Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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VERY BRIEF. Due to technical difficulties, this column will be extremely short this week and I will try to do do a lot more "yakking" next week. I do hope you have all come through the buckets of rain and blustery wind storm that we have had to deal with this past Sunday and Monday. We had three inches of rain out here in West Valley, (so far) so it was not nice. SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays this coming week from June 6 thru 12 are: Brenden McClain, Justin Elfers, Elijah Doiron, Matalyn Longtain, Peyton Souvenir, Paige Ferguson,...
The Wahkiakum County Commissioners had a brief meeting Tuesday but addressed an important topic. In the next couple of months two elected officials will be stepping down before their terms end. County Assessor Falon Hoven and Sheriff Mark Howie have both indicated that they will be resigning. The statutes are clear that the Commissioners have the power to appoint someone to fill out the remainder of the elected official’s term. The discussion on Tuesday was whether to notify the public by putting a notice in The Eagle for the position. Some c...
In a Brief two hour and fifteen-minute meeting Monday the Town Council discussed several topics. In the public comment period, the Town Council read a letter asking the council not to cut down the large conifer tree that is damaging the the sidewalk at Strong Park. In the plan for the improvements to the park the tree is scheduled to be cut down. Because the tree is directly in front of the walking bridge the council members said that there were few options for saving the tree. Sarah Clark the council’s clerk asked the council if they would l...
MIXED BEGINNING--As this week begins, we seem to have sunshine one minute, then it begins to get pretty windy and the clouds roll in as we get a bit of moisture falling on us. So when it's sunny, one has to hurry and get chores done quickly before Old Man Weather changes his mind again! If the forecast holds, we may have cloudy weather but no rain as this month winds down, but we'll just have to wait and see if that holds up or not. SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from May 23-29 are Elle Britt, Bryson Havens, Mitch Moonen, Scarlet Eng...
Mike Backman seeks a rematch with Lee Tischer. They both filed for election as County Commissioner for District #1. Dan Cothren is unopposed in seeking another term as County Commissioner for District #2. Both positions are for four years. Bob Jungers is also unopposed in his quest to serve another 6 years as PUD No. 2 Commissioner for District #2. Democratic and Republican Precinct Committee Officers (PCO) for all 11 county precincts have attracted a few more contenders. Steve Puddicombe as Grays River Democratic (D) PCO and Tom Merz as West...
Jerry DeBriae Logging, the largest private employer in Wahkiakum County, is ending its logging operations. Founded by Jerry DeBriae in 1967, DeBriae Logging employed over 130 people at its peak around the end of the millennia. Soon there will be a half dozen employees and they won't be engaged in logging. Asked about the decision to close, Jerry DeBriae said "There's no work". He and his son, Jerry Jr., decided to pull the plug around the end of last year. "We just decided it was time." An...
The first newspaper published in Wahkiakum county was the Cathlamet Gazette, which was established in 1887, by Alfred Davis. In 1889, Mr. George M. Cornwall obtained an interest in the Gazette and the paper was published under their joint management until the removal of Mr. Cornwall in 1899 to Portland, when he sold his interest to Mr. Davis taking a mortgage on the plant as security for payment. Mr. Cornwall subsequently foreclosed the mortgage and sold the plant. Mr. Davis continued the publication of The Gazette for some time longer,...
The local Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wahkiakum Post 5297, operates in Cathlamet. We meet on the first Tuesday of every month at the Cathlamet Fire Hall. Currently, there are 64 combat veteran members in the Post. We have about 270 veterans listed in Wahkiakum County. We believe there are many more veterans living within Wahkiakum County, but have not contacted us, and we would like to hear from you. As with most organizations, we have a hierarchy structure. We belong to District 16, which has a total of 7 posts in Southwest Washington. There are...
Civility and cooperation guided the May 6th Town Council meeting on Monday night. Councilperson Stowe joined on Zoom while the rest of the council and the mayor worked together in person. The first order on the agenda was to vote April as Fair Housing Month. The proclamation was approved by all. Duncan Cruickshank presented the latest project from Wahkiakum Health and Human Services. Due to Wahkiakum county being considered a medically underserved area, the health department was able to secure a...
ANOTHER WET BEGINNING. Once again I'm starting off this column with a whole lot of rain hitting my windows but the forecast is showing that we are in for a drying out and we'll be enjoying some wonderful dry, sunny days so I'm certainly hoping that forecast holds up, as it's been pretty soggy this past week. Here's to happy planting and beautiful gardens soon! SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays this coming week from May 9 thru 15 are: Kerry Brown, Christeena Bassi, Bryce McClain, Ashleigh Montgomery, Don Nicholes, Ashlenn Coleman, David...
A new bus hit the road recently after Wahkiakum on the Move received a sizable donation. The 2022 Ford Starcraft Passenger Van strikes a bold comparison to the hardy stock of buses and vans that travel tireless miles across the county each day. Before this donation, WOTM’s fleet of six buses and vans ranged from 10 to 20 years old. The bus came from CHOICE Regional Health Network, which serves a seven-county region including our own. For years, CHOICE has partnered with health care providers, local governments, and a large number of social s...
