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Camas District, High School Officials Respond to Papermakers Op-Ed

Camas, WA — Last Friday, I wrote an opinion article called “Respect the History — We’re Called ‘Papermakers’ For a Good Reason,” which addressed issues many in the community have with shortening the Camas High School mascot name from Papermaker to Maker. See the article here: Opinion

I asked for community members to respond and provide feedback, as I wanted to have an open conversation about this topic. The article reached 7,000+ and elicited hundreds of responses. It’s been a good, civil, passionate discussion.

It also brought an official statement from Camas Schools Superintendent, Jeff Snell, and an informative dialogue with Camas High School Athletic Director, Rory Oster.

Here’s Mr. Snell’s response:

Mr. Geigenmiller:

You asked for feedback on your recent article, Respect the History. I read your opinion and thought I would offer my perspective. I understand your first and second points and think that probably over time design and language have happened in various forms for various reasons similar to what you’ve articulated. I don’t believe any of that is done with the intention of trying to disrespect our history.

I wanted to comment specifically on your third point, attitude. “There is a concerted movement to erase the history,” is a strong statement. Our school district has never made an effort to erase history. In fact, we try to embrace it. Whether it’s Papermakers or any other part of our proud past we want to honor and celebrate it. Take for example the commons in CHS and all of the versions of Papermakers, or the school bell we placed at district office, or the anchor outside of Liberty Middle School. We have an award in the district called the Mill Town Pride Award. When presenting this award, we talk about how it represents the best of who we were, are and want to be as a community. We use the certificate below and have a pin of the mill that we hand out.

We understand and appreciate the passion about Papermakers. We embrace it along with the rest of our history. If you’d ever like to chat let me know.

Jeff Snell

 

Mill Town Pride

Mill Town Pride Award Certificate.

I also sat down for an hour with Mr. Oster, who provided insight on this topic. During the discussion he also talked about the uniform design process.

”I want to make sure the community understands that the students are very proud to be called Papermakers,” said Oster. “We’re not ashamed of being Papermakers. There have been thousands of conversations about this, and we embrace the history. Regarding the phrase ‘Roll Makers’ the first time I heard the phrase was four years ago — one of our volleyball student athletes gave an interview and said it at the end of the interview. It really took off with our students and coaches from there. It was about the same time frame as Russell Wilson saying ‘Go Hawks’ after every interview.”

Camas School District Communications Director, Doreen McKercher, offers a different perspective on the shortening to ‘Maker.’ She said that it happened during the Fall of 2011 when students created a spirit campaign called “Meet Your Maker.” The theme was present at many CHS athletic events.

McKercher emphasized it was a student-driven effort, and not an official movement to change the mascot name.

Papermaker Uniform Design Process

One of the things that offend many in the community is using the term “Maker” on official school uniforms.

So, Oster explained the uniform design process.

”Every three years, each team captain, along with their coaches re-design their team uniform,” said Oster. “They use design websites like Nike Uniform Builder, and decide what to put on the home uniform and on the away uniform.”

The students decide what to put on the sleeve, on the front of the jersey, and they can change colors and lettering, but that there is a standard Camas red that is used. They generally put “Camas” on the home jerseys and Papermakers or Makers on the away jerseys. Or sometimes they put the Camas “C” on.

He said sometimes the name “Papermaker” is too long to fit across the jersey — and sometimes that depends on the font used, as well.

“They copy what they see happening at the collegiate level,” he said. “And once the coach and captain make their design decisions, they submit those to me for final approval.”

The next round of uniform design changes will appear on jerseys this Fall. The football updates are already done, and volleyball and girls soccer are in the works.

”I really do want to emphasize these kids are proud of being called Papermakers,” he said.

Papermaker

Rory Oster explains how uniforms are selected using a Nike website.

 

Papermaker

The State championship football team is a source of pride for Camas.

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Camas Lacrosse Grows the Game with the Boston Cannons

The Columbia Cannons will bear the marks and logos of the Boston Cannons, playing under the umbrella of Camas Lacrosse

Camas, WA – The Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) announced today that the organization has agreed to a five-year partnership with Camas Lacrosse. This agreement will allow Camas Lacrosse to field a club lacrosse team called the Columbia Cannons, which will be based in Clark County, Washington. Additionally, the Columbia Cannons will be granted access to all Cannons marks (name, logos, symbols, emblems, designs, and identifications) for team purposes and apparel.

Camas Lacrosse was established in 2012 as part of the Washington Boys High School Lacrosse Association. One year later, they added a youth program with teams from grades one through eight under the Oregon Youth Lacrosse Organization, while the high school program continues to compete under the Washington Boys High School Lacrosse Association.

Under this collaboration, the Boston Cannons and Camas Lacrosse will host two special events for the Columbia Cannons in either Washington or Oregon. The players and coaches will travel to the west coast for these events to promote the new club and to allow the club to learn from professional coaches and athletes.

