NASTY OUT--I believe it goes without saying that we have had a wet and nasty beginning to this week but thankfully, we did have some nice breaks in there on Sunday so we didn't get the nastiness all day, nor the all night downpours that have caused us massive flooding or long outages in the past. Of course I am writing this a bit early while I still have power and internet, so hopefully the prior statement is still true by the time you read this! I do know one thing, the rain and wind combo sure took down the leaves in our area, as well as some branches so be wary of slick roads if you're out driving in this stuff and be sure to clean out those clogged gutters as they can cause some issues at home as well.

Here's hoping this "bomb cyclone" weather that has caused thousands of power outages, flash flooding, slides and misery elsewhere, leaves us alone for a change!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Oct. 28-Nov. 3 are Maury Mooers, Tristan Parke, Michelle McGinness, Nathan Norris, Christie L. Davis, Mike Wright, Miley Montgomery, Chris Spitzer, John Hannah, Pete Cooper, Mary Simpson-Moonen, Aki Yokoyama, Starla Hanson, Mitchel Vik, Carol Blalock, Phil Corbin, Bev England and Jessica Palmer.

Those celebrating anniversaries this coming week are Mr. and Mrs. Jack Gorley, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Dixon and Mr. and Mrs. Aki Yokoyama. May you all have wonderful birthday and anniversary celebrations this coming week.

MULES--Congrats to the Mules football team as they soundly beat Stevenson last week; good job! Now they will play at King's Way this Friday night, Oct. 29, with a starting time of 6 p.m. rather than the usual 7 p.m. Here's hoping our mighty Mules come out victorious once again.

LOOKING FORWARD--We are pleased that the former Methodist Church here in Skamokawa has been purchased by Port District 2 and while we still don't know exactly what will take place there, the good news is that it will be leased to someone that will benefit our community; terrific! One of the big benefits of the building is its flat, walk-in accessibility; very handy indeed for any and all tenants, customers or visitors. We will anxiously wait and see just what will take place there. Any guesses anybody? Many were thinking it was a great place to move the park office to, and it would be easy to put a washer and dryer right in there for their use, but that doesn't seem to be the plan, so I guess we'll have to wait and see!

BROADBAND MEETING--On Nov. 4 at 7 p.m., there will be a meeting with Wahkiakum West representative, Ken Johnson about expanding Broadband services to the Skamokawa area. If you are interested in having a better internet connection, etc., you may want to attend this community meeting that will be held at the Skamokawa Grange Hall, located at 18 Fairgrounds Road.

FERRY SHUTDOWN SOON--In case you hadn't seen the notice, or had forgotten about it, this next Tuesday, Nov. 2, the ferry from Puget Island to Westport, OR will be shut down until Dec. 8 so almost five weeks. This closure is due to the dredging of the channel and ramp area on the Westport side, so please spread the word so that anybody who is counting on using the ferry during that time, can make other arrangements. Also note that this time schedule could change if things got done quicker, or be longer if things don't go as planned. The hotline number for ferry information is 360-795-7867 or if you have any questions that you'd like answered, then contact the Wah. Public Works Dept. at 360-795-3301.

LIONS CLUB FOOD DRIVE--You're being asked to place a bag of food on your porch by 9 a.m. this Saturday morning, Oct. 30, as the Lions Club members and helpers will go around collecting food items that day. If you're out and about near the Puget Island Fire Hall, you can also drop things off there from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you're not going to be home part of the day and don't have a good place to set out your food, (non-perishables) or can't get to Puget Island to drop it off, so you're in need of a special pickup time, please contact Renee Robert at 360-849-4003 and she can probably get that arranged for you.

HAUNTED HOUSES--Here are a couple of events that if you love haunted houses, this is just the kind of news you want to see. This Saturday, Oct. 30, we hope you'll come down to Skamokawa and join in on all the fun at the Halloween Carnival, which goes from 4 to 7 p.m. The kids will have a great time with several activities for them to take part in and yes, there will be a Haunted House.

