This week’s heavy rain has, of course, had an effect on local roads and bridges, but it has also caused Lacamas Lake to swell and crest the boat ramp (near the Lacamas Lake Lodge). Here is a video. Photos to come in another post. #lacamaslake #lacamasmagazine
VANCOUVER — Camas resident Derek Vanderwood was sworn in as Clark County’s newest Superior Court judge Friday at an investiture ceremony that was attended by approximately 130 people.
Vanderwood, who has practiced law in Vancouver since 1996, was sworn in by Judge Barbara D. Johnson, as family, friends and peers looked on during the sunny afternoon on the sixth floor of the Clark County Public Service Center.
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| Derek Vanderwood is sworn in as Superior Court judge by Judge Barbara D. Johnson |
The simple, yet elegant ceremony included remarks by Johnson, Casey Marshall (Vanderwood’s former law practice partner), and Judge Daniel L. Stahnke, who all spoke highly of Clark County’s newest judge.
Marshall introduced Vanderwood and spoke highly of their professional relationship while sharing some lighthearted moments. He said he at first doubted that Vanderwood would be appointed to the bench, but never doubted he’d make a good judge.
“And here we are now, ” Marshall said. “Derek will do an excellent job. He’s very meticulous and has a great love of community.”
Vanderwood was appointed to the bench by Governor Jay Inslee after a vacancy become available through the retirement of Judge Nichols. Vanderwood will have to run for election in November to complete the remaining two years of this judicial term.
“We welcome Derek into his new role,” said Judge Stahnke. “He’s been doing orientation for the past week … and know this can be overwhelming.”
After taking the oath of office from Judge Johnson, Vanderwood received his robe, which was placed by his wife, Allison, a longtime Clark County resident.
“It’s been a great opportunity to serve so many clients over these many years,” said Vanderwood. “And my partners have been a great help. I’m looking to create new relationships and this is an opportunity to help others … and I want you to know that I’m committed to respecting all those who enter the courtroom.
“This has given me a chance to reflect on accomplishments, and it’s a wonderful chance to serve,” he added. “And I ask you all to look how you can serve our community.”
In her closing remarks, Judge Johnson said: “Judge Vanderwood fits in and truly seems to have a calling to be a judge. It’s very meaningful to have him here.”
In attendance was Vanderwood’s immediate family, including his wife, Allison, and three of his four children: Alina, Andrew and Tyler. His oldest two sons, Devin and Grant, are currently serving missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Peru and Dallas, Texas, respectively. The new judge also serves as a local LDS Bishop in Camas.
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| Derek Vanderwood, his wife Allison, and three of their five children. |
Much of his extended family, including his mother, Joan, and siblings, were in attendance, as well.
Following the investiture ceremony, the guests attended an elegant reception at Vancouver Hilton.
“It’s a great experience for our family,” said Andrew. “It’s a good change. I thought he would get it. He’s a great public speaker and it was just right.”
His mother, Joan Vanderwood, referred to the ceremony as a parent pay day.
“Of course, I’m impressed with Derek and his abilities,” said Joan. “He’s very fair and has many good qualities. I’ve always felt he had the potential to be amazing and live up to his potential.”
Judge Vanderwood has served actively in the community for years in his ecclesiastical capacity, as well as serving Little League and the Boy Scouts of America, among other organizations.
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| Judge Vanderwood takes his seat among other judges. |
“It’s been a fantastic day,” said Allison. “It’s really an honor to be part of this event, and I’m just so proud of him. This entire experience teaches our kids the importance of community. When he was appointed by Governor Inslee, were were shocked, but very happy with the announcement. It was a surprise and surely a great honor. Derek will serve people well.”
Judge Vanderwood will continue his orientation these coming weeks, and will then be given a load of cases to oversee.
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| Derek Vanderwood, of Camas. |
OLYMPIA, WA — Eighteenth District Representative Liz Pike has been appointed to serve on the House Local Government Committee. The committee considers issues relating to the operations and financing of counties, cities, and some special districts. It also considers issues relating to the Growth Management Act and land use issues such as local permitting and the subdivision of property.
Pike, who served on the Camas City Council from 2003 to 2007, says the new committee assignment is a good fit that will allow her to utilize her past experience in city government.
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| Lacamas Magazine Archived Photo: Rep. Liz Pike at the 2012 Clark County GOP Convention at the Hilton in downtown Vancouver. |
“During my time on the city council, I learned about municipal budgeting, ordinances, land-use policies and the Growth Management Act, as well as many other issues involving local government. I’ve walked in the shoes of the local elected officials and I know the challenges they face and the services expected from local government by the public,” said Pike, R-Camas. “I have six small cities just within my legislative district, so I’m looking forward to helping them, their constituents, and other local governments across the state.”
Pike said one of her priorities will be restoration of the Public Works Assistance Account, which makes low- and no-interest loans to cities and utilities to finance water, sewer and street projects. Last year, the Legislature used the money, $354 million, to help balance the state operating budget. As a result, no loans were issued. Pike said those monies are vital to local governments to provide funding for needed infrastructure. The sweeping of those funds was one of the reasons Pike voted last year against the operating budget proposal.
