Aaria Lankireddy from Skyridge Middle School won three awards at the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF) on April 5. Aaria was awarded first place in 6th grade for the Thermo Fisher Scientific for Advancing Equity Through Innovation Award & Oral Health Care Award by the Washington State Dental Association with an invitation to present her science project at the PNW Dental Conference.
Her scientific research project was titled: “Can Himalayan and Bolivian Pink Salt Gum Reduce Dental Plaque Without Impacting Blood Pressure?” Aaria participated in the after school Youth Research Scholar club at Skyridge, which was run by mentors from the Camas High School Magnet program. This opened up a whole new door of opportunities in conducting science STEM research skills for middle schoolers. Aaria made a new innovative discovery in her research with the two types of pink salt incorporated as two new dental gum flavors that helps in removing dental plaque and improves oral health. She gives special thanks to all her volunteer helpers, her MST mentors at Camas High School and to NHS Oral Consultant, Dr Sekhar Reddy, MDS, FRCSed, UK for his professional guidance.
Aaria is also selected for Clark County Youth Achievement Award for her contribution to the community in enhancing elementary literacy reading skills from the age of 8 when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Her love of books was instilled by her 1st grade teacher at Prune Hill Elementary, Patti Landers and Librarian Sharon Loniewski.
Aaria has for years championed community engagement in literacy ideas, guiding fun books to youngsters, hosting readings at book stores and reaching out via social media platforms during the pandemic.
At the age of 12, Aaria will now receive a commemorative pin and Youth Achievement Award certificate by Clark County in late May.
Camas, WA —The 25th annual Camas Plant & Garden Fair returns to Downtown Camas on Saturday, May 11th from 9am-4pm. Local nurseries, growers, and garden artists will line the streets, offering a diverse array of fruiting trees, vegetable starts, herbs, flowers, garden art and furniture, planters, birdhouses and feeders, pottery, metal art, hanging baskets, stone art, sculptures and more. This event, organized by the Downtown Camas Association (DCA), offers family friendly fun and shopping in the heart of the charming and historic Downtown Camas.
Fan favorite returning vendors promise shoppers a vast selection of plants and garden products. Shoppers looking for dahlia tubers and growing advice should checkout Sweet Bloom Farms from Battle Ground. Anyone interested in adding some whimsical touches to their garden may want to see the birdhouses and colorful garden art fromOne Little Blackbird. Event goers looking for a major landscape overall can find all the ornamental trees and hardy perennials they need at Alicia’s Nursery, as well as the colorful annuals from Arai Nursery. Prairie & Fern Farm will be returning for their second year with a selection of dried flower arrangements and plant starts, grown in Camas.
The 25th year of the Camas Plant & Garden Fair features over fifteen new vendors bringing new and hard to find offerings to the event. Three not-to-miss vendors are Blue Gem Bakery, Bell Flower Farm, and Rhythm Seed Farm.
Blue Gem Baking Co.– This woman owned micro-business features artisanal cookies and cupcakes, in plant and garden themed designs. Owner Mikenzie Drew was also a vendor at the Camas Farmer’ Market where she gained a following for her intricate piping work and fun themed items.
Belle Flower Farm– Vancouver resident Pam Richey Curtis will bring her curated selection of vintage vessels planted with homegrown succulents, as well as an array of gardening books, vintage tools and patio styling items. Curtis has been a favorite Camas Vintage & Art Fair Vendor since 2022. She also offers seasonal bouquet subscriptions with locally grown blooms.
Rhythm Seed Farm– This unique 501c3 nonprofit was born during the Covid era seed shortages of 2020. Founder Nick Canino had been growing hundreds of pounds of food in his yard for many years. He pivoted from food production to seed breeding and has now produced millions of seeds from over 50 different crops. With a commitment to donate half the seeds they produce, they have now given 3,000 seed packets to BIPOC and low income families in the Portland Metro area. Nick will be bringing his wide variety of hand harvested seeds, as well as rare native plant starts.
