Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce Director Paige Lake said earlier this month that if she wanted to build excitement for an event, it needed to start with her.

That philosophy paid off for this year's Bald Eagle Days. There were more vendors in Cathlamet, a bigger variety of parade entrants, a new energy, and a big crowd.

There were lines for most of the activities in the kid's area, too.

"The parade was so much fun," Lake said. "The staff at the Bank of the Pacific did a great job organizing it, and I think people really got into decorating for the theme 'Rolling on the River.'

"A couple vendors from out of town told me that this event was better organized than any event they had been to this year. It really was a collaboration of everyone's efforts and I think it paid off. This place matters!"

Diana Zimmerman

Baseball great Frank Robinson once said "Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades." Joe Merz adds toilet seats to the list in Redneck Horseshoe, which was one of the many activities in the kid's area at Bald Eagle Day.