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Camas-based Arktana Shoes to Open Second Boutique in Felida July 1

The highly successful Arktana Shoes is opening its second store in Felida (by Vancouver Lake) on Monday, July 1, with a special grand opening celebration set for July 23.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and we found the perfect spot here in Felida,” said owner Ann Matthews. “We’re so excited to make this happen. It’s a fun expansion, although there is risk involved. We have a good following in Camas and the surrounding areas, so feel it was time to grow.”

Matthews has been working with contractors for months building out the brand-new space to fit their needs. And, although it’s a new build out, the interior reflects the Camas store and overall Arktana Shoes brand with a red brick wall, clean lines, and quality products.

Photographer Lara Blair sat down with Matthews, and asked her several questions.

Question: Why another Arktana Shoes? Why open another store?

Answer: I started looking for a new location a year ago, and I looked all over the place. When I found this place there were already Camas-based businesses over here. Camas Star Cycle is out here, Grapes and Growlers, so is Los Potrillos, and we love them! It’s like a little hub of Camas that moved to Felida. I love this community and I’ve heard nothing but good things about it.

Arktana Shoes
Lara Blair interviewed Ann Matthews at her new Arktana Felida store.

Question: Is it risky?

Answer: It feels very scary. Are people going to find us? Will they support retail out here? It’s new here, there’s not a lot of retail out here. My gut drew me to this, and I have complete faith. We have such loyal clients.

Question: Who’s your client?

Answer: My client is anybody from mom’s to business people to those who travel. We cater to a lot of travelers. We have every day wear, but we also cater to the dressier side. One thing unique to Arktana is that we do extra extra small to 3X, we have the plus sizes and the little tiny sizes. Our shoes are sizes 5 to 11 and that is also a very important component. We buy the comfort lines that are a little wider, and we can accommodate the narrow foot, as well.

Question: How does the Arktana Felida differ from the Camas store?

Answer: The Felida store will have more clothing than the Camas store, but you will still see lots of shoes, although there will be different color options in Felida. You may see navy shoe in Camas, and red shoe in Felida. Or we might throw a red in Camas and a navy in Felida. And, if you want a red and we only have blue in Felida, we can bring over a red shoe from our Camas store. We’ll take care of you.

  • Arktana Shoes
    Front sign.
  • Arktana Shoes
    Front door.
  • Arktana Shoes
    Lots of shoes!

Question: Will Ann be at both stores? There’s concern that Camas will no longer see you.

Answer: That has been so funny to me. I have gotten the sweetest emails and texts. We are not going to close Camas. This is a second location. We are absolutely not leaving Camas. I will be at both stores. I’ll be honest, in ]uly I’ll be at Felida a lot more as we get this store up and running. I do intend to be at both stores in the same day. If somebody wants to be ahold of me personally, I will be accessible. I will be there for you — at both stores. I’m not going away.

The new store is located at 10706 NW Lakeshore Avenue, Suite 108, Vancouver, WA. Their special grand opening is scheduled for July 23. Learn more at www.Arktana.com

You can also view a past Arktana article: https://lacamasmagazine.com/2016/03/truly-scrumptious-sweets-visits-arktana.html

Arktana
www.McKeanSmithLaw.com
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2 Adults Killed While Sunbathing at Sandy Swimming Hole; Suspect Found

The normally tranquil Sandy Swimming Hole is now a crime scene as Washougal Police report Tuesday evening they have apprehended the driver suspected of running over and killing two adults who were relaxing at the popular beach, along the Washougal River.

The two victims, a husband and wife in their 50s, died at the hospital, according to the police.

According to Sgt. Alex Schoening, of the Clark County Sheriff’s Department, the incident happened just before 5 pm at the Sandy Swimming Hole Park, which is a popular local summer attraction.

