Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 2001 - 2025 of 2699
News from Naselle: I had a call from Josie Ciambetti with a reminder that the Wahkiakum County Fair will have an extra special concession during this year’s three day run. The Naselle High School Cheerleaders will be cooking and serving two wonderful treats to the fairgoers. You can chow down on tamales and chicken adobo while you are enjoying the fair and at the same time helping the cheerleaders in their fund raising efforts for their cheerleading camp. The Wahkiakum County Fair will be held in Skamokawa on August 18, 19 and 20. One of G...
Fluctuations in timber markets and legal wrangling in courts is having an effect on the revenue Wahkiakum County will receive from harvest of timber on its state-managed timber trust lands. Timber revenue is an important part of the county's Current Expense Fund budget and contributes about $1.12 million per year. Steve Ogden, district manager of the Department of Natural Resources, which manages the trust timberlands, reported Wednesday that the county could have a good year in 2011 and a bad year in 2012. Agency foresters are taking steps to...
The Wahkiakum County Assessor's office has many problems that need to be addressed, according to a draft report from the state Department of Revenue (DOR). Assessor Bill Coons, who took office January 1, requested they inspect his office, report on shortcomings, and make recommendations to address them. Coons presented draft findings to the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday. He said the DOR will probably issue its final version of the report sometime next week or soon after. The report groups its findings into two categories. One is...
Wahkiakum County Health Department officials will soon contact local organizations to remind them of requirements for public food permits. Department officials reported their plans for community education to the board of county commissioners on Tuesday. Health department officials have wanted to impose a hard and fast deadline for temporary food permits, and commissioners had asked for a public education process before that step was taken. Department Director Judy Bright and Environmental Health Specialist Matt Swanson presented a brochure...
The Wahkiakum County Board of Equalization announced Wednesday evening a plan to update property values for Puget Island land parcels. The board annually hears appeals of property assessments, and, when Islanders received their assessments in 2010, the board had 170 appeals. Normally, the board has around 20 appeals, said Chair Nick Nikkila, and so the board decided to look at the assessments. They found a hodgepodge of value classes set by an appraiser who retired in early 2010, Nikkila said, and neither the new appraiser nor board members wer...
It looks like summer has actually arrived. Gardens are finally growing, farmers and making hay, and the sun is shining for more than a couple of hours a week. I guess we had better enjoy this break as it may be gone in a week, if Mother Nature stays true to form. Speaking of haying, Darrel Sotka just pulled in with his mower to mow our fields. I hope he doesn’t get lost in the high grass. Don’t forget the summer activities going on at the Timberland Library in Naselle. Summer is the perfect time to catch up on your reading, while sitting in a c...
The Wahkiakum County Board of Equalization announced Wednesday evening a plan to update property values for Puget Island land parcels. The board annually hears appeals of property assessments, and, when Islanders received their assessments in 2010, the board had 170 appeals. Normally, the board has around 20 appeals, said Chair Nick Nikkila, and so the board decided to look at the assessments. They found a hodgepodge of value classes set by an appraiser who retired in early 2010, Nikkila said, and neither the new appraisor nor board members...
Once again, I have to congratulate my staff for getting The Eagle out while I was on an unscheduled vacation last week. Betsy, Geri and Caroline did a whale of a job picking up the loose ends. Ruby was on vacation, too, a planned vacation, and she's picked up a big load since she came back. It's nice to know that the paper is in good hands. Not only does the publisher not have to worry, but our subscribers also have the best quality product coming to them that we can produce. I use the term vacation loosely. I developed an infection in my leg,...
First of all, an apology and a correction. In last week's column I wrote about a July 3 barbecue. The barbecue was held at Bobby Olmstead’s home, and was attended by Eddie Wirkkala, his son Warren, his girlfriend and daughter, Ralph Olmstead of Naselle, his friend Susie from Long Beach, Junior Johnson of Vader and Bob and Geri Lee from Grays River. Thank you for the corrections Geri, and my apologies to those I identified incorrectly. I had the pleasure of attending a special meeting with Wahkiakum county commissioners and Chuck Beyer on T...
Citizens, state and local officials and environmental habitat groups think they may have a solution to the continuing flooding and erosion problems along Kandoll Road and Seal Slough. Engineers from Cardno Entrix, a consultant working for the Columbia Land Trust, said a viable solution seems to be to create a new slough across the old Kandoll Farm to channel the water that surfaces on the farm into the Grays River to the south and away from Seal Slough to the north. The concept drew nods of approval from several regulatory agencies, and the...
A homeowners' association is asking Wahkiakum County officials to join them in pressuring a developer into addressing an erosion issue along SR 4 near Nassa Point. Patrick Anderson and Van Wilkinson of the Maple Ridge Homeowners Association said that group is having other problems with developer Lynn Barnett, and they feel the county could have some liability in the problem. The Maple Ridge access road is just west of the Nassa Point Motel. Barnett has graded a lot to the west of the road, and there was erosion of mud and rocks that went on...
Longtime Cathlamet resident Deon Brown died in a vehicular collision Monday afternoon on SR 4. A memorial service is tentatively scheduled for this Friday. Brown, 74, was the driver of a 2007 Ford Taurus that was headed westbound on SR 4 8-9 miles east of Cathlamet at 3:15 p.m. Near the top of the hill east of County Line Park, her car crossed the centerline and collided with a loaded 2003 Kenworth log truck driven eastbound by Daniel J. Urmanski, 37, Woodland. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene; Urmanski wasn't injured. Both were wearing...
