Tag Archive for: Downtown Camas

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

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, with most people confined to their homes, you probably haven’t seen the long-planned Downtown Camas Signs program become a reality.

“We have been wanting way-find signs for years,” said Carrie Schulstad, Executive Director of the Downtown Camas Association (DCA). ”Last year there was a little extra funding through downtown maintenance, and so we reached out to businesses to see what we could do with those funds. The way-finding signs are what stuck. We did a collaborative effort, and it’s an example of how Main Street works. The merchants all paid their signs, but the city paid for the poles and the installation. The end result is stunning!”

The DCA coordinated the project with all the local merchants.

A total of eight poles and 40 signs for downtown retail stores and restaurants were constructed and placed a few weeks ago. In addition, there’s a mill town collage, which is covered in plastic, and will be unveiled when society reopens. It was supposed to be unveiled April First Friday.

A few signs have to be re-done and will be installed soon.

“We are expanding the vibrancy of downtown Camas to 3rd and 5th streets and to all the side streets. It’s been a challenge because those streets don’t have all the electrical infrastructure that 4th Avenue does,” said Schulstad. “These signs help people know what stores are on these other streets. It creates awareness.”

And, of course, the timing of this is the great irony. When businesses re-open they will see a nice addition to downtown.

“We look forward to seeing everyone back as soon as it’s safe to do so,” said Suzanne Ferguson, owner of Juxtaposition, which is a brand-new furniture store. “The signs are beautiful.”

Wendy DelBosque, who manages Natalia’s Cafe, says the new signs add a nice touch to a “beautiful downtown.”

Signs
On the corner of 4th and Dallas.

Juxtaposition, a new home furnishings store in downtown Camas, is having their Open House & Ribbon Cutting Celebration today from 5-6 pm. The public is invited to attend.

The ribbon cutting, officiated by the Downtown Camas Association, the Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Camas, begins promptly at 5:30. The address is 425 NE 4th Avenue, Camas, in the former Post-Record building.

“We are so excited to officially open the store,” said Suzanne Ferguson, owner. “There’s a lot to see here with so many beautiful things. Juxtaposition is about transitional to modern home furnishings, and we already feel so welcome here in historic downtown Camas.”

“We understand some may desire to stay home due to the coronavirus, and we totally respect that. We look forward to seeing you when this all passes.”

The evening will include live music from the Opus School of Music with food being catered by Natalia’s, with wine from the Birch Street Lounge, beer from Caps and Taps, live art by Elida Field, and flowers from Acorn and the Oak. Juxtaposition will also be giving away small prizes throughout the evening.

To learn more, visit www.artfuljuxtaposition.com or follow their Facebook (@juxtaspositioncamas) and Instagram (@juxtapositioncamas)

First Friday – March 6th, 2020, come to Downtown Camas and celebrate Go Green. Pick up a special passport and activity list at the Journey Community Church at 304 NE 4th Avenue.

Lucky leprechauns, a “Green Zone” featuring local schools, businesses and non-profits that care for the environment, and the wearing of green will all be a part of this fun event. The event runs from 5-8 pm.

Here’s what’s going on downtown for First Friday:

  • “Find the Lucky Leprechaun”: Each participating merchant will have a “lucky leprechaun” in their business, and for every leprechaun you find, you receive a prize ticket to be entered to win green prizes and more from the merchants. Lucky leprechaun “passports” can be found in participating stores and at the DCA table in Journey.
  • Wander through the “Green Zone” at Journey church and learn how easy it is to make this world a greener place with fun educational kid-friendly activities and giveaways provided by local nonprofits. This year we will have: World Vision, Master Gardners, Eartha the Clown, Ivy League, Waste Connections, CHS Green Team, IQ Credit Union, and Camp Windy Hill.
Green
www.VixonCabinets.com

Art Shows and Receptions

  • Ribbon cutting at 5 pm for the “Camas Love” mural on 5th Ave.
  • Enjoy fun recycled crafts with the Camas High School “Green Team”
  • Eartha the Clown will be there doing face-painting and Earth education
  • Connecting Camas Clothes drive (senior project)
  • Merchants will have lists in their windows showing all the ways our downtown businesses care for the environment.
  • Kids’ crafts at the DCA tables!
  • Customers wearing green get an extra prize ticket!
  • For every $10 spent in downtown you get a ticket to enter to win.

So many fun activities!

To learn more, visit http://www.downtowncamas.com

For the first time in its 16+ year history, Lily Atelier, the iconic Downtown Camas women’s clothing boutique, now has a website — www.lilyatelier.com — which is now open for business.

