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Camas Schools Superintendent Addresses At-Home Learning Stages, Scenarios

Camas Superintendent, Dr. Jeff Snell, explains in today’s letter that Camas School District is one of eight Southwest Washington school districts to recommend at-home learning when school resumes for the 2020-21 season:

CSD Families,

We have been working this summer through all of the different scenarios for starting the 2020-21 school year with the goal of having students return to campus in some form. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new recommendations for schools last week which stress the importance of onsite experiences.  I think we all agree how important it is to have our students back on campus.   The CDC also suggests “Administrators should coordinate with local public health officials to stay informed about the status of COVID-19 transmission in their community.” The guidelines also advise us to monitor “COVID-19 transmission rates in the immediate community and in the communities in which students, teachers, and staff live” (CDC, 7/23/20). 

Unfortunately, conditions in our community are not trending in a positive direction.  We have been working with Dr. Melnick, director of Clark County Public Health, as a region to determine the best course of action for schools in our community.  As the numbers of positive COVID-19 cases continue to trend up in our region, it has become clear that the safest way to start the school year is a more robust fully remote learning delivery model.  The growth rate trends need to change in our community before being able to bring students and staff together on campus. Without those changes we risk rapidly spreading the virus between students, staff and throughout our community with the reopening of schools. More detailed information about our current trends in Clark County can be found at Clark County Public Health Novel Coronavirus.

What does this mean for my family?

Over the next four weeks we will refine plans based on this decision and begin communicating specific information to you from your student’s school.   We have taken student, staff, and family feedback from our experience last spring to provide a more robust remote learning experience for students.  

Our hope is to start to transition from full remote learning to a blended delivery model with some version of on campus learning as soon as possible.   The timing for this transition is dependent on regional health indicators.  Our learning delivery models stages are below.

School
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Learning Delivery Models Stages

  1. Remote Learning – all student participate in distance learning
  2. Remote Learning transitioning to Blended Learning – students identified through a set of district/school developed criteria in greatest need of additional support participate onsite with in-person instruction.
  3. Blended Learning – all students participate onsite with in-person instruction a minimum of two (2) days a week.  Transition to more on campus days for students as conditions improve.
  4. On Campus Learning – all students and staff participate onsite with in-person instruction five (5) days a week.

What if my student prefers a full online model regardless of the health trends in our county? 

If your preference is a full online model for your student, we have developed the Camas Connect Academy.  This program will not shift through the phases above.  It will stay online throughout the year.  It will operate as a separate school/program within our district with district staff and the same learning standards.  We will provide more information about the Camas Connect Academy in the coming weeks including a Q&A session prior to the enrollment window. 

What if I need emergency childcare during learning delivery models 1 through 3? 

We recognize that each family is in a unique situation and may need support.  We are trying to develop options for families in these situations.  Please contact us using this LINK. 

What if my family relies on school breakfast and/or lunch services?

We will develop a similar process to how we provided these meals in the spring during remote learning.  

We have all been on a rollercoaster ride since early March as we’ve collectively tried to manage through a very different world.  School is a big part of everyone’s lives.  We had hoped to provide you with a return to on campus school this fall.  Our staff is committed to provide the very best educational experience possible for your students no matter what the learning delivery model. It will not be without challenges and there will continue to be opportunities to improve.  We will continue to engage with our public health partners to help determine when we can safely shift to more on campus learning.  

Sincerely,

Jeff Snell

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COVID-19 Effect: Annual Washougal Art Festival Goes Virtual This Summer

Washougal WA — Washougal Arts and Culture Alliance will host an online art festival as an alternative to its annual August event cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic public gathering restrictions. 

“We are very excited that our virtual 2020 Washougal Art Festival will last not just one day, but the entire month of August,” said WACA president, Kelli Rule.  “Our website will be the hub, and from there people will be able to access the festival through our Facebook and Instagram pages.”

