Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 2623
To The Eagle, My concern is that while the town struggles financially, leadership appears disengaged. We are watching this county slowly decline, and yet the response seems to be silence, or worse, budget cuts that hurt working people. Cutting jobs and focusing only on saving money is not the solution. We’re already operating on the bare minimum, and continuing down this path will only weaken us further. What we need now is bold thinking. This county needs to generate income, create opportunities, invest in what we have, and produce things t...
To The Eagle, Hello from the St. James Family Center Board! We want to send a big “Thank You” to everyone who baked, bought, and supported our Bald Eagle Days bake sale. You helped us raise $1,700 toward our “40 for 40” fundraiser celebrating 40 years of strengthening families in Wahkiakum County! SJFC provides early learning, after-school care, parenting classes, and is the only domestic violence shelter in the county. We’re aiming to raise $40,000 this year to keep these vital services going strong. Your sweet tooth made a big impact, a...
To The Eagle, I am writing in support of retaining John Mason as sheriff of Wahkiakum County. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with John several times, and each time I’ve been impressed by his openness and his genuine commitment to our community. John consistently makes himself available to residents, listens to concerns, and follows through. It’s clear that John cares deeply about the well-being of our county and is dedicated to serving with integrity and professionalism. I’ve also asked Undersheriff Gary Howell about John. Gary has worked...
Hello, Wahkiakum County Eagle readers. We at The Eagle truly appreciate your support and always strive to meet your needs to the best of our ability. With the political season approaching in Wahkiakum County, The Eagle has already received numerous letters to the editor arguing for or against candidates. Every week on Page 2, The Eagle prints the standing guidelines for letters to the editor. One of these guidelines is that “Letters should address local issues and refrain from personal attack or character assassination.” Some of the let...
To The Eagle, The time has come: Cathlamet should begin the orderly shutdown of its fire department and transfer of all assets to District 4. Having shed its two public utilities that generated recurring revenue (water and sewer), the municipality now lacks the resources to properly operate the one that remains, EMS, which generates only costs. Historically the town’s utilities were like a 3-legged stool that together supported a single clerk-treasurer to oversee the complex accounting state law requires. Keeping EMS solvent entails chasing use...
To The Eagle, These are the remarks that I made to the Board of County Commissioners on 15 July, 2025. I hope that they are of interest to your readers. “Honorable Commissioners, When appointed to the office of Wahkiakum County Assessor, I committed to run the office, complete the tasks of valuation, levies, and inspection, and find and train my replacement. I am pleased to inform you that I have completed these tasks. When you sought applicants for appointment as assessor, you provided me with possible candidates for my replacement. There w...
To The Eagle, I am a former mayor of the Town of Cathlamet, and I live in Cathlamet. I support the Town/PUD Water and Sewer Consolidation. The Council is doing what is best for the community by transferring ownership and management of the Water and Sewer utilities to the PUD. The PUD is a Utility, utilities is what they do! The PUD has funding opportunities that the town does not have, enabling the PUD to get funding for costly repairs and upgrades to the utilities resulting in good maintenance, timely upgrades, and most important, stable...
To The Eagle, We would like to extend many thanks and high praise to each and every person involved in fighting the July 4th fire at Maple Ridge at Nassa Point. We want to mention the quick response of all involved teams from around the area. We appreciated the Cathlamet Fire Department placing a tanker truck at our residence in order to protect our home. The fire fighters worked long and hard all night and into the next day so that no homes were destroyed. We also appreciated the follow-up over the next few days. Again, our deep thanks. Joe...
To The Eagle, When Sheriff Howie retired last year, he recommended Sgt. John Mason be appointed. It was a good decision and the Wahkiakum County Commissioners unanimously concurred. Sheriff John Mason now must stand for election to the unexpired term for one year. Sounds crazy but that is the law! The good news is, as voters, we have had time to assess Sheriff Mason’s performance. Not just words or campaign slogans, but how he actually performs on the job! I knew Sheriff Howie and Undersheriff Howell, but I did not know John Mason. This past y...
To The Eagle, In the earlier years of Timberland Regional Library, I was invited to give an inspirational address at their All-Staff Day in Tumwater. Presumably this was because of my outspoken love and support for books, libraries, and the people who love them both, a devotion shared by TRL's founders, staff, and directors of the day. It's a long way from there to now, when TRL's Public Information Officer feels impelled to write my local paper to call me a liar. It's also a sad tale of serious mission drift. As chief flak for the "New...
To The Eagle, I am writing to express my unwavering support of Sheriff John Mason’s continued leadership as the Wahkiakum County Sheriff. In my service as a firefighter and first responder on the West end of the County, I have had the privilege of working alongside Sheriff Mason on numerous occasions, often in challenging circumstances. His ability to bring peace and comfort to all involved is truly commendable. Throughout our collaborations, I have consistently observed the utmost respect Sheriff Mason extends to all parties, regardless of the...
To The Eagle, I am writing on behalf of Timberland Regional Library in response to incorrect assertions made by Dr. Robert Pyle in his column, "Two down, one to save" published on June 12, 2025. TRL has previously addressed Dr. Pyle's concerns regarding the Naselle library at length in a letter published on September 29, 2024, in the Chinook Observer, a version of which is also available on our website as a press release. Dr. Pyle's most recent statements regarding plans for South Bend, Raymond and "other small branches" are similarly false....
