Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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Gardens are hitting their peak right now with an abundance of fruits and vegetables making that last push of production prior to our fall weather setting in. There is so much to pick from right now, as every nook and cranny within the row is filled with luscious produce. A favorite that does not contain itself in a row is a plant that blooms and grows wildly on its own. Nasturtiums are sure to have gone wild by this point in the year, taking up residence in every space they can reach. While their growth habits are almost invasive and a little...
Superintendent Palmer has literally been rolling up his sleeves and getting things done since taking the lead of the district in July. There are three areas of focus that keep Palmer’s attention as he prioritizes what is best for kids when thinking about the “state of the school” as a new year is set to begin this week: facilities, staffing and grants. While it is still early in the year and Superintendent Palmer is just getting to know the personalities and talents in the district, he’s finding it’s been fun to meet people and learn about the...
Students at Wahkiakum School District are back and ready to shine as the new school year began Tuesday, August 27. A great deal of work has gone into classroom preparation, curriculum alignment, and schedule restructuring by the high school and middle/elementary principals. “The first day of school is always busy but there's nothing like the excitement and energy day number one brings. Students and staff started the day with big smiles and ended the day still smiling. That's a win in my b...
Traveling to Peru, exploring ancient Greece, or taking an expedition to Antarctica are new opportunities coming to the student classrooms at Wahkiakum School District this fall. Thanks to the WSU Wahkiakum Extension Service and their work to secure Career-Connected grants, students can use innovative technology from two rounds of grant monies awarded. Round one of the grants supported the robotics program and provided a 3D printer in the robotics technology classroom. The Round two award was $183,858 to grow Career-Connected learning using...
This new weekly column will feature a set of elementary, middle and high school teachers to show the vast depth of knowledge, experience and talent our students are fortunate to work with each day. This week we share three teachers that have dedicated over 100 combined years of experience to supporting students in the classroom. These short interviews provide insight into our staff and give an opportunity for the community to see how blessed we are to have the great teaching staff we have. Janine Davidson Years of Experience: 36 Currently...
The fall sports rosters are filling up as student athletes hit the hardwood or field to condition for the season. Wahakiakum School District athletic programs offer a diverse playing field including football, volleyball, and cross country. This year the entire district is seeing changes including the Athletic Department: Moving to a new athletic league and classification. Athletic Director Rob Garrett is looking forward to the changes and believes one grows when faced with change. “Our kids w...
By Jamie J Brown The Wahkiakum School District Board of Education held their monthly meeting Tuesday, August 20 which provided highlights from summer projects and a positive look into the new school year that begins next week. Ken Johnson, a representative from WS Communications, gave a quick public comment on the opportunity to partner with the district on providing fiber optic service and a public Wi-Fi system as they look to expand their service offerings. The expansion of the service comes at no cost to the district and will even compensate...
(Valley Forge, PA) In mid-July the historical setting of Union Hill near Philadelphia provided an educational for fifty selected fellowship teachers from around the United States to learn about the how the founding fathers worked to forge a new nation. Sponsored by the Founding Forward Foundation, the program is designed for history and civic educators that have passion for teaching about the Constitution and the historical events that formed our nation. Fifty teachers were selected to attend...
Local nonprofit Wahkiakum Animal Advocates Group (WAAG) has a lot to celebrate, or wag about right now. Five years ago, the group recognized a desperate need for animal advocacy in Wahkiakum County. Founded in 2019, three ladies with big service hearts and lovers of fur babies came together to answer the call for helping four legged Wahkiakum residents. It began as a dire need to maintain the feral cat population, which was out of control with no hope in sight in meeting the needs of stray,...
Calling all kindergartners starting school in August 2024. As a sign that the school year is quickly approaching, school supply sales and back to school events are already showing up in local media. As Julius A. Wendt Elementary prepares for a new school year, parents are asked to please come in as soon as possible if they have a potential kindergartener that has not yet been registered. A student is eligible to start kindergarten if they are five by August 31, 2024. Currently, the school district has 18 kindergartners enrolled. That means...
eeting in conjunction with the budget hearing and a meet and greet session for the public with new interim superintendent Ric Palmer on Tuesday, July 23rd. Palmer shared his background in education and personal journey with the public, which included success he had while serving the Bickleton school district in Klickitat county for seventeen years. Among the four-day week shift and building a new K-12 school, there are similarities between our rural districts. While in Bickleton he faced big decisions and changes. “If it’s right for kids and...
Classic car lovers, start your engines, polish up your chrome, and dust off the dice because It's time for the Cathlamet Cruise. On the third Friday of every month, Cathlamet will now have a classic car cruise from Main Street through downtown. Organizer Janine Davidson thought it would be a wonderful way to gather local cruisers with collectible cars for a jaunt around Wahkiakum County. Before, the closest cruise was in Longview, held on the first weekend of the month, and was not convenient fo...
