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Middle Schooler Wins Red Ribbon Week Regional Photo Contest

Washougal, WA – Congratulations to Jemtegaard Middle School sixth grader, Carson Kanzler, and his family, who won a regional first place in the 2017 Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest. Kanzler, who also won an iPad, was awarded a check for $1,000 for JMS at a school pep assembly April 12.

Cam Strahm, Assistant Special Agent in Charge from the Drug Enforcement Administration for Oregon and Southern Washington, made the presentation.

“There were hundreds of photos entered into this contest and winning is a really big deal,” said Strahm. “Carson did a wonderful job!”

Kanzler’s photo featured him next to a poster he created supporting the message that staying drug free is the key to a successful future.

“The poster design is a door with a key hanging up on the wall and it inspired me because your future is key, so the door was labeled your future, and you had to do multiple things to get the key so that your future is drug free,” said Kanzler. “It’s so you can have a happy future.”

Kanzler

Carson Kanzler poses in front of the poster he designed for Red Ribbon Week.

 

Kanzler wasn’t expecting the public presentation, so it was a total surprise to him.

“I am so very excited that our student has won this award,” said Wendy Butler, ESD Prevention and Intervention Specialist. “Drug prevention is important. Our students are our future and they deserve to know the facts about how drugs can harm their brains and forever impact their lives. It is important for them to understand there are positive choices in their lives that will lead them towards success and happiness.”

The 2017 National Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest received hundreds of submissions and votes in support of entries last October. The contest was an opportunity to involve families and schools in spreading the Red Ribbon Week message widely in neighborhoods, communities and on social media.

“It is a wonderful way to celebrate families, schools and communities working together to promote healthy, drug-free kids,” Butler said.

Kanzler

From left: Cam Strahm, Carson Kanzler, and Wendy Butler at Thursday’s pep rally at Jemptegaard Middle School, in Washougal.

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Washougal HS Celebrates #MSDKindness Month With Daily Activities

Washougal, WA — The students at Washougal High School, led by student Bridgette McCarthy, who serves as a liaison to the City Council, are celebrating #MSDKindness Month with two weeks of daily activities.

Last month, Mayor Molly Coston proclaimed April as #MSDKindness Month, in honor of those who were killed at Marjory Douglas High School. The Kindness proclamation is the genesis of the #MarchKindness campaign, of which Coston played a significant role.

To honor Coston’s proclamation, the student leaders, in association with Washougal_Unite, created two weeks of uplifting activities to create a sense of kindness, love, and respect among the student body.

The Washougal campaign, also referred to as #ShougKindness, started earlier this week as Kindness posters were placed around the campus. On Monday, the Panthers attended a Pride Time Presentation and students were asked to consider filling out Kindness pledges.

On Tuesday, Smile Grams were passed out. The forms are filled out and then will be sent to the recipients. It’s a way of uplifting their day.  On Wednesday, the students filled out Thank You cards.

Thurday’s lunch time activity will be Compliment Battle, in which students will compete to see who can say the nice the nicest things. Lacamas Magazine will cover that. Sounds interesting.

Friday’s activity will be delivery of the Smile Grams.

Kindness

Smile grams at Washougal High School.

For next week, they have daily lunch time activities, which include:

  • An assembly for students to openly discuss what makes them happy.
  • More Smile Grams will be filled out.
  • Students will be invited to list Kindness actions on a public chalkboard.
  • A Hula Hoop activity with Kindness slip drawings.
  • A school-wide Happy/Sunshine Day where students can wear clothing that makes them happy. Kindness pledges will also be turned in.
  • A final school-wide assembly with a grand prize drawing.

Keep up the good work, Panthers!

 

 

 

 

 

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Artist Nava Lundy Creates Portraits of All 17 Parkland Shooting Victims

Parkland, FL — The tragic and senseless shootings on February 14, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School forever changed not just the lives of the victim’s families and friends, but it sent shock waves throughout this picturesque town. It’ll never be the same.

