Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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Lajuana Winger brought a request to construct a road on an undeveloped county-owned parcel off Clover Street between two properties. This road would provide access to Winger’s and her neighbor’s property and would be entirely paid for by them, costing the county no money. Public Works Director Chuck Beyer explained that if the county were to vacate that parcel of property, Winger would not have to build to county road standards, which would be significantly more expensive. Beyer noted that vacating would also be the easiest process for eve...
During public comment at the Tuesday, Aug. 21 Wahkiakum County Commissioners meeting, Kay Walters of the fair board announced that tickets for the fair can be pre-purchased for $7 or $8 at the gate. Also commenting, Westend resident Robert Torppa brought to the commissioners’ attention a situation on Loop Road where the river has eroded a slide area near his home. “I have over 20 years of experience in road maintenance and road construction in the Grays River drainage,” said Torppa. “The river will wash the rock out from underneath the blocks,...
The Wahkiakum County Commissioners met on Tuesday, Aug. 12, where they approved a contract between the Wahkiakum WSU Extension Office and the WDFW, which will enable continued coordination of the Wahkiakum Marine Resources Committee. Auditor Nicci Bergseng presented a contract with Easy Vote to increase the security of the county’s election infrastructure. This three-year contract would enable the purchase of specialized locks, door sensors, and other security devices to send alerts for detected tampering. The funds for these are available t...
Get into the donating spirit, Cathlamet, as the fourth annual Cup of Sunshine Competition is already underway. Per competition rules, the business that brings in the most donations will win the "Cup of Sunshine" chalice and bragging rights. Pottery artist Ruthie Doumit created this year's chalice. Leading this drive is local business owner Sue Zabel. Aside from owning the Jabber Shack, Sue is a frequent community fundraiser. David Zabel, a wood craftsman and Sue's husband, designed and made doze...
The Wahkiakum County Commissioners held their weekly meeting Tuesday, Aug. 5. During public comment, County Engineer Paul Lacey expressed his concern about Bridge 4-120 (over Skamokawa Creek) on SR 4. Currently, the Washington Department of Transportation has no plans to perform maintenance and painting on the bridge. Lacey is concerned because the bridge, built in 1939, is showing signs of flaking paint. Lacey said, “I believe the paint contains lead, which flakes into the creek and eventually flows into the Columbia River.” Lacey then req...
The Rainier City Council met for its regular monthly meeting Monday, Aug. 4. Mayor Jerry Cole awarded appreciation plaques to the Rainier Police Department, Public Works Department, and to the City of Rainier for all of the hard work everyone put into making Rainier Days a successful event. During public comment, Rainier citizen Margaret Cemulini asked how the City Council was running and wanted to let them know that she would be attending meetings more regularly and would be available if they needed anything. Cemulini also asked about how...
During the PUD Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Aug. 5, Commissioner Reed suggested considering hiring an assistant manager in lieu of the expansions the PUD has been undergoing recently. General Manager Dan Kay gave an update on the TOC water system consolidation. “I want to thank the Town staff and mayor for being very cordial and supportive during this transition,” said Kay, who explained that this has been an extremely busy time. Recent activity has included the establishment of high-speed internet at the water plants, the imp...
Wahkiakum County is facing a severe financial crisis, and county officials are taking urgent steps to address the situation. With increasing payroll costs, stagnant timber revenues, and shrinking loan resources, the county has reached a breaking point. Recently, department heads and commissioners held tough discussions and made difficult decisions to reduce costs while maintaining essential services. The reality of the county’s financial situation and the impacts of the actions being taken are felt across every department. Since 2020, payroll c...
Rainier City Council members voted to designate The Wahkiakum County Eagle newspaper as the city’s official newspaper of notice at their regular meeting on June 30. Stay tuned for continued coverage of public meetings and events. The Eagle relies on Citizen Journalists to attend and write about public meetings. Citizens do not need to be professional journalists or writers to attend meetings and events and write about them. Staff at The Eagle will provide training and guidance on how to write about a public meeting. We are always happy to a...
The County Commissioners met on Tuesday, July 1, and appointed Bruce Craven and Steven Lake to the District 1 Planning Commission. There is still a vacancy to be filled for District 3, which serves Skamokawa and the Westend. The commissioners officially approved the contract between Wahkiakum County and the Washington State Conservation Commission for the Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP). The program aims to protect critical areas such as streams, habitats, and wetlands located on agricultural lands without hindering production or...
The County Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday, during which they voted to rename the section of Steamboat Slough Road that runs through the Wildlife Refuge to White Tail Road. This change will reduce confusion for travelers and help emergency responders respond more effectively to calls on either road. During public comment, a resident from Eden Valley Road raised concerns about the overgrown grass along Eden Valley Road and inquired about the timing and frequency of mowing. The overgrowth has created potential safety hazards...
The Wahkiakum County PUD commissioners met for their regular meeting on Tuesday, where General Manager Dan Kay gave an update on the Town of Cathlamet Consolidation. “We’re looking at August 7 as the official date for the PUD to take over operations of the TOC water systems.” Said Kay. Two former Town water system personnel have been hired onto the PUD staff. The Skamokawa sewer district has requested to merge with the Wahkiakum PUD during a meeting attended earlier this month by Kay, Commissioner Dennis Reid, a Skamokawa Sewer District commi...
