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.
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.
"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'.
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.
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.
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.
Rusty Wales is passionate about wine making. He can talk for hours about the various aspects of producing and enjoying a fine bottle of Cabernet, Merlot or Syrah.
One day, Sammy Mederos was a happy, 6-year-old girl playing soccer, climbing trees and enjoying kindergarten. The next day, she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. "Our world literally changed overnight," her mom, Michele said. "But one of the many things we learned was how real it is that in the face of tragedy, the best in humanity emerges." Co-workers from Canyon Creek Middle School and Cape Horn-Skye Elementary, where Michele is a school psychologist, rallied around Michele and her family, cleaning their house, cooking meals, running errands and organizing a benefit event for Sammy last spring, which raised $7,000 for her medical fund.
The following are organizations the Mederos family has found helpful during Sammy's battle with cancer, and they recommend these to others.
This holiday season, many shoppers will join the frantic rush at the "big box" stores and malls. But for those who prefer a slightly slower pace and a unique gift, there are many to be found in the shops of Camas and Washougal. Store owners say that buying locally adds up to more than a one-of-a-kind gift and not having to fight over a parking spot.
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