Week of October 16, 2025
Week of October 16, 2025
The candidates for Wahkiakum County Assessor, Wahkiakum County Sheriff, Mayor of Cathlamet, Wahkiakum County Clerk, and Naselle-Grays River Valley School Board District #4 were all on hand Tuesday, Oct. 14 at the Grays River Grange to discuss their platforms. Each candidate was given 15 minutes to present and answer questions. Topics ranging from budgets to transparency and clear communication were addressed among the candidates. Running unopposed were two candidates: Natasha Crater for the...
With Medicare enrollment having begun Oct. 15, local Farmers Insurance Agent James Sorensen also serves as a broker for the program. Having worked with Medicare the past three years, Sorensen, understanding the difficulty enrollers face, said, "The biggest problem with Medicare is that these people who are getting into it, they are so overindundated with information. They're bombarded with emails and phone calls...It can be extremely overwhelming, but I'm here in this community. I have been...
According to the Town of Cathlamet’s website, Cathlamet Town Council adopted Resolution No. 463-25, which “placed a property tax levy lid measure on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot.” If approved by voters, this measure (Proposition No. 1) “would allow the Town to increase its property tax levy to provide additional funding for services such as police and fire protection, road maintenance, parks and recreation, pool, library, and general administrative operations.” Washington State law (RCW 84.55.010) dictates local governments “are...
On Sept. 27, 2025, GFWC-Cathlamet Woman’s Club was scheduled to host a Domestic Violence Awareness & Prevention Forum. The Cathlamet Woman’s Club would have participated along with more than 1,000 GFWC entities worldwide with the goal of promoting education, engagement, and empowerment to end domestic and sexual violence. Due to illness of multiple GFWC-Cathlamet volunteers, the Forum was postponed and rescheduled for Saturday, Oct. 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Hope Center (320 S. Third St., Cathlamet). The Forum directed by the Woman’s...
On Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Astoria Golf and Country Club (33445 Sunset Beach Lane, Warrenton, Ore.), a ball will be held to celebrate 250 years of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Beginning at 5 p.m. is a no-host bar and social hour. A ceremony will be held at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Choices for meals will be prime rib, chicken, or salmon. The cost of the dinner is $50 per plate. Proceeds from the ball will go to community service. For those interested in attending, please RSVP no later than Saturday, Oct. 25. By reaching...
The Local History series at Little Island Creamery will resume this month with a look at the early post offices of the Lower Columbia River. The event, featuring local author and postal historian Ted Gruber, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. Gruber will present the early history of post offices in both Wahkiakum and Cowlitz counties. He'll be sharing stories and images about the post offices that operated along the river, including two that served residents of Puget Island....
The annual Pioneer Community Association (PCA) fundraiser scheduled for last month has been rescheduled for Saturday, Oct. 25 at 4:30 p.m. at Norse Hall (444 WA-409) on Puget Island. This year’s fundraiser will be a “silent auction with a twist.” The event will be an “appetizer shindig,” featuring food from local restaurants Maria’s, The Spar, JJ’s Pizza & Mohr, and The Duck Inn. On the slate will also be a “musical cabaret” showcasing the local talent. The silent auction portion will be “loaded with gift certificates,...
Because the dates line up, The Eagle has decided to reprint events from 1975. Thank you to the Wahkiakum County Historical Society, volunteer Julie O’Neil and volunteer curator, genealogist and board member Kari Kandoll. Plaques to mark historical sites Mrs. Robert Goodfellow, Wahkiakum liaison for the Historical Sites council, has received word that a council representative from Olympia will present plaques for area historical sites next Wednesday. Henry Mooers, president of the Wahkiakum Historical Society, has called a society meeting at...
The Eagle will present a series of questions to candidates running for various local government positions in Wahkiakum County in our Oct. 16, Oct. 23, and Oct. 30 editions. Each candidate will respond to one question per week, with responses limited to 200 words. The Eagle is proud to provide this opportunity for the community to hear directly from those seeking office and remains committed to presenting all candidates' views impartially and fairly. Sheriff candidate question 1: Why do you want...
