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Annual Stuff The Bus Campaign Raises Food, Donations For Local Non-Profits

Washougal, WA — Organized by the Camas-Washougal Business Alliance (CWBA), the annual Stuff The Bus campaign is under way through December 3, and has become our area’s largest local food drive.

“It’s always met annually with enthusiasm from both Camas and Washougal residents,” said Tabitha Shaffer, CWBA co-founder. “We utilize the Camas & Washougal school districts to help achieve our annual goals and encourage students to help support the event through community outreach and participation. We raise an average of 50,000 pounds of food and our beneficiaries are; The Children’s Home Society, The C.A.R.O.L Program and the American Legion.” 

This year, with kids back in school Stuff The Bus is hoping it allows for greater participation.

“All money and food donations go directly toward our program,” said Shaffer. “The Children’s Home Society is the main beneficiary and they serve over 600 local families per month with the food you can help provide. Our hope is that Stuff the Bus gives them the resources they need to distribute food for hungry families as well as support the Backpack Program, which sends food home with children throughout the school year. Any student who is in need receives a Backpack full of food on Fridays to help them through the weekend. Our other beneficiaries provide over 200 local families with food for the holidays including Christmas dinner and additional food to supplement the holiday season.” 

Students and businesses have been collecting non-perishable food items, including local grocery stores. On Wednesday, November 23, the Washougal Safeway and Camas QFC will have volunteers collecting food and place them into large bins.

The campaign runs through December 3, which is the last day the public can make donations. On December 3, each high school will have a parade to each of the schools and pick up all the canned food donations.

“It’s good to have community come together,” said Shaffer. “It’s great to feel that community spirit again. If anybody has time to donate or if they just want to donate cash or food they can do so at all the schools until December 3, and also any iQ Credit Union branch here. I want to thank our sponsors this year, which are Dan Jones Conveyor, The Asivido Team, and Angie Tauialo and Sativa Huddleston of Columbia River Realty, Jayson Obermiller, and Tabitha Shaffer and Angie Cherry of HomeTown Lenders.”

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Council Member Steve Hogan Sworn in Tuesday as Camas Mayor

Camas, WA — The City of Camas officially has a new Mayor.

Former Camas City Council Member Steve Hogan took the oath of office and was officially sworn in as Camas’ new mayor, Nov. 23, at Camas City Hall. Camas City Attorney Shawn MacPherson conducted the ceremony in front of a small group of friends, family and staff. Hogan’s term will run through Dec. 31, 2023.

Hogan was elected to the position by Camas voters in the Nov. 2, 2021, general election, earning 57 percent of the vote. The election was certified by the Clark County Elections department today, Nov. 23. Hogan’s term will be effective beginning today, as he works to fulfill the remainder of the term left vacant by former Mayor Barry McDonnell. Hogan will replace Mayor Ellen Burton, who was appointed to the role of Mayor on an interim basis in August.

Hogan served as a Camas City Council Member since 2006, during which he served as Mayor Pro Tem in 2014 and 2017. He’s the fifth Camas Mayor since 2018.

Here’s the video of his swearing in: https://youtu.be/vZ-_DL3ctf0

About Mayor Hogan

Steve Hogan has been a resident of Camas since 1994. He has been a senior manager and chief operating officer in the steel, paper and wood industries. He is a member of the Camas Washougal Rotary Club and was a member of the 2009 Class of Leadership Clark County. He has also served as a member of the Camas School District Facility committee. Hogan received the designation of Certified Municipal Leader from AWC in 2006 and received his Advanced Certified Municipal Leader designation in 2007. He has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Seattle University.

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Leslie Lewallen Sworn in Today as Camas City Council Member

CAMAS, WA – Leslie Lewallen can add her name to the history books as Camas’ newest City Council Member. Lewallen took her oath of office and was officially sworn in as a City Council Member, Nov. 23, at Camas City Hall. Camas City Attorney Shawn MacPherson conducted the ceremony in front of a small group of friends, family and staff. Lewallen will represent Camas Ward 3, position 2, with her term expiring in December of 2025.

Lewallen was elected to the position by Camas voters in the Nov. 2, 2021, general election, earning 53 percent of the vote. The election was certified by the Clark County Elections department today, Nov. 23. Lewallen’s term will be effective beginning today, as she will fill the position left vacant by former Council Member Ellen Burton. Burton left her role on council to serve in the role of Mayor on an interim basis until a new Mayor was elected and certified.

About Leslie Lewallen

Leslie is a fifth generation Washingtonian, with a family history of public service. She graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and Seattle University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate.  She practiced as a judicial clerk for Chief Justice Gerry Alexander at the Washington State Supreme Court and worked as a prosecuting attorney prior to joining private practice. Leslie and her husband, Brian, have 4 children, ages 5-18.