Speckles of blue dot the Washington landscape from backyard gardens to the farm fields of the upper Willamette Valley. Blueberries are viewed as a blessing of antioxidants and are known as a superfood in the nutritional world. They have earned this status as they provide vitamins C, K, and manganese, making them a well-loved summer crop. Their health benefits abound and the Washington Blueberry Commission lists some of those benefits: decreased inflammation, improved memory, lowered blood...
Educators from around the nation convened in Salt Lake City, Utah June 24-27th for a three-day conference to honor and recognize efforts of teaching agriculture in the classroom. Over five hundred teachers and industry partners came together for farm tours, workshops, and award recognition of teaching excellence of agriculture literacy in the United States. Local Julius A Wendt 5th grade teacher Jamie Brown was awarded the Whites-Reinhardt Award for excellence in teaching agriculture literacy...
A wildfire broke out six miles south of Pe Ell on Friday, July 12 around 12:30 p.m. The Donkey Fire is currently 38 acres and 87 percent contained as of July 16. The fire is in steep, timbered terrain and the cause has not been announced, though Statesman Journal data reports it is a human incident. Skamokawa residents noticed the "Super Scooper" planes Friday afternoon moving water from the Columbia River north for several hours to mitigate the growing fire, located only 6.8 miles north of...
There is a new leader at the helm of Wahkiakum School District who has already dove in and immersed himself in the duties of the superintendent role prior to his contracted start day. The district welcomed Ric Palmer, who will be serving as an interim over the next school year while we undergo an in-depth superintendent search moving forward. Wahkiakum School District Board of Education approved Palmer as the new interim at their regular June meeting and he will work at an hourly contract basis. Five candidates were originally interviewed for...
The heat wave we had offered a big boost to our gardens growth, and encouraged the faithful growers that summer has indeed arrived. The boost in vitamin D comes at a cost for both human and plant life as the intense heat can quickly sap the energy from all of us. While you are looking for a nice shady spot to enjoy an icy glass of tea, don’t forget to offer teatime to your garden as well. Tea leaves in the garden offer a healthy boost to plants and work to deter pests. It encourages healthy leaf growth with a boost of nitrogen, potassium, a...
An image of a rich, flakey croissant caught my eye, leaving me intrigued by the taste and the artist behind the masterpiece. The social media post did just as it had intended and lured me in for more than just a bite. Don and Kitty Speranza at Crippen Creek Farm are the chefs' extraordinaire behind the tasty images that caught my attention on a Puget Island Gardens post. The Speranzas have received a cottage license from Washington state, allowing them to sell their baked goods to the public at unique venues that offer pop-up opportunities,...
The Skamokawa Valley, nestled in the heart of Wahkiakum County, is not only renowned for its picturesque vistas on the Columbia River and its vibrant location on Highway 4, but also for its rich dairy history, which flows like a river through the region’s cultural and economic landscape. From its early settlement as a logging community, the rich landscape includes the tradition of dairy farming. The Skamokawa Valley’s dairy history is a tale of resilience, innovation, and community. The Riv...
The Wahkiakum School District received a stamp of approval for the Economy and Efficiency Waiver (WAC 180-18-030) by Washington OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) on June 28th. The Board of Education submitted the application following the June meeting and have been eagerly awaiting the announcement. Washington raised the waiver allotment from 10 to 30 this year. Wahkiakum is one of several districts that applied for the waiver. According to OSPI’s website, “part of the basic education requirements in Washington state mus...
It’s easy to stereotype common veggies and fruits growing in the garden to fit a specific culinary repertoire. Potatoes are mashers, lettuce makes a beautiful salad and corn is best eaten from the cobb. These norms hardly use some of our most common produce to the best of their abilities. This especially goes for those that grow beautiful tops above the ground, while their eaten counterpart digs deep within the earth. Carrots, radishes and other root vegetables are those mysterious garden anomalies that rarely are eaten for anything more t...
John C Thomas Middle School students recently explored the nation’s capital and the Big Apple June 17th-21st. Carrie Badger, the PE and Leadership teacher at JC Thomas, chaperoned Ryan Hurley, Shiloh Hoven, Abigail McKay-Beech, and Elias Cochran on the 5-day adventure. They joined students from Warrenton, OR, South Dakota, and California on a quest to learn about the nation’s history and see iconic monuments through WorldStrides, an experiential learning program. WorldStrides organizes opp...
The 3rd Annual Terry Bonny Fun Run and Walk is set to take place July 20th, in conjunction with Bald Eagle Days. This fun run and walk is for a fun cause; to support the Wahkiakum Track and Field team. It is organized and run by high school track coach Tina Merz who is a veteran track coach to the program. This year’s theme for Bald Eagle Days is “Wings Over Wahkiakum,” which will be adopted by the fun run on a sky-blue T-shirt and our track Mule mascot sporting the iconic winged running gear....