Professional artist and Parkland resident, Nava Lundy, a wife and mother of three, remembers the day with clarity.

“My twin daughters were in preschool less than a mile from MSD, and I got the alert that their school went on lockdown,” recalls Lundy. “After that there was no more communication. I was at a park near MSD with my 15-month old, and I didn’t really understand the gravity of it yet. So, I went home with the baby and quickly learned there was a shooter at large. I’ll never be the same after what happened.”

Lundy said she felt gratitude she wasn’t in harm’s way, but at the same time felt grief-stricken and pain for all the victims and their families. Like so many did, she asked herself what could she do to help?

“I communicate with paintings, and I want the families to know how much we care about them,” said Lundy, who volunteered her time creating each painting. “I worked quickly and did two paintings a week, sometimes three — I just felt this sense of urgency.”

She felt connected to each person, and worked hard to capture their personalities in her work.

Lundy

Alyssa Alhadeff.

She started with Alyssa Alhadeff’s portrait, which she delivered to her parents.

“We all broke down together,” she said. “They were so grateful, and they put it up immediately.”

She worked on Jaime Guttenberg’s portrait next. Jaime’s mother, Jennifer, was teaching preschool at the same school Lundy’s daughters attend — and was protecting those children while her own daughter was murdered at MSD.

”She was in lockdown at the preschool, in a closet,” said Lundy. “I got her picture through someone at school and then I realized I needed to do one for every family. I posted paintings on Next Door and asked people to help me get pictures.”

While doing her research on each victim, Lundy saw people connecting through the portraits, and started to realize the positive impact this project would have. She learned a great deal about each person.

”As an artist, you have a feeling in your head and you try to get it across in the painting,” she said. “We also didn’t want MSD to just become another statistic. I know all the parents feel the same way. Plus, it’s so important to have people realize this could happen to you. We have to continually ask ourselves can we create positive change?”

Lundy completed the final portrait on March 28, just 6 weeks after that tragic day. Accompanied by her baby, Harry, she delivered most of the paintings directly to the victim’s families, and each visit was unique. She said some families weren’t ready to talk, but Joaquin Oliver’s father brought them both into his son’s bedroom so they could get a peek into his personality.

”Then, Joaquin’s dad looked at Harry and said ‘well make sure the schools are safe before he goes to school.”

About Nava Lundy

Nava has been a professional artist since 1998, and has been painting for more than 20 years. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including The Palm Beach Post, The Sun Sentinel, The Chicago Tribune, The Tampa Tribune and The St. Petersburg Times. Her art work has been featured on NBC’s nationally syndicated program Daytime, as well as locally on CBS’s Studio 10. Nava has also been a guest on several radio programs, and regularly conducts lectures on art and art history around Florida through Brandeis University.
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Lundy

Professional artist, Nava Lundy.

Her work has also been used in set designs in several films. To learn more about Lundy’s work, visit www.navagallery.com or visit her Facebook page, Nava Lundy Artist.

Portraits

by Nava Lundy

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Papermaker History, Part 2: 1920s-1950s — Corporate Mergers, Newsprint Stops

Editor’s Note: This is the second of a series of articles about Papermaker history — telling part of the story about the Camas Mill. The first article looked at the mill’s history from its inception until the 1920s.

Camas, WA — The Camas Mill has undergone many name changes, renovations, additions, and has a Papermaker history filled with fascinating stories dating back to the 1880s.

Longtime mill employees Anna Fry and Caroline Mercury (who recently retired after 36 years) spent considerable time gathering the history (artifacts, logs, books, photos, tools, etc.) and have created a Mill Interpretive Center, or museum, that gives visitors a comprehensive look at what turned Camas into a town, and why we’re called the Papermakers.

The Interpretive Center is open on First Fridays, near the mill’s main entrance on Adams Street (with the black canopy) and provides visitors with an excellent 10-minute movie that provides a light overview of the mill’s history, the people who built it — and those who continue to work there today.