When Marilyn Reed, Lily Atelier’s new owner, purchased the store in November 2019 she came with a plan to build on the brand’s success, which included a new website, store renovations, technological additions, and many other projects.

“We’re so pleased that Lily now has a website,” said Reed. “This helps us provide an ever better level of customer service, and it allows us to reach so many more people.”

The site encapsulates the Lily Atelier brand with vendor images and descriptions, sale items, product for purchase, a look at the store’s history and where it’s headed, as well a new blog to keep customers updated on Lily news.

“Our blog will build on our fantastic social media sites to include news about product, staff, store updates, and fashion tips. It’s so exciting,” said Reed.

Local Camas merchants have been very supportive of the expansion, and consider Lily Atelier a destination boutique.

“People come from all over to visit Lily Atelier,” said Carrie Schulstad, Executive Director of the Downtown Camas Association. “Having a website will help them reach even greater heights! This store is a great contributor to the success of downtown Camas. We couldn’t be happier for them. We are very grateful and thank them for their added enthusiasm and investment in downtown Camas, and for the increased engagement that they’re planning for.”

The iconic women’s boutique has become a destination venue for many of their customers, and many call in orders from all over the country as they are able to procure hard-to-find products. Lily Atelier is also credited with being a major contributor to the continued Downtown Camas renaissance.

Lily Atelier
Visit www.LilyAtelier.com

It was a full house Monday at Journey Community Church for the annual Downtown Camas Association (DCA) Awards night.

In attendance were local merchants, business owners, DCA board members, city council representatives, and Camas Mayor Shannon Turk.

Emceed by DCA Executive Director, Carrie Schulstad, the evening began by reviewing statistics about the growth and successes of Downtown Camas.

Schulstad reported the following:

  • A 26 percent increase in First Friday attendance over 2018. 
  • First Fridays started in 2005, became more family friendly in 2014, and have steadily increased in popularity.
  • The annual Car Show, Girls Night Out, Boo Bash, Plant and Garden Fair all helped bring people into the downtown area.  
  • The first Camas Car Show started in 2006 with 10 cars as a First Friday event.  The Car Show moved to Saturdays, and in 2019 there were 250 cars with an attendance of 5,000+.  
  • It was the 10th anniversary of Girls Night Out. 
  • Boo Bash brought in 2,500+ kids with parents.
  • New events in 2019 were Little Art Camas and Picnic in Color.
  • The DCA has 175 volunteers.
  • There were 12 Downtown Camas ribbon cuttings in 2019.

“Little Art Camas was a huge success,” said Schulstad. “Picnic in Color happens on the Sunday of Camas Days, and it brought out 250 kids. It’s helping kids to find their inner artist. We do so many events so people have a compelling reason to come to downtown more often, but we really couldn’t do what we do in downtown if we didn’t have great merchants. They bring it every single day!”

Downtown Camas
Best DT Improvement-Exterior Award: Hidden River Roasters

Design

DCA President, Caroline Mercury also chairs the design committee, which focuses on the aesthetics and tone of Downtown Camas.

“We hear often from newcomers who say how cute Downtown Camas is,” said Mercury. “We are Mayberry with a paper mill, which we love. We fund the flower baskets through community donations. We have extended the flower baskets on 3rd and 5th. And we really want to extend the whole look of downtown.”

Vega, Salud and A Beer at a Time put the baskets on their buildings.

Mercury also highlighted these points:

  • The DCA repainted the Downtown Camas sign on 4th and Adams. 
  • The lights on the buildings are a DCA project through a grant from PUD. 
  • They replaced all the light strands with LED. 
  • The lights costs $300-$500 per building depending on the footage. 

“The lights add to the aesthetics of the downtown,” said Mercury. “It creates an ambiance when you’re downtown at night. Thank you to the building owners who participate in this. It was Ken Navidi’s idea to string up the lights.” 

Election

Mercury reported they have a public art grant to paint a mural at the US Bank parking lot, which will be a 10 x 20 collage.

“Work will be starting soon, and we hope to have that up the first part of 2020,” said Mercury. “It’s a tribute piece to the mill.”

