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

COOL BUT DRY--We started out the first of this week with a nippy 32 degrees but at least it was dry. That's not the case with how the work week is starting however, as it's a bit soggy. We are supposed to have a fairly dry week though, so that will be nice, but remember, when it's dry around here this time of year, it's usually pretty chilly during our night time hours, so your critters might need some cozy, warm place to sleep and outside animals usually need a bit more feed to fend of the chill. Here's hoping our start to December is a dry one!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Dec. 3-9 are Tom Webb, Hank Bassi, Dennis Reid, Julia Iverson, Maria Snow, Mackenzie Allen, Kitty Speranza, Jamie T. Jacobson, Johnny Burdick, Hollie Olsen, Justin Watkins, Chris Barnes, Gary Bergseng, Collin Parker, Meg Wright, Ron Hendrickson, Julie Doumit, Todd Souvenir, Derek West, James Robinson, Alexandra Wright, Tina Stout, Kendra Finkas, Steve Finkas, Mark Pedersen, Gabriel Pedersen and Patrice Everest Holtz.

Those celebrating anniversaries this week are Bryan and Jennifer Burr, Ryan and Mandee Buckholter, Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Dault and Mr and Mrs. Marvin Vik. May all of your birthday and anniversary celebrations be made special for you this year in a safe, yet special way!

COLLUPY GLASS SHOW--If you're looking for a unique gift to give to a friend or loved one, and want to help support local, then look no further than buying handblown glass items from artist Treasure Collupy this Friday and Saturday. He will have a two day showing in the Hotel Cathlamet Lobby from 10 to 5 on Dec. 4 and 5, so don't miss out on this opportunity to purchase a gorgeous piece of art from this talented artisan. I love all my pieces of glass and really enjoy displaying them. I hope you find your perfect piece in your favorite color. From vases to ornaments and candle holders and pumpkins, you're bound to find something you like, or for someone else to like. Happy shopping!

SKAMOKAWA STORE--Another gift item that you may not have thought of buying, would be one of the new styled clothing items at our local Skamokawa General Store. There are several colors to choose from and a wide array of great novelty socks as well. If you need a bottle of wine to tuck in with your gift bag this year, which many would surely appreciate, the store has that too! Don't forget, there are always those who love to take chances, so why not pick up a few scratch off tickets for them to add to their stockings? If you've got a few extra coins in your pocket, don't forget, the Skamokawa Hotel and Resort is a good place to stay, so you might even think about a gift certificate for a stay in one of their rooms or condos. Remember, it's a great time to shop local!

VISTA PARK--Our gem of a park is still one of the best places to spend a day, as you walk along the river's edge and gaze at the mighty Columbia River, while watching ships go by, that quite literally look like they're coming on shore with you sometimes! This is one place you might not think about when shopping for gifts, but they carry a clothing line at the park. Or possibly the camping people in your family might like a paid stay there as well. While the office is manned from 10 to 3, they are often out and about and in order for them to arrange a time for you to view their clothing items, it would really be better if you call them ahead of time to arrange to view their wares, so just call 360-795-8605. In compliance with current restrictions, a mask must be worn to come into the office.

So here's hoping you can find a Skamokawa treat to pass along to one of your family members this holiday season!

MANY INNS AND B&B'S--Don't forget, Skamokawa is home to some fabulous places to stay, and maybe somebody on your Christmas list would like to check out Twin Gables B & B with it's close "in town" and water accessibility; or Inn at Crippen Creek Farm where you can stay in your own place and learn how to cook to boot, or go out to the Inn at Lucky Mud which comes complete with a disc golf course. Check out these places and more for a wonderful stay in beautiful Skamokawa!

ORDER GOODIES NOW--If you like lefse or other Scandinavian treats/pastries, then it's time to get your order in to the Sons of Norway, so you can have it by Christmas. You have until Dec. 17, but the sooner they know how much they need to make, the better it will be for them, and for you, so don't delay. Call Susan at 360-849-4476 or Jan at 360-431-1705 and they'll get you all set up so you can enjoy some Scandinavian holiday treats this year!