Key Historical Points:

  • 1920 — The wood mill installed the first drum barker and the first Jensen towers in the sulfite mill.
  • 1924 — The first sulfite mill bleach plant was installed.
  • 1925 — A new dock was built.
  • 1926 — The first Kraft mill at Camas started up.
  • 1928 — Crown Willamette merged with Zellerbach Paper to become Crown Zellerbach.
  • 1930 — Newsprint manufacture ceased and was replaced with specialty papers. The converting plant started up and began producing “Zee” bathroom tissue.
  • 1941 — The mill machine shops were converted to shipyard parts manufacture for the war effort.
  • 1946-48 — A Kraft mill bleach plant was added and production capacity increased to 750 tons per day. Five digesters, two paper machines (14 and 15), and a new wood mill were installed.
  • 1950 — Facial fold napkins were produced for the first time.
  • 1955-57 — A major expansion included a 300-ton capacity Kraft bleach plant, a 350-tons per day recovery furnace, a new lime kiln, and eight stationary digesters. The Central Research Division was formed.
Papermaker

Architect’s rendering of the mill’s research center.

 

Photo Gallery

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Camas Students Take Honors at State Science & Engineering Fair

Bremerton, WA — Camas students were among the more than 700 presenters at the 61st Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF) in Bremerton, on March 23 & 24, 2018. Students presented their projects to judges who volunteer their time to listen, critique, and praise the students for the effort involved in bringing a project to the fair. WSSEF awards more than $1.8 million in scholarships, as well as special awards meeting specific criteria set by a sponsor.

Dorothy Fox Elementary students:

• Hailey Griffith: 1st Place trophy and Margaret I Lugg award for Passion and Knowledge of Science
• Liam Smook: 1st Place trophy and Sight of Flight award with a free pass to the Museum of Flight
• Arvin Shyam: 2nd Place ribbon, Margaret I Lugg Memorial Award for engaging oral presentation, Outstanding Natural Resource Science Award, and Central Valley Garden Club Outstanding Project Award for a total of $60
• Allison Le: 2nd Place ribbon
• Chloe Chase: 3rd Place ribbon
• Julian Castillo: 3rd Place ribbon and the Young Explorer Award of $10

Odyssey Middle School students:

• Aran O’Day: 1st Place trophy and Nomination to Compete in the 2018 Broadcom MASTERS national middle school science and engineering fair in Washington DC in October.
• Lisel Shyam: 1st Place trophy and Nomination to Compete in the 2018 Broadcom MASTERS national middle school science and engineering fair in Washington DC in October.
• Aurora Szulc: 1st Place trophy

Engineering

Students from Odyssey Middle School (OMS) and Dorothy Fox Elementary (DFE) – Back row, left to right: Aran O’Day (OMS), Chloe Chase (DFE), Allison Le (DFE), Lisel Shyam (OMS). Front row, left to right: Hailey Griffith (DFE), Arvin Shyam (DFE), Liam Smook (DFE).

Camas High School STEM Magnet Program students

Thirty-four students competed and all represented Camas High School and their research with pride. Honors were taken by the following students:

Freshmen:

• Alex Gee, Mark Robinson, and Jaden Le: 1st Place in Environmental Engineering
• Owen Baenen and Justine Pentergraft: 1st Place in Energy
• Gareth Starratt, George Walker, and AunyKussad: 2nd Place in Microbiology
• Kate Staddon, Sophia Nelson, and RyleeRuark: 1st Place in Environmental Science
• Ben Saunders and Austin Ye: 1st Place in Mechanical Engineering, $8000 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Launch Scholarship, U.S. Air Force Award for an Outstanding SEF Project, Excellence in Aeronautics Award
• Michael Lee and Andrew Kim: 1st Place in Environmental Science
• Joey Stanley, Wilson Fresh, and Tyler Stanley: 1st Place in Environmental Engineering
• Tyler Gee and Julian McOmie: U.S. Army Award