“At about 4:50 this afternoon, we were dispatched, along with the Washougal Police, to a report of a vehicle that had run over a couple of folks sunbathing in the park, and it left the scene,” said Schoening. “The vehicle came through the parking lot, came south through this fence, down the hill, and then drove out of the parking lot. The suspect vehicle was captured on a neighbor’s residential surveillance security video, and we were able to get a good description of the vehicle, which is a 2005-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee dark red in color, driven by a male occupant.”

“We’re out here as the traffic homicide unit for the county, and we’re here to support the Washougal police in this investigation,” he said. “We do know the identity of the deceased, we’re just not releasing it at this time.”

Sandy Swimming Hole
The crime scene. The couple was relaxing on the beach when the driver hit them.

The victims were rushed to the hospital; one died shortly after arrival and the other was pronounced dead 20 minutes later.

Police reported they were looking for a red or maroon Jeep Grand Cherokee with extensive front-end damage, and missing a front grille. There is no indication yet of how they located the suspect.

Witnesses said the driver is a white male, in his 40s or 50s, with thinning, brownish hair.

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Camas Schools to Purchase Underwriters Laboratories Building + 57.6 acres

Editor’s Note: School Board acquires Underwriters Laboratories site for future educational programming funded in part by impact fees. Funding for this property purchase comes from funds not part of the Camas School District operating budget.

At its regular meeting on June 24, the Camas School Board approved the purchase of Underwriters Laboratories, located at 2600 NW Lake Rd, Camas, for use in educational programming. Centrally located in Camas, the nearly 58 acre parcel and 115,000 square foot building are tax assessed at $19.5 million; the District will purchase both for $12 million.

Funding for the purchase will come from a variety of sources:

  • $3.3 million in impact fees: Impact fees come from private dollars (typically from construction companies and developers) as new homes and neighborhoods are constructed. School districts receive these fees because of the impacts new developments have on communities. These funds are currently sitting in a CSD bank account to be used only for capital projects and improvements. Annually, CSD receives $500,000 from impact fees.
  • $3.7 million from the District’s capital projects fund: This is bond money set aside for property acquisition, which is currently in the CSD capital fund bank account. These monies remain in the capital fund, for projects such as the Garver Theatre remodel.
  • $5.0 million in a non-voted limited general obligation bond: This is a bank loan. According to CSD Business Services Director Jasen McEathron, CSD would take out a loan from a Pacific Northwest bank who invests in these type of securities. It is usually paid back over 10 years. The loan is currently being secured and will likely be ready in 60 days.

Monday’s unanimous school board vote approves a resolution to move forward with this purchase sale agreement — and it gives Superintendent Jeff Snell the authority to sign it.

McEathron noted the District anticipates being able to pay for the non-voted limited general obligation bond without impacting the general fund by using state forest funds, future impact fees, or in a future voter-approved bond. These funding sources cannot be used to pay for daily operational costs including staffing and compensation.

“It is important to understand that while we’re currently reducing our operating budget due to the State’s shift in school funding, the revenue streams we’ll utilize for paying for property are legally separate. We can’t use bond dollars or impact fees to pay for staff,” commented McEathron.

“We’ve had a challenging year related to our budget shortfall and resulting reductions in staffing, and it may seem counterintuitive to purchase property at a time when our operating budget is in decline,” said Superintendent Jeff Snell. “However, long-range planning points to continued growth in our community and compels us to act when presented with extraordinary opportunities that will benefit students.”

Underwriters Laboratories
Find us at www.Arktana.com

The Underwriters Laboratories land borders the Skyridge Middle School campus, making the location amenable to future expansion. The district intends to lease the building initially and is exploring the possibility for shared use partnerships with industry and higher education. Work is underway to update the district long-term strategic plan and district leaders are excited about the opportunities the UL property presents for future generations.

“It could be another comprehensive high school, and could be something else entirely, ,” said Snell. “Whatever we decide to do from a programming standpoint, we’d have to get stakeholder and community input first. This could be several years away. We may lease it out for a period of time, and we are also looking at sports fields conversions on the 58 acres. This is an opportunity to address whatever needs the district has moving forward.”

