Week of May 8, 2025
Week of May 8, 2025
According to a press release from Senator Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, a bill creating a testing program to measure forever-chemical contamination in Washington’s food supply heads the list of wins for Wilson in “an otherwise-discouraging 2025 legislative session” that ended Sunday, April 27. The release stated, “Despite passage of the largest tax increase in Washington history and legislation designed to force liberal urban perspectives on the entire state, Wilson was able to score a number of successes for the 19th Legislative District....
For years, there have been discussions, suggestions, and conversations regarding a potential consolidation of the Town of Cathlamet’s (TOC) water system with the Wahkiakum PUD (Public Utilities District) that have been shrouded in confusion, complicated, hard-to-interpret financial reports, and rampant outpourings of misinformation. The Washington Department of Health approached the Wahkiakum PUD in August 2023 to consider consolidating the TOC and PUD water systems. A consolidation study was conducted through a DOH Consolidation Grant...
Following former Councilmember Kermit Chamberlin's resignation on April 21, the Town of Cathlamet put out an ad to fill the vacancy for Position No. 2. Going into Monday evening's session, only two applicants had filed. With the meeting's agenda calling for an executive session to review the applicants and, eventually, the appointment of one of those applicants, Councilmember Jeanne Hendrickson voiced her concern over coming to a decision so quickly. "I just feel that with the weight of what the town is dealing with right now, as a...
The "hill" is alive with the sound of music. Every Saturday afternoon in April, the doors to the Cathlamet Pioneer Center were open and music fans came to hear Mel & Leah and Friends perform crowd-pleasing favorites; the most recent being the best of the 60s and 70s. Leah and Mel are a professional music duo. Their sound features the melodies of pianist and vocalist Leah Stonum and bassist, saxophonist, arranger, MC and sometimes joke teller Mel Drybread. They have an extensive repertoire...
Little Island Creamery's annual Spring Fest features master storyteller Will Hornyak this year on Sunday, May 18 from 2 - 4 p.m. with his program "Lifting Up the Sky! Tales of Hope, Community and Cooperation." Join Will for uplifting and engaging stories for all ages. From Irish myths and Native American legends to Northwest tall tales and lively participation stories, Will weaves a wide web of oral traditions into spellbinding performances. A resident of the Pacific Northwest, Will is a...
The 41st Annual Wahkiakum 4-H Great White Tail Run takes place on Saturday, May 17. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Skamokawa Vista Park Office (5 Vista Park Rd.), and the run starts at 10 a.m. Several walks/runs are available, including 10K, 5K or the “two mile” through the Julia Butler Hansen National Refuge in Skamokawa. Participants can register online or in person at the registration table. Contact run coordinator Lisa Frink, Wahkiakum 4-H Program Coordinator at lfrink@wsu.edu or by phone at 360-795-3278. Recognition will be...
Registration is now open for the first Little Island Relay, set for Sunday, Aug. 3. Sponsored by Little Island Creamery, this relay will cover Puget Island roads and include a portion of Birnie Slough. The relay starts at Little Island Creamery with a 5k run to Svensen Park on Puget Island. From there, the cyclists will make an 18-mile route around both Puget and Little Islands, ending at a location at Birnie Slough on Little Island. The 2.5-mile kayak leg leads west on the slough, crossing the channel towards the mainland and ending at...
After being out of town for a week, we returned to a vibrant spring landscape. Areas we hadn't mowed yet had grass growing two feet tall, blackberry bushes were thriving, and the trees had fully leafed out. We spent Sunday afternoon on the mower and tractor cleaning up our property. While I was writing my column today, temperatures soared into the 80s. If the weather continues like this, we may be in for a long, hot summer. On Sunday, we attended the chicken dinner fundraiser at Rosburg Hall...
As is often the case in the spring, at least when "The Great Outdoors" is concerned, there's a lot going on this week. By the way, if you haven't seen it, The Great Outdoors, starring Dan Aykroyd and the late John Candy, is a must see, but I digress; on to the outdoor news. Final razor clam digs May 10-15 Afraid you might not have enough razor clams in the freezer to last until November? Well, you'd best be taking advantage of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's (WDFW) final digs...
