The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

BIG DIFFERENCE--Last Saturday was certainly a big change from the previous one, as instead of trying to keep out of the blazing sun and shading ourselves with our umbrellas, like we had to do at the car show, we were raising those umbrellas to keep from getting soaked from some very heavy downpours! Of course, we did have some breaks, which were nice, but all in all, it was a pretty soggy day here in West Valley. However, just down the road, or in Cathlamet, the sun was shining and it was pretty doggone nice so it really depended on where you were as to what kind of day you had, but we were definitely living under a cloud down here! Sunday was super nice though, with plenty of sunshine and a breeze, so not too hot; a really perfect kind of a day!

SUMMER'S COMING--Summer will officially be here next Monday, June 20, and while we've already had quite a taste of Summer, we are supposed to have a fairly cool week until the weekend comes along. By the first day of Summer, we should be feeling the heat and hopefully we're all remembering the precautions we're supposed to be taking for our children, the elderly, ourselves and our four legged friends: stay hydrated, use sunscreen and provide water and shade for everyone. Also, I didn't think we'd have to mention this but if you have a hose in direct sun, remember to let the water run through it for a bit before using it on a person, pet or even your plants, as it can be scalding hot and can cause severe burns or damage.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those having birthdays from June 16-22 are Jason Ledtke, Keith Hoofnagle, Bobby Helms, Lori Smith, Megan Vincent, Deloris Wages, Krista Fritzie, Mike Paulsen Jr., Lore Twiet, Dawn Wika, Erik Grasseth, Bailey Havens, Jerry DeBraie, Signe Sause, Monica Frank Gaillard, Tyson Clark, Billie Bardsley, Danny Helms, Travis Gibson, Angel Rose, Kay Holland, Logan LaBerge, Barbara Hanmore and Rhonda Pedersen. Belated birthday wishes to Alec Christiansen who celebrated his big day last Saturday.

Happy Anniversary wishes go out to Stevan and Kathleen Morgain, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Montgomery, Phil and Elaine Rolf, Steve and Debbie McClain, Mr. and Mrs. Cal Grasseth, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Nortrup, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Souvenir, Mr. and Mrs. Nathan McCoy, Chris and Lacey Johnson, Mike and Kim Beaston and Larri and Sally Palmer. May all of your special days be memorable ones!

FRIDAY MOVIE--As usual, the free Friday movie will be held at the Senior Community Center beginning at 7 p.m., in Cathlamet. This week, there is the second part of a PG, youth/adult documentary.

FOS--On Saturday, June 18, there will be another concert at the River Life Interpretive Center which is located on the second floor of the historic Redmen Hall. This time the Friends of Skamokawa are proud to present one of the area's favorite folk singers, David McKenzie. He plays various instruments as he sings songs of nature and history which he has written himself. This will be an evening performance at 7 p.m., with the cost at just $5. If you have questions, be sure to call the hall at 795-3007, as they are open Thursday through Sunday, noon to four.

WINE TASTING--Speaking of the Friends of Skamokawa, it may seem like a ways off, but their annual Wine Tasting & Auction event will be here before you know it. This fun fundraiser is always held on the second Saturday of September. They are also counting on the generous donations that they receive from those who make the auctions, silent and live, so interesting and give everyone a variety of things to bid on. Whatever you opt to donate will truly be appreciated as this is the one big fundraiser of the year for the FOS and monies raised go for the continuing restoration and maintenance of the hall.

FATHER'S DAY--Here's hoping you've remembered that this Sunday, June 19, is Father's Day as I bet he'll be expecting a new tie, a nice dinner or a great power tool he's always been wanting, or maybe a good book, a big hug and a nice card. Whatever you opt to do, it will surely make his day special, so here's to all the Dads out there; may they have an awesome day!

KINGS ARE BACK--One of those things that you can do for Dad would be to reserve a table at the Duck Inn on Friday night, June 17, as the King Brothers will be back at the Duck Inn Lounge, so an early Father's Day dinner, with some great music might be a good plan. Of course, there's no need for a special reason to come and hear them and boogie away to that awesome old rock sound of theirs, complete with saxophone, so head to Skamokawa and enjoy a fun evening!

GR CAFE--We took a little trip over the hill last week and decided to check out the Grays River Cafe. After reading the big article on the Ruch family, and from the picture in last week's Eagle article, our waiter was obviously the family's 14 year old, Jack. I think he is a great example of how someone should be conducting themselves when being a server, as he was prompt, knowledgable, friendly, courteous and his winning smile topped off the whole meal. Great job!

VFW SALE--If you're looking for a good deal and you want to help a great organization, then head over to Puget Island, and you'll come across the VFW annual Garage Sale this Friday and Saturday. It's located at 739 SR 409, or as you head to the ferry, it will be off to the left just prior to East and West Sunny Sands junction. Their hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and if you miss it this week, you can stop by once again during the big Puget Island Garage and Yard Sale (PIGYS) sale on June 24 and 25!

