Tag Archive for: Camas

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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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Papermaker History, Part 1: Mill Interpretive Center & The Early Years

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a series of articles about the history of the Camas Mill.

Camas, WA — The Camas Mill has undergone many name changes, renovations, additions, and has a 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.

Even if you’re not a history buff, spending 30 minutes at the center will open your eyes to its history — and it may even surprise you.

One of the first things Mercury presented was the mill handle pattern, which is made of wood. It served as a pattern for the 20,000+ steel handles manufactured throughout the mill over the generations.

“It was handcrafted with great precision,” said Mercury. “And we’ve preserved it here for history.”

Mill

This wooden gear served as the pattern for more than 20,000 steel handles that operated at the Camas Mill.

She said the mill sits on 650 acres, of which 200 acres is on the main land, 425 acres is on Lady Island, and 17 acres is north of 6th Avenue.

They happily showed off manager book reports dating back to the 1920s, detailing every expenditure, including the cost of meals. They pulled out dozens of photos dating back to the first mill, which burned down. We looked at photos of the brand-new manager’s house, which was built in 1923 and still stands today on 6th Avenue and Garfield. They shared stories like when the mill was converted into a machine shop to make ship parts during World War II.

”We built rudders and great cleats,” said Fry. “Those (the cleats) are the things that hold the ship at the dock.”

During the Depression, said Mercury, they never laid anyone off, and kept people working part-time.

”The mill made sure that families had milk and bread during those lean years,” said Mercury.

And, did you know that currently the mill produces 50,000 tons of paper a year?

 

Mill

This flume carried wood from a sawmill by Lacamas Lake.

Key Historical Points

The mill’s history dates back to 1883 when Henry Pittock, who owned The Oregonian newspaper, formed a company called the Lacamas Colony Company. Under Pittock’s leadership, the business purchased 2,600 acres of land and began construction of a paper mill that would supply newsprint for The Oregonian. The purchased land included property north of Lacamas Lake.

Crews began clearing land, building dams, and constructing a saw mill. Thirty Chinese laborers began work on the mill ditch, which is an aqueduct that continues to supply the Camas Mill with water today.  During that same year, the town site of Lacamas was laid out and platted, and the town’s first store was opened for business.

  • In 1884, Pittock, J.K. Gill, and William Lewthwaite formed the Columbia River Paper Company and filed letters of incorporation in the county clerk’s office.
  • In 1885, the plant produced the first wood pulp manufactured in the northwest, and it was reported to be of excellent quality.
  • On November 6, 1886, a fire destroyed the original facility, with damages estimated at $100,000. The cause of the fire was never determined.
  • By 1888, the plant was rebuilt to include two paper machines, a ground wood mill, a sulfite mill with two digesters, and a sulfur burner. The plant employed 65 people.
  • In 1889, Washington became a state, and in 1904, the No. 4 paper machine started making newsprint.
  • In 1906, the bag factory was built, and was equipped with 14 machines. Camas would make bags until 1981.
  • In 1907, sulfite production increased from 10 to 38 tons per day. The steam plant was expanded, and the No. 5 paper machine started up.
  • In 1910, The Crown Columbia Paper Company double the plant’s capacity, producing four million pounds per year.
  • In 1911, with seven paper machines in operation, they employed 450 people and paid out $300,000 per year in wages.
  • In 1913, the mill converted to electric power, the No. 8 paper machine was installed, and 16 new bag machines were added, which would produce 500,000 bags per day.
  • In 1914, Crown Columbia merged with Willamette Paper to form Crown Willamette, which became the second largest paper maker in the world.

The next article will look at growth in the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, and the numerous changes that ensued.

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Opinion: Respect the History — We’re Called ‘Papermakers’ For a Good Reason

Camas, WA — I’ve been bothered by a trend over the past few years to shorten the Camas High School mascot name from Papermakers to “Makers” so I’ve spent some time researching its root cause.

