Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 901 - 925 of 2280
The Town of Cathlamet and Port District 1 have tentatively agreed to use the town's old sewer lagoons as a site for disposing of dredge spoils from the Elochoman Marina and Elochoman Slough. The town has switched its sewer disposal system to its new plant, and the sediment has been cleaned out of the three lagoons. Jim Maul and Josh Elliott, consulting engineers working with Port 1 to plan the dredging program, estimate there's enough material to completely fill one of the lagoons and much of...
Commissioners of Port District 2 boosted property taxes and went over issues regarding coming projects when they met Tuesday. Commissioners were split in their views over raising property taxes 1 percent, the maximum allowed by law without a vote of the public. Commission Chair Lori Scott opposed an increase, noting the district financial position is in the black. Commissioners Brian O'Connor and Lee Tischer, however, supported the increase. Both said the district will have unexpected expenses, and both didn't want the district to lose taxing...
by Rick Nelson Wahkiakum County commissioners worked through a variety of business Tuesday ranging from adopting their 2016 budgets to approving emergency road repair. No one from the public attended the board's budget hearing, held on Monday in accord with state law. According to meeting minutes, Auditor Diane Tischer and Sheriff Mark Howie asked the board to increase the 5 percent raise they'd budgeted for department heads, the first raise for them in nearly 10 years. There were a few other adjustments totaling $2,399. Commissioners...
Wahkiakum County commissioners approved transportation plans for 2016 and beyond and worked on other issues when they met Tuesday. Besides working on road construction and ferry improvement plans, the board discussed progress on placing dredged sand on eroding properties. The board approved a contract with Coast and Harbor Engineering for engineering design and permitting for several bank nourishment sites on Puget Island. Residents of certain areas along the shipping channel have sought county help in getting dredged sand placed along their...
by Rick Nelson Wahkiakum County officials are taking part in the reorganization of health services. Suzanne Holmes represents the county in the formation of the Great Rivers Behavior Health Organization (GRBHO), a new state mandated organization that is combining and replacing regional support networks, which have channeled state mental health programs to local services for a decade. The organization has established a steering committee, which includes Wahkiakum Mental Health Director Chris Holmes (no relation to Suzanne Holmes) as a member,...
I don't feel I can let slide some of the comments coming this past week from Republican politicians commenting on Syrian refugees wanting to come to the United States. The comments are completely foreign to the principles that form the moral backbone of our nation. A mayor of Roanoke, Virginia, suggested Syrian refugees be sent to internment camps, such as those created for Japanese Americans in World War II. That action has been acknowledged as a shameful, racist action. The mayor apologized for the remarks on Friday. Actor George Takei, who...
Members of the Cathlamet Town Council heard reports and discussed a variety of issues when they met Monday. During the public comment time, Tom Merz raised concerns about the health of the Cathlamet Fire Department and its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) division. Merz, an emergency medical technician and former member of the department, said the number of EMT's has declined, and there are no paramedics in the department even though some reside in the area. This means there are often times when few or no department members respond to calls,...
Commissioners of Wahkiakum Port District 2 took care of some business Tuesday and postponed other items to their December meeting. The commission has issued a request for proposals from architects to design and assist in construction of a laundromat at the entrance to Skamokawa Vista Park. Commissioners Lori Scott and Brian O'Connor (Commissioner Lee Tischer was absent while attending a training conference) authorized Manager Janet Bryan to review the proposals and present a recommendation for hiring a firm at the commission's December meeting....
Wahkiakum County commissioners approved a contract with Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce and handled other business at their meeting Tuesday. The contract calls for the Chamber to provide a variety of services ranging from putting on community festivals and marketing county tourist sites to assisting and encouraging county businesses. Chamber Executive Director Shannon Gildea presented a report of her activities in her first year in office. She said she had provided information and guidance for new and existing business; she has acted as an...
The next steps in developing a state habitat conservation plan aren't filling Wahkiakum County commissioners with optimism. The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has tied, or encumbered, over 3,000 of the county's 12,000 acres of trust timberland as potential habitat for the marbled murrelet, an endangered sea bird that nests on big limbs of old trees. The agency, which also manages timber harvests off the trust lands, has had little or no logging on them in recent years, and that has hurt revenue for county government. At its regular...
Wahkiakum County commissioners set up hearings for budgets and transportation plans in an abbreviated, recessed meeting Tuesday. Commissioners set their annual public hearing on the 2016 budgets for 9:30 a.m. on December 7. Copies for the budget will be available at the auditor's office November 23. Commissioners also set public hearings on the Annual Road Construction Program, the Six Year Transportation Plan and the 14 Year Ferry Program. Those hearings will be held in the morning of the board's December 1 meeting. Projects listed on the...
Winners in the early count of 2015 Wahkiakum County general election ballots easily maintained their leads when election officials made their second count last Thursday. Voters continued to favor an advisory ballot asking if the county should enact an ordinance defining and regulating junk, junk vehicles, and solid waste visible on private property from a public right of way. The latest count gave the measure 69 percent approval with a 968-432 vote. On election day, the vote was 816-327, 71 percent approval. Early winners maintained their...