“We are excited to bring this partnership to our youth and HS players. We have grown to a total membership of over 200 players in a very short time, and our retention rates are exceptionally high. Camas has a rich athletic tradition, and through this partnership with the Boston Cannons, we hope to have Camas Lacrosse add significantly to that and continue to grow this great game in our area,” said Karen Gibson, President of Camas Lacrosse.

The Cannons and Camas Lacrosse will kick off this partnership with a dedicated “Training Camp Weekend” for the Columbia Cannons, held from June 15 to 17, 2018, during their bye week. Over 600 youth lacrosse players will be in attendance for multiple lacrosse clinics and a tournament to cap off the weekend.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Camas Lacrosse and the Columbia Cannons to continue to grow the sport of lacrosse throughout the country”, said Cannons President Ian Frenette. “Most athletes participating in the Columbia Cannons have had limited exposure to our sport at the professional level. Currently, there are no Major League Lacrosse or National League lacrosse teams in the Northwest US. By entering into an agreement with this club early in its rise, we are helping them shorten the timeframe for their developmental and growth goals.”

About the Boston Cannons
The Boston Cannons are a Founding Member of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) and one of the most recognizable global lacrosse brands. Led by Rob Hale and his ownership team, the they won the 2011 MLL Championship, have eleven playoff appearances and hold a league record with five MLL MVP’s over fifteen seasons. Off the field, the team provide a game day experience second to none and annually top the MLL in attendance and partnership engagement. For more information, call the front office at 617-746-9933 or visit www.bostoncannons.com

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100+ Women Who Care Clark County Chapter Kick-Off a Resounding Success

Camas, WA — Ninety women gathered at Salud Wine Bar Wednesday night for the inaugural meeting of 100+ Women Who Care Clark County, which was an event that raised more than $9,000 for Children’s Home Society in an hour’s time.

The brand-new chapter of the nationwide charitable foundation was founded by Christie Ribary, who coordinated Wednesday’s event and provided procedural specifics throughout the night.

Members heard from Ribary, her mother, Cheryl Craig, who founded the Boulder, CO chapter of 100+ Women Who Care, and others who promoted various charities.

The doors opened at 5 pm for a social hour, and the event officially started at 6 pm. The charter members filled out cards with the names of a charity they wanted to promote, and three women were randomly selected to draw those cards from a bucket.

Children’s Home Society, Clark County Special Olympics, and Food With Friends were selected. Individual promoters of the respective charities explained what the organizations do, and how they help local people in need.

Children’s Home Society provides food and backpacks for children in need in East County, and is struggling to meet demand. Clark County Special Olympics is seeking funding for specific sporting programs for teens. Food With Friends always seeks funds to provide food, basic essentials, and helps people prepare to re-enter the workforce.

Women

Christie Ribary is the founder of 100+ Women Who Care Clark County.

City Councilor Deanna Rusch works as a volunteer administrator for Food With Friends, and said “they always need help and volunteers.”

Once the impromptu presentations were made, the women voted by ballot, and Children’s Home Society won.

”Once we collect all the checks, the promoter of this charity will personally visit Children’s Home Society and present them with the funds,” said Ribary. “It’s a way to make a big local impact.”

Ribary said she’s very pleased with the local response and is impressed by the event’s turnout.

The group will gather in three months and repeat the process, but this time they will hear directly from Children’s Home Society and how the funds were used.

”This is also a great way for you to become familiar with local charities you may have never heard about,” said Ribary.

To learn more, visit www.100womenclarkcounty.com

You may also read our first article about the organization: 100+

Photo Gallery

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Camas High Students Gather For National Letter of Intent Day

Camas, WA — Fourteen scholar-athletes took part in National Letter of Intent Day today at Camas High School.

Here’s what they’re all doing:

PAYTON BATES will be signing to play softball for the College of Idaho Yotes in Caldwell Idaho. Payton will finish her high school career earning seven varsity letters from Camas High School. Payton lettered three years in slow pitch softball, and will be a four-year letter award winner in fast pitch softball. In the fall during slow pitch, Payton has led her team to three straight league championships, a district championship in 2016 and 2017, and to the Papermakers first ever state birth in 2017. She was GSHL first-team all-league and voted Papermaker MVP for all three years and was capped by being recognized as the GSHL Player of the Year during her senior year in 2017. In the spring, Payton has been recognized as GSHL first-team all-league in 2016 and 2017. She has been a big part of the Papermaker fast pitch success that has earned league titles in 2015, 2017 and two 4th place in state finishes. Payton is a three-time GSHL scholar-athlete award winner and while in Caldwell will study Marketing.

Parents Jay and Brenda Bates – All three State Championship Tournament appearances. She wants one more this spring!

