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

NICE ONE--I don't know where you were this past weekend, but around here, we had a pretty nice one. We had morning clouds but by noon, it was back to sunshine, along with a bit of a breeze; it was really quite nice. Personally, I could do without the wind but for the sail-boarders, it was just perfect! I hope you were able to get out and about on the sunny days we've been having, and if all goes according to the latest report, we will continue to have pretty decent days with just a chance of showers on maybe one or two days, so hopefully you were able to get all those roofing projects and yard chores done during those dry days.

VERY DRY--Beings we are so far behind our usual amount of rainfall and things are bone dry, please be extra careful with any fires you opt to start right now. Most mornings the grass has some dew on it and the wind is calm, so we hope that if you do burn, that's when you do it. If you wait until the afternoon when things have dried out and the winds have picked up, you're just flirting with a disaster in the making. So, whether it's permitted or not, if you burn, please use extreme care and caution at this time, and don't forget, you do need a permit and you do need to call the Sheriff's office prior to burning: 360-795-3242.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from May 20-26 are Elle Britt, Kris Parke, Mitch Moonen, Bryson Havens, Scarlett Engle, Mary Jodi McClain, Vance Miller, Lois Nelson, Devin Helms, Kevin Wirkkala, Tina Vincent, Nathaniel Danker, Travis Heagy, John Adams, Emberlynn Lorenzo, Jon Peterson, Kelly Hammond, Keil C. Parker, Kolbi Robinson, Bonnie Bigler, Bill Faubion, Jeff Vik, Natalie Wise, Paul Spears, Tiernan Cochran, Mary Jo Brown, Julie Black, Lainie Ferguson, Brenda Nielson, Deanna Healy Ahrndt, Donna Healy Palmer and Katrina Pedersen Freeman. Happy Birthday to one and all this coming week!

Those celebrating anniversaries this week are Mr. and Mrs. Tony Danker, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Faubion, Mr. and Mrs. George Silva, Mr. and Mrs. John Fitzpatrick and Tylor and Chandler Nortrup. May you all have wonderful anniversary celebrations.

NO BERRIES--We heard from Carol McClain this week and we were sorry to learn that the Wahkiakum Lions Club will not be able to sell their fresh berries this year. Not only was this a good fundraiser for the group, but all those lucky buyers had some wonderful berries for all those fresh pies and jams and jellies they made from them; boo-hoo! The group is keeping their fingers crossed that they might be able to sell frozen berries in August, so we'll hope for better news in the coming months. The Lions Club does great work for our community and are terrific when it comes to getting someone eye exams or glasses, delivering groceries to you and school scholarships and more, so we applaud them for their help and positivity in our community.

NEED TO SHRED?--In case you missed seeing the notice last week, there will be a chance for you to shred two large grocery bags full of personal/confidential documents only (30 pounds) and all it will cost you is a donation of a non-perishable food item; great deal! Make sure you mark down the date, as it will happen Wednesday, May 26 from 9 to 5 at the Bank of the Pacific in Cathlamet. Your food items will be donated to the local food banks here, so this is truly a win, win for everybody!

DEADLINES SOON--If you'd like to make a donation to the Wahkiakum Dollars for Scholars Online Auction, the deadline is coming up soon! May 24 is right around the corner, and according to Diane Tischer, that is when your sponsorship/donation needs to be confirmed, so please contact her right away. 360-562-6467.

The online auction takes place May 27 at noon until June 13 at 8 p.m. Check out: https://www.32auctions.com/MulePowerOnlineAuction.

TWO WEEKS--The first Saturday in June is the car show! "Cruizin to the Fair" will be held at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds on June 5, so spread the word and come on down and see the show!

FOS--We hope you'll check out the Redmen Hall/River Life Interpretive Center located in Skamokawa some weekend, (12 to 4) as with all this wonderful weather, there have been some fantastic views from the floors of this historic building. If you'd like to become a member of the Friends of Skamokawa, someone there will provide you with the appropriate paperwork, and by doing so, you also get a discount in the gift shop. From great books, some by local authors, to handmade soaps and many things in-between, it's a good place to shop for something different and totally unique.

GREAT JOB--As usual, the folks in the Rosburg Community Club put on a wonderful chicken dinner this past Sunday at the Rosburg Hall, and I sure hope you made it down there, as with the salads and the chicken dinner and the dessert, it was delicious! Thank you, everyone for all your hard work and the great dinner!

SYMPATHIES--We want to send our condolences to Neil Beerbower as he lost his wife, Jean, recently and graveside services will be held for her on May 28, 1 p.m., at Greenwood Cemetery in Cathlamet. A reception will be held afterwards, but I'm told the location has yet to be decided. Jean had worked for many years at our Wahkiakum County Fair and was instrumental in getting a special building to house birds. Lore Twiet says a special plaque will be made to honor Jean which will be placed on that building in her memory. Again, our sympathies to all Jean's friends and family members.

OUT OF THE PAST--This week back in 1946, the week began cloudy and misty and it ended cool and rainy, but thankfully it was quite nice in between. Elsie Everest opted to warm up the house on one of those cooler days by baking some bread and she could make out some bills in the warmth of the kitchen while she was waiting for it to get done. Harold Anderson gave "Ralphie" Pedersen a dog; the parents of said child were in for a surprise it seems! Jonas Pedersen and grandson, David, came over to town in the old work truck and paid the Everests a visit. It was a busy day, as the McCarleys and Mrs. Orpha and Mrs. Foster came by as well. A railroad strike took place on one day that week but it was over by the next afternoon, after the President of the US blasted the union leaders. Not everyone was happy with the settlement and hard feelings abounded throughout the labor industry. The Ralph Everests' grand-daughter, Donna Healy turned six years old that week, while their daughter, Carol, turned 30. At Donna's birthday party, which was celebrated a couple of days after her birthday, there were 17 children there and they all had a grand time! Carol celebrated her day by going to the show with Grace Pedersen Moore and her Mother, and they went to see, "Our Vines have Tender Grapes" which got a "very good" rating from the ladies. All this according to my Grandma Elsie Everest's diary.