Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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Wahkiakum County commissioners delayed action Tuesday on a petition presented last week. The petition asks that the commissioners either pass an ordinance requiring that "any and all legislation affecting real property in Wahkiakum County" be submitted to voters for approval, or if the commissioners pass no ordinance, they put the issue to voters on the general election ballot. Commissioners Blair Brady and Dan Cothren said they were awaiting comment from Prosecuting Attorney Dan Bigelow before acting. Bigelow was occupied with a jury trial...
Editor's Note: The house of columnist Trudy Fredrickson and her husband Delvin was destroyed last week by a chimney fire. See the story here for more details. Once again, I have to thank God for this wonderful place we live in and the awesome folks who live and love here. All I can say is thank you everyone who has offered us everything you can imagine after our house burned last Thursday. While some of you were reading my column about the Olson Family fire, my house was in flames and was a total loss. No one was hurt and all our animals were...
Should voters have the final say on county ordinances regarding real estate? Hundreds of people think so, according to a petition presented to the county board of commissioners on Tuesday. Kathleen Hogan presented the petitions signed by several hundred people to the commissioners when the board held its weekly meeting Tuesday. The petition asks the commissioners to adopt an ordinance, or if not, to put to a vote, the proposition that, "Any and all legislation affecting real property in Wahkiakum County shall require approval by a majority of...
Does the Cathlamet town council want to proceed with development of Queen Sally Park and community center? Mayor George Wehrfritz has scheduled a special meeting of the council August 2, 7 p.m., to seek a definitive vote on that issue. Plans to develop the park and community center evolved out of community meetings and a project to refurbish town hall. In two meetings, citizens and council members offered ideas and concepts for developing the park and community center involving town hall, the Pioneer Church Community Center, and a vacant,...
News from Naselle: Mother Nature must be at least part Finn. What a great weekend in Naselle! The place was packed with activities and folks from everywhere. Many thanks to everyone, especially the volunteers, for another wonderful Finnish-American Folk Festival. On July 22, a group of 35 golfers met at Peninsula Golf Course in Long Beach for the Finnish-American Folk Festival’s biennial golf outing. According to Mike Swanson, “The golf course was in excellent condition and all the staff in the clubhouse were very helpful. Special kudos for...
Wahkiakum County Commissioners Blair Brady, Dan Cothren and Lisa Marsyla had a quick and easy meeting Tuesday as they worked through a light agenda. Business included: --Public Works Director Pete Ringen reported that it appears grant funding from the state Department of Ecology for subsidation of the county's recycling program is going to end. "There is an apparent lack of funding support available for the time period from January 1, 2011, until June 20, 2011, and possibly beyond," he told the board. "We may have some carry over until 2011...
Now that the days are a little warmer and the humidity is lower, we are about to tackle painting my husband’s 1959 Ford pickup. It seems like he has been waiting forever to finally get it done. Darrel Sotka has finally had enough dry days to get the hay baled in our fields, and even a few berries are beginning to ripen. Maybe that means summer is finally here. News from Naselle: It’s time for FinnFest once again. Lots of fun for the whole family, Finnish or not. This three-day event, held in even years, will take place on July 23 through Jul...
After public meetings and the start of applications for grant funds for design work, members of the Cathlamet Town Council said Monday evening they want to revisit the planned parking for the proposed Queen Sally Park. New Mayor George Wehrfritz secured the volunteer services of Oregon Architects Without Borders to design the project, which involves refurbishing town hall and the library and developing a community center including the Pioneer Community Center. The architects visited the site, met with officials and the public to discuss needs...
Four years ago, Sulema Zerr took on incumbent Assessor Lucille Nielsen in the general election and won. Now the incumbent with four years in office, she is facing a challenger in Bill Coons. The first term has been challenging at times as taxpayers and county government have had to deal with a faltering economy, and she's had to accept budget cuts while trying to implement new programs. "I love it," she said in an interview this week. "Everyday is a new experience. I feel I'm competitive enough that I started a job and I need to finish." Zerr h...
Three men have announced their candidacies for Wahkiakum County Sheriff. Undersheriff Jon Dearmore, a 20-year law enforcement veteran, hopes to take the reins of the department he's worked in for 17 years; The Eagle profiled his candidacy last week. The remaining candidates are Josh Grasseth, a former deputy in the department, and Troy Norris, a former reserve deputy sheriff. Both speak of moving the department into community policing partnerships with the public. Both would like to see fitness programs for officers, and both said they're...
Longview businessman and Deep River resident Walter Deege is opening a branch of his Deege Insurance and Financial Services business in Cathlamet. Deege and a work crew have been remodeling a house at 100 Main Street and will hold a grand opening next Monday. In an interview this week, Deege said the new office is part of an expansion that will also include an office in Lewis County. The moves are intended to improve customer service. "We have a large customer base in Wahkiakum County," Deege said. "I thought, instead of them coming to...
Wahkiakum County will have an ordinance regulating the application of biosolids--processed human waste--but how restrictive it will be remains to be seen. County commissioners hosted an hour-long seminar on biosolids on Tuesday, hearing processors, regulators, scientists and consumers in an effort to learn more about the process. Commissioners Blair Brady and Dan Cothren expressed reservations about the application of biosolids to farm land before the program started, and they had those reservations when the program was over. Brady said he...
The annual Bald Eagle Festival and Wooden Boat Show will make Cathlamet the place to be this weekend. The annual festival ranges over three days and features a parade, street fair with live entertainment, fireworks show and US Coast Guard helicopter rescue demonstration. A complete schedule of festival events can be found on Page 12 of this issue of The Eagle. The three-day festival starts Friday with a celebration at the Two Islands Farm Market and the Third Annual Side Walk Art Contest. Saturday is the busy day, starting with the Kiwanis...
