Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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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...
To The Eagle, I am writing to let the citizens of Wahkiakum County know that I am running for the County Assessor position. It’s always better when we have more than one candidate running for an office since it gives voters a choice. Many people know me either from working in the Assessor’s office or when visiting your properties for state mandated inspections. I worked in the Assessor’s office for seven years, first as a residential appraiser, then as a residential and commercial appraiser. Prior to my time in Wahkiakum County, I was a resid...
To The Eagle, I will be filing my candidacy next week for the Office of Wahkiakum County Sheriff. I have dedicated my Law Enforcement career to the people of Wahkiakum County since 2013. Throughout these years I have put my leadership skills and ever-growing experience to good use as a community leader to the public and a team leader as Patrol Sergeant. For the last 10 months I have had the pleasure of serving as your appointed Sheriff. These months have been filled with such great opportunities to partner with community groups and other...
To The Eagle Candidate filing week is nearly here, and I want to be direct with the people of Wahkiakum County. I am running for County Assessor because I believe this job requires real experience, real commitment, and the ability to lead with fairness and competence. That’s exactly what I bring to the table — as a certified residential appraiser, as someone working inside the Assessor’s Office today, and as someone who understands the responsibility that comes with this role. This isn’t a learning opportunity. It’s not a place for guesswork...
To The Eagle, Last fall, I did a column lamenting the loss of local news coverage with the closure of the Columbia County Chronicle and Chief newspaper. As someone who spent over seven years working as a reporter, I’ve become all too familiar with the ups and downs of that industry. Almost every news outlet I ever worked for either changed owners or went out of business. Those unfortunate changes and realities eventually inspired me to seek a different career path, even though I absolutely loved what I was doing. I recently had the chance to s...
To The Eagle, St. James Family Center (SJFC) is more than the blue daycare on Columbia. It’s a source of education, physical and emotional nourishment, structure and fun for kids. For families, it represents peace of mind. Knowing children are in a safe, caring environment allows adults to focus on work or other daily obligations. As health care consultant for SJFC, I have the unique opportunity to interact with preschoolers. Being around a room full of three to five year olds is a hoot. The level of energy, conversation, movement, laughter a...
To The Eagle, My name is Justin Moriarty, and I am proud to announce my candidacy for Wahkiakum County Assessor. Since moving to Wahkiakum County in 2021, I have worked to promote fairness in the property tax system—first as Chair of the County’s Board of Equalization, where I helped lead quasi-judicial hearings, ensure compliance with Department of Revenue standards, and advocate for both taxpayer rights and legal consistency. In 2024, I joined the Assessor’s Office, where I continue to apply my commitment to public service and proce...
To The Eagle, Safety is are number one concern when operating a school bus. We (my drivers) transport the most precious commodity in the world (OUR KIDS AND OUR FUTURE). I would like to help take some of the guess work out of what a school bus does at each and every stop. We use a combination of lights on a school bus to make the stops safe. We have headlights, taillights, marker lights, turn signals, brake lights and yes, even backup lights. We also have the eight-way system, otherwise known as the school bus stop lights. These lights are...
To The Eagle, I have been much enjoying your recent content. I always take pleasure in Dan Turner's library column and M.D. Johnson's delightful "Eagle Outdoors," and in Kay and Lisa's neighborhood news. Your local and regional reportage is helpful, and I much appreciate your carrying on Rick's long tradition of running good photographs of local animals and plants. Thanks for including a smart crossword, and this week, even comic strips! Where will it all end? Really, you're doing a fine job of keeping this treasured newspaper going in both...
To The Eagle, I enjoy the always-articulate reporting of Nick Nikkila. However, I take issue with his article "West Wahkiakum residents oppose dike breaking" (March 27). Factual and well-written, the piece conveys the history and ins-and-outs of this issue. But its conclusion and headline were based on a fatally flawed survey with unreliable results. When Nick brought the questionnaire to Grays River Grange, I explained why it was not a valid poll. I later shared my further thoughts, along with my marked, but modified, ballot. He chose not to...
To The Eagle, It's before 8 am on a Saturday. I'm opening the post office to distribute the mail and packages for delivery by the mail carriers. The USPS truck driver left the distribution center about 4 am to bring the mail containers to the post offices on their assigned route. The distribution centers operate 24/7 every day of the year. This routine is being repeated all across America everyday. Some people are working six or seven days a week, many rising before the sun. I feel the camaraderie as we complete our tasks to keep the mail...
To The Eagle, That old bit of wisdom that "you don't know how much you will miss something until it's gone" will almost certainly be the case if current proposals for the United States Postal Service are carried to fruition. Privatization of the USPS is a very real possibility. The irony is that this will disproportionately hurt rural areas and small towns, the very places that have routinely voted overwhelmingly for conservative candidates whose mantra is to cut government spending and regulation power to nil in favor of business interests....