Sophomores:

• Hannah Tangen, Kathryn Wynn, and Sierra Mellor: 1st Place in Environmental Engineering
• Jacob Mukobi: 2nd Place in Environmental Engineering category.
• Junha Lee: 1st Place in Microbiology category; US Army STEM Award, Wolfram Alpha STEM Award
• Alexis Howard: 2nd Place in Computational Engineering, $8000 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Launch Scholarship

Junior:

• Rahul Ram: 2nd Place in Computational Biology

Seniors:

• DuyVuong: 1st Place in Environmental Engineering
• Sarah Wells-Moran: 2nd Place in Embedded Systems
• Gabe Mukobi: 1st Place in Embedded Systems and American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronauts Scholarship

In addition, all-expense paid invitations to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in May, were awarded at the Southwest Washington Regional Science and Engineering Fair to:

• Rahul Ram: 1st Place
• Odessa Thompson, Rose Leveen, and Bailey Segall: 2nd Place

WSSEF is an all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to promoting science, technology, engineering, and math across the state of Washington, year-round. Next year’s fair will take place March 29 & 30, 2019. For more information, visit www.wssef.org

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East Clark Professional Firefighters Union Sends Out Petition For More Personnel

The East Clark Professional Firefighters Union is promoting a petition among Camas and Washougal residents that urges the Camas City Council to find funds to hire more firefighters.

The petition states:

”The Camas and Washougal communities have only 2 firefighters on each fire engine. The science-based industry standard is 4 firefighters per engine. This standard creates a safer and more effective team for when time counts: fires, motor vehicle accidents, and high acuity medical calls.”

“Washington state law mandates a minimum of 3 firefighters be on the scene of a fire before entering into a burning structure for a known rescue of human life. The same law mandates a minimum of 4 firefighters present before entry into a burning building to fight fire and save property.”

“The East Clark Professional Fire Fighters union is asking your local government officials to provide us with more firefighters so we can do the job we are sworn to do: protect you and your property.”

“Will you join us in urging these officials to make this a reality?”

“Thank you for your support.”

The petition link:

https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ask-the-city-of-camas-for-more-firefighters-on

City of Camas Response

“The Council realizes that we need additional firefighters/paramedics,” said Camas City Administrator, Pete Capell. “They also realize that we need additional personnel in most departments. We are in the process of doing a level of service analysis for all of our departments. Their intent is to add additional staff in the departments based on prioritized need and available revenue. The petition will not influence their decision. The final decisions will be based on the greatest need.”

The Camas Mayor also met with firefighter union representatives.

“I had what I believe was a very good meeting with Adam Brice and Kevin Bergstrom last Thursday,” said Camas Mayor, Scott Higgins. “I told them we are open to looking at ways to do our business differently in the future and to looking at staffing options. I also told them that with limited resources we will have to see what works best and we left the meeting with a commitment to meet again soon.”

The Camas City Council’s newest member, Deanna Rusch, also spent time speaking with firefighters after last week’s council meeting.

“When I interviewed for my council appointment I indicated public safety is a priority,” said Rusch. “It remains a priority. As the newest council member I’m enjoying getting educated on how Camas funds all of its departments. Funding fire and police is certainly a priority for me as I represent my constituents, but this priority is in concert with the overall needs of the City. I look forward to Chief Swinhart’s presentation on the level of service with regard to his department as we review the same from every department and develop our next biennial budget.”

“We all want a safe, thriving and positive Camas. We take citizen and employee concerns seriously. I look forward to continuing to work in collaboration with all of our departments on how we can deliver the best possible service to our citizens.”

 

Firefighters

Local firefighters converge at Camas City Hall last week asking for more firefighter personnel.

 

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It’s Blossom Time in the Hood River Valley! Check Out Some Fun Things to Do

Hood River Valley is home to 14,000 acres of fruit trees, making it one of the best places for people to get their blossom fix this spring!