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City of Camas Finalizes Purchase of Green Mountain Land

Camas, WA —  Officials with the City of Camas have announced that the purchase of the area around, and including Green Mountain, has been finalized and recorded by Clark County.

The announcement completes the Green Mountain acquisition which began in December of 2020 with a 60-acre donation valued at $15.5 million from the developers of the Green Mountain Subdivision and Master Plan. The City then followed through on the terms of the purchase and sale agreement with the recent purchase of an additional 55 acres for $3.8 million, which brings the total land acquisition to 115 acres.

“We always envisioned we’d purchase the remaining 55 acres, which includes Green Mountain,” said Camas Public Works Director, Steve Wall. “Add in that we were able to purchase the property for less than the $4.9 million appraisal, and it’s a win-win for everyone involved,” he said.

The land was always considered desirable by the City, and has been identified in the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Comprehensive plan (PROS) for many years due to the property being adjacent to hundreds of acres of Clark County- and DNR-owned lands. This key acquisition will allow for future trail connections, both locally and county-wide, new parks space for Camas’ citizens, and conservation of heavily forested natural areas.

The City has not identified any specific improvements yet, however, the City will follow the typical planning processes for new acquisitions to ensure the best future use of the property. Because of this, residents will have to wait a while before any real physical improvements will be seen.

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Analysis: What The 2019 Camas Pool Bond Votes Really Were

The 2019 $78 million Camas pool bond continues to be a topic of widespread discussion in our local body politic, and became a central issue in this Fall’s elections. It’s been used as a political tool, a wedge issue, and an example of government out of touch.

While the ill-fated Shannon Turk administration came down because of that bond, let’s look at what the 2019 council vote — and subsequent public vote — was really about.

Former Mayor Turk wanted to replace the Crown Park pool that was taken down by a 2018 council vote, and she wanted to go big or go home. She ended up going home. Her desire was to have a community center and pool that would be the envy of the region. She ignored the advice of city staff, which based on surveys and polls, said Camas would support a pool with a price tag of up to $35 million.

The bond itself was part pool, part community center, part new street improvements, and part parks and recreation improvements. Turk wanted it to be all things to all people. She ignored the advice of those around her, which said “do these things over time, in phases and the public will go with that.”

Turk wanted the new community center to be her legacy. So, in July 2019, she asked Camas City Council to put it to a vote. While the city council had the legal authority to unilaterally vote to build the community center, they didn’t.  Their vote on that fateful day was to present the $78 million community center/pool bond, known as Prop 2, to the voters, and let them decide.

The narrative got out of control immediately, which was predicted by former Camas City council member Ellen Burton (now Interim Mayor) who said “all everyone is going to hear is $78 million.”

She was very right. All everyone heard was $78 million. Even some of the city’s biggest supporters of having a new pool were weary of the price tag.

Known as Prop 2, the bond became a political weapon that ushered in political novice Barry McDonnell as Camas Mayor, who ran a 34-day write-in single issue campaign and defeated Turk. The bond was killed 89-11, with little more than 600 people voting for it. McDonnell lasted 18 months as Mayor. 

“The process worked,” said Burton, recently. “Council presented the bond to the people, and the people rejected it.”

Burton said it’s unfortunate that council’s vote to allow the people to decide has been politically weaponized.

Council member Steve Hogan, who is likely going to become the next Camas Mayor said this two years and repeats it today: “I was never in favor of spending public dollars to build a new pool. I voted to allow the people to decide.”

His pool bond vote was used against him in this Fall’s campaign.

Hogan agrees with Burton, and said the process did what it was supposed to do. 

“People rejected the bond, and I’m glad they did,” Hogan said. “I wasn’t in favor of spending that much money.”

As a literal observer of all these events, this journalist wrote all this down and reported the facts repeatedly.  

This is the record. This is what happened.

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2021 Ballot Returns Lower Than Predicted At This Point, Says Clark County Auditor

Vancouver, WA — Ballot returns countywide are at 16.74 percent, which is lower than expected at this stage in this off-off year election, says the Clark County Auditor’s Office. There are 324,401 eligible voters in Clark County.

Candidates countywide, which includes several mayoral and city council candidates, as well as school board, are urging voters to turn in ballots as soon as possible. The Clark County Auditor’s Office had planned for a 19 percent return nearly a week ago. The county has yet to hit that point.

By comparison, the 2019 election had a 36 percent voter turnout, with a massive surge coming in the day before, the day of the election, and the day after the November 5, 2019 election.

