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Community Supported Agriculture Offers Many Local Options — Learn More!

Camas, WA – Camas-Washougal area residents have a growing local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) community right in their backyard! With new ways to engage and purchase whole foods consumers may have questions regarding new and expanding choices. February 23 is National CSA Day and is a perfect time to feature all the local farms in the area. Additionally on March 10th, 10am-3pm at The Redd 831 SE Salmon St. Portland, Or. the Portland Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition (PACSAC) is hosting a CSA Share Fare, an opportunity for consumers to meet and talk with local Farmers! 

CSA Memberships are a subscription to a season’s worth of sustainable, locally grown produce that is distributed to members throughout the harvesting season. It is a form of investment that allows small farmers to continue growing on a small scale that may not be sustainable without the CSA model. CSA members enjoy the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables for their family, while supporting their local farmer through their figurative and literal ‘seed’ money investments. Getting food from a CSA is different from going to a farmers market or using a grocery delivery service. As a CSA member, you make a seasonal commitment to a small farmer in your area, and the produce is either delivered to your door or you pick it up at a nearby distribution location. 

CSA members take pleasure in knowing where and how their food is grown, and typically have an open line of communication with their farmer. Building a relationship with your local farmer also changes your relationship with your food; you have a closer more informed view of how your food starts from simple seeds, and end up in your families’ bellies. Other simple, yet incredibly impactful benefits are, learning how to cook seasonally (and therefore more sustainably), introducing new healthful foods into your diet, and reducing the amount of fossil fuels used to transport your produce from farm to plate.

According to Small Farm Central’s CSA Farming Annual Report, the most popular time to join a CSA each year is at the end of February. To promote this important time for farmers, CSA Day was coined, and each year it falls on the last Friday in February. It’s an entire day dedicated to the celebration of community-supported agriculture, and CSA farmers enjoy an influx of sign-ups from members, which gives them revenue when they need it most for the growing season.

Community Supported Agriculture
Cabbage

Good Rain Farm (formally 50Fifty Farm) is now accepting applications for their 2019 season. To find out more about the farm—and fill out an application—visit www.goodrainfarm.wordpress.com, follow them on Facebook and Instagram @Goodrainfarm, or contact them at Goodrainfarm@gmail.com

You can find a listing of CSA’s offered in Clark County here: www.clarkcountygrown.org/csa which is hosted by SW Wa Slow Foods chapter. The Chapter also host monthly socials, 1st Wednesday 5-9pm at Brother’s Cascadia Brewing, where farmers often talk about their production practices, market barriers and what drives their passion to farm and feed their community.

Community Supported Agriculture
Fresh produce.
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What is Ultherapy? Lori Keller Answers Common Questions, Myths About Treatments

Vancouver Laser Skin Care Clinic, which is located in Downtown Camas, offers an abundance of services, one of which is Ultherapy.

We spent some time with Master Aesthetician, Lori Keller, who explains this part of her business.

What is Ultherapy?

Ultherapy® is a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure that utilizes the power of focused ultrasound technology, and sound waves to simulate collagen to lift, tone and tighten the skin. The Ultherapy procedure can be performed on the eyes, brow, face, neck and under the chin and chest. This technology stimulates the production of collagen resulting in continuous improvement of the tone and tightness.

Does it hurt?

There may be a little tingle or pain during the treatment, but it quickly goes away.

How long does the treatment take?

An Ultherapy procedure can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the area treated.

Is there any downtime?

Ultherapy delivers outstanding results without surgery or downtime.

Ultherapy
www.VancouverLaserSkinCareClinic.com

How quickly do you see results?

Our patients typically see results in three to six months.

About Vancouver Laser Skin Care Clinic

With more than 30 years of aesthetic laser experience and skin expertise, Vancouver Laser Skin Care Clinic knows that looking and feeling confident play a big part in our well being.

Keller is an active member of the local community, where she spends time assisting the YWCA Safe Choice Program, which helps abused mothers and their children, giving them hope and skills for a new future.