The goal of WACA’s art festivals is to create exposure and drive sales for local and regional artists. According to Rule, artists have pushed themselves to create exclusive videos, new and refreshed websites and more to help promote their art in a new way online.  “We hope our community will support these local artisans, hard hit by the cancellation of so many opportunities to sell their art,” Rule said.  “We’ll do our best through social media to give the artists the attention they deserve.  When you purchase original artwork, you are not only buying that object, but you’re investing in that person.”

The event will highlight the work of 25 artists, each selected to participate by a jury of art professionals. 2020 festival artists are Linda Andrews-Riggs, water color; Eric Berlin, porcelain jewelry; Shirley Bishop, fused glass; Jean Blatner, watercolor acrylic; India de Landa, plexiglass acrylic jewelry; Chrissie Forbes, found art & oils, Katy Fenley, silver jewelry; Kyla Rae Friedrichsmeyer, watercolor & ink; Anni Furniss, mixed media; John Furniss, woodworking; Suzanne Grover, pen & colored pencil; Charlene Hale, fused glass; Kellie Kuter, mixed media; Brenda Lindstrom, oil; Beck Lipp, woodworking; Toni McCarthy, jewelry; Diane Moeglein, fused glass; Liz Pike, oil on canvas; Spike Palmer, oil painting; Karen Reule, silver jewelry; Gary Suda & Pamela Hancock, ceramics; Tamra Sheline, watercolor on yupo; Hiroko Stumpf, watercolor & acrylic; Cyndee Starr, mixed media; Barbara Wright, water color, ink, pencil; Jeff Wirth, photography; and Tom West, acrylic, stationery.

Art
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Each year a local artist is selected to create an image for the event poster that reflects Washougal in some way. This year’s poster art of a deer among tall grass was drawn by Washougal artist, Suzanne Grover, a founding member of WACA, whose work will be a part of the virtual festival. Her beautiful spring meadow scene was created from the photography of John Rakestraw.  Signed posters are available for a $20 donation.  There is a limited number of signed posters from previous festivals available as well, which can be purchased directly from WACA by emailing washougalarts@gmail.com.

“This year has been hard for artists who have seen so many fairs, festivals and events cancelled,” Rule explained.  “Artists have not been able to meet potential customers face-to-face and we know it is hard for them to make connections.   We hope this virtual event will help in some small way.”

Join the festival at the WACA website http://washougalarts.org/ or  https://www.facebook.com/WashougalArts/, https://www.instagram.com/washougal_arts/.

Art Festival
Washougal Art Festival
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Public Invited to Be Part of ‘The Little Town That Does: These Are Our People …’

Camas, WA — Papermaker Pride, Lara Blair Photography and Lacamas Magazine are working together on a project called “The Little Town That Does: These Are Our People (Let’s Take Care of Them)” as a way to highlight positivity as our community continues to navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

The purpose of this project is to bridge gaps and reduce polarization in a harshly divided world.

“Camas always seems to find its own way through crises,” said Ernie Geigenmiller, Editor & Publisher of Lacamas Magazine. “We did it through the McCleary battle two years ago, avoiding a teacher’s strike, and we can do it again — the Camas Way. We can’t change what’s happening, we can’t suddenly make the pandemic go away, but we can find positive ways to deal with it. And, we also invite our friends in Washougal and Vancouver to participate.”

Lacamas Magazine is inviting people to come in at the 411 Studio in Camas — one or two at a time — to have their photo taken on a white background, and then participate in short interview to discuss resilience, patience, kindness, respect, teamwork, and apply those attributes to working through this pandemic.

The goal is to get about 60 participants, and then show these short videos periodically to gain perspective on how people are managing things. When it’s all done, the objective is to place all these photos on a movie poster and provide some encouragement in the community.

“It’s about telling their stories,” said Geigenmiller. “And having it on the record in photos and videos. What we are going through as humans is painful, yet fascinating.”

The first two town participants are Camas High School seniors Jack Harris and Dave Peddie, who are also champion swimmers.

Peddie addressed patience.

