It looks like a few more snow flakes are in the forecast for this week. It would sure be nice to have more than one sunny day, though. At least then you could finish at least one outdoor project. I guess it wouldn’t be Washington without this kind of weather. Guess I’ll stick around and enjoy whatever comes.

News from Naselle:

Naselle-Grays River Valley student and daughter of Lonnie and Kim Eaton, Taylor Eaton took first place in the Long Beach Elks Hoop Shoot in December. She then attended the district competition at Huntington Middle School at Kelso in January and again first place. From there she went on to the state competition in Bellevue at Highland Middle School and took that top spot. She will now compete at Clark College on March 3.

Taylor was honored at the state level with the Al Schneider Memorial Award for the top female shooter (out of all age groups). Congratulations to a talented young lady and for being such a positive model in our community.

Students will get a three day weekend this week. Tomorrow (Friday) will be all the winter break there is for the kids. They had two snow days to make up and that shortened the usual break time.

Looking for a fun family evening? How about heading to the Naselle High School Variety Show on March 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to enjoy a little bit of everything entertaining. There will be singing, comedy, skits, acting, marimbas, piano and just about anything else you can imagine to entertain you. Something for everyone in the Naselle Commons. A donation of $5 can be made at the door, and snacks will be provided as well. That sounds like a great evening of showcasing our local talents.

Other news from the Westend:

This is the big weekend for the Crab and Oyster feed sponsored by the American Legion Deep River Post #111, to be held at the Rosburg Hall on Saturday with doors opening at 6 p.m. for happy hour. Crab and oysters with all the trimmings, raffle items, music and dancing. If you don’t have your tickets yet, you may still be able to purchase one by calling Dale Rose or any Legion member. Seating is limited to 225.

After noticing some issues with the propane heaters in individual rooms at the Grays River Valley Center, the Johnson Park Advisory Board hired Active Enterprises to come and service all of them. It seems that a thorough cleaning was all they needed, and as most everyone around here knows, the ladybugs have been around this year in droves. They like to get into tight places. If you are having problems with heaters or other appliances, you may want to check it out. Thank you for being so prompt and thorough, Active Enterprises.

Last month a preliminary meeting was held at Johnson Park for residents who wanted to work with the Red Cross in making the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park an Emergency Shelter. The people who filled out applications at the first meeting are asked to attend a Red Cross Orientation to become Red Cross volunteers as well as anyone else who is interested. The meeting will begin at noon on March 16 and will last about two hours. If you can't attend, you can do this orientation on line. Contact Cindy Lahti or Penny Gregory for more information.

After discussion with Wahkiakum County, the Grays River Habitat Enhancement District commissioners unanimously voted to hire engineer Russ Lawrence with StreamFix, collaborating with Dr. Frank Reckendorf, a registered engineering geologist, and PACE engineering, to do a report on the Loop Road failure. They have already been on site taking photos and measurements in preparation for a meeting with the county engineer, WDFW, the funding agency Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board, and the Grays River Habitat Enhancement District. The report and preliminary plan would hopefully result in a grant or combination of grants for stabilization of the slope and repair of the river and roadway.

A SEPA permit was approved by the Wahkiakum County Planning Commission last Thursday, for the installation of three 36 inch tidegates on Seal Slough, off Kandoll Road. These tidegates were designed to alleviate the problem of impounded water on the private properties near the Kandoll Road project put in by the Columbia Land Trust.

The Grays River Habitat Enhancement District meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Grays River Grange Hall. Their next meeting will be on March 14. The meetings are public and the citizens are encouraged to attend. The three volunteer commissioners are eager to hear your comments and concerns.

Tickets are available for the one day seminar on The Making of America to be held at the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park on April 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Seating is limited for this event. This seminar is sponsored by the National Center for Constitutional Studies. Please call 503 640-8265 for more information.

The Wednesday Senior Lunch Bunch that meets at Rosburg Hall will enjoy fried chicken, spuds and gravy, veggies, hot rolls and dessert on the 7th; On the 14th they will have corned beef and cabbage, carrots and potatoes, bread and dessert. Please join this group for a wonderful meal and great camaraderie.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays seniors can also enjoy a nutritious meal with friends at the same location, sponsored by CAP.

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Riki Saari, Jack Reinertsen, Debbie Littlefield, Crystal Lanz, Michael Gilbert, Seth Scrabeck, Blake Johnson, Karen Wirkkala, Sunday Busse, Wendy Strange, Michael Phipps, Grace Mattson, Melanie Bloom, Dustin Eaton, Walter Wirkkala, Matt Scrabeck, Lorne Wirkkala, Anita Raistakka, Bob Larson, Tucker Bennett and Ron Malerich. Have a wonderful celebration.

Happy Anniversary to Marco and Lisa Columbo, Rokey and Lori Scott and Roy and Shirley Herrold. Wishing you many more.

I had a request from Grays River resident Bruce Satterlund asking that I let the community know that Jerry Antilla, who grew up in Grays River, passed away a few weeks ago. He was a first cousin to Freida Footh and a second cousin to Bruce. No funeral was held but his son is having a celebration of life memorial this March 3 at 1 p.m. at the Grays River United Methodist Church. This note is for the folks in this area who knew Jerry and might want to attend the memorial.