To schedule a complimentary consultation, please call their clinic at 360.823.0795, or visit www.VancouverLaserSkinCareClinic.com

They are located at 715 NE 5th Avenue in Downtown Camas.

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Natalia’s Café Finds New Voice With Small Business Revolution Campaign

By Riley Kankelburg

Anyone still unaware of the Camas Small Business Revolution needs only to walk down Main Street (4th Avenue) to get an idea of the competition’s scale. Small businesses throughout the downtown area are sporting town pride. Windows are plastered with signs asking for votes, all of which contribute to a grand prize. If Camas is declared the winner of the Revolution, $500,000 will be awarded to help six of our small businesses. Not to mention the TV crew that will come to town.

One small business hoping to benefit from a top spot in the national competition is Natalia’s Café. Since the February 12 announcement declaring Camas one of the top five competitors, owners Erica Slothower and Wendy DelBosque have been working nonstop to make sure anyone nearby is aware of the competition.

“I have been keeping my café hostage because people cannot eat until they have voted,” Slothower said.

— Erica Slothhower, owner of Natalia’s

Hoping to drum up as many votes as possible during the final stretch of the competition, the two owners performed a brief skit as Two Broke Camas Girls, which can be seen on the Lacamas Magazine YouTube channel. They dressed up in the classic yellow and red waitress costumes to encourage the community to cast their votes. While the video itself was hilarious, seeing the behind-the-scenes of filming it showed why everyone should be participating in the Revolution. I was only present for the filming, but I could tell that the skit was a final push in a long fight for Camas’s victory. Everyone was exhausted, and yet the energy in the café was so high you wouldn’t be able to guess that this campaign has been running for a long time. It’s no wonder everyone is so excited. Camas is one of the top five finalists out of over 12,000 nominations.

Insurance
www.AgentJeremiah.com

Natalia’s Café, in particular, is hoping Camas wins so they can get a new grill. No matter the outcome, they agree that making number three in the competition would be a huge achievement for the community. “We do have a voting booth here,” DelBosque said. “We’ve been trying to get as many people to come in and vote here from the community, so business owners, customers from other places, our own customers. We have hit people up on the street, and we’re calling ourselves the voting capital of Camas.” 

As if to prove that point, Slothower ran outside a couple of seconds later to ask a passersby if they voted, something everyone present did at least once while making the video.

There have been a couple of bumps in the road, and the most difficult thing has been getting the word out. “We’ve had a couple of people that don’t have any kind of digital footprint,” DelBosque told me. “And the most frustrating thing has been how many people are completely unaware of it. That has been the biggest shocker.” As I can attest firsthand, that has not been for lack of trying. Everyone in the café had information cards practically spilling out of their pockets, encouraging people to participate.

The push for the Small Business Revolution win demonstrates one of the things people love about small towns: community. From the decorations on store windows to the social media shout outs, there is a massive involvement from citizens. An opportunity to shine a light on Camas and its businesses has fired up town pride and earned a ton of votes, and every single one counts. If anything, the competition has brought out a large amount of small-town pride.

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Camas a Finalist to Appear in Ty Pennington, Amanda Brinkman Show

Today is a historic day for Camas, WA – the city has qualified for the Top 6 Towns in the Small Business Revolution Main Street competition and is in the running for a $500,000 investment, a starring role on a Hulu TV series, and life-changing makeovers to local businesses.  Typically only 5 towns are chosen, but this year they threw in a twist and chose 6 towns. Camas is the only town on the west coast chosen in this competition and with a win, would be the first west coast town in this acclaimed series.

And now, Camas needs your help.

The winner among the six remaining towns will be determined by a public vote – and the voting period is open now for a week.  Camasonians, local businesses and advocates are calling on everyone who loves Camas to cast their vote on the Small Business Revolution website (www.smallbusinessrevolution.org) once per day per email. In addition, people can spread the word via social media using the hashtag #MyCamas, and you can see more about the #MyCamas movement at www.mycamas.net

*Simple steps to vote:*

*Go to https://www.deluxe.com/small-business-revolution/main-street/season-four/

*Vote for Camas*

*Vote once per day per email address through February 19th at 6 pm.*

*Click Submit.