”For me, patience means being proactive,” he said. “Over the last few months there were a lot of things I couldn’t do as far as my swimming went. I couldn’t go into the pool, I couldn’t hit the gym so my friends and I had to find ways to stay fit so we went swimming in the lake and did workouts like running and so really just finding ways to still reach your goals and do what we would usually do with what we have. It’s important.”

Peddie’s short video and photos will be part of the town project, and he, along with Harris, will be part of a movie poster with stills of all the participants.

If you’re interested, please send an email to admin@lacamasmagazine.com with “Little Town That Does” in the SUBJECT line.

Hope to hear from you!

Town
From left: Dave Peddie and Jack Harris, both Camas High School swimmers.
Town
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COVID-19 Updates: From Clark County, Governor Inslee’s Office

Clark County Public Health reported today that another 37 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24-hour reporting cycle. To date, 1,717 Clark County residents have tested positive. 

“The current incidence of new COVID-19 cases in Clark County is 96.4 cases per 100,000 residents over 14 days,” the department said in a statement. “The target rate is less than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents.”

Currently, 18 COVID-19 patients and nine persons under investigation (awaiting test results) for COVID-19 are hospitalized. 

Governor Inslee Extends Pause Indefinitely 

Governor Jay Inslee extended the pause on counties seeking to advance to the next phase of the “Safe Start” plan indefinitely. Clark County will remain in Phase 2.

Inslee also provided additional details on the restrictions announced last week. 

Here are some of changes:

  • The changes for weddings and funerals go into effect Aug. 10 (extended from Aug. 6)
  • Outdoor ceremonies (weddings, funerals) are limited to 30 people and at least six feet of physical distancing between households is required. 

Please click on this link for further details: https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/Memo%20SafeStart%20Ghanges%207.28.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Inslee also provided an update on virus case loads in Yakima County.

“A month ago, Yakima had one of the highest COVID-19 rates in the country,” Inslee said. “Today, they have bent the curve and are one of the few counties in WA heading in the right direction. What changed? They went from 65 percent to 95 percent of people wearing masks.”

COVID-19
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Community Survey: Weigh In On SR500/Everett Road Safety Issues

CAMAS, WA — The public is invited to participate in a survey and weigh in on ways to improve safety on State Route 500, also known as Northeast Everett Street, near Northeast Robinson Road and Northeast 3rd Street, about four miles north of Camas. Rapid growth and development in the area have resulted in increased traffic and run-off-the-road crashes at these two intersections.

To inform future cost-effective improvements to help reduce fatal and serious injury crashes along the corridor, the Washington State Department of Transportation is seeking input from community members, area business and daily users of the corridor. 

The public is invited to provide feedback in the online survey from Monday, July 27, until Friday, August 7. Those interested in participating can also request a hardcopy of the survey by calling 360-905-2076.

Community input is integral to the safety study process. The ideas and comments gathered via the survey will help shape the project design, which is scheduled for construction in summer 2022. The current estimated cost of the project is $2.5 million.

For more information visit the project web page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr500/ne-robinson-ne-3rd/home

Economic
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Survey
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Inslee Issues Series of Rollback Orders on Several Businesses Statewide

OLYMPIA — Governor Jay Inslee announced Thursday a series of rollbacks and restrictions on bars, restaurants, fitness centers, weddings and funerals as new confirmed coronavirus cases continue to rise statewide.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the changes:

Weddings and funerals — Effective Aug. 6

  • Receptions are prohibited (ceremonies permitted)
  • Occupancy is limited to 20 percent capacity or 30 people, whichever is less. People must be able to maintain physical distance of six feet.

Restaurants and bars — Effective July 30

  • Alcohol sales must end at 10 pm
  • Table size reduced to five people and total occupancy to 50 percent capacity in phase 3
  • Game areas must close
  • Bars will close indoor service
  • Limiting indoor dining at restaurants to members of the same household. People meeting from different households can still dine outdoors.
  • No indoor service at any bar, brewery, tavern, winery or distillery, regardless of whether food is being served.
  • For counties in the third phase of the four-part plan, restaurant table sizes must be reduced to five people, and indoor occupancy to 50 percent.
  • Restaurants must also close down game areas, such as for video games, pool tables and darts, until their county has reached the fourth phase.

