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Letter to the Editor: ‘An Opportunity to Elect a Leader’ Writes a Reader

To the Editor:

In Camas, we have an incredible opportunity to elect a leader who will sit across the table from you. Senator Rivers has been in the Senate eight years but still goes out knocking on doors. She leaves her phone number on fliers so that any constituent can call her, and makes sure to have a town hall or public event with her constituents every quarter, not just during campaign seasons. Not too often do you have the chance to elect a politician who is genuinely service-oriented. My son is an intern for her and I can speak on some of the stories he’s told about her. Trying to direct homeless families to resources, helping people with disabilities get pandemic relief, working as a golf caddy to put her son through college, and of course, giving an opportunity to my son, are all examples of her service that I can testify to. 

As a leader, she’s exactly the type of person you want to have a line of communication with. Ann Rivers is the whip of the Republican party and rises above party labels to work on bipartisan bills. No matter who you are, you can count on her to answer your calls, return your emails, and work for you in Olympia. With all the problems we currently face we should not accept anything less than an experienced leader who cares about us. Ann Rivers is the clear choice for the state senate.  

Sincerely,
Eric Gonzalez

Editor’s Note: While we don’t receive many letters to the editor, we do encourage them. We ask that each letter be civil and respectful. All received will be considered. Please email letters to admin@lacamasmagazine with “LETTER TO THE EDITOR” in the subject line.

Letter
Senator Ann Rivers
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Adventure Dental Proud to be Named ‘Best Dental Practice in Clark County 2020’

Adventure Dental lands double title in 2020 Best of Clark County. Despite COVID closures, Adventure Dental was announced last month as both the best dental office and runner up for the best orthodontics office of 2020. 

Every year The Columbian nominates businesses in various categories as “The Best of Clark County.” The nominees are voted for by friends, family, and residents of Clark County. All winners can be found on bestofclarkcounty.com

This island adventure-themed pediatric dental office is located in Salmon Creek in the Vancouver, WA area and creates a fun and carefree experience for both kids, teens and adults needing orthodontics. Doctors Todd, Neil, Justin, and Wolfgramm are big kids themselves whose goal is to help each and every patient feel happy and comfortable while at their office. 

The office is thrilled to be welcoming patients back after COVID closures earlier this year. Safety precautions are in full effect but the energy at Adventure Dental remains the same. Here are a few comments some recent patients have left;

“Our first visit to Adventure Dental was during covid. Still a fabulous experience for my three and five year old” – Jenny K

Greta Laurine also leaves a five star Google review saying, “Great experience during this crazy COVID time. Took extra precautions with safety: mask wearing, temperature checks, individual waiting area and dividers separating client rooms. Kids enjoyed the fun atmosphere and warm personalities of the hygienists and dentist.”

Dr. Justin Heaton of Adventure Dental said: “We are extremely excited and humbled to be awarded Best Dental Office in Clark County! We are committed to serving those in our community and to providing the best dental care possible to each and every patient.”

Adventure Dental
www.arktana.com

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COVID-19 Exposure Update: Employee At Chiro One Wellness Center Tests Positive

COVID-19 EXPOSURE update from Clark County Public Health: An employee at Chiro One Wellness Center Salmon Creek, 13800 NE 20th Ave., tested positive for COVID-19 this week. The employee worked while potentially contagious and may have exposed nearly 300 patients who visited the office over four days last week. The employee also exposed the 14 other employees at the wellness center.

All patients who visited the Salmon Creek office Sept. 8, Sept. 9, Sept. 10 and Sept. 11 are considered close contacts who are at risk of contracting COVID-19 and should quarantine immediately. Patients who visited the Salmon Creek office on other days, or visited other Chiro One locations, were not exposed and do not need to quarantine.

Public Health will call each patient to notify them of their exposure and provide additional information about quarantine, but it may take several days to reach all 300 people. Patients who were in the Chiro One Wellness Center in Salmon Creek anytime Sept. 8-11 should quarantine immediately and not wait for a call from Public Health.

Patients should quarantine for 14 days from their most recent visit to the wellness center during that Sept. 8-11 timeframe. Individuals in quarantine should stay home and avoid all contact with anyone who isn’t a household member. They should not go to work, attend church or visit any public places, such as grocery stores.

