Letters to the Editor for July 24, 2012

Chamber needs to support local businesses For the last six years Kidz with Ice has been applying to get into Camas Days. The reasons are always different as to why the Camas-Washogual Chamber of Commerce and Brent Erickson, its executive director, do not support this small local business. Kidz with Ice volunteers its time and donates money, equipment and supplies to non-profit organizations that are geared towards helping children and supporting education. They have donated thousands of dollars back to the community, including schools and clubs within the Camas-Washougal community for the past eight years. Other small businesses in the area are experiencing the same frustrations and refusals by the Chamber, Erickson and Mike Nerland, Chamber president and Camas School District superintendant. For three years they have refused to meet with local vendors to discuss these issues and continue to bring vendors to Camas Days from other areas such as Yakima, Seattle, Bend, Ore., and Battle Ground. El Rancho Viejo in Camas is experiencing the same refusals followed by untruths and excuses. Last year, El Rancho Viejo was told they could not sell elephant ears and a vendor from Bend was brought in to sell them. This year, they have been told they cannot sell burritos because it takes sales away from a Vancouver vendor who comes in to sell Mexican food. Brent, Mike and the Chamber need to support their own community and the small town local businesses/vendors who live here, pay their taxes and are involved in supporting their community in Camas. Camas Days is a local community event and priority should be given to the locals who live here and support this community. Let Brent, Mike and the Chamber know you support local businesses and vendors and they should too. Mikki Keller Camas Clark County needs David Madore I would like to state my support for David Madore, running for Clark County Commissioner Position 2. I have known and worked with David for a good many years. I know him to be a very intelligent and insightful problem solver, with a powerful commitment to progress, fairness, and high moral standards. Starting from scratch, he built in Vancouver a highly prosperous, cutting edge manufacturing company with his own mind and hands. Resisting all of the trends, U.S. Digital is a strong, debt-free in-house organization that provides real jobs for local residents. Feeling an obligation to give back to his chosen community, he uses the profits from this successful company to provide free facilities and funds for dozens of charitable and community service organizations. David Madore has the powerful intellect and analytical prowess to confidently face any problem. He has a proven track record of business and fiscal success and common sense. He has proven his commitment to community service and moral responsibility. Most of all, he has concrete, workable solutions to Clark County's needs. Our country is in deep economic and moral trouble. The career politicians have failed us all. We do not need any more vague promises or grandiose money schemes. We need proven problem solvers who understand business, job creation, genuine integrity, and giving back to the community. David Madore is the man we need. Roy S. Thornley Camas Sheffield for Skamania commissioner Skamania County is in debt and the loan is coming due. Our current county commissioners, who are responsible for this debt seem not to be fiscally responsible people. We, the people of Skamania County, need to elect new County Commissioners who can and will handle this loan repayment in a responsible way. We need new County Commissioners who are creative and forward thinkers. Honna Sheffield is one such person and she will make a great County Commissioner. Honna is creative. She takes lumps of clay and creates functional as well as beautiful pottery. We need her to take our county loan debt and create positive and functional ways to disperse this. She has ideas such as reducing the County Commissioner job to 75 percent and Honna is a forward thinker. Listening to her speak, I can almost see the future where our community is branded as the "Folk Art Center of the Pacific Northwest." Pursuing grants monies to fund such activities, tourism will bring in new capital and we benefit. Honna is willing to work for us, the local community. We need to elect her to be our next County Commissioner, Position 1. Marcia Kraft Washougal Vote 'yes' on EMS The people of Camas will be asked to approve an Emergency Medical Services levy increase of 11 cents to keep this program going. Camas is noted nation wide for having one of the best paramedic units in the 50 states. We can not afford to lose this service and rely on private ambulance service as the cost would be greatly increased. The money brought in will be used to purchase new equipment including new ambulances which are greatly needed. Vote 'yes' on EMS. Leo Jones Camas

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