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

NICE ONE--I hope you were able to get out and about this past weekend as it certainly was a nice one, at least here. Some folks said they got rained on, but for a change, we were pretty dry out our way, albeit a little chilly in the early hours. With rain due our way, I hope you got some of those lawn and garden chores done while it was nice, as it's that time of year when things will be growing like mad, and hopefully that means more flowers and garden items and not just weeds!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from April 4-10 are Tim Parker, Kylie Thacker, Marissa Longtain, Janet Bryan, Whitley Wirkkala, Charles Buennagel, Rafael Gilbertsen, Trygve Gilbertsen, Wendy Westover, Patrick Thacker, Pat Dennis, Janna Doumit, Nikki Danker, Judy Wilde, Leanndra Aragon, Michaela Phillips, Sylvia Blix Link, Samantha Ahrndt and 67'er Keith Lawrence.

Those celebrating anniversaries this week are George and Judy Bates, Mr. and Mrs. Don Wages and Mr. and Mrs. Terry Bonny. Enjoy your special days!

GOOD TIMES--Several people I know have been out and about to different areas lately, and Pam Emery was one of those who got to celebrate her birthday by enjoying a "Champagne Cruise" on the Portland Spirit with her family, and that certainly sounded like a lot of fun.

When Truchet Madden Miller celebrated her birthday recently, she was thrilled to have all four of her kids with her, as we all know how tough that can be sometimes, so she was really thrilled to have them all get together at Sam and Addy's for a wonderful gathering.

Dawn Pedersen celebrated her birthday by heading to Las Vegas for several days and enjoying many of the shows and sites, like the Grand Canyon and mulitple fancy dinners out; t'was a great time for sure.

Dawn didn't know it, but cousins, Scott (Jen) Pedersen and his family were down there and they were near by at the Venetian seeing "Earth, Wind and Fire" perform and their musical son, Kristian, got to see first hand what a stellar guitar performance is truly all about. Their son Nathan celebrated his birthday just this past Tuesday. Unfortunately the cousins didn't find out about being in the same town early enough to meet up; maybe next time!

FREE MOVIE--This Friday night's free movie at the Community Center in Cathlamet is an adult drama. The movie begins at 7 p.m. As always, the movie and popcorn are free, and you're able to bring in your own snacks as well. In case you didn't know, you can also call the Pizza Mill (360-795-3311) and they will deliver a pizza to the center about 6:45, so that you can enjoy it while you watch the movie.

GREAT DINNER--The folks at the Skamokawa United Methodist Church put on a great ham dinner this past Saturday, and if you missed it, that was your loss, as it certainly was tasty! Some of the proceeds from this fund raiser went towards the GAP meal program so we helped two causes and my own too, as I neither had to cook or do dishes; win, win!

FOS--Until the next exhibit begins on April 20, I just want to remind you that there is still a wonderful exhibit and collection of artwork at Redmen Hall/Central School and it will be there until April 14. This "Water Journey" exhibit sounds like it is doing quite well, with several of the paintings done by Stan Reidesel having been sold already. The hall is open Thursday through Sunday, noon to four. Call 360-795-3007 for further information or with any questions you may have.

BUSY MONTH AHEAD--As always, our community is going to be a busy one this month. Let's begin with this weekend, as there's one big change, The "Hook the Hawg" Spring Salmon Derby has been cancelled, due to the fact that the fisheries has shut down fishing. There's an outside chance that some fishing might be allowed later on, so, it could possibly take place at the end of August, but no one will know for sure until much later, so we'll keep our fingers crossed.

What is taking place down at the Elochoman Slough Marina this weekend however, is a "Trunk Sale," with many folks selling their wares while they enjoy food and music and hopefully your presence. The sale will take place April 6 from 2 to 6 p.m., and April 7 from Noon to 4 p.m. Spots are $10 each and you can contact the marina at 360-795-3501 to reserve a spot for either one day or both days. There will be games for the kids as well, so now let's just hope for some sunshine!

FLEA MARKET--The Youth Building at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds will be the site of the monthly Flea Market in Skamokawa on April 13, and the hours for that are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All vendors are welcome, so whether you are selling new or used items, just contact the fairgrounds, rent a table and have a good time visiting with your fellow vendors and your neighbors while you thin out your closets or stock and make a few bucks to boot!

BINGO TIME--Also on the second Saturday of each month is the monthly Sons of Norway's Bingo games at the Norse Hall on Puget Island. They take place at 6 p.m., with the doors opening a half hour prior to that.