PERRIN BELZER will be traveling South to join former teammates with the Grand Canyon University Women’s Soccer program. Perrin has played the past four years on the girls soccer team which has been the most dominant run in the programs history at Camas High School. In those four years, her Papermakers have won four league titles, three district titles, two 3rd place state trophies, one state championship in 2016 along with a Maxpreps National Championship in 2016. Like her team, Perrin has also racked up numerous accolades over the past four years that include: 2014 and 2016 GSHL All-League 2nd team, GSHL All-League 1st team in 2015, and capped by a senior season that saw her awarded GSHL defensive player of the year, Columbian All-Region team, and 4A 1st team All-State. Perrin has been a GSHL all-academic team member all four years. While playing for the Lopes, Perrin will be pursuing a degree in sports management.

Parents Michael and Kathy Belzer – Memorable moment was winning the 2016 Washington State Championship.
TREVOR BENTLEY is headed across the river to play baseball for Mt. Hood Community College. Trevor has lettered in football and baseball for three years and has been an active participant in Camas High School Unified Basketball. Trevor has been the starting center fielder for the Papermakers for three straight years and helped lead his team to the playoffs in 2016. Trevor was a part of the first ever Papermakers football state championship in 2016, and was recognized as GSHL All-League 2nd team defensive back in 2017. Trevor is undecided on what he will focus his studies on while playing for the Saints.

Intent

Fourteen scholar-athletes gathered Wednesday for National Letter of Intent Day at CHS. Photo by Dan Trujillo.

Parents Brian and Rachel Bentley – Memorable moment winning the football state championship in 2016.

COURTNEY CLEMMER will be a part of the Fighting Owls women’s basketball team at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls Oregon. Courtney has lettered in basketball for four years, along with one year in volleyball. Courtney has been a four-year starter on the hardwood for the Papermakers and has led them to two straight league titles in 2017 and 2018, and to the programs first ever trip to the Tacoma Dome to compete in the state tournament. Courtney has been recognized as GSHL All-League 2nd team in 2016, GSHL All-League 1st team in 2017 along with the All-Region 2nd team, and has already added the GSHL Player of the Year award in 2018. Courtney is a four-time scholar athlete award winner and plans to focus on studying communications in Klamath Falls.

Parents Casey and Traci Clemmer – Memorable moment playing in the state tournament at the Tacoma Dome.

ALEXA DIETZ is off to soak up some sunshine at San Diego State University as a member of the Aztec Rowing team. Alexa lettered two years in the Papermaker track and field program and one year in gymnastics before focusing on rowing. Alexa was part of a women’s track and field team that won two league and district titles and was a large part of the 2017 Papermaker gymnastics record-setting team that won a league title, district title and a state championship runner-up finish. Alexa is scholar-athlete award winner and is planning on studying environmental sciences and nature conservation in San Diego.

Parents David and Nancy Dietz – Memorable moment winning 2nd place at the State gymnastics meet in 2017.

KENNEDY FERGUSON will also be headed south. She will join the Lobos of New Mexico University softball program. Kennedy will letter three years in fast pitch at Camas High School. Kennedy was voted as GSHL All-League 1st team in 2016, GSHL Pitcher of the Year in 2017, All-Region Player of the Year in 2017, and will be looking for more awards this spring. Kennedy led her team to the league championship in 2017 and a Washington state 4A 4th place state finish in 2017. Kennedy will be focusing on physical therapy in New Mexico.

Parents David and DeAnn Ferguson – Memorable moment creating memories with a group of girls that have come up and gone through the program with me.

DOMINIC FEWEL will attend Oregon State University next fall to play soccer for the Beavers. Dominic will be a four-year letterman for the Papermaker soccer team, and has been a three- time scholar athlete award winner. Dominic has anchored a team that has compiled three league and district titles and have been a state participant all three years. Dominic has been chosen as a team captain in 2016 and 2017 along with receiving accolades as GSHL All-League 2nd team in 2015, GSHL All-League 1st team in 2016, 2017, All-Region team in 2017, and All-State honorable mention in 2017. While in Corvallis, Dominic will be studying Mechanical Engineering.

Parents Heath and Jennifer Fewel – Memorable moment scoring diving header goal against Skyview to win the game.

MADISON FREEMON is signing to play basketball with California State Fullerton University. She is a four-year letterman in basketball for the Papermakers. Madison has started for the Papermakers for three years before suffering a season ending injury her senior year early in the season. She was recognized as GSHL All- League Honorable Mention in 2017 along with the team captain honor. Madison helped guide the Papermakers to the first ever state championship tournament appearance her Junior year, and has been recognized on the All-League academic list for four straight years. Madison will be studying education while playing for the Titans.

Parents Gary and Sandy Freemon – Memorable moment scoring the winning buzzer beater basket against Prairie her sophomore year.

MARK KIM will be taking his talents to swim for the United States Military Academy at West Point. Mark is the most decorated swimmer in Papermaker history as he has won two state championships in both the 500 and 200 freestyle events, with one more state meet to go later this month. He has numerous district championships and guided his team to four straight league titles, a 2015 2nd place state finish, 2016 4th place state finish and the Papermakers first ever state championship in 2017, and he still has his senior season to finish. Mark was recognized as the 2016 February Camas High School student-athlete of the month, and is equally as impressive in the classroom with a near perfect GPA. While swimming for the Black Knights, Mark will study Mechanical Engineering.

