A group of people in Ridgefield and other areas are putting candles in their windows tonight as a symbol of peace and light. It’s a peaceful protest against the violence at the Capitol that may occur on the 20th.

I’m going to light my candle tonight – won’t you join me?

My 90 year old friend recently had several experiences that gladdened her heart and restored her faith in humanity. Here’s what she told me:

“The first ‘May I help you?” came from a grey-haired man as I struggled on the wet concrete at the Post Office with my bright blue cane. The gentleman shared that he knew how difficult it was because as a young man he had lost his leg in a logging accident.

Then a young man carried my library books to my car.

The slippery wood boards at the new Columbia Credit Union induced a young man to offer his arm to help me into the building. We ended up visiting a few minutes.

These events took place in Ridgefield.

On to the Vancouver Fred Meyer. As I a struggled near my car, a young woman came up behind me and asked if I would like a large or small cart, which she hurried off to bring back to me.

Next to T-Mobile around the corner, where my struggle to climb on the curb brought one of the young clerks to assist me into their office. After our business was completed he offered his arm to assist me to the car.

Next stop, Batteries Are Us, where a woman wanted to know if she could help.

On to Costco, where a woman asked if she could help and pulled a cart for me as we walked into the store. Shopping complete, a woman assisted putting heavy items in the trunk.

Home to Ridgefield, stopped at the License Bureau and another young man offered his arm.

The actions of these men and women during COVID-19 are proof there is a lot of heart left in southwest Washington.”

If there’s one thing COVID-19 has taught us, it’s how much we need friends, neighbors and family.

The Twenty-fifth Amendment (Amendment XXV) to the United States Constitution deals with issues related to presidential succession and disability. It clarifies that the vice president becomes president (as opposed to acting president) if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office, and it establishes procedures for filling a vacancy in the office of the vice president and for responding to presidential disabilities. The amendment was submitted to the states on July 6, 1965, by the 89th Congress and was adopted on February 10, 1967, the day that the requisite number of states had ratified it.

The Twenty-fifth Amendment reads:

Section 1.

In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Section 2.

Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Section 3.

Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Section 4.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

~ information from Wikipedia

The Green Bag Project collects food for the needy and takes it to our local food banks, Neighbors Helping Neighbors and the Family Resource Center. If you missed the collection date this month, it’s still possible to donate to the worthwhile group.

Mail your check to Ridgefield Food Project, PO Box 416, Ridgefield, WA 98642.

WALK & KNOCK is DRIVE & DROP this year: Saturday, Dec. 5 from 9AM-2PM. Our nation’s largest local food drive is not giving up this year, they’re just doing it differently. You can check out their website at www.walkandknock.org for more detailed information. You can also donate funds electronically on their website, or send a check to Walk & Knock, PO Box 353, Vancouver WA 98666.

To DRIVE & DROP, you could start adding a few items to a donation bag over the next couple of weeks to be ready to drop off on December 5. There will be eight drop-off locations around Clark County that you can take non-perishable food or toiletries to the Ridgefield site at View Ridge Middle School, 3215 S. Hillhurst Road.

You can also drop of donations during business hours from December 1-14 at Riverview Community Bank branches, Les Schwab Tire Centers or Cost Less Auto Parts.

Interservice Walk & Knock of Clark County is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization not affiliated with, but supportive of the Clark County Food Bank. All donations and financial contributions go to the Food Bank to help the less fortunate in our community.

The year has created unprecedented health, economic, environmental and social challenges for all of us. As the months of a pandemic and social unrest continue, the weather changes and the holiday season begins – the need for social connection, support and encouragement is greater than ever. The City of Ridgegfield has started a “creating connections campaign” that will help provide a connection between Ridgefield residents. Give a little, get a lot!

If you provide a little information, we will connect you to one other person to be your ‘Holiday Friend.’ We do ask that you make a commitment to be an active friend at least through the end of the year, and beyond if that is what you choose.

The information you provide will remain private and confidential. The only information that will be released is your name and contact information to your ‘Holiday Friend.’ Simply fill out our quick form by November 30th, and we will connect you with a friend by Saturday, December 5th. Submit your information here: https://lf.ridgefieldwa.us/Forms/gKmX6

The information you provide will remain private and confidential. The only information that will be released is your name and contact information to your ‘Holiday Friend.’ No one will monitor or ask about your connection. The City will provide the connection, and it is up to you from there.

For the first round of connections, submit by November 30th and we will have matches ready by Saturday, December 5th.

Pies from Thanksgiving’s past

There won’t be as many pies at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, as instead of having 30 or more people there will only be five, so apple and cherry are the pies of choice.

I am thankful we’re all healthy and happy. Thanksgiving Day is such a good time to think back to all the good times we’ve had in the past and look forward to the future. I was thinking the other day – I have been to 84 Thanksgiving dinners. Amazing!

