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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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Local Firefighters Converge at Camas City Council — Request Greater Funding

Camas, WA — Local firefighters packed Camas City Hall Monday night requesting city officials to provide greater funding for more personnel at three fire stations in Camas and Washougal.

Current and former Camas-Washougal firefighters, spouses, and concerned citizens used the City Council meeting’s public comments period to express concerns about inadequate staffing in the wake of a February 14 Camas residence fire that left one citizen dead.

That house fire off Northwest 27th Avenue was responded to by fire engine personnel — two firefighters — who went into the home to rescue an elderly man in an attached garage area. Technically, firefighters aren’t supposed to enter a burning home or building with less than three onsite. The first responders did so anyway, rescuing the man who died days later from smoke inhalation. Nobody is blaming his death on the first responders.

The firefighters and IAFF Local #2444 union president, Adam Brice, expressed the need to have, at minimum, three firefighters per engine, per shift.

For Camas fire chief, Larry Larimer, said “We want the city to find funds for three firefighters per engine.”

Tricia Proctor, whose husband fights fires, said she’s “worried about the rules of engagement for the safety and security of firefighters.”

”We’ve been vocal for over the years that having two on the scene isn’t enough,” said Kevin Bergstrom, of IAFF Local #2444. “Four are required on the scene to take out a fire. The industry standard is four people per engine. Three gets you by. We are currently stretched too thin.”

At present, three engines are staffed, but the two cities own five engines total. To adequately fund personnel to meet their requirements would require 12-15 new hires.

Brice filed a formal complaint with the Washington Department of Labor and Industries in late February, calling the current situation an “unsafe working environment” that has “substandard minimum apparatus staffing levels” at the Camas-Washougal Fire Department (CWFD).

“There is a daily threat to the working firefighters that they will be forced to face hazards and perform in hazardous environments,” Brice stated in the complaint.

Camas City Administrator Pete Capell responded publicly:

“First and foremost, we would like to express how very proud we are of the hard work performed by all our emergency responders every day. They are a tremendous part of our community,” he said. “It is important to emphasize that no laws have been broken and no disciplinary action was or is going to be taken against the responders … we continue to welcome a conversation with both the East Clark Professional Fire Fighters as well as our Camas community.”

To fully meet union demands would cost the city an additional $1.5 million per year.

“We will work for strategic solutions,” said Camas Mayor, Scott Higgins. “I am set to meet with Adam, and move forward.”

To learn more, visit www.cityofcamas.us

Firefighters

Addressing the Camas City Council.

 

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Camas Mayor Higgins Proclaims April as City’s #MSDKindness Month

Camas, WA — Camas Mayor Scott Higgins officially proclaimed April 2018 as the city’s #MSDKindness Month at Monday night’s City Council meeting. The proclamation is in honor of the shooting victims at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, and urges all citizens to honor those lives be performing random acts of kindness.

Higgins used his mayor’s time on the council agenda to bring attention to Lacamas Magazine’s #MarchKindness campaign, of which he was a part. The campaign encourages readers to report acts of kindness or service, which have been reported daily during the month of March.

“Out of that has become an interesting movement where not only are other cities looking at naming Kindness months, but states have done so, as well,” said Higgins. “If I understand correctly, Utah has done it for next month, and I think other states are following suit, as well. It’s really a neat, national thing that has its roots in Camas, WA, so we wanted to just play a part in that, and will have a proclamation read.”

When the campaign was officially adopted by Utah, it was renamed #MSDKindness and continues to spread.

