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

GORGEOUS--I hope all of you have been slathering on the sunscreen as we've really had a wonderful stretch of sunshine lately! Having this dry, warm weather means we often stay in the sun a little too long, so whether you are working or playing in it, I hope you're keeping safe, and taking precautions for yourself and children. Hats, umbrellas, sun screen and shade are great ways to ward off the bad part while still enjoying the wonderful sunshine and soaking up some great Vitamin D. As we all know, this wonderful weather can't last forever, but we're sure enjoying it while it's here.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from May 17-23 are Marty Kuller, Betty Koziel, Tayler Stornetta, Courtney Helms, Mitch Moonen, Linda Mahitka, Kris Parke, Doris Takko, Donna Moody, Nikki Hoven, Patrick Thompson, M. Jodi McClain, Signe Peterson, Carol Cothren, Susan Whitney, Kevin Wirkkala, Mark Phillips, Julie McKinley, Ellen Anderson, Patrick Thompson, Mary Jo Brown, Lainie Ferguson, Brenda Ferguson, Rian Blain, Donna Palmer and Brandon Chamberlain.

Happy Anniversary wishes this week to Ron and Bobbie Leingang, Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Deal, the Bill Faubions, the Wayne Cochrans and the Tony Dankers. Enjoy your special days everyone!

COMING UP-- I've been asked to remind you that there is a Human Services Advisory Board meeting going on today (Thursday) from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the River Street Meeting room and the public is invited as this is an open meeting. If you'd like to know more about this group, contact Angie Pugh 795-8630.

This weekend you will find several things to do, like head to Erickson Park for a barbecue and rally/fund raiser for Mike Backman who is running for county commissioner. They will be meeting from 3:30 to 6 p.m. this Saturday. You can contact Mike at 360-431-4421 if you have questions for him or want more info.

If you like to get out and stretch those limbs, then we'll probably find you at the Great White Tail Fun Run this Saturday, with registration at Skamokawa Vista Park beginning at 8:30 a.m., and the run beginning at 10 a.m. The route is different from past years due to the road closure on the refuge. For more info, call 360-465-2275 on the west end or 360-795-3278 in the Cathlamet area.

In the evening hours of May 19, the North Coast Chorale group will perform at the Clatsop Community College with our very own Lesley Horman. If you'd like to take in her performance, head to 588 16th Street in Astoria. On May 20, there will be a 2 p.m. matinee. Tickets are $10.

FAIRGROUNDS--The new bleachers at the fairgrounds are coming along but they have certainly been a lot to deal with as all the holes for bolts had to be drilled and the instructions for assembling them left a little bit to be desired...."clear as mud" my Grandma Elsie would say! Fair Manager, Becky Ledtke and fair worker, Ed Stevens spent a lot of time looking over the directions, as did fair board member, Bill Chamberlain and volunteer, John Gustafson. Neighbor Bill Mahitka came by on the first day and lent a helping hand, along with Ed's friend, Chuck. The "erector set" type construction was definitely challenging. With the shiny aluminum pieces and the sunny days, it meant sore eyes, along with pink arms and faces, for those who spent several days working with the stuff. Unfortunately a couple of pieces arrived damaged and so will need replacing but hopefully by the time they are needed for the upcoming Car Show and Sturgeon Derby, all will be in place.

CAR SHOW/STURGEON DERBY--Time is ticking away and soon the air will be filled the roar of monster engines from various hot rods and cool rigs as they file by the Skamokawa Grange Hall and into the neighboring fairgrounds park area on June 2. Remember, if you are a student and want to enter your car, it is free, so bring down your rig and put it in the show! From amongst the cars will be the sound of some great, old time music and then later on in the day, the Marimba band from Naselle High School will play, and they are always a big hit. Admission to the fairgrounds and park is free to all the "lookers", and your kids can catch trout in the pond for free as well. Chicken and salmon will be served for lunch and it's just $8 for adults and just $5 for kids under 10. The car show runs from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with prizes to be drawn for the big raffle tables at that time. For the sturgeon derby tables, the drawing time is at 4:30 p.m. and you must be present to win these big tables full of exciting and wonderful things, like TVs, barbecues, Kindle Fire and more. If you need more information about the car show, contact Lee Tischer at 360-430-4377 and if you'd like more information about the Sturgeon Derby, contact Pat Kehrli at 360-849-4193. This is a Dollars for Scholars event with all proceeds going for scholarships for our kids, so your support is appreciated.

