Christian writers pick up awards

Jantzen Beach — Two writers from Vancouver won honors last month at the Oregon Christian Writers Conference’s Cascade Awards. Sharon Bernash Smith won in the Published Fiction category for “The Train Baby’s Mother” and Velyn Brown won for “Gospel Song in the Rain” in the Unpublished Nonfiction/Memoir category. More than 138 written pieces were entered in the annual competition. The Aug. 14 conference at the Red Lion Hotel on the River-Jantzen Beach also marked the 50th anniversary of the Oregon Christian Writers group.