Hi Vancouver, hope you’re having a great weekend! In today's in-case-you-missed-it edition: New Amtrak Airo train, a Thief remaster, and Juneteenth freedom celebration + the top stories from this week & a sneak peek at next week.
Your insurance won't cover a $12,000 HVAC bill: If your furnace quits before it warms up, your homeowners insurance will tell you it's a "maintenance issue" and wish you luck. Insurance covers sudden disasters. It doesn't cover the systems that wear out over time, and those are the expensive ones. A home warranty is built for exactly this. HVAC, water heater, appliances, plumbing, electrical... all covered for less than $1/day with no age restrictions on what's covered. You call, they send a tech, you pay a service fee. They handle the rest. This one's 50% off right now.* |
01 — Worth knowing Most popular stories this weekThe three top stories this week, plus a few worth your money.
New finance leader named: The City of Vancouver appointed Katie Shifley as chief financial officer, joining from Multnomah County Library. She will oversee a $2.2 billion biennial budget and will start in late July -- meet Vancouver’s new CFO.
A classic returns: Nightdive Studios revealed a remaster of the 1998 stealth classic Thief at last Sunday’s PC Gaming Show, bringing the series to PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch for modern players this winter -- check the remaster details.
New rail era begins: Amtrak’s first Airo train arrived in Seattle for testing, promising more seats and amenities on Cascades service from Eugene to Vancouver, BC, with use possible by the end of fall -- catch the new Airo details.
The bill all retirees should double check: Car insurance. If you’ve been on the same plan for years, you might be paying way more than you need to. It’s an easy one to forget about, but switching could save you up to $600 this year. Case in point: I shopped around and ended up cutting my premium in half — this free comparison tool makes it easy.*
An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial walk-in-the-door fee to x-rays, surgery, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could save thousands on your next vet bill with Lemonade*. All the crowd favorites: |
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03 — On our radar
This week's top findsLocal spotlights your fellow readers loved last week.
Add to your stack: Vintage Books is an independent, family-owned bookstore serving Vancouver since 1975, packed with used, collectible, and rare finds, plus car manuals for the weekend wrench-turner. Cozy pine shelves, vintage rugs, and resident bookstore cats make browsing feel like visiting a friend with impeccable taste.
Movie night, but cooler: Skip the megaplex, Kiggins Theatre keeps it delightfully local with a curated mix of classics, indies, and oddball gems in a restored 1936 beauty. Grab a beer or wine from the Marquee Lounge and make it a downtown night you actually remember.
Date night, upgraded: Kismet Restaurant brings intimate, 36-seat fine dining to Vancouver with a seasonal, chef-curated prix fixe that feels thoughtful, not fussy. Perfect for when you want to celebrate something... or just pretend it’s a celebration, the menu shifts with what’s freshest, so every visit feels a little serendipitous.
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04 — Our recommendations
We got your backA handful of products and services we think are worth a look.
What if better balance was a few minutes away? You don't need a gym or a single piece of equipment to feel steadier on your feet. A few minutes a day of Tai Chi walking, slow, controlled steps paired with steady breathing, gently rebuilds the balance and leg strength that keep you stable. A short quiz shapes it into a routine that fits your day and grows with you over time. *See your plan →
Google your own name and you'll probably find your home address: It's sitting on a people-search site right now, next to your age, your relatives, and your phone number, free for anyone to look up. Incogni gets it taken down. It contacts 420+ data brokers on your behalf, uses privacy laws to legally demand deletion, and keeps resending requests so your information doesn't creep back online. No hours of opt-out forms, it runs quietly in the background. *Remove my data →
Your plastic cutting board sheds 100 to 300 microplastic particles per knife stroke. Half of them wash down the drain, but the other half end up in your food. And if you're thinking about switching to wood to avoid it, that grain soaks up bacteria you can't scrub out. We found a cleaner solution to tackle these two issues. *Check it out →
The card that pays you to pay down debt: Most balance-transfer cards skip the rewards. Most rewards cards skip the long 0% intro APR. This one has both: 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, plus 5% cash back in rotating quarterly categories like grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations (up to the quarterly max, when you activate) and 1% on everything else. No annual fee, and the cash back you earn is automatically matched at the end of your first year. *Worth a look →
Premiums are up roughly 46% since 2021: Home insurance has outpaced inflation for years, and renewals rarely move in your favor. Rather than take the new number on faith, FinanceBuzz lets you match your home with top-rated insurers and compare quotes side by side — free, in about two minutes. Even if you decide to stay put, you'll know you checked. *See your options → |
Have an event to share? We (and our readers) can't wait to hear about it! Submit an event → |
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05 — The event calendar Sneak peek at next weekPlan ahead for the next seven days. Dates, times, and locations are subject to change. Always check official event pages before heading out.