“I’ll also be working to limit unfunded mandates to our cities and counties that are working with limited budget authority. If we could reduce some of the financial burdens on our local governments, it would increase delivery of services to those communities and help our citizens immensely,” she added. “That’s the direction of change I hope to make with this new committee assignment.”
CAMAS, WA — The Lacamas Heights Elementary community invites all members of the Camas community to help celebrate their 50th Anniversary with two special events on January 17.
At 2:30 pm, staff and students will host a school-wide assembly where guest speakers will share memories from their years at Lacamas with staff and students; additionally, current students will share a special presentation reflecting back on the great history of Lacamas Heights.
All who attend will be treated to a sneak peak at a movie short titled “The Lacamas Story.” This will be an opportunity to provide today’s students with a glimpse of what has made Lacamas the school that it is today.
For the second event, all former students, teachers, and staff are invited to a Celebration Reception, which begins at 5:30 pm. This will be a time to tour the school, reminisce with former students and staff, reconnect, and celebrate the impact that Lacamas has had over the past 50 years.
There will be pictures, memorabilia, birthday cake, and the premier of our short film, “The Lacamas Story,” but most importantly, there will be teachers, administrators, staff, and students who called Lacamas Heights Elementary School their school from 1963-2014. This is an exciting opportunity to reconnect Lacamas alumni, and organizers hope community members will help to spread the word about this special day.
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| Lacamas Heights Elementary, in Camas, to celebrate 50th anniversary. |
Residents, businesses, churches and students had trowels in hand this Sunday scurrying around the streets of downtown Camas. Pushing wheelbarrows, installing hoses, planting flowers and pulling weeds never looked so fun and community oriented. Hosted by the Downtown Camas Association (DCA), Journey Church and the members of the National Honor Society at Liberty Middle School, families and business leaders took over the streets and sidewalks early Sunday afternoon.
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| Several volunteers gathered at Downtown Camas to beautify the area. |
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| Children receive instruction on how to set plants into the flower beds. |
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Hard at work.
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If you ask a student at Grass Valley what makes their school special, they’ll tell you that Grass Valley is a Green School! First grade teacher Julie Della Valle is the leader who makes this happen, and Clark County Environmental Services agrees. The organization will honor Mrs. Della Valle with the “Make Every Day Earth Day” award at a ceremony on April 12.
Della Valle has initiated and managed many activities designed to get students and adults focused on the environment. Most noteworthy of these are: the Eco Officers Club, a school-wide Earth Day celebration, and the accomplishment of being a Level II Washington Green School.
Having the Eco Officers club ensures the school’s green efforts start with kids. Mrs. Della Valle hosts weekly meetings and guides students in their efforts to reduce Grass Valley’s trash output and maximize recycling potential. The kids assess each classroom’s effectiveness in recycling through trash audits and award them for their efforts. Eco Officers teach their peers how to decrease trash production and increase their recycling and reusing habits.
“What we have found is that the adults in our building and parents at home are learning right along with the kids,” commented Grass Valley Principal Patricia Erdmann.
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| Julia Della Valle teaches at Grass Valley Elementary in Camas. |
For the past two years, the Eco Officers have contributed to the Washington Green School Summit. The efforts of Eco Officers and their leader have spilled over into other Green Team activities, such as the SOS (Save Our Scraps) program in the cafeteria.
A great example of the community coming together in this recycling effort is the Bottle Cap Drive that Della Valle brought to Grass Valley. In cooperation with a local business, Grass Valley students are collecting thousands of threaded bottle caps that would otherwise end up in landfills. The Eco Officers spend hours collecting and sorting the bottle caps (which are recyclable, but need to be separated from the plastic bottles) to help with this effort. Once again, the grownups in these children’s lives have become caught up in the tide of this effort and are eagerly participating.
For the past seven years, Julie Della Valle has organized an annual, school-wide Earth Day celebration. She involves every single student and staff member in the celebration along with many parents. Each year students design and make their own Earth Day flag to decorate the school. They also host a school-wide garden cleanup to help recognize the day and to beautify the school grounds. Additionally, Della Valle created a walking field guide for nearby wetlands and park areas identifying many local species students can find along the way. Many classes have taken advantage of this resource to explore the native plants and animals in the area around the school. This opportunity is something that all Grass Valley zebras look forward to every year.
Beyond Earth Day, Mrs. Della Valle maintains native perennial plantings in the school garden and composts in her classroom.
In 2012, Mrs. Della Valle led the way for Grass Valley Elementary to achieve Level II Washington Green School status. Reaching Level II acknowledges that they sustained our goals to reduce trash and recycle, and are now making strides to conserve energy throughout the building.
Students and staff members at Grass Valley Elementary are proud of their accomplishments in conservation and stewardship of the local environment and recognize that Julie Della Valle has been the catalyst in these efforts. Her commitment to the environment and the passion for sharing her knowledge empower the children to ensure a green future. Thanks to her determination and enthusiasm the entire Grass Valley community is making our world a better place.