Parents Mark and Dannelle Kim – Memorable moment winning the 4A team state championship trophy for a school south of Tacoma for the first time in 50 years.

Swim

State Champion swimmer, Mark Kim.

HAILEY OSTER will be playing golf for the Bobcats of Montana State University. Hailey has been a Papermaker varsity golfer all four years and has anchored her team to two straight league and district titles heading into her senior season this spring. Hailey has finished in the top 10 at the past two Washington State tournaments which has helped her team secure a 2nd place team finish in state her sophomore and junior year. Hailey has been recognized as the 2017 GSHL Player of the Year, All-Region 1st team, and received the Camas High School student-athlete of the month award and the WIAA player of the week award her Junior year. Hailey will study elementary education while in Bozeman.

Parents Ernie and Debbie Oster – Memorable moment taking 2nd in state the past two years with my team.

MADISON PFAFF will take her skills to Salem to play volleyball for Corban University. She has lettered in the Papermaker volleyball program for three years and received GSHL All-League 1st team honors her senior season. Madison also received the following CHS volleyball awards: coaches award in 2016, defensive award in 2017 and team captain in 2016 and 2017. Madison helped her team earn league championship titles all three years, and has been recognized with the scholar-athlete award for three years. While playing for the Warriors, Madison will be studying education.

Parents Jeremy and Heather Pfaff- Memorable moment beating Battle Ground in 5 sets my sophomore year.

Intent

Singing at National Letter of Intent Day. Photo by Dan Trujillo.

MADALYN SHERWINSKI will be traveling East to swim for the University of Mary in Bismark North Dakota. Madalyn lettered in Papermaker swim for three years and guided her team to a league championship in 2015 and 2016 as well as a district championship in 2015. Madalyn was a team captain in 2016 and 2017, and recognized as GSHL All-League 2nd team in the 500 freestyle in 2016. Madalyn is a perfect GPA scholar athlete and will study either chemical or mechanical engineering as a Marauder.

Parents Paul and L’Rae Scherwinski – Memorable moment winning district swim team title in 2015 at Kelso.

JOSHUA SCHNEIDER will attend Willamette University to play soccer for the Bearcats. Josh will be a three-year letterman for the Papermakers and has helped his team accomplish league and district titles his sophomore and junior season with his senior season coming up. The Papermakers have also been state tournament participants his sophomore and junior year that was capped with a state quarterfinal appearance in 2017. Josh was recognized as a GSHL All-League 1st team player as a junior, and will be a four time GSHL scholar-athlete award winner. While in Salem, Josh will be studying physical therapy.

Parents Joe and Lisa Schneider – Memorable moment when I crossed the ball for an assist for a double overtime win.
ABBIGAIL WONG will be attending University of Puget Sound in Tacoma to play softball for the Loggers. Abbi will letter in fast pitch four years for the Papermakers and has been a part of two league championship teams so far. Her Papermakers have two 4th place state championship tournament trophies, and she is looking to add another one this spring. In 2017 Abbi was recognized as GSHL All-League 2nd team, and received the 2017 defensive player of the year award for the Camas High School fast pitch program. While playing for the Loggers, Abbi will be focusing her studies on Exercise Science.

Parents Wade and Kim Wong – Memorable moment placing 4th at state tournament freshman and junior years.

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Science Olympiad Team Prepares for Weekend Camas Invitational

Camas, WA — Fresh off a fifth place performance at the ultra-competitive Golden Gate Tournament in California, the Camas Science Olympiad team is preparing to host its annual Invitational — right at Camas High School this Saturday.

The team meets weekly in a club-like setting to learn, talk, strategize and just have fun in an effort to win Science Olympiad tournaments, all with an eye on winning another State title. They’ve clinched the Washington State title for seven of the last eight years, and team President, Wilson Ho, a senior, is hungry for another major win.

“We are very competitive,” said Ho, “but we also have a good work ethic, and we really can’t procrastinate. You have to set yourself up to study time management and organize yourself. Plus, we have fun while we do this, and we always get along well.”

The Olympiad students work together to prepare for the competitions, which include chemistry labs, test labs, material science labs, aviation, astronomy, thermo dynamics, and build sessions, such as hovercraft, Ruve Goldberg, robotics, and mousetraps.

“With the hovercraft you build a small device to control speed,” said Abigail Jiang. “With astronomy, we do tests of space objects.”

Olympiad

Robotics

 

Led by head coach Matthew Chase, the students say they are well supported by parents who come to the study sessions, and chaperone their various tournaments.

During those tournaments, the Olympiad students are paired up for three to four events throughout a single day. Team captains strategize the partnerships and the path to a team victory.

”We love to win,” said Ho. “And yes, it’s a ton of work, but you learn so much, and a lot of times we’ll get just three hours of sleep the night before a tournament.”