Anyone who has questions prior to being contacted by Public Health can call 360.386.2140. Public Health recommends all close contacts call their health care providers and request testing for COVID-19, even if they do not have symptoms. Close contacts should quarantine for 14 days, regardless of the test result. Anyone who develops symptoms during the 14-day quarantine, even if they tested negative earlier, should be tested for COVID-19.

COVID-19
www.artfuljuxtaposition.com
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Turning Point USA Collecting Wildfire Evacuee Supplies This Week At 3 Locations

The Clark County chapter of Turning Point USA, a grassroots organization with tabling events, meetings, rallies, debates and other community events, with a focus on helping high school and college level students, is setting up a food and supplies drive for wildfire evacuees from Wednesday to Saturday. All donations collected from this week will go directly to Clackamas County evacuees this Sunday at 9 am.

TPUSA Humanitarian Aid Mission 2020 is asking for the following items:

Gift Cards (Home Depot, Walmart, Lowes etc.), toiletries (mouth wash, tooth paste/brushes etc), hand warmers, clothes, non-perishable foods (canned goods, rice, beans, nuts, dry milk powder) water, blankets, pet food, etc…

Drop-off Points 

From Wednesday to Friday 4-6 PM (Saturday 1-2 PM) anyone can donate and drop off food/supplies at any of these places at any of these times. 

Costco Parking Lot: (4-6 PM Mon-Fri, Sat 1-2 PM) 

6720 NE 84TH ST, VANCOUVER 98665

Skyview High School Parking lot: (4-6 PM Mon-Fri, Sat 1-2 PM) 

1300 NW 139th St, Vancouver, WA 98685

Vancouver Mall Macy’s parking lot: (4-6 PM Mon-Fri, Sat 1-2 PM) 

8700 NE Vancouver Mall Dr, Vancouver, WA 98662

Sunday the 20th Meet at the Macy’s Parking lot at Vancouver Mall

 9:00 leave 9:30 AM

TPUSA Members and any others that want to join will be going down to Clackamas town center and other evacuee camps in the area. 

ANYONE THAT WANTS TO HELP THAT HAS A TRAILER/TRUCK CONTACT WAYNE ETTLING AT [email protected] 

Feature photo courtesy of KATU.

Fire
www.resultsfitnesstraining.com
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Body Bliss Yoga Studio, Lily Atelier Collecting Wildfire Relief Supplies

Beginning Tuesday, September 15, Body Bliss Yoga Studio and Lily Atelier are starting to collect supplies for those who have been affected by the Oregon and Washington wildfires. They will be accepting drop offs Tuesday through Friday from 10 am-6 pm, and Saturday 10 am-5 pm, and Sunday 12 pm-4 pm. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out:

  • Body Bliss Yoga: 360.844.5715, which is located at 417 NE Birch Street Camas, WA 98607
  • Lily Atelier: 360.834.9215, which is located at 237 NE 4th Avenue Camas, WA 98607

Body Bliss Yoga Studio is directly connected with organizations in the immediate area and have heard of many needs stemming from the wildfire emergencies. Both businesses will be collecting donations for some of these most requested items. And they are asking for your help as they try to help with wildfire relief.

Items needed include:⁣

  • Diapers (all sizes)⁣
  • Wipes⁣
  • Travel size shampoos and soaps⁣
  • Various other toiletries including: tampons and pads, new hairbrushes, hair ties, toothbrushes, tooth paste⁣
  • Small toys and games for kids of all ages⁣
  • School supplies + books⁣
  • Mens and Women’s outdoor clothing and shoes⁣
  • Kids clothing of all sizes (coats too)⁣
  • Blankets⁣
  • Hand sanitizer⁣
  • Face masks⁣
  • New warm hats⁣
  • Rubbermaid/plastic totes⁣
  • Laundry supplies⁣
  • Pet food
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Wildfires 2020 Update: DNR Says Big Hollow Fire at 10% Containment

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) continues to monitor the Big Hollow Fire, which is located approximately 15 miles northwest of Carson and 7 miles southeast of Cougar, Washington. Temperatures will cool by a few degrees from yesterday, with light winds out of the southwest.

