Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 7453 - 7477 of 10386
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 Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will take public comment on a proposed plan to restructure salmon and sturgeon fisheries on the lower Columbia River at a meeting Dec. 14-15 in Olympia. The plan, originally proposed by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, would move the gillnet fishery off the Columbia's mainstem into sloughs and bays. In addition, the commission will take action on new options proposed for allocating the Puget Sound shrimp catch and a proposed update to rules for compensating commercial livestock owners who lose...
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. "...
The Festival of Trees is now in full swing, so make sure you stop in at The Hotel Cathlamet Lobby to cast your vote for the best tree, wreath, centerpiece and gingerbread house. New designers are entering everyday so the competition is fierce. If you want to take one of these beautiful creations home make sure you place your silent bid by December 14. All proceeds from the auction go towards adding decorations to the courthouse for next year. So grab the family and head on down to vote for your favorite today. The secret to a successful...
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...
Kyleen Austin has sung the blues in San Francisco, toured the Midwest, and played for 5000 people in New Orleans at a Ray Charles concert. Now, her journey has paused for a time in Wahkiakum County where she is finding inspiration in a quieter way of life and looking back on the road that brought her here. Kyleen heard her musical calling at a young age, when she taught herself to play the piano and sing the popular songs on the radio. She performed in musicals as a teenager, and eventually earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and music at N...
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....
“Students will leave Wahkiakum High School with the tools and skills necessary to persevere in their pursuit for college or career success.” --a Wahkiakum School District goal Exciting things are happening in Wahkiakum’s school district. “After attending a superintendent conference a couple years ago,” said Wahkiakum High School’s new principal, Stephanie Leitz, “Bob Garrett brought back a book by Damen Lopez, called No Excuses.” During an administrative internship at the grade school Leitz an...
Two new laws that reflect a change in values on the part of Washington voters take effect today (Thursday). First, same gender couples will be able to obtain a marriage license, with the first weddings coming Sunday after a mandatory three-day waiting period. Second, possession of small quantities of marijuana will be legal under state law. This change in law, officials say, leaves a lot of questions to answer. Adults 21 years of age and older will be able to possess an ounce of marijuana in plant form, 16 ounces infused, and 72 ounces cooked...
Wahkiakum County commissioners adopted their 2013 budgets and acted on other business at their Tuesday meeting. Commissioners held a public hearing on the budgets on Monday; new Treasurer Tammy Peterson was the only person to comment. Peterson asked that the board increase a part-time position from 88 to 89.5 hours per month, the standard for county part time positions. She also asked that a staff position paid partially out of the Current Expense Fund and partially out of the Treasurer's O&M Fund be paid completely by Current Expense. The O&M...
Oneida Road residents have a beaver to thank for a November 29 power outage, PUD Line Crew Foreman Shane Pfenniger reported to the PUD’s commissioners at a brief December 4 meeting. When the line crew isolated the outage to its point of origin, they discovered a beaver den dug out underneath the road. The power line ran through the four-foot-high den, and the beaver had partially gnawed through the cable, Pfenniger explained. Beavers have also chewed through utility poles in the area, necessitating the use of wire mesh around the poles’ bas...
Wahkiakum County commissioners plan to hold a meeting next week in Rosburg to gather public input on the potential effects of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber's plan to move gillnetting out of the main channels of the Columbia River. Kitzhaber's plan would move gilletting into side channels called select areas where hatchery fish are conditioned to return. The plan would give priority on allocations of salmon to recreational fishers, and it would allow commercial fishing with new methods such as beach and purse seines that provide better release...
Members of the Wahkiakum School District board of directors had a quick, light meeting on November 20. Superintendent Bob Garrett said there was no new or old business to consider, only staff reports and approval of meeting minutes, volunteers and supplemental contracts for coaches, and for two new policies. Wahkiakum High School Principal Stephanie Leitz reported that high school staff are using the free hour of the Thursday late start for collaboration. Teachers are working in two groups, math and English/language arts. Both are looking at...
