Tag Archive for: Camas

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Camas, County, State Reps Forming Alliance to Improve Water Quality at Lacamas Lake

Camas, WA — After generations of battling water quality issues at Lacamas Lake — and now Fallen Leaf Lake — city leaders, county officials, and state representatives are now beginning to form an alliance to tackle severe environmental issues affecting the popular recreation areas.

Citing multiple occurrences of toxic algae in both lakes, which make them unfit for recreation, Camas City Council member Steve Hogan said he, Mayor Barry McDonnell, and Camas Public Works Director, Steve Wall, are in the process of getting an inter-local agreement between the city and Clark County. 

“We decided it was time to clean this lake up,” said Hogan, “and we have the full support of the Mayor and city leaders. We have Temple Lentz and Gary Medvigy on Clark County Council on board, plus Senator Ann Rivers, and state representatives Larry Hoff and Brandon Vick. We asked our state representatives if there’s commitment from them to move through the agencies: Department of Ecology, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Natural Resources, and Department of Agriculture. They said yes.”

The pollution sources that likely contribute to the algae blooms include the following:

  • Storm water facilities feeding into the lake 
  • Lacamas Shores bio-filter, which critics say hasn’t been properly maintained by their Home Owner’s Association
  • Dairy farm/cattle runoff
  • And, historical neglect. From 1883-1889, the Camas forest was logged before we became a state, and there were no protections, and so much drained into the lake over the decades.

“This isn’t going to be a quick fix,” said Hogan. “We want this cleanup to be part of a 20-year strategy. Fallen Leaf Lake and Lacamas Lake have separate issues, but readings at Lacamas Shores have 122 storm pumps leading into it, which go into the lake.”

Hogan said they want a system of testing that goes upstream to see which ponds are contributing to the toxic algae in the lakes. In the process, said Hogan, the county suggested re-designating Lacamas Lake as a recreational lake, which the Camas City Council did in February. It had been previously designated as an industrial lake.

“Today’s story has to deal with algae, but we have to improve the lake for the long run,” said Hogan. “We need to get rid of the dead zone in the lake, where nothing can live. There’s too much debris at the bottom of the lake, which is a major contributor to the pollution. We have to deal with this. We’ve gotten a lot of help from Judit Lorenz, Council member Ellen Burton, and Council member Bonnie Carter. Every council member is very psyched up about it.”

Lake
www.artfuljuxtaposition.com

The next action items are working with Clark County Public Works, since they’ve been observing lake water quality issues. 

“We are in the process of getting this inter-local agreement between Camas and Clark County,” said Wall. “We believe there are short-term things we can do to improve the water quality, but there are many long-term objectives, as well.”

In the short term, said Wall, “we have to educate citizens about knowing when and how to fertilize lawns, and what goes into storm drains, and we need to work with HOA’s so they can fulfill their responsibilities. There are lots of things we can do.”

These developments are welcome news to Lacamas Shores resident, Steve Bang, who has been advocating for cleaning up his neighborhood bio-filter, which many think is a wetland.

“The Lacamas Shores HOA hasn’t properly maintained the bio-filter since 1993,” said Bang. “The bio-filter originally had natural plants that absorbed toxins before they went into the lake. The HOA was supposed to clear those toxic plants on a regular basis to keep the bio-filter operating properly. They’ve neglected to do that, and I’ve been trying to get the city to apply pressure on our HOA to live up to their responsibilities.”

Bang thinks reclaiming the bio-filter to its original state will resolve much of of the lake’s toxic algae issues. He’s been trying to get his HOA to resolve the issue on their own, and lately he’s been pressuring the city to assist in the efforts.

“We can fix major problems right now,” said Bang. “We just have to act. If the city can pressure our HOA to do their job, it doesn’t have to be a part of the inter-local agreement. And, getting this bio-filter fixed won’t cost the taxpayer any money. We don’t have to wait.”