After another week of “kinda summer” it makes you remember why this is the most wonderful place to live. Even though my husband hasn’t yet been able to paint his ‘59 Ford pickup because of the humidity, things are also looking up for that project. I see much activity in the fields and gardens, so that is more good sign. Actually I love the rain but some sun is always welcome. News from Naselle: Activity is ramping up for the Finnish American Folk Festival in Naselle. The three day family friendly event will take place July 23 through July 25...
With Sheriff Dan Bardsley retiring at the end of this year, it's time for a change of command in the Wahkiakum County Sheriff's office. Two men filed as candidates for the position during the filing week in June--current Undersheriff Jon Dearmore and Rosburg resident Troy Norris, and last weekend, signs appeared for a write-in candidate, former Deputy Sheriff Josh Grasseth. The Eagle will publish profiles of candidates in the next few weeks. We start with Jon Dearmore. Dearmore has over 20 years experience in law enforcement. He started in the...
Wahkiakum County residents need to stop smoking, get more exercise, and eat more fruits and vegetables. These are the conclusions health department officials presented to the county board of commissioners Tuesday. Judy Bright, Health and Human Services director, and Dr. Jennifer Vines, deputy health officer presented an analysis of chronic disease risk factors in the county in the monthly board of health meeting on Tuesday. "As our local community contemplates health care reform, it is important to remind ourselves of the major determinants of...
The contractor which ran afoul of the federal Buy America Act by incorporating pontoons made in Mexico into the Puget Island ferry replacement ramp has ceased seeking a waiver to the requirements. Bergerson Construction of Astoria notified Wahkiakum County officials in June that they would drop efforts to avoid having to replace the pontoons at their own expense. The company contracted with another company in Ohio to construct the new pontoon. The Ohio company, in turn, hired a Mexican firm to build the pontoon, and that company used a mixture...
It was a wonderful weekend despite the rain and unpredictable weather. With more than 20 family members staying for a few days, we were either cooking or playing, and had a few tents set up for extra sleeping quarters. It’s so nice to have this many family members in the same place at the same time. Lots of motorcycle riding, swimming, Frisbee golf, roasting marshmallows for s’mores, fireworks, and all the other fun things we enjoy, with 78 acres to enjoy it on. In addition to all the people we had six members of our dog family as well. New...
Plans are jelling for Cathlamet's summer festivals. The Bald Eagle Festival and Wooden Boat Festival are just over two weeks away, and the Cathlamet Downhill Corral skateboard competition is two months away. Bald Eagle Festival coordinators are trying to add to the entertainment, said Lynda Gerlach, executive director of the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce. "Chamber President Jen Hanigan is trying to schedule live music all day (Saturday) on Main Street," Gerlach said. "We'll have the rock climbing wall and inflatable plastic toys for kids." The...
"So much angst! So much anger! Big government! Elected officials are corrupt! Throw them all out!" While these messages aren't shared by all, there are enough people and organizations proclaiming them that confidence in all levels of government is weak. The reaction is to get tough and make them toe the line, "our line," what ever it may be to each individual or group. But with hard line, no compromise negotiating positions, it's hard to get differing groups together and address the troubling issues we face locally or worldwide. Cooperation...
Was Monday really the first day of summer? It felt more like June-uary. Tuesday has turned out to be a gorgeous day, but how long will that last? All day maybe? I’m wondering if the farmers will be able to get any hay in this year, as wet as it has been. Someone needs to give Mother Nature a hug, or something. News from Naselle: A few last minute items need to be posted now that school is out. The following students were chosen to represent their elementary grade classes as students of the month displaying the character trait of ...
The Cathlamet Town Council continued with steps to impose a six-month building permit moratorium for Columbia Ridge Estates subdivision and handled other business items at its monthly meeting Monday evening. The council had adopted Resolution 280-10, imposing the moratorium, at its May 17 meeting. Following up with steps to satisfy legal requirements for the moratorium, the council held a public hearing Monday on the resolution and adopted Mayor George Wehrfritz's May 4 letter to the estates community association as a findings of fact. Town...
After going over an analysis of their 2010 Current Expense Fund budget on Tuesday, Wahkiakum County Commissioners authorized two department heads to add employees to their staffs. The positions, in the assessor's office and Health and Human Services Department, will be funded by grants, and in the case of Health and Human Services, was already in the department budget. Commissioner Lisa Marsyla conducted the analysis, looking for pockets of funds that might be used to cut the Current Expense Fund's expected $193,000 shortfall. Instead, she...
Wahkiakum County commissioners authorized a partial expenditure of funds to enable department heads to upgrade and expand information available over the Internet. The $7,000 expenditure is part of a project that is installing new computer software for the offices of the county treasurer and assessor. Part of the project will make land records available on the county's website. Officials had intended to have maps available, too, but because of uncertainty over funding for that portion, Commissioners Blair Brady, Dan Cothren and Lisa Marsyla...
Wahkiakum County commissioners decided this week they would hold two public forums to gather input on a proposal to include Wahkiakum County in the proposed Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area (NHA). Commissioners have already scheduled a forum for 6:30 p.m. June 17 in the Wendt Elementary School Multi-purpose Room, and they decided Tuesday to hold another in western Wahkiakum County. Commissioner Blair Brady, whose district includes the Westend, had previously said he saw no need for a forum in the Westend because residents of that area...
