Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 1401 - 1425 of 2280
Like the candidates, I breathe a sigh of relief when the election is over. But it's not over till it's over. Only 20 votes separated Greg Prestegard and Mike Backman. Another 300 or so votes will be counted today (Thursday) at 12 noon, and they may still not settle the race for the District 1 position on the county board of commissioners. Some of the statewide elections are close. The races for governor, secretary of state, and state auditor were very close when counting ended Tuesday evening. Initiative 1240, concerning charter schools, was...
The end is in sight for the Wahkiakum County board of commissioners as they put together their preliminary budget for 2013. Commissioners held their final meetings with department heads and other parties with intersets in the budget process Tuesday. After the county auditor's office has updated revenue projections, Commissioner Lisa Marsyla and Clerk of the Board Marsha LaFarge will compile the figures for a final review next week. The figures will go to the auditor's office for printing of the proposed budget, which is due to be published...
The Wahkiakum Mule volleyball team won a 3-2 match at Toutle Lake on Monday and lost a 3-2 match last Thursday at home to Morton/White Pass. "We had a big win tonight in five," said Mule Coach Kaylie Hurley. The Mules won by scores of 20-25, 25-20, 25-22, 19-25, 15-12. "My setter, Haylee Budd, went down with an ankle sprain in the game," Hurley said. "A sophomore, Morgan Elliot, came in and performed like we needed her to. She had 22 assists through games 3-5. She also chipped in nine service points. "Tori Wegdahl had 26 kills and 11 service...
The Wahkiakum Mule football bounced back from its 51-6 loss to Morton/White Pass with a 41-7 win over the Toutle Lake Ducks last Friday night. The win ended the regular season for the Mules; they finished with a 7-1 record in the Central League. They had already clinched second place; they'll host the winner of this Friday's Toutle Lake-Pe Ell football game on November 2 in a crossover game with a state playoff berth on the line. After a scoreless first quarter, the Ducks caught the Mule pass defense in a blown coverage and took a 7-0 lead....
Wahkiakum County Sheriff Jon Dearmore died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound about 5 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. The death occurred at his Grays River Valley home. The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office will be in charge of any investigation. Dearmore is survived by his wife, Lori, and their daughter, Kaelee. Jon Dearmore had over 25 years in his law enforcement career. He started in the Chelan and Long Beach police departments and has spent the last 18 in Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Department. He served as undersheriff, the department's second in...
Commissioners of Port District No. 2 discussed updating plans and acquiring a new office building when they met October 16. Commissioner Kayrene Gilbertsen suggested the port acquire a park model unit for a temporary office to replace the current quarters, which are deteriorating. Locating the unit inside Skamokawa Vista Park would save the expense of municipal sewer and water fees, for it would be connected to the park's systems. It could be used until the port can afford to build a permanent office, and then it could be converted into...
The Cathlamet Town Council continued work on developing its 2013 budgets at a workshop meeting last Friday. Councilmembers approved the budget for the first of three readings on October 15; on Friday, they received some updated figures and discussed some program concepts. Mayor George Wehrfritz said that he wanted to use money normally outsourced to the now defunct Lower Columbia Economic Deveopment Council to fund economic activities in the town budget. Some of the funds will be allocated to professional fees to make sure permits are in place...
Washington's voters received their mail-in ballots this past weekend and have already started returning them well in advance of the November 6 election day. Like others, local candidates are continuing to present their messages to the voting public. This week, we asked candidates for Wahkiakum County commissioner if they had one last message to give to voters. Here are their responses: District 1 Both Mike Backman, Independent, and Greg Prestegard, Democrat, have been going door to door throughout the county and talking to residents. "There...
Wahkiakum County commissioners got the start of the 2012 budget season off to a start Tuesday with a review of the County Fair budget. Fair Manger Becky Ledtke and Fair Board President Philip Vik presented the fair's budget request. Ledtke asked that the county increase its appropriation to the fair to cover increasing costs in fuel, professional fees, communication and premiums. They proposed moving funds from the repair and maintenance lines to the premium payment line. Ledtke said the fair board wants to increase the premium payment from $7,...
Wahkiakum County commissioners handled a variety of business Tuesday ranging from a request for a variance to the no shooting regulations for the Elochoman Valley to the health of Wahkiakum 4H. Extension Agent Carrie Backman said the 4H program is healthy and growing. "When I started, enrollment was 44 kids," she said. "This year it's 98." The program involves middle and high school age youth in a variety of learning and leadership training activities. At a recent 4H youth conference, there were more youth from Wahkiakum County than from King...
How good are the number one ranked Morton/White Pass Timberwolves? Pretty darn good, if you asked the Wahkiakum Mules, who were victims of a 51-6 defeat at the hands of the T-wolves last Friday. Both teams entered the game with perfect 6-0 records. The experience the visitors carried with them--they finished second in the state 2B playoffs last year--paved the way to the lopsided win. "It was ugly," commented Mule Coach Eric Hansen. The Mules kicked off to the T-wolves, and on the first play, MWP quarterback Ryan Reynolds slipped on the wet...
What can people and local government do to lower the rates for Cathlamet's sewer and water utilities? That was the subject of a summit meeting hosted Tuesday afternoon by the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce. Chamber members said the town's utility rates are hurting businesses and people on fixed incomes. Schedule increases will just make the problems worse and threaten the survival of some businesses. Discussion focused on two areas: 1. How to encourage more residences to connect to the sewer and water systems and share in the costs of...
The Wahkiakum County Marine Resource Committee (MRC) has suggested an addition to Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber's proposal to move gillnetting into the side channels of the Columbia River. The MRC has drafted a proposal suggesting that the Cathlamet Channel be classified and used for mixed use fisheries, if the Kitzhaber plan is adopted. Besides limiting gillnetting to side channels and select areas, the Kitzhaber plan would give recreational fishing priority fishing times on the mainstem. Selective commercial gear, which are still in the deve...