Voters have until 8 pm Tuesday to turn ballots in, and candidates highly recommend getting them in today. Camas and Washougal candidates can access ballots at two convenient locations:

  • Downtown Camas Post Office: 440 NE 5th Avenue, Camas (on street) 
  • Camas Washougal Municipal Courthouse: 89 C Street, Washougal 

Here are other locations countywide:

Vancouver Locations:

Other Locations: 

If you wish to return your voted ballot in person on or before Election Day take it to:

Clark County Elections Office (1408 Franklin Street, Vancouver), available from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday and 7 am to 8 pm on Election Day.

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Clark County Elections Office Admits 2,120 Camas Ballots Have Major Errors

Vancouver, WA — Clark County Elections Auditor Greg Kimsey admitted today that 2,120 Camas ballots were sent out over the weekend that had major errors. 

The issue was bought up by Camas voter Heather Deringer, who lives on Livingston Mountain. Others in that area also have noted erroneous ballots.

“When I went to open my ballot, I was surprised to see my Camas School Board candidates were not on the ballot, and instead I had Evergreen School candidates on the ballot,” said Deringer. “I emailed them last night about the issue and they called me back this morning.”

Upon hearing of this error, Lacamas Magazine contacted Kimsey who began an internal investigation. He confirmed that Deringer and several others are indeed Camas School District voters who received ballots with Evergreen School Board candidates on them.

After his initial probe, Kimsey reported today that 2,120 ballots were mailed in error, most of which were mailed to Camas School District voters.

“Correct ballots will be mailed out this week,” said Kimsey. “Two thousand new ballots have to be reprinted, inserted into envelopes, and mailed out. This will happen tomorrow morning, and these voters will also receive a letter explaining the situation.”

The incorrect ballots mostly affect Camas School Board candidate races.

So what happened?

Kimsey said it was human error. 

“Proofreading that should have happened didn’t happen,” Kimsey said. “We had to adjust precinct boundaries to align with the correct jurisdictions and portions. This allows us to get the correct ballot to the correct voter.”

Kimsey said 13 incorrect ballots have already been returned. He said those incorrect ballots will be held apart from the general ballots, so they won’t be recorded.

“Correct ballots are essential to our democracy,” said Kimsey. “We are fixing this error, and voters will have their new ballots by Thursday.”

Perman
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Jennifer McDaniel: Former Washougal City Council Member Seeks Camas Seat

Camas, WA — Jennifer McDaniel, who is running for Camas City Council, Ward 3, Position 2, recently answered several Lacamas Magazine questions about her candidacy.

McDaniel served on the Washougal City Council for nine years until 2017 when she and her family moved to Camas. She has served on various boards and committees for several years, and is a strong advocate of public service.

“These are your neighbors and friends who are doing the best they can in these public positions,” said McDaniel. “They’re doing this to better their community. Families have really struggled to educate their children and maintain their incomes. There’s a lot of anger around that. We’re all concerned.”

What are the Top 3 reasons McDaniel is running:

Reason 1: “A lot been happening in Camas over the past few years, and I’m concerned about it, and as a former Washougal City Council person I’d like to see our community heal. There will be a lot of change with three new city council members, a new mayor and a new city administrator. What does Camas need to heal from? We need to heal from mistrust from the pool bond, the write-in candidate who didn’t finish his term. People need confidence in their city leaders again. That’s restored through communication. Involve everyone in the communication process. Everything had to shut down and people got information but it was virtual. It’s not the same as talking in person to someone in charge, which is always the best way to communicate. Be honest and collaborative. Engage Camas is the online website that talks about all the projects for people to volunteer for committees. We need to support all of our events downtown because that brings people together. People crave seeing each other.”

Reason 2: “Parks, trails, open spaces. It’s a high priority for me. It’s good for our health, it’s good for our soul. We need to keep improving them and develop the more recent ones we’ve acquired, especially north of the lake. I want to make sure we have enough to maintain those facilities. We need to keep things clean. We need permanent restrooms, and I know there’s a park plan to develop that.

Reason 3: “Downtown Camas is our gem. I know there are many infrastructure issues that need to be addressed. They need to be a higher priority. DCA has issues with lack of electrical outlets to get power to vendors for major events. We need proper ADA access to sidewalks. I’d also like to see parking problems solved. There’s always a parking issue. A solution is to work with the milll’s parking area and see if we can purchase the parking lot across the street from Grains of Wrath. This is something in the future but we need to have those discussions. Parking is getting worse.”

Leadership 

“I served on Washougal City Council for nine years. It was wonderful. I got elected before their downtown revitalization. I was involved in getting that off the ground. I made sure we had sidewalk improvements. Our relationship for economic development was an important partnership. We worked with the Port of Camas-Washougal and the City of Camas to attract businesses to our community. Any businesses brought in through the port have helped our economic development.” 

What is Public Service?