Here are three top ways to celebrate this springtime feast for the eyes in and around Hood River:

Explore the Hood River Valley. Nestled between Mount Hood and the Columbia River, this vast and bountiful valley is home to pear, cherry, and apple orchards and vineyards. During April, many of the seasonal businesses feature special springtime events as a part of Hood River Valley Blossom Time. Visit hoodriver.org/hood-river-valley-blossom-time/ for a regularly updated list of events.

Get a bird’s-eye view. To get a feel for the variety of agriculture that defines Hood River Valley, stop at Panorama Point, where you’ll also have views of Mount Hood and Mount Adams on a clear day. This is a perfect picnic spot, so be sure to grab a to-go lunch in town before you head up the hill!

Drink the fruits of the orchards’ labor—while surrounded by orchards—at the fifth annual Hood River Hard-Pressed Cider Fest! The festival returns Saturday, April 21, and is presented by Pacific Northwest Federal Credit Union and produced by the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce. It features more than 25 local and regional cideries, including six that are new to the festival. The participating cideries will be sampling more than 50 original ciders that showcase the wide variety of styles coming out of the Pacific Northwest’s cider scene.

Hood

Hard-Pressed Cider Fest.

Two of this year’s new participants are Hood River institutions introducing new beverages to their lineups. Hood River’s original brewery, Full Sail Brewing, is launching KYLA Hard Kombucha—a new take on the popular fermented probiotic drink, with an alcohol content of 4.5 percent. Hood River County Fruit Loop favorite Draper Girls Family Farm will be sampling its new hard cider line, Draper Girls Cider Company, which uses its homegrown apples, pears, cherries, peaches and plums.

For more information on the festival, visit www.hoodriver.org/cider-fest

 

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Washington State 2018 Teacher of the Year Visits Camas High School

Camas, WA — Mandy Manning, the 2018 Washington State Teacher of the Year, spent Monday visiting with Camas High School teachers, administrators, and students as part of her semester-long tour of the state.

Manny, who received the prestigious honor on September 11, 2017, teaches in Spokane at Ferris High School’s Newcomer Center, where she works with immigrant and refugee children.

“It’s humbling, and a lot of pressure, but I always say I’m the same person I was before I was named,” said Manning, at a small lunch meeting of teachers and CHS principal, Liza Sejkora. “Everybody should always know what we think as teachers, we need to be open, and it’s been really cool to have a title that makes it so I can share about my classroom and kids.”

In her job at Ferris, she teaches brand-new immigrant and refugee students in a district that serves 72 language groups.

”It changes all the time,” she said. “I teach Level 1 English language learners. The common language is English. We focus on the basic building blocks of language.”

What does she want teachers to know about working with language learners?

“Welcome them and make sure they feel 100 percent part of the community,” said Manning. “They need to know that they’re interested in who they are. To reach out and invite them into the classrooms. To show them that everyone is excited about having them there. Find ways to make everything relevant to them. Little access points help all people feel connected and integrated into our schools. It’s about opening up and allowing people to access what’s available. We have to be open to all ways of thinking.”

As part of being Washington State Teacher of the Year, she’s been able to work with state legislators, from both parties, to be a voice for education.

During this current semester, she’s been released from her teaching assignment, and travels daily — visiting schools all around Washington.

“I’ve gotten to see a lot of different areas,” Manning said. “I wish all educators could travel to other schools. Even in the most difficult situations there are incredible things happening.”

She spotlighted Jana Dean, a middle school teacher in Olympia at Jefferson Middle School who teaches math and science to gifted and non-gifted kids.

Manning

Mandy Manning with Camas High School teachers and administrators.

“She is working on social and academic discourse,” said Manning. “And, she was teaching them how to really communicate, provide feedback and then have a thoughtful discussion. There was constant communication in the classroom and it was enjoyable watching them have real academic discussions about geology. There was such an elevated discussion in the room. I just went around and listened. They were really focused on the academics.”

