Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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Wahkiakum County commissioners handled a variety of business Tuesday including taking steps to continue discussion over the Steamboat Slough Dike. Commissioners also passed resolutions setting property tax collection rates for the year and met with landowners and commissioners of Consolidated Diking District No. 1 to discuss drainage issues on Puget Island. Assessor Bill Coons reported that changing property values would have mixed impact on property taxes. Overall, the tax levy will collect $166,641.10 less than last year because of a decline...
Above: Bob Pyle and his wife, Thea, watch the world from their Grays River home. Bob Pyle has recently published his 17th book, "The Tangled Bank." Photo by Rick Nelson. ----------- The photo of author Robert Michael Pyle that appears on the back cover of his latest book, “The Tangled Bank, Writings from Orion,” shows him wearing a thick coat of moss. But if moss doesn’t grow on moving objects, it didn’t grow on Pyle, for he has covered a lot of ground in 40 years as a naturalist. Including two educational coloring books for children, “The Ta...
Wahkiakum County commissioners reorganized and handled a light agenda of business to start 2013 at their meeting yesterday (Wednesday). Newly elected Commissioner Mike Backman joined the board; he replaces Lisa Marsyla who didn't run for re-election at the end of her first term. The board has reorganized, with Blair Brady assuming the role of chair and Dan Cothren moving to vice-chair. Backman will represent the board on the Lower Columbia Community Action Council, the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce executive committee, the county fair board,...
Here are some of the news highlights that we covered in 2012. One may conclude that the more things change, they more they stay the same: There's always something going on in Wahkiakum County and Naselle. January Judy Bright, administrator of Wahkiakum County's Department of Health and Human Services and a volunteer in the county Search and Rescue program, retires to battle cancer. She died later in the year; Sherrie McDonald of Raymond was appointed interim director, and Sue Cameron was hired this fall as permanent director. The Wahkiakum...
Lisa Marsyla's last week at work as a Wahkiakum County commissioner was quiet. The board held their final meeting of 2012 on December 26, and it would have been the final meeting for Marsyla as a commissioner, for she didn't seek re-election. However, Marsyla's daughter was ill. Marsyla stayed home to care for the child, and she was able to leave office without a lot of fanfare. That's too bad. She has been a good commissioner and deserves a salute. Marsyla has been a committed official and worked hard on the tasks she tackled. An accountant,...
Wahkiakum County commissioners had resolutions to consider creating new positions in county departments when the board met Wednesday. Sheriff Mark Howie has created a sergeant's position for the sheriff's department, and Public Works Director Pete Ringen presented redefined positions for his department's staff that, he has said, more closely represent the tasks the employees handle. The county employee's union has adopted the job descriptions for the positions into their contract with the county. The new sergeant would be responsible for superv...
One has to wonder where our nation is headed when elected leaders ignore practical facts and favor rigid ideological doctrine. I'm speaking, of course, of the conservative fringe of the Republican party in Congress which refuses to consider raising taxes on the nation's wealthiest persons and thereby has hamstrung efforts to address the end of the Bush Tax Cuts, automatic federal budget cuts and other aspects of the so-called fiscal cliff scheduled to arrive in January. It's amazing that a couple dozen members of the majority party in the US...
A dozen teams from Washington and Oregon competed in the Downriver Challenge Saturday at Wahkiakum High School. Left, Mule Adam Vasion (160) ties up an opponent enroute to a win by fall; he placed second in the weight class. Below, Jesus Crawford (138) grapples with an opponent in the opening round; he won by a pin and placed fifth in the weight class. Nate Cothren was champion of the 160 lb. division; Trystan Mendez was second at 182; Alex Johnson (132) and Mason Mackey (145) placed third; Ben Vasion (195) placed fourth, and Brandon Burdick...
The Wahkiakum School District board of directors heard reports in a short meeting December 18. Superintendent Bob Garrett reported that enrollment dipped a bit from 415.20 full time student equivalents (FTEs) to 413.1 in December. State funding is based on enrollment, and the district based its 2012-13 budget on 430 FTEs, based on the enrollment at the end of the previous school year. The district started the year with 403.4 FTEs. Wahkiakum High School Principal Stephanie Leitz reported that school staff are working to implement a variety of...
Commissioners of Port District No. 2 voted Tuesday to increase the price of sand they sell at Skamokawa Vista Park. The port has been selling sand for $2.25 per cubic yard for several years. Commissioners learned this fall that the price hardly covered their expenses, which includes an 80 cent royalty to the Department of Natural Resources, which claims ownership of the dredge spoil sand. A survey of companies selling sand showed retail prices ranging from $16-42 per cubic yard. Commissioners settled on a new price of $4.50 per cubic yard, or...
Fred Johnson is the new chief of the Cathlamet Fire Department. Johnson takes over after the retirement of Chief Jerry DeBriae, who served in the department for 52 years. Members of the town council on Monday approved a proclamation honoring Chief DeBriae. Mayor George Wehrfritz said DeBriae would have the title of fire chief emeritus for his more than 50 years with the department. "He has made the department a model for operation in the lower Columbia area," Wehrfritz read from the proclamation. The proclamation also recognized "the generous...
Town of Cathlamet officials are struggling to find a way to pay for remodeling of the old town hall building. The town received two bids for the project, and the lower bidder, Pacific Tech Construction, came in at $369,957, which is $130,000 over the architect's estimate for the work. Council members discussed whether or not to accept the bid or how to pay for the complete cost of the project. They asked for further information and said they would make a decision at their January 22 meeting. The project calls for installing public restrooms...