The proclamation pays tribute to the victims:

  • Alaina Petty, 14;
  • Alex Schaffer, 14;
  • Alyssa Alhadeff, 14;
  • Cara Loughran, 14;
  • Gina Montalto, 14;
  • Jaime Gutenberg, 14;
  • Martin Duque Anguiano, 14;
  • Luke Hoyer, 15;
  • Peter Wang, 15;
  • Carmen Schentrup, 16;
  • Helena Ramsay, 17;
  • Joaquin Oliver, 17;
  • Nicholas Dworet, 17;
  • Meadow Pollack, 18;
  • Scott Beigel, 35;
  • Aaron Feis, 37;
  • Chris Hixon, 49

“Whereas, the victims of this tragedy living exemplary lives of selfless service and showing love toward others, and Whereas, on behalf of the citizens of Camas, we pay tribute to these victims’ courageous acts of valor, their many acts of service, their kind natures and the many contributions to society they made during their lives. NOW THEREFORE, I, Scott Higgins, Mayor of the City of Camas, do hereby proclaim April, 2018, as #MSDKindness Month in the city of Camas, and urge all citizens to honor those lives by performing random acts of kindness.”

Washougal Mayor, Molly Coston, issued a similar proclamation last week for her city. She proclaimed April 2018 as #MSDKindness Month.

Citizens are encouraged to perform acts of service and kindness throughout the month and to report good things they see on social media accounts using #MSDKindness.

”We believe showing acts of service or kindness will help us get to the source of so many problems,” said Ryan Petty, the father of Alaina Petty, who was killed in the Douglas High School shooting. “It’s one part of resolving these senseless shootings.”

To learn more, visit www.MSDKindnessMonth.com

 

#MSDKindness

The council listens to information from city employees.

 

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Camas Homicide: Woman Found Dead; Police Search for Primary Suspect

Camas, WA — Local police are on the hunt for alleged homicide suspect, Guillermo Juarez, after police were dispatched Sunday afternoon following the discovery of a 35-year-old Camas woman.

Susan Schur, of the Camas Police Department, released the following statement:

On 3-18-2018, at 1:35pm, Camas Police were dispatched to a call at the 2100 block of NE Everett St. Upon arrival, police discovered a deceased adult female, identified as 35-year-old Luz Guitron. Inside the house were signs of a struggle and it is believed that Guitron was the victim of homicidal violence.

The suspect is identified as Guillermo Juarez, a Hispanic male/5’9”/170lbs/black hair and brown eyes. Juarez and Guitron have been in a dating relationship for years and have a child in common.

Juarez has fled the area. Detectives are pursuing an arrest warrant.

It was originally suspected that a 6-year-old child was missing in this investigation, but that 6-year-old child and other children related to the family are safe and with other family members.

Camas Police were assisted in the investigation by the Washougal Police and the Regional Major Crimes Unit.

This is an ongoing homicide investigation. No other information is available at this time. An update will be given if the suspect is located and/or apprehended.

At this time, Camas Police would like to emphasize that there is no immediate threat to the public.

For any tips or leads regarding this case, please call 360-834-4151 or call 911.

To learn more, visit www.cityofcamas.us

Homicide

Guillermo Juarez is the primary suspect in this homicide case.

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Camas High School #NeverAgain Walkout a Moving Tribute to Parkland Victims

Camas, WA — Adult administrators, teachers, and observers stood quietly as approximately 500 students walked out of class at Camas High School Wednesday at 10 am to honor the victims of last month’s senseless Marjory Stoneman Douglas shootings in Parkland, Florida.

The student-led Camas walkout was a peaceful one, organized by Papermakers Abigail Jiang and Monica Chang, to call for common sense gun law reform, kindness, peace, and a better tomorrow. It was part of the national #NeverAgain movement, which has been criticized for having a political agenda — but this event was barely political. It was a moving tribute to innocence lost, and a clarion call for kindness to each other. It was a moving tribute filled with respect.

Adults in the audience simply observed — allowing the students to speak and pay their respects.

The students started filing out of the front door quietly, in an organized and somber way, and then listened to 20 minutes of personalized tributes to the 17 victims at Douglas High School.

There was a call for gun law reform at the beginning, and the student leaders asked for the students to sign a letter to Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler calling for action on several items.

Walkout

A moment of silence.