“This feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is extremely rare to find a flat parcel of land this size in the center of town that is surrounded by fully developed neighborhoods,” said CSD Board President Doug Quinn. “The existing building provides an opportunity to repurpose for school use if needed for less cost than constructing a new one. This is a win for our students and Camas taxpayers.”

This purchase marks the second instance where the District obtained an existing business property. In 2016, the District purchased a 39-acre parcel and 54,000 square foot building from Sharp Microelectronics for $12.5 million. The building was converted to Odyssey Middle School and the 2016 bond-funded Discovery High School was built on this site. The conversion allowed the district to gain an additional school beyond what was a part of the bond program.

Snell said the costs to retrofit a school have been considered and CSD has learned how to best do that given their experience with the Sharp building conversion.

“We know how to do it and what to expect,” said Snell.

UL has operated at the Camas site since 1994. Their headquarters in is Northbrook, IL.

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#Carnival4Camden Linton Fundraiser Today Noon-7 at Natalia’s Cafe

Natalia’s Café, local businesses, and the Downtown Camas Association invite you to a special event called “Carnival For Camden & Silent Auction: A Fundraiser” today, Monday, June 24 from 12-7 pm. Love for the Linton Family! Natalia’s is asking you to support this local family.

Natalia’s Café, located at 437 NE 4th Avenue in Downtown Camas, will host the the event, which  includes a Kids Carnival, from 12-5, and a Silent Auction with wine and appetizers, from 12-7 pm.

Camden Linton is a 4-year-old Camas resident who was just diagnosed with an inoperable and aggressive brain tumor called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). There is no known cure for DIPG.

Camden and his family are well-loved members of Camas. His mom, Erin, works as a teacher/librarian at Grass Valley Elementary School, and his father, Jeff, works at Georgia-Pacific. Their other children, Kaden and Kennedy, are students in our Camas schools who have been raised to help and serve others.

Now, it’s their time to be served so some of their burden can be alleviated. 

Please join us in helping the Linton family. One hundred percent of the donations will go to their family. 

There is a $10 cover charge for the auction, which includes one adult beverage ticket. 100% of this charge will go to the Linton’s. The team at Natalia’s Cafe has been working for more than a week preparing for the event, and several businesses and local residents are contributing gift baskets, time and other donations to help out with the cause.

[email protected]

“We just want the family to feel loved and cared for,” said Erica Slowthower, owner of Natalia’s Cafe.

All activities are free, by donation.

Kids Carnival to include:

  • Carnival games
  • Rock Painting and Bracelet Making with Anna Norris
  • Face Painting
  • Balloon Characters
  • Cotton Candy
  • Dippin’ Dots
  • Popcorn

You may also donate to the Linton GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/love-for-the-lintons

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Camas to Present Aquatics Center, Sports Fields Plans June 18

Camas, WA — Camas City administrators, under the direction of Camas Mayor, Shannon Turk, are working long hours making preparations to present new Community Aquatics Center and Sports Fields plans to the public on June 18.

With the demolition of the Crown Park pool, and limited public use of the Lacamas Athletic Club pool, the city feels an urgency to go forward with plans that will be open for public discussion at an Open House on June 18 from 5:30-7:30 pm at the Lacamas Lake Lodge.

“Regarding the Community Aquatics Center, the highest priority is with a leisure and competitive pool,” said Camas City Administrator, Pete Capell in his report this week to City Council. “We are dealing with a tight timeline. A second phase would have a two-court gymnasium and community rooms. We had a preliminary application with public works and community development. They’re been adjusting the concept better so that they can eliminate major concerns or fatal flaws. From here, there will be a follow up meeting with the design team on June 14. There will also be a process to create renderings for the project. There will be an elevated view from Lake Road. Renderings are water colors and will create one with a complete build out.”

City leaders will ask people what programs they think are most important. They will also develop a website so people can see what’s happening.

Aquatics Center
www.VancouverLaserSkinCareClinic.com

“On the 18th we will ask people what elements should be in this first phase,” said Capell.

