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

WAS TOASTY--As the work week began, we were feeling mighty warm, as temperatures were still up in the 80's Sunday evening and were up in the mid-90's on Monday so it was pretty miserable I thought. In West Valley, we were still very hot Monday evening with no relief from any wind, while down at the fairgrounds, the wind was blowing and it must have been 15 to 20 degrees cooler, so a big discrepancy in just a couple of miles. And then there was Tuesday morning, wow, what a thunder and lightning storm that was! I was very glad to see it end, as it seems everything I wanted to do involved a power source or water, and neither of those is reccommended for use during that kind of a storm. I thought the house was going to split wide open a couple of times as the "cracking" that took place was right on top of us! When the rain started dumping down upon us, I thought to myself, "Yep, it's fair week; it's raining."

THIS IS IT--It's Wahkiakum County Fair time! All the action starts today, Thursday, Aug. 14, so here's hoping we see you there! We also hope you have purchased your passes and are planning on spending a lot of time at the fair this year! If you do happen to be on a limited budget, then you might want to consider the "free" hours, as Senior citizens/Red Hat Ladies get in free on Thursday, the kids under 12 on Friday, but keep in mind these hours are limited, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. However, members of our Armed Forces, active or retired, with ID, are free all day on Saturday. The big salmon barbecue is also on Saturday beginning at noon so if you're a fish lover, you won't want to miss out on this tasty meal. I know this is always a time of family reunions and class get togethers, so I do hope all of you who are enjoying your family members and classmates, will come and cruise through the booths and eat some of the tasty food that is on hand and buy a raffle ticket or two. It's a rule at our house during fair time that we eat at the fair all three days, as there's a lot of good stuff to eat there and with busy schedules during this time, it just makes sense to eat at the fair. So, it's a win, win situation: I don't have to cook and we support the fair; what a deal!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Aug. 14-20 are Judy Smith, Tim Schmitz, Kathleen Morgain, Steve McClain, Jessica Fletcher, Nance Collupy, Addy Hauff, Vicki Gregory, Tyna Zink, Barbara Blix, Sarah Exum, Toni Sue Ostling, Vivian Olsen, Stoney Anketell, Krista Blix McGuire and Lori Pedersen Finkas.

Celebrating their anniversaries this week are Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Gribskov and Mr. and Mrs. Russ Durrah. Happy celebrations to one and all!

LAST WEEK--Well, I no sooner mentioned "fire" last week, than we wound up having to deal with one in Skamokawa when a fire on the hillside between son, Brandon Chamberlain's home and the Matt Helm home on East Valley Road broke out. The fire was started when a tree fell and hit power lines and then arced, which meant no power for several hours for many of us and then a fire to deal with. As the area was so dry,and strong winds were present to get it moving, it didn't take long for that spark to turn into a major burn, very scary! When it was all over, there was only that nasty smelling smoke to contend with but no one lost their homes, so we were sure thankful for that. Major house fires and huge losses have been in the headlines lately and we certainly didn't want to see another one like that. A big thank you to all our local people for coming out and fighting this fire, as we understand how much effort and sacrifice you put in to help others.

While I hated to see this rain show up just before fair time, it should help with the fire danger, but don't be lulled into thinking things are ok, as there are plenty of areas who are still very dry. For those who have had to do a lot of watering of their plants and gardens, it did give us a little break however and I'm sure my lawn appreciates the soaking as well!

BUSY PLACE--All this nice weather has certainly seen a sea of visitors at the Skamokawa Vista Park and calls are already coming in for booking spots for next year, as once they have discovered this little jewel along the Columbia, they are anxious to come and stay again. The only problem with it getting so popular is the fact that there isn't much chance of finding a spot if you're just dropping by, although you could get lucky, but if you really want a spot for that family campout, be sure to contact the office at 795-8605 very early and get your campsite secured. Whether it's summer time or fishing and hunting time, Janet Bryan and staff are staying very busy booking spaces and keeping things ready for their guests. The new full hook-ups near the office are very poplular with the "big rigs" while the yurts up on the hill have not waned in popularity either. Wherever you stay and whatever you stay in, you'll be pleased with the facilities at Vista Park.