SANTA IS COMING BY--Mark your calendars and be ready to welcome Santa's Sleigh to the area, as thanks to our various Fire Departments, he will cruise around next Saturday, Dec. 12. He may not get to every neighborhood, but here's a way to make sure you spot him: He is starting out from Skamokawa Vista Park at 4:15 and will be there until 4:30; then the "sleigh" will head out to Monroe Acres and be in that area from 4:45 to 5; next, they'll go to Cathlamet where they'll cruise up Butler Street and around various places, like going on Columbia street before heading to the High School, where they will be from 5:30 to 5:45. They will collect food or toy donations while they are there, which they will give to the Food Banks and the Star Program, so that would be a great place to give them your gift to the community. Then they will head over to Puget Island, where I understand they will do the perimeter of the big Island, with a stop at the Norse Hall around 6:35 to 7 p.m., where they hope to pick up some more donations, so you Island folks don't need to come all the way to town to drop your items off. Then they will head back to Cathlamet where they will cruise down Main Street and to their Cathlamet Fire Station for the final stop about 7 p.m., where they can also accept donations. This is a great idea with all of our different fire stations taking part, so kudos to them for doing this and here's to a successful food, toy and cash drive for those in need this holiday season!

MUSEUM NEEDS HELP--While the timing is not so great, a wonderful opportunity has presented itself to our local museum but it definitely will take some money and some bodies to pull it off. Here's the deal: The museum has been offered 15 identical glass display cases, which would certainly be an asset to the museum, which has only waist high, mismatched ones in their main building. Now here comes the challenging part: They are located at the Fort Lewis Military Museum. It would take several trips with just a regular enclosed car hauler or other type of truck to move them, or if you got a bigger truck, it would require a person to have all the padding and strapping to make sure they don't break, as well as bodies to lift them in a truck that size, so, those are some major obstacles for the DIY plan. If one were to hire a moving company, it would be ideal, as they have the correct vehicle, the padding, the strapping and the manpower to do such a job. The problem with that is the cost. If you could possibly find it in your heart to make a donation to the museum to help them make this project a reality, it would truly be appreciated. Even if this didn't happen, the museum could always use the funds for continuing upkeep and power bills, etc., so, if you'd like to donate, either in your name or maybe in a loved one's name, please send a check to WCHS (Wahkiakum County Historical Society) at 65 River Street, Cathlamet, WA 98612. Any and all help would really be appreciated! For more information on this project, you can call the museum's curator, Kari Kandoll at 360-849-4353.

GOOD TO GO--We were all happy to hear the good news about KM being "stop light free" now and we'll just keep our fingers crossed that everything stays where it belongs and we don't have any more big slides in that area. In case you didn't know, there have been several boulders that have come down around the Stella area, just east of the waterfall there, which is Milepost 51, so if you're new to the area, you might want to make sure you've got your eyes on the road, as rainy days and then freezing nights can really bring about a flurry of rock activity, so here's to having a safe trip along SR 4 as between the critters and the trees and the rocks, it can be a real challenge at times.

OTHER LOSSES--I was sorry to hear of the passing of long time Island resident, Philip Vik last week. Our deepest sympathies go out to the entire Vik family. I was also told by the Backman family, that Gene McNally had passed away this last weekend, so we've lost some folks who we've known for a very long time. Our sympathies to all.

PRAYERS REQUESTED--There have been many prayer requests recently for Priscilla Gray and Rodney and Patricia Ingersoll. While it seems Priscilla and Rodney are doing better, Patricia (Patty) is now in ICU on a ventilator and is in serious condition due to Covid-19. We hope they all recuperate fully and the families of these folks would truly appreciate all the prayers you can muster.

COUNTING DOWN--Once Thanksgiving is over, it seems like Christmas is here in a flash, and considering there are just 22 days until Christmas, it's definitely going to be here before you know it. If you're planning on mailing packages to your loved ones, it's really best if you do that ASAP or else you'll be having to resort to a more costly option to get them to their destination on time. With a little luck, all your Christmas cards are ready to go as well. Here's to smooth sailing as we start this holiday countdown and I'm really hoping for some good news, like no more cases of Covid in our area, as they've already taken quite a leap lately and I'd hate to see that trend continue. Take care and stay safe!