Camas has overcome long odds to get into the Top 6 Towns, having been one of more than 12,000 towns from across the country to submit nominations for the competition. With voting underway, the community accumulating the most votes will receive a $500,000 investment, which includes assistance and transformation of six small businesses—all of which will be filmed on location in Camas as part of an 8-part original Hulu TV series hosted by Ty Pennington and Amanda Brinkman.

“We are beside ourselves with excitement to be in the Top 6. This is an incredible opportunity for all of us here in Camas to receive not just funding, but national exposure along with advice and mentorship from
nationally-renowned marketers,” said Carrie Schulstad, Executive Director for the Downtown Camas Association. “Cities that have previously been featured on the show have said it’s been transformational for them, and we couldn’t be more excited to be in the running to be part of this incredible
project.”

Insurance
www.AgentJeremiah.com

“Camas is a mill town in transition. We have worked hard together to revitalize our town and keep our authentic small town experience which is so important to preserve. We have an extensive amount of growth all around us and we want to stay vibrant and relevant. We need help preserving and strengthening this little slice of Americana.”

“The pride Camas residents have in our town is one of the city’s best attributes, and we’re calling on people to display that pride by taking just a few moments every day for the next week to vote,” continued Schulstad. “The #MyCamas movement has been phenomenal to watch and we need to take it to even greater heights over the next week.”

In November it was announced that among the 12,000+ applications submitted to the show, Camas had made the Top 10 Towns. In January, a crew from the show, including host Amanda Brinkman, visited Camas as city leaders, local businesses and advocates made their pitch for why Camas should make the Top 5.

The Small Business Revolution Main Street series showcases one small town and six of its small businesses each year. 2019 will be Season 4. The efforts are funded by Deluxe Corporation, a company that has been working with small businesses in marketing and finance for over a century.

The goal of the show is to document the joys and challenges of owning a small business, why supporting small businesses is so important to communities everywhere, and the powerful changes that can happen when effective and creative marketing and business management techniques are employed. The overall efforts lead to community pride and investment on a grand scale. Prior seasons can be watched on Hulu, YouTube or on www.smallbusinessrevolution.org.

For our town video, photos and info, visit
https://www.deluxe.com/small-business-revolution/main-street/camas-wa/.

For more information, visit www.mycamas.net, www.smallbusinessrevolution.org
or www.facebook.com/smallbizrev

Main Street
35 local residents gathered at 5:30 am to hear the announcement.
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100 Women Who Care Clark County to Hold First Event of 2019

Camas, WA — 100 Women Who Care Clark County is holding their organization’s first event of 2019 on Wednesday, February 6 at Grains of Wrath in Downtown Camas.

The social hour is from 5-6 pm, with the event officially beginning at 6 pm.

Grains of Wrath will be featuring a special cocktail just for the group’s members with $2 from each drink purchase going to their chosen non profit. How cool is that? 100 Women Who Care Clark County will have a table of hosted appetizers and GOW will be serving their full dinner menu for those who are interested.

The group was founded last year by Christie Ribary, who has since moved to California — and its membership soared, raising more than $38,000 in its inaugural year. This makes it one of the fastest growing chapters in the organization’s history.

“We’re really grateful for the efforts by Christie for starting this amazing organization here in Clark County,” said Deanna Rusch, who now leads 100 Women Who Care Clark County.

During the event, each member writes the name of a charitable organization on a piece of paper, and places that information into a bucket. Three names are drawn, and each organization is discussed. By ballot, the members vote on which charitable group they would like to donate to,  and the votes are tallied. By the end of the hour, the goal is to raise $10,000 ($100 from each member).

The group welcomes all women in Clark County to come and see what they’re all about — you do not need to be a member to attend the event. Come and learn about what their special group of women is doing to make immediate and powerful change in the community!