There are three scenarios in play:

1) Design: It’s easier to design a uniform, practice jersey or sports memorabilia because it requires fewer letters. As a designer, writer and someone with the last name “Geigenmilller” I get that, but I would never shorten my name to “Miller” as 1) that disrespects my history — Geigenmiller means Violinmaker or “one who owns or operates a mill” in German; 2) Doing so dishonors my family; and 3) Shortening to “Miller” or “Maker” takes away the history. Maker of what? Some suggest that using the term “maker” implies an inherent authority. Plus, it feels like part of history is being erased, and it’s not a good idea to erase history. The history of the mill in Camas isn’t perfect, but it’s the history. We can certainly discuss the environmental concerns the mill brings, but that doesn’t mean we re-write the past. Being a “Papermaker” isn’t political. Even though the mill will likely close in a few years, we are still a mill town. It’s OK to say that. Solution: If you want to shorten the jersey name, then just imprint “Camas.” Pretty simple.

2) Language: It’s just easier to say. I’ve heard announcers tell me it’s easier to say “Makers” over “Papermakers.” This is simply nonsense. “Roll Papermakers” requires two more syllables. Solution: Let’s just say “Papermakers” or “Papermaker Pride.” #PapermakerPride is a good hashtag. It honors the history and the moment.

3) Attitude: There is a concerted movement to erase the history. Yes, this is true. There are many newer residents that love Camas, its beauty, its schools, its people — but they’re embarrassed that it’s a mill town. I think for some it’s concern about the environmental issues associated with the mill, or for others it’s simply an attitude. Why? Are you ashamed thousands of workers made their living at the mill since the late 1800s? These thousands of people provided a good living for their families. Did they live in the elegant houses so many of us live in (myself included). No. But, they spent money at Runyan Jewelers (which still stands), paid a few cents to watch a movie at the Liberty Theater (which we all love) and swam at Sandy Swimming Hole (a favorite contemporary summer fun place). Those who argue in favor of the shortened name say it still implies mill work, but again I ask “maker of what?” You can’t erase the history. If you’re making a political statement given the environmental issues at the mill, spare us. We all know that. In time, those issues will be fixed. Solution: We’re a mill town, and that’s OK. Let’s celebrate it. Use Papermakers.

Basketball

Isaiah Sampson led the Papermakers with 18 points. The boys basketball jerseys simply say “Camas.”

History of the Papermakers

Let’s take a quick look at local history.

In 1883, LaCamas Colony Company selected the current townsite for their new paper mill. Mr. Henry L. Pittock, the owner of the Oregonian newspaper of Portland needed plenty of water to power paper-making machines for his newspaper and found it in the lakes behind the LaCamas region. The name “LaCamas” originated from the “camas roots used by the Indians for food.”

  • 1883: Aeneas MacMaster opens the first store in town.
  • 1884: First school and post office was established in town.
  • 1906: Camas was incorporated as a town.
  • 1907: Northbank Highway opened from Vancouver, through Camas and Washougal, to Stevenson.
  • 1908: The LaCamas Post, forerunner of the Post-Record newspaper, was created.
  • 1928: The Crown Willamette Paper Company merged with the San Francisco-based Zellerbach Paper Mill Company forming Crown-Zellerbach Corporation.
  • In WWII the Camas plant produced ship rudders in the machine shop. The rudders were being installed on the Liberty ships under construction in Vancouver and Portland. After the war, the plant’s management became more interested in technical and research problems.
  • 1960: Crown Zellerbach Corporations changes ownership and name several times – currently being merged, but known as James River Corporation. It is now known as Georgia Pacific.
  • 2006: The city celebrated its 100th year as an incorporated city.
Papermakers

The mill in the 1950s.

Source: www.cityofcamas.us

Also see: Camas History

That’s a tiny piece of history. Today, we create our own story, our own history. And, I love being at all these events to record your history.

Papermakers

From www.opb.com, who did an in-depth documentary about the history of Camas.

Conclusion

Camas is progressing, and that’s OK, too. When the mill finally closes, there will surely be environmental cleanup tasks. And, we’ll get those done. It’s good to build a new pool, build new schools, and upgrade our parks, but it’s not cool to alter the history by changing the mascot name. I ask you to keep saying “Papermaker” and say it with pride. It’s part of who your kids are. My oldest son is a Papermaker graduate, and we have two middle sons who are current Papermakers. They’re not makers.

