Camas-Washougal logo tag

Life

May 22, 2012
Paige McCray (left) and Lindsey Lattimer are heading into the final weeks of half-marathon training.

Skyridge Middle School students are training for a half-marathon

"When you cross the finish line, no matter how slow or fast, it will change your life forever."This quote comes from the movie, "The Spirit of the Marathon." Anyone who has ever trained for a challenging race, be it an Ironman, marathon or half-marathon, understands exactly what it means to push past your limits and cross the finish line victoriously.

May 15, 2012
Chef Karen Lasher teaches a class on French cooking to students at Clark College at Columbia Tech Center.

Local chef shares her love of food by teaching classes at Clark College

Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of some people like the thought of preparing a meal from scratch.Local chef Karen Lasher is hoping to remove some of that anxiety by offering classes aimed at taking the trepidation out of cooking. "I just love teaching," said Lasher, a Camas resident who works as personal chef at the PeaceHealth Corporate Cafe in East Vancouver. Lasher, former owner of Around the Table restaurant in Camas, has taught everything from kids cooking classes to gourmet meal preparation for adults.

May 8, 2012
Young soccer players hone their skills at the Portland Timbers Camas-Washougal Camp in the fields behind Doc Harris Stadium.

Jumping into summer

Summer. It's a time for kids to kick back, relax and enjoy themselves. There are several camps in Clark County that offer options ranging from a few hours to several days. Camps include everything from how to improve sports skills to how to improve outdoor skills. Best of all, there are choices for all ages, stages and price ranges.

April 24, 2012
Debra Itzen and Jeramy Wilcox, Port of Camas-Washougal employees, participate in the Earth Day cleanup at Capt. William Clark Park in Washougal Friday.

Businesses, government agencies and residents come together to celebrate Earth Day

The theme of Earth Day 2012 was "Mobilize the Earth." Organizers encouraged participants around the globe to attend a local event or start one. "Together we will stand united for a sustainable future and call upon individuals, organizations, and governments to do their part," the Earth Day website states. Locally, the call to action was answered.

April 10, 2012
Kiara holds Tina, one of her sheep, at the family home in Washougal. She is raising the animals for 4-H and will show them at the Skamania County Fair this summer.

Encouraging a ‘Revolution of Responsibility’

Mention the term "4-H" to most people, and an image of kids in rural farming communities raising livestock typically comes to mind.But 4-H is much more. While raising animals continues to be a core function, local leaders are also encouraging young participants to give back to the community by doing outreach and service projects. The Silver Star Stockmen 4-H group in Washougal mainly focuses on large animals for market and breed projects, but has also branched out into community service projects.

April 3, 2012
Alan Bosse is the featured artist for April at the Second Story Gallery at the Camas Public Library.  He and his wife, Sharon, moved to the area nine months ago.

Designed by nature

Alan Bosse was at a truck stop in Long Beach, Calif., in 2009 when he made a seemingly insignificant decision. With a few extra minutes to spare, the long-haul trucker and graphic design student took his new camera out and snapped a few photos of passion flowers growing along a nearby fence.A few months later Bosse, 50, entered the photo, "Passion and Bee" in a nationwide Earth Day photo contest sponsored by the website Bing. It won first-place out of approximately 17,000 entries.

April 3, 2012

“Designed by Nature”

Alan Bosse's work will be on exhibit at the Second Story Gallery. It will be unveiled at a reception during First Friday on April 6 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Second Story Gallery is located at the Camas Public Library, 625 N.E. Fourth Ave.

March 27, 2012
The 2012 CHS Knowledge Bowl team celebrates its "three-peat" last week. Team members include (front row) Evan Roche, Marcus Bintz, Griffin King, coach Dale Croswell and Noah Wachlin and (back row) Vaughn Okerlund and Tim Grote.

CHS Knowledge Bowl team takes home the state trophy three years running

A "three-peat" is often considered the crown jewel in team achievement: To win a state title three years in a row takes accomplishment to a whole new level.It's the exact feeling the Camas High School Knowledge Bowl Team had when they realized they'd won the state tournament again. "It was really exciting," said Marcus Bintz, team captain. :State was a really good opportunity for us to showcase our strengths well. We're very happy." Knowledge Bowl is a competition which quizzes students on topics relevant to their education. "Basically, it's everything you ever learned in school if you never forgot anything," said team member Griffin King. "It's all related to school topics."

March 20, 2012
A group of young campers enjoy one of the outdoor activities at a Camas Community Education camp.

Into spring break

Spring break in the Northwest usually means stormy weather and cold days. But don't let that keep the kids from getting the most out of it.Camas and Washougal offer several options for kids to be interactive and engaged during their time off from school, without spending several hours in front of the television or computer. For those parents who don't have the week off with their kids, there is the option of an all-day or part-day spring break camp through Camas Community Education. "Not everyone goes on vacations and many parents need childcare," said Director Mary Weishaar. "And if others are going to be home and just want their kids to have some fun, structured activities, there's a half-day camp option, too."