Every October for the past five years, Jeff Walton has hosted a pumpkin patch at his Camas farm. It's a quiet place, without the hubbub and chaos of some of the larger pumpkin patches. And this suits Walton just fine. "Since I took over the farm 28 years ago, I've always wanted to grow pumpkins," he said. "I really wanted this for the little kids. That way they don't feel overwhelmed like they may at some of the larger farms."
Like many great ideas, this one began with a run. A group of friends, all Nike attorneys, were out pounding the pavement one day soon after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, tossing back and forth ideas on how they could help improve their communities. From these early discussions, the seed for Marathon Education Partners was planted. It's a rather unique mentoring organization: Mentors, called "partners" are recruited from various professions, and are matched with a fourth-grade "scholar." They pledge $100 per month, for 10 years, to be put away in a college fund for the scholar.
As the autumn days begin to get a bit more gray, one thing is for certain: It's fall in the Northwest. Thankfully, in the Camas and Washougal areas, there are enough harvest festivals and Halloween events to keep kids in candy all through the long, wet winter. There's even a 21-and-older costume party with live music.
Every second Sunday in October, Riverside Adventist Christian School is transformed into a paradise of all things apple: There are boxes and boxes of Hood River apples, apple pies and apple dumplings. In addition, there is a "sweets" booth, activities, a big slide, games, a country store, rummage sale and vendor booths. It is a big fund raiser for the school, and provides items such as overhead projectors, computers and basic supplies.
For the first time, the Apple Festival will feature a cookbook for sale, which features 299 pages of recipes and different ways to use apples in everyday living. Below are a few of the recipes. The cookbook will be on sale at the festival for $15.
For nine years in Washougal and three in Camas, local residents have been able to enjoy a variety of farm fresh produce, treats, music and handcrafted items at the local farmers' markets. With the markets wrapping up yet another season, the Post-Record is going to feature some highlights from each. Washougal's last day was Saturday, Sept. 25, while the final day for the Camas Farmer's Market is Wednesday.
When most people hear the word "psychic," they picture a palm-reading, tarot card-holding shadowy figure. But Seth Michael McKay, who prefers the term "spiritual advisor," said that image isn't reality for him. "This is a wonderful gift to have," he said. "I don't even like to charge people for what I do, but my guides have helped me realize that I also need to be able to eat and sleep in order to be functional."
When most of us remember internships, we picture days spent doing someone's "busy work," usually in an indoor environment. But that's all changed in the past several years. Recently, the Post-Record profiled several Camas students who spent the summer in internships ranging from new inventions to architecture.
Shannon Nickelsen has fond memories of visiting the local grange as a young child. Her grandmother, Orale Reude, was the junior grange leader in the Cape Horn area, just outside Washougal. "It was a part of our life," she said. "We used to put on flag ceremonies and candlelight ceremonies. On Sundays, we would have ham dinners at the grange. Grandma taught us how to set and wait tables, and we would get tips. It was so rewarding."
While many of their peers spent a carefree summer before the start of senior year, several Camas High School students were getting a taste of the "real world." The students, from the CHS math, science and technology magnet program, worked at internships ranging from studying on-site wind energy production, to unraveling the mysteries of Parkinson's Disease to helping design a new Camas elementary school. The internship program was coordinated by teacher Ron Wright. He made contacts with several area businesses and helped students find the best fit. The students took it from there, and worked with the individual businesses all summer.
