Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 1976 - 2000 of 2699
Fall is in the air! At least in the early morning hours and in the evening. I guess the few short weeks of summer is all we are going to get. News from Naselle: Sports calendar for the coming week for the Naselle-Grays River Valley District is as follows: Thursday-volleyball at South Bend at 5:45 p.m.; Friday-football at home with Raymond at 7 p.m.; Saturday, there will be a volleyball tournament at North Beach; Monday-middle school volleyball at North Beach at 5:45 p.m.; Tuesday-volleyball in Naselle with Willapa Valley at 5:45 p.m. and...
If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Many people would like to apply that old saying to the Cathlamet Fire Department and Mayor George Wehrfritz's efforts to bring its management under his control. The department operates under an arrangement created in 1932. It put supervision of the department under the Cathlamet Commercial Club, which now operates as the Chamber of Commerce, with that supervision subject to approval by the town council. Over the years, the department grew to be a strong organization that operated largely on its own, with its...
The 2011 Wahkiakum County Fair may now be passed, but work continues for Fair Manager Becky Ledtke and members of the county fair board. Ledtke and three fair board members appeared Tuesday at the meeting of the board of county commissioners to report on the fair and discuss points of interest, including the fair queen contest. Ledtke reported that attendance was 3,731 this year, up from 3,699 in 2010. She and others agreed that the rearranging the layout of buildings when the new arena was constructed has spread out activities, and people are...
Following is a proclamation from the Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners: Sunday, September 11, 2011 Patriot Day Whereas, US House of Representatives Joint Resolution 71 was approved by a vote of 470-0 on October 25, 2001. It requested that the president designate September 11 of each year as "Patriot Day," and Whereas, President George W. Bush signed the resolution into law on December 8, 2001. It is a discretionary day of remembrance. On September 4, 2002, President Bush used his authority created by the resolution and proclaimed Septembe...
I’m not complaining but don’t you find it unusual that it is raining in Yucca Valley, California, and not in Grays River? With all this warm dry weather, we have been able to finally put down our hardwood flooring and are in process of putting the final coats of finish on. What a job, but certainly worth it. News from Naselle: Good job, Comets on last Friday’s football game. Keep up the good work. Sports on the schedule for Naselle include: Thursday-volleyball at home with Ilwaco at 5:45 p.m.; Friday-football at home with Knappa at 7 p.m.;...
The 2011 high school football season gets underway on Friday, and the Wahkiakum Mules have a tough match right at the start. They'll travel to Adna to face the Pirates, ranked number one in the state by one westside daily newspaper, on the Pirates new field by their new high school. Mule Coach Eric Hansen might rate the Napavine Tigers, the defending Central League champion a bit above Adna, but not by much. "To me the defending league champion is the team to beat," he said this week. "Napavine is loaded for bear with the strength of their...
A review of the state of the Wahkiakum County Assessor's Office has identified a list of shortcomings that county officials are trying to address. Assessor Bill Coons, who took office last January, asked the Department of Revenue (DOR) to evaluate the office and its operations. The department issued its final report in early August. "The purpose of this review by the department is to provide the Wahkiakum County Assessor and county legislative authority the information needed to successfully perform the duties associated with the various...
Unemployment in Wahkiakum County dropped from 13.2 percent in June to 11.9 percent in July, according to the latest figures from the Employment Security Department. The figures said 170 of 1,460 in the labor force, 11.9 percent, were out of work in July. In July, 2010, 200 of 1,550 in the labor force, 13 percent, were out of work. Statewide, unemployment dropped from 9.3 percent in June to 9 percent in July. Figures showed that the number of unemployed people decreased by 1,000 while the number of employed people dropped by 16,500, yielding a d...
First, it was exhausting for those involved, but the Third Annual Cathlamet Downhill Corral longboard festival provided a weekend of entertainment. Competition was more keen than ever. Longboarders came from Canada, the East Coast and all over The West to compete. They brought some of the big names in the sport, too, the pioneers who figured out how to do all those moves. Longboarding is what I call an alternative sport. It doesn't have a lot of money. Competitors love the thrill, and they learn by challenging themselves, meaning most of us wou...
News from Naselle: September already, and school begins again. It seems like summer just started, and now it’s time for new classes, fall sports and cooler weather once again. At least the nice daytime temperatures seem to be hanging around. Today (Thursday) is the first day of school for the 2011/12 class year at the Naselle-Grays River Valley School District, and the sports teams have already had a few weeks of practice. Sports schedules for this week include: Friday, football at home with Ilwaco at 7 p.m.; Wednesday, volleyball at Knappa a...
The Third Annual Cathlamet Downhill Corral, a series of internationally sanctioned longboard races, will take place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Cathlamet. The longboard races are expected to bring 100 competitors to the area this weekend. They will compete for prize money; a portion of the entry fees will be donated to the skateboard facilities at Erickson Park. Event Coordinator Judy Edmondson said organizers expect a large number of contestants again this year, including the downhill race champions for the first two years, James...
Wahkiakum County commissioners on Tuesday authorized the closure of a portion of the eastbound lane of Steamboat Slough Road. The closure affects an area where the Columbia River is eroding the shoreline and undercutting the dike protecting the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge for the White-Tailed Deer. In other business, the board told Assessor Bill Coons they would wait till Coons and a commissioner meet with the Department of Revenue in September to discuss department priorities before acting on a request for transfer to his...
