WET/CHANGES COMING--We have certainly had some wet and breezy days lately, which also came with some heavy squalls of hail, but thankfully, our forecasters are telling us that we're supposed to be getting some sunshine for several days. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I truly hope that's one forecast that's spot on, as these April showers are getting a bit depressing!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from April 18-24 are Linda Mahitka, Max Schmitz, Marie Allen, Alyssa Braman, Susan McClain Kuhn, Jeri (Terpsma) Pierce, Nancy Granger, Mike Lawrence, Tawnya Paine, Esther Cothren, Peter Vik, Jared Vik, Fern Holmes, Lisa Cothren, Eric Bergseng, Rochelle Wallin, Steven M. Doumit, Seth Doumit, Sarah Doumit Agidins, Delaney Doumit, Emma Helms, Macie Helms- Masterson, Rachael LaBerge, Nathan Frink, Gwen Good Ronninghaug, Glenn Palmer, Sue Shane Edminster, Joel Peterson and 67'ers Greg Lloyd and Sandra Davis.

Those celebrating anniversaries this week are Ed and Nancy Granger and Mr. and Mrs. Mike Walker. May all your special days be memorable.

ADDITIONS--It won't be long and our family will add another anniversary to the list, as Dawn Pedersen Macchione and Obed Rodriguez became engaged recently while on the west side of the Mississippi. No wedding date has been announced yet, but we want to send them our hearty congratulations on their engagement. I have to tell you that the "sparkly" on her finger was just about as impressive as the Grand Canyon in the background of her engagement photo!

Also, we've got a couple new babies on the way, as Gabriel and Annie Pedersen will welcome another little boy to their family the third week in May. Their new son will be joined by their son, Luke, so I hope he enjoys his new role in the family as the big brother. Krystal Ellison Zickefoose and her husband, Jonathan, are expecting a new baby soon as well, so, we're happy to see that the Jonas Pedersen clan is still continuing to grow.

BINGO THIS FRIDAY--It's time to win your ham dinner or maybe some other prizes, as Easter Bingo will take place at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds this Friday evening beginning at 6 p.m. You'll be playing bingo in the nicely heated Youth Building and you could possibly be the winner of the grand prize, which is a 42-inch flat screen TV and tickets are a dollar apiece for that; cool! Cards are three for $10. Come down and have some fun and support your local fair at the same time.

MOVIE NIGHT--The free movie night at the Community Center in Cathlamet will be a comedy suited for everyone, and it will begin at 7 p.m. Besides the movie being free, there is free popcorn and you're allowed to bring your own snacks. The center is located to the right of the Cathlamet Market on Main Street and everyone is welcome to attend these movies, but children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Please be sure to check inside to find out if the movie being shown that week is appropriate for the youngsters.

There appears to be a whole host of new folks in our area, so if I sound like I'm repeating myself, it's not because I don't think you regulars don't know about these things, but it's for the newer folks to our area who are just trying to figure out where they can go and what they can do and where various things are located.

EASTER HUNT AND MORE--This Saturday is a big day for all you kids, as the Wahkiakum Lions Club's annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place at Skamokawa Vista Park at 11 a.m., and you don't want to be a minute late, as once that whistle blows, those kids scour the fields for those eggs and pick them clean in no time! As always, there will be prize eggs in the different sections as well, so rain or shine, be here and enjoy a bit of fun. There are three different age categories and sections for this Easter Egg Hunt and they are: starting with the tiniest kids up to age 3; then 4 to 7 year olds and lastly 8 to 11 years olds. Have fun rain or shine!

FAIRGROUNDS--So after the WLC hunt at Vista Park, be sure to head over to the county fairgrounds and enjoy a lunch there, as well as a carnival that's sure to be enjoyed by the kids. Then, according to Lore Twiet, there will be another Easter Egg Hunt, and this one even includes one for the adults, and that starts at 3 p.m., so that should be fun! It's going to be a hoppin' good time to be in Skamokawa over the next Friday and Saturday!

