Westside Stories

In honor of Veterans Day, members of American Legion Post 111 were up at the crack of dawn Saturday morning, whipping up pancake batter, cooking eggs to order, and brewing buckets of coffee for the crowd. Rosburg Hall was filled with community members enjoying breakfast served by local youth who kept our cups full and the tables cleared with cheerful efficiency.

I had the pleasure of sitting across from Sheriff John Mason and his wife, Jodie, and congratulated him on retaining his position for another year. I love living in a place where conversations with local leaders go beyond community issues and we can connect on a personal level, too.

On Monday, I attended the Veterans Assembly at Naselle School. Weeks of preparation go into that event, gathering and updating veterans' bios, assembling the Facebook slideshow, and organizing a program that properly honors our local service members.

Principal Justin Laine emceed the program, reading service histories with care and composure, even as the microphone gave him trouble. Under Karen Nelson's direction, the 8–12 grade band played the National Anthem and the Armed Services Medley, while the K–4 students charmed the audience with Thank You, Soldiers, and Oh, I Love America.

During the veterans' recognition, Principal Laine paid special tribute to Nick and Dee Nikkila for their years of service to the community. They'll be moving to Missouri this month and will be greatly missed.

The final veteran to be recognized was the oldest, Bob Zeismer, who received a standing ovation. As I sat in the crowd, I couldn't help but think how, not long ago, we still had World War II veterans among us. Now, in our community, they are gone. Nationwide, only about 66,000 WWII veterans remain, with a median age of 98. It's a sobering reminder of how quickly that generation is fading.

Thank you to everyone who continues to honor our veterans with such care and gratitude.

Westside Happenings

I'm excited to share that I'm no longer just freelancing for The Eagle; I've officially joined the staff. In addition to writing, I'll be helping with bookkeeping and updating systems behind the scenes. The small team at the paper works very hard every week to bring local news to our communities, and I'm grateful for the chance to support them in any way I can.

With this new role, I may be adjusting my column schedule in the future to balance everything. Some weeks, finding a fresh story to tell can be a challenge, but I'm committed to keeping Westend stories alive and continuing to share the heart of our community. Please note, you can now contact me at lisa@waheagle.com.

November

30 – FAFF Meeting at Appelo Archives, 4 p.m.

December

6 – Art Show at Grays River Grange, 12 – 4 p.m.

14 – FAFF Christmas Events: Tour of Homes,

Deep River Church Concert, Soup Supper, Bingo, and Christmas Bazaar

21 – 4th Annual Naselle Lighted Christmas

Parade, 4 p.m. Register at nasellefinnfest.com.

For a list of regular monthly events, please refer to the Wahkiakum Calendar. To add an event to the calendar or share a story idea, please get in touch with me at lisa@waheagle.com.