Camas-Washougal logo tag

Opinion

July 20, 2023

Camas officials must temper community’s expectations on pool

If you didn’t know the history of Camas’ public swimming pool — which city officials decommissioned in 2018 after reports showed the 1954 pool was failing and would likely cost millions to restore — and you happened to attend this week’s Camas City Council meeting, you could be forgiven for thinking Camas officials have been shirking their responsibilities when it comes to satisfying their constituents’ thirst for a new public pool.

July 20, 2023

Too many tourists follow a leader

A spectacular picture recently appeared on social media of a young lady in Arizona. She was poised on the edge of a cliff emblazoned with sunset colors. Immediately her online followers clamored to know where the picture was taken, so “I can get one just like it.”

July 13, 2023

Oppenheimer’s tragedy is ours, too

The July 21, 2023, theatrical release of the film Oppenheimer, focused on the life of a prominent American nuclear physicist, should help to remind us of how badly the development of modern weapons has played out for individuals and for all of humanity.

June 29, 2023

The right to seek safety

Through a WhatsApp message from Portugal, my friend Eunice Neves asked to share a moment with me. She was with an Afghan couple, Frishta and Mohammad, and their baby son, Arsalan. The young family has resettled in Mértola, a small city in southern Portugal. They looked forward to celebrating World Refugee Day as part of a project which the Portuguese government lauds as a model for refugee resettlement.

June 8, 2023

A town in need of a jolt

The good news these days about Farmington, New Mexico, is that the air looks clear. That’s a huge change.

May 25, 2023

Guns have changed everything, especially childhood

I learned to shoot on the family ranch, as ranch kids are wont to do. My gun education was furthered at a Catholic summer camp, and I still have my paper target proving my marksmanship. Hunter safety classes, and calm, clear-eyed common sense. This was the rural approach to guns I grew up with.