Welcome to Spring? Rain, snow, wind, a bit of sun, thunder, rainbows, you name it we’ve seen it. Now it looks like more rain on the way.

News from Naselle:

Sports calendar for the Naselle Comets this week: Thursday (today)-track at Raymond at 3:30 p.m., baseball and fastpitch with Northwest Christian at Naselle at 4 p.m .; Monday -baseball and fastpitch with Ocosta at Naselle at 4 p.m. Tuesday-baseball and fastpitch at Wahkiakum at 3:30 p.m .; Wednesday-middle school track at Ocosta at 3:30 p.m. Go Comets!

On Friday there will be a fund raising dinner for the 24 Naselle High School students and chaperones who will travel to Washington, D.C., this spring. Donations will be accepted for the chicken adobo and lumpia dinner being held in the Naselle Commons from 5 to 7 p.m.

This once in a lifetime experience will cost about $1000 and these kids are working hard to reach their goal.

While in Washington, D. C., they will have the opportunity to learn while visiting the Smithsonian Institute, the U. S. Supreme Court, the U. S. Senate, House of Representatives, Library of Congress and the National Archives.

If you are interested in donating to this trip or helping to sponsor a child, you can send checks payable to Naselle High School in Naselle. For more information please contact Russ Hickman and Naselle High School (360) 484-7121, extension 231.

The Naselle School will hold their annual Science Fair this next week. Students have been working hard to get their projects implemented and entered into the fair competition. Winners will be recognized at the conclusion of the fair judging.

Other news from the Westend:

The Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park is officially listed as an emergency shelter according to Red Cross. The initial orientation was held last week for several of the newly recruited Red Cross volunteers. There will be more training sessions, including a Red Cross First Aid certification, to be announced. For more information on being a Red Cross volunteer, please contact Cindy Lahti.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Fish Preservation Workshop (an introduction to home pressure canning of fish) being held on April 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the kitchen of the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park. The class size is limited to eight and each person will go home with a finished product. Other seafood preservation information will also be available.

A pressure gauge check for your home canner will also be held at the same location from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

The class is being taught through the W. S. U. Master Preservation Program with a grant from the Wahkiakum Marine Resource Committee. There is no cost for the class or for a pressure gauge check.

For more information or to sign up for the workshop, please call Carol at 360-465-2275 or the WSU Extension office at 360-795-3278.

The Johnson Park Advisory Board is putting out a request to the community for info on the Old Rosburg School. In 2013 the school will officially be 75 years old, and we would like to commemorate the milestone. There must be many of you longtime residents who spent your youth in those halls and classrooms, so why not share those memories with those of us who weren’t so lucky?

On April 18, the board would like to invite alumni (all years), employees, and anyone with “Stories to Tell” to join us for tea/coffee and cookies and share some of those tales from 1 to 3 p.m. We will provide a recorder, people to take notes and note paper and pens for you to use. If you would like to share photos as well, we will try and have a copier available. It should be a fun beginning to a Happy 75th Birthday to the Rosburg School, don’t you think? Please join us. For more information, please contact Penny Gregory or Judy Durrah.

Tickets are still available for the day long seminar presented by the National Center for Constitutional Studies on The Making of America. The program will be held on April 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park in Rosburg. Speakers will enlighten the group on how America and its constitution was developed over many years through modern times as well as giving insight on what is happening now. It looks like a very informative day.

The $30 per person ticket includes an interactive study guide, a pocket copy of the U. S. Constitution, a box lunch, coffee, tea, water, muffins and cookies for snacks. Pre-registration and payment in advance is required. For more information or to purchase a ticket please call me or 503 640-8265.

If you know a student who is interested in attending the above mentioned event, we do have several pre-paid scholarships for a select few.

Here’s a heads up for those of you who need to get into shape for the 28th annual Great White Tail Run. This year the run will be held on May 19 through the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge in Skamokawa. For more information, please contact 360 465-2275 or 360 795-3278.

It’s a bit early, but it can’t hurt to add the 10th annual Grays River Friendship Circle Tea to your calendar. This year's tea will be held on May 6 at Rosburg Hall with doors opening at 11:30 a.m. and lunch served at noon.

The theme for this year’s event is “Even Some Cowboys Drink Tea” and entertainment will be provided by Joel and Noreen Fitts. More information coming as the date draws nearer.

This tea is a fund raiser sponsored by the Grays River Friendship Circle of the Grays River United Methodist Church with donations being used for special projects throughout the year.

The Wednesday Senior Lunch Bunch that meets at Rosburg Hall will enjoy a pot luck on the 28th. Bring you favorite dish and join in the festivities. On April 4th, come on in and try Pat Potter’s taco soup with all the trimmings and dessert.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays senior lunches are also served at Rosburg Hall and are sponsored by CAP. Menus for the coming week include Thursday, the 22nd-beef chili, corn bread, Caribbean veggie blend, spinach salad and brownies; Tuesday, the 27th-chicken noodle soup, orange barley salad, cauliflower insalata and raspberry mousse; Thursday, the 29th-chicken spinach lasagna, Sicilian blend veggies, Caesar salad, garlic bread and apple crisp.

Happy Birthday to Dorothy McLain, Corey Sherik, Lisa Nelson-Fields, Evan Erickson, Poul Forbes, Phillip Raistakka, Kelly Welsh, Ryan Bjornsgard, Sherri Salme, Marilyn Johnson, Kale Trimble, Kara Trimble, Kenny Setala, Amanda Lee, Gary Burkhalter, Austin Burkhalter, Trevor Tolva, Juan Lopez, Luke Johnson, Alexis Nortrup, Jenny Blake, Karen Kilponen and Scott Jacot. Wishing all of you a very special day.

Happy Anniversary to Eugene and Eleanor Saari of Grays River.

Wishing my wonderful husband of 45 years a very special happy anniversary. It has been quite a road to this milestone, a few curves, a few hills, some wonderful downhills with the wind at our backs, a beautiful family and I’m looking forward to another 45.

Maybe some of the readers remember when I had my first experience with chickens. I watched a chick hatch from the egg and he became my little buddy. His name was “Peepers” and for many years came from the chicken pen every day to get his special treats and show his harem of hens where to get something good as well. I guess he was a little spoiled. Well, last weekend he died of old age. I’m not sure how long they normally live but he left quite a legacy. His son is now the number one guy in the chicken coop, but without the special personality of his dad. I’m going to miss the old bird.