The Columbian

Clark County Life

Farm co-owner Shannon Joy, right, readies for a "carrot kiss" from 12-year-old therapy alpaca Jean-Pierre. Getting a kiss from the farm's alpacas and llamas is the highlight for many visitors.

Cute camelids for Christmas in Ridgefield

December 4, 2022, 6:02am Clark County Life

Mention therapy animals, and many people think of a happy-go-lucky golden retriever or fluffy cat happily lounging on a lap. For Shannon Joy and her mother, Lori Gregory, their tastes run a bit larger than the average lap. Read story

Fits, failures and frustration best describe Clark County's attempt to secure a public library in the late 1800s. Its residents wanted to read, but funding was scarce, as were places to house shelves of books. The Odd Fellows Hall at Fifth and Washington Streets temporarily housed volumes and opened its building to the public, asking patrons to use the back door.

Clark County History: Libraries and reading rooms

December 4, 2022, 6:00am Clark County Life

The Hudson’s Bay Company enjoyed two libraries at Fort Vancouver during the 1830s and 1840s. Both might lay claim as the first north of the Columbia River. Read story

Energy Adviser: Get ready for winter outages

December 3, 2022, 6:02am Clark County Life

Morning frost and heavy clouds mean only one thing, winter is on the way and some big storms are not far behind. Read story

This week in Clark County History

December 2, 2022, 6:05am Clark County Life

A weekly look back compiled by the Clark County Historical Museum from The Columbian archives available at columbian.newspapers.com or at the museum. Read story

Clark County health inspections, Nov. 23-29

December 2, 2022, 6:00am Clark County Life

For more information, call Clark County Public Health at 564-397-8428 or visit www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/restaurant-inspection. In the health department’s scoring system, the fewer the points, the better. A perfect score is 0. The worst possible score is 418. An establishment with 100 or more points will be closed. Read story

See the Winter Wonderland drive-thru light show at the Portland International Raceway daily through Dec. 31. Top left and right: The Christmas Ships Parade will hit the Willamette and Columbia rivers again this year. Center: Zoolights at the Oregon Zoo has been a Northwest favorite for years.

5 Vancouver, Portland light shows sure to produce ooohs and aaahs

December 1, 2022, 6:04am Clark County Life

The Vancouver-Portland area might be known for its long, dark winters, but if there’s one thing we Pacific Northwesterners know how to do, it’s cheer ourselves up with an array of spectacular holiday light shows. Several venues are, in fact, already open, welcoming the rush of sparkle-hungry spectators. These light… Read story

Try This: Christmas events in full swing with theater, music in Clark County

December 1, 2022, 6:00am Clark County Life

Five things to do this week Read story

The tree-lighting ceremony in Ridgefield, seen in 2007, has been part of the community’s tradition for decades.

A plethora of holiday celebrations, tree lightings in Clark County

December 1, 2022, 6:00am Clark County Life

Nothing announces the start of the Christmas season like a community tree lighting. Everyone gathers outdoors, cheerfully tolerating the rain and cold, just to see their local tree come alight for the season. It truly is a bit of small-town magic. Here are four not to miss in Clark County. Read story

Thanksgiving may be over, but it's still stuffing season. Here's how I make cornbread dressing.

Mom’s recipe, my way: Cornbread dressing

November 30, 2022, 6:01am Clark County Life Subscriber Exclusive

Thanksgiving may have passed, but stuffing season is not over. This sweet-and-savory side dish has been around since the Roman Empire, used by a chef named Apicius to stuff roasted rabbits, pigs, chickens and, shockingly to our modern palate, mice. The first stuffing recipes are recognizably similar to contemporary versions,… Read story