Gyms and fitness centers — Effective July 30

  • Phase 2: Indoor fitness services limited to 5 people (not including trainers and staff)
  • Phase 3: Total occupancy limited to 25 percent capacity

“We do not take these steps lightly,” Inslee said. “We know every prohibition is a challenge for individuals and business owners. But we know that if we fail to act, we will expose thousands of people.”

Inslee
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Secretary of Health John Weisman also announced today new guidance on face mask requirements.

His new order mandates that face coverings are worn in all indoor common areas, not just public spaces. His new mandate includes elevators, hallways, apartment buildings, college dormitories, hotels, motels, universities, assisted-living facilities and adult family homes.

The new mask mandate goes into effect Saturday.

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In The News: Camas Mayor Appoints Jamal Fox as New City Administrator

CAMAS, WA – Mayor Barry McDonnell is excited to announce the appointment of Jamal Fox as the next Camas city administrator.

Fox comes with a wealth of experience in local government, most recently serving as the deputy chief of staff for Mayor Ted Wheeler in Portland, Ore., and as the property and business development manager for Portland Parks and Recreation prior to that.

“I am honored to be selected to serve the City of Camas as the next city administrator. I am looking forward to leading a strong and high-performing team of professionals and partnering with Mayor McDonnell in taking the City of Camas to the next level with a focus on the three C’s for sustained organizational performance and success: Core, Culture and Communications,” Fox said.

Before moving to the Pacific Northwest to be with family, at the age of 25, Fox became the youngest person ever to be elected to the Greensboro City Council in North Carolina. He represented District 2 (northeast Greensboro) and was later reelected, serving until 2017.

Previously, Fox worked for the City of Greensboro in the City Manager’s Office and in the Department of Planning and Community Development. Fox is also a former North Carolina A&T State University political science adjunct professor and Guilford County Schools high school teacher.

“I feel very fortunate to have Jamal as our new city administrator,” said Mayor McDonnell. “His background and skillset will be valuable in helping the City engage with the community to shape a vison for my three core priorities—land, people and honesty—while at the same time inspiring the next generation of Camas leaders and strengthening our community so everyone feels heard, empowered and welcome.”

GOW
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Fox and his wife, Jaimee, have one son, Jamal Jr., who is 14 months old. Fox is a proud father, husband and member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Fox and his family are looking forward to moving to Camas and becoming active members of the community.

City Council will consider Fox’s appointment and contract at the Mon., Aug. 3, 2020, meeting. The proposed start date is Aug. 31, 2020.

The public is invited to learn more about Mr. Fox and the selection process in this video discussion: https://youtu.be/WgtFlswtHFg

For more information, visit www.cityofcamas.us

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Nuestra Mesa Temporarily Closes; Family Member Tests Positive for COVID-19

The owners of Nuestra Mesa announced today that a restaurant family member tested positive for COVID-19, and that they will temporarily close.

“A MESA family member tested positive,” said Todd Moravitz, co-owner of MESA. “We care about the community, and we’re taking all the same safety precautions as Grains of Wrath. All of our employees will be tested early this week, and our restaurant will be professionally cleaned. We hope to re-open soon, but we first must address this.”

Moravitz has been in contact with Brendan Greenen, partner and General Manager of Grains of Wrath, and both establishments plan to use the same mobile COVID-19 testing unit, which is able to show results within 15 minutes. 

“Our restaurant follows all COVID-19 health and safety protocols,” said Moravitz. “Our customers have supported us through this entire pandemic, and we appreciate your patience as we do our due diligence to ensure everyone’s safety.”

MESA closed abruptly Sunday afternoon notifying guests of the situation, and will keep the public updated as more information becomes available.

On Saturday, Grains of Wrath discovered a direct employee of theirs tested positive for COVID-19, and abruptly closed, as well. Both restaurants are very stringent with following CDC and state mandated coronavirus safety and health protocols. Customers are required to wear face coverings upon entrance, and all employees wear them while preparing and serving food.