Content provided by Camas School District.
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| Camas Senior Tucker Boyd is organizing a fun track fitness camp for elementary-aged kids (K-5). |
Camas High School senior Tucker Boyd is excited about a project he’s been working on: the Future Papermaker Fitness Camp, to be held from April 1-April 5 at Helen Baller Elementary School.
He designed a fitness camp for elementary-aged youth wherein they’ll learn the fundamentals of track.
“The events will be spread across several days,” Boyd said. “They’ll learn a lot about running, as well as safety and nutrition.”
To sign up for the event, fill out the attached registration form and send it in. For questions, refer to the email on the form.
The proceeds from the camp will be turned over to the CHS Track and Field program to help with increasing transportation costs.
On Thursday, U.S. Representative (WA-3) Jaime Herrera Beutler introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would transfer Pearson Air Museum and the surrounding seven acres of land from National Park Service control to the City of Vancouver. The bill would allow the City of Vancouver to restore its partnership with the Ft. Vancouver National Trust, and once again make Pearson Air Museum fully accessible and open to the local community.“For years, Fort Vancouver was the shining example of a local community benefitting from a successful public-private management,” said Herrera Beutler. “Forcing this change through congressional action was not my first choice. I am still hopeful that the National Park Service will work out a solution with the City and the Trust, and I will continue to do whatever I can to facilitate a compromise. However, if compromise fails, the Park Service needs to know a legislative fix is moving forward.”
The bill uses a “land conveyance” procedure to permanently transfer control of seven acres of land recognized as the Pearson Air Museum Complex from the National Park Service to the City of Vancouver.
The Fort Vancouver Trust quickly moved out of museum last week after the two entities failed to reach an operating agreement.
The Save Pearson Air Museum movement continues as supporters work with local and federal officials to push back against last week’s abrupt closure of the beloved facility.
Just over a week ago, after 18 months of failed negotiations, the National Park Service (NPS), which owns the Pearson Air Museum property, gave museum operators (Fort Vancouver National Trust) just a few days to vacate the premises. At issue is control of how the trust operates and coordinates with event organizers. The NPS wants to exert more control of day-to-day operations.
The trust has continually shown a profit for several years and has turned the Pearson Air Museum into a popular attraction, with 45 additional events slated over the next six months.
According to her office, U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler will introduce legislation this week that would turn control of Pearson Air Museum and surrounding land to the city of Vancouver.
It’s exactly what supporters like James Beckelhiemer have been hoping for.
“This museum really belongs to the people of Vancouver,” said Beckelhiemer. “The NPS, or the federal government, really shouldn’t have ownership.”
Herrera Beutler’s decision to pursue a legislative fix is happening alongside local efforts to overturn the NPS decision.
On Monday, the Vancouver City Council reassured concerned residents that they were working hard to overturn the NPS move.
The Fort Vancouver National Trust, which had been operating the museum on behalf of the city, removed belongings from facility.
“These planes and other property belong to many different people,” said Beckelhiemer. “Many were on loan to the museum, and they wanted to make sure their property was accounted for.”
NPS had thought the pieces would remain.
City Manager Eric Holmes wants to get the museum up and running as soon as possible.
“We are wanting to make sure we pursue any and all avenues,” Holmes said Tuesday. He said Herrera Beutler’s legislative fix “may be one way to get there, but I’m not ready to say it’s the only way.”
Holmes said on February 8 he spoke with staff members from the offices of Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Herrera Beutler.
Cantwell spoke with NPS Service Director John Jarvis and urged him to find a solution.
Tracy Fortmann, superintendent of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, who ordered the closure, said that she was not aware of any pending legislation, and declined further comment.
Herrera Beutler’s office plans to announce details of the pending legislation in the coming days.
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| The Pearson Air Museum has been vacant for more than a week. |
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| The Pearson Air Museum land is owned by the National Park Service, a federal entity, but has been operated by the Fort Vancouver National Trust, on behalf of Vancouver, for many years. |
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| Pearson Air Museum supporters continue to mount pressure on local and federal officials to overturn the NPS decision. |
Camas Wrestling takes first place at the Larry Brown Invitational in Fife, Washington.
Individual champions were Alec Fraser, Jace Mayer, Kannon Freschette, Jackson Logan, Elliott Scott, and Luke Webb.
@CamasWrestling
Camas High School Senior Addie Harris is being recognized today (while competing with her team in Washington, D.C.) for scoring 1,000 points in her career.
Congratulations, Addie!
@Addie35Harris @CamasHighSchool @PapermakersWBB
Postseason Football: @camas_football_ defeats Federal Way 56-7! Camas scored 5 TD’s in the first quarter and scored 49 points at halftime.
This highlights reel includes interviews with wide receivers @TrentonOSwanson and @ChaseMcGee2025
Football: @camas_football_ defeats Battle Ground 28-0, clinching the league title!
Papermaker @beau_harlan scored first followed by TD passes from QB @jakedavidson_9 to Zuko Lopez @alex_hroza and @chase_mcgee22
https://youtu.be/LhtkoIYodQY?feature=shared
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