This summer they will develop and refine designs for the aquatics center.

Expect to see an initial mailer in your mailbox any day now. A second mailer in early July will tell Camas citizens what they heard, and where they’re headed. There will be a July 15 council meeting to discuss public feedback, and where things are at. There will also be a booth at Camas Days.

In addition, a 54-acre site within Camas city limits is in negotiations to be purchased for a sports field complex.

“We haven’t acquired it yet,” said Capell. “It’s a prime site we’ve been trying to acquire and it’s going very well.”

City staffers are under tight deadlines as the general obligation bond (which would pay for a large portion of the centers) needs to be ready by August 9.

“What we end up putting on the ballot for the community aquatics center will be the input from the community and the final plan will be decided by council,” said Capell. “We will make it whatever size is most appropriate. Kathy (from Finance) has been working with bond council to determine the steps required to meet ballot requirements. She is helping us from the financial side.”

Turk is pleased with the progress.

“I’m super excited,” she said. “I look forward to seeing the website when it’s ready. The sports complex concept is great in that it broadens our ability to use sports fields. Everyone will get the benefit of these sports fields. Good things are happening.”

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Common Myths, Misconceptions About Discovery High School + PBL

Discovery High School Principal, Aaron Smith, addresses Common Themes and Myths:

Discovery High School does not have AP courses.

Myth buster alert! While Discovery may not offer as many AP courses as a large, comprehensive high school, we have selected a handful of AP courses which all students will experience. Our AP courses are less about covering a tremendous amount of content and more about themes and processes, thus being more accessible for all students. They are also much more adaptable for a project-based environment (like the real world). Beginning next year, all Discovery freshmen will take AP Human Geography as their social studies class, while our sophomores will have AP Seminar for their English class and AP World History for social studies. AP Seminar is an interdisciplinary course that encourages students to demonstrate critical thinking, collaboration, and academic research skills. A perfect fit! In addition to having the option to take the AP exam at the end of the term for possible college credit, our AP for all approach will result in a 100% participation score for AP offerings at Discovery. Why is this important? A 100% participation score is more attractive to universities when compared to a lower participation score at a school with many AP courses. Bonus! 

It is not possible to take four years of math at Discovery. 

Wrong again! Our students will have the same math pathways and opportunities as our other high schools, including pre-calculus and calculus.  

Discovery High School does not have as many electives.

There is no getting around it. A smaller high school program cannot offer as many electives as a much larger school. However, we will continue to add options as we grow and have other flexible and personalized pathways. We will continue to offer Spanish as a world language and hope to add Mandarin as well. Additionally, we have courses such as coding, music production, guitar, and multimedia and film where students can spread their creative wings. We also offer design and engineering courses operating out of our world-class fabrication lab led by Bruce Whitefield, the highly successful Camas Mean Machine Robotics coach. Lastly, our commitment to passion projects gives students the opportunity to dive deep into an area of interest and to explore possible career paths. 

Discovery High School
www.AgentJeremiah.com

Discovery is not a high school for college-bound students.

This one is absolutely false. Ultimately, colleges and universities are seeking students with a high GPA, competitive SAT scores, and additional interests outside of their classwork. Discovery High School graduates will receive a transcript with a traditional GPA that looks like any other high school. In fact, Discovery students have more opportunities to improve their GPA based on our standards-based and growth-mindset approach. In other words, we believe students should have multiple opportunities and avenues to demonstrate their learning and growth, versus a more rigid approach focusing on homework completion and one-chance exams. Lastly, institutions of higher education are looking for students who can demonstrate skills beyond memorizing content. A portfolio of projects and an ability to articulate Discovery’s emphasis on developing their success skills of collaborating, communicating, creating, critical thinking, and time management will help our students stand out in a crowd of applicants. Just ask one of our model schools and mentors, High Tech High in San Diego. High Tech High is a well-rounded project-based school that has been around since 2000. They also have a 98% success rate when it comes to college admittance. 