Awards

Here are the award recipients:

  • Best DT Improvement-Exterior: Hidden River Roasters
  • Best DT Improvement-Interior: Attic Gallery
  • Outstanding Window Display: Natalia’s Cafe
  • Creative Local Marketing: Caps N’ Taps
  • Putting Camas on Map: Grains of Wrath
  • Change is Good: Camas Gallery
  • Something New in Camas: Cedar Street Bagel Company
  • Outstanding Customer Service: Hidden River Roasters
  • Exceptional Employee: Allie Baden of Caffe Piccolo
  • Downtown Spirit Award: Erica and Wendy of Natalia’s Cafe
  • Volunteers of the Year: Amanda Whitcombe and Lee Lapp
  • Student Volunteer of the Year: Emily Curry
  • Lighting Our Community Award: Ken Navidi, Greg Goforth, Doug Quinn, Craig Schulstad, Randy Curtis

To learn more, visit www.downtowncamas.com

Beginning September 6 and all through the month, Attic Gallery will feature the works of master artist David Dunlop, who will be part of Friday’s Plein Air event, as well as the featured guest at the gallery’s First Friday reception from 5-8 pm.

September 6th-September 28th
David Allen Dunlop: Oil Paintings on Dibond

DAVID DUNLOP is a modern-day old master whose luminous landscapes draw from both Renaissance techniques and contemporary science.  His paintings have been shown internationally and are held in the collections of major corporations including Aetna Insurance, Citibank, Colgate Palmolive, Delta Airlines, GE Capital Corporation, IBM, Mobil and more.

EMMY AWARD WINNING TELEVISION HOST
David is the engaging host and writer of the 13-show national PBS television series, Landscapes Through Time with David Dunlop, for which he won an Emmy and a CINE Golden Eagle Award in 2009. In 2017, the second series was nominated for an Emmy. Landscapes Through Time is distributed  internationally and returned to U.S. national television in 2018. Both series were produced by SimmonsArt and directed by Connie Simmons and the first was also co-produced by Connecticut Public Television. David is also the host, artist and writer in several other  multi-DVD series on painting landscapes produced by SimmonsArt, blogs regularly, and has a devoted following on YouTube.

EXHIBITIONS
David’s work has been reviewed extensively, including, Art New England and The New York Times. After being juried into the prestigious Art of the Northeast USA, David won the Jens Risom Award and David and his son Max Dunlop won the Revington Arthur Award.

Scholarship
VancouverLaserSkinCareClinic.com

LECTURER
David’s
 reputation as a painter who combines artistic skill, knowledge and enthusiasm prompted The Metropolitan Museum of Art to invite him to lecture on 4000 years of landscape painting in 2005.  He has been a visiting artist/lecturer at many museums and institutions, including the Huntsville Art Museum, Huntsville, AL; Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ; Springfield Museums, Springfield, MA; New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT; Caramoor Museum of Art, Katonah, NY; Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT; and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ.

Dunlop
“Columbia Gorge” by David Dunlop.

His PBS program on Cezanne is included in the exhibit Cezanne and American Modernism at the Montclair Art Museum.David is exhaustively well-read in pursuit of the underlying principles of art, exploring original sources and recent advances in neuroscience.

TEACHER
David has been a painting teacher at Silvermine Art Guild for many years and has a devoted following around the world.  He teaches workshops on many varied topics throughout the world as well.

David graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the College of Wooster, Wooster, OH, and was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2011. He earned an MFA from The Pratt Institute, NY, NY. He is on the faculty of the Silvermine School of Art in New Canaan, CT, where he teaches, lectures, and leads workshops, as far afield as Italy, France, Spain and Japan. He was honored with their Living Art Award in 2017. David lives in Wilton, CT, with his wife, Rebecca Hoefer.

To learn more, visit www.atticgallery.com

First Friday is coming August 2nd and with the theme “Small Town Summer Fun–Downtown Goes Flamingo” from 5-8 pm.  All the shops, restaurants, galleries, and theater will have their air conditioning going so will be nice and cool for you :). Stop by Journey on 4th Avenue for games, crafts, and your activity list for the evening.

Come Celebrate Summer!

Activities will include:

  • Play the “What’s that Flamingo Saying?” game in downtown businesses & earn tickets to win great summer prizes!
  • Flamingo themed Fun & Games & Crafts
  • Live outdoor music & dining by Mesa!
  • 2 ribbon Cuttings: 5 pm: Coventry Gardens (602 NE 3rd) and 5:30 pm: Columbia Chiropractic Grand Re-opening with new owner Amy Reynolds (428 NE 4th)
  • Art shows and receptions in all downtown galleries
  • Camas High School Grad Night will be on hand with their “flocking” fundraiser opportunities!
  • Kona Ice Shave Ice will be here!
  • Papermaker Pride T-shirts will be selling their Camas Pride wear for a school district fundraiser with a limited flamingo pink printed Camas tee!
  • Wear your best Flamingo themed attire and get tickets to win!
  • Free kids’ rock painting sponsored by The Paint Roller Mobile Paint Party
  • Free Otter pops for the kids
  • Shop, dine, and stay cool!

