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

WEATHER--It was quite a weekend as it was wet and pretty doggone windy too. Thankfully the last half of Sunday wasn't too bad and we got to dry out a little and see calmer weather just prior to the big football games!

But the end of last week, it was really wild, as the coastal areas just got hammered with massive waves, which came crashing through bottom floors of several Lincoln City hotels and did a considerable amount of damage. This was no time to have a bottom floor condo, that's for sure! Sadly, there was also a person swept to sea after he crossed a barrier and went out onto the rocks, and a couple of women were injured on the beach from rolling logs.

It never ceases to amaze me that otherwise smart people will take their lives in their hands to get "up close," and by doing so, they not only put themselves in grave danger, but also put rescuers at risk too, so here's to everyone playing it a little safer next time we get a big surf event. Remember, Mother Nature shows no mercy for those who do not heed the warnings of her strength and might, so if officials say, "Stay away from the beach areas," please heed their warnings!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from January 25-31 are Sharon Schmitz, Laura Bennett, Kaylyn Kaattari, Sherry Ostling, Francis Boldt, Gary York, Brandon McClain, Troy Gorley, Becky Thacker, Sam Tarabochia, Emma R. Lindsey, Mike Nollan, Pamela Everest Priestly, Cindi Pedersen and my youngest grandson, Luke Sechler. Here's hoping all of you have spectacular birthday celebrations!

Also, a big shout out to Verena "Fran" Nepsund, as she celebrated her 94th birthday this past Tuesday, so Happy Belated Birthday to her. She had been inadvertently dropped from the Lions Club calendar, so that's why I missed her special day. Sorry about that!

Belated anniversary wishes go out to Kelly (Nettles) and Louis Recupero, who celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary this past Monday.

CONGRATS--I just want to give a shout out to former Wahkiakum county resident, Brittney (Robbins) Haddix, as she and hubby, Jesse, are expecting a baby later this year, so congratulations to them on their great news! Plus, Brittney's Mom, Gina, will be a grandma, so congrats to her as well, as being a grandma is soooo much fun! Looks like I'll have one more little one to add to our birthday list, so I can hardly wait to see if Grandma Gina is buying pink or blue things!

On a side note, Brittney's husband is in the military and with the government shutdown, their military commissary was going to close, which she certainly did not want to happen. So while some folks were talking about not needing non-essential people on the payroll, they need to realize that this is not to say that these people are not important; especially in the lives of our military families. Thankfully, as of Monday morning, the government is back up and running until Feb. 8, which we hope will see them finding a permanent solution or compromise to this ongoing problem.

FRIDAY MOVIE--Once again there will be a free movie at the Community Center in Cathlamet and this time it is a PG-13 comedy, so it's set for older youth and adults. Stop by or contact the center for further information and as always, the movies start at 7 p.m., and free popcorn is always available.

GREAT JOB--The Women's Activities group from the Skamokawa Grange #425 have made several dozen Valentines and are sending them to the Portland VA Hospital, so a big kudos to them for doing that. I hope that other groups, organizations or schools will also take the time to make some cards and send them to those who would really appreciate a loving and thoughtful gesture like that!

HEADS UP--This is the big weekend, as the annual Crab & Oyster Feed is this Saturday, January 27 at the Rosburg Hall. Remember, the doors open at 6 p.m., so here's hoping they have a good crowd and all you big band sound folks will be enjoying the music of the King Brothers that evening. Good luck winning one of those prizes! Proceeds from the sale of the tickets go towards helping our vets and other local charities, so the money is well spent. I also hope that the rains let up and tides are low!

SPECIAL EVENT COMING--I hope we have some decent weather next week when January comes to an end, as there is going to be a once in a lifetime type event that night. It seems there will be a "super, blue, blood moon" on January 31, which has not occurred for over a 150 years, so let's hope we get to see it.

FOLLOWING SATURDAY--I know it seems impossible, but with the time flying by, the big Valentine Diamond Dinner is almost here, as it takes place in the Youth Building at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds, next Saturday, Feb. 3. It's a little early so that everyone can also enjoy the actual evening of Feb. 14, which lands on a Wednesday this year. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased around the area in several locations.