(Editor's note: The initial publication and posting for the article incorrecty stated the council had voted to reject the appeal. The council voted to continue consideration and action to its January meeting.) The Cathlamet Town Council on Monday decided to wait till January to act on an appeal of a board of adjustment variance that would allow a couple to build a garage on a Columbia Street Lot. Council members heard comment and commented on the appeal for 34 minutes but asked the town attorney to provide more information about variances...
The US Army Corps of Engineers has construction of a new portion of Steamboat Slough Dike and turning approximatly 200 acres of the Julia Butler Hansen National Refuge for the Columbian White-tailed Deer into wetlands. The new dike would be built inland from the existing dike, which the Columbia has been eroding for the past few years to the point that geotchnical engineers feel a slide could occur at any time and send a portion of the dike into the river. Such a breach would flood the refuge and make it subject to the river's tides. The Corps...
The outlook for deepening soon the channel for the ferry Wahkiakum isn't optimistic, Wahkiakum County officials learned this week. The channel has silted in over the past few years, and at low tides during the low flows of August and September, the ferry had trouble making its crossing without running aground. Wahkiakum County commissioners have asked the US Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the channel as part of their maintenance program, but the Corps hasn't been able to put the project on its dredging program. Commissioners have enlisted...
The outlook for deepening soon the channel for the ferry Wahkiakum isn't optimistic, Wahkiakum County officials learned this week. The channel has silted in over the past few years, and at low tides during the low flows of August and September, the ferry had trouble making its crossing without running aground. Wahkiakum County commissioners have asked the US Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the channel as part of their maintenance program, but the Corps hasn't been able to put the project on its dredging program. Commissioners have enlisted...
The outlook for deepening soon the channel for the ferry Wahkiakum isn't optimistic, Wahkiakum County officials learned this week. The channel has silted in over the past few years, and at low tides during the low flows of August and September, the ferry had trouble making its crossing without running aground. Wahkiakum County commissioners have asked the US Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the channel as part of their maintenance program, but the Corps hasn't been able to put the project on its dredging program. Commissioners have enlisted...
The outlook for deepening soon the channel for the ferry Wahkiakum isn't optimistic, Wahkiakum County officials learned this week. The channel has silted in over the past few years, and at low tides during the low flows of August and September, the ferry had trouble making its crossing without running aground. Wahkiakum County commissioners have asked the US Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the channel as part of their maintenance program, but the Corps hasn't been able to put the project on its dredging program. Commissioners have enlisted...
The outlook for deepening soon the channel for the ferry Wahkiakum isn't optimistic, Wahkiakum County officials learned this week. The channel has silted in over the past few years, and at low tides during the low flows of August and September, the ferry had trouble making its crossing without running aground. Wahkiakum County commissioners have asked the US Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the channel as part of their maintenance program, but the Corps hasn't been able to put the project on its dredging program. Commissioners have enlisted...
The Town of Cathlamet opened its second round of bids for remodeling the old town hall and library building Monday and found them well over their architect's estimate for the work. Pacific Tech Construction was the lower of the two bids at $369,957. Five Rivers Construction came in at $495,902. The estimate of the town's architect was $260,000, including contingency funds. Mayor George Wehrfritz and Council Member Dick Swart were present and said they would bring the bids to the full council, which meets next Monday, for further discussion....
Wahkiakum County officials took steps Tuesday to clean up some issues concerning their 2013 budgets and tax levies. Auditor Diane Tischer had informed the board during the week that the 2013 Current Expense Fund budget approved last week was actually $42,975 short because of changes in property taxes. Assessor Bill Coons also reported that as outlined, the budget would short the County Road Levy about $100,000. Coons explained that the total county levy would be for $1,006,004, up from $998,604 this year because of new construction. Otherwise,...
Wahkiakum County commissioners handled a variety of business when they met Tuesday on topics ranging from the treasurer's office to participatoin in economic development districts. New Treasurer Tammy Peterson asked the board to consider increasing funding for staffing her office. Peterson and the board discussed the matter last week, and commissioners asked Peterson to wait a few months to see what levels were needed. This week, Peterson returned and said the situation couldn't wait till spring. "My office is stretched to the max," she said. "...
Visiting South Bend took an early lead and never looked back enroute to a 63-47 win over the Wahkiakum Lady Mules last Friday. South Bend led 17-5 at the end of the first quarter on a combination of hot shooting and domination under the boards. The Mules outscored the visitors 11-9 in the second quarter to narrow the margin to 26-16 at halftime. They narrowed the South Bend's lead to nine in the third quarter, but South Bend went on a run and closed out the third quarter with a 46-27 lead. Sophomore Sam Boyce led the Mule scoring with 20...
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing an emergency translocation of Columbian white-tailed deer from Julia Butler Hansen (JBH) Refuge for the Columbian White-tailed Deer near Cathlamet to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) near Ridgefield. Steamboat Slough dike, a dike owned and maintained by Diking District 4 along the Columbia River boundary of the JBH Refuge, is eroding and, according to geotechnical engineers, could fail at any time. A December 3 news release said the Fish and Wildlife service believes a dike breach...
The local effort to find new owners and tenants of the closed Columbia View Care Center found a new hurdle to overcome last week. The real estate investment firm that owns the building, Aviv REIT Inc., of Chicago, offered to sell the building to the Town of Cathlamet earlier this fall. Mayor George Wehrfritz formed two advisory groups to look into possible uses and operational costs of the building. When the groups met last Thursday, however, they learned that Aviv has put the building up for sale in an online auction to be held January 23....