Wahkiakum School District is proud to announce the receipt of a $240,560 grant from the Washington State Capital Budget for the Wahkiakum Community Learning Center Project. This funding, secured through a grant written by CTE Director Mr. Kyle Hurley, will turn district land at 500 South 3rd Street in Cathlamet into a vibrant, hands-on learning campus and community hub. The heart of the project is a unique collaboration with the Chinook Tribe, whose ancestral lands include the site of the future Learning Center. For Mr. Hurley, recognizing...
WET START. As I begin this column, it is a very wet Sunday. Other than two decent days, it’s going to be a soggy time ahead of us. I do hope you’ve got those gutters cleaned out and are keeping those umbrellas handy! At least this means our fire danger has lessened, and our lawns are getting a good drink as well. Of course, this can also mean those steep hillsides along SR 4 can spit out some rocks, so watch for those! SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays this coming week from Sept. 16 through 23 are Justin Garrison, Maddie McClain,...
The Fall Barter Night at the Grays River Grange was another successful evening full of good food, good company, and that warm, practical hospitality our community does so well. Folks who didn't bring anything still came to look, chat, and see what their neighbors had hauled in. Those who did bring items were generous with them. Trades often started as conversations and ended with someone walking away with something they actually needed. One of the evening's highlights was the squash walk....
HELLO. This past week we were at the Skamokawa Grange monthly meeting and the Fall Barter Night at the Grays River Grange. We signed-up nine new library members. It’s wonderful to see our membership growing. We’re approaching 1,700 members, so let’s continue to grow. WESTEND DELIVERY. Thursdays, 2 – 3 p.m. is the Westend Library Delivery at the Rosburg Fire Station. Library patrons who place a library order receive a freshly baked Cottage chocolate-chip cookie. STORY TIME. Wednesdays from 10:30 – 11 a.m. in the Pioneer Community...
As I write this, the thermometer over the kitchen sink reads 41 degrees outside and a 'balmy' 53 inside this little house. Understandably, all three cats are sitting in front of the Quadrafire, waiting, and rather impatiently, for their human to get off his dead rump, get the coffee brewing, and build them a fire. I'll get right on that, felines. Fall's here; the colors, the cool. Every day, I'm greeted to the sound of migrating Canada geese, the annual travelers having left their Alaskan...
Vegetable and small fruit beds in winter If you are working up your vegetable garden area this fall and haven’t applied lime in some time, consider doing it now. A good rate is 10 pounds per 100 square feet. Work it in and you will not have to lime again for about four years. Lime raises the soil pH, making it less acidic. Most vegetables prefer near neutral (7) pH readings. It also improves the availability of some of the nutrients a plant needs (P, K, Mg, etc.) and also provides calcium (in which we are naturally low). Garden or...
I recently interviewed Brandi Seaberg Beedle at the library for our 34th installment of Reader's Fave, a casual interview with someone who shares their favorite book. Brandi, who grew up and went to school here in Wahkiakum, lived in Ellensburg, WA for a number of years, but moved back with family in 2020. She works as an emergency response coordinator for Health and Human Services. Brandi chose "East of Eden" by famous Nobel and Pulitzer prize winning author John Steinbeck as her favorite...
A new class has come to Wahkiakum County that offers seniors a place to practice balance and strength, along with numerous other benefits. Don Monares has begun teaching tai chi on Puget Island, driving in from Longview every Monday morning. Tai chi is an ancient Chinese practice that combines slow, gentle movements with steady, controlled breathing and a meditative state of mind. Tai chi has been gaining popularity among older adults as a means to improve balance and stability due to its...
Down at the River Mile 38 brewery last Friday, another beautiful show of craft(wo)manship created a moment of communion and community. The River City Strippers, Cathlamet's local quilting club, exhibited their handiwork and held a silent auction for charity. Javier Sanchez, co-owner of River Mile 38, looked on at the gathering with a smile. "I asked them to start doing this show," he said. "Their hard work was meant to be shared and they look beautiful here." While Javier may have been talking...
