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

NOT SO NICE--Wouldn't you know, the sun is shining as this work week begins but it sure would have been nice to have sun during the Bald Eagle Day festivities! At least by fireworks time, it was dry enough for folks to get out and enjoy them. Right now, it's steamy outside as all this moisture is just cooking up out of the ground by this sun and making us feel quite uncomfortable. They say we're in for a so-so week with nicer, more summer-like temperatures come Sunday--we'll see!

NOT OUR HEIDI--You may have heard that a Heidi Lynn Knowles was recently arrested for trying to sell her baby at a Taco Bell, but trust me, that is definitely not our Heidi Knowles Mast that they are talking about. This gal has given our Heidi, daughter of Jerry and Jonnie Knowles, a really bad time and a lot of grief, after using her name in connection with all kinds of wrong doings. The gal in the paper has the maiden name of Gasaway and the last reports were dropping the Knowles name, which should help in stopping the confusion between the two. Our Heidi would never think of doing such a thing!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from July 21 to 27 are Suzet Parker, Al McClain, Stuart Bosch, Brian O'Connor, Naomi Meyer, Randy Montgomery, Carol Cooper, Julie Pedersen, Lisa Hannah, Raedyn Grasseth, Steve Doumit, Ruth Doumit, Katlyn Rose Brown, Bob Roseberry, John Buennagel, Mandy Knowles, Sharon Dennis, Linda Wright, Ashley and Kelsey Hedges, Jim Barton, Jerry DeBriae Jr., Les Burns, Lesley Horman, Molly Jorgensen, Art Pedersen and Peggy (Ralph) Pedersen. Here's wishing all of you some super birthday celebrations throughout the week.

Happy Anniversary wishes this week go out to Rick and Janet Bryan, Mark and Patti Phillips, Becca and Levi Helms, Andrew Emlen and Audrey Petterson, Jerry and Becky Ledtke, Sunrise and Jessica Fletcher and Steve and Lori Finkas. We hope you'll enjoy your special time together this week doing something wonderful!

VISTA MARKET--The 30th anniversary celebration of Skamokawa Vista Park is July 30, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., so let's pray for a nice day! We've got signs up, radio ads going and newspaper articles coming out, but still, some folks don't seem to be getting the message, so please help spread the word and come enjoy a fun day at the park.

TABLES FOR RENT--The Skamokawa United Methodist Church will have a rummage sale in conjunction with the 30th anniversary doings at Skamokawa Vista Park. If you have a few things to sell, you can rent one of their tables for just $10 and be inside the church and out of the elements. Pat (Hoby) Thacker shared this news with me, so I imagine you can contact her if you're interested in renting one of them at 795-3622.

SKAMOKAWA GRANGE--There will be a meeting at the Skamokawa Grange Monday at 7 p.m. with a potluck dinner a half hour prior to that. We'll discuss our plans for being at the Vista Market with a gift basket to give away that day (everyone should bring something for that) and we'll also be selling tickets for the beautiful slab wood table given to us by local craftsman John Gustafson, which will be given the last day of the fair August 20. Tickets are also currently on sale at Sharon's Pizza and More, the Cathlamet Pharmacy, the Bank of the Pacific and the Made in Wahkiakum Store.

FOS--The Friends of Skamokawa will offer a raffle prize of a five course, Italian dinner for six at the Inn at Crippen Creek Farm, with tickets just $5 each. The winner will be drawn that day, at 2:30 p.m., so we hope you'll buy some tickets to help the FOS and maybe you'll be enjoy a fantastic meal with several of your friends at Don and Kitty Speranza's.

For a nice article and great pictures of the Speranza's place, check out an article by Kristen Klett and Penny under the "Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen" website and click on the July 8, 2011 posting on the Inn.

WINE TASTING--Of course, it won't be long and we'll all be gathering for the Friends of Skamokawa's wine tasting and auction at the Skamokawa Grange Hall, as A Cornucopia of Wines will be held on September 10. This live and silent auction event, complete with a wide variety of wines and delicious samplings of cheeses and other goodies, is always a fun time, so we hope you've got this on your schedule already. If you've never been here before, this is an adults only evening. If you'd like to donate something for either of the auctions, please give Redmen Hall a call at 795-3007, Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.

MUSEUM--Another treasure in our county is the Wahkiakum County Historical Society's Museum in Cathlamet. This little jewel is visited from those far and wide as many of the people who come to visit it are the folks from the Elochoman Marina who see it and stop by on their way uptown.

They could sure use volunteers to man the museum on Saturdays and Sundays, which are the only days they are currently open due to being so short-handed, so give Kari Kandoll (849-4353) or Judy Brawn (849-4452) a call and help save this building which houses a wealth of information about our county and the people in it.

WHS REUNION--Speaking of reunions, I went to a WHS reunion this weekend. No, not Wahkiakum, but Washougal! That's right, hubby, Bill Chamberlain graduated from a WHS as well, so the Panthers from the Class of '61 met last weekend to celebrate their 50th class reunion. As we get a little older, it's great to kick back and share stories about the good ole days with your fellow classmates and see how they remember those fun times at school; vastly different at times! Sadly, the class had already lost 19 of their former classmates. Those that were there dined on salmon and London broil with all the fixings and the blast from the past music brought back a lot of memories as well, enough to make a few folks get up and dance!

One of those "small world" moments occurred when we found out that one of Bill's classmates used to work with our very own Don Speranza back in the day, so you just never know what kind of link you might have unless you start talking!

REUNION COMING UP--The WA-KI-HI class of 1961, 50th class reunion, will be held August 20 at Parker's Steak House in Longview. If you were in this class and haven't been contacted yet, give Jim Rodal a call at 360-742-0047 or email at j_rodal@yahoo.com and get your name on the list. Jim said the group will be gather about 6 p.m. for a social time first and then dinner. If you can't make the dinner, the class will hold a picnic the following day at the city park in Cathlamet. They will begin gathering around 10 a.m., so bring a dish and enjoy a potluck meal with your classmates. Don't forget pictures, as they're always fun to share, whether they're a blast from the past or of your current home and family.

NEXT YEAR FOR BIG REUNION--There's been a bit of confusion regarding the date of the big all school reunion at WA-KI-HI; it is not this year, but next! It will be held August 4, 2012.It will be take place at Wahkiakum High School.

All the details have yet to be worked out but keep reading The Eagle or check out the page on Facebook for the Mule Train All School Reunion group. Susan McClain Kuhn is your main contact, so email her at sjmcq1@yahoo.com for more info.

PRAYERS REQUESTED--Mary McLauglin says her mom, Audrey Hedman, is doing better and able to put a little weight on her foot now but her dad Cleave has a ways to go in his recovery from his fall, and is still in a nursing home. Prayers are most welcome for both of these long time county residents in hopes that they will soon be well again.