The Camas Gallery will feature Russ Raybukin, Steampunk artist and founder of Old Barn Custom, from 5-8 pm. It’s a great time to meet and greet, and see so much of his amazing work, which is found exclusively at the Camas Gallery.

Steampunk

Join us for a fun and dynamic summer evening in Downtown Camas! Visit the First Friday Facebook page for more details and updates. See you soon!

You can also visit www.DowntownCamas.com or read a past First Friday article: https://lacamasmagazine.com/2019/07/camas-gallery-features-liz-pikes-field-of-sunflowers-on-first-friday.html

Vancouver Laser Skin Care Clinic, located in Downtown Camas, is having a couple of July treatment specials — 25% off Ultherapy® full face or neck, Buy One Get One 50 percent off on leg vein treatments, and $11 per unit of Botox.

“It’s a great offer,” said Lori Keller, Master Aesthetician, and owner of Vancouver Laser. “We’re so grateful to our customers. Give us a call today at 360. 823.0795 to schedule your complimentary consultation. The Ultherapy® special includes Laser Genesis Treatment, which targets texture, pore Size, fine Lines, wrinkles and scarring, a $250 value.”

Ultherapy® is a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure that utilizes the power of focused ultrasound technology, and sound waves to simulate collagen to lift, tone and tighten the skin. The Ultherapy procedure can be performed on the eyes, brow, face, neck and under the chin and chest. This technology stimulates the production of collagen resulting in continuous improvement of the tone and tightness. An Ultherapy procedure can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the area treated. Ultherapy delivers outstanding results without surgery or downtime.

With over 30 years of aesthetic laser and skin care experience and expertise, Master Aesthetician, Lori Keller, knows that looking and feeling confident play a big part in our well-being.

Vancouver Lase
Ultherapy: Before and after.

“If you like how you look, you feel more positive and content in your daily life,” says Keller. “But environmental factors such as sun exposure, and physiological factors such as genetics and aging, all can play a role in changing your outward appearance. We help restore confidence by repairing some of the damage our environment and aging can cause.”

When Vancouver Laser Skin Care Clinic (VLSCC) decided to move its offices to Downtown Camas, they brought more than 30 years of aesthetic laser and skin care experience and an array of treatments and products that rejuvenate skin and restore your youthful glow. They feel good when you look great. 

Their office at 715 NE 5th Avenue is charming, and peaceful, and is part of the history and future of Camas, a quaint and successful town that many say is a city about wellness.

“We love being part of this wonderful and historic downtown scene,” said Keller, who owns VLSCC. “And, we invite you to come see what we’re all about. — from pre-teen/adult acne sufferers to mature patients.”

VLSCC offers many services, including: IPL, Chemical Peels, Microneedling, Ultherapy, Face and Leg Vein Removal, Botox, and more! 

Learn more at www.VancouverLaserSkinCareClinic.com

Always a fun night and will be a blast from the past – the 1980’s! Get your legwarmers and parachute pants ready! Friday, July 5th, 5-8 pm. Do the 14th annual Camas Poker Tour & Game Night – ‘80s Style, sponsored by Camas Antiques, throughout participating businesses.

  • Collect Totally Tubular “playing cards” from each participating merchant and see what kind of hand you’ve been dealt!
  • Gnarly prizes donated by local merchants awarded to the 5 highest hands!
  • Dress To the Max in your favorite 80’s wear and get extra tickets to win!
  • Play Righteous family-friendly 80’s themed games & crafts
  • Open Mic Night at Journey—come sing or perform! 6-8 pm. Schweet.
  • Take a Chill Pill. Art Gallery Shows and Receptions
  • It’s gonna be RAD! Shop, dine, enjoy art, listen to live music, more!

To play “Camas Poker Tour”:

  • Start at the DCA table in Journey, 304 NE 4th Avenue, to pick up your poker passport and activity list.
  • Collect a “poker card” from each participating merchant.
  • Turn in your cards to the dealer at Camas Antiques by 8 pm.
  • You will be dealt playing cards to match the number of business “poker cards” that you have (the more businesses you visit, the more chances for a great hand!).
  • Great prizes donated by local businesses will be awarded to the 5 highest hands! Good Luck!

Enjoy other family-friendly games throughout town and earn tickets to enter to win a prize basket from the merchants!

  • Rubik’s Cube Challenge
  • ’80’s Trivia Mix ‘n Match
  • Lucky Rollers
  • Spin and Win
  • Downtown Dice
  • Card War
  • Toss it in
  • ’80’s Plinko + More!
Camas Poker
Call today: 360-409-3167

Other activities for First Friday include:

So much going on all over town! Shop, dine, enjoy the galleries, listen to live music, and more!