Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 1601 - 1625 of 2280
Last week we printed a photo of an owl perched on a fire hydrant on Puget Island. Reader sent that photo to us; we appreciate it. On Tuesday, we learned an update about that owl. Rob Stockhouse said the photo was taken near his farm on West Birnie Slough Road. He later found the owl with his chickens. It had killed two and was having a feast. When he approached, it tried to fly away, but it had been injured, Stockhouse observed, and it was trapped in the chicken yard. Stockhouse called a raptor rescue service, and a person from that firm caught...
The Wahkiakum Mules wrapped up their 2011 regular football season with a 40-7 win over the visiting Raymond Seagulls last Friday. Raymond took the opening kickoff and mounted an eight minute scoring drive to lead 7-0. From there, it was almost an all -Mule football game. The Mules responded with a scoring drive. Austin Good scored on a seven-yard run at 10:54 of the second quarter; a two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Gulls ahead 7-6. Raymond mounted another drive deep into Wahkiakum territory, but the Mules held on downs inside...
Wahkiakum County officials started discussion of preliminary 2012 budget requests this week knowing they have a big hole to address. The county will likely face a $450,000 revenue shortfall next year for the Current Expense Fund, which funds most courthouse departments, Treasurer Paula Holloway told department heads on Tuesday. A big part of that hole is a shortfall in state Criminal Justice Funds, which the state pays quarterly. In the first three quarters of 2011, the state had projected $283,000 revenue to the county, but actual payments...
Write-in candidates have surfaced for two of the Cathlamet Town Council positions on the November election ballot. Former mayor and council member Dick Swart announced Friday that he was running as a write-in candidate for position 3. Incumbent David Goodroe didn't file for re-election, and Angie Pugh, who filed during the regular filing period, has moved out of town and doesn't qualify for office as she is no longer a town resident, Swart said. Over the weekend, some Cathlamet residents received a letter announcing Swart's candidacy and also...
Former Cathlamet mayor and councilmember Dick Swart announced Friday that he would be a write-in candidate for Cathlamet Town Council. Swart said he had learned that Angie Pugh, who had filed for a council position 3, has moved out of Cathlamet and thus doesn't qualify to be a councilmember. He is a candidate for that position. David Goodroe now holds the position but didn't file for re-election. In his announcement, Swart said he believes it is important for voters to elect a councilmember. Otherwise, it could take months before a replacement...
The Napavine Tigers played an almost perfect football game to defeat the Wahkiakum Mules 23-12 last Friday in a Central League game. The Tigers built a 20-6 halftime lead and did what they needed to do to survive a determined Mule rally in the second half. The Tigers received the second half kickoff and boosted the score to 23-6 with a 21 yard goal at 5:55. The Mules then got their offense going. Wyatt Parker scored on a 32 yard run with 51 seconds left in the third quarter to cut the Tiger lead to 23-12. The Mules recovered an onside kick but...
Voters residing in the confines of Port District No. 2 have Wahkiakum County's only local contested election on the November ballot. Lori Scott is challenging Carlton Appelo for Appelo's seat on the port commission. Appelo was one of the three original commissioners from when the port district was formed in 1966. He has held the position since. "I've been doing this for so many years that I have the background on every issue, so I wanted to stay with it," he told The Eagle this week. "My brain function is fine. With my experience and community...
Commissioners of Port District No. 2 took care of house keeping measures and discussed a variety of issues when they met October 18. The commissioner passed resolutions formally adopting the 2012 budget and increasing tax the 1 percent allowed by law without voter approval. The levy will be approximately $60,000 said Manager Bob Robinson. Commissioners agreed with Robinson that they want to change terms in a proposed agreement with the association of up river ports that handles dreding of the Columbia. The port has allowed access to the river...
With the first round of the 2012 budgeting process coming soon, Wahkiakum County got the good and bad news from the State Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday. The good news is that the county will receive almost $600,000 more this year from the sale of timber from county trust timber land. The bad news is that, as Treasurer Paula Holloway said, "That money is gone." It will be used to fill a hole created by reductions in the state criminal justice funding. Trust timber revenue was budgeted at $1.2 million for 2011, and the county will...
The Cathlamet Town Council gave approval to its proposed budgets for 2012 at its monthly meeting last Monday. The council's finance committee will fine tune the budget for final action at a future meeting. The council also voted 4-1 to uphold a contract with a propane supplier. Councilmember Wally Wright suggested that the contract was invalid because it hadn't been put out to bid or approved by the council, and because Mayor George Wehrfritz had signed it, he should be responsible for the expense. Clerk-Treasurer Tina Schubert responded that...
Vote-by-mail ballots will soon arrive in the mailboxes of Washington's registered voters. With the presidential election out of the way two years ago, there's not much on the ballot. Voters living in the confines of Port District 2 have the only contested race on the ballot. Lori Scott is challenging incumbent Carlton Appelo for the position that represents western Wahkiakum County. Appelo is over 90 years old but his mind is still sharp. He was one of the founding commissioners of the district back in 1966 and feels he brings a wealth of...
The Toutle Lake Ducks edged the visiting Wahkiakum Mules 26-21 in a game that left them tied for second in Central League standings. "Toutle didn't beat us," Mule Coach Eric Hansen told his team after the game. "We beat ourselves." The Mules fumbled the ball six times, losing three, and giving the Ducks a short field for a touchdown drive. The Ducks also intercepted a Mule pass. Toutle took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a seven yard run by Zach Hayes. The Mules responded with a touchdown, a 12-yard run by Kohl Bergseng. A two-point...