BIBLE SCHOOL--There will be a Vacation Bible School program from June 27 to July 1, for children who are of the age to enter Kindergarten this Fall, through the 5th grade. The hours are 9 a.m. to noon each of those days, although check-in time on that first day will begin at 8:40 a.m., at theHeritage Bible Church on Puget Island.

You can pick up registration forms at the participating churches, or at St. James Family Center, The Wahkiakum Eagle or you can call Deborah Blumberg at 705-0077. Transportation from the St. James Center is available, but prior arrangements must be made. You're urged to sign up your kids today!

DONATIONS NEEDED--The Wahkiakum Search and Rescue group is in need of some sellable items for their upcoming garage sale/fundraiser on June 25, so if you have anything that you'd like to donate to this cause, please contact Beau Renfro, and he'll even make arrangements to pick up your items if necessary. You can contact him online at: refrob@co.wahkiakum.wa.us or call his office phone at 795-3242, or his cell: 360-957-3724 or the Westend folks should call 360-465-2202.

FAMILY--Visiting from California this past week were Brian and Mitzi Reed, who came to visit Peggy and Ralph Pedersen for a few days. Brian and Peggy are siblings and it had been awhile since they'd had a chance to visit, so they had a lot of catching up to do. The Reeds stayed down at the Elochoman Marina while they were here and thought the cabins were pretty nifty, and worked out just right for their stay. The couple purchased a pizza from Sharon's Pizza one day and brought it up to Peg and Ralph's to share with everybody, which not only included me, but also included cousin Sherry Stewart, so we had a good gab over some good pizza. Also coming by over the weekend was Mark Pedersen, who along with the Brian Reeds, went out to visit the Roger Reeds in the Elochoman while they were here. The following day it was a visit from Frank and Carolyn Pedersen to the Ralph Pedersens, so it's been a regular revolving door at their place lately.

CAN YOU HELP?--Many people know by now that local musician and jewelry maker, Pam Elliott has cancer. She is one of those people who is in the gap, where very expensive medicine is not available to her, except at bargain prices of $333 a pill! She needs some help in getting through all this, so if you can help her out in any way, with any amount, it certainly would be appreciated. If you are on Facebook, you will see that she has a "Gofundme" site which I am totally clueless about but if you can help that way, she'd sure appreciate it. If you're not into that kind of thing, then send it to Pam Elliott, at P.O. Box 62, Skamokawa, WA 98647. Remember, while many are unable to afford to send a lot, every little bit adds up, so no matter the amount, please send it as every dollar helps. Our thoughts and well wishes go out to Pam as she deals with these serious health issues.

OUT OF THE PAST--This week back in 1946, the week began real nice, then got quite hot, upper 80's, before it turned cold and wet by the end of the week. It was a busy week for the Ralph Everests as Ralph's brother and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. C. S. Everest, and Mrs. Alda Hellum of Seattle were all there for a visit. The group took a weekend trip down the Oregon coast and along the coastal waterways. It was especially interesting for Mrs. Hellum as it was her father, Cecil Everest, who had logged the land that is now Tongue Point, some 40 years earlier. It was a full house over at the home of Carol and Krist Pedersen on Puget Island as well, as Marian Everest Healy, Grace Pedersen Moore, Norma Pedersen Hall and all the children stayed there for the weekend. Later on, Carol took oldest son Ralph down to Astoria where he was to get fitted for glasses. Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Co. was pictured in the paper with Mrs. Ford, as they sat in the first car he ever built back in 1896. Mr. Ford was preparing for the celebration of the Automobile Golden Jubilee, in Dearborn, Michigan, which would honor him and other auto pioneers.

In 1961, the Everests were staying at daughter, Carol's house on Puget Island while they were in Alaska as they had all left at the first of the month. Lots of people were stopping by and helping them out as they had no car, so Thelma Renfro brought them some salt from town, and made plans with Grandma Elsie to fix her hair up the next day. Kenny Sorenson checked in and gave them some fish for dinner, while Inga Olsen dropped off some cake. The Tom Irvings picked them up and took them to the Grange meeting, where they had a very good turn out and wound up coming back quite late. She also went to Tholos' for the Dorcas meeting where 12 others were there, including Charlotte Gibbons Hegstad (Sonny) and three little girls. The weather had been quite warm with strong winds showing up at the end of the week. Mrs. Jennie Whitten of Skamokawa passed away that week at the age of 78. Services were held at the Skamokawa Methodist Church with the Rev. John Freeman officiating. Mrs. Harry Steffen was the organist and Mrs. Kent Elliott was the soloist. Pallbearers were Sid Parker, Ray Bunn, E. S. Baker, Herman Ellison, Tom Hall and R. B. Webb. Surviving her were one daughter, Mrs. Fleda Taylor and one son, Eugene Noyes. All this according to the diaries of my Grandma Elsie (Walker) Everest.