To The Eagle, My wife Dee and I, here at the Finnish Line in Deep River, are proud to endorse John Mason for Wahkiakum County Sheriff. He is a quality individual with over 12 years of experience as a deputy and later as a sergeant in the County Sheriff’s office. He has a strong record of leadership and excellent decision-making rooted in an impressive level of situational awareness. It is recognition of his experience and abilities that resulted in his appointment by the Board of County Commissioners as Sheriff upon Mark Howie’s ret...
To The Eagle, I’m running for Assessor because I genuinely care about the people in this county. This role isn’t just about numbers and paperwork, it’s about trust, transparency, and service. I bring with me the knowledge, experience, and energy to make real improvements not just inside the Assessor’s Office, but out in the community as well. Our county deserves leadership that listens, explains, and shows up. I’ve seen firsthand how confused and frustrated people can get when it comes to taxes, and I don’t blame them. For too long, too m...
Libraries are at the beating heart of our culture, what there is of it. Especially in these times of book banning and institution wrecking, our libraries and librarians stand between all of us—whatever political persuasion—and barbarism. Many years ago, my late wife Thea spearheaded election initiatives to create a library district in Wahkiakum County so we could join Timberland Regional Library. Both successive attempts—first for the whole county, then just for the West End—went down, the latter by three votes. I hate to say it, but now I t...
To The Eagle, Saturday, June 14, we celebrate Flag Day and Julia Butler Hansen’s 118th birthday, the Cathlamet Woman’s Club “most distinguished member.” Julia was a third generation Cathlamet resident. She was the first woman to serve on Cathlamet City Council and was a Washington State Legislator. She was also the first woman to head the Washington State Highways Commission. In 1951, Julia was the first female member of the Eleven Western Inter States Highway Commission. In 1956, she became one of the most authoritative highway spokesm...
As the world continues to evolve, so do the people in it. Even in a small, tight-knit community like ours, change is not just inevitable, it’s already happening. For generations, many families here have followed familiar traditions and ways of life. But now, new residents are arriving, bringing with them fresh perspectives, diverse cultures, and new ideas. This is a pivotal moment, an opportunity to embrace positive change and come together to shape a stronger, healthier future for our town. By respecting our laws, policies, and one another, w...
To The Eagle, The current merger put forth by the PUD as such as it is was put together by a small group over a couple of weeks until they got the vote what they wanted. Now I understand when you have two major parties the citizens have a right to their say openly. The first merger was in 1947 between three parties: Cathlamet waterworks, the residents of Puget Island, and the PUD. The Cathlamet waterworks was to supply good water to the entirety of the big and small islands of Puget Island, with the PUD’s sole responsibility was to collect t...
I want to take a moment to talk about something deeply important: how we treat one another. Respect and kindness should be at the heart of every interaction, especially in a small community like ours. If we want to raise strong, kind, and respectful children, we must lead by example. That means showing tact, empathy, and dignity in our daily lives. Sadly, there have been instances in our community where people have been mistreated simply for holding different opinions or living differently. That’s unacceptable. True leadership means leading w...
To The Eagle, One of the most important positions on the ballot this November is for your Sheriff. This person impacts your public safety, quality of life, and influences the well-being of Sheriff’s Office employees. I wholeheartedly support Sheriff John Mason. John has the experience, intelligence, heart, and character to continue serving you as Sheriff. The core values of the Sheriff’s Office are Service, Integrity, and Respect. John has consistently applied those principles to all areas of his life, both on and off duty. Just as the mot...
To The Eagle, I was recently hanging-out at the Cathlamet Library. I decided to ask one of the volunteers, Josh C., what he liked most about the library. He said, “I like how far it’s come… I was here when Noreen was librarian. The remodel brought it to the new age… it’s well done.” You know, sometimes we forget to be grateful for Noreen Holten, our former Librarian, or the beautiful remodel of the library, or all the wonderful volunteers at the library who make it happen each week. Dan Turner, Library Board Chair...
To The Eagle, This year marks the 40th anniversary of St. James Family Center, a milestone we are celebrating with a year-long fundraiser to ensure the continued success and growth of this vital community resource. St. James Family Center is far more than a childcare facility. While it provides high-quality early childhood education and care for our youngest residents, it also plays a critical role in supporting some of our most vulnerable neighbors through The Charlotte House, a program that assists survivors of domestic violence and sexual...
The Cathlamet fire hall lies within a residential portion of the town. As such, we have neighbors. We are fortunate to have some very good neighbors who keep an eye on the fire hall and very rarely have any complaints about noise or other activities. For that, we are appreciative. I would like to personally acknowledge one neighbor in particular; his name is Stephen Southern. Mr. Southern has, for the last couple of years, quietly and without any acknowledgement been helping maintain the outside of the fire hall. He has been pressure washing...
If the state wants to develop a more equitable system, students from diverse backgrounds and their families need to have input. Fifteen years after Washington established its current K-12 funding formulas, it’s clear that our education funding system needs a serious reassessment. State legislators are beginning to recognize this with the introduction of bills like HB 2049, which proposes new revenue streams for education and creates a K-12 Funding Equity Work Group seated at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. State l...
For over two decades, Suquamish tribal member Joshua George has dived into the emerald waters of the Salish Sea looking for an unusually phallic clam that’s coveted thousands of miles away. George is a geoduck diver. Pronounced “gooey-duck,” the world’s largest burrowing clam has been harvested in tidelands by George’s Indigenous ancestors in the Pacific Northwest since before Europeans arrived. In recent years it has also become a delicacy in China, with Washington state sending 90% of its geoducks there, creating a niche yet lucrative...