Newspapers like to get letters to the editor. They represent the diverse points of view in our community, and they're often informative. Writers will take on public officials, who by the nature of their elected position, are subject to criticism that goes beyond the limits normally given to private citizens. This week, we received three letters on Tuesday, one past deadline, criticizing Mayor George Wehrfritz and his handling of Cathlamet Fire Department business. Specifically, writers focused on a grant the department solicited from the...
I don’t know about you but the warm rain was quite refreshing at the beginning of this week. Don’t get me wrong, I like the sunshine, but when it gets above 80, it’s too hot. That was one of the many reasons to leave California. The farmers making hay probably didn’t appreciate the rain much as many of them are still trying to get the bales into the barns, and there are still quite a few bales in the fields. It looks like more good weather on the way though, at least through the weekend. News from Naselle: One more week until school begins...
Commissioners of Port District No. 2 of Wahkiakum County on Tuesday agreed to consider accepting a gift of real estate, Coffee Pot Island. The couple owning the island, which lies between Puget Island and the Wauna pulp mill, offered to donate the island to the port district in July. Commissioners Brian O'Connor and Kayrene Gilbertsen--Commissioner Carlton Appelo was delayed by road construction and missed the discussion--said they could see the island as an asset for the district. It lies across a channel from the district's Svensen Park Boat...
Cathlamet Mayor George Wehrfritz has called for an investigation of a Cathlamet Fire Department mission. In July, Wehrfritz reported that members of the Cathlamet Volunteer Fire Fighters Association had applied in 2010 as a private business for a fire fighting contract with the US Forest Service and taken the department's wildlands unit to Prineville, Ore., for an inspection. They charged the fuel expense to the town's Emergency Services Fund (EMS), which covers ambulance expenses, not fire fighting expenses. At Monday's monthly meeting of the...
Wahkiakum County should have a new ferry by the end of 2014. County Public Works Director Pete Ringen reported Tuesday that he learned from Senator Patty Murray's office that the county would receive a federal ferry boat discretionary grant of $2.8 million. The county is planning to replace the existing 11-car ferry with a ferry that will hold 23 vehicles, including large trucks with trailers. The estimated cost is $3.9 million. The county will get about $1.1 million in state funds, Ringen said, and that will take care of most of the expense...
The Cathlamet Town Council approved the first reading of an ordinance amending the town's zoning laws on Monday, but council members had so many questions that it was suggested they bring in a consultant to handle the process. In other business at their monthly meeting: --The council met in an executive session called by Mayor George Wehrfritz to discuss potential litigation; --The council approved a parking and design plan for the 2nd Street renovation project; --The council discussed harvesting town timber to help cover the town's match for...
The Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners approved on Tuesday a permit allowing Columbia Land Trust to raise a portion of Mill Road. The land trust has purchased land between the road and Grays River and wants to remove a failing dike to turn the land into a wetland for juvenile salmon habitat. They would raise Mill Road to become a new dike. County Public Works Director Pete Ringen reported two weeks ago that he had placed conditions on the permit to ensure the dike and road would hold up, but the land trust was unable to post a bond to...
We enjoyed the week visiting with our nephew and niece from California. Didn’t get a whole lot done on the house but the hardwood flooring is just about ready to go down. Who knew that any moisture variance would make it impossible to install until the percentage was right. We didn’t. Hopefully readers will learn something from our experience, regarding hardwood floors in our moist area. When you spend lots of money to purchase the product, you don’t want it to buckle once it’s installed. We are very happy with the end result though, and onl...
The Northwest Steam Society will hold its Annual Steam Meeting August 12-14 at Cathlamet's Elochoman Slough Marina, drawing steam engine enthusiasts and their machines from all over the Pacific Northwest. The annual meeting, held each August at a different location, will feature 17 steam launches holding activities around the marina and on Puget Island. It includes a Friday evening social and a banquet on Saturday evening. Boats will arrive Friday. At noon on Saturday, they'll parade from the marina to Puget Island and cruise up Birnie Slough...
Cathlamet Fire Department officers have responded to queries from Mayor George Wehrfritz about the operation of the department's wildland truck and its travel out of state. Wehrfritz voiced concerns about the truck and its use by department members at the July 18 meeting of the council. He said the unit had undertaken unauthorized missions while operating as a private business, that the unit was deployed out of state without permission, and that it appeared Emergency Medical System (the first aid and ambulance division of the department) funds...
Wahkiakum County commissioners on Tuesday authorized Health and Human Services staff to begin looking for a potential site for 16-20 units of new housing accessible to county residents with disabilities and/or low incomes. A group known as the Wahkiakum Continuity of Care Housing Group will begin looking for a site and is authorized to enter into non-binding negotiations that would secure the site for future use. The county formed the housing group in 2007 and charged it with advising the commission on use of Affordable Housing and Homeless...
Wahkiakum County commissioners on Tuesday approved a recommendation to modify the job descriptions of the leaders of the Health and Human Services Department for the next 18 months. Director Judy Bright will go to part-time status, and Office Manager Chris Weiler will become assistant director. Bright presented the proposal to the board of commissioners in a workshop last week, and the board approved it this week. "My health situation along with recent Department of Health program and budget cuts has prompted me to consider a change in...
Nest week, Cathlamet's Elochoman Slough Marina will be filled with the chugging sounds of steam engines. The Northwest Steam Society will hold its Annual Steam Meeting August 12-14 at the marina, drawing steam engine enthusiasts and their machines from all over the Pacific Northwest. The annual meeting, held each August at a different location, attracts over 30 steam launches as well as automobiles, models, and stationary equipment, according to the society's website. It includes a Friday evening social and a banquet on Saturday evening....
