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

OFF & ON HOLIDAY--Our Fourth of July holiday started out pretty nice for the first couple of days, but we woke up to rain here in West Valley on both Sunday and Monday. If you happen to be one of these people who are experiencing low water levels in your creek or well, I'm guessing you were pretty happy to see some rain fall, but that little bit probably won't do you much good, but it does take down the fire danger a bit, and with massive fires in some areas, the rain is a good thing. I hear we are to get some real rain by the end of the week so that will help the fire danger even more and maybe even help those creeks a bit.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from July 7-13 are Irene Martin, David Shrum, Sharrel Mooers, David West Jr., Sunny Manary, Dean Takko, Dan Cochran, Melissa Robbins, Patty Dursteler, Justin Hoven, Cameron Cothren, Jalynn Rainey, Megan Miller, Justin Perkins, Kurtis Bergseng, Brad Towery, Mallory Bosch, Samantha McClain, 67'ers David West and Doug Wright and grandsons Bryce Good and Blake Sechler. May you all have an awesome day!

Happy Anniversary wishes this week go out to Greg and Cindy Lloyd, Rex and Veronica Gilbertsen, Lance and Heidi Souvenir, Carol Carver and George Exum and Mr. and Mrs. Dana McClain. May all of your anniversaries be special.

OFF THE GRID--There was a bit of an "oops" last week when somebody got into the fiber optics I'm told and so a good chunk of our area didn't have any internet service for quite some time. Some of us were even a little longer, due to other glitches, so we found out how quickly we can be out of the loop and how much we rely on the internet for so many things these days! Once again, a good test for what could happen in an emergency and how to better deal with moments like that. Alternative plans are always a must, and many of us are just not prepared, unfortunately.

THIS FRIDAY--For all you fresh food folks, don't forget to head to the Stockhouse Farm on West Birnie Slough and take in the Island market, which offers a variety of things, as well as some good entertainment. Check it out from 3 to 6 p.m.

I have yet to see a schedule but if you enjoy the free movies on Friday evenings at the Community Center in Cathlamet, stop by and see what's going on Friday evening. Movies start at 7 p.m., and the only restriction is that all children under 12 will have to be accompanied by an adult.

THIS SATURDAY--Even if it's damp this weekend, you can still shop at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds in Skamokawa as the monthly Flea Market will be held in the Youth Building. There are always new things and often different vendors, so come by and check it out!

ALSO, AT FOS--While you're down here checking out the sales at the fairgrounds on Saturday, why not head up to the River Life Interpretive Center on the second floor of Redmen Hall, and you can get in on the latest exhibit, as well as meet Peter Brix, who is the first speaker of the "Rolling on the River" exhibition, and will be there from 1-3 p.m. He will be talking about his book, "The Brix Maritime Story" which deals with all the tugboats who have used and are still using the Columbia River for their livelihood. His book sells for $25 and would be a great addition to anyone's library. While you're at the hall, you can check out the rest of the exhibit on the second floor, and of course, the Book and Gift Store on the first floor.

Speaking of the hall, there's a new roof going on it, thanks to All-Top Roofing, which also did the Skamokawa Grange roof work, so I'm sure it will be great to go into the Fall knowing there's a new roof overhead!

NEXT WEEKEND--It will be a fun time the weekend after this one, as Bald Eagle Days will be upon us! From sidewalk chalk art (Friday-July 15), to a breakfast put on by Kiwanis Club near the Elochoman Slough Marina, to the parade, tons of vendors, and fireworks (all on Saturday-July 16) and even a golf tournament on Sunday (July 17), the Bald Eagle Day celebration weekend will be jam-packed with things to do, so we hope to see you there! Spread the word; tell your friends to come and join the fun!

B.E.D BINGO--As always, the Sons of Norway lodge members will hold their bingo games on Bald Eagle Day evening, so after a day of walking around town and such, head to the Norse Hall and play some bingo in the early evening, until it's time to head to the fireworks later on when it's dark!

67'ers--I hate to repeat myself, but often times folks don't see one paper, but they'll see another, so I feel the need to mention certain things real often so that they might see it and show up. So, all members of the WA-KI-HI Class of 1967 are invited to come to Dale Jacobson's house at 1:30 p.m., for an informal, potluck gathering, where we will get together and celebrate all the July birthday "kids"! We don't need an excuse to get together, but that sounded like a good one, and with 67'er Sharon McKie coming from Florida at that time, and it was her birthday, besides Bald Eagle Day, well, it was just the perfect time to get together! Here's hoping to see the gang there! Contact me with any questions; I'm in the book!