”We call for common sense gun reform that will help ensure that a mass shooting like this never happens again,” said Jiang, in the walkout opening statement. “Enough is enough, and as students we demand tangible action to ensure our safety in school. Although some of us may not be of voting age, we have a voice in our community, in our nation. This is a chance for our generation to speak up. Today, one month after the horrific events at Parkland we will be honoring and remembering the 17 victims of this shooting by talking about their lives and giving them each a moment of silence.”

The walkout leaders then read touching tributes about each of the following victims (not necessarily in this order):

  • Alaina Petty, 14;
  • Alex Schaffer, 14;
  • Alyssa Alhadeff, 14;
  • Cara Loughran, 14;
  • Gina Montalto, 14;
  • Jaime Gutenberg, 14;
  • Martin Duque Anguiano, 14;
  • Luke Hoyer, 15;
  • Peter Wang, 15;
  • Carmen Schentrup, 16;
  • Helena Ramsay, 17;
  • Joaquin Oliver, 17;
  • Nicholas Dworet, 17;
  • Meadow Pollack, 18;
  • Scott Beigel, 35;
  • Aaron Feis, 37;
  • Chris Hixon, 49
WalkOut

Peaceful assembly. Photo by Blake Schnell.

Some of the Tributes

“Joaquin Oliver had just become a US citizen in 2017. He loved sports of all kinds and was a huge fan of the Venezuelan national soccer team and loved basketball and football. Joaquin was a big fan of Dwayne Wade. He was buried in Dwayne Wade’s jersey. He loved urban graffiti and listened to hip-hop music.”

“Meadow Pollack, 18, was a student excited for the future, planning to attend Wynn University in the Fall, she was loving and kind — her family calling her the light of their lives. She was motivated to achieve great things, and would have achieved so much.”

”Aaron Feis, 37 years old,  was an assistant football coach at Stoneman Douglas. He threw himself in front of a group of students to protect them during the shooting. He died after being rushed into surgery for a gunshot wound. Students always saw that Feis put himself second, and he died this way, too. As a hero …”

“Peter Wang, 15 years old, was a student at Stoneman Douglas. He was a member of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Program at the high school. On the day of the shooting, Peter was in his ROTC uniform and did not run. But held open a door to help others escape. He was shot while doing so.”

Ryan and Kelly Petty, the parents of Alaina Petty, sent a statement about their daughter, which was read by Jiang at the conclusion of the tributes.

“We ask that you honor her memory by taking a moment each day to say hello to someone you don’t know, by doing something kind for someone who you think may least deserve it, and to lift those around you with kind words.”

A long moment of silence ensued.

”Everyone just feels like enough is enough,” said Chang. “So, this walkout is a national walkout. We got together and organized things individually because we felt we had to do something. We finally united.”

Students behaved very respectfully during the walkout, and when it was done they quietly went back to their classrooms. The leaders promised to WALK UP after the walkout to reach out to students who feel isolated, marginalized, or just a need an emotional lift.

”That was a moving event,” said CHS math teacher, Alisa Wise. “We do have a bright future.”

Camas is a the center of a national #MSDKindness, which started with our current #MarchKindness campaign. We ask that you visit www.msdkindness.com to learn how you can help.

Photo Gallery

Photos by Blake Schnell

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19th Annual CEF Auction Gala Nets More Than $100,000 — Big Turnout!

Portland, OR — The 19th annual Camas Educational Foundation Auction Gala netted more than $100,000, reports the group’s Auction Chair, Stacey Kim.

Held this past weekend at the Embassy Suites at the Portland Airport, the money was raised from a combination of an online auction held in February, raffle ticket sales, and the Auction Gala itself. The net amount raised was about $102,000, which is after expenses. More than 300 came to Saturday’s Auction Gala.

The CEF auction is the major fundraiser for the organization.

”They set their grant budget based on the money raised at the auction,” said Kim, who reported results at Monday’s Camas School Board meeting.

Kim said they were pleased with the turnout.

“We had representation from every school, and the Superintendent’s office,” she said.