Meeting Dates for 2019: Feb 6, May 8, Aug 7, Nov 6

To learn more, visit 100womenclarkcounty.com

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Health: New Salmon Creek Grief Center To Open Its Doors Soon

VANCOUVER, WA – Community Home Health & Hospice is hosting an open house to celebrate the grand opening of their new grief center in Salmon Creek. The open house will take place on March 6, 2019, from 4 pm – 6:30pm at the Seasons of Hope Grief Center, 3102 NE 134th Street, Vancouver. The ribbon cutting with the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce will take place at 4:30 pm. Attendees will enjoy refreshments hosted by Glenwood Place Senior Living, The Quarry and The Hampton Salmon Creek, games, live entertainment and prizes.

“We are excited about this project and humbled by the support we received. We could not have done this without the Clark County community,” said Greg Pang, CEO Community Home Health & Hospice. “We know there is a need for grief services in our community and we look forward to being a great community resource.”

The Seasons of Hope Grief Center offers free grief support for adults and children ages 5 and up in Clark County. For more information, contact 360.703.0300 or griefsupport@chhh.org

About Community Home Health & Hospice

Community Home Health & Hospice is an independent, community-based non-profit healthcare agency serving the healthcare needs of Washington and Oregon families since 1977. Their services include home care personal services, home health, home hospice, in-patient hospice care and bereavement services. Every day, they care for 775 patients throughout Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum Counties in Washington and Columbia County in Oregon. Community Home Health & Hospice’s mission is to bring peace of mind to patients and their families by providing compassionate, dignified, collaborative, and patient-focused home healthcare and hospice. They have received recognition for nine years as a HomeCare Elite top agency. For more information, visit www.chhh.org

Grief

The grounds at the grief center.

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Lisa Lê Believes Real Estate Biz About Building Relationships, Trust

Running a business is hard work, especially for a single mother. It requires discipline, strategy, planning, and perseverance, but Lisa Lê, owner of Lisa Lê Properties — A Boutique Experience, says it’s mostly about building relationships.

And that’s the way she structured her real estate boutique — on serving others.

“I am passionate about helping my clients find their forever home, or helping them get the most value from the home they want to sell, so they can get top dollar and get the right new owners in place so it feels like a perfect fit on both sides,” says Lê. “I like to create different marketing campaigns to help sell homes.”

The accomplished realtor, with four college degrees (criminal justice, political science, psychology and sociology) set up shop on 4th Avenue in Downtown Camas and immediately created a welcoming space for business and social functions. She’s also well-known for her 24/7 Window Vision Display, which is an interactive touchscreen system showcasing homes and local businesses.

“People love it,” said Lê. “They can come by anytime to see our 24/7 RMLS feed to see any listing in Clark County. “It’s a great conversation starter.”

Carrie Schulstad, Executive Director of the Downtown Camas Association (DCA), says the window display is a big draw in the downtown area. The window itself has achieved local accolades, and earned Lê a prestigious DCA award: 2018 Outstanding Window Display.

Lê works very hard to make sure people feel welcome in our community.

“I’m also a big believer in giving back,” she said.

Lisa Lê

Lisa Lê helps out with a back-to-school supplies project.

After becoming a single mom, Lê founded a Divorce Empowerment Alliance Advisory Group, with the mission to educate, support, and empower anyone navigating the uncharted waters of separation or divorce. The group is composed of experts who are available to assist those in need.

She also believes local businesses need to support one another, so she founded Collaborative Camas, a network of Camas businesses that meets regularly to discuss challenges, solutions, and to simply socialize.

Lisa Lê Properties — A Boutique Experience also works closely with the Camas Hotel, with whom she partnered to create the Keys To Camas program, which gives shoppers discounts and incentives to shop local. Lê’s work on this program is what earned her business the DCA’s 2018 Creative Local Marketing Award.

Lisa Lé

Lisa Lê won two prestigious DCA awards.

“We have a great history here in Camas, plus many great businesses that we want people to know about,” she said. “It’s a successful program.”

Part of that commitment is shown in her active involvement with the DCA.

“I’m also involved in all their First Friday’s and signature events, which showcase the best of Camas,” said Lê.

And, most recently she was a platinum sponsor of the Camas Wellness Festival, which is a local non-profit organization.