🌸 Seasonal Floral Bowls & Bee Baths @ Melt Glass Art Supply | Monday (6/15) at 6:00 PM – Swap spring cleaning for molten-glass therapy at a workshop where you design a floral bowl, plate, or bee bath. Choose your colors and pattern, all materials and kiln work included, beginner friendly, pick up in about two weeks, and yes, the bees will notice.
🌲 June Forest Walk @ Columbia Springs | Wednesday (6/17) at 3:30 PM – Trade screen time for tree time on a guided forest walk at Columbia Springs, where staff and savvy volunteers point out who’s chirping, blooming, and scurrying. Family friendly, not stroller friendly, so lace up decent shoes, embrace the weather, and enjoy actual quiet.
🧘 Summer Solstice Yoga and Sound Bath @ Lacamas Lake Lodge | Wednesday (6/17) at 7:00 PM – Celebrate the solstice with Solar Flow yoga followed by a celestial sound bath, a full-sensory reset for those of us who prefer enlightenment without burpees. Stretch, breathe, and let the bowls, gongs, and good vibes leave you humming higher than your phone.
🎭 The Bridges of Madison County @ Magenta Theater | Thursday (6/18) at 7:30 PM – Magenta Theater is staging The Bridges of Madison County, a sweeping, grown-up romance with Jason Robert Brown’s Tony-winning score, and yes, bridges. Francesca plans a quiet Iowa week, then a rugged photographer asks for directions, and suddenly the what ifs and the harmonies won’t quit.
🐝 3rd Annual Pollinator Festival @ Marshall Center | Saturday (6/20) at 9:00 AM – Garden season calls for bees, blooms, and some smug native-plant talk at Marshall Park. The Pollinator Festival brings a keynote from Dr. Doug Tallamy of Homegrown National Park, hands-on demos, kid-friendly fun, and hive talk galore, so bring curiosity, sunscreen, and your best bee puns.
✊ Juneteenth Freedom Celebration @ Esther Short Park | Saturday (6/20) at 10:00 AM – Think you know community pride? The Juneteenth Freedom Celebration keeps it real with free, all-ages fun, live music, and local voices that actually deserve a microphone. Bring the kids, the grandparents, and that lawn chair you reserve for worthy occasions, then settle in.
🚗 Clark County Fathers Day Car Show @ Vancouver Mall | Sunday (6/21) at 10:00 AM – Think Dad wants socks again? Take him to the Clark County Father's Day car show at Vancouver Mall, hosted by Orchards Cars & Coffee, with classics, live music, food, and raffles. Same scene you loved when it was the Couve Auto Show, only shinier.
Want more? Browse our full events calendar | Submit an event |
06 — Announcement In case you missed itWe opened The Insiders’ Club last week and hundreds of folks have already joined (seriously… can’t thank you enough!!). For a few bucks a month, The Club gives you every newsletter ad-free on your schedule, plus members-only updates to help you stay connected to your community. The Weekly Events Roundup is my favorite feature. You get one email a week with all the best events and nothing else cluttering it up. Want only that? Skip the daily emails and turn the rest off. Join the club → |
07 — The Vancouver report Weather forecastToday — High: 96°F — Low: 65°F — Precip: 0%
Sunny, with a high near 96. North northeast wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Later: Mostly clear, with a low around 65. North wind 2 to 7 mph.
Tomorrow — High: 98°F — Low: 64°F — Precip: 0%
Mostly sunny, with a high near 98. North wind 1 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Later: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. North northwest wind 2 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Most popular house this weekThis three-level Camas stunner pairs modern luxury with serious flexibility, featuring three upstairs bedrooms, each with its own full bath. The main level brings a designer kitchen, butler’s pantry, wine cellar, and covered patio for easy entertaining. Downstairs adds a sauna, lounge, theater room, and guest suite, all backed by a three-car garage and landscaped yard.
Take a peek inside → |
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