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

I’m starting this column on a very heartwarming note this week. Remember the little missing dog from the Hull Creek area? Well, Cindy and Rick Lahti are happy to announce that their precious Glory has come home after being missing for several weeks. It appears that she may have been picked up by someone because some of her hair had been cut. She may have had to travel some distance to make it back home as she was quite emaciated, but is recovering nicely. I love to tell happy stories. Welcome home, Glory, and I’m happy to see you back with your family.

News from Naselle:

Naselle-Grays River Valley School sports calendar for this week: Thursdayhigh school girls basketball at North Beach at 5:45 pm .; Friday-middle school boys basketball at home with South Bend at 5:45 p.m .; Monday,-middle school boys basketball at home with Valley at 5:45 p.m .; Wednesday-middle school boys basketball at Raymond at 5:45 p.m. Go Comets!

The batting cage at the Naselle-Grays River Valley School is now open on Tuesday and Thursday at 5 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

Friends of Willapa National Wildlife Refuge visited the Naselle School fourth grade class last week. The group will visit once a month until May. Their first lesson was about the L.A.W.S. (light, air, water and soil) and the different types of habitats that the Wildlife refuge protects, such as sand dunes, forest, mudflats and salt marshes. Students were encouraged to visit and explore the five different stations of plants presented to them. They look forward to next month’s visit.

Only one more week until the annual Valentine Smorgasbord sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary, which will be held at the Naselle High School. The event will take place on February 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy all you can eat main dishes and salads as well as home made desserts. Adults are $10, pre-teens, $6 and under six, $2.

Do you use Western Family products which are sold at our local grocery stores? They are an excellent bargain for quality and are grown and packaged right here in the USA. Okie’s Select Market in Naselle is running a promotion where you can get a coupon for a markdown on many of the new Western Family items they will be stocking, and if you are not satisfied, you get double your money back. How can you beat a deal like that?

Other news from the Westend:

The Johnson Park Advisory Board will meet on February 8 at 12:30 p.m. in the Grays River Valley Library at Johnson Park. This volunteer group oversees the everyday workings of the park and center. Please join them with your ideas and expertise.

The kitchen at the Grays River Valley Center is officially classified as an approved kitchen. Now we will be able to do some fund raising events and the kitchen will be available for classes and rental.

I mentioned last week that there will be a Red Cross Shelter training program on Friday at the Grays River Valley Center. This training will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free. If you would like to join the training please sign up in the Grays River Valley Library or call Cindy Lahti at 465-2880. Bring a friend and learn how to set up the shelter in the event of a disaster and the class will be taught by Red Cross. There will be a mid day break so please bring a sack lunch.

Would you like to learn how to put plastic protection jackets on books? Ever wondered what happens to a book before that book gets put into the library system? Please join Randy and Mona Collver in the Grays River Valley Library on February 15 at 12:30 p.m. and learn how to get a book ready to be shelved in your library and maybe even be motivated to join as a volunteer.

Remember, library cards are free and the library and computer center are open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Grays River Habitat Enhancement District will hold its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, the 8th in the Grays River Grange Hall at 6 p.m. Landowners are encourage to attend these public meetings. The commissioners are always open to questions and comments from you, and can answer questions you may have on the issues of the Grays River. Refreshments will be served.

My apologies to the readers and sponsors of the Valentine Diamond Dinner for my error in last week’s column. The event will take place on Saturday, February 11th in the Skamokawa Grange Hall at 6 p.m. You will be treated to a scrumptious barbecued filet mignon steak wrapped in bacon and all the trimmings, with dessert and a glass of wine, as well as beautiful music. Your dinner ticket also gives you a chance for the grand prize (a beautiful diamond necklace), and you can purchase extra raffle tickets for all the beautiful prizes that have been donated to this venue.

Tickets are still available at the Bank of the Pacific in Cathlamet or you can call Becky Ledtke for more information. Proceeds from this dinner will benefit the Wahkiakum County Fair.

The annual oyster and crab feed, sponsored by the Deep River American Legion Post #111 will take place on March 3. Crab, steamed oysters, with salad, beans, etc and only 225 tickets are available. Lots of raffle items are also available. Doors open for happy hour at 6 p.m. Music and dancing to follow. Get your tickets now for $28, from a Legion member or call Dale Rose for more information. The proceeds from this event will benefit our local students and vets.

The Wahkiakum Fair Foundation (a separate organization from the Wahkiakum Fair Board) will hold an open house on February 7 at the Skamokawa Resort in the meeting room at 7 p.m. The purpose of this open house is to invite the community to meet with the current members and to learn the Foundation’s mission and goals. This group is made up of volunteers who are willing to do fund raising for projects and improvements to the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds, not covered by other funds. Learn what you can do to help, even if you only have a few hours to give.

The Wednesday Senior Lunch Bunch meets at the Rosburg Hall each week at noon. Nutritious lunches are prepared and served by Pat Potter and her volunteer crew for a nominal donation.

CAP provides senior lunches at the same location on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon as well. Check them out for great meals. Enjoy nutritious meals and good company three days a week.

Happy Birthday to Cassie VanDusen, Chandler Chapman, Jeanine Helvey, James Lovin, Art Busse, Kristen Saari, Alan Erickson, Betty Vaughn, Mindy McNulty, Stacey Trimble, Marco Columbo, Joyce Thornburg, Darrill Corbin, Michael Ehrlund, and Blake Nikolas. I hope your day is extra special.

Happy Anniversary wishes go out to Jon and Angie Chapman, Bob and Angelee Torppa, Bud and Wendy Strange, and John and Alma Dryer. Wishing you many more celebrations together.

We enjoyed our visit with my sister and her friend from California but they headed back home on Monday of this week. Their plan is to come back in a few months for a longer stay. It’s so nice to have extra family around, even for a little while.