STILL TIME--You more than likely have all your Christmas decorations down and put away, but maybe you've got a pile of perfectly "like new" or even new things that you've set aside and you'd be willing to part with. If so, why not donate them to the Kiwanis Club and they will resell them at their next holiday bazaar, and help make money to further their good works? You can always drop them off with Linda Barth in Cathlamet at 325 E SR 4 during the day until 4 p.m. Your help is truly appreciated.

STILL RECUPERATING--Kathy Perkins is doing just fine after her recent surgery so that's good to hear. We hope she'll be able to get out and about before long and will be back to her usual routine, which beats having to stay home for long lengths of time!

Also recuperating is my great nephew, Nathan Pedersen, after a freak accident to his hand, resulted in getting, what the doctor called, " a jersey finger injury." I'd never heard of that, but I guess that in football, when a player's fingers get entangled in a jersey, the ligaments and such can get torn, etc., so the poor kid has had to have one surgery already and will have another one in awhile to graft a new ligament in there. Needless to say, his artistry days have come to a halt right now, but we hope he's as good as new before long and he's back to making his fantastic drawings in no time. Here's to speedy and complete healing Nate!

Classmate, Keith Lawrence and his wife, Karen, have been very sick with "the crud" lately, and we truly hope they are feeling better by now! I have to admit though, that Karen's hilarious Facebook posts about their dual sickly conversations and actions have had me cracking up! I'm glad she still has a sense of humor given how rotten they have both felt while still having to work from home. Get well soon!

BE AWARE--It will soon be time to buy flowers and balloons and all that other fun stuff for birthdays or special occasions, but there's one thing that we need to keep in mind. Please do not set your balloons free! Once you're done with them, pop the balloons and dispose of them properly. They are becoming a huge danger to wildlife and are making a mess of the waterways and beaches, as they do land someplace and birds get entangled in them or animals partially ingest some of them and well, that just means a slow miserable death for some poor creature that didn't have to die, except for our negligence. So, enjoy your special occasion balloons but be responsible and don't let them loose.

LAST SHOW--It's never too early to mention the very last, Rods and Reels Rod Run, which will be held June 2 at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds. Folks gathering prizes and raffle items are already hard at work and Lee Tischer and his family and all the other helpers, are thinking of all the things that need to be done for this event. Beings it's going to be the last one, Lee says that they will be pulling out all the stops for this car show and they will give out over 100 trophies. That's awesome! So, all of you car owners, and all of you car lovers, please mark June 2 down on your calendar and tell all your family and friends about it and let's make this final show a true grand finale for one and all! For all of you that are so wonderful to donate to this each year, please know that if you haven't heard from us already, you'll be hearing from us real soon. If you've never donated before but would like to get on this very last Rods and Reels tee-shirt as a $200 sponsor or more, please contact Lee at 360-430-4377 (or even me!)

LOOKING AHEAD--The Class of 1967 will meet at Dale Jacobson's once again after the Bald Eagle Day parade, July 21, 1:30 p.m., so we hope all you 67'ers will put that down on your calendars. It's a potluck gathering, so bring what you like, as all leftovers go home with you Dale says!

The Bald Eagle Day festivities are always fun to enjoy and lots of folks come from near and far to join in, so it's a good time to come and enjoy this small town parade, the various artisan vendors, the food vendors and then the fantstic fireworks and party at the Marina in the evening. Only in Wahkiakum County are there Bald Eagle Day festivities. Please take part and be proud to be a part of something so unique!

ON YOUR CALENDAR--I got a call from Gary Emery and he wanted me to give a very early shout out to all the "Skamokawa School kids," so they can mark Friday, August 17 on their calendars now, in hopes they will make plans to come to their "all school reunion" that day. It will be held in its usual place: the upper covered area at Skamokawa Vista Park, as it has tables, places for cooking and restrooms. This reunion is during the three day run of the Wahkiakum County Fair, so if you live far away, you may want to book a room nearby or a stay at the park now, as it fills up fast during that time. It will also give you a chance to check out the fair and visit with all those who come to that every year from near and far, as lots of classes plan their reunions about then, or families have reunions too, so it's a good time to show up in town and do some catching up with folks you know! Gary asks that you bring an appetizer with you and join the gang, as I'm sure it will be great fun! If you want to contact him for more details, call him at 360-200-2931. Remember: Skamokawa School Reunion, Aug. 17, Vista Park at 2 p.m.