Can you hear the heartbeat of a cheerleader? Can you feel their energy, see their smiles as they clap and shout for two and a half hours? Some people say that these cheerleaders seem effortlessly happy. Others would say that cheer clearly takes a lot of hard work, but most of these people don't know what being a cheerleader is really like. Coached by Kayleen Jones, the Clatskanie High School team consists of eight cheerleaders. It's a no-cut team, meaning everyone gets included. They stunt,...
A special election is being held on Tuesday, Nov. 4, with two Rainier-related measures to be voted on. Ballots will be mailed on Thursday, Oct. 16, to voters within the relevant districts. No voters pamphlet is being produced for this election. The following are the two measures for the Nov. 4 election: Measure 5-306: This measure was filed by the City of Rainier. According to the summary provided in the associated paperwork, “The public streets and sidewalks in the city of Rainier are consistently in need of construction, reconstruction,...
Longtime Rainier resident Charleen Ratke was appointed to the vacant city council position on Monday, Oct. 6. Ratke replaced Connie Budge, who stepped down last month. Ratke was born in Longview and attended the one-room school in Neer City before going on to Rainier Elementary School. After graduating from the old high school, she went to Lower Columbia College and Western Oregon University. "Education has been my love," she said. A self-described "lifelong learner," Ratke spent her career...
The Kiwanis Club of Clatskanie is preparing for their annual Gala Dinner and Auction Saturday, Nov. 1. The event is being held this year at The Clatskanie American Legion Hall at 930 NE Fifth St. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. The theme this year is "Continuing the Harvest.” This annual event is the Clatskanie Kiwanis Club's main fundraising activity. Their first gala was held in 1999. Since then, the event has become something lots of locals look forward to each year. All of the funds raised by Clatskanie Kiwanis are dedicated to projects and...
In an effort to accommodate our subscribers on the other side of The Columbia River, The Wahkiakum County Eagle will be delivering directly to the Rainier Post Office. As a result of this, subscribers should be getting their weekly papers as early as Friday. This effort is part of the newspaper’s goal to provide subscribers with their news in a timely manner. To become an annual subscriber to The Eagle, visit...
Only a few weeks ago, Rainier Music/Band Teacher Patrick Velliquette passed away following an illness. Mr. Velliquette was born in 1978 in Honolulu, Hawaii, and graduated from Clatskanie High School in 1997. He attended LCC, University of Oregon and, finally, George Fox University. Mr. Velliquette started teaching in 2005 at Riverdale Baptist School in Marlboro, Md., where he stayed for nine years before moving on to Turlock Christian in Crescent City, Calif., in 2020. He began teaching music...
The Eagle made an error in the Oct. 16 edition of the newspaper, placing answers for a different puzzle on page 14. These are the corresponding answers to this week's puzzle from page 10. The answers will be printed as well in the Oct. 23 edition, along with a brand new crossword puzzle and its corresponding...
Sam passed on August 30 at home with his wife Judith “Ann” Dunkin and support from hospice. Sam is survived by his wife, his two children, Brad Dunkin and Dr. Jess Dunkin Hamlet, his brother Carter and his wife Kathy Dunkin and cousin Sally Dunkin. Sam is also survived by a league of caring brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, and grands. Also, in the group of caring relations are a step brother-in-law, stepsons and their wives, step-nieces and nephews and four step-grandchildren (who called him “Sampa”). A new great...
Lynn Roselle Hadlock, affectionately known as "Mammy," by her grandchildren was born on July 27, 1945, in Clatskanie, Oregon, and passed away at her home in Rainier, Oregon on October 7, 2025, surrounded by her family. She was 80 years old. Lynn graduated from Rainier High School in 1963 where she met her high school sweetheart, Richard Hadlock. Together they celebrated 61 wonderful years of marriage, beginning their journey on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1964. Their love was a foundation...
To The Eagle, As election day approaches, I wish to express my support for the election of John Mason to continue as sheriff for our county. I attended a meet-and-greet for John this past summer and have personally met with him twice since. In our meetings, he has shown an extraordinary degree of patience and concern for what I had to say. These qualities are reflected in the attitude and conduct of others in his department clearly demonstrating the confidence and respect that John's subordinates have for his leadership. In a small community...