Kim also reported that three people were honored with the CEF’s second annual Living the Vision award. Cathy Sork, Ron Wright, and Eric Marcell received the honor. They had an open nomination period and received many nominations for people around the district and community. The CEF board voted on these three winners.

Of the funds raised at the gala, $22,150 goes directly to the schools, and the balance will go to the CEF to provide for grants.

To learn more, visit www.cefcamas.org

 

CEF

CEF Auction. Photo by Tracy Woods Photography.

 

CEF Auction Gala Photo Gallery

Photos by Tracy Woods Photography.

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Camas-Washougal #MarchKindness Campaign Officially Adopted By Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah — Less than two weeks after launching, the Camas-Washougal-based #MarchKindness campaign, which was Lacamas Magazine’s response to the horrific Florida school shootings, was adopted by the State of Utah and became HCR 22 #MSDKindness Month. The bill unanimously passed the Utah Senate and House Thursday morning, and was signed by Governor Herbert.

HCR 22 was written by Dr. Mirella Petersen, a Florida-based advocate for mental health and autism issues, who was in Utah to finish legislative business. Petersen lives close to Ryan and Kelly Petty, whose daughter, Alaina, was murdered at Douglas High School, along with 16 other innocent people.

”I saw the #MarchKindness video that Lacamas Magazine produced, and I thought Utah can adopt this,” said Petersen. “So last Thursday, I wrote the bill in four hours and presented it to Attorney General, Sean Reyes, Representative Paul Ray, and Senator Dan Thatcher.”

Both Ray and Thatcher co-sponsored the bill and managed to get it through the legislative process at lightning speed. The Utah Legislative session ended on March 8, the same day HCR 22 was passed.

”The stars aligned very quickly,” said Petersen. “It’s really a miracle.”

Ray agreed.

”Bills usually take nine weeks to get through — sometimes up to a year,” said Ray. “We felt this continuing resolution was a good idea to help promote kindness in an official capacity and to tie it into our SafeUT app. You guys in Washington started a national movement.”

Ryan Petty was honored by HCR 22, and was in attendance with daughter, Meghan, son Ian, and daughter-in-law, Sophia. Petty had spent the previous few days working with the Florida Legislature to pass a school safety bill, which gives schools additional protections against shootings.

”I was honored to represent all 17 victim families as the Utah Legislature recognized our loved ones by declaring April a month of kindness,” said Petty. “We are all honored by what the Utah Legislature has done. We came together as families to make sure we are the last ones that ever lose a family member to senseless school violence.”

Petty said “what our friends in Washington did with #MarchKindness is the perfect response to what is happening in today’s society. The campaign personifies our daughter, and helps lift the dialogue. We have to do better. Fortifying our schools is the last line of defense, so we have to start earlier and help people by being kind to them, to fund our mental health programs, and respect each other. We will continue these efforts.”

The Petty family, with their guests, the Jenkins family, and a Washington delegation, which was represented by Ernie Geigenmiller and Jordan Geigenmiller, and their guests Tracie Goettig, Charles Hall, and Blaine Cutler, received a warm reception by Utah State Attorney General, Sean Reyes.

”We thank all of you for coming here today,” said AG Reyes. “To the Petty family, we express our love to you today, and as you now, you have many here who are your family — and here on the Hill, too, we are your family, whether you wanted us or not, you’re stuck with us.”

During the meeting, Thatcher said “The Legislature has suspended some of the rules to make this vote happen today. It’s that important we do this.”

Following the private reception, AG Reyes escorted the parties to witness HCR 22’s vote in the House, which was introduced by Representative Ray.

Kindness

From left: Dr. Mirella Parker; Utah Attorney General, Sean Reyes; Ryan Petty; and Meghan Petty. They were presented a cherished painting.