Have a great day – count your blessings. I think you’ll find you have many more than you imagine.

Short stories are what to read when you don’t have time to read. That insight is part of what drives indie author Dan T. Cox, whose second short story collection—The Canyon Cuts Both Ways/hidden stories—is now available. The book, which is categorized as up-market commercial fiction, has earned strong literary reviews to date.

Cox crafted the overlapping stories in this collection to draw readers into Oregon’s North Santiam Canyon, recently in the news because of a wildfire. The powerful sense of place anchoring this cohesive work nearly elevates that canyon to the status of full-blown character—one with an omnipresent impact on the psychology of its inhabitants.

“One of my goals with these stories is to let readers slip in alongside the characters in a way that makes them feel immersed in what takes place,” said Cox. “But more importantly, I want readers to feel some level of satisfaction.”

Cox was born in 1953 in Corvallis, Oregon. He grew up in Oregon’s North Santiam Canyon, earned a journalism degree from theUniversity of Oregon, became part of Portland’s advertising creative community, and now lives in Ridgefield, Washington. To learn more, please visit: www.dantcox.com. The new title is now available at indie bookstores nationwide via IndieBound.org, and on Amazon.

What a wonderful soul the person who created this free little library must have! A whole little house full of books to read. Thought I would share this little local treasure I found so more can enjoy it. It’s across the street from Community Fairgrounds park. 216 NW 164th St, Ridgefield, WA 98642

~Thanks to Joanne Raitt for the photo and information

Winter is coming and with that our local Mom & Pop-owned restaurants face a challenge that we can help meet.

Our restaurants have done a masterful job responding to the difficulties posed by COVID-19. With the cold and rain of winter, however, they will likely lose many of their outdoor customers. To help them thrive this winter so they will be here to serve use when the virus abates, a group of Ridgefield residents are proposing the #98642Restaurant Challenge.

In making this challenge we understand that not everyone can afford to eat out. For those of us who can, however, we would like to solicit a pledge to regularly order take-out or eat-in this winter from our Mom and Pop-owned restaurants in the 98642 area code. The pledge can be to order weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly, depending on your circumstances and desires.

There’s no sign up – just make a pledge to yourself to support our local restaurants.

I checked the voter registration records today and found 1383 ballots were rejected – 2.3% of the total received so far.

You can check the status of your ballot by going to www.votewa.gov. When the website comes up, click on ‘my ballot’ on the left side, then ‘ballot status’ to find if your was accepted or rejected

Every vote counts – make sure yours was accepted!

WHY YOUR VOTE COUNTS!

If you ever think that just one vote in a sea of millions cannot make much of a difference, consider some of the closest elections in U.S. history.

In 2000, Al Gore narrowly lost the Electoral College vote to George W. Bush. The election came down to a recount in Florida, where Bush had won the popular vote by such a small margin that it triggered an automatic recount and a Supreme Court case (Bush v. Gore). In the end, Bush won Florida by 0.009 percent of the votes cast in the state, or 537 votes. Had 600 more pro-Gore voters gone to the polls in Florida that November, there may have been an entirely different president from 2000–2008.

More recently, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 by securing a close Electoral College win. Although the election did not come down to a handful of votes in one state, Trump’s votes in the Electoral College decided a tight race. Clinton had won the national popular vote by nearly three million votes, but the concentration of Trump voters in key districts in “swing” states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan helped seal enough electoral votes to win the presidency.

Your vote may not directly elect the president, but if your vote joins enough others in your voting district or county, your vote undoubtedly matters when it comes to electoral results. Most states have a “winner take all” system where the popular vote winner gets the state’s electoral votes. There are also local and state elections to consider. While presidential or other national elections usually get a significant voter turnout, local elections are typically decided by a much smaller group of voters.

~ Information from National Geographic Society

Nikkki Paulson and her daughter

Nikki Paulson was planning to attend the Portland women’s march, but with Covid cases surging, she was a bit nervous about that.

A couple days ago, her daughter came into her sewing room as she was making the sash for her costume. Her daughter got very excited and wanted her own sash. So Nikki decided to stick around town, make her daughter a sash, recruit her partner and son and do a little family march thru town this morning. They made a stop at the RACC ballot box to drop their ballots, then walked thru town, down to the waterfront then back to their house.

They got a few honks and lots of waves. Her daughter thought it was so fun!

Nikki says she’s been doing her best to model public service for her children, and this was one more way. Since Covid started, she’s made and donated over 1800 masks to local healthcare and essential workers as well as the Navajo Nation and Warm Springs reservation. She’s also written over 300 postcards to voters and they’ve helped with stamps.

Now that’s a worthwhile political statement!