The fair will feature nearly 20 designated vendor experts available for shoppers to consult on plants, effective gardening techniques, and related topics. Look for the “yellow sun” signs indicating expert booth locations. The full list of Plant Fair Experts and vendors is available at www.cwplantfair.org/vendors. Visit the DCA info booth at 4th & Cedar during the fair to pick up the Expert List and booth locations. Expert topics include:
Attracting pollinators
Attracting birds
Annuals
Carnivorous plants
Container gardening
Composting
Dahlias
Deep Mulch Dry Farming
Evergreens
Fuchsias
Fruit Trees
Herbs
Houseplants
Japanese maples
Landscaping and Garden Styling
Lavender
Olla Watering Systems
Organic Gardening
Perennials
PNW native plants
Rhododendrons
Roses
Seed Saving and Gathering
Succulents
Tomatoes
Transplanting
“We’re so excited to bring you the 25th year of the Camas Plant & Garden Fair!” says Jan Carter, of the DCA. “It takes a village to host an event of this size. We are so appreciative of all of our plant and garden art vendors, our dedicated volunteers, and of course all of the shoppers that come together for this pre-Mother’s Day plant and garden extravaganza! There’s truly something for everyone, and we can’t wait to keep bringing the Camas Plant and Garden Fair to Downtown Camas each Spring for years to come!”
The Kids’ Zone, open from 10am-3pm on Dallas Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues, will offer free activities for children and families including the beloved hands-on rubber duckie flume from the Camas-Washougal Rotary, an obstacle course from My Gym, a planting and sensory station from Camas Washougal Parent Co-Op Preschool, and a take home seed sprouting activity hosted by the Camas Farmer’s Market. This area will also feature a free petting zoo with goats, bunnies, and more, hosted by the 4-Seasons 4-H Club. Many event sponsors will also be hosting activities for kids at their booths. Children and theater lovers will enjoy Rhys Thomas who is returning with his Strolling Jugglemania Show including a giant rose puppet, themed juggling, performances on stilts and other activities.
Live music at 4th & Cedar will include Bret Malmquist playing acoustic jazz guitar from 10am-12pm and local singer songwriter Brenna Larsen performing from 12-3pm.
Scout troop #565 will be on hand with their trusty wagons to help citizens transport their purchases as needed. Donations welcomed.
The DCA will host the annual “WheelbarrowRaffle Prize Drawing” with a large assortment of plants, trees, flowers, and garden art generously donated by fair vendors in a sturdy wheelbarrow donated by Lutz Hardware as well as a “Downtown Gift Card Raffle”. The items will be on display and tickets can be purchased at the DCA table on the corner of 4th and Cedar on the day of the event. The winner will be drawn at 3:00pm.
The DCA is a 501c3 nonprofit Main Street Program and works year round to strengthen and promote Downtown Camas through partnerships, events, beautification and historic preservation projects, economic development, advocacy, and tourism functions. For more information on the Plant Fair, see www.cwplantfair.org or www.fb.com/CamasPlantAndGardenFair. For information on the DCA and other downtown events and initiatives, visit www.downtowncamas.com.
Camas, WA — Local artists Heidi Curley, Liz Pike and Tamra Sheline are opening a new art gallery. RedDoor Gallery will occupy 411 NE Dallas Street in downtown Camas. A soft opening is scheduled for First Friday Art Walk on Friday, May 3rd with an official ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration to follow on June 7th. RedDoor Gallery will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 12 pm to 7 pm and by special appointment.
The mission of RedDoor Gallery is to provide a vibrant art gallery open to the public and foster a creative, inclusive art-making community, which provides access to quality art education in a professionally equipped studio. RedDoor Gallery promotes the joy and transformative power of art while actively supporting the work of local visual artists by promoting their work, and exposing them to the public, collectors and media. Artwork on display at Red Door Gallery will be as diverse as its artists, offering a unique blend of storytelling, self-expression, beauty and emotion.
RedDoor Gallery will feature original works of art by gallery owners Curley, Pike and Sheline. A limited number of other artists are invited to participate in a jury process to have their work represented at RedDoor Gallery. Those artists will be offered contracts with a favorable commission split on sold works.