Our name is unique. We’re don’t have generic names like Panthers (no offense, Washougal), or Tigers, or Falcons, or Beavers.

As the city progresses, longtime residents are losing the things most dear to them (open spaces, Crown Park Pool, and likely the closure of the mill). We have to respect their time here. They’re losing things precious to them. Please don’t disrespect them by taking away or shortening their name.

As we drive around with our overpriced SUVs and BMWs (I’m guilty of that, too) take a moment and walk down 4th Avenue, look at the smokestacks at the mill, and talk to someone who’s lived here their whole life. They have pride in their work. Listen to their story. Buy them a pastry at Caffe Piccolo. I think you’d enjoy it, and learn a few things.

I’d love to hear your feedback.

Sincerely,

Ernie Geigenmiller

 

Papermakers

Liberty Theater.

Papermakers

Straub’s Funeral Home, as pictured in the 1940s. Wilmer Swank opened Swank’s Funeral Home in 1911. It was eventually renamed Camas Funeral Chapel, and then Straub’s.

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Camas High Students Gather For National Letter of Intent Day

Camas, WA — Fourteen scholar-athletes took part in National Letter of Intent Day today at Camas High School.

Here’s what they’re all doing:

PAYTON BATES will be signing to play softball for the College of Idaho Yotes in Caldwell Idaho. Payton will finish her high school career earning seven varsity letters from Camas High School. Payton lettered three years in slow pitch softball, and will be a four-year letter award winner in fast pitch softball. In the fall during slow pitch, Payton has led her team to three straight league championships, a district championship in 2016 and 2017, and to the Papermakers first ever state birth in 2017. She was GSHL first-team all-league and voted Papermaker MVP for all three years and was capped by being recognized as the GSHL Player of the Year during her senior year in 2017. In the spring, Payton has been recognized as GSHL first-team all-league in 2016 and 2017. She has been a big part of the Papermaker fast pitch success that has earned league titles in 2015, 2017 and two 4th place in state finishes. Payton is a three-time GSHL scholar-athlete award winner and while in Caldwell will study Marketing.

Parents Jay and Brenda Bates – All three State Championship Tournament appearances. She wants one more this spring!

PERRIN BELZER will be traveling South to join former teammates with the Grand Canyon University Women’s Soccer program. Perrin has played the past four years on the girls soccer team which has been the most dominant run in the programs history at Camas High School. In those four years, her Papermakers have won four league titles, three district titles, two 3rd place state trophies, one state championship in 2016 along with a Maxpreps National Championship in 2016. Like her team, Perrin has also racked up numerous accolades over the past four years that include: 2014 and 2016 GSHL All-League 2nd team, GSHL All-League 1st team in 2015, and capped by a senior season that saw her awarded GSHL defensive player of the year, Columbian All-Region team, and 4A 1st team All-State. Perrin has been a GSHL all-academic team member all four years. While playing for the Lopes, Perrin will be pursuing a degree in sports management.

Parents Michael and Kathy Belzer – Memorable moment was winning the 2016 Washington State Championship.
TREVOR BENTLEY is headed across the river to play baseball for Mt. Hood Community College. Trevor has lettered in football and baseball for three years and has been an active participant in Camas High School Unified Basketball. Trevor has been the starting center fielder for the Papermakers for three straight years and helped lead his team to the playoffs in 2016. Trevor was a part of the first ever Papermakers football state championship in 2016, and was recognized as GSHL All-League 2nd team defensive back in 2017. Trevor is undecided on what he will focus his studies on while playing for the Saints.

Intent

Fourteen scholar-athletes gathered Wednesday for National Letter of Intent Day at CHS. Photo by Dan Trujillo.

Parents Brian and Rachel Bentley – Memorable moment winning the football state championship in 2016.