The second one has been dealing with conflicting info, as last week's ad in The Eagle said that it was on Saturday evening as well, but also listed as the 31st, so it was confusing. But I have been assured that it will be on Sunday Oct. 31, at the Hope Center from 6 to 8:30 p.m. In case you haven't heard of the Hope Center before, it is the former church located on the corner near the grade school in Cathlamet on S. Third Street. This event is being put on by the Wahkiakum High School Key Club, and all proceeds made will go to the Doernbecher Children's Hospital, so you'll be doing a good deed besides having fun! So, be sure to spread the word to all your friends so that they can come and enjoy two Haunted Houses this year; double the fun!

THIS IS IT--Besides the above Halloween doings, I have mentioned the following several times, so, very briefly, I will remind you that the Neewollah Days "Goulish Parade and Trunk or Treat" event will take place on Friday, Oct. 29 from 3:30 to 4:30, so head up that way with the kids for a good time. This is also a canned food drive so your donations would be most welcome. Call the Chamber at 360-795-9996 if you'd like more information.

Oct. 30 at 1 p.m., head to Erickson Park (Cathlamet City Park at 581 Columbia Street) for a "Howloween" event, which is a Doggy Costume Party and also contest and there will be puppy treat goody bags and more. The scheduled pie eating contest should be fun. This is a fundraiser for WAAG, Wahkiakum Animal Advocate Group, and they'd appreciate a donation of pet food or cash, so they can continue to help serve our community. They've been doing a great job so far!

HALLOWEEN--Sunday night is the official Halloween trick or treat night, so please be watchful of our little ghosts and goblins that may be walking around your neighborhood that evening. Parents also need to ensure that their children can be seen, so having kids out and about while it's lighter would be a good idea and if they are out at dark, they need to be wearing some sort of reflective tape or vest, etc., so they are visible.

We put a lot of emphasis on drivers watching out for kids most of the time, but the pedestrians need to do their part too and make themselves not only seen, but to practice the "look both ways and look again" method before crossing a road. This also includes not just darting out between cars, or stepping out on a crosswalk with your head down and thinking you have the right of way, before looking both ways. Personal responsibility is a must to keep oneself as safe as possible and everyone needs to do their part. Here's hoping it winds up dry so everyone can have an extra fun holiday, as a rainy, stormy night is not nearly as enjoyable. Here's to everyone having a happy Halloween!

OUT OF THE PAST--This week back in 1951, the month of October ended with a couple of rainy days and then a couple of nice ones. The first day of November was nice but the following day was really a miserable one with two wonderful days following it. On one of those nice days, Ralph Everest celebrated his birthday with not just one cake but two, as Alva Mast brought a lemon cake she baked, while daughter Marian brought a fancy, decorated one that evening for them to enjoy with the office girls, as well as family.

New to the Ronning family: It's a girl! Ronda K. Ronning showed up on Nov. 1 for Emma Berg Ronning.

On that one really miserable day in November, the Mules beat the Washougal Panthers after pushing the opposing team back from the two yard line and denying them a score. The Cathlamet team came roaring back down the field and with a 26-yard run by Don Vog, was able to set up and get it to Al Gisselberg in the next play, who went over the goal line for a touchdown. In the opening play of the second half, it was time for Hans Fluckiger to shine as he caught the kick-off ball and sprinted 98 yards down the field for a touchdown! In the fourth quarter it was Wayne Holloway who managed to get the ball into the end zone and finished off the game for the home team, much to the delight of the crowd.

Unfortunately, the Ralph Everests were feeling under the weather with colds so they had to stay home and rest up and missed the awesome home game. They heard from family back in Minnesota, who said that back in their neck of the woods, and neighboring states, that they were getting just hammered with snow, which was the worst in history for this time of year, so it was not nice; not even for those who are usually used to the snow!

World news that week was all about the President and Mrs. Harry Truman, and their daughter Margaret, going to the Canadian Embassy where they were dinner guests of Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Phillip. The Princess was dazzling with a tiara of diamonds on her head and a drop diamond necklace encircling her neck which set off her bedazzling smile as well. The Royals and the President's family looked like they were having a wonderful evening together.

All this according to my Grandma Elsie Everest's 1951 diary.