Running Start

Due to the nature of our flexible schedule and focus on collaboration, the learning experiences at Discovery High School are not designed to support part-time students. However, students may attend Discovery High School until their junior or senior year and then transfer to CHS if they wish to go the Running Start direction. This would not impact their credits or path to graduation. Our Discovery juniors and seniors will focus on internship opportunities for learning beyond the classroom.

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Local Teacher’s Union Responds to Camas School District Layoffs

Shelley Houle, President of the Camas Education Association (CEA) answered several questions about the upcoming Camas School District (CSD) layoffs.

22 FTE positions are being eliminated. Have all 22 teachers been notified?

As Superintendent Jeff Snell said it looks like most of those layoffs will be taken care of through attrition. Nobody has been contacted about being laid off, which happens on May 15. Human Resources has those details.

How will these layoffs affect the classroom?

It’s still a loss of FTE so I do fear it will impact students when we have less teachers overall. Classroom size could be impacted, but it will still be below what our cap is. It’ll depend on enrollment.

Did the budget committee make enough non-teacher cuts?

I was only there for half of the budget committee meetings. What we discussed is there shouldn’t be cuts in just one place. There was a shared vision that this would be done equally. I had two other members from CEA that were there, Jenelee Hurz (Math TOSA) and Miranda Jarrell (teacher at Dorothy Fox). We weren’t there to represent any special school or class type, we were there to be part of it, to listen and learn and to advocate for our members, and to advocate against impacts that affect children. We weren’t there to save particular jobs, and we had a student-focused approach to it. We spent many hours in with the committee, and I feel like we were well represented.

I’m disappointed that we don’t know the impact to SB5313 (bill that increases school levy lid) yet. I would loved to have pushed the pause button and see the impact of that levy lid. The May 15 date affected our decisions. Maybe some cuts will be reversed when we get more money from the levy lid.

Layoffs
www.Arktana.com

What happens with the levy lid in 2020? Will that help CSD?

That’s where the SB5313 could increase the capacity to collect what is already approved. I think we’re all waiting to see what that means. I predict there’s the potential to collect $6 million more dollars, but we have to be careful about what we ask our constituents to do. CSD has some hard decisions to make. We hope we can the reverse the cuts to be able to increase FTE in areas where we feel some negative impact from loss of teachers.

CSD is waiting for direction from OSPI.

Is Camas above the prototypical model?

Yes, because we use levy money because we do more than the state funds.

Did CEA ask for too much in raises last year?

No, it’s what our teachers deserved — a professional wage. If we go all the way back to August, we assumed layoffs would happen. This is because we go above and beyond the prototypical model. We want all of our members to stay and earn the wage for the work that they do.

Editor’s Note: This is what CEA Lead Negotiator, Mark Gardner said on September 3, 2018 regarding layoffs: https://youtu.be/Lu4DGMN5rl He didn’t think there would be layoffs but was concerned CSD was above a sustainable teaching staffing level.

Houle continues: The state really pulled a big one by changing the funding model. It really created a challenge for everyone to figure out how to best make it work. We would have loved an increase in special ed funding. You’re not fully funding education if you don’t fully fund special education. Jeff and I had shared Legislative priorities — funding for safety positions like counselors and nurses.

It was interesting going up there. I think progress was made in several of the bills. Delinking 10th graders passing the state tests was a good thing. They didn’t make complete fixes, though. Some needed changes were made like SB5313 with the levy flexibility will help many districts.

The number of 22 layoffs was not surprising to me because we did need to stay close to prototypical.

We’re all in this together. I feel that PSE (classified staff), CAEOP, and CAP (Gary Moller) are all part of this. We have a shared vision in that we wanted our students to be minimally impacted by those decisions.

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Washougal’s Jemtegaard Middle School Wins 2019 Whole Child Award

Washougal, WA — Jemtegaard Middle School (JMS) is the recipient of the 2019 Whole Child Award chosen by the Washington State Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. The Whole Child Award acknowledges and honors a school that makes significant contributions to student learning by creating a school culture with programs that exemplify two or more of the five tenets of The Whole Child Initiative: Healthy, Safe, Engaged, Supported, and Challenged; as well as serve as models for all educators across the state.  