Jiang said they get excited about the awards, and explained that scoring is like golf.

”The lower the score the better,” said Jiang. “It’s a team effort, and motivation comes from the team. We want everyone to do well.”

Ashley Teng loves the personal element.

“You get to understand people more,” said Teng. “You see how people respond, and we have fun while we do it.”

Their Camas Invitational starts this Saturday at 8 am at Camas High School. Their regional tournament is on March 3, and the big State tournament is in April.

We’ll report on Satuday’s results. Stay tuned.

Olympiad

Building a tower during a competition.

 

Olympiad

Robotics competition.

 

Olympiad

Winning a recent tournament.

 

Olympiad

At a tournament — during awards.

 

Olympiad

All dressed up.

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Mead High School Jazz Band Wins Annual Clark College Jazz Festival

VANCOUVER, WA — After three full days of outstanding big band jazz, the outstanding musician awards and the evening finals results for the 56th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival have been announced. For 2018, the Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes trophy was awarded to Mead High School Jazz Band I, Spokane, WA.

Thursday, January 25, 2018 Middle School Silver division jazz ensemble finals results:

  • 1st place – Jane Addams Middle School, Seattle, WA
  • 2nd place – Beaumont Middle School, Portland, OR
  • 3rd place – Chief Umtuch Middle School Advanced, Battle Ground, WA
  • Blue Division Judge’s Award – Chief Umtuch Middle School Advanced, Battle Ground, WA

Outstanding Middle School Jazz Musician certificates were presented to:

  • Parker Bruning – Hockinson Middle School, Hockinson, WA
  • Adam Haunreiter – Hockinson Middle School, Hockinson, WA
  • Connor Cuff – Liberty Middle School, Camas, WA
  • Deitrich Vu – Liberty Middle School, Camas, WA
  • Tai Beaulieu – Liberty Middle School, Camas, WA
  • Mireia Pujol – Liberty Middle School, Camas, WA
  • Mason Calaway – Wahluke Middle School, Mattawa, WA
  • Isaac Moroshan – Laurin Middle School, Vancouver, WA
  • Justus Jones – Carmichael Middle School, Richland, WA
  • Shelby McCombs – Pleasant Valley Middle School, Vancouver, WA
  • Dominic Mendoza – Chief Umtuch Middle School, Battle Ground, WA
  • Reagan Speakman – Skyridge Middle School, Camas, WA
  • Grady McHenry – Tukes Valley Middle School, Battle Ground, WA
  • Chris Moore – Beaumont Middle School, Portland, OR
  • Nate Moore – Beaumont Middle School, Portland, OR
  • Parker Casazza – Jane Addams Middle School, Seattle, WA
  • Lacy George – Jane Addams Middle School, Seattle, WA

Friday, January 26, 2018 A and AA division high school jazz ensemble finals results:

A Division:

  • 1st place – Northwinds High School, Port Angeles, WA
  • 2nd place – Petersburg High School, Petersburg, AK
  • 3rd place – Woodland High School, Woodland, WA

Outstanding high school musician awards for the A Division were presented to:

  • Jesse Weaver – Douglas High School, Winston, OR
  • Noah Pratton – Mcloughlin High School, Milton Freewater, OR
  • Ciaran Healey – University Prep, Seattle, WA
  • Ursula Sargent – University Prep, Seattle, WA
  • Adam Kennedy – Northwinds High School, Port Angeles, WA
  • Tristan Lowman – Northwinds High School, Port Angeles, WA
  • Isaac Hall – Woodland School District, Woodland, WA

AA Division:

  • 1st place – Hockinson High School, Hockinson, WA
  • 2nd place – Mead High School, Spokane, WA
  • 3rd place – Mt. Spokane High School, Spokane, WA

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AA Division were presented to:

  • Kara Stella – RA Long High School, Longview, WA
  • Saunder Borst – Mt. Spokane High School, Spokane, WA
  • Elaine Scott – Mead High School, Spokane, WA
  • Meggie Rodewald – Mead High School, Spokane, WA
  • Kaylin Woods – Mead High School, Spokane, WA
  • Grant Hobbs – Columbia River High School, Columbia River, WA
  • Cade Lilley – Fife High School, Tacoma, WA
  • Kaelyn White – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA
  • Emily Johnson – Washougal High School, Washougal, WA
  • Jack Broer – Hockinson High School, Hockinson, WA
  • Riley Lyons – Hockinson High School, Hockinson, WA
  • Erik Hawkins – Hockinson High School, Hockinson, WA
  • Zeke Dodson – Hockinson High School, Hockinson, WA

Saturday, January 27, 2018 AAA and AAAA division high school jazz ensemble finals results:

AAA Division:

  • 1st place – Mead High School Jazz I, Spokane, WA
  • 2nd place – Prairie High School, Brush Prairie, WA
  • 3rd place – Mt. Spokane High School Jazz I, Spokane, WA

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AAA Division were presented to:

  • Ashton Hemming – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA
  • Dominic Mendoza – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA
  • Jacob Khawaja – Lakeridge High School, Lake Oswego, OR
  • Penelope Tharp – Lakeridge High School, Lake Oswego, OR
  • Isaac Ford – Kelso High School, Kelso, WA
  • Tony Brence – Prairie High School, Brush Prairie, WA
  • Ericka Mecham – Prairie High School, Brush Prairie, WA
  • Josh DeQuiroz – Mountain View High School, Vancouver, WA
  • Ricky Gagliardi – Mead High School, Spokane, WA
  • Connor Brennan – Mt. Spokane High School, Spokane, WA
  • Chris Ramirez – VSAA Focus, Vancouver, WA

AAAA Division:

  • 1st place – Bothell High School Jazz I, Bothell, WA
  • 2nd place –Battle Ground High School Advanced, Battle Ground, WA
  • 3rd place – Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens, WA

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AAAA Division were presented to:

  • Justin Foley – Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA
  • Amy Boedigheimer – Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA
  • Mairead Rising – Glacier Peak High School, Snohomish, WA
  • Galin Hebert – Glacier Peak High School, Snohomish, WA
  • Hannah Whitlow – West Salem High School, Salem, OR
  • Cameron Roche – West Salem High School, Salem, OR
  • Anthony Bolden – West Salem High School, Salem, OR
  • Mario Esquivel – Chiawana High School, Pasco, WA
  • Benito Ramirez – Chiawana High School, Pasco, WA
  • Gabe Aldape – Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens, WA
  • Manuel Aldape – Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens, WA
  • Chase Williams – Union High School, Camas, WA
  • Sean Grimm – Union High School, Camas, WA
  • Gary Hobbs – Union High School, Camas, WA
  • Gabe Bradley – Mountain View High School, Vancouver, WA
  • Nick McClatchey – Bothell High School, Bothell, WA
  • Preston Lee – Bothell High School, Bothell, WA
  • Laney Pham – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA
  • Shane Walz – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA

Congratulations to all the fine bands who participated!   Please join us next year on the last weekend of January for the 57th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival!

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City Council Moves to Demolish Crown Park Pool — To Plan For New Pool Complex

Camas, WA — After months of public debate, deliberation, and research, the Camas City Council moved to demolish the 64-year-old Crown Park Pool Friday during its annual planning workshop at Lacamas Lake Lodge.

After Parks and Recreation Manager, Jerry Acheson, made his department’s final presentation on the issue, each council member addressed their concerns and opinions, and the consensus was to demolish the pool this year — to start looking toward the future of Crown Park — and to actively start planning to build a new aquatics/community center that can be used year-round (likely at a new location).

The decision ended months, if not years, of speculation about the aging pool’s fate. In 2000, the city spent $275,000 in major pool renovations and has spent tens of thousands in recent years on major repairs.

Six of the seven councilors openly advocated for a new aquatics/community center that would serve the greater community.

The motion to demolish gives the city’s Park and Recreation Department the direction to pursue demolition procedures, which will require finding a contractor, developing a plan, and presenting that demolition plan for the council to officially vote and move forward. Legally, the pool’s fate needed to be decided by May 2019, given Clark County ordinances that require unused public facilities, such as the pool, to be demolished or renovated.

“My preference is to start demolishing it,” said City Councilor, Bonnie Carter. “I would be geared toward doing that this summer. Sixty-four years is a good life cycle.”

City Councilor Shannon Turk concurred — “I agreed with demo-ing it. I prefer a new pool that helps the students. And it does need a community center built with it.”

Planning

From left: Camas Schools Superintendent Jeff Snell; City Administrator Pete Capell; City Councilor Shannon Turk; City Councilor Bonnie Carter; and City Councilor Steve Hogan.

The councilors acknowledged they need to move swiftly on this project so that the fate of the Crown Park master plan isn’t left in limbo. Although planning specifics about a water feature or re-development of the park were discussed, concrete plans are far from being decided.

“I’m not ready to make a firm commitment today,” said City Councilor Don Chaney. “Based on citizen input, I still feel an obligation to add a new safe place for people to swim. I don’t feel comfort in any option without knowing how to pay for it. I’m very concerned about debt service.”

City Councilor Melissa Smith said timing is critical about future plans — both for the park and to build a new aquatics/community center. She mentioned public comments from Wednesday’s Parks and Rec Commission meeting about the city not meeting the needs of a stellar swimming community that continues to grow and progress.

“I prefer some kind of a new pool, and I don’t believe Crown Park is the best location for a new community pool,” Smith said. “We need to support the swimming community. I like the idea of a splash pad for this park.”

City Councilor Greg Anderson said: “I like the recommendations made. I think we should choose a plan, do the proper funding, and then plan for a year-round aquatics center facility at a new location. I don’t want to spend any more money on the current pool. Let’s see where we want to go and then explore solutions.”

The council’s newest member, Deanna Rusch, said she learned a lot at Wednesday’s Parks and Rec meeting.