COURTNEY CLEMMER will be a part of the Fighting Owls women’s basketball team at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls Oregon. Courtney has lettered in basketball for four years, along with one year in volleyball. Courtney has been a four-year starter on the hardwood for the Papermakers and has led them to two straight league titles in 2017 and 2018, and to the programs first ever trip to the Tacoma Dome to compete in the state tournament. Courtney has been recognized as GSHL All-League 2nd team in 2016, GSHL All-League 1st team in 2017 along with the All-Region 2nd team, and has already added the GSHL Player of the Year award in 2018. Courtney is a four-time scholar athlete award winner and plans to focus on studying communications in Klamath Falls.

Parents Casey and Traci Clemmer – Memorable moment playing in the state tournament at the Tacoma Dome.

ALEXA DIETZ is off to soak up some sunshine at San Diego State University as a member of the Aztec Rowing team. Alexa lettered two years in the Papermaker track and field program and one year in gymnastics before focusing on rowing. Alexa was part of a women’s track and field team that won two league and district titles and was a large part of the 2017 Papermaker gymnastics record-setting team that won a league title, district title and a state championship runner-up finish. Alexa is scholar-athlete award winner and is planning on studying environmental sciences and nature conservation in San Diego.

Parents David and Nancy Dietz – Memorable moment winning 2nd place at the State gymnastics meet in 2017.

KENNEDY FERGUSON will also be headed south. She will join the Lobos of New Mexico University softball program. Kennedy will letter three years in fast pitch at Camas High School. Kennedy was voted as GSHL All-League 1st team in 2016, GSHL Pitcher of the Year in 2017, All-Region Player of the Year in 2017, and will be looking for more awards this spring. Kennedy led her team to the league championship in 2017 and a Washington state 4A 4th place state finish in 2017. Kennedy will be focusing on physical therapy in New Mexico.

Parents David and DeAnn Ferguson – Memorable moment creating memories with a group of girls that have come up and gone through the program with me.

DOMINIC FEWEL will attend Oregon State University next fall to play soccer for the Beavers. Dominic will be a four-year letterman for the Papermaker soccer team, and has been a three- time scholar athlete award winner. Dominic has anchored a team that has compiled three league and district titles and have been a state participant all three years. Dominic has been chosen as a team captain in 2016 and 2017 along with receiving accolades as GSHL All-League 2nd team in 2015, GSHL All-League 1st team in 2016, 2017, All-Region team in 2017, and All-State honorable mention in 2017. While in Corvallis, Dominic will be studying Mechanical Engineering.

Parents Heath and Jennifer Fewel – Memorable moment scoring diving header goal against Skyview to win the game.

MADISON FREEMON is signing to play basketball with California State Fullerton University. She is a four-year letterman in basketball for the Papermakers. Madison has started for the Papermakers for three years before suffering a season ending injury her senior year early in the season. She was recognized as GSHL All- League Honorable Mention in 2017 along with the team captain honor. Madison helped guide the Papermakers to the first ever state championship tournament appearance her Junior year, and has been recognized on the All-League academic list for four straight years. Madison will be studying education while playing for the Titans.

Parents Gary and Sandy Freemon – Memorable moment scoring the winning buzzer beater basket against Prairie her sophomore year.

MARK KIM will be taking his talents to swim for the United States Military Academy at West Point. Mark is the most decorated swimmer in Papermaker history as he has won two state championships in both the 500 and 200 freestyle events, with one more state meet to go later this month. He has numerous district championships and guided his team to four straight league titles, a 2015 2nd place state finish, 2016 4th place state finish and the Papermakers first ever state championship in 2017, and he still has his senior season to finish. Mark was recognized as the 2016 February Camas High School student-athlete of the month, and is equally as impressive in the classroom with a near perfect GPA. While swimming for the Black Knights, Mark will study Mechanical Engineering.

Parents Mark and Dannelle Kim – Memorable moment winning the 4A team state championship trophy for a school south of Tacoma for the first time in 50 years.

Swim

State Champion swimmer, Mark Kim.

HAILEY OSTER will be playing golf for the Bobcats of Montana State University. Hailey has been a Papermaker varsity golfer all four years and has anchored her team to two straight league and district titles heading into her senior season this spring. Hailey has finished in the top 10 at the past two Washington State tournaments which has helped her team secure a 2nd place team finish in state her sophomore and junior year. Hailey has been recognized as the 2017 GSHL Player of the Year, All-Region 1st team, and received the Camas High School student-athlete of the month award and the WIAA player of the week award her Junior year. Hailey will study elementary education while in Bozeman.