Wahkiakum County Commissioners on Tuesday gave their approval for the sheriff's department to add a drug detection dog to their ranks. Deputy Sheriff Gary Howell, the department's drug specialist, will become the handler of Dakota, a yearling female golden labrador. Sheriff Jon Dearmore, who was a dog handler in the 1990s, said the program came together quickly. A man offered a free, partially trained dog that seemed promising he said. Dearmore gave the dog some tests and concluded it had could maintain the sustained interest in an activity...
Assessor Bill Coons and the Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners are still far apart on paying for extra help for Coon's office. They plan to consult with Prosecuting Attorney Dan Bigelow about the interpretation of statutes and how they might settle their dispute. On June 28, Coons reported his clerk has accumulated 140 hours of vacation time and he asked the board to authorize a transfer from the Professional Services budget line to the Extra Help line. The board refused, saying that wasn't what the appropriation was meant for and because...
What an absolutely wonderful week we had with our kids, grandkids and dogs last week. They must have brought the sun from California and taken it back with them when they left. At least it’s not cold. For the first time our grandkids didn’t want to go home. They all learned how to drive a stick shift car while they were here, learned how to shoot a .22, how to build a brick fire pit, went swimming in the river, picked salmon berries and they all got along with each other. That was quite an accomplishment in my book of raising kids. News fro...
Sheriff Jon Dearmore has honored a father and son for spotting and responding to the fire that burned two houses on Cape Horn on June 11. Lorenzo Mendez and his son, Tristan, age 14, were on their way to County Line Park around 5 a.m. when they headed up SR 4 by Cape Horn. They had intended to fish on Sunny Sands but decided at the last minute to go to County Line, so it was by chance they were in the area. Tristan said he spotted a big orange glow and realized a house was on fire. He yelled, and Lorenzo pulled his vehicle onto the highway...
Cathlamet's skyline changed last week with the installation of a new pole for law enforcement and emergency management radio and microwave communications. The stainless steel pole stands 82 feet above the ground at Julius A. Wendt Elementary School. It replaces two wooden poles that supported a variety of antennas. "When they said ‘pole,' I thought it would be like a wooden pole," said Sheriff Jon Deamore. "Instead it's this huge stainless steel pole." The steel is approximately 3/8 of an inch thick. Another 20 feet of the pole is buried in t...
Wahkiakum County commissioners and staff of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed project progress and harvest issues in a Tuesday meeting. Biologist Bryce Glaser reported good news and bad news about plans to construct a chum salmon rearing channel at the closed Elochoman Salmon Hatchery. Regional biologist Pat Frazier and program manager Sara LaBorde reported expansion of the departments alternative gear testing for salmon harvest, and they also discussed harvest and other issues with county Commissioners Lisa Marsyla and Da...
Wahkiakum County commissioners discussed a variety of issues ranging from assessor department staffing to state contract renewals but didn't act on them at their meeting this week. To avoid having to make difficult decisions on the same meeting day an issue is presented, commissioners have adopted a policy of hearing an issue at one meeting and voting on it at a following meeting. Assessor Bill Coons ran into this policy and more when he asked the board to authorize him to hire extra help for a maximum of 79.5 hours a month for the rest of the...
Changes are in store for Wahkiakum on the Move, Wahkiakum County's public transportation system. System managers said Tuesday they are planning to expand their schedule and that they're going to start charging ridership fees, effective August 1. The news came Tuesday as the county board of commissioners signed a new contract with the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) that will increase funding for the program. In other business Tuesday, the board heard project funding requests from Diking District No. 1 of Puget Island. Bob...
Commissioners of Port District No. 2 decided Tuesday they would continue their sponsorship of navigation buoys in Grays Bay. Commissioners had voted earlier this year to end sponsorship of the buoys and cancel an aquatic lands lease with the Washington Department of Natural Resources. The lease required inspections and maintenance work that could cost as much as $7,000, as well as reporting to the agency. However, citizens from the county's Westend and also the county board of commissioners responded that they wanted to see the port continue...
Local governmental agencies and the Columbia Land Trust (CLT) hope to come up soon with a way to reduce current velocity in Seal Slough and end erosion of private dikes in the area. An engineering consultant should have some options ready for consideration in two or three weeks, said CLT Lands Steward Ian Sinks. He and commissioners from Wahkiakum County and the Grays River Habitat Enhancement District plan to meet July 12 to go over the proposals. Meanwhile, the state departments of Ecology and Fish and Wildlife have voiced displeasure over...
Wahkiakum High School seniors wrapped up their careers Friday in a lively graduation ceremony. Faculty and class speakers commented on the graduates' achievements and camaraderie. "We are a class of individuals, and you cannot put us in any kind of category," said Shelby Felton in the welcoming speech. Faculty Choice Speaker Jori McEntire noted that the class is small in number, with 28 graduates, and that allowed the members to form strong bonds even as paths started to separate in high school. "I'm telling you that now is the chance to be...
Naselle/Grays River Valley High School seniors breezed through their commencement ceremony Saturday with a look back at their past and an acknowledgment of their potential for success in the future. The 22 classmates spoke of their close bonds, and they took in scholarships totaling over $150,000. Valedictorian was Taylor Wasmundt, and salutatorian was Haleigh See. They and Cody Cooley were honored for maintaining grade point averages of 3.75 or higher. In her Valedictorian Address, Wasmundt commented that many of the students had been in...
Filing for positions on the 2011 election ballots closed Friday with only one contested position on the ballot. Lori Scott is challenging incumbent Carlton Appelo for the seat on the Port District 2 board of commissioners that he's held since the district was formed. For the four positions that didn't have candidates, a special filing period will be held June 15-17 in the Wahkiakum County Auditor's office. Positions that didn't draw candidates included: --Wahkiakum School District board of directors, Position 1, Tony Boyce incumbent....