FOLLIES--Rehearsals are underway and vocal chords are getting tested, while script lines are being worked out for the Fifth Annual Smoky Water Follies taking place at the Skamokawa Grange Hall on June 29 to July 1. Tickets are just $10 with a family ticket being available for just $20. We're happy to have the Professor back with us this year, as Mike Rees does a wonderful, comical act and with our Harmony Hearts female quartet as well as the men's barber-shop quartet, you'll hear some well-blended melodies and we'll be enjoying Jennifer Hanigan's voice, as well as Kerrie McNally's as Willapa Hills join us this year, so there's a lot of talent there for your entertainment for just $10 and you don't have to travel far to see it either. There's a lot more people singing, great folks playing in the band and Frank Loomans will be tickling the ivories as well, so spread the word and we'll see you at the end of next month at the Skamokawa Grange Hall!

STILL TIME--If you would like to be a vendor at the Vista Vendor's Market on July 28, you still have time to participate. You can pick up a form from the Skamokawa Vista Park office, or you can call me at 795-3425. If you'd like to sell any food items, you must contact the Health Dept. at least two weeks prior to the event. Everyone needs to provide their own tent, tables or chairs; we're providing the space and power for those that need it, but those spots are limited so the earlier you contact me, the better chance of you getting a spot with power.

POST OFFICE--As of this writing, no official word has been received by our local Skamokawa Post Office regarding the fact that it gets to remain open, but from all that we have read or heard on the news, our post office and many others, have been spared from closure for at least two years. However, we need to remain diligent and keep using our local post office, so if you have a large mailing, please buy your stamps here in Skamokawa, or if you have packages to go out, mail them from here, as it's really important to keep the money coming into our post office and the mail going out. Use it or lose it, that's how it works!

A BRAG--I can't go another week without doing a bit of a brag about a couple of grandsons: Austin Good is excelling at golf these days and of course, we are very proud of him and wish him the very best in the coming week. Also, Luke Sechler, the only grandson to take up the sport of lacrosse, has been outstanding in that and his team is undefeated. He also took part in a Seattle district track meet and finished in the top three of several events, plus his school, Whitman, won the meet, so being the only sixth grader to hold the trophy was a big honor for him. Good job, boys!

HONEST GUYS--When John Gustafson and Bill Chamberlain went shopping for parts in Longview the other day that were not available in our area, they grabbed a cart and got quite a surprise: a bank bag full of checks and cash! John and Bill took it directly into the store where the employee there about collapsed upon seeing the bag. It wasn't long before the store manager was there and the rightful owner of the money bag claimed it, and all was right with the world. Kudos to the guys for their good deed that day.

MOTHER'S DAY?--I hope all of you moms had a great day. I know Lisa Mooers got treated to some delicious chocolate dipped strawberries and she certainly thought they were wonderful! Delores Hartley enjoyed lunch out with daughter Sharon and granddaughter, Sara Buennagel, while John and Abby Buennagel visited his mom Kay on Puget Island. Some gals just enjoyed staying home and puttering around the garden all day, and others, like Mary Gustafson enjoyed a sunny day in Astoria. Kelly Recupero was certainly enjoying being a grandma this Mother's Day as daughter Kristina had a darling baby boy, Sawyer James recently. Peggy Pedersen enjoyed dinner out and a visit from son Mark Pedersen and the fact that he brought pink roses certainly added to the day. Bill Chamberlain opted to take his wife out of town (that's me) and we went to the Johnston Ridge Observatory up at Mount St. Helens and it was absolutely gorgeous. There were lots of folks up there and lo and behold, one stranger in motorcycle gear said hello to us at one of the viewpoints, and it turned out to be Kelly McMahon, small world! A word of warning if you go all the way to the observatory, it is quite the incline from the parking lot to the viewing spot, so anyone that is handicapped or in a wheelchair, would really not find it accessible. You can get a great view of the mountain from the viewing spot prior to that, or the lower viewing spot at the Forest Learning Center with its great gift shop, exhibit room and viewing area, all on a level surface.