Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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Dear Kay: On behalf of everyone at the Wahkiakum County Historical Society I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for your 30 years of service to the Wahkiakum County Eagle, the residents of Wahkiakum County, and the Wahkiakum County Historical Society. Your dedication has uplifted, informed, and supported this great community. All of your mentions of the Museum has brought in so many people that: forgot about us, haven’t been for years, and “just came in because of Kay’s article”! Happy Retirement and again, thank you. Frans Eykel,...
To The Eagle, In looking at the upcoming election for Wahkiakum County Sheriff, I feel that Sheriff John Mason is the overwhelming best choice. Having watched him since taking over the position he has displayed good judgements in his decisions and as well, a very high degree of maturity in his approach to the job. The job of Sheriff requires patience, integrity, leadership, communication skills, along with adaptability and problem-solving skills. A Sheriff has to also be able to make sound judgement calls, many times under extreme and...
To The Eagle, In last week’s Eagle, Kathy Briggs raised good questions about the two Town measures on the November 4 ballot. Here’s what is outlined in public information from the Town of Cathlamet and Wahkiakum PUD. On the levy: If Proposition 1 passes, the Town’s property tax rate would increase to $2.00 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2026. That new rate becomes the base for future years, and under state law (RCW 84.55) it can rise only about one percent per year unless voters approve another lid lift. The Town cannot raise it freely each...
To The Eagle, Commissioner Upthegrove was elected on a promise to permanently protect 77,000 acres of Legacy Forest. Yet his day-one action was only a temporary pause, not a true moratorium. Last month, when he held a press conference to announce “permanent protection” of those 77,000 acres, the map told a different story. It was riddled with mistakes — protecting only part of the promised acreage while putting 29,000 acres, including some of the most ecologically valuable forests, back on the auction block for logging. This is a broken promi...
To The Eagle, In the Oct. 9 edition of the Eagle, an advertisement was published purporting to be a “Proclamation to the World” that the “Tchinook People” are holding a “Constitutional Convention to write a National Constitution of the Tchinook People” to be held at Rosburg March 20, 2026. Eagle readers and the public should be aware that the sponsor of this advertisement is not an enrolled member of the Chinook Indian Nation. Moreover, the Chinook Indian Nation has an existing tribal constitution of long standing. Thus, the premises of...
To The Eagle, I just got done reviewing my county Voters’ Pamphlet for the 11/4/25 election. I found it to be somewhat vague in regards to the property tax levy lift for the town of Cathlamet. It indicates that in 2026 the lift will bring our property taxes from the current state mandated lid of one percent, to $2 per $1,000 property value. It does indicate that the lid lift is permanent. It does not make clear that if this lid is lifted, is there anything in place to stop it from going up every year. I have re-read it several times and see n...
To The Eagle, Each election, we seek candidates that we feel that we can trust to be fair, honest and look out for our wallets. This is in support of County Assessor candidate Drew Jenkins. Before I purchased a home and moved to this community, I contacted the Assessor’s office and spoke with him. I had some concerns and Drew provided me with stellar customer service. In that conversation and a follow up, he was a great resource and fully answered my questions. When I listened to Drew speak at the recent candidate forum, I was reminded what a...
To The Eagle, I have known Drew Jenkins for 20 years. In that time, he has shown himself to be an honest and compassionate person. In addition to having the skills necessary to carry out the demands of the position, Drew understands that property valuation can be a confusing and sometimes volatile subject. Wahkiakum County deserves an Assessor that will treat its citizens professionally and with understanding. These traits are exemplified by the type of forward-looking campaign Drew is running. Rather than spend time denigrating other...
To The Eagle, If you’re really looking for experience, I don’t think it’s Mr. Jenkins. To me, experience isn’t about age, it’s about putting in real work and actually doing the job. From what I can see, that’s not what we’re getting here. And have you asked why Bill Coons hasn’t endorsed him? That seems like a red flag to me. If your own former boss won’t stand behind you, that says a lot, and voters should pay attention to that. It’s also worth mentioning that some of the “experience” being claimed includes time spent working in the airline...
To The Eagle, Drew Jenkins has years of experience working in the appraisal industry, as well as several years of experience here in Wahkiakum County. Drew has proven his abilities to treat the public with courtesy and respect during all interactions I have had with him. Drew Jenkins has always strived to ensure that our tax assessments are accurate and appropriate. Drew has taken the time to explain to me the system used to calculate our property taxes here in Wahkiakum County. Even if I didn't agree with the state's regulations, his...
To The Eagle, I am writing to express my support for Drew Jenkins for the office of Wahkiakum County Assessor. As a new homeowner here back in 2020, Drew was one of the first Cathlamet residents that I met when he came out to inspect our home. Since we had recently relocated from Georgia to the Northwest, I was full of questions! Well, I must have peppered Drew with more than 20 of those questions, ranging from the property tax process to the community at large. Drew patiently answered all of my questions with calm, straight and factual...
To The Eagle, Kay, we would like to thank you so very much for all that you have done for Norse Hall, the advertising about the coming events and even participating in them. Also, for being there rolling Lefese at the Lodge. We are going to truly miss you and expect you to come to events once the weather clears. Good luck to you and enjoy your new freedom. You deserve to take the time to do whatever you want. Jan Silvestri, Past President of Sons of Norway...