Parents Ernie and Debbie Oster – Memorable moment taking 2nd in state the past two years with my team.

MADISON PFAFF will take her skills to Salem to play volleyball for Corban University. She has lettered in the Papermaker volleyball program for three years and received GSHL All-League 1st team honors her senior season. Madison also received the following CHS volleyball awards: coaches award in 2016, defensive award in 2017 and team captain in 2016 and 2017. Madison helped her team earn league championship titles all three years, and has been recognized with the scholar-athlete award for three years. While playing for the Warriors, Madison will be studying education.

Parents Jeremy and Heather Pfaff- Memorable moment beating Battle Ground in 5 sets my sophomore year.

Intent

Singing at National Letter of Intent Day. Photo by Dan Trujillo.

MADALYN SHERWINSKI will be traveling East to swim for the University of Mary in Bismark North Dakota. Madalyn lettered in Papermaker swim for three years and guided her team to a league championship in 2015 and 2016 as well as a district championship in 2015. Madalyn was a team captain in 2016 and 2017, and recognized as GSHL All-League 2nd team in the 500 freestyle in 2016. Madalyn is a perfect GPA scholar athlete and will study either chemical or mechanical engineering as a Marauder.

Parents Paul and L’Rae Scherwinski – Memorable moment winning district swim team title in 2015 at Kelso.

JOSHUA SCHNEIDER will attend Willamette University to play soccer for the Bearcats. Josh will be a three-year letterman for the Papermakers and has helped his team accomplish league and district titles his sophomore and junior season with his senior season coming up. The Papermakers have also been state tournament participants his sophomore and junior year that was capped with a state quarterfinal appearance in 2017. Josh was recognized as a GSHL All-League 1st team player as a junior, and will be a four time GSHL scholar-athlete award winner. While in Salem, Josh will be studying physical therapy.

Parents Joe and Lisa Schneider – Memorable moment when I crossed the ball for an assist for a double overtime win.
ABBIGAIL WONG will be attending University of Puget Sound in Tacoma to play softball for the Loggers. Abbi will letter in fast pitch four years for the Papermakers and has been a part of two league championship teams so far. Her Papermakers have two 4th place state championship tournament trophies, and she is looking to add another one this spring. In 2017 Abbi was recognized as GSHL All-League 2nd team, and received the 2017 defensive player of the year award for the Camas High School fast pitch program. While playing for the Loggers, Abbi will be focusing her studies on Exercise Science.

Parents Wade and Kim Wong – Memorable moment placing 4th at state tournament freshman and junior years.

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Meet Artist Matt Gibson: He Turns Pennies Into Cool Artwork

Washougal, WA — It took 20 years of grueling travel in his sales job until penny artist, Matt Gibson, found his passion and artistic talents. Every other week he traveled to Canada as a sales executive for Metapower — and that got old.

“It was a drag being gone so much,” said Gibson. “And I always knew I wanted to do something for myself. I’ve always enjoyed art.”

He started playing around with pennies several years ago, and a gift for a friend slowly turned into a fun side business, which turned into a full-time business venture 18 months ago.

He had a few pieces of art, and spoke with Marquita Call, of Camas Gallery. He brought in a few pieces, and within three days she sold the first one. That opened up more opportunity, and Gibson started making more.

“He has a lot of talent,” said Call. “We’re happy to have him here in our gallery.”

He said it’s been a big learning curve, but that he makes enough money to live off his art — and is seeking to expand the enterprise. In addition to Camas Gallery, Gibon’s penny fish can be found at Pacific House and Vito Veritas, which is a wine bar in Portland.

His produces large, six-foot penny fish art, as well as a 12-inch fish version, which are designed as wall art.

“I like working with pennies,” he said. “They’re colorful and easy to work with.”