Bang said the Ecology Department does not allow wetlands and bio-filters to co-mingle and that the restoration will be done according to Ecology’s best practices manual. You can learn more about the Lacamas Shores bio-filter at www.Lacamasshoresbiofilter.org

Camas leaders are looking to the state to apply pressure on agencies to do their part. 

“Working with the multiple agencies has been like herding cats, and we hope to get past the red tape,” said Hogan. “This is where people like Senator Ann Rivers can be a major support. The city also owns the dam and the mill ditch, and we can use that to make things move faster. Less red tape.”

Rivers is using her membership on the Legislature’s powerful Ways and Means committee, as well as a member of top four elected leadership, to apply pressure on the agencies that can help resolve this.

Lake
Dozens of stormwater drains empty into Lacamas Lake.

“I have the ability to drive funding that someone with less experience simply will not have,” said Rivers. “There are many grant programs we can use to clean up the lake. I have very good relationships in DC with our federal elected representatives because we partner on issues important to our shared constituency.”

Hogan said once these problems are fully identified and defined, he wants the council to make the Lacamas Lake cleanup “part of our 20-year plan.” 

“We need to make a city process that is closely monitored,” said Hogan. “We need to change the culture so we are monitoring the key elements affecting the water quality.  We have to keep pressure on all agencies to make this happen. The city and the taxpayer owns most of the property now around Lacamas Lake — it’s all inside the city limits now.  Owning the dam and ditch gives us more leverage to clean it up. Most cities don’t have that ability, but we do. We can move water into that ditch and divert the crappy water out of the water system. We want to say to the Department of Ecology ‘we want you to be our partner in this.’”

WSU staff spoke with Wall and they’ve done studies to work to improve the lake quality, as well.

“The cleanup of Lacamas Lake is a very high priority,” said Rivers. “By working with the City of Camas, Department of Ecology, and Department of Natural Resources, I believe that we can get the funding we need and develop a policy that prevents a repeat of this situation so we can make these lakes safer for everyone .”

Hogan said this is going to “be a long, hard fight, but it’ll be worth it.”

Wall expects the inter-local agreement to be completed in the coming weeks, and then it will go to City Council approval.

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Popular Restaurant Nuestra Mesa Re-Opens Today After 11-Day Closure

Camas, WA — After a self-imposed closure on July 19, the popular Mexican restaurant, Nuestra Mesa, is re-opening its doors today for full dine-in and takeout service.

Mesa voluntarily closed its doors upon learning a family member had tested positive for COVID-19. Customers were told the situation, and were politely asked to leave that Sunday afternoon.

Since that time, all Mesa employees were tested and the entire restaurant was professionally cleaned. It was a thorough three-hour process in which all surfaces were sanitized.

“All our employees tested negative for COVID-19 and our restaurant underwent a thorough, professional cleaning,” said Todd Moravitz, co-owner of the restaurant. “We thank you for your patience. We made your safety and the safety of our employees a priority.”

Mesa serves gourmet Mexican cuisine in historic downtown Camas. They are following all state-mandated COVID-19 safety guidelines, and have physically distanced outdoor seating, as well. Hours are 11:30-9 daily.

Learn more at www.nuestramesacamas.com or visit their social media sites on Facebook and Instagram.

For takeout or dine-in reservations, call 360.210.5311.

Mesa
www.artfuljuxtaposition.com
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Camas Schools Superintendent Addresses At-Home Learning Stages, Scenarios

Camas Superintendent, Dr. Jeff Snell, explains in today’s letter that Camas School District is one of eight Southwest Washington school districts to recommend at-home learning when school resumes for the 2020-21 season:

CSD Families,

We have been working this summer through all of the different scenarios for starting the 2020-21 school year with the goal of having students return to campus in some form. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new recommendations for schools last week which stress the importance of onsite experiences.  I think we all agree how important it is to have our students back on campus.   The CDC also suggests “Administrators should coordinate with local public health officials to stay informed about the status of COVID-19 transmission in their community.” The guidelines also advise us to monitor “COVID-19 transmission rates in the immediate community and in the communities in which students, teachers, and staff live” (CDC, 7/23/20). 

