The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

It’s definitely spring. The birds singing and chirping in the morning is enough to wake anyone up. I don’t remember them starting out so early in the morning though. Daffodils are blooming everywhere even where there haven’t been any before. Must be from flood waters. I’ve even seen quite a few eagles sitting in the trees along the Grays. Looking for an easy fish meal, maybe?

News from Naselle:

Remember when all the rhodies in front of the school were just huge and beginning to look kind of ratty? Then they were all cut back due to their health and given a new lease on life. Now, take a look at what a difference it has made. They are all thriving and it looks like they will all bloom into that beautiful colored landscape once again.

Naselle-Grays River Valley sports coming up this week include: Thursday-high school track at Ocosta at 3 p.m. and fast pitch and baseball also at Ocosta at 3:30 p.m .; Friday-JV baseball at home vs. Wahkiakum at 4 p.m .; Saturday-fast pitch at Ilwaco; Wednesday-middle school track at Raymond. Go Comets!

Science Fair at Naselle will take place on Tuesday, the 29th at noon and on Wednesday, the 30th at 8 a.m. Check out our up and coming scientists.

The new Finnish-American Folk Band Kaivama will be touring West Coast-Performances in Astoria, Tacoma, and Eugene. Their schedule for Washington and Oregon is as follows: Friday, April 8th at Pacific Lutheran University, Scandinavian Cultural Center, 121280 Park Ave. S., Tacoma, WA at 7 p.m. This performance is free. For more details call 253-535-7532; April 9 at Suomi Hall, 244 W. Marine Dr., Astoria, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. From 8:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. there will be an intermission at which time attendees can meet the band and purchase CDs as well as enjoy beverages and cardamom bread. At 9 p.m. -11 p.m. concert goers can dance to the Scandinavian Country Band. Enjoy the whole evening for $10 adults and $5 students. For more information call 503 791-9156. If you are a little farther south check out the concert on Sunday, April 10th at Sonja Lodge, Sons of Norway, 710 McKinley Street, Eugene, OR at 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students For more information call 541 344-1064.

Concerts will also be performed in Redding, Berkeley, Fresno and Thousand Oaks. Email Kaivama for those details. The address is kaivama@gmail.com or call 612-382-5299.

Other news from the Westend:

It’s spring and time for the annual Chicken Dinner at the Rosburg Hall. This year it will take place on April 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. $10 for Adults, $5 for kids six years to 12 years and $2 for kids under six years. This dinner is one of the biggest fund raisers of the year for the Rosburg Community Club and is always well received by everyone in the area. Proceeds from this event are used to maintain the hall, provide scholarships and maintain the Rosburg Cemetery. More info in next week’s column.

Do you remember Don and Vionne Crouch, former residents of Grays River? They will be celebrating a special milestone in their marriage and would like to share it with friends and family. Don and Vionne will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday, March 31 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Worldmark by Windham in Long Beach, located at 420 Sid Snyder Drive. The couple requests no gifts please but cards and your presence would be very welcome. They would be delighted to see old friends. Don was the industrial arts teacher for many years at Naselle High School and Vionne was a registered nurse for several years in the Ilwaco Hospital.

I understand there is a scam going on with former subscribers to Willapabay Internet services. Folks are receiving notices asking for passwords and personal info. If you are one of those people, don’t give out your information. It is a scam.

My deepest sympathies go out to the family of Julie Hoak, a Grays River resident who lost her long battle with cancer last week surrounded by friends and family and of course, her devoted husband, Andy. Julie and Andy were so grateful for the unceasing help and support of their church members, as well as the personnel at Longview Hospice. Please support Hospice if you are able in Julie’s name. She will certainly be missed by all who knew her.

“Spring Into the Classics” at the Pioneer Community Center in Cathlamet for an evening of classical music on this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The performance will be broken into two segments. The first half will feature works by Johann Sebastian Bach and the second half will contain more classical music from a Haydn piano trio to solo piano works by Claude Debussy.

Tickets for the performance are available for $10 at the Bank of the Pacific in Cathlamet and will also be available at the door on the evening of the performance.

The Wednesday Senior Lunch Bunch that meets at Rosburg Hall will celebrate spring with a lunch fit for the season. They will enjoy hot dogs with all the trimmings as well as pork and beans, salad and dessert.

Rosburg Senior Community Lunches sponsored by CAP are served at the same location on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Menus for the coming week are as follows: Thursday, the 24th-beef chili, corn bread, Caribbean vegetable blend, spinach salad and brownies; Tuesday, the 29th-chicken noodle soup, orange barley salad, cauliflower insalata and raspberry mousse.

Happy Birthday to the following celebrants this coming week: Phillip Raistakka, Kelly Welsh, Ryan Bjornsgard, Sherri Salme, Marilyn Johnson, Kale Trimble, Kara Trimble, Kenny Setala ,. Amanda Lee, Gary Burkhalter, Austin Burkhalter, Trevor Tolva, Juan Lopez, Luke Johnson, Alexis Nortrup, Jenny Blake, Karen Kilponen, Scott Jacot, Nikki Footh, Chris Wilson, Whitney Caetano, Denise Blanchard, Josh Weston and Rob Crozier. Wishing all of you a wonderfully special day.

Happy Anniversary to Eugene and Eleanor Saari this week and wishing you many more celebrations of your anniversary.

Looking forward to visiting with kids this weekend. Son, Shane Cruz is on his way home from Iraq as I write this column. He will have 10 days leave before returning to complete his tour. Kids will be here from Oregon and son, Carl will be here from Ellensburg. I love family gatherings.

House is coming along nicely. Interior painting is complete. What a job. I have touched every square inch of this 2800 square foot house at least twice. Once with primer and then again with the final coat of paint. It certainly makes a difference in looks.