrush tattoos!
  • Second Story Gallery – “Chasing Iceland” is the name photographer Daniel Ionashku gives his new show at Second Story Gallery. Join them for a photography unveiling from 5-8 pm, see Iceland through the eyes of Ionashku.
    Attic Gallery – Will feature an art show “All About Horses” with new pastel paintings by Janey Belozer (who will be attending the Opening Reception), Mike Smith, Anna Wiancko-Chasman and Carol Grigg.
  • Elida Art Studio & Gallery will feature Katelyn Rediske, a Senior at Camas High School, who has explored some pretty intense themes and topics that teenagers struggle with in a creative way by using her “pop art” style of painting. This is a solo show and is part of her Senior Class Project. Make time to visit the studio.
  • “Ribbon Cutting Party” at 5 pm for Vancouver Laser Skin Care Clinic, including refreshments, giveaways and prizes. 715 NE 5th Ave. Come see all that they do here!
  • Merchants will have “green lists” in their windows showing all the ways our downtown businesses care for the environment.
  • “Green” Kids’ crafts at the DCA tables!
  • Customers wearing green get an extra prize ticket—if they wear a green hat, they get three!
    For every $10 spent in downtown you get a ticket to enter to win.

To learn more, visit www.downtowncamas.com

Friday

Heidi Curley artwork

VANCOUVER, WA — The Clark College Concert Choir and Concert Band will perform the “Mystic Journeys” concert on Saturday, March 17 at 7:30 pm in the O’Connell Sports Center on the Clark College Campus. The concert is free to the public.

Clark College’s Concert Choir is prepared to take the audience on a Mystic Journey, from Williametta Spencer’s “At The Round Earth’s Imagined Corners” to the lush harmonies of Eric Whitacre’s “Lux Aurumque.” Two works by Eric William Barnum are featured, as is the setting of the ancient text “O Magnum Mysterium” by Thomas Luis de Victoria. All of the works evoke reflection, beauty, and the wonder of the inexplicable; either through the poetry or the harmonies used to express them.

The Clark College Concert Band’s mystical meanderings will contemplate our celestial existence with Maslanka’s Mother Earth, then travel to England where we will examine the ancient ruins of Stonehenge with the performance Dancing at Stonehenge by Anthony Suter. We will then investigate the great mystery of O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen and finish with music from an alternate universe with the music from Lord of the Rings.

For complete information about all the Clark College Music Department concerts including the orchestra, concert band, jazz ensemble, and choirs, please see http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/music-concerts.

 

Clark

Director of Choirs Jacob Funk conducts the Clark College Concert Choir.

About the Clark College Music Department
The college offers an Associate in Music DTA/MRP degree with courses in music theory/ear training, instrumental and vocal performance training, and ensemble experience. Classes are designed to prepare the music major for advanced studies at a four-year institution while providing the non-major with the skills and background to fully enjoy music as a cultural pursuit. Ensembles on campus include three choral groups, orchestra, concert band, and jazz ensemble. Three tenured and several adjunct faculty, provide professional instruction to the 500+ students that pass through Beacock Music Hall each year.

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a series of articles about the history of the Camas Mill.

Camas, WA — The Camas Mill has undergone many name changes, renovations, additions, and has a history filled with fascinating stories dating back to the 1880s.

Longtime mill employees Anna Fry and Caroline Mercury (who recently retired after 36 years) spent considerable time gathering the history (artifacts, logs, books, photos, tools, etc.) and have created a Mill Interpretive Center, or museum, that gives visitors a comprehensive look at what turned Camas into a town, and why we’re called the Papermakers.

The Interpretive Center is open on First Fridays, near the mill’s main entrance on Adams Street (with the black canopy) and provides visitors with an excellent 10-minute movie that provides a light overview of the mill’s history, the people who built it — and those who continue to work there today.

Even if you’re not a history buff, spending 30 minutes at the center will open your eyes to its history — and it may even surprise you.

One of the first things Mercury presented was the mill handle pattern, which is made of wood. It served as a pattern for the 20,000+ steel handles manufactured throughout the mill over the generations.

“It was handcrafted with great precision,” said Mercury. “And we’ve preserved it here for history.”

Mill

This wooden gear served as the pattern for more than 20,000 steel handles that operated at the Camas Mill.

She said the mill sits on 650 acres, of which 200 acres is on the main land, 425 acres is on Lady Island, and 17 acres is north of 6th Avenue.

They happily showed off manager book reports dating back to the 1920s, detailing every expenditure, including the cost of meals. They pulled out dozens of photos dating back to the first mill, which burned down. We looked at photos of the brand-new manager’s house, which was built in 1923 and still stands today on 6th Avenue and Garfield. They shared stories like when the mill was converted into a machine shop to make ship parts during World War II.

”We built rudders and great cleats,” said Fry. “Those (the cleats) are the things that hold the ship at the dock.”

During the Depression, said Mercury, they never laid anyone off, and kept people working part-time.

”The mill made sure that families had milk and bread during those lean years,” said Mercury.

And, did you know that currently the mill produces 50,000 tons of paper a year?

 

Mill

This flume carried wood from a sawmill by Lacamas Lake.

Key Historical Points

The mill’s history dates back to 1883 when Henry Pittock, who owned The Oregonian newspaper, formed a company called the Lacamas Colony Company. Under Pittock’s leadership, the business purchased 2,600 acres of land and began construction of a paper mill that would supply newsprint for The Oregonian. The purchased land included property north of Lacamas Lake.

Crews began clearing land, building dams, and constructing a saw mill. Thirty Chinese laborers began work on the mill ditch, which is an aqueduct that continues to supply the Camas Mill with water today.  During that same year, the town site of Lacamas was laid out and platted, and the town’s first store was opened for business.

  • In 1884, Pittock, J.K. Gill, and William Lewthwaite formed the Columbia River Paper Company and filed letters of incorporation in the county clerk’s office.
  • In 1885, the plant produced the first wood pulp manufactured in the northwest, and it was reported to be of excellent quality.
  • On November 6, 1886, a fire destroyed the original facility, with damages estimated at $100,000. The cause of the fire was never determined.
  • By 1888, the plant was rebuilt to include two paper machines, a ground wood mill, a sulfite mill with two digesters, and a sulfur burner. The plant employed 65 people.
  • In 1889, Washington became a state, and in 1904, the No. 4 paper machine started making newsprint.
  • In 1906, the bag factory was built, and was equipped with 14 machines. Camas would make bags until 1981.
  • In 1907, sulfite production increased from 10 to 38 tons per day. The steam plant was expanded, and the No. 5 paper machine started up.
  • In 1910, The Crown Columbia Paper Company double the plant’s capacity, producing four million pounds per year.
  • In 1911, with seven paper machines in operation, they employed 450 people and paid out $300,000 per year in wages.
  • In 1913, the mill converted to electric power, the No. 8 paper machine was installed, and 16 new bag machines were added, which would produce 500,000 bags per day.
  • In 1914, Crown Columbia merged with Willamette Paper to form Crown Willamette, which became the second largest paper maker in the world.

The next article will look at growth in the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, and the numerous changes that ensued.