Wahkiakum County's revenue from the harvest of time off state managed trust timberland will be better than anticipated this year, representatives of the state Department of Natural Resources reported Tuesday. The agency originally estimated the county's revenue off the Hayduke Sale on Bradley Mountain would generate $1.1 million for 2012. However, as the sale nears completion, the total will be closer to $1.375 million, said DNR District Manager Steve Ogden. Ogden attributed the increase to the DNR's new process for handling sales. The agency...
A Cowlitz County Superior Court judge last Friday ruled that Wahkiakum County's ordinance regulating the application of biosolids doesn't conflict with state law. Wahkiakum commissioners adopted the ordinance last year in response to a Seaview company's plan to spread Class B biosolids on a Grays River Valley ranch. Class B is the second of three grades of biosolids, or treated sewage. Valley residents opposed the project, saying it could lead to health problems. Under state law, the state Department of Ecology handles permitting of biosolids...
This week we note the passing of former Senator Sid Snyder. A story elsewhere in this edition chronicles his career. I didn't know him when he was appointed to a vacancy in the state Senate, but I soon came to appreciate him. As a representative, he was acutely in touch with his constituents and represented our area's particular points of view very well in the Senate. He was an extremely effective legislator and quickly rose to the top leadership post. He worked well with members of the Republican party and with the bureaucrats. And he never...
The Wahkiakum Mule defense provided the edge as the Mules defeated the Tigers 31-28 in a Central League football game at Napavine last Friday. The win gave the Mules a 6-0 season record; they host the 6-0 Morton/White Pass Timberwolves on Friday in a game that will decide the Central League championship. "Napavine is one of the best three-loss teams in the state," commented Mule Coach Eric Hansen. "They're solid. "We made our defensive plays when we had to." The Tigers led 14-13 at halftime and scored twice in the third quarter to lead 28-19 go...
Democrat candidate for Congress Jon T. Haugen thinks one person can make a difference in our nation's political system. A Portland native, Haugen grew up in Ashland, Ore. He wanted to become a pilot and won an appointment to the US Naval Academy where he entered flight training. He served active duty military 1981-88 and reserves until 2005. He is now a Delta Airlines pilot, based out of New York City, and flies routes from NY to Europe, Africa and South America. "I got into politics while stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey," he said in an...
Wahkiakum County commissioners addressed a variety of topics in a quick meeting Tuesday. The board approved steps that will increase funding for county services. First, the board approved an amended contract with Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to add $93,750 to the Wahkiakum on the Move bus transportation program. Project manager Chris Holmes said the funds were federal dollars that hadn't been obligated when the county and state signed the original contract. Total federal support for the program will be $187,500, Holmes...
Local candidates for positions on the November 6 election ballot got their last chance to air their views at a forum Tuesday night at the Grays River Grange. Candidates described their goals and experience, and they answered questions from an audience that numbered close to 70. Here are some of the highlights: State Senator, District 19 Speaking were incumbent Sen. Brian Hatfield, a Democrat, and Republican challenger Rick Winsman. Hatfield chairs the Senate Agriculture, Water & Rural Economic Development Committee and serves on the Economic...
The Wahkiakum Mules boosted their 2012 football season record to 5-0 with a 49-27 win over the visiting Onalaska Loggers last Friday night. The Loggers fielded a big, bruising team, but they couldn't stop the Mules. Wahkiakum averaged 13 yards per play on offense. Wingback Peter Weiler led the attack with four touchdowns and 221 yards gained on six carries; one touchdown was a 49-yard punt return. Steven Doumit carried the ball three times and gained 94 yards with one touchdown; Austin Good gained 89 yards on five carries, and Lars Blix picked...
David Vik, Cathlamet's supervisor of public works and the sewer and water systems, retired last Friday after almost 26 years on the job. "The stats have made me the town's longest serving public works/sewer/water guy," he said in an interview on Monday. A 1968 Wahkiakum High School graduate, Vik did a stint in the Navy, took some college courses, and went to work for the town in 1974, That tour lasted into 1985; he left to work for an analytical laboratory and came back in 1999 and had been there since. Of course, things have changed in that...
Commissioners from Wahkiakum County, Washington, and Columbia and Clatsop counties, Oregon, have agreed to voice opposition to efforts in Oregon to move gillnets out of the mainstem of the Columbia River. A coalition of sport fishing interests started a petition drive last winter to put a measure on the Oregon ballot to end gillnetting in Oregon. And in August, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber ordered his Fish and Wildlife Department to prepare rules that would move gillnets to side channels and bays, called select areas, which have releases of p...
Will local governmental bodies get together to create a plan to extend Cathlamet's water and sewer systems to areas not yet connected? They may do so, but probably not at least until after the November 6 election. The Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce has raised the issue by asking the town council and board of county commissioners to hold a "sewer summit" to discuss what can be done to expand town sewer and water systems and thereby spread operating costs over a larger group of ratepayers. The Chamber's board of directors recently generated a...
Photo: Blocker Nathan Cothren (77) leads Mule ballcarrier Austin Good on a running play against Pe Ell. Photo courtesy of Wendy Blix. In the tale of two halves, the Wahkiakum Mules defeated the Pe Ell Trojans 28-18 last Friday. The 4-0 Mules led 28-6 at halftime; the Trojans came to life in the second half and made it a game. "It was a tale of two halves," said Mule Coach Eric Hansen. "We won the first; they won the second. We need to play better this week." The Mules got on the scoreboard first with a five-yard touchdown run by Lars Blix....