“The Petty’s are with us because their daughter, Alaina, was one of the victims in the Parkland, Florida shooting, and so they’ve been very involved across the nation getting the word out. And, the two things they are doing is trying to honor the memory of their daughter and the service she gave, and also to help stop these senseless acts of violence … The state of Washington, which is where they lived prior, made March a month of kindness in their honor … to spread the message of kindness and working together … what we’re doing here in Utah is we’re adopting April as our month of kindness, and we’re putting together a website that people can go to and report acts of service they are doing. We’re also challenging other states to adopt a month throughout the rest of the year …”

Highlighted provisions are:

  • Honors the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School tragedy for the exemplary lives and acts of service by designating the month of April 2018 as #MSDKindness month.
  • Encourages the citizens of Utah to participate in random acts of kindness during the month of April 2018 and report their acts on the SafeUT mobile application. The app promotes school safety and access to critical services for school-aged children in the state of Utah. The app itself has thwarted 86 attacks, according the Utah AG’s office. We will provide a detailed article on how the SafeUT app works.
  • Challenges other states to claim a remaining month of 2018 as their state’s month of kindness.
  • The resolution will be sent to State Legislatures of the other 49 states and each member of Utah’s Congressional delegation.
Kindness

The Utah House Floor.

The names of all the victims were then read:

  • Alaina Petty, 14;
  • Alex Schaffer, 14;
  • Alyssa Alhadeff, 14;
  • Cara Loughran, 14;
  • Gina Montalto, 14;
  • Jaime Gutenberg, 14;
  • Martin Duque Anguiano, 14;
  • Luke Hoyer, 15;
  • Peter Wang, 15;
  • Carmen Schentrup, 16;
  • Helena Ramsay, 17;
  • Joaquin Oliver, 17;
  • Nicholas Dworet, 17;
  • Meadow Pollack, 18;
  • Scott Beigel, 35;
  • Aaron Feis, 37;
  • Chris Hixon, 49
Kindness

Utah Senator Daniel Thatcher introduces HCR 22 to the Senate Floor.

Once the House passed HCR 22, it moved onto the Senate, and we had the opportunity to witness the event on the Senate Floor.

Thatcher introduced the bill and said, speaking of Alaina, “Above all, her dad wanted you to know of her incredible kindness, and her desire to be friends with everyone.”

Thatcher then showed his fellow senators the 60-second #MarchKindness video.

“So, when Representative Ray and I first learned about #MarchKindness, our first thought was CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, “said Thatcher. “What better place to take an idea like this and carry it forward than Utah.”

HCR 22 unanimously passed the Senate.

A national website was created to honor the victims and report acts of kindness. The website is www.msdkindnessmonth.com

Representative Ray is working with Indiana to see if they accept the challenge.

#MSDKindness

Kindness Gallery

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Grains of Wrath Brewing Changes Landscape in Downtown Camas

Camas, WA — The highly anticipated opening of Grains of Wrath Brewing in downtown Camas happens this weekend, and beer drinkers, foodies, and people who-love-anything-Camas are pretty excited about it.

Operators Mike Hunsaker, an accomplished brewer who loves his craft, and Brendan Greenen, gave us a tour of the well-adorned and functional brewery, which seats more than 100. Sitting in the old Lemon-Aid Automotive location, Grains is a total remodel, and a major site improvement in the beloved downtown Camas area.

Hunasker launched Grains, with partners Greenen, Brendan Ford, and Shawn Parker, to bring a new dimension to the growing Camas area.  Hunsaker was the Head Brewer at Fat Head’s Portland, where he established himself with original IPA recipes, including the GABF Gold Medal winning Blitzkrieg Bock. His team has been working round the clock for 14 months to bring Grains online.

Hunsaker showed off his shiny new 10bbl JVNW brewhouse that was built to his own specifications.

“Before we do anything, we test the water, and balance the chemistry to get everything just right,” said Hunsaker.

Hunsaker said they have nine beers on tap, and will offer these staple beers year-round:

  • Lulu: A tart peach golden ale
  • Lugar: German style Pilsner, floral black tea, crackery malt, hay, crisp finish
  • Papermaker Pale: Light, biscuit malt, grapefruit, pineapple, balanced bitterness
  • EGA IPD: Melon, pine, soft tropical fruit, papaya
  • Overkill PA: Stonefruit, diesel, passion fruit, citrus, piney, dank

The team has created a fun punk pub with fun options for everyone. The new pub also has a large patio seating area that will be a great place to relax during the warm, summer months.