FOS--Don't forget, a new art exhibit is being shown in the River Life Interpretive Center at the historic Redmen Hall/Central School building in Skamokawa, milepost 29. Also, that evening, the "Skamokawa Swamp Opera" will hold a fund raiser there at 7 p.m., so it will be a fun evening at the hall!

WCHS NEXT MONDAY--If you'd like to volunteer as a docent at our local museum, the Wahkiakum County Historical Society would love to have you show up at the museum at 65 River Street in Cathlamet on Monday, April 22 at 1 p.m. Curator, Kari Kandoll, will be there to train you on the various duties that you have and how things are done and where things are. This training is for those who have been docents before, as well as newcomers. There have been a few changes, so it's nice to get everybody on the same page as the museum opening is coming soon. Please don't be intimidated by the things to do because most of it is pretty doggone easy, and there's a very nice booklet there to help remind you in case you were to forget something. Being friendly is a big plus, as we certainly want to welcome others into our gem of a museum, and with a little luck, they'll not only love it, but help support it by making a donation to it! While the name would suggest it is a county entity with county money for support, it is not, so the financial burden is all on WCHS. If you'd ever like to help out, please send your donation to the above address.

SK. WATER MTG--For all of you concerned about the proposed water line extension plan by the PUD, don't forget that next Thursday, April 25, there will be a public meeting held at the Skamokawa Grange Hall at 6 p.m. If you have any questions or concerns, now is the time for anyone who is currently on that system or might be impacted by the expansion of it, to show up. Be sure to spread the word to your friends and neighbors, just in case they haven't heard about it.

GREAT SEND OFF--This past Sunday, April 14, friends, family and community members came together at the River Mile 38 Brewery for a wonderful send-off party for our local gal, Miss Evelyn Clark, the current reigning Miss Washington, as she heads to Reno for the Miss USA competition. It was elbow to elbow in the brewery as well wishers signed in, had a bite to eat, had a tasty piece of cake and got to pose with pictures with Evelyn. What a great party and I know she really appreciated the showing of support from everyone. We wish this hard working, gorgeous (inside and out) young woman only the best in her quest on becoming the next Miss USA. You can bet that if it were up to us, she'd be the winner. Go Evelyn!

NICE PARTY--Stephanie Olsen was the guest of honor at a terrific birthday party this past weekend at the Duck Inn lounge, complete with live music. With lots of friends and family around, the super spunky, on the go, fun loving Stephanie was able to celebrate seven decades like a 21 year old, so kudos to her!

Sherrolin Powell celebrated her big 7-0 birthday with a trip to Bandon, OR, so it's looking like the ladies know how to enjoy these milestone birthdays.

SO TRAGIC--As this week began, we saw the horrendous pictures of the distruction caused to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris due to a massive fire. It was truly heart breaking to see parts of that historic structure going up in flames. As of this writing they had saved the towers and main part, so I hope that stays true as the day comes to an end. It was sad that there appeared to be so few fire hoses pouring water on this massive structure, as even here in our neck of the woods, we have multiple tankers and trucks show up for a small house fire. I'm sure there were more that we couldn't see, but still, it makes one think about where one builds a home, or where one currently lives and how ready and prepared we truly are in case something like that happened here.

Ask yourself a couple of questions: Have I done all I can to remove the excess fuel from around my home, like having wood piles off your porches or away from an entryway? Are there hydrants nearby? If no hydrants, are there alternative water sources close by, such as a creek, stream or river that could be used? Do you have enough room for access to your home for a fire truck or other fire fighting equipment? Do you have fire alarms in your home and fire extinguishers too? With summer coming on, this might be a good time for all of us to think about protecting our own homes and surroundings, as none of us are immune to these kinds of disasters.

HEAVY HEARTS--This week began with very sad news, as a Cowlitz County police officer, Justin DeRosier, lost his life in the line of duty. Our hearts go out to the family members, two of which were his wife and five month old daughter. We also feel for his fellow officers, who are also his family and with a force that's not had an officer involved death in 165 years, it's bound to be even more impactful. Words cannot fully express how badly we feel for this fallen officer's immediate family, but they certainly have my sincerest sympathies. I believe we are all relieved that the suspects in this case have been captured and dealt with in such a timely manner.