To The Eagle, In 2018, while in his 60’s, Bill Coons successfully ran for the County Assessor position. He largely separated himself from the other, younger candidate by stressing the value of his experience and local knowledge. I agreed and supported him accordingly. It turned out to be a good choice and Bill’s experience capably led us through some tough years. Laurel Waller retired from a business management career, where she worked with business plans and people. She is fiscally prudent, and has both a deep personal and business...
To The Eagle, Our quiet weekends will soon be shattered by the early morning blasts of shotguns aimed at the magnificent geese stopping here on Puget Island. Landing here and on many other river islands to recover from their exhausting migration, many of these innocent creatures will be shot to death instead. What a terrible irony. Animal researchers note that when a Canada goose's mate dies, the survivor is at their most vulnerable. When a goose loses its mate, the signs of grieving are disturbingly human. The widowed bird hangs its head,...
It took top-ranked (4A) Marist Catholic of Eugene to end the Tigers' girls volleyball 16-game winning streak at last weekend's Seaside Tournament. Going 5-1 against 4A schools, Clatskanie, the only 2A school in the tournament, defeated Washougal, Banks, North Bend, Century and split with Caitlin Gable before falling in the championship to Marist Catholic (12-25, 17-25). "The scores don't quite reflect the competitiveness and excitement of the match which was full of long rallies, outstanding...
The Clatskanie/Rainier girls soccer team has a long history of playing together, but this season brought new addition Knappa High School to represent all three schools. The team is now called RCK. RCK practices at Clatskanie City Park, which was chosen as a central location between the three schools. Home games are split between Clatskanie and Rainier. Currently, RCK holds a 4-2-1 record and is ranked third in its league, behind Seaside and first-place Scappoose. Although Clatskanie and Knappa are 2A schools and Rainier is 3A, the combined...
Clatskanie's varsity football team had to rely on the defensive hands of senior Quinten Combs in order to hold off Harrisburg last Friday. Breaking up a couple of pass attempts by opposing quarterback Owen Hay, Combs preserved the Tigers' 20-14 late to move the team to 6-0 on the season. With neither team scoring in the first quarter, Clatskanie took the lead in the second with a 53-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Will Van Voorst to senior wide receiver Daylon Gutierrez. The...
Victories in the 1B Southwest Conference are becoming routine for Wahkiakum and Naselle, as both programs seized wins in their week six matchups. Naselle's record improved to 5-1, and Wahkiakum marked its sixth win in six games, a perfect start. Both squads find themselves ranked in the top 10 in Washington 1B football, with the Mules sitting in third, and the Comets slightly behind in seventh. Mules making mark The Mules made mincemeat of the North Beach Hyaks during their homecoming game on...
The Naselle Comets girls volleyball team had a pair of wins last week, beginning with Wishkah and concluding on senior night against Valley. Last Tuesday, Oct. 7, the girls completed a three-set sweep (25-7, 25-11, 25-15) over Wishkah. According to Coach Rebekah Wirkkala, Jessie Smith “set the tone,” going 37-0 at the serving line. Smith led the team in assists with 15, aces with 20, and had the lone block for the team. Haylee Rose led the squad in kills with eight, and Maddie Dielman contributed four assists as well. “[It was a] fun...
Recently at Rainier Junior Senior High School, a new record was set for the state of Oregon. At Rainier's homecoming football game on Sept. 26, Rainier scored 101 points while Corbett scored 90. This broke the previous record for most points scored at a high school football game in Oregon held by Yoncalla and Mapleton. Together they scored a total of 180 points in 2016. Rainier High School football's Head Coach Mike King was pleased with his team. "I've never experienced anything like that, but...
October 6 7:59 a.m. A Cathlamet resident called to report that their vehicle was broken into. The caller reported that the windshield was broken and that the stereo looked like it had been attempted to be removed. 8:46 a.m. Cathlamet paramedics responded to a local resident who had possibly suffered a stroke. The person declined transportation to the hospital. 8:57 a.m. A Cathlamet resident was transported to the hospital after experiencing breathing problems. 10:16 a.m. A Puget Island caller reported a neighbor was shooting at 3:00 a.m....
