Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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At their March 20 meeting, Wahkiakum School Board members dealt with preliminary work for this summer’s asbestos removal project. The district has received a $100,000 Urgent Repair Grant from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in order to remove asbestos ceiling tiles from the Wahkiakum High School. Board members considered two bids to replace the t-grid ceiling system at the high school. Both were higher than the estimate for the project, acknowledged District Maintenance Supervisor Bob McClintock. The board a...
Refunds, rebates, and ways to implement a line item charge occupied Wahkiakum PUD commissioners on March 20. The commissioners authorized Auditor Erin Wilson to apply to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for disaster assistance funds to cover the labor costs incurred by PUD employees as a result of a January 12 windstorm. The total cost to the PUD was $8,700. Wilson said FEMA has reimbursed about 75 percent of the cost in the past. PUD employee Lia Sealund reported to the commissioners that Wahkiakum PUD customers have received...
Wahkiakum School Board members dealt with preliminary work for the asbestos removal project scheduled for this summer at their meeting March 20. The district had received a grant from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in order to remove asbestos material from the high school. During the meeting, Superintendent Bob Garrett presented a high school diploma to Veteran Steven F. Claar. Claar’s education was interrupted by military service in Vietnam in the early 1970s. Further details about the March 20 meeting will be p...
Port District 1 commissioners discussed navigational buoys and marina user concerns at their March 8 meeting. Puget Island commercial fisherman Mike Backman told the commissioners he had talked with some fishermen who don’t care for Freshwater News, a publication available to read in the marina office, because they feel it represents an anti-commercial fishing viewpoint. He suggested subscribing to the Columbia River Gillnetter and displaying both publications. Port Manager Jackie Lea explained that the port does receive a copy of the G...
Wahkiakum PUD commissioners voted on Tuesday to add an informational line item regarding utility tax on invoices sent to Puget Island Water System ratepayers, but they held off adjusting fees to recoup the cost of a recent increase in the tax the utility pays to the town. The Cathlamet Town Council passed a resolution in December to increase their utility tax from 3 to 6 percent, and the new tax rate went into effect for the billing cycle subsequent to February 18. The town supplies all water for the Puget Island Water System. For residential c...
Wahkiakum PUD commissioners voted on Tuesday to add an informational line item regarding utility tax on invoices sent to Puget Island Water System ratepayers, but they held off adjusting fees to recoup the cost of a recent increase in the tax the utility pays to the town. The Cathlamet Town Council passed a resolution in December to increase their utility tax from 3 to 6 percent, and the new tax rate went into effect for the billing cycle subsequent to February 18. The town supplies all water for the Puget Island Water System. For residential c...
The Wahkiakum School Board approved a trial dual sport participation policy at their February 22 meeting, paving the way for eligible athletes to participate in two sports this spring. The discussion about dual sport participation began in November after parents Wendy and Lamar Blix asked the district to consider allowing their son to participate in track and baseball. The board asked Athletic Director Marc Niemeyer to craft a draft policy based on input from district coaching staff and policies used by other districts. After consultation with...
Wahkiakum PUD commissioners met February 21 at Rosburg Hall in fulfillment of their commitment to holding one meeting every quarter this year in the Westend of Wahkiakum County. Commissioner Bob Jungers asked PUD Manager Dave Tramblie to report on customer response to the yearlong moratorium on a system development fee for new water customers. The PUD has received payment for two planned water hookups, said Tramblie, and has had 12 inquiries in total. He explained that the fee moratorium was implemented as an incentive in order to increase the...
Naselle School District’s replacement maintenance and operations levy has been approved by district voters. A special election for the levy was held February 14. Voters were asked to replace the existing levy which expires at the end of 2012. The levy allows the district to collect $695,000 per year for three years. As of 8 p.m. February 14, 654 ballots had been counted in Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties; 425 (64.98 percent) voted in favor of the levy. A simple majority is required for approval. The next ballot count will be on February 17 a...
Only 50 tickets are left for the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce’s annual Crab and Oyster Feed scheduled for March 10 at Norse Hall, said Chamber Director Kelly Masters. The 7:30 p.m. seating is sold out with a waiting list, but tickets are still available for the 3:45 and 5:30 p.m. seatings. Tickets cost $30 and are available exclusively at the Bank of the Pacific’s Cathlamet branch. The event is for people 21 years of age and older. The Chamber is seeking volunteers to serve food at the event. Volunteers do not need a food handler’s permi...
Wahkiakum PUD commissioners discussed a coming increase in utility taxes at their February 7 meeting but took no action on the matter. The Cathlamet Town Council passed a resolution in December to increase their utility tax from 3 to 6 percent, and the new tax rate goes into effect February 18. That timing does not coincide with the PUD’s regular meter reading schedule and might necessitate the expense of an additional meter reading cycle, said PUD Auditor Erin Wilson. She reported she has been in conversation with Mayor George Wehrfritz a...
A project to replace a dock at Wahkiakum Port District No. 1’s Elochoman Marina is almost completed, port commissioners heard at their December 8 meeting. The new F-Dock section is in place, Assistant Port Manager Abe York told port commissioners, and port staff are starting to install braces on the dock’s fingers in preparation to move boats to the new dock. York said he had purchased the pipe and hardware necessary to install the water line for the dock. The line will have to be drained during the winter, but York said he would charge the...