Unfortunately, conditions in our community are not trending in a positive direction.  We have been working with Dr. Melnick, director of Clark County Public Health, as a region to determine the best course of action for schools in our community.  As the numbers of positive COVID-19 cases continue to trend up in our region, it has become clear that the safest way to start the school year is a more robust fully remote learning delivery model.  The growth rate trends need to change in our community before being able to bring students and staff together on campus. Without those changes we risk rapidly spreading the virus between students, staff and throughout our community with the reopening of schools. More detailed information about our current trends in Clark County can be found at Clark County Public Health Novel Coronavirus.

What does this mean for my family?

Over the next four weeks we will refine plans based on this decision and begin communicating specific information to you from your student’s school.   We have taken student, staff, and family feedback from our experience last spring to provide a more robust remote learning experience for students.  

Our hope is to start to transition from full remote learning to a blended delivery model with some version of on campus learning as soon as possible.   The timing for this transition is dependent on regional health indicators.  Our learning delivery models stages are below.

School
www.annrivers.com

Learning Delivery Models Stages

  1. Remote Learning – all student participate in distance learning
  2. Remote Learning transitioning to Blended Learning – students identified through a set of district/school developed criteria in greatest need of additional support participate onsite with in-person instruction.
  3. Blended Learning – all students participate onsite with in-person instruction a minimum of two (2) days a week.  Transition to more on campus days for students as conditions improve.
  4. On Campus Learning – all students and staff participate onsite with in-person instruction five (5) days a week.

What if my student prefers a full online model regardless of the health trends in our county? 

If your preference is a full online model for your student, we have developed the Camas Connect Academy.  This program will not shift through the phases above.  It will stay online throughout the year.  It will operate as a separate school/program within our district with district staff and the same learning standards.  We will provide more information about the Camas Connect Academy in the coming weeks including a Q&A session prior to the enrollment window. 

What if I need emergency childcare during learning delivery models 1 through 3? 

We recognize that each family is in a unique situation and may need support.  We are trying to develop options for families in these situations.  Please contact us using this LINK. 

What if my family relies on school breakfast and/or lunch services?

We will develop a similar process to how we provided these meals in the spring during remote learning.  

We have all been on a rollercoaster ride since early March as we’ve collectively tried to manage through a very different world.  School is a big part of everyone’s lives.  We had hoped to provide you with a return to on campus school this fall.  Our staff is committed to provide the very best educational experience possible for your students no matter what the learning delivery model. It will not be without challenges and there will continue to be opportunities to improve.  We will continue to engage with our public health partners to help determine when we can safely shift to more on campus learning.  

Sincerely,

Jeff Snell

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Public Invited to Be Part of ‘The Little Town That Does: These Are Our People …’

Camas, WA — Papermaker Pride, Lara Blair Photography and Lacamas Magazine are working together on a project called “The Little Town That Does: These Are Our People (Let’s Take Care of Them)” as a way to highlight positivity as our community continues to navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

The purpose of this project is to bridge gaps and reduce polarization in a harshly divided world.

“Camas always seems to find its own way through crises,” said Ernie Geigenmiller, Editor & Publisher of Lacamas Magazine. “We did it through the McCleary battle two years ago, avoiding a teacher’s strike, and we can do it again — the Camas Way. We can’t change what’s happening, we can’t suddenly make the pandemic go away, but we can find positive ways to deal with it. And, we also invite our friends in Washougal and Vancouver to participate.”

Lacamas Magazine is inviting people to come in at the 411 Studio in Camas — one or two at a time — to have their photo taken on a white background, and then participate in short interview to discuss resilience, patience, kindness, respect, teamwork, and apply those attributes to working through this pandemic.

The goal is to get about 60 participants, and then show these short videos periodically to gain perspective on how people are managing things. When it’s all done, the objective is to place all these photos on a movie poster and provide some encouragement in the community.

“It’s about telling their stories,” said Geigenmiller. “And having it on the record in photos and videos. What we are going through as humans is painful, yet fascinating.”