Yesterday’s Operations:

The layer of smoke continued to reduce at higher elevations. This resulted in higher temperatures and drier weather at high elevations of the fire. Crews continued firing operations in the southwest area of the fire, moving east along the 57 and 58 roads to secure the fire edge. Containment lines along the 1000 road in the Siouxon block were near completion. Road systems along the eastern edge of the fire were scouted for potential containment opportunities. Crews continued installing sprinklers around the cabins at Government Mineral Springs and conducted some fuel reduction around the structures. The team held a virtual community meeting, which is available for viewing at https://www.facebook.com/GiffordPinchot

Today’s Operations: 

In the west, crews will continue firing operations along the 57 and 58 roads. Road prep will occur ahead of the firing operations in order to implement a direct control line along the southern edge of the fire. Crews will continue to construct indirect containment lines and clear fuels north along the 1000 and 6000 roads in the Siouxon block. In the east, crews will monitor fire progress on the ridge west of Wind River Hwy, hold fire on the 201 road, and scout for possible containment opportunities in the northeast. Structure protection work will continue at Government Mineral Springs. Crews will begin to prep the Trapper Creek Trail as a possible containment line should the fire progress southeast. No work will be conducted in the Trapper Creek Wilderness.

Fire
www.champpizza.com

Closures & Evacuations: 

The cabins at Government Mineral Springs are under a Level 3 evacuation order. Carson Fish Hatchery is not under an evacuation order. Areas north and west of the fire are under a Level 1 evacuation order, including Yale, Cougar, Northwoods and portions of the towns of Amboy and Yacolt. The Forest Service has issued area closures in the SW portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest that include most developed campgrounds, dispersed camping, and most forest roads and trails. The Department of Natural Resources has issued closures for the Siouxon Block and Merrill Lake Natural Conservation Area. The Pacific Crest Trail is open

This article provided by the Department of Natural Resources. Written by Eric Frank.

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Statewide Air Quality Alert Continues Through Weekend; Big Hollow Fire Update

The Department of Ecology issued a statewide air quality alert Thursday, which continues through the weekend, as smoke from many fires across the region continues to impact the state. 

Calmer winds and hazy skies helped to keep large fire growth moderated yesterday and allowed for firefighters to progress in Washington‘s fire danger zones.  The Big Hollow fire, however, in Southwest Washington still has active fire behavior with no containment.  

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) image (featured image) shows the extent of smoke that currently covers most of Western Washington and parts of Central Washington.  Smoke is expected to continue its path across the state, impacting Eastern Washington.  Overall, air quality is expected to slowly start getting better, from West to East, on Sunday. 

With such a large area experiencing poor air quality, the Department of Health recommends people to stay indoors. 

Resources:

Air
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Big Hollow Fire Update

The Northwest Incident Management Team 12 took command Friday at 6 am on the Big Hollow Fire 15 miles northwest of Carson and seven miles southeast of Cougar, Washington. Weather is expected to be partly cloudy and very smokey, with temperatures in the low to mid-70s. Light westerly winds of 7 to 12 mph are forecasted, shifting to southwesterly in the evening.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that indirect control lines are being constructed with heavy equipment and roads to protect the communities of Cougar, Chelatchie and Yale to the west. Structure protection is being implemented to protect cabins at Government Mineral Springs and the Carson National Fish Hatchery. Firefighters are also assessing the risk to structures to the north and east in the fire area. 

Closures: The Forest Service has issued area closures in the southwest portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest that include most developed campgrounds, dispersed camping, day-use and wilderness areas, and most forest roads and trails within the closure area. DNR has issued closures for the Siouxon Block and recreation sites within the Merill Lake Conservation Area.

Evacuation levels 1 (ready), 2 (set), and 3 (go) are currently in use. Level 2 evacuation orders are in place for the areas around Yale Lake. Level 1 closures have been issued for the areas around Swift Reservoir and south of Lake Merwin. There is an air quality alert in place for southwest Washington and northwest Oregon for unhealthy and hazardous conditions.

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Washougal School District Temporarily Lays Off 60 Staff Members

Washougal, WA – Late last week, Washougal School District began notifying staff in certain positions that they were being placed in temporary layoff status starting on September 9, 2020.