Gibson easily spends a week putting together a new design, which he calls the prototype. After the prototype phase, the large fish take about 20 hours to produce, and require about 1,900 pennies. The smaller ones take two to three hours and require 150 pennies, which are applied using high strength hot glue. To date, he’s create 150 pieces of art — 135 of which have been created in the last 18 months.

Pennyfish art is available at Camas Gallery, where Gibson was recently the featured artist of the month. Camas Gallery is located in downtown Camas, on 4th Avenue.

To learn more, visit www.pennyfishdesigns.com or you can visit his brand-new Facebook Page: Pennyfish Design

Penny Artist Matt Gibson at the Camas Gallery.

 

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Biz Spotlight: Arktana to Promote Men’s Footwear Product Offerings

Camas, WA — Awarding-winning downtown Camas footwear retailer, Arktana Shoes, known for selling high-quality women’s shoes is getting ready to launch a new advertising and marketing campaign to spotlight their men’s footwear offerings.

“The styles we select for our men’s category are intended for all day wear, lots of walking and even trade shows,” said Ann Matthews, owner and operator of Arktana. “For the guys we have everything from everyday casual to dressy styles for suits.”

Men’s footwear offerings include high-quality brands, such as Rockport, NAOT, Pikolinos, and Toms.

“We have some talented young men who have completed our first round of product photo and video shoots,” said Matthews. “We look forward to this campaign so come on down and see what we have to offer.”

Going into its fourth year, the store has received many accolades for their service and community spirit.

The store received the Entrepreneur of the Year award at Washington Main Street’s Excellence on Main Awards Ceremony on April 25, 2016 in Ellensburg, Washington. The ceremony was held in conjunction with RevitalizeWA, Washington State’s Preservation and Main Street Conference.

About Arktana

Ann Matthews opened the store, which is affectionately named after her family’s two states of origin – Arkansas and Montana, at 415 NE 4th Avenue, Camas’s main street, in 2014. With an entrepreneurial background and a robust business plan in place, Ann was able to hit the ground running to quickly develop her business into a shopping staple in the region.

Ann’s passion for her business benefits customers, employees, and the community at large. By working closely with vendors to ensure only the highest quality products and by providing creative opportunities for customers to engage with the shop through private parties, appreciation nights, and extended business hours, Arktana emphasizes customer care.

To learn more, visit www.arktana.com

Arktana

Arktana recruited two talented young men to help promote men’s shoes.

 

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Women Who Care: Clark County Giving Circle Aims to Make Big Local Impact

Camas, WA —  100+ Women Who Care Clark County will hold its first meeting Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at Salud! Wine Bar in Camas.

The idea behind the “giving circle” is to bring together women who are committed to donating $100 every three months. Those funds are then distributed directly to one nonprofit group nominated and voted upon by the members at the quarterly meeting.

“I’ve heard from so many inspired women that they want to do something and be involved in some way in giving back to their community, yet their time and funds are limited,” says 100+ Women Who Care founder Christie Ribary.

“We now have a simple mechanism to make a huge impact, but it requires very little in terms of time and dollar commitment. My goal in our first year is 100 members donating $100 four times a year, giving $40,000 to nonprofit organizations in Clark County.”

The group is open to all women. Teams are also welcome to split the cost. Members who attend and contribute at the gatherings are eligible to nominate local nonprofits to be considered for the quarterly donation.

Ribary’s mother, Cheryl Craig, will be speaking at Wednesday’s kickoff event. Craig started a 100+ Women Who Care in Boulder, Colorado, which has raised more than $100,000 for charitable causes. According to Ribary, there are 500 chapters around the nation.

The meeting takes place Wednesday, February 7 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Salud! Wine Bar in Camas. There is an optional social hour before the meeting from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. More information is available at www.100womenclarkcounty.com

 

Women

This new group kicks off on February 7.

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First Friday Event: A Wedding Affair to Remember — in Downtown Camas

Everyone loves a wedding so we are especially excited to announce that for the First Friday in February, 2018, we will be hosting a wedding in Downtown Camas where everyone gets to be a part!!