“The community wants a new pool,” said Rusch. “We have high-caliber swimmers and divers, and I would love to see a new pool here.”

Planning

Crown Park Pool.

City Councilor Steve Hogan advocated for the demolition, as well, but also said the city needs to move quickly to make sure the needs of the community are met without years of delay in new construction.

“As far as the fate of Crown Park,” said Hogan, “I could go either way with a leisure pool or a water feature. The Parks Board has done a lot of work, and we owe it to them to get something moving.”

His fellow councilors agreed about moving quickly to take care of community needs.

While the Parks and Rec Department moves forward with demolition planning, Peter Capell, the City Administrator said he will actively work with committees to plan for a new pool/community center, along with securing property, designs, partnerships and finance options.

Planning for the Crown Park, in general, is by no means set in stone. The council expressed interest in having more public forums and debates on how to proceed. Today’s actions simply allow the city to make demolition plans for the pool.

“We need to have many detailed discussions with Camas, Washougal and the Port of Camas-Washougal about an aquatics center resolution,” said Smith. “Let’s do this in the next six months.”

To learn more, visit www.cityofcamas.us

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Camas City Council Meets for Annual Planning Conference

CAMAS, WA — The Camas City Council is meeting today and Saturday for its annual planning conference at Lacamas Lake Lodge. The seven-member council and Camas Mayor, Scott Higgins, will meet today from 1-5 pm, and again Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.

The workshop proceedings are open to the public, but there isn’t time set aside for public comment.

Today’s agenda:

Opening Statement (1 pm)

Crown Park Master Plan (1:30 pm)

Details: A presentation about the Crown Park Pool Assessment, as well as the preferred conceptual Master Plan for Crown Park.
Presenter: Jerry Acheson, Parks & Recreation Manager
Recommended Action: This item is for Council’s information and discussion.

Pool

Aerial view of Crown Park.

Citizen Relationship Management (CRM) System Overview (2:30 pm)

Details: A presentation about CRM, a tool for citizens and staff to place service requests and to track the work until it is completed. You will see how service requests can be made, the various types of service items and how the work can be monitored and tracked.
Presenter: Sherry Coulter, Information Technology Director
Recommended Action: This item is for Council’s information only.

Recordkeeping Refresher (2:45 pm)

Details: The City Clerk and Deputy City Clerk will be presenting some refreshers and reminders related to Open Public Meetings and Public Records. With ever-changing laws related to records management and governmental transparency, this will be a helpful reminder for both Council and Staff.
Presenter: Jennifer Gorsuch, City Clerk and Bernie Bacon, Deputy City Clerk Recommended Action: This item is for Council’s information only.

East County Fire & Rescue (ECFR) Functional Consolidation Discussion (3:30 pm)

Details: The Council and ECFR Commissioners have held workshops to discuss the possibility of a Functional Consolidation. The previous presentation material is attached for your review. Staff does not intend to discuss the presentation again, unless there are questions. This item will give the Council, ECFR Commissioners and Council Members from the City of Washougal the opportunity to discuss the proposal. Staff will provide a brief introduction, then turn it over to the elected officials.

 

Saturday’s Planning Agenda

The planning workshop will resume on Saturday.

Council Member Orientation (9:15 am)
Details: This is an orientation for new Council Members and a refresher for existing Council Members. The topics will include the role of a Council Member, Open Public Meetings, Public Records and a few other topics.
Presenter: Shawn MacPherson, City Attorney
Recommended Action: This item is for Council’s information only.

Community Survey Review (10:00 am)
Details: Staff will review the 2017 Community Survey results to assist Council in prioritizing needs from the Level of Service discussion.
Presenter: Pete Capell, City Administrator
Recommended Action: This item is for Council’s information only.

Strategic Plan – Level of Service (10:45 am)
Details: The presentation will begin with a demonstration of Open Performance, a tool that will demonstrate progress against measurable goals. Then each department will give a brief overview of its current level of service. Each department head will discuss the department’s level of service and measurements in more detailed presentation at future Workshops. It will take several months to complete all of the level of service presentations, so there will be a summary review after all of the presentations and staff will ask the Council Members to prioritize service levels in advance of developing the 2019-2020 City budget.
Presenters: Department Heads
Recommended Action: This item is for Council’s information only.

To learn more, visit www.cityofcamas.us

 

 

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Crown Park & Pool Planning: Citizens Speak Up; Next Stop City Council

A well attended Parks and Recreation Commission meeting Wednesday night at Lacamas Lake Lodge was filled with varied opinions, emotional pleas, and ideas that demonstrated a city torn between preserving the local landmark, Crown Park Pool, and looking toward the future.

At issue is the 64-year-old Crown Park Pool, which is shut down because it doesn’t meet current health codes. At minimum, it would cost $300,000 to meet code, but that would only be a short-term band-aid. To get the pool functioning properly would cost the city $2.2 million — and it would still remain a summer pool that’s operational three months a year.