Temporary layoff status is temporary leave from a work assignment. In temporary layoff status, employees maintain their benefits, such as healthcare, as long as they pay their portion of their premiums. In this status, employees may also apply for unemployment benefits.

“Our goal is to get students back to the classroom as soon as it is safe to do so,” said Mary Templeton, WSD Superintendent. “Many of the staff will be able to return to work as the district begins bringing back groups of students for in-person education. The decision to bring employees back from temporary layoff will be based on need and position.”  

“This very difficult decision was made to address budget challenges the district is facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Aaron Hansen, WSD Assistance Superintendent of Human Resources and Student Services. “School districts receive funding from the state based on enrollment numbers and bus ridership, both of which have declined.” Additionally, the district has additional unbudgeted expenses because of the COVID pandemic, including providing personal protective equipment, increased costs for postage and transporting classroom materials, and increased technology expenditures to support families in connecting to online coursework. 

Positions identified for temporary layoff make up 29.4 full time equivalent (FTE), or about 60 full and part time employees.

“The majority of these staff work in the district transportation department, but the list also includes library assistant, playground assistant, paraeducators and custodial staff members,” said Hansen. “Additional positions may be impacted as we work to align staffing with our enrollment.” 

Employees who are being laid off are provided with information about the change and resources to support them in accessing unemployment benefits, as well as guidance on maintaining their health care coverage. 

“If we all do our part to stay healthy and avoid the spread of COVID19 virus, we will all be together in our schools more quickly,” said Templeton. 

Washougal
www.arktana.com
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DNR: More Firefighting Resources Coming Friday To Combat Big Hollow Fire

The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) provided an update Thursday evening about the Big Hollow Fire.

The DNR issued this statement:

A Type 2 incident management team will be taking over command of the fire at 0600 Friday morning.  The communities around Yale Reservoir will start to see an influx of additional firefighting resources.  The crews currently working on the western and northern fronts of the fire are developing structure protection plans, in the event they are needed.  The Level 1 (Get Ready) and Level 2 (Get Set) evacuation notices are still in effect out of an abundance of caution as we continue to experience high fire danger and very dry conditions.

Most of the fire activity and growth today was along the southwest perimeter of the fire; however this growth was not as significant as we saw over the previous 48 hours.

DNR has aviation resources available; however, the current smoke conditions make it difficult to utilize those resources.  While there is plenty of smoke coming off of the Big Hollow fire, most of the smoke that is affecting Clark County right now is actually coming from the fires burning in Oregon and California.

In addition to the Area Closure that was issued for a portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, DNR Recreation in the DNR Siouxon Block and Merrill Lake area has also been closed due to the fire and evacuation notices.  This includes recreation trails, campgrounds, and dispersed camping, and day use areas on those DNR managed lands.

Parade
www.clarkcountyrelocations.com
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Felida Overlook Location For 2021 NW Natural Parade of Homes

The Building Industry Association of Clark County (BIA) is pleased to announce Felida Overlook as the location for the 2021 NW Natural Parade of Homes.

Felida Overlook is a private, gated, 45-lot custom home community by Ginn Development. A few lots designated for the Parade are still available, starting at $350,000 with spacious lot sizes of 11,000+ square feet. To learn more about the community, visit www.FelidaOverlook.com. 

Next year’s NW Natural Parade of Homes will be held July 9-25, 2021. “It’s the first show after COVID,” said Patrick Ginn, CEO of the Ginn Group. “People will be interested to see how designs have changed because of all the changes to how people are living now. People are spending more time at home, working from home, and less time traveling.”

BIA Executive Director Avaly Scarpelli says the BIA is looking forward to next year’s event: “The BIA is delighted to work with the Ginn Group to rejuvenate the highly anticipated NW Natural Parade of Homes,” she said. “COVID-19 has caused a tremendous amount of disruption in our economy. Housing is more essential than ever before, and we’re excited to showcase design and functionality trends that have emerged from the pandemic.”

Details about the NW Natural Parade of Homes – including the date of Groundbreaking and which builders are featured – will be updated as they emerge at www.ClarkCountyParadeOfHomes.com. 

Parade
www.clarkcountyrelocations.com
Parade
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