After a week off due to the five Tuesdays in April, the Wahkiakum County Commissioners met to address several county issues. Duncan Cruckshank from Health and Human Services asked the commissioners to declare May mental health awareness month. The commissioners approved and chair, Dan Cothren, read the proclamation aloud to the audience and Zoom participants. Carrie Backman of the Marine Resources Council asked permission to spend an extra $1,400 for transportation costs, including personnel to assist with field trips for students to study the...
In Wahkiakum County, the ports focus on providing recreation opportunities for the community and tourists alike. Wahkiakum County is home to two port districts: Port District 1, which is comprised of Cathlamet and the eastern part of the county, and Port District 2, which is comprised of Puget Island and the western part of the county. In the past few years, Wakhiakum Port District 1 has been extremely busy, leaving its mark on Cathlamet's waterfront and creating plenty of recreational...
The Friends of Skamokawa at Redmen Hall/Central Schoolhouse have erected a new visitor's sign. Travelers often mistake this building for a church. However, the structure is typical of the popular turn-of-the-century Queen Anne architectural style. The Central School educated up to fifty children from first grade through eighth grade. Classes were offered a certain months out of the year with road and weather concerns, as well as much needed help on farms for harvest season. Students who wanted u...
Spring weather has certainly been on the damp side around our neck of the woods lately and I'm eagerly awaiting a bit of a warm up as they say we may have a few dry days on the way....that would be great! Beings they say we are in a drought already, I hate to complain about the rain but on the other hand, it's hard to make things grow when it cold and soaking wet. I know lots of folks are wanting to get that yard work done too, which always take a quite a bit of time, so if you're a fair weather yard person like me, I'm sure you'd like to see...
Spring has sprung and it’s time to fill those large blue pots with flowers. The Wahkiakum Blooms Team stays busy throughout the year to keep the pots full of flowers and seasonal decorations. The project began in 2018 with a group of dedicated volunteers and a donation from the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce. The goal was to bring beautification to the county, one blue pot at a time. Starting with just 8 blue planters, they have grown to 40. According to Donna Beaupre, there are currently 11 v...
MIXED BAG. Well, we certainly had a big mix up of weather this past weekend, as one minute it would be nice and sunny and then the wind would blow in....hard...and the next thing we knew, the rain would pour down and the branches were coming off the trees onto the road and then "poof", that was gone and it would be nice again. There were areas where folks got a lot of hail too, but that seemed to be "here and there" throughout the county, so for those who got some of that, well, your new planting may have taken a beating....ugh! Forecasters say...
Georgia-Pacific has announced a new investment of more than $150 million to rebuild a 1965 vintage paper machine at the Wauna Mill. The mill, which employs more than 700 workers, produces retail bath tissue, paper towels and napkins used by consumers across the country. While the upgraded paper machine is not expected to increase employment, it will create a safer environment for employees and help the company remain competitive in the industry, said Georgia-Pacific public affairs manager Kristi Ward. “It is getting a complete rebuild, so we a...
A full house greeted the Mecha Mules team as their leader, Ron Wright, presented the teens to the town council. Students presented their robots and explained the functions. They have won the Regional Competition and are heading to the Nationals in Washington D.C. Fundraising efforts will begin May 4th. The council adjourned briefly for a group photo. The next agenda item brought tensions to the meeting. Sheriff Howie reviewed the RCW catagory for the “No Parking” zone on Main Street at the Col...
By Stacey Lane The PUD commissioners met with the exception of Gene Healy, who was excused to serve on jury duty. Manager Dan Kay is proud of the work being done by the PUD staff and crews. “The PUD is getting stuff done. With the sun coming out, more customer jobs are getting started”. The infrastructure projects are moving along quickly. The looping project work on Puget Island will be starting next week. The PUD is estimating that it will take 4-6 weeks to complete. Broadband is being ins...
The Wahkiakum High School Key Club is raising money for the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. The Key Club, which is associated with Kiwanis International, will be having a pasta dinner and auction on April 23 at 6:00 p.m in the gym. Tickets are available in the high school office or from a Key Club member for twenty dollars. On Thursday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. they will be having a dodgeball tournament at the high school open to all ages. Teams of eight people can register for five dollars. Jailbreaks can be purchased for $20 to return team memb...
ENJOYING THE WEATHER? Well, I certainly hope you've been enjoying this dry spell as it certainly has made it nice for all of those who have been eagerly awaiting a time like this so that lawns can be attended to and flower beds cleaned up, etc. Of course, I don't think my ole body is taking it all too well, as it is rebelling just a bit by showing me swollen ankles and feeling some aches and pains that I haven't had since last Spring...ha! The forecast shows some more cloudy but dry weather, so here's hoping that holds true so that our "webbed...
Julia Butler Hansen’s house sits in downtown Cathlamet waiting for the next series of needed repairs. On April 5th, discussions were held in the historic parlor with local and regional representatives who all share an interest in helping bring the home into the next chapter. The Washington State Historical Society was recently given $30,000 to do a study on the work needed to improve the structure and protect the contents that reflect the legacy of Julia Butler Hansen’s time serving as the sec...
FUND RAISER FOR BO WAGES. In case you haven't heard by now, one of our locals, Bo Wages, has been diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma inside his left kidney and had to have surgery in the middle of last month. The good news is that the surgery was a success, but the healing up and recovering has been another matter. He's been unable to work, so the bills are adding up. In order to help his family in this time of need, a fund raising event has been planned. Everyone is invited to the River Mile 38 Brewery at the Elochoman Slough Marina in...