“It’s basically doing what you can for your community, getting involved in non-profits and wards and communities. It’s about putting your community first, always. It should always be Camas first in everything we’re doing and always will be. Serving the public is a civic duty to me. I started when my children were small. I decided to get involved in Meals On Wheels. I was the liaison to the school district from the city. I served as the Washougal Schools Foundation president.”

Misconceptions About City Council

“They don’t see all the work that’s involved in working on council. We serve on multiple boards. They don’t see all the research that goes into studying these issues. A lot of times we meet with staff on off hours. We work hard to get the information we need to be able to make informed decisions. The effort put into the knowledge of the issues is huge.” 

McDaniel said she would reach out to other small cities to see how they manage things. 

“We learn from each other. It’s important to maintain those relationships with community leaders all over Clark County.”

To learn more about her candidacy, visit https://mcdanielforcamas.com

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Washougal Mayoral Candidate Derik Ford Arrested For Domestic Violence

Camas, WA — The Camas Police Department reported today the arrest of Washougal mayoral candidate Derik Ford for one count of Assault IV-Domestic Violence during a Wednesday incident.

Initially, the Washougal Police were dispatched to the Ford residence following the report of an assault. Upon arrival, they learned the suspect was Derik Ford, owner of 2 Rivers Bar and Grill in Washougal, who had already left the scene. The report says the responding officers recognized Ford as a mayoral candidate and requested assistance from the Camas Police to eliminate any conflict of interest.

Camas officers interviewed Ford’s wife, and they reported a physical altercation had occurred and that she had been assaulted by Ford. Officers noticed red marks and scratches on his wife that corroborated her report. His wife declined medical treatment at the time of the report.

Camas officers contacted Ford at a different location and interviewed him. The report said he told officers there had been a “heated” argument but denied any physical confrontation. Officers noted marks on his wife that indicated otherwise. 

Following his arrest, Ford told officers that his wife had struck him but he didn’t want her to get into any trouble. 

Based on his wife’s statements, apparent injuries, and Ford’s inconsistent statements, officers determined there was probable cause to arrest Ford for Assault IV-DV. He was arrested and booked into the Clark County Jail for one count of Assault IV-Domestic Violence.

As of this morning, he was at Clark County Jail.

Ford has a history of domestic legal troubles. His former wife filed a temporary restraining order against him in May 2015 in Washington County, Oregon to prevent domestic abuse. Court documents show that Ford admitted to one count, and agreed to a two-year bench probation. 

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Washougal School District Welcomes New Transportation Supervisor

Washougal WA — Washougal School District welcomed new Transportation Supervisor David Tsao on August 30, 2021.  Tsao had worked at Bainbridge Island School District since 2013 as a bus driver and, for the past four years, a driver trainer. In that role he provided administrative support as part of the Bainbridge Island Transportation Leadership Team.

Through his experience in transportation, Tsao is well versed in the challenges school bus drivers face.  

“It takes a special type of person with skills to drive a big vehicle and multitask,” Tsao explained.  “Drivers need to be constantly aware of what is going on around them in and outside of the bus and prioritize their focus.”

The physical task of driving the bus becomes a smaller concern once a driver earns their license, according to Tsao.  

“The biggest issue is the 40-50 children they are responsible for,” he said. “They are precious cargo!  And the best drivers have compassion for kids.  They can connect and relate to each of them even with the variety of family environments kids come from.  Once they leave their home, our bus drivers are the first adult they see before school and the last one after.”

Prior to working with the Bainbridge School District, Tsao had extensive experience in business and financial management during his first career in construction and facilities/property management and real estate development. He established long standing relationships with national retailers, local commercial clients, and local government agencies.

Tsao was responsible for all financial and operational aspects of a construction management business, establishing operational overhead budgets and revenue goals with senior management staff. He was responsible for overseeing payroll for nearly 200 employees and actively involved in recruiting, hiring and supervising staff as well as involved in continuing education, personal accountability, and staff development with outside consulting firms.

“My philosophy when working with one employee or a group of employees, is we need to work as a team to get the job done,” he explained.  “We may have different roles, with some in a union and others in management, but we need to keep in mind that we are all working toward the same goal and to find a common solution.”

Tsao received his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Washington. He is a Washington State Certified Bus Driver and Trainer and a Washington State Department of License Class B CDL Trainer. He is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese and hopes that he will be able to support our students and families if an opportunity arises.

Tsao was drawn to the area due to its proximity to the Columbia River Gorge and Portland. “I am excited to be in Washougal,” he said. “I wanted to find a place to work that could use my expertise and experience.  Bainbridge is actually a larger district, but Washougal has a larger Transportation Department.  I am looking forward to taking on that challenge.”

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