Curley, Pike, and Sheline, all accomplished professional painters, have also developed a large following of art students in their respective styles of work. Curley and Sheline will hold monthly classes at RedDoor Gallery. Pike will continue to teach scheduled ART FARM classes at Shangri-La Farm in Fern Prairie. RedDoor Gallery will also lease its instructional art studio to other art teachers.
“I am on a mission to empower people to express their feelings through mixed media art,” said Curley. “I want everyone to know they matter and that they are seen. Through my classes and workshops, I show my students how to use color to express themselves and work through feelings and emotions when there are no words.”
Curley is working toward certification as an Art4Healing instructor. She also teaches abstract impressionism classes for all skill levels.
“I love inspiring others to create,” said Sheline, who specializes in watercolor on a plastic material called Yupo. “I cherish the ‘aha’ moments with students as they realize what they are capable of. Explaining my process to both students and art buyers brings such joy.”
Sheline also offers private art parties to all skill levels and will continue her Thursday watercolor on Yupo classes at RedDoor Gallery.
“This is an exciting adventure with Liz and Heidi as well as the other artists who become involved with RedDoor Gallery,” said Sheline.
Plans at RedDoor Gallery also include housing a small artist community within the building for individual painters who need space to make their art on a lease basis.
Recently, three art galleries in downtown Camas announced plans for closure.
“In this challenging economy, it’s imperative we create a sustainable business model for RedDoor Gallery,” said Pike. “Our goal is to develop a thriving hub of art activity for years to come. Camas has a long history of supporting a vibrant arts community and we are very excited about this new artistic partnership.”
Pike noted her affection for the space at 411 NE Dallas Street.
“I opened my first art gallery in this space in 2005. I love this building and I have so many fond memories here.” Pike noted that while she has enjoyed operating a small scale art gallery in the spacious lobby of MinuteMan Press since February, 2023, her art business has outgrown that location. “I really appreciate the collaborative relationship I’ve enjoyed with Jason Young and his staff at MinuteMan Press. We have become dear friends.”
Pike recently marked her 40th year as an oil painter. She is a member of Artisans Guild of Camas, Battle Ground Art Alliance, Northwest Oil Painters Guild, Ridgefield Art Association, Society of Washington Artists, Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Camas Association. Pike also shows her work at several summertime art festivals. Curley has been making art since 2012 and is a member of Artisans Guild of Camas and the Downtown Camas Association. Sheline has more than 25 years experience as a multi-disciplinary artist and illustrator. She is a member of Artisans Guild of Camas, SW Washington Watercolor Society, Society of Washington Artists and Plein Air Artists of Washington.
In addition to hosting an upscale First Friday Art Walk reception on the first Friday of each month from 5pm to 8pm, RedDoor Gallery will also host Thirsty Art Thursday featuring a live painting demonstration from 5-7pm every Thursday evening.
The public is invited to experience RedDoor Gallery when it opens on Friday, May 3rd.
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/26152639/Liz-Heidi-Tamra.jpg624869Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2024-03-26 15:46:102024-03-26 15:46:19Three Local Artists Plan Opening of RedDoor Gallery in Downtown Camas
The Camas-Washougal Community Chest and its partners, the Camas-Washougal Rotary Foundation and the Camas Lions Foundation, are pleased to announce the award of 34 grants totaling $134,000 to non-profit organizations delivering services, exclusively, to children and families in Camas and Washougal. The Rotary commitment to Service above Self also adds volunteers to the mix as they work to make a difference in our community.
The grants will fund such diverse services as emergency food assistance, aid to families in crisis or needing emergency services, safe temporary shelter for at-risk youth, a Safe Stay overnight car park program at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church and water quality monitoring in the Lacamas Creek watershed. New organizations
receiving grants for the first time will offer services such as a Community Arts Night program – a free opportunity to experience the benefits of creativity and artistic expression, bringing songwriters to the Washougal Arts fair and staffing and equipping for three litter cleanups at Cottonwood Beach.