The first two town participants are Camas High School seniors Jack Harris and Dave Peddie, who are also champion swimmers.

Peddie addressed patience.

”For me, patience means being proactive,” he said. “Over the last few months there were a lot of things I couldn’t do as far as my swimming went. I couldn’t go into the pool, I couldn’t hit the gym so my friends and I had to find ways to stay fit so we went swimming in the lake and did workouts like running and so really just finding ways to still reach your goals and do what we would usually do with what we have. It’s important.”

Peddie’s short video and photos will be part of the town project, and he, along with Harris, will be part of a movie poster with stills of all the participants.

If you’re interested, please send an email to admin@lacamasmagazine.com with “Little Town That Does” in the SUBJECT line.

Hope to hear from you!

Town
From left: Dave Peddie and Jack Harris, both Camas High School swimmers.
Town
www.lilyatelier.com

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Grains of Wrath Re-Opens Tuesday After Employee Testing, Deep Cleaning

Grains of Wrath, which closed its doors nine days ago after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, has announced they are re-opening Tuesday, July 28 at 11 am.

“We are happy to report all tests that have come back were negative,” said Brendan Greenen, Partner and General Manager at GoW. “Our team member that initially tested positive is doing well and continues to quarantine.“

The popular downtown microbrewery and restaurant closed its doors on Saturday, July 18 moments after learning a support staff member had tested positive for COVID-19. Since that time, all employee tests have been completed — all negative — and the space underwent a thorough professional three-hour cleaning that included testing surfaces, a complete wipe down and decontamination spray over all hard surfaces.

“We would like to thank the community for the outpouring of support and well wishes as we navigated this scenario,” GoW said in a statement. ”Thank you again for your patience, we look forward to seeing you soon!“

GoW is open 11 am-10 pm daily. Governor Inslee’s recent mandate only changes their operation as follows:

  • Indoor diners must be of the same household.
  • All tables are 5 or less.
  • GoW now shuts down at 10 pm on Friday an Saturday, per the limitations.

Given the CDC and state COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants, takeout ordering is also encouraged. You may order online at: www.gowbeer.com

COVID-19
www.arktana.com
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A Beer at a Time Temporarily Closes After Customer Drives Through Wall

Camas, Wa — A Beer at a Time is temporarily closing its doors after its west side wall was hit by a car  over the weekend.

“A 15 year-old driver, with her learner’s permit, thought her car was in park, but it was in drive so she went through the side of the building,” said A Beer at a Time’s owner, Shelby Piersol. “Her mom was with her. We bordered up the hole and decided it was best to close until it’s inspected by a structural engineer. I would be devastated if our customers or employees got hurt.”

The car punched a hole through the brick wall, but nobody was hurt. 

Piersol doesn’t have an estimated timeline on the inspection, repairs or when the popular craft beer taproom will reopen.

“Our biggest concern is public safety,” said Piersol. “Our customers have sustained us through the pandemic and we hope to reopen as soon as possible. I hope in 20 years she’ll look back on this and laugh. Their family is one of great customers.”

Beer
www.artfuljuxtaposition.com
Beer
Punched hole in the wall.
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Nuestra Mesa Temporarily Closes; Family Member Tests Positive for COVID-19

The owners of Nuestra Mesa announced today that a restaurant family member tested positive for COVID-19, and that they will temporarily close.

“A MESA family member tested positive,” said Todd Moravitz, co-owner of MESA. “We care about the community, and we’re taking all the same safety precautions as Grains of Wrath. All of our employees will be tested early this week, and our restaurant will be professionally cleaned. We hope to re-open soon, but we first must address this.”

Moravitz has been in contact with Brendan Greenen, partner and General Manager of Grains of Wrath, and both establishments plan to use the same mobile COVID-19 testing unit, which is able to show results within 15 minutes. 

“Our restaurant follows all COVID-19 health and safety protocols,” said Moravitz. “Our customers have supported us through this entire pandemic, and we appreciate your patience as we do our due diligence to ensure everyone’s safety.”

