Saturday, July 18, 2026 • Vol. 19
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Ballots, Buffalo Trace, and a Lizard Named Craig
Sales all over town, live music all weekend, and one wagon of reptiles at Starbucks.
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TK and I saw The Odyssey this week and I'm just going to say it: it's brilliant. Ignore whatever the internet is yelling about — it's beautifully done, and if you ever loved Homer (or suffered through him in tenth grade), you owe yourself the big screen. IMAX if you can swing it.
Also, your periodic reminder that the Ridgefield Raptors exist and are the lowest-stress afternoon in town. I barely watched the game Sunday and had a perfect day. Pro move: slip in after the 4th or 5th inning (check on the exact inning first) when it's free, park yourself on the lawn with a blanket and a book, let the kids run wild, eat cheap ballpark food. You're welcome.
Big issue this week. Let's go.
— Shannon Hayes
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In this issue
→ The News — ballots are out, and 150 years of Ridgefield teachers retire
→ Community Changemakers recap (with bourbon)
→ On the site — honor stands, a town-wide thank-you note, and Craig
→ New on the website — Sales & Specials + Ridgefield Gives Back
→ This weekend — farmers market, live music everywhere, garage sales
→ The Buzz — needles, a museum, and Rhonda
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The News
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Civic
Check Your Mailbox — Ballots Are Out
Clark County started mailing ballots Tuesday for the August 4 primary and special election, which includes county races and more. If yours hasn't shown up by July 23, call the Elections Office for a replacement, and if you need to register or update your registration, the online deadline is July 27.
Drop boxes close at 8 p.m. sharp on Election Day, and the voters' guide and sample ballot are at clarkvotes.org. Don't be the person who finds the ballot under a pile of catalogs on August 5.
Full details at The Reflector →
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Schools
150+ Years of Showing Up for Ridgefield Kids
Five Ridgefield School District employees are retiring this year with more than 150 years of combined service between them. That's generations of Ridgefield kids taught, coached, fed, patched up, and cheered on.
The Reflector has the names and the stories — worth a read, especially if one of them changed your kid's year (or yours).
Read the story at The Reflector →
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Community
Community Changemakers Delivered — Full Recap Is Up
Mayor Matt Cole and Councilwoman Meghan Hamilton getting ready to auction off a bottle of Buffalo Trace.
Wednesday's Community Changemakers night at The Neighborhood Refuge was everything we hoped — real stories, a packed room, and yes, the Mayor auctioning bourbon for a good cause. I was there, and I've updated the post with a full recap.
Read the full recap →
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On the Site This Week
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Food & Drink
In Lockbox We Trust: A Guide to Ridgefield's Honor Stands
Flowers, eggs, produce, and a cash box on the honor system — the full guide to Ridgefield's farm stands, the OGs and the newcomers. It's peak season. Go say hi to a lockbox.
Read it →
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News
A Thank-You Note Landed in Our Inbox — Addressed to All of Ridgefield
NWCAVE planted roots in Ridgefield this year, and this town showed up — donations, clothing, and a whole lot of heart. They wrote back. It's addressed to you.
Read it →
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Coming Next Week
About That Wagon of Snakes at Starbucks…
If you were floating around Starbucks on Wednesday and saw a lady with a wagon of snakes, geckos, and spiders — no, that was not me. Snakes and I are not friends. That was Courtney Griffin, owner of The Critter Room, who showed up to our interview with a bunch of her kids in tow — including internet-famous legless lizard Craig (pictured, mid-menace). It turned into a full parking-lot reptile education session, kids and adults stopping to touch and learn while many of us (hi, me) observed from the safety of the Starbucks windows. For the record, I did pet a very smooth gecko named Lilly. Full story hits the site this week.
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New on the Website
Sales & Specials — Now Living on the Homepage
We built a new section on the homepage where every store sale, garage sale, and one-off deal in town lives in one spot. It changes weekly. Here's what's on it right now:
Juxtaposition — the closing sale continues and everything is now up to 75% off. If you've been circling something, stop circling. Details here.
Hallstrom Home — the once-a-year 25% off MacKenzie-Childs sale is on, plus 45% off all rugs. This one does not come around again until next year. Go.
JoJo & Coco — JoAnna shared on Instagram that the store is getting a refresh, with a rebrand and updated products on the way, and they'll close briefly in early August to make it happen. Which means: inventory-moving sales are happening now. Stop by before the makeover.
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Having a sale? Garage sale coming up? Send it in and we'll add it — store sales and driveway sales alike.
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Ridgefield Gives Back — All the Good Causes, One Spot
Also new: a community section where fundraisers, benefits, and booster drives all live together. We post these at no cost — it's part of the deal of living here. Two that need you right now:
⏰ Time-sensitive: Ridgefield 12U All-Stars head to State. Our back-to-back district champs head out for Walla Walla today — this is the very last call to help get them there. Here's how to help.
Paddle for Life Dragon Boat Festival — August 1. Fifty dragon boat teams, free admission, food trucks, and a cause worth cheering for. Mark it. All the details.
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This Weekend
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Live Music at The Neighborhood Refuge
Tonight • 113 S Main Ave, downtown
Live music tonight at the town's favorite cocktail bar. You know the drill — go early, the good seats go fast.
Details →
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Ridgefield Farmers Market
This morning • Davis Park
Your weekly reminder that Saturday mornings belong at Davis Park. Produce, vendors, and the whole town in one place.
Market guide →
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Live Music at Ridgefield Craft Brewing
Today
Beer plus live music on a July Saturday. This one plans itself.
Details →
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Live Music at Ridgefield Wine Company
Today
Prefer a glass of wine with your live music? Ridgefield Wine Company has you covered today. Between this, the brewery, and the Refuge, there is zero excuse to stay home.
Details →
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Garage Sale Weekend, Apparently
Saturday & Sunday • all over town
The signs are up everywhere. There's a multi-family neighborhood sale in Taverner Ridge (Saturday 9am–4pm), plus single sales all over — just from this morning's dog walk: 3809 N Fifth Way, N 40th Ave, N 4th Way, and 511 N Allen Creek Dr. Follow the cardboard for the rest.
Sales & Specials on the homepage →
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See the Full Events Calendar
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👀 The Buzz
What we're watching in 98642.
Needles are coming to Pioneer Ridge. Our source in the reflective orange vest says an acupuncturist is setting up shop on Settler Drive — basically next door to Yoga Ridge, which honestly is a perfect pairing. I've never had acupuncture. I want to want it. But then I remember it is, at its core, a needle subscription service, and I need a minute. If you go first, report back.
A history museum — sort of — is in the works. Word is a temporary historical display (pop-up? exhibit? we'll find out) is being put together for the Greely building. Details are thin, but I'm on it. More as I know it.
Rhonda is staying put — exhale. If the "Rhonda is selling Hallstrom Home" chatter reached you: she considered it, briefly, and decided she's not going anywhere. Thank god. Now go celebrate at her rug sale (see above).
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Got a tip? Know something we don't?
Permit sightings, new signage, sales, an event we should know about — reply to this email or submit it here. That's how community news actually works.
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Go see a movie, buy something from a driveway, and cheer on some 12-year-olds headed to Walla Walla. See you around town.
— Shannon Hayes
Your most plugged-in neighbor
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