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

After a bit of encouragement, Brett Deaton decided to challenge long time friend Gary Quigley for his seat on the Wahkiakum County Port 1 Board of Commissioners in this year's election.

Deaton is a former Port 1 commissioner who had to resign nearly two years ago when he moved from one district to another.

"I like being involved," Deaton said. "I've visited almost every port from Ilwaco to Lewiston, Idaho, and seen how they work. Most of them are bigger and do more than the Port of Wahkiakum does."

Deaton was prompted years ago to run for Port 1 commissioner when he and his wife found a woman lying on the dock, with her legs through the rotted wood.

"I felt like some of the earlier commissioners, who are gone now, thought that replacing the docks would be too expensive, but I thought that was exactly what they needed to do," Deaton said. "I was upset by that. They were charging all this money, and in my opinion they were hoarding it. The port had lots of money and people were falling through docks?"

After he was elected, the troublesome dock was replaced.

Deaton is also proud that his vote counted towards the addition of the brewery to the marina.

"That was one of my biggest things," Deaton said, "I still to this day think it was a good thing."

Deaton believes that his work as a pilot on the Columbia River gives him a perspective and an insight that other people don't have. Between that and traveling in his boat with his wife, Sharon, he's learned a lot about ports.

"I've been eyeballing the fish cleaning station at a port in Astoria," he said. "Ours are inadequate."

He'd also like to be involved in how the project at the sewer lagoon will eventually turn out.

"That's a one time chance for the city and the port and I'd like to be in on that," he continued. "Depending on who you talk to, that's a pretty nice piece of land."

Acquiring more land for the port would be another one of his goals.

He's thinking about the dredging that needs to go on, and hopes to offer his knowledge of the practice.

"I think buying a dredge is a good idea," he said. "I've never worked on one, but I know a lot about dredging, having worked on dredge jobs in Lewiston, Astoria, and Bonneville. I think I can help."

Low water is a deterrent to sailors and big yachts. The need for dredging only exacerbates the problem.

"If they can touch bottom, they aren't going to come to Cathlamet anymore because they ran aground," Deaton said. "We can't have that if you want to keep your marina going."

"The port is the gem of this community," he added. "if they didn't have the marina it would hurt the town. We're big fishermen, I like to see the sport fisherman and the commercial fisherman out there. With Cathlamet and two lanes between here and Longview, no railroad, no small airport, no marine terminal, you have to be pretty selective about what business you are going to bring in if you want people to invest."

Deaton, who graduated from Wahkiakum High School, studied marine science at Clatsop Community College. He got his start on tugs when Stanley Everman gave him an opportunity at 18. These days he is a pilot on the Columbia River.