Some of the non-profit organizations being funded in 2024 include the Inter-Faith Treasure House, Akin (formerly the Children’s Home Society) at the East County Family Resource Center, Janus Youth Programs, Pink Lemonade Project, Family Promise of Clark County, and Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership. First-time grantees include Enspire Arts, Washougal Songcraft Festival and Watershed Alliance of SW Washington. For a complete listing of the grant awards see the grant summary below.
Thanks to CWRF, CLF and major donations from the GP Foundation, GP employees, Camas School District employees, City of Camas and City of Washougal employees, Port of Camas-Washougal employees, Windermere Foundation, and Watercare Industrial Services, CWCC is well on the way to funding these grants. To reach its 2024 fundraising goal, however, the CWCC needs additional donations from individuals and businesses in Camas and Washougal. More information and donation forms can be found on the CWCC’s website at www.CamasWashougalCommunityChest.org. The CWCC, CWRF and CLF are registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organizations for federal charitable tax deduction purposes.
Total number of grants awarded – 34
Total value of grants awarded – $134,000
Estimated number of individual services funded by grants – more than 30,000
Akin (formerly Children’s Home Society) – East County Family Resource Center
Helps fund operations at Resource Center. Helps fund parent education groups, youth support groups, emergency basic assistance, behavioral health services and health care services provided by ECFRC or by a partner agency.
Boy Scouts of America – Cascade Pacific Council
Girl Scouts Troop 45703
Helps fund Campership Awards so that Camas and Washougal families in need can send their Boy Scouts to summer camp. Helps fund the Girl Scout troop’s planned visit to the birthplace and home of Girl Scout founder – Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Georgia.
Camas School District – Principal’s Checkbook
(aka Camas Family Community Resource Center)
Funds will assist students and their families who are living in situational instability with their essential needs, particularly those that assist directly in the furthering of a student’s education or their physical/emotional well-being. These requests most often come directly from school building counselors, which also relieves their anxiety when students are in need of additional support for their best learning.
Camas Farmers Market
Helps fund “Produce Pals”, a weekly activities program to educate children about where and how food is produced. Kids completing the weekly program receive a $2 token to spend at Camas Farmers Market for locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Camas Robotics Booster Club
Helps fund registration and transportation costs for students in financial need to participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) classes and activities. Will also help fund STEM education and outreach activities in the Camas and Washougal area.
Camas Washougal Historical Society
Helps fund the commissioning of artist Adam McIsaac to create a fish carving display (12 feet by 4 feet) for the Gathering Place located at Two Rivers Heritage Museum. The purpose of CWHS is to preserve and make available to the public, both present and future artifacts that tell the story of the history of the Camas and Washougal area.
Camas Washougal Parent Co-op Preschool
Helps fund operating budget, including buying classroom supplies and helps with maintaining and upkeeping the preschool in order to provide a safe place for the preschoolers to learn and play.
Dance Evolution
Helps fund a scholarship program to support individuals and families with financial constraints, allowing them to pursue their passions without financial barriers. Help fund our dance outreach program to underserved communities by providing free or subsidized dance classes to individuals who may not have access to such opportunities. Help fund our inclusive dance initiative by enhancing our studio’s accessibility, ensuring all individuals of all abilities can participate in and benefit from our dance programs.
Enspire Arts
Helps fund a bi-monthly Community Arts Night program offered as a free opportunity for the greater Camas – Washougal area to experience the benefits of creativity and artistic exploration. Enspire Arts uses music, poetry, visual arts, theater, games, writing and more as a catalyst for conversation, community building, emotional expression, relaxation and fun.
Family Promise of Clark County
Helps fund an expansion of the FPCares program that proactively assists families with services that will prevent them from losing their homes and entering the shelter system. Services may include rental assistance, payments for rent in arrears, security deposits, landlord mediation, locating housing and filling out applications.
Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation – Washougal Branch
Supports the Washougal Community Library’s summer reading program for kids and adults. By providing free literacy related programs and incentive prizes for the amount of time spent reading, Washougal Community Library hopes to elevate the reading comprehension, vocabulary and writing skills of Washougal area children and teens before they return to school in the fall.
Friends and Foundation of the Camas Library
Helps fund the Camas Public Library’s plan to implement its proposed Nature-Smart Library to move learning and enrichment from beyond the library building and into nature with workshops, classes, self- guided activities and fun activities for every age. The library will purchase outdoor games, picnic baskets, nature kits and programs for adults, teens, and children and self-directed programs for all ages. The circulating Nature-Smart Library collection would be open to anyone with a Camas Public Library card.
Friends of the Columbia Gorge
Helps fund the Explore the Gorge classroom lessons and outdoor environmental education program for sixth graders in Jemtegaard and Canyon Creek Middle schools in Washougal School District.
General Federation of Women’s Clubs Camas – Washougal
Helps fund the purchase of age-appropriate books and other educational materials for all children in Pre-K and elementary classrooms in the Camas and Washougal School Districts. The program is aimed at all Pre-K and elementary schoolchildren to improve their reading skills.
Impact CW – St. Matthew Lutheran Church
Helps buy food and grocery gift cards for families in need in the Camas and Washougal School Districts.
Inter-Faith Treasure House
Helps buy nutritional food items for the Treasure House’s Camas School District backpack program and gas for the food delivery vans.
Janus Youth Programs
Provides funding for outreach efforts and overnight facility stays for Camas and Washougal runaway youth at risk for abuse and neglect. Re-introduces kids to safe housing. Provide case managers to help youth access community services to help them achieve stability.
JD Currie Youth Camp
Helps fund repairs to outhouse “A” that serves the lodge area of the camp. Clark County, owner of the property, has determined that outhouse “A” is non-habitable in its current condition.
Journey Theater Arts Group
Helps fund a portion of the Washburn Performing Arts Center rental fee to present the winter production of The Spongebob Squarepants Musical. Helps fund scholarships for students in financial need and who find it difficult to participate in theater classes and camps.
Kawanis Camp Wa-Ri-Ki
Helps fund their Outdoor Environmental Education Program by offering campers meaningful outdoor activities that support fun, healthy living, nurturing personal growth plus leadership and nature-based skills. Goals include better physical and mental health, increased self-esteem, respect and kindness for others, ability to lead, community participation and stewardship of natural resources.
Lacamas Watershed Council
Helps pay for volunteer training and buying water quality monitoring equipment and testing supplies. Water quality samples will be collected in the Lacamas watershed, including Lacamas, Round and Fallen Leaf lakes and Lacamas Creek.
Lifeline Connections
Helps fund youth activities, field trips and transportation costs to Camp Mariposa (they use Kiwanis Camp Wa-Ri-Ki’s facility) for children of families in need or suffering from substance abuse.
Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership
Helps fund the Students Outdoor Science program that provides classroom lessons and outdoor applied learning programs for youth, including habitat enhancement projects adjacent to Gibbons Creek in the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Campen Creek in Mable Kerr Park and Lacamas Creek Trail and Park.
Pathways Clinic
Helps fund the purchase of medical supplies to be able to offer obstetric ultrasound tests, pregnancy tests and STI/STD tests for men and women.
Pink Lemonade Project
Helps fund Treatment Access Program/Pink Practicalities/Holiday Glow, three financial aid and assistance programs. Covers costs that health insurance doesn’t, such as groceries, transportation services, lymphedema sleeves, lost wages, rent/mortgage payments, etc.
REACH Community Development
Helps buy groceries, baby essentials, cleaning supplies, hygiene products and similar basic household needs. Buys school supplies and holiday food baskets. Serves Gateway Gardens and Towne Square communities in Washougal.
ReFuel Washougal
Helps buy supplies such as sturdy clamshells, lidded bowls and heavy duty plastic forks and spoons to provide to-go meals during Friday meal nights. Helps buy winter waterproof sleeping bags. Helps buy bus passes for clients traveling to services only offered in Vancouver. Helps buy professional services to maintain and update the website to be able to reach out digitally to donors and service providers.
