Week of October 31, 2024
Week of October 31, 2024
This is part 1 of a 4-part series. In a previous article about the possible imminent disasters that could occur in our county, the Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Office Emergency Management Coordinator, Austin Smith stressed that we should be at least "two weeks ready" and "make a plan." After witnessing the devastation in Florida and North Carolina from the ravages of hurricane Helene we can see clearly why this is important, not only for us and our family, but also to help the emergency response...
The Wahkiakum School District Board of Education held their regular October meeting on the 22nd. The board, school administration and a few guests were present for the meeting. The meeting opened with public comment from cheerleading coach, Kaitlin Kincaid. She came to address the board about the exciting opportunities the cheer team has in starting competitions this winter. “The team has grown significantly over the last few years, from four to over sixteen. The squad is ready for the next level and to shine in their own world as...
On Sunday, November 3, from 2-4 p.m. John C. Hughes, author and Washington's Chief Historian will be presenting an oral history of the life and legacy of Julia Butler Hansen, the legendary Congresswoman from Cathlamet, at Little Island Creamery on Puget Island. The first major biography of Hansen, "Julia Butler Hansen, A trailblazing Washington Politician," was written by John C. Hughes. He met the newly-elected congresswoman in 1960 when he was a student at Grays Harbor College. Hughes had the...
SOGGY START. As I begin this column, it is definitely a gloomy, wet, and windy Sunday out here in West Valley. It was so bad for a while that our satellite reception was totally blocked out. At any rate, those who wanted the rain definitely got some but supposedly by Friday we may have a dry streak of three days so that would make it nice for the beginning of November. I still can’t believe October is over...yikes! Where is the time going? At any rate, it’s definitely time to winterize and get ready for the fun that usually accompanies...
Do you have questions about Medicare? Would you like to learn about some of the resources available to Wahkiakum County residents? Do you need your flu or COVID vaccine? Stop by the annual Living Well in Wahkiakum event on Friday, November 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hope Center, 320 S. 3rd Street, in Cathlamet. Representatives from the Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities of Southwest Washington (AAADSW) and Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) will be available to answer questions about open enrollment and other...
Welcome to my new column, Westside Stories. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am Lisa Yeager. My husband Mark and I moved to Grays River in June of 2021 after purchasing the old Schmand dairy farm on North Hull Creek Road. We spent our first 2 years clearing years of overgrowth, metal, concrete, and loads of other debris left behind. Our original plan was to develop and build an RV Park, however, due to several setbacks, that venture is permanently on the back burner. On...
Jake Dailey and his three-man crew have spent the past two weeks swimming through dense thickets of young hemlock on the Ellsworth Creek Preserve. They call themselves the Rake Force, and their current mission - a pilot project with The Nature Conservancy - is to thin the stands from thousands of stems per acre to roughly 150 stems per acre. In spite of their name, which is a satirical play on comments then-President Donald Trump made in 2018 about the need to "rake" forests in order to reduce...
Student health and wellness is a focus of attention at Wahkiakum High School and finding ways to help students advocate for themselves is at the forefront of the student care package from an academic setting. For the third year in a row the community came together to provide an education on healthy living and resources for students and what services are available to them at the Health and Wellness Fair hosted by the district on Tuesday, October 22. Twelve booths were on display for high school...
The Castle Rock Men’s Ensemble will perform a free concert at St. James Episcopal Church, 1134 Columbia St., at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. This is the 30th anniversary of the choir, with only two original members, Clarence Knutson, the conductor and Neal Johnson who had the idea of a gathering of men who love to sing. The ensemble has been performing at St. James for many years with a variety of types of music, religious, show tunes, popular songs and some surprises. Daylight savings time goes into effet so you can use the extra hour to hear...
Our teacher features this week shares teachers' passions beyond the classroom and their committed to the district by waking up early to commute long distances from Longview and Rainier to serve our students. Katie Baker came to Wahkiakum amidst pandemic learning as a student teacher, then became a full-time substitute and has been in the fourth-grade classroom for three years. When she was growing up her teachers had a strong impact on her, specifically Nicole Wilson and Carrie Badger. She knew...