Parks and Recreation Commission President, Randy Curtis, said he was pleased with the 25-person turnout to view the proceedings.

“We’re pleased to have this kind of turnout,” he said. “The social media folks got a lot information out and that’s a good thing. Now we’re dealing with specific recommendations, and there will be time for public comments.”

Camas Parks and Rec Manager, Jerry Acheson, then presented the attendees with the Crown Park Pool history and master plan. He said the pool has undergone maintenance over the years, and that the public has responded to surveys on prospective plans.

The one consensus: The public wants some kind of pool.

Pool

Twenty-five people attended the Parks and Rec meeting.

He reviewed specific plans calling for a leisure pool, a water feature, and simply renovating the existing pool. What would the impact on traffic be at Crown Park with a new leisure pool? Not good, he said.

“We asked is this the right location for a new pool?” He said. “The answer was no. We thought ‘where would we build a new pool?’ Then we thought we should just focus on Crown Park. So, we reviewed adding a water feature and modernizing the park.”

After extensive research, Acheson said in November the commission recommended to City Council an option that Crown Park have no pool, but rather a new look and water feature. The cost: $3.2 million.

They also urged the council to start a new process to build a new pool in Camas — at a location not yet determined.

Pool — Public Comments

After Acheson’s presentation, 13 residents commented — and their opinions varied from building a new, state-of-the-art facility to preserving the Crown Park Pool. One thing was clear — there wasn’t enthusiasm for a water feature at Crown Park.

Colleen Purwins said she represented her daughter, Jacqueline, who’s a diver for Camas.

“My daughter wants a new pool facility with a 1-meter diving board so kids who want to learn how to dive can do so without having to train in Beaverton. She’s even willing to help out,” said Purwins.

Wayne Patterson advocated for a new pool and recreation center, and said he experienced the positive side of building such a facility in an Alaska town, where he lived previously.

Shannon Larson expressed her love of teaching kids how to swim.

”We can build a facility that can be profitable — or at least break even,” said Shannon Larson. “But what’s closest to my heart is to make sure that kids know how to swim …”

Pool

A Camas resident expresses her opinion.

Anastasia McDonnell advocated for the pool to stay, and doesn’t want a water feature.

”I want to preserve the current feel,” McDonnell said. “It’s the crown jewel of our town.”

Charity Feb said: “We love Crown Park Pool. It’s great to be able to afford this — to have it for the kids.”

Several others expressed similar sentiments — wanting to keep the pool and preserve the current look of Crown Park. Nobody was in vocal support of a water feature.

Niki Cantrell made a very emotional plea for a new state-of-the-art aquatic center.

”I have a swimmer,” Cantrell said. “For some kids, swimming is their only sport — it’s what they can do. We have a whole slew of kids in this town who travel extensively to compete, and I think this town needs an indoor/outdoor facility. We need to have something year-round so the whole community can enjoy it.”

City councilor Bonnie Carter reemphasized that “even if we have the money to repair it, just to meet code, the Crown Park Pool would still be closed for repairs this summer.”

Curtis said the city administrators heard from 20 residents via email on Wednesday alone advocating “for a new state-of-art pool.”

What’s next?

Curtis said the City Council will hear all public input from the meeting, along with recommendations, and they will decide how to proceed. Three city councilors were present at Wednesday’s meeting.

The City Council will meet this weekend at Lacamas Lake Lodge for their annual planning meeting to discuss this issue. The public is invited to attend, however, there is no opportunity for public comment.

To learn more, visit www.cityofcamas.us

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In The News: Crown Park and Pool Planning Public Hearings Set

Camas, WA — The City of  Camas is seeking public input on how to proceed with the Crown Park & Pool planning currently in progress.

City officials are asking citizens to read up at http://www.cityofcamas.us/parkshome/68-parkscat/819-parksprojects
and then attend a meeting and/or email city administration to: comments@cityofcamas.us

The Parks & Rec Commission will present potential development ideas at Lacamas Lake Lodge on January 24th at 5 pm. That following weekend the City Council and City administration will be holding their annual planning meeting, which will be open to the general public.

What you can do:

  • Submit public comment in person, by U.S. mail, or via email to comments@cityofcamas.us with “Crown Park” in the subject line.
  • Stay informed with media outlets, including social media (Facebook and Twitter).

Attend upcoming meetings:

  • City of Camas Parks & Rec Commission meeting at Lacamas Lake Lodge, on January 24, at 5 pm. A Crown Park & Pool presentation will be made and public comment accepted.
  • City of Camas Annual Planning Conference at Lacamas Lake Lodge on January 26, 1 pm,  and January 29 at 9 am. The public may attend to listen, but comment is not being gathered during the weekend planning meetings.

See the Brief for even more opportunities to learn and offer input.

“Our goal to be thorough and transparent in our communications and projects; we truly thank you for being engaged in our community. Your respectful, constructive feedback is appreciated!” said Tammy Connolly, of the City of Camas.

Pool

Crown Park during summer.

 

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