“Our staff can think of no bigger honor than to be recognized for striving to meet the many needs of our kids,” said JMS Principal, David Cooke. “It takes a lot of work, but the results are worth it.”

JMS received their award at a school assembly on Wednesday, May 8, as well as a check for $500, sponsored by SHAPE Washington. 

“Equity and meeting the needs of the Whole Child is what drives the work of administrators, teachers, staff and community members at JMS,” said Cooke.  “We continue to listen and learn from our students so that we can improve to give each one the best chance of success. We focus strongly on equity and supporting the Whole Child.”  

Sustainable support protocol

JMS has a sustainable Student Support Protocol to foster a positive working relationship with peers and teachers for students to feel safe and supported in the classroom. Their Student Support Flowchart works to eliminate disruptive and/or off task behavior that can be damaging to the relationship between the student and teacher.

“Our primary process goals are to keep students in the learning environment as long as possible, allow teachers to keep teaching, even following problem behavior, and provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their behavior and have a voice in the refocus process,” Cooke said.

JMS
www.Arktana.com

“The most effective way for students to learn is to be in the classroom with a quality teacher every day,” said Cooke. “With this new student support process, out of class time was reduced to five minutes for minor issues and up to 20 minutes for major issues for the majority of discipline referrals.”

As a result, this method is showing results with an 80 percent drop in disciplinary referrals this year, minimal suspensions and a high approval rating from staff. Many students with prior disciplinary referrals last school year are having minimal discipline concerns now. 

Restorative practices

Restorative practices also play an integral role in repairing relationships and restoring safety after bullying occurs.

“Traditionally, bullies were punished through exclusionary discipline,” said Cooke. “At JMS, we use restorative practices to bring all parties together so that the victim and family can explain how the bullying has impacted them and what they need from the student doing the bullying in order to feel safe.”

Their findings show that in 100 percent of bullying cases this year, with clear expectations and procedures for Restorative Circles used, none of the students violate the conditions after the meeting or continued bullying at JMS. Parents and guardians also appreciate the opportunity to meet each other and support all students.

“There are many people who support our mission including parents, community and educators across the district,” Cooke said. “As a team we have created a school that our students, staff and community can be proud of.”

Club 8 for students

An example of this teamwork is the Club 8 after-school program that helps keep students engaged in additional learning opportunities including arts, science, leadership activities, and more. The program is two years old and meets on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. The name represents an 8th period of the school day for learning.

“The goal of this program is to address an equity issue related to lack of extracurricular opportunities for students on free and reduced lunch who don’t have access to transportation,” Cooke said.

Club 8 not only provides a bus ride home to remove the transportation barrier but provides all students an afternoon snack. The program regularly has around 90 students in attendance for a school just over 500 (not including 7th and 8th grade athletics with 40-70 students per season.) The list of Club 8 opportunities continues to grow along with community support.

Community service with students

Adding to the positive culture of JMS, the entire student body works on community service projects. Students pick the project that interests them the most which includes building bird houses for local parks, making animal toys for a local shelter, creating positive posters to hang on the hall walls, and helping run games at the elementary school recess and more. 

“I’m proud of the hard work the Jemtegaard school staff and community does to educate the whole child,” said WSD Superintendent, Dr. Mary Templeton. “They have embarked on a journey to shift the culture of the school, focusing on identifying ways students may fall through the cracks, and ways in which they can provide resources to keep students engaged in learning, encourage safe choices, and provide students with the problem solving skills to succeed in the classroom and beyond.” 

Founded in 1956, as Washington State Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, now known as Washington State ASCD, is a community of all educators committed to promoting promising practices to ensure ALL students are safe, healthy, engaged, supported and challenged.

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Camas City Council To Revive Ward Meetings With Residents

CAMAS, WA — After several years, Camas City Council is bringing back ward meetings to encourage residents to share ideas, concerns, and questions with the elected officials who represent their geographic area.