MESA
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Grains of Wrath Employee Tests Positive For COVID-19; Abruptly Closes

Camas, WA — Upon learning a Grains of Wrath (GOW) employee tested positive for COVID-19 Saturday afternoon, the downtown Camas brewing company immediately closed its doors.

“We take these matters seriously, and we acted immediately,” said Brendan Greenen, GOW partner and General Manager. “The safety of our staff and customers comes first.”

A mobile COVID-19 testing unit is coming to GOW in the next day or so, and the results will me made known 15 minutes after each test is completed.

Greenan said they will quarantine any employee who tests positive, do a very deep professional cleaning early in the week, and then announce a re-opening date.

“I was eating lunch, and they very professionally let us know they were closing because an employee tested positive for COVID,” said Lisa Le, a local real estate agent. “They covered our lunch, I finished my beer and they closed.”

GOW
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GOW issued this statement:

To our GoW friends and family,

“Just moments ago we were notified one of our employees tested positive for COVID-19 and is now on their way to self-quarantine.

“We do not know how or when this person contracted the virus. That being said, we are not taking any chances. GoW will be closing until every employee undergoes testing. We will be organizing and covering all expenses. Additionally, our entire facility will be receiving a deep clean by hired professionals.

“The safety of our staff, families, and guests is our top priority. As we know more, we will keep you updated via social media and our website. In the meantime, please support all your local bottle shops, taprooms, and restaurants.”

Stay safe and healthy,
Grains of Wrath Brewing

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Inslee Adjusts Rules for Social Gatherings; Threatens New ‘Stay Home’ Order

Governor Jay Inslee announced at Thursday’s press conference he is restricting gatherings in Phase 3 from 50 to 10 people to help curb the spread of the coronavirus and said multiple times that another stay-home order is possible. 

Counties in modified Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the state’s Safe Start plan may continue to have social gatherings with five people or less. However, counties in Phase 3 can now only have social gatherings with 10 people or less. Previously, counties in Phase 3 could have gatherings up to 50 people. 

The governor said the changes are in direct response to the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases across Washington. As of today, the seven-day rolling average is 629 cases per day and the state is averaging 115 cases per 100,000 people.

“We have a problem that can be addressed by individual action, and too many aren’t exercising the caution necessary,” said Inslee. “The disease is spreading at social gatherings that are happening sporadically across the state, and we don’t want to look like Arizona or Texas. We cannot let our guard down even as we engage in more activities.” 

The state is also prohibiting all live indoor and outdoor entertainment to help curb the spread of COVID-19.  These new rules will go into effect Monday. The new rules, however, will not impact weddings, funerals and spiritual services.

Inslee said as citizens venture out and have small social gatherings, they need to wear face masks and continue to physical distance from each other. He also recommended having gatherings outdoors over indoor ones.  He also said multiple times he’s not ruling out another stay-at-home order if individuals don’t mask up and follow the mandates.

Washington continues to see a rise in coronavirus cases and it’s most commonly spread at social gatherings, according to Secretary of Health John Wiesman.

Inslee
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Wiesman said during the week of June 26-July 2, the state averaged 629 new COVID-19 cases every day. He said it’s the highest rate of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. 

There are currently 43,046 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Washington state, including 1,421 deaths.  A total of 733,886 people have been tested for the coronavirus and of those, 5.9 percent of the tests came back positive for COVID-19. 

“You can only be with five people outside your household,” Inslee said. “Doing things outside are safer than inside. Keep wearing masks. We’ve had a significant surge in COVID cases with young people and we are seeing an explosion of this virus during this pandemic.”

Answering a reporter’s question, Inslee said: “If trends continue we have to look at what is least essential to our economy. We could limit restaurants, bars, by we have to be confident our mask requirements will be enough to reduce this rate. At the moment, school opening is in great question. Something has to change dramatically so we don’t have to issue another stay-at-home order.”

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