Skamokawa News

JUST RIGHT. I have to say, concerning the recent weather, the last few days have been just perfect for me: cloudy in the morning hours, then sunshine later on. No crazy hot temps, and cooler temps in the evening, so my house doesn't heat up too much either; I have really enjoyed it. Now, I did hear that there were some showers in Cathlamet, but surprisingly, we didn't get them, which was amazing as we folks in Skamokawa are usually the ones who get the most rain! Actually, we could use some rain, so if it shows up, I will be quite happy. By the time you read this, who knows what's happened between my "turn in" time and "out in print" time, but I hope that if you had an event planned, it all turned out just right for you. If the weather is going to turn wet, let's hope it does it and gets it over with before fair time; fingers crossed.

SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays this coming week from July 31 through August 7 are Austin Smith, Nichole Most, Emily Little, Landon Gorley, David Black, Calista Johnson, Brynn Wise, Brantley Elliott, Josh Utley, Betty Huber, Jennifer Norris, Zak Everman, Tabith Anderson, Steve Havens, Sheran Parker, Hadley Metcalf, Robert Meyer Jr., Colt Moonen Zane Seymour, Tyler Robbins, Kamie Helms, Shirley Ward Miklas, Sandi Hendrickson, Cassi Luthi, Steve Leitz, Fred Hoven, Monte Robinson, Joe Florek Jr., John Lloyd McClain, Amy Gorley, Paricia Swofford, Krista Johnson, Kyle Cothren, Lucus Gardner, Fred Johnson, Beth Wence, Brian McClain, Jennifer Miller, Jason Blain, Gale Abrahamson, Jenny Pedersen, Ashley Abel and 67'ers: Nancy Brady, Judy Bergman, Marnee Davis and Martin Ostervold and one other who wishes to be "incognito." Celebrating their anniversaries this coming week are Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Baldwin, Don and Kitty Speranza, Bruce and Linda McClain, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Chandler, Mr. and Mrs. Ian Rutledge, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Behrens, Brandon and Angela Metcalf, Mike and Tiffany Stewart Thomes, Mr. and Mrs. Luke Thomason, and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hoven. May you all enjoy your special days this coming week!

COMMUNITY BREAKFAST AND MORE. I hope that if you have some free time on Thursday mornings, you will head down to the Skamokawa Grange Hall and check out what's going on between 10 a.m. and noon. Besides breakfast, you may find a variety of other activities happening. Some of the folks who show up are helping the Wahkiakum Animal Advocates Group, WAAG, as they wrap newspapers in a specific way to put in cat carriers for when they are picking up cats that need to go to foster homes or to the vet. So, if you have extra newspapers, this is the place where you can bring them to be put to good use.

The head of the group that organizes the free breakfast, Season Long, is also the person who prepares gift boxes for those who may not receive a gift at Christmas, a program called Shoeboxes of Joy-Wahkiakum. Of course, the gals who put all these together could always use help wrapping boxes and assembling them. You can really make a difference by donating boxes that are already wrapped and filled with goodies. Believe it or not, the holidays are coming quickly, and starting now would be very helpful. So, consider making a box for a man, a woman, and maybe one of each for those who need sugar-free items or have pets... so many ideas and options out there. Just think about what you'd like to receive in a "surprise" gift box.

BINGO TIME. Just a reminder that the Sons of Norway will be holding Bingo on the second Saturday of this month, August 9, with doors opening at 5:30 pm at the Norse Hall. For those new to the area, the Norse Hall is located on Puget Island at 444 SR 409. Come join us for some fun with friends and neighbors, and try to win cash prizes! Cards are just five dollars each. We hope to see you there.

THREE WEEKS AWAY. It's hard to believe, but this newspaper is coming out on the last day of July, which means our Wahkiakum County Fair will be happening in just three weeks, from Aug. 21 to 23. That also means you have less time than that to get your entries ready for submission, as they usually need to be turned in earlier that week, starting Aug. 18. Yikes! However, there are exceptions, so be sure to check out the fair books that are now available. Here's hoping you've already bought your fair passes and are helping support those running for the fair court. We've got ours already, even though as "old folks" we'd have a free day anyway, but that's not the point. We need to support these young people who have put themselves out there to be part of our county fair. Thank you for participating, kids!

GET WELL WISHES. I know many folks in our area recognize who Layton and Pam Elliott are, as they were longtime residents with strong family ties around here. We were sorry to hear that Pam hasn't been feeling well lately. We hope she's feeling better now and send our sincere "Get Well Soon Pam" wishes. I also wanted to let everyone know that cousin "Big Art" Pedersen is out of the hospital. I didn't want you to head to the hospital for a visit when he's no longer there. We visited with him on his birthday, and he certainly wished he was feeling more celebratory, but he's still hanging in there. As we were leaving, Lesley Horman was coming in, so he was enjoying some more company on his special day with her last Thursday. Since her birthday was the following day, they got to share happy birthday wishes together.

WRAP UP. Whenever a big event is held, I find it's always beneficial to provide a summary of the event and for the organizers to receive feedback about it. So, how did you like Bald Eagle Days? There were a lot of people there, and many vendors, and I thought it was great. But what about you? Did you find yourself wondering why they did this or that, or why certain things weren't done? It doesn't hurt to ask. What could they have done just a little differently to make your experience more enjoyable? Remember, this should be constructive feedback. Maybe everything was perfect, and there are no suggestions, so it will stay as is. Congrats to everyone involved in this major effort, knowing how much work it takes. Here’s to next year! If you have any thoughts or suggestions, give the Chamber a call, and of course, be polite and constructive.