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

MIXED BAG. Well, we certainly had a big mix up of weather this past weekend, as one minute it would be nice and sunny and then the wind would blow in....hard...and the next thing we knew, the rain would pour down and the branches were coming off the trees onto the road and then "poof", that was gone and it would be nice again. There were areas where folks got a lot of hail too, but that seemed to be "here and there" throughout the county, so for those who got some of that, well, your new planting may have taken a beating....ugh! Forecasters say we'll have some more rain for a few days which now includes the weekend which originally was supposed to be dry, so that sure has changed...shoot! I am enjoying seeing some sunshine on this Monday, but I do wish it would stay this way a little longer as my ole bones sure do ache during those cold, rainy days!

SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays this coming week, which ends this month and starts another, April 25 thru May 1 are: Mike Snow, Kent Martin, Kelly McClain, Debbie McClain, Ricky Montgomery, Melissa Garrett, Mary Vik, Anita Hoven, Carol Danker, Carrie Backman, Jenna Engle, Darren Olsen, David Faubion, Troy Heagy, Connie Luthi, Carolyn LaBerge, Scott Holland, Caren Chandler, Wolfgang Hoven, Patience Nortrup, Brendan Glaser, Shawn Woods, Max Scudder, Aaron Bernard and Abby Pedersen. Happy Anniversary wishes go out to Kent and Irene Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Paulsen and Tim and Margie Pedersen.....here's wishing all of you wonderful celebrations on your special days.

GET WELL. We were certainly sorry to hear about one of our favorite people having a bad fall and bad ankle break recently, as it looks like Cindy Seaberg Faubion really did a number on her poor foot! She had surgery to fix multiple fractures and there's enough nuts and bolts and screws in her leg/foot to open a hardware store I think....ouch! We certainly want to send our former nurse, paramedic, firefighter aka: "hero" a great big batch of good wishes for a speedy recovery from this nasty injury.

A former Puget Island resident, Phil Corbin is needing some good thoughts and prayers right now as well, as he fell off a ladder due to a heart attack and suffered even more injuries, like fractured ribs and clavicle on his left side and well, he was in pretty rough shape there for awhile. He was taken to the hospital in Centralia at first but after some tests, they sent him up to St. Peter's Hospital in Olympia. Thankfully, after surgery to get those blockages cleared up, he was doing much better and in spite of some pain, was able to crack some jokes and seemed in real good spirits. That was great news! We hope everyone will continue to keep him in their thoughts as he continues to heal. Take care Phil....get well soon!

We were sorry to learn that Julie Iverson had to make a trip to the hospital recently after some breathing problems but is back at home now. However she is having to take oxygen bottles with her when she travels, but while that's not so great, her hubby, Mike made an "oxygen rack" set up for her in the car, so she's able to be mobile for quite awhile, which is great for Dr. trips or even just a trip down to the park to view the river and enjoy a change of scenery for a bit, which of course is really great for ones spirits....good job Mike! We will keep Julie in our thoughts and wish her the very best.

CLOSE CALL. There has been a lot of wild weather around our country lately and one of those living in the "tornado zone" was Shane Pedersen, who was right in the path of one in Illinois recently. Thankfully, it just missed him there, so we all were grateful to hear that and sighed a huge sigh of relief! Shane is the grandson of Tim Pedersen, who was a former Wahkiakum County resident and was a WHS graduate. Always great to hear some "good" news for a change!

AT THE HOPE CENTER. "Wahkiakum Outdoors" presents: Coastal Resilience Across SW Washington; which involves projects, programs and lessons learned. This is put on by the Pacific Conservation District, and will take place up at the Hope Center in Cathlamet, near the grade school, on April 27th at 2 PM.

TIME TO DANCE! Don't forget, this Saturday evening from 6 to 8 PM, the St. James Family Center will be holding their "Enchanted Forest Ball", so I do hope you have plans to take your kids there, dance a bit and have some fun. Tickets are five dollars each but those little ones that are enrolled at SJFC get in free. So, put on some nice attire and get yourself to the ball....refreshments and snacks will be provided. Have fun everybody!

COMMUNITY BREAKFAST. I hope you have a bit of time this Thursday to drop by the Skamokawa Grange Hall, where from 10 to noon you can get a free breakfast and some coffee too! Not only do they have breakfast, but they have a food pantry if you need a few items for your family and if you need anything else, well, let someone know and they could possibly help you out. As always, donations are appreciated to help pay the rent and as always, they take donations of items they use at the breakfast, like coffee, biscuits and gravy, paper plates and napkins.....your help keeps this program going!

MUSEUM OPENING. Next Saturday, May 4, the Wahkiakum Historical Museum is opening up and operate Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 PM on those days. This past Monday, volunteers were meeting up to spruce up the inside and the outside prior to the open.....and hopefully the weather co-operated for the outdoor work to be done. As always, the museum is operated by volunteers and more are already needed to help host on weekends so if you happen to have a few hours on a weekend once a month, the folks in charge would love for you to give them a call and they'll gladly train you while working alongside you. Call Kari at 360-849-4353 for more info.