BURN BAN--Also happening next week, is the official burn ban effective on Friday, July 15, so don't risk getting a fine, or starting a fire, and stop burning on July 14. You are able to have a campfire in an approved pit.There are certain specifications that one must adhere to however, so check out what those are before lighting that match! Check out last week's Eagle, page 7 for some of the restrictions or contact 795-3067 for further fire restrictions.

COMMERATIVE REUNION IS ON--This past weekend I still had people asking me if the big 100 Year Commerative All School reunion was on, and the answer is, Yes it is; August 13, the Saturday before the Wahkiakum County Fair. However, it is going to be a scaled back version with potluck, finger food, bring your own chair, kind of affair. Susan McClain Kuhn is still in charge of this event and you're welcome to show up at the high school with a chair and some food and we'll just kick back and snack and visit. Susan said she's trying to get some t-shirts made to have for sale, so bring a few dollars with you and get a commemorative t-shirt to remember the day and help raise a few bucks for future reunions as well.

PADDLE TIME--Once again, it's time to get out there and enjoy a day paddling up and down the creeks around here, as "Clatsop Paddle" Company is up and running for the summer. It's located right across SR 4 from the United Methodist Church/road entry to Vista Park. You can call 503-791-9619 for more information. I heard from Kathleen Morgain of Twin Gables B & B, which is located just east of the CPCo. and she says you can park at their place if need be, so that's always nice to know and great to have businesses working together.

ESPRESSO TIME--Just a reminder that you can get all your fancy coffees and espresso at Ship Channel Coffee, which has a cart set up in Vista Park, and is now open full time, so we hope you'll take advantage of their being here and enjoy a hot or cold beverage while they're here. They also have a limited menu on other items, so you'll have to drop by to check them out.

NEW MENU--If you haven't been by the Duck Inn lately, you probably haven't seen their new menu. I can tell you that their Fire Roast Calamari Rings are really good, and the Sriaracha Chicken Bites are tasty too. I really loved the California Club on a croissant roll, and their new wraps are also a big hit. They still make a great hamburger but if you're into Reuben sandwiches, you just might want to check out their Reuben Burger!

NICE TRIBUTE--Last Saturday, friends and family of Mike Rose gathered at the Rose Family campground in the Elochoman to pay their respects to this wonderful guy who passed away on May 25 in Nevada. I can tell you, there were campers, trailers, cars and people everywhere that day, so what a great turn out for a great guy. The light cloud cover gave us just the right amount of shade while Pastor Hobbs led the Celebration of Life service, and when he was done and the various folks got up to talk about their memories of Mike, well, the sun broke out, as if it too was celebrating Mike's life. To top it off, when everyone was done, we looked up in the clear blue sky and there was a huge bald eagle circling the area like a sign from heaven above; it was magnificent.

GOOD VISIT--Frank and Carolyn Pedersen stopped by the Bill Chamberlain home last Sunday, so that was a nice surprise and we enjoyed a nice visit. Later on, it was time to head to John and Mary Gustafson's place for another good gab and great BBQ, so we had a very pleasant day. Last Monday was the 4th of July, with many celebrations, but we opted to avoid the crowds, traffic and most of the racket and just stayed home, so it was pretty peaceful here. I trust you all had a great holiday weekend while remembering the real reason behind it!

OUT OF THE PAST--This week back in 1946, from 7-13, it started out nice but then it got really nasty with lots of wind and rain. However, it got nicer, even hot but cloudy before turning wet again. On one of those nice days, Grandma Elsie was making blackberry jam and then headed to Wests' to pick a bunch of raspberries. She got those picked just in time as the next day it was really raining and blowing hard and those berries would have been mush! On July 9, it was election time and Julia Butler Hansen won. George Walkers announced that their daughter, Jeanine, was getting married on July 13. George was Grandma Elsie's brother. The whole family headed to Longview that Saturday for the wedding.

In 1961, it was hot all week long, and to quote Grandma Elsie, it was "hot as the dickens!" That day was July 11, and it was the hottest day in years! On the eighth, there was a terrible fire at the Ozzie Wika home on Welcome Slough on Puget Island, and the whole top of the house burned. Mary Lex was there and took the children to the Bob Ohrbergs' to stay. A clipping in Grandma's diary, which came from the Seattle Post Intelligencer, showed the Army's new and most versatile, self-propelled weapon: a model of the M-110 vehicle with an eight inch howitzer on it. Driving that thing was a relative, Ray Ballard. All this according to my Grandma Elsie Everest's diaries.