MESA closed abruptly Sunday afternoon notifying guests of the situation, and will keep the public updated as more information becomes available.

On Saturday, Grains of Wrath discovered a direct employee of theirs tested positive for COVID-19, and abruptly closed, as well. Both restaurants are very stringent with following CDC and state mandated coronavirus safety and health protocols. Customers are required to wear face coverings upon entrance, and all employees wear them while preparing and serving food.

MESA
https://www.lesschwab.com/store/?storeId=714
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Grains of Wrath Employee Tests Positive For COVID-19; Abruptly Closes

Camas, WA — Upon learning a Grains of Wrath (GOW) employee tested positive for COVID-19 Saturday afternoon, the downtown Camas brewing company immediately closed its doors.

“We take these matters seriously, and we acted immediately,” said Brendan Greenen, GOW partner and General Manager. “The safety of our staff and customers comes first.”

A mobile COVID-19 testing unit is coming to GOW in the next day or so, and the results will me made known 15 minutes after each test is completed.

Greenan said they will quarantine any employee who tests positive, do a very deep professional cleaning early in the week, and then announce a re-opening date.

“I was eating lunch, and they very professionally let us know they were closing because an employee tested positive for COVID,” said Lisa Le, a local real estate agent. “They covered our lunch, I finished my beer and they closed.”

GOW
www.annrivers.com

GOW issued this statement:

To our GoW friends and family,

“Just moments ago we were notified one of our employees tested positive for COVID-19 and is now on their way to self-quarantine.

“We do not know how or when this person contracted the virus. That being said, we are not taking any chances. GoW will be closing until every employee undergoes testing. We will be organizing and covering all expenses. Additionally, our entire facility will be receiving a deep clean by hired professionals.

“The safety of our staff, families, and guests is our top priority. As we know more, we will keep you updated via social media and our website. In the meantime, please support all your local bottle shops, taprooms, and restaurants.”

Stay safe and healthy,
Grains of Wrath Brewing

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Food + Dining Scene: The Hammond Offers New Summer Menu Options

The Hammond Kitchen and Craft Bar, located in Camas, has released a limited summer menu — and all options usher in the flavors and frs.

Here’s what is new at The Hammond this summer:

  • Carlton Farms Pork shop: Double cut with roasted pineapple chutney, macadamia nuts, garlic mashed potatoes, and fresh spring vegetables.
  • Tomato salad: Organic grape heirloom tomatoes, with Portland creamery chèvre, arugula, white and dark balsamic glaze, and fresh pesto.
  • Ricotta Meatballs: Marinara, fresh mozzarella, pesto, shallot gastrique, and pecorino cheese.

And, be sure to enjoy your favorite drink during the meal, and finish your experience with one of their choice desserts.

LOCATION
4857 NW LAKE RD #200,
CAMAS WA 98607 

CONTACT INFO
PHONE: 360 954 5620
EMAIL: HELLO@THEHAMMONDKCB.COM

The Hammond still offers takeout options, and encourages online ordering here: https://thehammondkitchenandcraftbar.com

Hammond
New summer menu at The Hammond.
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Q&A With Jeff Snell About At-Home Learning, Graduation, Budgets, More

Dr. Jeff Snell, Superintendent of Camas School District, recently answered several questions about that state of the district as it navigates this COVID-19 pandemic.

How has this transition from in-school to at-home learning been going?

Overall, I think we’re happy about the transition. We just had a two-day window to convert. We are learning a lot. Each teacher has learned a lot. It’s a work in progress.

Some things are working well, some are not.

You have to try and take risks to get to success. I’m glad that families and students are taking risks. The class meetings have been successful, and it’s good to see each other’s faces. The ability to record lessons and drive home key concepts is what we’re excited about. We are working toward personalizing things for students. 

For example, if a teacher is doing a math lesson and there’s a key concept about finding the Y intercept of the line that teacher can make mini-videos about how to do that. Students will then be able to go back and learn. During the school year, it’s hard to find the time to do that. This has created a pause to help make different building blocks to help them learn. They are thinking differently.