Wahkiakum PUD commissioners approved a resolution eliminating the system development fee for new water customers over the next year at their December 6 meeting. The temporary abolishment of the fee takes effect immediately and will expire December 31, 2012. Both potential Western Wahkiakum Water System and Puget Island Water System users are eligible. Customers will be responsible for the cost of installing water meters and will need to sign a two year service agreement. The proposal was the result of customer input at a recent rate hearing...
Cathlamet town council members held a special meeting November 30 to approve an increase to the 2012 regular property tax levy for town residents. The council voted to implement the 1 percent increase allowed without seeking a vote of town residents. The council had determined that the town required a regular levy in the amount of $71,000. The authorized increase came to $3,332.98, not including any additional revenue derived from new construction or property improvements. Town clerk-treasurer Tina Schubert clarified that authorization for an...
Wahkiakum PUD commissioners met Tuesday to discuss proposed rate increases for electrical and water customers, to review the 2012 preliminary budget and to award bids for portions of the electric substation project. At recent meetings, Manager Dave Trambie had outlined his request for a 9 percent rate increase for electric customers. The rate increase was needed due to increases in power costs from Bonneville Power Administration, the cost of constructing a new substation, and the loss of a $70,000 annual credit from BPA, Tramblie said. After...
Wahkiakum School Board met July 19 to approve the district’s budget for the coming school year. In addition, the board discussed transportation to a transition program for special education students, considered a change order for ongoing maintenance work, and approved changes to the high school student handbook. After discussing the proposed 2011-2012 fiscal year budget with District Superintendent Bob Garrett, the board voted to adopt it as submitted. The line item expenditure budget is broken down into the following categories: General F...
Wahkiakum County Commissioners discussed a range of issues at their Tuesday meeting. Commissioner Dan Cothren invited Rayonier Corporation representative Bob Meyer to address the board. Rayonier, a forest products company headquartered in Florida, manages around 390,000 acres in western Washingon including timberlands in Pacific County. Meyer explained he was attending to provide information and receive feedback about Rayonier’s recent announcement that they would implement the sale of permits for hunting some of their Pacific County h...
Wahkiakum Port District #1 commissioners met July 14 at the Elochoman Marina office. Cathlamet Public Works Superintendent David Vik, Mayor George Wehrfritz, and Consulting Engineer Kevin Brown from engineering firm Gray and Osborne, attended the meeting to discuss the town’s plans for Third Street and to invite the port district to extend improvements onto port property. Last year the town received a $500,000 grant from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board to redesign a portion of Third Street, said Brown. The site, a c...
Wahkiakum PUD commissioners met June 21 for a brief business meeting, then convened later in the day for a workshop. PUD manager Dave Tramblie gave an update on the substation construction project, stating that Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) employees have visited the site twice in the past two weeks. The PUD’s engineering firm is in “full design mode,” he said. Tramblie announced Wahkiakum PUD has signed on as an intervener in a case filed Monday by wind power producers disputing BPA’s decision to curtail wind power consumption without...
Wahkiakum High School seniors wrapped up their careers Friday in a lively graduation ceremony. Faculty and class speakers commented on the graduates' achievements and camaraderie. "We are a class of individuals, and you cannot put us in any kind of category," said Shelby Felton in the welcoming speech. Faculty Choice Speaker Jori McEntire noted that the class is small in number, with 28 graduates, and that allowed the members to form strong bonds even as paths started to separate in high school. "I'm telling you that now is the chance to be...
Naselle/Grays River Valley High School seniors breezed through their commencement ceremony Saturday with a look back at their past and an acknowledgment of their potential for success in the future. The 22 classmates spoke of their close bonds, and they took in scholarships totaling over $150,000. Valedictorian was Taylor Wasmundt, and salutatorian was Haleigh See. They and Cody Cooley were honored for maintaining grade point averages of 3.75 or higher. In her Valedictorian Address, Wasmundt commented that many of the students had been in...
A slow start to spring salmon season has impacted port district revenues, Wahkiakum Port District No. 1 commissioners learned at their April 14 meeting. “We’re about $26,000 down (for the year),” said port Manager Jackie Lea. She attributed the decline to a slow start to spring salmon season in March and bad weather. She noted that the season reopened from April 8 to 15, but with SR 4 closed at that time because of a slide, business remained slow. Lea also reported to the commissioners that work on F Dock is almost finished. Further work needs...
Wahkiakum PUD commissioners announced Tuesday that they have appointed Eugene Healy of Puget Island to fill a vacancy on their board. The vacancy was created by the resignation of Puget Island resident Larry Reese in March. Healy was selected from a slate of 15 candidates, said commission Chair Dennis Reid. Healy will be sworn in by PUD attorney Tim Hanigan in between now and the board’s next meeting. Healy's professional background was in telecommunications. He retired as an area manager for US West, where he was headquartered in Spokane a...
Naselle-Grays River School Board members approved an overnight senior trip and heard an update from a Facilities Committee representative at their meeting March 15. District Superintendent Dr. Rick Pass introduced Scott Beaulaurier to report to the board on the Facilities Committee’s work. Beaulaurier recently stepped down from chairing the committee after 13 years of service, Pass said. Beaulaurier explained that part of the work of the committee is to establish a five-year plan of projects. Some items have been completed, including e...
The Naselle - Grays River Valley School Board met February 15 to discuss preparations necessary to include a bond measure on the February, 2012, ballot. The first step, explained District Superintendent Rick Pass, is for the board to advertise a request for proposals from architectural firms. This proposal would be for pre-bond planning. After receiving the proposals, a committee would go through all the applications and schedule three or so to do presentations to the board and committee to assist in their final selection. Pass suggested that...