“This is a perfect fit for me and for Lisa Lê Properties; as a woman and mother, I believe strongly in promoting physical and mental health, especially in our children,” said Lê.

She is also a member of Soroptimists International, which is a global volunteer organization that economically empowers women and girls by providing access to education, the single most effective anti-poverty intervention.

If you’d like to visit her, and learn more about her services, please visit her office at 418 NE 4th Avenue in the heart of Downtown Camas.

“I’m just really happy to be part of the Camas community,” said Lê. “It’s a great place to raise a family, and simply enjoy life. Be my guest.”

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Police: Camas Copes With Vehicle Prowlers, Thieves — Authorities Provide Guidance

According to the Camas Police, Camas has been hit hard by vehicle prowlers and thieves this month, and these acts have led to other crimes, including identity theft.

There have been 23 reported prowls and thefts so far for the month of January, reported Camas Police officer, Debra Riedl.

“The prowlers will generally hit one neighborhood/area hard at a time,” said Riedl. “Prowls occur all over our city, but this month has kept us busy on different areas of Prune Hill, Parker Estates, NW Lacamas Lane, the area near Dorothy Fox Elementary, and the SW 6th Ave neighborhood.”

Here’s how you can help:

– Call 911 if you see or hear suspicious activity during early morning or late-night hours. (Prowlers caught on video are often out prowling between 3 and 5 am)

– Keep valuables out of sight or secure in your home.

– Keep weapons secure in your home, not in your vehicles.

– Lock your vehicles and home. (Most of the recent prowls have been unlocked vehicles!)

– Consider keeping your porch lights on.

– If you notice neighborhood vehicles with dome lights on, call 911.

– Don’t be shy. Your Camas police work 24 hours a day, and we’re here to respond to your calls. We often don’t know about the prowls/thefts until after the fact.

Questions? Contact Camas Police Department at 360-834-4151 or stop by 2100 NE 3rd Ave.

 

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Missing Plane Wreckage Found on Mt. Hood; Pilot Presumed Dead

MOUNT HOOD, OR — A Battle Ground pilot missing since last Friday’s departure from Grove Field is presumed dead after authorities discovered his plane’s wreckage on Mt. Hood, authorities said today.

George Regis, 63, a veteran pilot, took off from Grove Field Airport in Fern Prairie on January 25 in a four-person, single engine plane. The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office said he was the only person in the plane, which was en route to Arizona.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Civil Air Patrol received a signal from the plane’s emergency locator in the area of Eliot Glacier, on the northeast side of Mount Hood.

CAP confirmed the tail number of the plane matched the aircraft that was registered to Regis. An Oregon Air National Guard helicopter crew said they discovered a body, as well, which is believed to be Regis, according to the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office.

They also reported that they found a new flight plan that would have taken him around Mt. Hood, which greatly assisted in their search.

The authorities also confirmed that a recovery operation will begin on Wednesday morning.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office had asked on Monday for any information that may help them find Regis. The Grove Field Aviation Association did the same thing.
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Pilot Who Departed Camas Airport Missing; Sheriff’s Office Asks For Help

CAMAS, WA — The Clark County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that George Regis, a 63-year-old pilot, who was last seen departing Grove Field Airport in Camas, is listed as missing.

In their press release, authorities say that Regis departed Grove Field Airport (which is located at 632 NE 267th Ave. in the Fern Prairie area) around noon on Friday, January 25, and that he has not been heard from since that departure.  The Clark County Sheriff’s Office believes Regis may have been traveling Southwest —  to either Arizona or Texas.

His cellular telephone sent a final signal in the Newberg/Dundee, Oregon area on Saturday, January 26. A flight plan was not filed, and is not required of pilots and aircraft departing Grove Field, which is part of the Port of Camas-Washougal.

If anyone has information about Regis or his whereabouts, the authorities are asking you to call 911.

Grove Field is home to many local airplanes, both new and active, as well as vintage, and there are long-range plans to expand the airport. There has been a growing interest in aviation in the last few years, and Grove Field has been instrumental in helping people learn about the industry and how to fly aircraft.

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