I think every teacher is working harder than they’ve ever been. You take a job you’ve done for 20 years and everything is flipped upside down.

What’s the status of Food Services? Are we meeting the need? 

We have a couple of separate programs going on.  One is our food services program through our schools.  They are serving breakfast and lunch to students through pick up locations.  The number of students we’re serving has grown each week as we find new families.  We have about 10 bus routes that deliver meals and our food service staff prepares those meals.  We have been averaging over 5500 meals a week and will top the 50,000 meal mark on Monday. 

We also have a food bank type of program going on at the Jack, Will, and Rob center.  Our community has stepped up and been so generous with their donations. Our current inventory is good, and the needs continue to grow.  We’ve receive money donations and have about 10-12 volunteer shoppers that go out and purchase items to keep the inventory up to date. 

What’s happening with graduation?

We are delivering a virtual graduation for June 12-13 for both high schools. We’ve been making a lot of other plans with students and parents, and we are trying to be creative by meeting those needs. Phase two gives us a little more flexibility. Depending on whatever phase we’re in we’re hoping to be able to scale up the activities.  Many have shared how important it is to them to walk across a stage and receive their diploma so we’re looking at a date in early August to hopefully be able to do that. We are also targeting Homecoming in the Fall to start some new traditions like a grad walk before a football game. We are trying to have multiple dates and opportunities so we can try to meet the needs of graduates and their families.

Camas
www.clarkcountyrelocations.com

How has the pandemic affected the Camas School District budget?

We engage with our local elected officials and we’re on weekly webinars with the state superintendent, and from what they’re saying the budget deficit continues to grow. I think the next three to four years could be very difficult. Public education is more than half of the state budget. We’re at the mercy of enrollment and the state budget.  There could be a special session this year, and there will likely be an impact in the coming school years so it’s important for us to be thoughtful about our spending now and how we save for the future too.

I think everyone is a little worried about what the future holds. We try to do the best we can given the budgets we’ve been given. We want to maintain the staffing levels going into next year, because of the need of students.  It is likely that we will need to help catch students up a bit, and we’ll need each of our staff to do that, so our plan for next year’s budget is to really maintain our staffing levels.  The 2021 legislative session will be the first year of the biennium with new budgets that most likely will be impacted by the pandemic, so we could definitely have to address reductions at the state level in planning for the 2021-22 school year. 

What will Camas schools look like this Fall?

The state has set up a task force to address that and what they’ve been looking at is a range of seven models. They look at all spectrums from where we are now, and what it might look like in late August. They have told us in June we will get some guidelines from them, so we’re looking at these issues with leadership and staff. We will be having a Town Hall on June 4 to share some of our planning work and listen to ideas and concerns from the community.  We want to be thoughtful about planning for the future, recognizing how significant the events this spring have been for everyone.

What about mental health and supporting parents with at-home learning?

This is a really important focus for us.  We started off communicating with families a lot about the logistical what and now  we’re shifting to tips for conversations with students and more the how.  We’re learning a lot about what’s working and what’s not and we want to share that information. 

Regarding students in crisis: We ask teachers to reach out to each student and monitor how they’re doing.  If we don’t hear from them we’ve been trying do the phone call or even go and knock on doors to make sure everything is OK. Everything is amplified in the home.  It’s hard right now as parents are trying to figure out work, the future and help their students.  We are trying to pay attention to that. I feel like right now it’s pretty similar to what we were experiencing before. If it was on the radar before, it’s on the radar now. When you physically see students in the classroom you had a sense of the situation, but not virtually we don’t have that so we have to really pay attention to students who may be in need. 

We have a great staff; they’re working really hard. It’s been very challenging for everyone. We have the opportunity to re-invent. You see some kids flourishing in these challenging times. We will come through this as a better school district.

Snell is going on his fourth year as Superintendent of Camas Schools. To learn more what is happening in Camas schools, visit www.camas.wednet.edu

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