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Life

February 22, 2011
Carrie Schulstad admires one of the pieces of artwork that's been submitted for Camas First Friday Arts and Letters. The event features an art contest for middle and high school students, as well as readings by local authors.

A celebration of Arts & Letters

Downtown Camas will be transformed into a book and art lover's venue next Friday. Several local authors and students artists will have their work on display at different downtown shops as part of the "Arts and Letters," Camas First Friday event on March 4. The event, in its second year, is being organized by Carrie Schulstad, local business owner and board member of the Downtown Camas Association; and local author Randal Houle.

February 17, 2011
Colton Lasater will play the role of Dylan Martin in the film, "Blake's Country," set to be filmed in Bend, Ore., this summer.

A home grown star

Colton Lasater and Ron Morris have quite the Camas connection. Lasater, 18, an actor, and Morris, a retired airline pilot turned film director, lived in the same neighborhood for several years. Lasater is good friends with Morris's children. And they are both passionate about film. Now, they'll take that passion and meld it together for "Blake's Country," Morris's first feature-length film.

February 8, 2011
Above is an engagement photo, taken in December 1944. Warren and Celia Lougheed eloped to Idaho soon after they posed for the portrait. Below, this photo of Douglas and Barbara Espinosa was taken shortly after their wedding day on Jan. 12, 1951. They have lived in the Camas area for most of their married life.

A love that endures

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." This verse from 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 is often heard quoted during wedding ceremonies. But with so many marriages ending in divorce, sometimes people question how seriously the words are taken. But then there are the couples for whom love has endured throughout the decades: Through wars, child rearing, recessions, illnesses and all the other inevitable twists and turns that life can take. This Valentine's Day, the Post-Record is featuring two longtime married couples who share some of the secrets to their success.

February 1, 2011
The Washougal River Greenway Trail is a 1.1 mile paved walkway that includes a 370-foot steel trussed bridge, seen in this photo. It is the newest addition to the city of Camas trail system.

Stepping into another world

With the relatively mild winter, many local residents are beginning to venture outdoors for exercise. However, it can become rather dull when one's feet are constantly pounding the pavement. But with the abundance of trails and natural areas in Camas and Washougal, there is definitely variety for everyone, whether a person is training for the Boston Marathon or out for a walk with a toddler. Brent Erickson, director of the Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce and current Camas Parks Board chairman, said keeping fit and healthy is the greatest benefit to having a variety of choices when it comes to recreational opportunities. "Here, it's easy for people wanting to be healthy to get to the local parks and trails," he said. "You've got walkers, runners, bikers and hikers, so there's a wide of variety of usage."

January 25, 2011
Sarah Webb, 22, is the manager of the Coffee Shak in Camas and Fisher's Landing in Vancouver. She is hoping to put her espresso skills to use in upcoming Northwest coffee making competitions. Below, getting the foam perfect for a latte is one of the skills that Webb will need to demonstrate.

Coffee connoisseurs

To say that Sarah Webb enjoys coffee is putting it mildly. The 22-year-old, who manages the Coffee Shak at the Sixth Avenue Commercial Center, is passionate about the subject. It's kind of ironic, considering she didn't even really like coffee before she got a job as a barista two years ago. "I drank frappachinos and that doesn't really count," she joked.

January 18, 2011
Camas High School senior Athena Cole is a talented artist who enjoys drawing, painting, costume design and graphic design, among other hobbies. She is hoping to have a career in video game programming but enjoys the relaxation art classes bring.

Her creative world

The arts have been a part of Athena Cole's life for as long as she can remember. Cole, a Camas High School senior, has a mother who is a professional artist, and a musician father who plays 15 different instruments. So, it's not a huge shock that Cole enjoys art as well. But what is surprising in the number of ways she uses her talent: Cole, an avid "gamer" is considering programming video games as a career. At the same time, she also loves to create costumes, build props from scratch, paint, design backdrops, play the piano and sing.

January 11, 2011
Local resident Sheri Allen recently published a book of her poetry. It is called, "The Poems of My Life: A Collection of Thoughts," and is available on amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Allen decided to put the book together at the urging of friends and co-workers at Washougal Bi-Mart.

A collection of her thoughts

"My life is better, for you being in it. My day is brighter, for you being a part of it." This is the introduction to a poem called "Thank You," by local resident Sheri Allen. Allen, 50, has been writing poetry since she was in high school. It all began when she had to do a project for an English class. "I chose poetry, and I think I was the only one in the class who did," she said. "I received an 'A-' on it, and I wasn't happy because I wanted an 'A'.

January 4, 2011
Liberty Middle School students Ellie Cook (right) and Kelsie Ackerman pose with one of the Rockettes at a meet-and-greet on Christmas Eve.

Rockin’……with the Rockettes

When 12-year-olds Kelsie Ackerman and Ellie Cook first found out they'd been chosen to dance in the opening act of the Rockettes show, they were thrilled. "I was really, really excited," Ackerman said. "I wasn't expecting it at all." Added Cook, "I was so happy and so excited about it." And they weren't alone. Their dance instructor, Jen Filson, of Virtuosity Dance Studio, where both take classes, auditioned and was chosen as well.

January 4, 2011
Construction is well underway on the 51-unit Camas Ridge apartment complex at Northwest 28th Avenue and Logan Street on Prune Hill. According to Vancouver Housing Authority officials, the project will be complete this summer.

Camas Ridge apartment complex scheduled for completion this summer

A currently under construction Camas apartment complex is among the $28.8 million in new development and capital improvement projects being taken on by the Vancouver Housing Authority in 2011. The $7.5 million Camas Ridge development broke ground on Prune Hill in August 2010, and is scheduled for completion in mid-summer. It will provide 51 apartments, both market rate units and apartments available to those earning 60 percent or less of median income, which is approximately $71,200 for a family of four.

December 28, 2010
Lieth Nippes, co-founder of the Acupuncture Relief Project, works with an interpreter to examine a patient complaining of breathing problems.

Natural relief

When most of us are feeling ill, it's a simple matter of calling our health care provider and scheduling an appointment. But there are people in other areas of the world who have never even stepped foot into a doctor's office or had a routine dental appointment. That's where the Acupuncture Relief Project comes in. Started in 2008, it is free clinic that treats up to 120 patients a day in Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world. In addition to acupuncture, providers look for other health problems and refer patients to a physician or dentist if at all possible. Acupuncturist Diane Wintzer, who works at Fearn Natural Health Clinic in Camas, recently returned from a five-week stint as a volunteer project coordinator in Nepal.