Manning also told the CHS educators that it’s important to do exchanges with other schools and learn and value what others are doing. She also encourages cross-content — where math teachers learn about languages, and science teachers learn about art, and so forth.

Her travels have also opened her eyes to poverty.

“I went to White Swan and really started to understand poverty,” she said. “There’s no single home that has every single window. Half their homes are burnt because the wiring is so bad. Why is this happening? You dig deeper and it challenges your perceptions as to why there is poverty. It helps you look at lower socioeconomic areas in your own community. It opens your view of us and helps us to understand that we are all responsible for our entire community. It gives you some insight into kids. So many Native American kids are coming from poverty.“

Teachers nominate candidates annually for the Washington State Teacher of the Year, and they go through a voting process, and are ultimately honored by the Washington Governor. There are high standards and criteria that must be met.

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Vigil and Funeral Services Annouced for Slain Camas Woman

Camas, WA — Vigial and funeral services for slain Camas woman, Luz Guitron, will be held this Tuesday and Wednesday in Milwaukie, OR at the St. John The Baptist Catholic Church.

The vigil begins Tuesday, March 27 at 6 pm and lasts all night — until 8 am.

Funeral services begin Wednesday, March 28, at noon with the Rosary starting at 11 am.

Guitron was born November 4, 1982 to her parents, Luz and Roberto Guitron, in Jalisco, Mexico.
She was murdered in her Camas home on March 18, and the primary suspect is still at large, according to Camas Police.

She will be remembered by her three children, family and friends. Luz worked at the Moda Center and she had her own food establishment during Camas Farmer’s Market.

Each week during the Camas Farmer’s Market, patrons would see Guitron’s quality Mexican food for sale — including yummy tacos and tamales. And, if you knew Spanish, it was fun to speak with her in her native tongue while making your dinner purchase.

A financial account has been created to help her three children:

https://www.gofundme.com/support-luz-guitron-family

Her family said the following: “Let her Rest In Peace and let the light shine wholeheartedly for her in the glory of God.”

This is the location of the services:

Saint John the Baptist
Catholic Church
10955 SE 25th Ave
Milwaukee, OR  97222

 

Photo Gallery

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Washougal City Councilor Dan Coursey Announces Resignation

Washougal, WA — Dan Coursey announced his resignation from his Washougal City Council seat late Wednesday, which will be effective March 31.

The first-term council member, who was elected in 2016, faced the Washougal Mayor Molly Coston last fall, and lost.

The network engineering consultant said he wants to devote more time to his business.

”I’ve enjoyed meeting all the people I’ve met,” said Coursey. “During the mayoral campaign I knocked many doors. It’s a great way to find out what people think. Your learn a lot by doing that.”

During his two-year tenure on the city council, Coursey said he’s pleased that he was able to put a spotlight on street maintenance.

“I’m also glad I participated in trying to keep our budget in line,” Coursey said.

Coursey’s Official Resignation Letter

His letter is as follows:

Dear Mayor Molly Coston and Administrator David Scott,

Please accept my resignation effective March 31st, as Washougal City Council Member, Position Seven.

It has been an honor to serve the great people of Washougal for the past two years.

Currently, I have considerable professional business opportunities which are taking up more of my time now and more so in the future. So, I am resigning my City Council seat to better take advantage of that and allow another to serve our wonderful city. Both I and my wife love our little city and look forward to assisting in the future as time allows.

Thank you sincerely,

Dan Coursey
Washougal City Council

What’s Next?

Mayor Coston accepted his resignation and will follow Washington state law to replace him. Following Coursey’s departure, the city will accept public applications for the city council seat, and then the council will vote from those applicants. This recently happened in Camas, and is a rare event. But, it will happen twice this year, as incumbent Washougal City Council member, Joyce Lindsey, is resigning her seat effective end of May.

To learn more, visit www.cityofwashougal.us

 

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