Wahkiakum County commissioners and staff of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed project progress and harvest issues in a meeting October 6. Pat Frazier, regional fish biologist, and Sara LaBorde, special assistant to the director, reported that the department's alternative gear salmon test fisheries have had a successful summer, and they need to hold meetings with fishers to discuss future developments in gear use. Frazier also reported that the department is considering what to do now that testing has shown that there is...
The Cathlamet Town Council took a first look at the preliminary budget for 2012 at a special meeting Tuesday night. In its preliminary form, the budget totals $1.27 million in revenue and $1.29 in expenses, a deficit of $17,000 (numbers are rounded). The council will have to make adjustments in the Current Expense Fund of $60,000 if it wants to end the 2012 year with a cash balance on hand, said Councilmember David Goodroe. The 2011 budget totaled $1.69 million, but it includes uncompleted street improvement work that could be bumped into...
Wahkiakum County Commissioner Dan Cothren took his concerns about the harvest of timber from county timber trust lands to the state Board of Natural Resources on Monday. Cothren testified at the board's meeting, urging the commission to stand up to environmentalists threatening to file suits to block harvest of timber on land that could be habitat for endangered marbled murrelets. The department has withdrawn sales, including one on county timber trust land, under the threat of suits. The county needs the revenue, Cothren said. Peter Goldmark,...
Wahkiakum County commissioners handled a variety of business at their meeting on Tuesday. The board approved a request from the sheriff's department to create a temporary emergency services department. Sheriff Jon Dearmore and Undersheriff Mark Howie explained that the county is picking up grants that formerly went to the Town of Cathlamet for an emergency services director. Howie presented a budget analysis that showed that by assuming the grants, the county could have an emergency services director, the grant revenue would lower the county's...
Balanced play paved the way for a 40-7 Wahkiakum Mule victory over the host Mossyrock Vikings last Friday in Central League football. The Mules scored three touchdowns by running the ball and three by passing. But the defense set the stage by intercepting two Viking passes and recovering three Viking fumbles. "Our defense played really well," said Mule Coach Eric Hansen. "Mossyrock's turnovers really hurt them." A Viking fumble on a punt attempt deep in their own territory set up the Mules' first touchdown. Lars Blix took the ball in on a one...
It will be back to court for Wahkiakum County and the Washington Department of Ecology in their suit over the county's biosolids ordinance. Last Friday, a Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge rejected Ecology's motion for a summary judgement and said he wanted more facts before making a decision. The county adopted this year an ordinance that allowed application of only Class A biosolids in the county; Class B and septage biosolids, which aren't treated as highly as Class A, were prohibited. Ecology sued, claiming that state law gives the depart...
It's back to the drawing board for Columbia Land Trust and plans for a new slough on the Kandoll Farm below Rosburg. With Wahkiakum County commissioners and the Grays River Habitat Enhancement District, the land trust has been working on plans to address erosion of privately owned dikes on Seal Slough and the flooding problems that have plagued Kandoll Road landowners since the land trust embarked on a salmon habitat restoration project on the former Kandoll family farm at the end of the road. This past summer, the group and consulting...
Wahkiakum County commissioners heard requests to add personnel to two departments when they met Tuesday. Commissioners also passed a resolution taking over responsibility for appointing a manager for the county fair and handled a variety of other business. The board started to hear a request from Sheriff Jon Dearmore to add a new position, emergency services director, but postponed the dicussion upon learning that they hadn't received supporting budget documents from the sheriff's office. Dearmore and Undersheriff Mark Howie have been working t...
Commissioners of Port District No. 2 on September 20 approved their preliminary budget for 2012. Port commissioners also discussed fees and cross connections with members of the Westside Water System board of directors, and they passed a resolution adopting financial policies, procedures and an internal control system. The port's budget for 2012 shows several cuts from the 2011 budget, include no money budgeted for the part-time position of Manager Bob Robinson, a $20,000 reduction. Overall, the 2012 budget shows revenue of $322,083 and...
Wahkiakum County government may be facing yet another revenue shortage. Treasurer Paula Holloway reported Tuesday that although revenue from timber harvest may be up for the year, other revenues are down about $450,000, and the trend will likely continue next year. State Criminal Justice money is coming in at reduced rates, she said. An installment is due this week, and state officials have said it will be 65 percent of original allocation. Criminal Justice money funds law enforcement, courts, and prosecution and can be used for other...
The Cathlamet Town Council met in special meetings Tuesday to address three issues. First, the council approved a proposal to end a moratorium on new building permits for the Glengate addition. The council adopted the moratorium last year when it appeared the developer and home owners association weren't working together and weren't completing required road construction. On Tuesday, Donal McIntosh, representing the developer, said the association had met and come up with a plan to accomplish the work. They proposed setting up an account with...
Wahkiakum County commissioners on Tuesday handled a variety of business ranging from modifying the assessor's budget to hearing citizen input on the state's Discovery Pass. Assessor Bill Coons presented several requests for budgetary action and had mixed success. Commissioners approved an $8300 expenditure from the department's Professional Fees line item to host a week long training on the department's computer program. The expense will cover costs of a Chicago based consultant's round trip air travel , lodging and meals, rental car, and 40 ho...
The Wahkiakum School District Board of Directors last week tabled action on a request for a temporary construction road easement for the Town of Cathlamet. The town opened bids for its new wastewater treatment plant on Friday. The plant will be built on land purchased from the district, and town officials have asked for an easement to build a temporary road for construction at the edge of the school's Farm Forest. The district has already granted an easement for a permanent access road to the plant site, but that road will run uphill, and...