Silver Star Search and Rescue (SSSAR)
Helps fund a replacement heavy-duty Terra Tamer titanium frame/fork/wheel for a Stokes litter carrier which will allow rescue teams to work more effectively over long distances and tough terrain.
St. Anne’s (Episcopal Church) Safe Stay Program
Helps fund a portion of St. Anne’s Safe Stay program including cleaning of the port-a-potty, use of outdoor electrical outlets, use of the Internet WiFi and use of showers, laundry, and church kitchen.
Unite! Washougal Community Coalition
Helps fund Sources of Strength Suicide Prevention Program at Washougal High School; Positive Community Norms Campaign “Love Your Life” in the Washougal Community; the Support OurGuiding Good Choices Parenting classes and the Support our Ambassador Youth Program.
Washougal School District – Principal’s Checkbook
Helps Washougal school principals provide for basic student needs to give low income or homeless students equal opportunities at school. Funds a portion of an Adult Transition Program which trains students with disabilities for transition into appropriate work placement. Funds supplies such as shoes, clothes, hygiene products and food for Panther Den. Funds a mobile laptop cart for families without access to technology and internet services. Funds Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative activities on all Washougal School District campuses.
Washougal Songcraft Festival 2024
Helps fund local songwriter’s fees to perform during a summer festival that is offered free to the public of all ages.
Watershed Alliance of Southwest Washington
(aka Vancouver Watershed Council)
Helps fund three litter cleanups at Cottonwood Beach and Trail in June, July and August 2024.
West Columbia Gorge Humane Society
Helps fund the following programs and services designed to keep pets and people together during hardship, crisis or emergency: pet food pantry, temporary pet boarding, impound/owner surrender fee relief and veterinary assistance. Also funds a portion of the cost to supply ReFuel Washougal with pet food to distribute to the pets of homeless and low-income people using ReFuel’s other services.
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/11155528/IMPACT-CW-2023-Pic3-1.jpg11522048Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2024-03-11 16:02:212024-03-19 12:43:27CW Community Chest, Rotary, Lions Club Announce 2024 Grant Awards
Camas Wrestling Coach John Constien has been named the GSHL Wrestling Coach of the Year after completing a very successful third season as Papermaker head coach.
Constien has won back-to-back District Championships and this year took home League, Districts and Regional titles and had his second top 10 finish state finish.
“I’m grateful!,” said Constien. “I appreciate the recognition. We worked extremely hard as a program over the last few years and this is for all of us.”
His players paid tribute.
“Coach Constien truly deserves the Coach of the Year award,” said senior wrestlerJackson Lougen. “I have never witnessed a coach have complete dedication to our team like Constien did. He was so committed to helping us become the best we could that he would get up at 5:00 just to let us get a morning practice in. Constien went above and beyond to ensure our growth and success. His efforts and the additional work and investment in our team was incredible. Coach Constien helped us learn valuable skills outside of the room. Things like dedication in the classroom, being grateful for friends and family. It’s hard to put into words what coach Constien had done for our team but he completely deserves this award.”
Constien spends time with his athletes explaining technique, strategy, and focus.
“It’s no surprise to me,” said senior wrestler Elliott Scott. “Constien has always been just as much of a friend as he has been a coach. Never gets impatient when we don’t understand something, gets us back on our feet after a loss. Always making it a positive environment in the room with his reggae jams. Our trophy shelf reflects it, coach of the year for sure.”
Constien is also a big promoter of the sport, encouraging media presence and works to drum up public support.
“He helps us personally in what we each need individually,” said wrestler Simon Jarrell. “That has been huge because we all have different things we need to work on. He also helps us with our mentality, which helps a lot.”
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/03083902/3B13A50C-0478-4B3A-B404-6A95D6DD9AB9.jpg787720Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2024-03-03 12:26:142024-03-19 12:44:38Camas Wrestling Coach John Constien Named GHSL Wrestling Coach of the Year
Tacoma, WA — A year after a tough loss at the state championship game, the Camas Girls Varsity Basketball redeemed themselves with a decisive 57-41 victory over Gonzaga Prep Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome. They made history.