MAY HAPPENINGS. There's a whole lot happening coming up this coming month, so I hope you've got your running shoes on because it's going to be a very busy time. There's one big thing you might want to put at the head of your list however, as May 12 is Mother's Day and you certainly want to make sure you remember the special woman/women in your life.....be it your Mom, that special Aunt, your daughter, etc.......whether it's a quick phone call, a card or a full out dinner and gift, just anything will do....but doing "nothing" is going to get you on the naughty list come Christmas, so circle May 12 on your calendar today! I also know there will be plenty of Mother's Day dinner specials at our local eateries so be sure to make that reservation early.

We start off the month with May Day, which often means giving flowers to one another in some surprise way, so keep that day in mind. Do kids do the May Day dance thing anymore? Probably not, but hey, dancing around a May Pole was fun!

May 4 is when the gals wanting to show off their best fancy hat at the Friends of Skamokawa's Spring Tea, which is being held on the second floor from 1 to 3 PM. This is the second time for this event, which includes a raffle fundraiser event as well. As of this writing, there were some spots available but call right away to make sure: 360-795-3007.

The second Saturday of the month, May 11 brings two great events, as the fairgrounds down here in Skamokawa will be bustling with their vendors in the Youth Building and also their big sale in the T-building, so they hope you'll stop by during their regular hours of 9 AM to 3 PM. As a reminder, this event happens every second Saturday of the month.

Also happening on that same date, but during the evening hours, is the monthly Bingo games over at the Norse Hall on Puget, located at 444 SR 409.....that's the big white building on the west side of the highway near the Bernie Slough Bridge. We have lots of new folks in the area, so that's why I'm mentioning landmarks and addresses, as they may be unaware of these places that we old-timers are so familiar with but others aren't. The games start at 6...doors open at 5:30.

On May 18, the Skamokawa area will be bustling with folks as they sign in in for the Wahkiakum 4-H Great White Tail Run that morning, which happens at the Skamokawa Vista Park. They will then be taking off around a course on the refuge. You can register on-line and check out the costs, times and all that there or just call the Extension office at 360-795-3278.

Also on the same day but during the evening hours, beginning at 5 PM, there will be a fund raising event for Bo Wages at "The "O", so come on down an enjoy some live music, a silent auction and a drink at this historic building. There will be a ten dollar cover charge with all the proceeds going to the Wages' family. The "O' is at 8 Fairgrounds Road here in Skamokawa.

FAIR TIME/VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. Prior to the Wahkiakum County Fair opening in mid-August, many volunteers are needed to prepare for the crowds that will be arriving during the three day event, which is August 15, 16 and 17 this year. The wonderful T-building is one of those places that needs help getting it all decorated up 3 days prior to the accepting of exhibits and also needing folks who are willing to accept entries for those wanting to exhibit their quilts, canned goods, flowers, baked goods, etc....so if you can help out in any way, please contact Martie Vavoudis at: mudwoman@live.com.

I do hope all the folks who are thinking about entering something in the fair, wind up getting their thinking caps on now and are going to join the host of others who love showing off how crafty and talented they are! Don't forget to have your kids making and baking and drawing and painting things too, as kids love to show off their hard work and well, if they can grow some good plants, make up an exhibit, take some good photos, etc., then they will also be making some spending money as well, and who doesn't like that? Be sure to get a fair book when they come out and follow the rules in each category as you don't want to disappoint your little one because you failed to read the instructions/directions carefully. They also have to be taken to the fair on specific days and times as well. It's all laid out in the book, so it's easy to follow....we hope to see lots of entries once again this year, as all of your participation makes for a better fair experience!! (If you are entering or showing animals, I believe they have very specific times prior to the other entries so be aware of those.)

FAMILY GATHERING/BIRTHDAY. On July 27, members of the Jonas Pedersen family and members of the Ralph Everest/Walker family, are being invited to meet up at the Norse Hall that day between noon and 5 PM, for a bit of a celebration; you see, this Pedersen gal will be turning three quarters of a century old and my immediate family thought I should have a celebration and invite some of the rest of the crew to help celebrate! Ha! So, beings the Norse Hall connects us Norskies' on the Pedersen side of the family, what better place to hold a birthday and family gathering?! As we get a little older, we really enjoy that nice flat, no stairs entrance to the basement level, so for any family members using canes or wheel chairs, you'll be able to get in to the hall with no problems at all! Lunch is being provided about 1 PM, and along with the birthday cake and other goodies that the Sechler family is providing, I'm sure we'll have plenty to eat in between gabbing! I love having family members who can seemingly whip up a tasty, bountiful banquet with such ease! I hope all members of both sides of my family are able to show up and will spread the word too! Please let me know if you're able to show up; phone/email is list above....it should be fun!