Stories by Patty Hastings

Columbian Social Services, Demographics, Faith

Sharon York looks past a mural of her ancestors, the Wishon family, while talking with her sisters at Orchards Plaza.

Clark Asks: Mural tells tale of Orchards

June 22, 2019, 6:05am Clark County Life

Lauren Smith frequently drives by a mural in Orchards depicting local life in the early 1900s. The 70-foot-long mural has a prune-picking family standing in front of an orchard, Mount St. Helens (with its top), the Orchards Feed Mill and the Orchards-Sifton streetcar. Read story

Caples Terrace was strategically placed in the Skyline Crest neighborhood close to the Bridgeview Education and Employment Resource Center and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington’s Heights O.K. 2 Clubhouse.

Caples Terrace soon to house homeless youth, those aging out of foster care

June 19, 2019, 6:01am Clark County News

Homeless unaccompanied youth and those aging out of foster care will soon have an apartment complex in Vancouver specifically for them. Read story

An RV is parked outside the entrance of the Hazel Dell RV Park in Vancouver on June 6. The sight of such vehicles often prompts complaints to county officials.

Illegally parked RVs a headache for county, neighbors

June 17, 2019, 6:00am Clark County News

Clark County fields complaints about RVs — both occupied and abandoned — parked along county roads, according to public records obtained by The Columbian. In one case, the manager of Vancouver RV Park (now called Hazel Dell RV Park) called 911 on March 30 to report people living in trailers… Read story

Valerie Guerra barbecues meat and vegetables for her kids outside their trailer at the Lewis River RV Park in Woodland. After being unsheltered and hotel hopping, the family decided to stay in an RV. Guerra and her husband are both working again and the family is hoping to find housing by the end of the year.

Homeless families find RV parks more affordable living option

June 17, 2019, 6:00am Clark County News

Valerie Guerra, 34, lives in an RV park, but she considers herself and her family to be homeless. Lewis River RV Park, located next to the river and a golf course, operates more like a campground. It’s an easier entry point for low-income families with older RVs that may not… Read story

Christy Jordan, 56, looks out from her tent in a wooded area in Hazel Dell. She says that all the heaps of garbage nearby were left by campers who have since left and that she keeps her trash in a bag nearby. During her three years of being homeless, she’s camped out in parks in Vancouver. She says she was once given a 72-hour notice to leave by police and cleared out. “I listen to the cops; I’m a good girl,” she said.

Clark County struggles to address homeless encampments

June 6, 2019, 6:01am Clark County News

Over the last year, runner David Crawford said, he’s seen an uptick in homeless encampments along the Padden Parkway bike path. He recalled seeing tents and shopping carts full of old shoes and other items along with garbage. Read story

New Sikh temple in Vancouver to host grand opening

Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, left, Rep. Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue, Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Mona Das, D-Kent, visited the Guru Ramdass Gurdwara Sahib Sikh temple in Vancouver on Friday.

If you’re going to Saturday’s grand opening of the new Sikh temple in northeast Vancouver, don’t expect to leave with an empty stomach. One of the golden rules of Sikhism is to share your earnings and selflessly serve others. Saturday’s celebration at Guru Ramdass Gurdwara Sahib naturally includes a community… Read story

Stamp Out Hunger steps up emphasis on fund drive

The National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive needs an addendum. It’s also a fund drive. For every $1 donated to the Clark County Food Bank, the nonprofit can provide up to four meals to food-insecure households. Read story