A sea of orange dots the store fronts and porches in the communities and farm fields throughout the state as the love of pumpkin mania has grown to a $16 million dollar a year industry for the state of Washington (2023, USDA). The agtourism sector has jumped to astounding levels, much due to the love of the fall pumpkin harvest connected to the upcoming holiday, Halloween. Families flood the fields to pick their favorite pumpkins to use as art projects for their little goblins and goons. The pumpkin is one of the most versatile plants one may...
Sheila L. Mace, 56 of Cathlamet died on October 18th at her home. She was born on Feb 22,1968 in Puyallup. She moved to Cathlamet in 1991 after marrying Shawn Mace. She graduated from Castle Rock High School and Warner Pacific College. She enjoyed her work at Sonshine Day Care at WSU Extension Office in Kelso. Sheila is survived by her husband, Shawn, her daughters Shelby and Shaylee , her son, Shawn Jr, 2 Grandchildren and several siblings. A Memorial Service will be held at Robert Gray Baptist Church on November 9th at 11 AM. Dowling...
Our public forests are not the property of major corporations and should be managed by someone not beholden to them. Public Lands Commissioner candidate Jaime Herrera-Beutler has consistently championed the timber industry’s talking points because they are her funders: Weyerhaeuser alone contributed $225,000 to her campaign. She has a terrible environmental voting record: while in Congress, she voted repeatedly to weaken Clean Air and Clean Water laws and opposed the Paris Climate Accords. She’s voting YES on Initiative 2117, which...
I am voting for Marie because she is working at all levels for us in SW WA. At the congressional level, Marie Glusenkamp Perez ( WA-03-D) recently teamed up with Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s (AZ-06-R) to design the bipartisan Ensuring Access to Medicaid Buy-In Program Act. A few days ago this bill unanimously passed the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to expand work opportunities and benefits for working adults with disabilities. She regularly visits us at Mile38 to listen to our concerns and to answer questions. Her "mobile office" staff...
After reading Lisa Yeager’s article on the candidate forum, I felt it missed a crucial part of the evening—the unique, unscripted moments that only come through live interactions. As I struggled to put my thoughts into words my husband’s and my godson, who with his dad are visiting from Germany, suggested I try using AI, “for fun” he said, to help express my thoughts more clearly. Here’s what we came up with: "While candidate agendas are often available online, the true value of a live forum goes beyond policy points. Articles...
Records were set, and champions were crowned at the 2024 Central 2B League Cross Country Championships in Onalaska on Oct. 24. Local JCT Middle School student Max Ohrberg came away a big winner, with a gold medal and record time to show for it. Ohrberg set a lightning-quick pace running for the Warriors, winning first in the middle school men's 2500-meter. In a field of 30 runners, Ohrberg finished ahead of the pack and set a JCT Middle School record in the event, posting an impressive 7:56.38...
October 21 7:49 a.m. The Grays River ambulance responded to a local resident who was unwell. 8:14 a.m. A caller reported a log truck speeding west of the Rosburg store. The Washington State Patrol was notified. 10:23 a.m. A Cathlamet caller reported a item was stolen from their home. The caller observed muddy footprints leading to a door which was unlocked. 11:44 a.m. A caller reported items were not included in the sale of a boat which had been agreed upon. The person called back to say that the items had been found. 11:56 a.m. Cathlamet...
You are invited to the Veterans Day Assembly, Nov. 7, 10:30 a.m. in the WHS Gym. There will be brunch afterwards for the Veterans put on by the WHS...
The Rosburg Community Club (RCC) under the management of those wonderful women of western Wahkiakum County is hosting its annual Holiday Bazaar at the Rosburg Hall on November 2, 2024. The Bazaar will start at 10 am and run until 2 pm with lunch served from 11:30 to 1:30. Cost for the lunch is $10. The lunch menu consists of chicken, salad, dinner rolls, dessert, coffee, tea and juice. All proceeds from the event will be dedicated to the care and maintenance of the hall. According to RCC president Freida Footh, all of the vendor tables have...
The award-winning singer-songwriter duo Phoenix will appear at the historic Pioneer Church in Cathlamet on Saturday, November 2nd, beginning at 2 p.m. This concert will be a fund raiser for the upkeep of this marvelous venue. This beautiful center is a former church that was built in 1895. It is the most prominent landmark in Cathlamet. Facilities like this were designed for acoustic instruments and voices. It's going to be a fun afternoon! The duo has recently returned from Nashville, Tennessee, where they have been nominated as Duo of the...