Three area teams start state tournament competition this week. On Friday, the Naselle Comet and Wahkiakum Mule volleyball teams will compete in state tournament action at the Yakima Valley SunDome. Competing in the Class 1B tournament, Naselle opens at 11:30 a.m. against Oakesdale. The winner faces the winner of the Neah Bay-Sunnyside Christian match; the loser faces the loser of that match, with the loser of the second match leaving the tournament. Action would resume on Friday. Competing in the Class 2B tournament, Wahkiakum opens at 9:45...
by Rick Nelson The 2015 general election settled a few contested races in Wahkiakum County and a few more statewide. On an advisory ballot, Wahkiakum voters gave 71 percent approval to the county commissioners' referendum asking if the county should enact an ordinance defining and regulating junk, junk vehicles, and solid waste visible on private property from a public right of way. The vote was 816 in favor and 327 opposed. Commissioners will now have to decide if they want to proceed with the ordinance. Brett Deaton won election to the board...
The Washington State Auditor's Office issued its audit report year 2014 for the Town of Cathlamet in September and offered good news and bad news. In good news, auditors reported no findings for the town's financial statements, federal awards, and administration of federal programs. "The results of our tests disclosed no instances of or non compliance or other matters that are required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards," the report said. However, in bad news, auditors said, "We noted certain matters that we have reported to...
by Rick Nelson East Sunny Sands residents continue to debate what should be the new boundaries of their Puget Island Erosion Control District. Wahkiakum County commissioners have been trying to expand and modify the boundaries of the Sunny Sands zone to optimize the size for dredged sand beach nourishment. Last week, after a long public discussion, they agreed to set the eastern boundary at property owned by the James R. and Charity Davis Trust. The eastern neighbors of that property, Gary and Susan Baker, say they haven't had erosion problems...
Cathlamet and Wahkiakum County lost a good man when David Goodroe passed away Monday from complications from a fight with cancer. A retired businessman, Goodroe made many contributions to the community. As a member of the Cathlamet Town Council, he was expert on numbers and budgets. Only town office staff might have known the numbers better. Goodroe was also one of the leaders in the Tsuga Gallery. He developed a unique painting style, and his paintings often had a humorous twist. He took a turn as the executive director of the Lower Columbia...
The winless Wahkiakum Mule football team hung close to the Central League's number two team for a quarter but ended up in a 47-13 loss to Toledo on Thursday night. Even with star running back Taylor Hicks on the sideline with a knee injury, Toledo jumped to a 7-0 lead on a quick drive to start the first quarter. The Mules responded with freshman James Anderson breaking free for a 37-yard run. The conversion kick tied the score 7-7 at 4:02 of the first quarter. The Mule defense got the ball back,...
The winless Wahkiakum Mule football team hung close to the Central League's number two team for a quarter but ended up in a 47-13 loss to Toledo on Thursday night. Toledo jumped to a 7-0 lead on a quick drive to start the first quarter. The Mules responded with freshman James Anderson breaking free for a 37-yard run. The conversion kick tied the score 7-7 at 4:02 of the first quarter. The Mule defense got the ball back, and senior Joey Moore set up another touchdown, running back and forth...
The 2015 general election settled a few contested races in Wahkiakum County and a few more statewide. On an advisory ballot, Wahkiakum voters gave 71 percent approval to the county commissioners' referendum asking if the county should enact an ordinance defining and regulating junk, junk vehicles, and solid waste visible on private property from a public right of way. The vote was 816 in favor and 327 opposed. Commissioners will now have to decide if they want to proceed with the ordinance. Brett Deaton won election to the board of...
In the midst of a gloomy revenue forecast, Wahkiakum County officials have started talks to prepare their 2016 budgets. Commissioners have been meeting with department heads this week to go over requests. The meetings will continue into Thursday. Overall, the county is expecting a shortfall of $600,000 in revenue for the Current Expense Fund, which finances most courthouse offices. "It's bad," Commissioner Blair Brady commented. One factor in the revenue shortage is low return from timber harvest on the county's trust timberlands. County...
Wahkiakum County commissioners on Tuesday changed the boundaries of part of the Puget Island Flood Control District to accommodate input from East Sunny Sands residents and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Responding to input from a public meeting last week, commissioners approved a resolution that expanded the zone on East Sunny Sands to the east, but not as much as originally proposed. Residents of the eastern end of Sunny Sands last week said they have been gaining sand, not losing it to erosion, and so being in the zone wouldn't benefit...
Commissioners from five counties last week filled two vacancies in District 19's representation in the Washington State Legislature. Commissioners from Wahkiakum, Pacific, Cowlitz, Lewis and Grays Harbor counties met in Kelso to appoint someone to replace Senator Brian Hatfield, who resigned at the beginning of September. Candidates recommended by the Democrat Party were Rep. Dean Takko and Longview City Council Member Steve Moon, and the commissioners voted 13-2 to appoint Takko to the vacant seat. The move was anticipated, and party members...
The Wahkiakum Mules lost a 41-7 game to the Mossyrock Vikings last Friday. The 0-8 Mules will close out their 2015 football season tonight (Thursday) against 7-1 Toledo. Mule seniors will be honored before the game. Mossyrock got on the board first last week with a 31-yard touchdown run. The Mules followed with a score of their own; Joey Moore scored on an 11-yard run and kicked the conversion for a 7-6 Mule lead at the end of the first quarter. The host Vikings took control of the game with two more touchdowns in the second quarter and a 21-7...
Class 2B volleyball teams start their southwest district volleyball tournament on Saturday. The Wahkiakum Mules will play Ocosta of the Pacific League at 11:30 a.m. at Life Christian Academy in Tacoma. Win or lose, the teams will play again that afternoon. Subsequent games will be played next Wednesday and Saturday....
