“In anticipation of what is often a critical revenue window for many businesses, Visit Vancouver USA has launched their ‘Shop the Couve’ effort for the season, urging residents and visitors to enjoy the best of Southwest Washington by supporting the unique stores and services the region has to offer.

“… This is the perfect opportunity to really take this pandemic thing to the next level by testing out some of the more intense body care experiments out there. What do I mean? Well, there is a handful of personal hygiene and lifestyle choices that can have short-term, off-putting consequences for a few days (weeks?)… “

“In a year of upheaval, administrators and educators have adapted in unexpected ways to the global pandemic. Somewhere in the mayhem lies the critical question of substitutes: what happens when a teacher, administrator, or other school employee calls in sick or needs to take a leave of absence?“

“I still haven’t nailed down my election night plans. However, I know I want to prioritize my mental health in this bulldozer of a year. As with every night of the last eight months, I can say with certainty we will be home. It will be my husband, myself, our four children, three chickens, one dog, and one bearded dragon. That sounds chaotic enough….”

If you’re looking for a career success story, Lynn Tribon’s rise within the ranks at Adair Homes reads like an American dream, with a sentimental twist.

“The aches and pains of 2020 have come in both physical and emotional forms, and the team at The Herb Shoppe has seen an uptick in customers seeking relief from both. Through herbal offerings of teas, tinctures, salves, and more, The Herb Shoppe serves up ‘traditional medicine for a modern time’ from its location on N. Mississippi Avenue, seven days per week.”

“I’ve often thought that if there was more of an a-la-carte photo service, I’d be game. Book a slot, whoever shows up gets some photos taken, and you pay for whatever photos you want to keep. Done. Enter Shoott, a new-to-Portland photography service…”

“For the 2020 edition of Dine the Couve, an event hosted every October by Visit Vancouver USA, 36 restaurants across Clark County will be offering up three-item menu specials for $25… The promotion has also moved to a full- day event, so diners can find breakfast and lunch options in addition to dinner deals…”

“Headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, Adair Homes began in 1969 and now employs 150 people across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Arizona. The company works diligently to keep staff unified across the distance, with regular events, an online leadership book club, and even a competitive potluck between branches.”

“Despite the unusual circumstances and ongoing uncertainty of 2020, Estacada School District was named a winner in this year’s Top Workplaces competition, highlighting the strong measures the district has taken to support its staff and the families it serves. With the onslaught of Oregon wildfires affecting the region, Estacada Schools continued to show up for its community in unprecedented ways.”

The bustling Surgery Center of Southern Oregon offers an alternative to in-hospital medical procedures, and numbers suggest that many patients find the convenience of an outpatient option appealing. With an estimated 15,000 patient visits per year, and approximately 300 procedures per week, the team at the Surgery Center run an efficient operation with no signs of slowing down.

The [Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon] uses a peer-based model that serves people experiencing mental health and/or addiction challenges. The association’s 32 trained and certified peer support specialists, who identify as having lived the experience of mental health or addiction, walk alongside those seeking assistance on their path to recovery.

Springtime distance-learning was a hot mess in our house… As the unofficial family point-person for all things education, I made the executive decision that we needed to re-think our fall strategy. First step: create a new home environment for distance-learning, in the hopes of bringing some of that back-to-school magic into our family room, in lieu of the classroom.

“As COVID-19 swept across the country, killing patients and medical staff alike, it posed a painful question for senior nurses no longer serving in emergency rooms or intensive care units: Did they want to go back? How much should they risk their own health, or the health of their loved ones, to save perfect strangers?…”

“When I first heard that schools were transitioning to online learning due to the coronavirus, my first thought was, ‘But what about all the kids without home internet?’ While teachers are being amazing and reassuring families that we’re all in this together, I can’t help but worry about children getting left behind. Our partners at Comcast reached out to Portland Mom Collective because they are working hard to ensure that doesn’t happen to ANY students…”

“The narrator was charismatic and skilled at working with young audiences, regularly bringing in call-and-response moments to make the performance interactive. How many children can yell “lettuce” at the same time? Turns out, an entire auditorium.”

One of the places Oregon caregivers turn to is Thelma’s Place, an intergenerational day center with locations in Canby and Redmond. The center provides daytime respite for those caring for a loved one at home, incorporating a creative, therapeutic approach to care…

Children are dancing their hearts out to the tune of “Baby Shark” in school gymnasiums throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. If you haven’t yet experienced the “Baby Shark” phenomenon…