And speaking of the park, I do hope we see some other 67'ers there as several others are going to be staying there and would like to invite their former classmates to join them at their campout dinner on Sept. 13th. Bring a dish and share in the food and conversation; it will be fun! Instead of swapping kids pictures, we're now swapping grandkid pictures and instead of talking about our big plans for the future, we're talking about the future of Medicare--my how times have changed since we left ole WA-KI-HI!

JUST A MONTH--We hope you've got your donation to the Friends of Skamokawa's annual wine tasting and auction all ready to go, as it's just a month away. Sept. 13 will be a very fun evening with lots of things to bid on in both their live and silent auctions and of course it will be combined with some good food and wines as well, so we hope you can come down to the Skamokawa Grange Hall that evening and have a great time. If you're donating something, you can take it up to Redmen Hall Thursdays through Sundays, noon to four. With time going by so fast, the sooner you can bring it up to the hall, the better. If for some reason you can't deliver your item, maybe arrangements could be made to pick up, so contact them at 795-3007as soon as possible.

HUNTING SEASON--It seems too early but yes, bow and arrow season is now open, so property owners should be aware of the possibility that they will be seeing hunters driving by their homes very slowly in search of those elusive critters. It also means that the little calves and cows are going to be run from now until next year as each new season follows the other and between the stress of being chased all over the place and many of them suffering terribly from hoof rot, well, it's not always a recipe for healthy animals. The leaving of the infected hooves in the field (required now) seems ridiculous to me, as I feel they should be bagged up and brought in to study, rather than left out where the diseased piece could rot into the soil and cause even more harm later on as it grows and multiplies, but then, that's just my opinion and hopefully I'm wrong and the disease, whatever it truly is, doesn't spread in that manner.

OUT OF THE PAST--This week back in 1944, the week began with weather that was cool and cloudy but dry. However, the next couple of days were quite misty and cold but the rest of the week turned out quite nice. Eugene Neilsen was awarded a Purple Heart by a genral who came to the hospital where he was confined after suffering leg injuries in the battle of Saipan. Ray Healy came by to visit the Everests and said he was at the Saipan as well and nine men from his ship were killed. Ralph and Frank Pedersen went to the show that week; they really liked "Thriller" they said. The next day the two went over to their Grandpa Jonas Pedersen's house to go swimming while their Grandpa Ralph Everest went to the boys' Aunt Bella's (Pedersen-Ellison) house to help with some canning. Leon and Marian Healy celebrated 10 years of marriage that week. Violet Petersen Stone had a baby boy that week. The fishermen were happy that week as a huge fish run came into the Columbia that week. The best they'd seen in years. For others, it was time to start picking blackberries as the berry season took off.

In 1964, the week began with four really nice days before cooling down and raining for a couple of days with the last day turning back into sunshine. Grandma Elsie took the bus to Longview where she met up with daughter Marian, and bought some shoes and things before they went to the Holland House for a nice dinner. While they were there, they saw several people they knew inlcuding Margaret and Kay Hollar. The Pedersen and Ellison families were in shock that week after word came down from Alaska that Norman Ellison, son of Bella (Pedersen) and Erling Ellison, had been murdered in Kodiak....he was just 22, but his 23rd birthday would have been the following week. Just prior to his death, Norman and his uncles, Wally Pedersen (Kelso) and Jack Fuller (Astoria), as well as Bob Wegdahl (Cathlamet), had been on the boat, SJ 5, when it was swamped in bad weather. The crew held onto the keel for 10 hours before they got rescued by the Coast Guard, and then treated for exposure, only to have Norman fatally stabbed to death hours later. He left behind his widow, Sharon (Rich) who was pregnant with his son, (who would be born a month later) his parents, a sister, Elinor and step-brother Elmer, as well as his in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Rich, and many aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members. Many family members had left Alaska to attend the funeral services held at the First Lutheran Church on Welcome Slough on Puget Island, which was packed. Reverends, John Turner and Al Kleps officiated with Mrs. Hans Fluckiger playing the organ while Mrs. Kent Elliot sang. In Cathlamet, Henry Shannon passed away at the age of 79. He had been a farmer in Grays River for 20 years before moving to the Elochoman Valley and among other things, had been a past commissioner of the Wahkiakum PUD. He left behind his wife, Esther and one sister, Katharyn Metsker. All this according to Grandma Elsie Everest's diaries.