To The Eagle, As election day approaches, I wish to express my support for the election of John Mason to continue as sheriff for our county. I attended a meet-and-greet for John this past summer and have personally met with him twice since. In our meetings, he has shown an extraordinary degree of patience and concern for what I had to say. These qualities are reflected in the attitude and conduct of others in his department clearly demonstrating the confidence and respect that John's subordinates have for his leadership. In a small community...
To The Eagle, In 2018, while in his 60’s, Bill Coons successfully ran for the County Assessor position. He largely separated himself from the other, younger candidate by stressing the value of his experience and local knowledge. I agreed and supported him accordingly. It turned out to be a good choice and Bill’s experience capably led us through some tough years. Laurel Waller retired from a business management career, where she worked with business plans and people. She is fiscally prudent, and has both a deep personal and business com...
To The Eagle, Our quiet weekends will soon be shattered by the early morning blasts of shotguns aimed at the magnificent geese stopping here on Puget Island. Landing here and on many other river islands to recover from their exhausting migration, many of these innocent creatures will be shot to death instead. What a terrible irony. Animal researchers note that when a Canada goose's mate dies, the survivor is at their most vulnerable. When a goose loses its mate, the signs of grieving are disturbingly human. The widowed bird hangs its head,...
To The Eagle, Wahkiakum county and town of Cathlamet voters have the opportunity to elect a new generation of public servants this year. The race for Cathlamet mayor pits Laurel Waller, who will be 74 next year, against Nick Sevald, who will be 43. In the race for Assessor, Drew Jenkins will be 71 when this election is certified, and Justin Moriarty will be 36. It is my opinion that it is time to pass the torch to the next generation. I will be voting for Justin Moriarty for Assessor, and if I lived in Cathlamet, I’d vote for Nick Sevald for M...
To The Eagle, Grays River Grange #124 would like to invite Wahkiakum County voters to the 2025 Candidate's Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Grays River Grange Hall (11 Hull Creek Rd.). The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for coffee and refreshments with the program starting at 6:30 p.m. The Following candidates have agreed to attend: Natasha Crater - candidate for Naselle-Grays River Valley School Board Dist #4; Laurel Waller - candidate for Mayor, Town of Cathlamet; Drew Jenkins - candidate for Wahkiakum County Assessor; Justin Moriarity -...
To The Eagle, Kudos to the Cathlamet Public Library! We are grateful recipients of free library cards, a service extended to all Wahkiakum County residents. And we recently took advantage of the free passes offered by the Library to both Washington State Parks and Columbia River Maritime Museum. These passes can each be checked out for a week. The passes saved us a total of $50: $20 for the daily entrance fees at the two State Parks we visited and $30 for two senior admissions to the Museum. Thank you to the Cathlamet Public Library, Librarian...
We want to acknowledge that this week's edition of The Wahkiakum County Eagle was affected by a printing error that compromised the legibility of both articles and advertisements. We understand how important it is for our readers and advertisers to receive a clear, reliable paper each week, and we sincerely apologize for this disruption. We will be transitioning to a new printing press by the end of September. We are not the only newspaper that has faced unacceptable quality issues with this printer. We sincerely appreciate your patience and...
We want to acknowledge that this week’s edition of The Wahkiakum County Eagle was affected by a printing error that compromised the legibility of both articles and advertisements. We understand how important it is for our readers and advertisers to receive a clear, reliable paper each week, and we sincerely apologize for this disruption. We are actively working with our printing partner to determine how many copies were impacted and to ensure the issue is resolved so it does not happen again. We sincerely appreciate your patience and c...
Valued Eagle readers and subscribers, The Eagle has been covering the news and events in Wahkiakum County for 135 years. As we announced last week, the subscription and newsstand rate will be increasing to $1.50 at the newsstand starting on Sept. 11. The paper’s current price of $1 has been the same since Feb. 14, 2013. Since that time, The Eagle has increased the number of pages, improved our sports coverage, and added columnists, a crossword (and other puzzles), and comics. Even with the increased price, the paper still presents a great value...
To The Eagle, We’re looking for a local space to host upcoming candidate debates, a chance for our community to come together, hear directly from those running for office, and make informed decisions. Do you have or know of a venue that could be donated or offered at low cost to support this community event? We’re hoping to bring transparency to the election process, give voters a real opportunity to ask questions and make sure everyone has access to the information they need to vote confidently. If you're a business owner, school off...
To The Eagle, I want to say Thank You Mayor Olson for all you have done and tried to do for the residents of Cathlamet. During your time in office, you have worked tirelessly to make improvements to our sweet little town. Unfortunately, you have had to deal with folks that vehemently opposed your efforts and did so with name calling, false accusations and down-right disrespect. Whenever possible, you have shown up to support all the local causes and small organizations events. I personally always appreciated your eloquence and words of...
To The Eagle, With everything happening in this year’s Assessor race, it’s hard not to feel excited for the upcoming debates. I’ve been following the Assessor’s race, and one candidate stands out: Justin Moriarty. One thing that really stands out to me is his hands-on approach. If elected, he is committed to continuing the full-time work he is already doing rather than hiring someone to take over his role. From what I understand, Justin currently works full time in the Assessor’s office while also staying actively engaged with the public. H...
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...