The Wahkiakum County Commissioners convened on Tuesday, June 10, for their regular meeting, where they approved a proclamation declaring June 21 as “Wahkiakum Ferry Day” in honor of the upcoming 100-year celebration of the Wahkiakum Ferry. Public Works Director Chuck Beyer presented the commissioners with a Certificate of Good Practice from the County Road Administration Board (CRAB). This certificate affirms that the County has met all legal standards and ensures the ongoing distribution of Wahkiakum County’s state gas tax allotments. Beyer...
The Wahkiakum County Commissioners met on Tuesday, June 3, for their regular meeting. During Public Comments, Jason Will expressed his displeasure that someone had written “WAAG donation” on an envelope he left with change in it as a donation to the County Treasury. The Commissioners again stated that they would not accept the donation, as it would cost the county more money than the donation is worth. Will then angrily scribbled off the “WAAG donation” from the envelope in front of the commissioners. “I don’t want to see somebody write on th...
Opening the meeting on Tuesday, May 27, Dan Turner made a public comment to remind everyone that he will be at the car show on Saturday for anyone that would like to sign up for a library card and that the summer reading program be Thursdays at Erickson Park from 1 to 2 p.m., beginning June 26. Carrie Shofner, WSU county extension director, requested funds to help cover the cost of hiring a temporary employee to fill in while the grants and office coordinator is on leave for three weeks. The commissioners approved $1,438 for wages and $158 for...
Wahkiakum County residents living west of KM Mountain have, at times, had to travel 30 minutes or more to go into the Sheriff’s Office in Cathlamet to do any in-person filing or to speak with staff. The Wahkiakum County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) recently reopened a field office at Johnson Park in Rosburg to, according to WCSO, “provide folks on the Westend better access to us, have face-to-face contact or, if they have any questions, comments, or even complaints that they might not call the main office line about.” The office being located...
Cathlamet resident Stefi Hallstrom owns Stoneriver Tattoo, Cathlamet's only tattoo shop, and has lived in town since 2022,. After moving here from Everett, Wash., to be with her boyfriend, Nick Sevald, Stefi was searching for community and found it at the fire station where she and Nick volunteer. "It takes a certain kind of person to be willing to fight fires, especially for no money," says Stefi, who describes that type of person as "empathetic and a little crazy." Stefi was recently voted as...
The Skamokawa Diking District invited the public to a meeting on Wednesday, May 7, at the Skamokawa Grange Hall. Restoration Coordination Manager from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Laura Brown presented attendees with a preliminary proposal for a fish habitat restoration project that involves breaching a dike and flooding 98 acres of privately owned land. In Skamokawa, a culvert collapsed inside resident Herman Migliore’s property. Though water is still moving through it, the tide gate has failed. The WDFW is p...
Grays River is a well-known waterway to Wahkiakum locals. It twists around farmland and flows through timberland in the western part of the county before meeting the Columbia River at Grays Bay. The upper Grays River watershed is surrounded by 95 percent timberland and has recently been the focus of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe's Habitat Restoration and Conservation Project efforts. The Tribe has been working to "restore complexity and biophysical connectivity" in the Grays Watershed, according to p...
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 Fund. Gr...
When the Wahkiakum County commissioners met Tuesday, April 22, for their regular meeting, they were presented with requests to approve maintenance contracts for county properties. The landscape maintenance contract for the courthouse property with Forrest Mora Landscaping was approved for $5,405 annually. The landscaping contract for county properties with Zack’s Lawn and Property Maintenance was approved for $16,000 annually, a “good price,” according to commissioner Gene Strong. Building Inspector/Planner Dave Hicks presented the commi...
The 79 Main Boutique features handmade goods from about 20 vendors and is located at its namesake, 79 Main Street, in Cathlamet. Every item in the store was handcrafted in Wahkiakum by local residents. This collection of local crafters works together to make the store work, using a consignment-based sales approach and taking turns running the shop during the open season. The idea for the group began around 10 years ago with Made in Wahkiakum, where vendors shared equal space to sell their items...
Transportation for residents of rural areas can be considerably difficult for those living without their own reliable vehicle, those without a driver's license, or those whose health inhibits their ability to drive. Being able to get wherever and whenever necessary is a critical part of many Americans’ identities, but many still struggle to navigate public transportation or find a ride. Wahkiakum-Cowlitz Council of Governments has launched a resource for the community called Trip Assistant, a tool which shows how to use public transportation i...
The Wahkiakum PUD commissioners met on Tuesday, April 15 and approved a resolution to accept the Department of Retirement Systems Deferred Compensation Participation, an alternate compensation option that employees had requested. Director of Finance Erin Wilson requested approval to apply for Planning and Engineering funding of $300,000 for the manganese treatment of Puget Island well through the Washington State Department of Health Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The commissioners unanimously approved the request. During the meeting,...
The Wahkiakum County Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 8, where they approved a letter to be sent to Senators Trudeau and Schoesler requesting support for fully funding the Encumbered Lands Gap Funding. The Senate’s proposed budget currently allocates only $1 million to Wahkiakum, Pacific, and Skamania Counties, leaving Wahkiakum County struggling to compensate for the funding shortfall. If the Senate approves the Encumbered Lands Gap Funding, it would provide each of the three counties with $1.8 million, enabling t...