A year ago, Parker Mairs told Lacamas Magazine: “We’ll be back next year, and we’ll win it. We have unfinished business.”
And win it, they did. Saturday’s game showed a year’s worth of work and effort. They were more determined than last year, better prepared. They had experience, and it showed. For weeks leading up the championship game players and fans alike used the hashtag #unfinished and that quickly changed to #finished after winning the state title.
“It feels like we’re finally finished,’’ Camas coach Scott Thompson said in an interview with NFHS immediately after the game. “These girls deserve every bit of this. I feel losing the state championship game last year might have won us this one. At this point, it’s a storybook ending. This team has been so connected. The chemistry has been off the charts. I can’t tell you what it’s been like to coach these girls.’’
Reagan Jamison led Camas with 17 points with seven rebounds. Addison Harris earned 12 points and eight rebounds.
Keirra Thompson added nine points and six assists Saturday.
She acknowledged leading up to the big game this was their version of the Revenge Tour, reflecting on the 2019 Camas Football team’s state championship title and the run up to that incredible victory.
“We’ve been playing with each other since the fifth grade,’’ Thompson told NFHS. “We’ve played together for so long it’s become easy for us, natural for us. I couldn’t be any happier. Everything for the past year has been leading to this day and we didn’t disappoint. This is so special, especially coming off last year, losing in the championship game, it drove us to work so hard.’’
The Black & Red Rendezvous event, organized by the Camas Athletics Boosters Club, is coming on Saturday, March 9 at the Black Pearl on the Columbia in Washougal. Doors open at 5:30 pm with dinner and the live auction beginning at 7:30 pm.
Deb Perry, a Camas Athletics Boosters Club volunteer, answered several questions:
What is the Black & Red Rendezvous event all about?
The Rendezvous is all about the kids – the student-athletes. For many young people, being part of an athletics team really rounds out their high school experience. Athletics are part of the Camas culture and our community, and many kids are excited and motivated by sports. We want to foster and support those efforts. Lots of life lessons are learned on the field or court too.
How does the money help Camas athletes?
Each year, the Camas Athletics Boosters give back approximately $100,000 touching every sport. Last year, the Rendezvous raised $62,000 and it was almost immediately donated back to programs, equipment and scholarships. A 16-foot LED scorer’s table used for boys’ and girls’ basketball, wrestling, and girls’ volleyball is an excellent example of a recent purchase that affected numerous student-athletes across several sports. New dumbbells and benches in the weight room, team bags for girls bowling, and a sideline pop up tent for both boys and girls soccer are other examples. The list goes on and on.
The entire Camas community – parents, teams, coaches, school officials and administrators, businesses and business owners – have been super supportive of the Boosters and the Black & Red Rendezvous. We are very appreciative of their continued generosity in the time that they give us and donations they make.
What should guests expect at the event?
Guests will have a great time at the beautiful Black Pearl on the Columbia River! If you haven’t been there, you really should see it. It is a fabulous facility! In addition to dinner and drinks, there will be casino gambling – with play money, of course! Booster Secretary and Board Member Amy Stoller has pulled together a top-notch silent and live auction. There are some smokin’ packages many will want to get their hands on. We’ve got an expanded wine wall, 3D photo booth, and Elida Fields, a local camas artist and mom of several former Papermaker athletes, will be painting live for us that night. Her finished product will also be auctioned off. Runyan’s Jewelers has generously donated “Glitz in a Glass.” Owner Erin Moller has 99 cubic zirconia’s and one .57 carat round diamond. There’s definitely a little something for everyone!
Camas, WA — Officials with the City of Camas announced that the City’s EMS Renewal Levy will be on the April 23, 2024, Special Election ballot. As such, the City is looking for interested individuals to serve on one of two committees, those in favor of the EMS Levy, and those who are against the EMS Levy.