Greenen comes from Caps N’ Taps, also in downtown Camas, and he works the back-end of the business.

He said the beer-making process takes two to six weeks, depending on the style. The whole process begins and ends at Grains. Everything in the brewery is state-of-the-art.

Grains

Mike Hunsaker gives a tour.

Grains Food

Grains of Wrath Executive Chef, Fabiola Ponce-Wyatt brings 14 years of Pacific Northwest cooking experience, being a veteran of Roman Candle Baking and Southpark Seafood. A graduate of Western Culinary, Fabby, as she likes to be called, is excited about the elevated pub food that Grains is serving.

They make everything onsite, except for the bread, and serve lunch and dinner daily. They even have an assortment of pickles made in their kitchen, which has two cooking lines.

We sampled the Fried Chicken Sandro, which is on a potato bun, with ranch dressing, iceberg lettuce, zucchini pickles, and cheddar cheese. It’s delicious!

Grains

Fried Chicken Sando.

They also offer a great brisket and chuck patty burger with cheddar, iceberg lettuce, aioi and zucchini pickles on a sesame brioche bun. Fabby recommends the Carnitas Torta with black bean puree, cotija cheese, cascabel chile aioli, and pickled carrots. The roasted bone marrow with onion jam served on grilled flatbread is also on the top of the list.

Vegetarians will have options, as well: Try the Veggie Burger, which is made with beet, carrot, white bean and a quinoa patty with a pumpkin seed spread. It’s good stuff.

Happy hour is 3-6, and 9-close on weekdays.

They are located at 230 NE 5th Ave. Camas, WA 98607

www.gowbeer.com

Grains

Casey Taylor

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#NeverAgainSWWA School Walkout Coming March 14 — Camas District Responds

Camas, WA — Camas High School students are aligning with other Southwest Washington schools to walk out of classes on March 14 to address their concerns about the Douglas High School shootings.

The national walkout was organized by Women’s March Youth EMPOWER to “protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods.”

It is also part of a national #NeverAgain campaign, which originated with survivors of the shootings. The group has organized protests demanding legislative action to prevent similar shootings from happening, and is focused on calling out U.S. lawmakers who have received political contributions from the National Rifle Association (NRA).

“We are planning for the March 14th walkout in solidarity with Parkland, Florida,” said Camas High School student, Abigail Jiang. “… A group of us are collaborating with walkout organizers from all the high schools in the area to get student support for a letter to our local representatives regarding Parkland, school shootings and gun reform.”

Jiang said the walkout will be brief and allow 17 minutes of dialogue “with each minute focusing on the 17 people who died at Douglas High School.”

In reaction to the walkout, Camas School District issued the following statement:

“The Camas School District supports students’ rights to express their views in a peaceful manner, including their constitutional right to assemble peacefully. (Board Procedure 3220P Freedom of Expression). As educators, we consider it important to create the conditions for students to develop into responsible global citizens who are critical thinkers and take responsible action to shape their communities.

“While students at Camas High School have met with administration to coordinate the on-campus walkout for those who choose to participate, this is not a school-sponsored event. Classes are operating on a normal schedule, and we expect staff and students to be engaged in teaching and learning. We will work together to ensure that our processes support our community’s expectation for safety and supervision.”

In addition to the walkout, several Camas High School students have drafted a letter to Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler and other local government officials and organizations.

Petty

Alaina Petty was killed in the Douglas High School shootings.