It's that time of year when those noxious weeds start showing up and spreading. To educate the community on certain invasive species, we will be highlighting the most common weeds we see. The Noxious Weed Control Board is available to help landowners with information, services and resources to deal with invasive, non-native plant species. Scotch broom is an evergreen, brushy shrub 3-10 feet tall with stiff green branches year-round, even when it has leaves. Bright yellow, two tipped...
This past week, Wahkiakum County Key Club hosted its annual Doernbecher Days, a time-honored tradition since 2009. Doernbecher Days is a high-energy, student-run fundraiser benefiting Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, OR. It's a week packed with friendly competition, excitement, and tons of fun for all ages. This year's festivities kicked off with a K-12 assembly, where the whole school came together to get hyped for the events ahead. To set the tone, the assembly featured a limbo...
Today is Thursday, May 8, the 128th day of 2025. There are 237 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 8, 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced in a radio address that Nazi Germany’s forces had surrendered, stating that “the flags of freedom fly all over Europe” on V-E (Victory in Europe) Day. Also on this date: In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River, the first recorded European to do so. In 1846, U.S. forces led by Gen. Zachary Taylor defeated Mexican forces near modern-day Brownsville,...
I recently interviewed Pearl Blackburn for our 13th installment of Reader's Fave, a casual talk with someone who shares their favorite book. Currently serving as president of the Woman's Club, Pearl sat down with me at the Patty Cakes Café. As we talked, Pearl shared At Home In Mitford, by New York Times bestseller Jan Karon, an author who wrote a series of books set in a small town in the western foothills of North Carolina. Pearl first read this book, given to her by her sister-in-law a...
DRY SPELL? I understand that there are a lot of dry days in the forecast this week, and I hope you’ll be able to get out and enjoy them. It’s that time of year when we’re trying to tame our lawns and get control of those weeds and such, which seem to grow ten inches overnight… ha! We may dry out quickly, so be very careful with any fires you may be lighting up around your property. For you folks who may be new to the area, a burn permit is needed if you’re going to burn on your property, and when you do acquire the permit, a call to...
Hello from your Sheriff! Thank you all who attended and participated in the Wahkiakum Autism Awareness walk held at the High School track. The support from the community was heartfelt and my Office was honored to be a part of it! Funds raised at the event truly go to a great cause and I hope this event will grow with even more participants and spectators next year. The Sheriff’s Office has made additional improvements to our emergency communication and response capabilities. ETC Beau Renfro and EMC Austin Smith have outfitted one of the...
The Clatskanie High School Theatre Department proudly presents “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon” by Don Zolidis. Join us May 16, 23, and 24 at 7 p.m. and May 17 at 2 p.m. in the Donavan Wooley Performing Arts Center CMHS Auditorium (417 Bel Air. Dr.). The fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm are turned on their heads in this fast-paced, rollicking ride as two narrators and several actors attempt to combine all 209 stories ranging from classics like Snow White, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel to more bizarre, obscure stories like The...
Just in time for Spring cleaning is the annual countywide Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) disposal collection. The date for Rainier is Saturday, May 17, from 8 a.m. to noon in the parking lot next to the Rainier Sewer Treatment Plant at 690 West A. St. Many items used in the home are not able to be disposed of easily in garbage or recycling bins and can present safety and health hazards to people, animals, and water quality. Examples of this include aerosols, anti-freeze, fertilizers, motor oil, paint supplies, photo chemicals, poisons, and...
What better way is there to share your hobby or passion than entering it in a contest? The Raymond Carver Writing Festival, which started in 2022, enables youth and adults to write poems that go along with the theme and win cash prizes. This year, over 70 poems were submitted for the contest. The judges had to pick a first place and second place for age groups 8-11, 12-15, 16-18, and adult. The judges for the youth were Estrella Brown, Dayle Olson, and Armin Tolentino; and the four judges for the adults were Maji Hogan, Scott MacGregor,...
Following its 16-0 victory last Friday in Vernonia, the Clatskanie High School boys baseball team has now won nine straight games. Putting up seven runs in both the first and second innings, other Tigers jumped out to an early 14-0 lead. Adding another run in the fourth and a final run in the fifth inning, Clatskanie was able to complete the mercy-rule win. The Tigers were led by juniors Luke Andreasen and Finn McDonnell, who had three RBI each scored a collective four runs. Junior Zach Mollenhour led the team with three runs scored while...