Speaking of the Sons of Norway, I am happy to report that our Helgeland Lodge 30 president, Jan Silvestri, is doing great after a fall some time ago, and it was great to see her out and about this past weekend and being as feisty as ever! It just goes to show, you can't keep a good Norwegian down for long!

Also, a big shout out to SON Lodge member, Marilyn Torget, as she recently celebrated her 90th birthday at the Norse Hall; belated birthday Marilyn!

MISS WASHINGTON--On April 14, from noon to three, you can head to the River Mile 38 Brewery and meet our very own local gal, Evelyn Clark, who is the current reigning Miss Washington. This hard working, yet gorgeous young lady will compete for the title of Miss USA in May, so before she heads out to perform some beauty pageant obligations, head to the brewery that Sunday to meet with her and wish her the very best of luck. We wish we could all be in Reno on May 2 to cheer her on, but beings we can't, we'll all certainly be cheering loud and proud from here. Go get 'em, Evelyn!

EASTER--We all know that it won't be long until Easter and our local churches will hold special services and our local restaurants will have special meals on April 21. I hope you'll enjoy attending the worship service of your choice as well as supporting our local businesses. In case I forget later, "Have a Happy Easter!"

WCHS/SAVE THE DATE--The Wahkiakum County Historical Society will open our museum soon but before that happens, they will hold a "host training" session on Monday, April 22 at 1 p.m. It is hoped that you will consider becoming a host to our wonderful museum and even if you have hosted before, you are asked to attend, as they have made a few changes and need all hosts/hostesses on the same page, so to speak. With some folks working during the week, Curator Kari Kandoll says she'll also be doing one on a Saturday in hopes of accommodating your work schedule, so I'll let you know when that occurs. The museum typically opens every year on the first weekend in May, so I hope you can contact Kari and let her know you're interested in helping out. It's not too tough so I'm sure you'd be fine. They have a booklet with all the instructions, so don't worry about having to remember too many new things all at once. If you would like to volunteer but can't make the above date, it might be a good idea to contact her, so she can possibly meet with you at a later date. Call 360-849-4353.

TIDY UP--If you'd like to help spruce things up a bit, why not head to the Cathlamet Community Center on April 27, at 9 a.m., with your tools and gloves in hand, and join the group that's going to be working on the area around the Wah. Co. Museum and Strong Park that day until about noon. Be sure to wear your grubby clothes and get ready to dig into those flower beds and dig out the weeds, etc. Your help would certainly be appreciated during this annual Spring clean up event!

HORRIBLE MESS--While some folks are great about cleaning up our area, for some reason or another, the "slobs" have taken over in other parts, and besides the "just toss it out the window" kind, there seems to be the "dump by the truck load kind." Please help put a stop to this sort of thing. If you see a truck full of "stuff" going out your valley, and then coming back with an empty truck bed, please try to get a picture or a license plate number and let's see if we can't put an end to this sort of thing.

B.E.D./GRAND MARSHAL--Congratulations to Lee and Diane Tischer, who will be your Grand Marshals for this year's Bald Eagle Day parade on July 20. These two have been very involved with our community so it's only right that they be rewarded for all the time and effort that they've put in over the years. Be sure to invite all your friends and family for this unique, community event, as we are the only ones who hold an event like this to celebrate our nation's national symbol.

DAHLIA HOUSE--I understand that "Best NW Escapes" has listed the Dahlia House, owned by Brian and Linda Elliott, as one of the top five B & B's in the area. However, if you'd like to give them an extra thumbs up and get them to Number One on the list, head to the magazine's website and submit your vote and make the Elliotts' dream of being first on the list a reality. Their place is gorgeous and the view of the river is simply breath-taking. Good luck, and good job, guys!

FEELING BUM--There's a lot of folks who are having medical issues lately and we wish them all the very best as they deal with their various illnesses. One of those feeling a bit down right now is Steven Rabelos, so if you'd like to help cheer him up, you can send a card to him at 1955 33rd Ave. Apt. # 7, Longview, WA 98632. The couple has experienced a lot of costs since his surgery, chemo treatments, etc., so if you'd like to add a few bucks to that card, I'm sure it would be appreciated. If you're one who is on Facebook and does the Go Fund Me thing, there's also a site set up in Steve's name.

Also, we want to give a shout out to Dave and Rhonda Heiner who got some news that they hadn't expected, when a new cancer was found in Dave's lung which means treatment may be extremely limited or not even possible, so our hearts really go out to them during this time. People say miracles happen every day so if you're a believer, then I'd ask you to please say a prayer on their behalf. While you're at it, please include all the other folks in our area that we know are going through similar situations; our thoughts are with you.