“As community and regional growth continues, the City of Camas wants to make sure that all residents keep having a voice in the issues that affect them,” said Mayor Shannon Turk. “I believe the smaller setting of local ward meetings will have a big impact on making valuable connections across Camas.”

Residents are encouraged to locate their ward by visiting the Clark County Maps Online website, clicking the Search tab and entering their street address or tax ID number.Ward meetings will occur twice this year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The first set of upcoming ward meetings will be held in April and May 2019, as follows:

  • Ward 1 – Sat., April 27, 1-3 pm, with Council Members Deanna Rusch and Melissa Smith, at Camas City Hall Council Chambers, 616 NE 4th Ave.
  • Ward 2 – Sun., May 19, 12:30-2 pm, with Council Members Bonnie Carter and Steve Hogan, at Camas City Hall Council Chambers, 616 NE 4th Ave.
  • Ward 3 – Mon., April 29, 7-8:30 pm, with Council Members Ellen Burton and Greg Anderson, at Dorothy Fox Elementary Library, 2623 NW Sierra St.

The format of the spring ward meetings will be casual to allow residents to bring their own ideas, concerns and questions for discussion with their council members as well as the Council Member at Large Don Chaney and the mayor. The format of the fall meetings will be more structured, with a set topic that is specific to the ward. Council members from other wards will attend one another’s meetings to get a sense of key themes across the community; however, they will not take part in the discussion.

City Council
www.Arktana.com

“By trying out various formats, we hope to see what works best for the citizens and council/mayor to communicate on ideas and issues,” said Turk.

Starting in 2013, the annual September State of the Community event was launched to replace ward meetings, which ceased in 2011 due to decreased attendance. The event is held each September and features presentations by the mayor, Camas School District superintendent and other local leaders such as the Port of Camas-Washougal director. The event is expected to remain part of the City’s public outreach continuum.

The decision to reinstate ward meetings was inspired by the success of recent town hall meeting with state legislators.

About City of Camas

Located in eastern Clark County, City of Camas is home to approximately 23,000 residents. Camas boasts a vibrant historic downtown, approximately 60 miles of trails, numerous hi-tech manufacturing industries, and a state-leading educational system. From its origins over 100 years ago as a paper mill town, Camas continues to successfully blend a mix of cultures, values, and vision. For more information, visit www.cityofcamas.us

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Washington Timbers FC Selects Lifetime Promotions to Run Snack Bar

Lifetime Promotions, the region’s Dippin’ Dots distributor, is pleased to announce they’re managing the snack bar at Harmony Sports Complex as part of a multi-year agreement with the Washington Timbers Football Club.

“One of our goals is to raise $20,000 for the Washington Timbers,” said Dennis Beffehr, the owner/operator of Lifetime Promotions. “The snack bar will proudly serve Dippin’ Dots and a whole lot more. We’ve been working on the menu, and want to provide good service to all the athletes, and all their family and friends.”

Their big opening is this Saturday, April 20, and the snack bar will open at 7 am every Saturday and stay open until the last game — all throughout the summer season. And, they’ll proudly be serving Hidden River Roasters coffee, which is based in Camas.

“Dennis and the Timbers already have a nice partnership with his ice cream entity and his donations to the club, and we thought it would it great to continue that relationship long-term and give them a permanent location,” said Michelle Beard, Soccer Operations Manager for the Timbers. “The money they will raise will go toward our scholarship program to help those in need to play soccer. I would encourage families to check it out, and know that it’s part of the Washington Timbers program. There will be more options. Money spent there is a direct benefit to the club.”

Washington Timbers FC serves thousands of youth throughout Clark County with their numerous athletic programs and events. To learn more, visit www.WashingtonTimbers.com

Menu items:

Lifetime Promotions
Snack Bar Menu.
Concessions
Lifetime Promotions will be managing the concessions stand at Harmony Sports Complex.
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