High water may have prevented Wahkiakum PUD commissioners from meeting in Rosburg on November 20, but it did not prevent them from discussing possible expansion of the Western Wahkiakum Water System. Meeting at the PUD’s Cathlamet headquarters, Manager Dave Tramblie reported to the commissioners on information he’d gathered to assess the potential of expanding the water system. He estimated $50,000 in out-of-pocket costs for materials. For the section of the expansion between Salmon Creek Road and Salme Road, a distance of almost a mile, the...
Commissioners of Port District No. 2 last week approved a $227,300 budget for 2013. The budget includes funding for a new office for the port district. The port has used a building owned by the now-defunct Skamokawa Park and Recreation District as its office on the edge of the port's Skamokawa Vista Park. Port officials say the office is run down and inadequate for office needs. Commissioners agreed to proceed with purchase and installation of a park model building as the new office. The building would be located inside the park, and if the...
Wahkiakum County election officials wrapped up the 2012 General Election this week. Officials on Monday counted the nine ballots which had arrived since the previous count on November 6; on Tuesday, they reviewed results and certified the election. In the county's closest race, for the District 1 county commission seat, Mike Backman maintained his lead over Greg Prestegard. Backman led by 22 votes on December 6; he led 1,116-1,093 after votes were counted Monday, a 23-vote difference. In the county's other contested races, Dan Cothren defeated...
Wahkiakum County officials crunched numbers one more time Tuesday as they put finishing touches on their proposed budgets for 2013. The board went over requests for increased spending from department heads and wrestled with projecting how much, if any, deficit the Current Expense Budget will have next year. In the end, the board of commissioners decided to plan to divert $200,000 from the County Road Levy to cover a possible shortfall in the Current Expense Fund, which finances most county departments. It would be the third year for a diversion...
Wahkiakum County commissioners handled a variety of business at their Tuesday meeting. Emergency Management Director Beau Renfro reported he plans to evaluate possible new sites for the county's Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The center is activated in times of natural disasters or public health emergencies. Currently, the center is in the basement of the River Street Building. However, its quarters are temporarily filled with the Cathlamet municipal library while the old town hall building is remodeled. Renfro has designated the Cathlamet...
A winter storm that packed hurricane force winds and dumped five inches or more of rain hit the lower Columbia River region Sunday and Monday. The heavy rains brought flooding to the Grays River Valley on Monday and led to landslides that closed SR 4 in several places Monday afternoon between Cathlamet and Longview. The National Weather Service reported a gust of wind of 104 miles per hour was recorded on Naselle Ridge. Wind gusts tipped a semi trailer on the Astoria-Megler Bridge Monday morning, and the bridge was closed most of the day....
There are children in our community going hungry, according to Lisa Sauer Ridout, Wa-Ki-Hi Class of ’86 and first grade teacher at Julius A. Wendt Elementary. Fifty-five percent of the students in the elementary school district qualify for assistance in the breakfast and lunch program. Ridout witnessed children of all ages showing up on Monday morning, hungrier than any other day of the school week. Motivated by compassion and her studies in poverty at Portland State University, she started a n...
Members of the Helping Hand Food Bank have asked the Town of Cathlamet to consider leasing a parcel of land to become the site of a new food bank. Helping Hand representatives discussed the matter with members of the Cathlamet town council at the council's monthly meeting Tuesday. Craig Brown, architectural advisor for the group, said the site offers numerous advantages over the food bank's present site at the foot of Broadway Street. Among the advantages, he said, the new site would offer better access for the public and for deliveries of food...
Wahkiakum County commissioners considered a variety of issues when they met Tuesday. Issue: Data to support additional sand placement by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along Pancake Point on Puget Island. Commissioners authorized Public Works Director Pete Ringen to contract with Coast and Harbor Engineering to survey water depths off Puget Island's Pancake Point. On April 3, the board approved an agreement with Coast and Harbor for permitting support work associated with future sand placement in the Pancake Point vicinity. In his written report,...