It will be a “Wedding Affair to Remember”! Nick Calais and Tami Weidert—who are big First Friday attenders and ambassadors—will say “I do” in front of friends and family and the community is invited as well! Nick and Tami have been to each First Friday since April 2015 and have made so many friends and connections over the years. They have a true heart for our community and what First Fridays bring and they want to share the First Friday experience with all their friends and family—and want you to come, too!

The theme each February traditionally has been “A Chocolate Affair to Remember” so for Feb 2018 it will be “A Wedding Affair to Remember!”

It will be a giant downtown wide wedding celebration! The ceremony will be held at the Liberty Theatre at 2pm (community is invited!). Our Camas Mayor Scott Higgins will marry them. Tami will carry a paper bouquet (including toilet paper of course!) in honor of our town’s heritage. Cake Happy will provide the wedding cake and food from all the downtown restaurants will be served at an outside celebration with lighted tents, music, dancing, games and more! Your Party & Event Center is generously sponsoring the event. There will be wedding themed specials and activities all through town.

Wedding

Photo courtesy of Downtown Camas Association.

A Wedding Show with local vendors will be set up in Journey Church, 304 NE 4th, from 5-8pm as part of the theme including Your Big Day (wedding dresses, tuxedos, honeymoon travel planning), truly scrumptious (wedding cakes and treats), blu box art (photography), Whispering Waters Farm (wedding event venue), Chickabloom Floral Studio (wedding bouquets and flowers), Whimsy Chocolates, Mandi MOON artistry (certified makeup artist), Your Party & Event Center (wedding rentals), Formal Flush (luxury portable restrooms) and more.

Even more amazing fun in the works for the Nick & Tami – The Wedding Affair to Remember!! Not only will there be the wedding, there will be treats too! truly scrumptious will provide an array of deliciousness throughout town. There will be four locations to choose from, the tent(which will be located on Cedar Street), Attic Gallery, Arktana and Journey Community Church – Brownies, cookies, rainbow krispy treats, marshmallow pops, Mini pies, Sea salt caramel apple pie, mini cupcakes and snack station and more! We can’t wait! #downtowncamaslove #hiphipcalais

For the passport activity in the evening from 5-8pm, merchants will have their wedding pictures in their shops and you get to guess the date of the wedding! There will be chocolates throughout town at merchants as well. The Liberty Theatre will show the classic film An Affair to Remember that weekend as part of the theme.

It is because of their heart and downtown engagement that we decided to do this for a First Friday event. An amazing way to celebrate two of our favorite downtown visitors and include the community in a big way! It’s going to be a First Friday to top all First Fridays and all are invited.

Information provided by Downtown Camas Association. Visit www.downtowncamas.com

 

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Reflections on “Evening on Broadway” — A Camas High School Choir Event

Camas, WA — My sons looked at me funny when I told them I was attending Evening On Broadway instead of the hoops battle between Union and Camas Friday night. We’re a little short-staffed this week, so it was one or the other.

Sorry basketball players. We think you’re awesome, but we thought the choir needed some attention. We’ll get you all at the next game.

Watching these kids belt out some challenging songs, dance, act and entertain us was well worth the 2+ hours at Camas Theater. Led by Musical Director, Ethan Chessin, and accompanied by pianist Detelinka Dimitrova, “Evening On Broadway didn’t disappoint. Liz Borromeo was the choreographer.

Opening with the entire choir singing “The Circle of Life” as they walked among the audience onto the stage was dramatic, and it was introduced by actors Omar Shafiuzzaman and John Elder, who acted out a Muppet theme throughout the production — and it was their “Man or Muppet” performance mid-way that stole the show. They can sing, dance, and act.

See their entire performance on our YouTube page:

In total, the youth performed 26 songs from popular Broadway productions, such as “The Lion King,” “Newsies,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Funny Girl,” “Grease,” “La La Land,” and more.

It was refreshing to see the range of talent, and see kids who wrestle and swim for Camas sing a few tunes and dance their hearts out. It’s clear these kids have talents and gifts — and love to entertain.

We also have several clips from the performance at our Video Page. https://lacamasmagazine.com/video/

We can hardly wait for the next Camas play!