Student Letter

This is the letter:

Dear Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (and other local government officials/organizations),

Over the past few weeks, my classmates and I have been unable to remove the horrifying events of Parkland from our minds. Parkland was an affluent suburb known for being a safe city and for its great public school system. This description is nearly identical to many schools in Southwest Washington, where we live. Seventeen students died. We watched the videos and felt nauseous, and could only picture ourselves in their shoes. We are deeply saddened and worried to discover your views on gun control, track your voting record, and learn of your dealings with the NRA. You have stayed completely silent online regarding this tragic event. You have accepted thousands of dollars from the NRA, more than any other Washington Congressperson. Addressing mental health is extremely important, but it is not enough to prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands. Never again do we want to see a mass shooting, whether it be at a school, public venue, or place of worship. We, the students of Southwest Washington, demand that you take action against gun violence. More specifically, we demand that you:

  • Help in the banning of military-grade assault rifles and high-capacity magazines of more than 10 rounds to reduce the breadth and depth of damage mass shooters have the potential to inflict.
  • Ban bump stocks that turn semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic ones. No civilian needs such weapons for self-defense.
  • Raise the age requirement to buy an AR-15 – the gun used in the Parkland shooting – from 18 to 21.
  • Lift the ban on federally funded research into causes of gun violence (the Dickey Amendment). The CDC should be allowed to extensively investigate gun violence as a public safety concern. The CDC researched car safety and smoking – this is no different.
  • Implement universal background checks, a policy that already has wide bipartisan support. Show support for implementing background checks at gun shows and online to make sure there are no loopholes where unstable individuals can obtain these weapons. You have supported loose measures on gun show purchases in the past, and this is unacceptable.
  • Extend the period of time investigators have to complete delayed background checks from 3 to 14 days. This would enhance law enforcement’s ability to prevent gun violence.
  • Increase funding for mental health services. While mass shootings by people with serious mental illness represent less than 1% of yearly gun-related homicides, providing mental health services could prevent a mass shooter from ever acting on their thoughts.
  • Keep local government organizations, such as the Sheriff’s office and local FBI, accountable. Our lives depend on the integrity of their actions.

My fellow classmates and I deserve to go to school without worrying if the next time we hear a fire alarm pulled, we could be shot. We deserve to live when we step foot into our schools. We deserve to have a Congressperson that represents our demands. Mental health cannot be regulated, but guns can. This legislation would not infringe on the 2nd Amendment rights of responsible citizens. Students are dying, and yet our representatives continue to do nothing, too worried about the next election to create meaningful reform that could save our lives. We are the voice of the new generation, the next voting generation, and we implore you to support common sense gun control to help save the lives of students all across the country.

Sincerely,

Concerned High School Students in the 3rd Legislative District (Southwest Washington)

 

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Camas City Council Passes Ordinance Requiring Bike Helmet Use

Camas, WA — In a 5-2 vote Monday night, the Camas City Council voted to adopt Ordinance No. 18-006, requiring the use of bike helmets by any person operating or riding on a bicycle, in-line skates, roller skates, scooter, unicycle, or skateboard in any public area within the city.

Violation of this new ordinance, which will be active within 5 days of being signed by the Mayor and publicly published, would be a civil infraction. The parent or guardian, in certain circumstances, can be held responsible if a minor is in violation of the helmet ordinance.

The ordinance says “the helmet shall have a neck or chin-strap which is securely fastened while in use. It gives police officers the authority to stop and detain anyone in violation and provides discretion whether to issue an appropriate warning or citation. The ordinance does have a religious exemption.

Some facts about the new ordinance:

  • Violators of the helmet ordinance are subject to a $50 penalty, which could be waived in court.
  • For children under age 11, the citation would be issued to parents or guardians.
  • For children 12-16, the citation may be issued to the child or the parent or guardian.
Helmet

Don Chaney was one of two dissenting votes against the helmet ordinance.

Dissenting votes

Council members Don Chaney and Deanna Rusch were the dissenting votes.

Chaney spoke passionately against the ordinance, suggesting it would be hard to enforce. Rusch was concerned about legal liability issues to the city. She thinks there should be a greater focus on education, and that it could negatively impact lower-income families by requiring them to buy gear, and then citing them if they violate the ordinance.

To learn more, visit cityofcamas.us

 

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