Tucked in between MeeMaw's Attic and the long-standing Eminence Hair Salon on 1st street in Rainier is full-service custom picture framing and art gallery, 2nd Mouse Studio. Opened in January of 2024, 2nd Mouse Studio is owned by LuAnn Conant who has 35 years of framing experience. Conant has always loved drawing and was an art and psychology major at Portland State University until an unexpected health crisis during her junior year depleted her college fund. To make money, she stumbled into...
When you enter the door of Elevate Coffee & Decor in Rainier, you are instantly drawn in with sounds of coffee and drinks being brewed and blended, ambient music in the background, cozy corner nooks to sit, and a collection of art and home goods from local artisans to admire and shop. Partners and co-owners of Elevate, Ryan Hesketh and Alejandro "Ollie" Bribiezcas also work full-time in the medical industry, and to say the two are busy is an understatement. Bribiezcas spent years in social...
The Rainier chapter of Future Farmers of America (FFA) is back with their annual plant sale the first half of May. All plants are grown by Rainier agricultural students, and the sale is held at the greenhouses near Hudson Park Elementary parent parking lot. Last year’s selection included hanging baskets, vegetable starts and succulents. Rainier FFA focuses on making a positive difference in the lives of local students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education....
Diane Petersen Tover, passed away peacefully in the presence of family on April 26, 2025. Diane, the youngest of three daughters, was born September 28, 1939, in Cathlamet, Washington. She married Vernon Tover and had three daughters. Her family settled in Napa, California. Later, she resided in Yucaipa and Placerville. Diane was vivacious with a great laugh; and made life-long friends wherever she went. She is survived by her daughters, Julie, Marsha, and Constance; seven grandchildren; and...
Cherish Collupy-Smith passed away on November 16, 2024, in Tampa, Florida, after a courageous battle with breast cancer. She fought with unwavering strength at every step and was surrounded by her closest family as she peacefully passed. Born on May 30, 1977, in Skamokawa, Washington, Cherish spent much of her childhood in the home where she was raised. Along her life's journey, she formed deep and lasting friendships and remained closely connected to family on both coasts. After graduating...
To The Eagle, I am writing to let the citizens of Wahkiakum County know that I am running for the County Assessor position. It’s always better when we have more than one candidate running for an office since it gives voters a choice. Many people know me either from working in the Assessor’s office or when visiting your properties for state mandated inspections. I worked in the Assessor’s office for seven years, first as a residential appraiser, then as a residential and commercial appraiser. Prior to my time in Wahkiakum County, I was a...
The Clatskanie track and field team attended two meets last week, beginning with the 2A SD1 League Meet in Knappa on Tuesday, April 29. For the boys, Ayden Blackshire took fourth in both the Men's 100M and 200M with times of 12.75 and 25.64. Daylon Gutierrez took first in the 200M with a time of 24.73, while Aidan Bailey took fifth in the same event with a time of 25.68. Bailey also took first in the Men's 400M with a time of 55.43. Clatskanie had three top-five finishers in the Men's 800M with...
Last Friday, the Clatskanie girls softball completed a combined doubleheader shutout at the hand of Vernonia. Led by junior Joey Sizemore’s six RBI and four runs scored, the Tigers put up 19 runs en route to the shutout victory. Sizemore came up a triple shy of the cycle, hitting both a double and a home run. Senior Karielle Carlson contributed four RBI on three hits, and sophomores Emma Parmley and Olivia George each had two RBI and a combined four hits and four runs. Sophomore McKinsey Doyle added an RBI, a run, and a hit, while sophomore...
April 28 3:20 a.m. The Cathlamet Emergency Services responded to assist an elderly Cathlamet resident who was experiencing stomach pain. 11:04 a.m. The Cathlamet Ambulance responded to assist an elderly Puget Island resident who was sick. 9:40 p.m. The Grays River Ambulance responded to assist an elderly Rosburg resident who was experiencing signs of a stroke. April 29 9:20 a.m. A Cathlamet resident called to report possible animal abuse by a tenant on their property, and that they believed this tenant was dumping dogs on Beaver Creek Rd....