To learn more, visit www.chs.camas.wednet.edu

Broadway Photo Gallery

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City Council Moves to Demolish Crown Park Pool — To Plan For New Pool Complex

Camas, WA — After months of public debate, deliberation, and research, the Camas City Council moved to demolish the 64-year-old Crown Park Pool Friday during its annual planning workshop at Lacamas Lake Lodge.

After Parks and Recreation Manager, Jerry Acheson, made his department’s final presentation on the issue, each council member addressed their concerns and opinions, and the consensus was to demolish the pool this year — to start looking toward the future of Crown Park — and to actively start planning to build a new aquatics/community center that can be used year-round (likely at a new location).

The decision ended months, if not years, of speculation about the aging pool’s fate. In 2000, the city spent $275,000 in major pool renovations and has spent tens of thousands in recent years on major repairs.

Six of the seven councilors openly advocated for a new aquatics/community center that would serve the greater community.

The motion to demolish gives the city’s Park and Recreation Department the direction to pursue demolition procedures, which will require finding a contractor, developing a plan, and presenting that demolition plan for the council to officially vote and move forward. Legally, the pool’s fate needed to be decided by May 2019, given Clark County ordinances that require unused public facilities, such as the pool, to be demolished or renovated.

“My preference is to start demolishing it,” said City Councilor, Bonnie Carter. “I would be geared toward doing that this summer. Sixty-four years is a good life cycle.”

City Councilor Shannon Turk concurred — “I agreed with demo-ing it. I prefer a new pool that helps the students. And it does need a community center built with it.”

Planning

From left: Camas Schools Superintendent Jeff Snell; City Administrator Pete Capell; City Councilor Shannon Turk; City Councilor Bonnie Carter; and City Councilor Steve Hogan.

The councilors acknowledged they need to move swiftly on this project so that the fate of the Crown Park master plan isn’t left in limbo. Although planning specifics about a water feature or re-development of the park were discussed, concrete plans are far from being decided.

“I’m not ready to make a firm commitment today,” said City Councilor Don Chaney. “Based on citizen input, I still feel an obligation to add a new safe place for people to swim. I don’t feel comfort in any option without knowing how to pay for it. I’m very concerned about debt service.”

City Councilor Melissa Smith said timing is critical about future plans — both for the park and to build a new aquatics/community center. She mentioned public comments from Wednesday’s Parks and Rec Commission meeting about the city not meeting the needs of a stellar swimming community that continues to grow and progress.

“I prefer some kind of a new pool, and I don’t believe Crown Park is the best location for a new community pool,” Smith said. “We need to support the swimming community. I like the idea of a splash pad for this park.”

City Councilor Greg Anderson said: “I like the recommendations made. I think we should choose a plan, do the proper funding, and then plan for a year-round aquatics center facility at a new location. I don’t want to spend any more money on the current pool. Let’s see where we want to go and then explore solutions.”

The council’s newest member, Deanna Rusch, said she learned a lot at Wednesday’s Parks and Rec meeting.

“The community wants a new pool,” said Rusch. “We have high-caliber swimmers and divers, and I would love to see a new pool here.”

Planning

Crown Park Pool.

City Councilor Steve Hogan advocated for the demolition, as well, but also said the city needs to move quickly to make sure the needs of the community are met without years of delay in new construction.

“As far as the fate of Crown Park,” said Hogan, “I could go either way with a leisure pool or a water feature. The Parks Board has done a lot of work, and we owe it to them to get something moving.”

His fellow councilors agreed about moving quickly to take care of community needs.

While the Parks and Rec Department moves forward with demolition planning, Peter Capell, the City Administrator said he will actively work with committees to plan for a new pool/community center, along with securing property, designs, partnerships and finance options.

Planning for the Crown Park, in general, is by no means set in stone. The council expressed interest in having more public forums and debates on how to proceed. Today’s actions simply allow the city to make demolition plans for the pool.

“We need to have many detailed discussions with Camas, Washougal and the Port of Camas-Washougal about an aquatics center resolution,” said Smith. “Let’s do this in the next six months.”

To learn more, visit www.cityofcamas.us

Photo Gallery

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