Committee members will draft arguments both in favor of, and against, the levy for the online Voter’s Pamphlet.
Interested individuals can contact the City of Camas Finance Director, Cathy Huber Nickerson at 360-834-2462 or chuber@cityofcamas.us
By law, Camas’ residents consider a renewal of the EMS levy every six years. In this ballot measure, the voters consider the renewal levy at the same $0.46 per thousand rate that currently exists, with the duration not to exceed six years. Since 2013, the levy remains limited to $0.46 per thousand assessed valuation of such property.
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/27171912/2mJXO_5S-scaled.jpeg17092560Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2024-02-27 17:27:422024-03-19 12:51:25City of Camas Seeks Committee Members for April’s EMS Levy Vote
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released the site for the new Vancouver Washington Temple, less than five months after the new house of the Lord was announced.
Projected as a multi-story temple of approximately 43,000 square feet, the Vancouver temple will sit on a 15.11-acre site located at the northwest corner of the intersection of SE 20th Street and SE Bybee Road in Camas, Washington, just east of Vancouver proper.
The Church of Jesus Christ in Washington dates back to the mid-19th century, when four missionaries laboring in the area of California were sent into the Washington and Oregon territories. Enough converts joined to create a congregation just north of present-day Vancouver along the Lewis River, a tributary of the Columbia River.
Many Church members helped with the 1880s railroad construction of the Northern Pacific Oregon Short Line in Washington. In 1930, Church membership in the state totaled 1,900 in eight congregations, with chapels in Seattle, Spokane, Olympia and Everett.
Completed in the early 1940s, the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in central Washington produced hydroelectric power and increased irrigation water, resulting in many Latter-day Saints moving into the area and the state.
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/26152702/Vancouver-LDS-Temple.png7841428Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2024-02-26 15:30:462024-02-26 15:30:57Site Location Released for Vancouver Wash. LDS Temple (in Camas)
Camas, WA — Locally-owned Streamline Events is a full service event and entertainment company offering DJ services, live music, and sound engineering for weddings, private parties, and corporate events.
“Streamline was born out of a passion for people and strives to deliver professional services that go above and beyond,” said owner, Aaron Turnage. “We do make your dreams come true, and it’s a great time to plan your wedding.”
Streamline takes great care into planning your wedding — from learning about your favorite songs, putting a precise schedule of activities for your special day, and even offering suggestions about wedding party staging. They’re great for corporate events, and do audio and lighting production.
“They did a fantastic job preparing for our wedding,” said Jordan Geigenmiller, who got married in August 2023. “Karlie and I got married in Portland, but we had our ring ceremony and reception at Shangri-La Farm in Fern Prairie, WA. Aaron met with us months before the big day to ensure he knew what we wanted, what to expect, and he even helped us coordinate songs, and overall flow of the night. It was really special, and we both highly recommend Streamline!”
In addition to weddings, Streamline can also host epic birthday parties.
“I wanted to throw an epic birthday dance party for my wife and Streamline Events and Entertainment delivered! Aaron really wanted to understand my wife’s musical taste and overall vibe of the celebration,” said Michael Marcum. “The party theme was ‘sparkles’ so everyone dressed up and danced all night. Aaron’s sound equipment, lighting, and audio production are top notch resulting in an amazing looking and sounding party. Aaron set the tone for a fun, energetic, and engaging experience that everyone loved. We could not have been happier with the result! If making lasting memories are important to you, then Streamline Events and Entertainment is the right partner. I highly recommend them.
Turnage said “We are a live music solution for any event. We are your entertainment solution. We offer live music from a duo to a full band, as well as DJ services where we work with the clients to curate their special music and deliver more than they ever could have expected!”
The owner of Shangri-La Farm, Liz Pike, said “Streamline is a professional organization. We host events frequently at the farm, and Aaron and his team were punctual, and kept everything clean and organized. I highly recommend them!”
Stay tuned for Streamline Event’s upcoming podcast launch, and you’re invited to follow them on Instagram at @StreamlineSEE