Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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The Cathlamet Town Council covered lots of ground when they met Monday, with topics ranging from CARES Act funding and swimming pool to maintenance of town parks. The town will receive $25,000 in CARES Act funds which can be used in a variety of ways to respond to the covid-19 pandemic. Council members said they were unclear of specifics governing their use. "I haven't looked at the fine print, but in most instances, the council has some discretion," said town attorney Fred Johnson, adding he would be happy analyze the specifics for the...
As Washington state responds to the covid-19 pandemic, the Washington Legislature will have to address a huge revenue shortfall in a special session later this year, Sen. Dean Takko, D-Dist. 19, told local officials at a Tuesday roundtable meeting. Because of the covid-19 pandemic, "Everything is up in the air," Takko said. "The process for opening up society and the economy is confusing, Takko said. "I'm hearing about it. I've been told some natural resource activities will open up in a few days. "In the big picture, the budget is way out of...
Candidates finished filing for 2020 elections last Friday with Wahkiakum County set for two races for positions on the county board of commissioners. As of Friday, filings included: County Commissioner #1, Mike Backman, incumbent, Independent, and Lee Tischer, Independent. Backman is running for his third term, and Tischer is a present member of the board of commissioners of Wahkiakum Port District 2 and a former member of the Wahkiakum School District board of directors. County Commissioner #2, Dan L. Cothren, incumbent, Independent; Tim Lawry...
As Wahkiakum County moves into a Phase 2 opening from covid-19 restrictions, the county's two port districts are taking different steps in allowing camping at their facilities. Port District 2 is allowing day use only at Skamokawa Vista Park, with a possibility of allowing overnight camping later this month. Port District 1 has started allowing camping at the Elochoman Slough Marina but had ribboned off County Line Park for day use only going into last weekend. Lee Tischer, a member of the Port...
Wahkiakum County officials discussed Tuesday their next moves to deal with covid-19 virus, issues ranging from the fate of the county fair to installation of sneeze screens in courthouse offices. Even with news that the state Department of Health has approved the county moving to a Phase 2 re-opening, the officials are wary of a continuing threat of the pandemic. "It seems like we will go to Phase 3 faster than any other place in the state," said county Health & Human Services Director Chris Bischoff, "if we can keep our cases under control and...
Candidates have begun filing for 2020 elections; the regular filing period ends tomorrow (Friday). Wahkiakum County positions on the ballot include County Commissioner #1, County Commissioner #2, Wahkiakum PUD Commissioner #1, and all Precinct Committee Officer (PCO) positions for both the Democratic and Republican parties. Also on the ballot are District 19 senator and representatives, US House of Representatives, Pacific/Wahkiakum Superior Court, and state Supreme Court. As of Tuesday, filings included: County Commissioner #1, Mike Backman,...
If it were up to Wahkiakum County commissioners, stay at home restrictions on business and society in general to prevent the spread of covid-19 virus would be largely lifted. The county now has just three cases, and the economy needs to restart, they say. On Tuesday, commissioners authorized Health and Human Services Director Chris Bischoff to prepare an application to the state Department of Health (DOH) to move the county into a Phase 2 physical distancing order which permits small gatherings, partial re-opening of restaurants, more...
Last Friday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced a four-phase plan to ease restrictions from the state's coronavirus stay-at-home order. While more activities are allowed starting Tuesday, May 5, the stay-at-home order would be extended through at least May 31. The first phase starting Tuesday allows retail curbside pickup, automobile sales and car washes by mid-May. Ten counties such as Wahkiakum with a low numbers of cases and deaths may be able to open parts of their economy sooner if...
Filing for elected positions on the 2020 primary and general election ballots starts next Monday and runs through the rest of the week. Candidates for local offices may file with their county auditor. Candidates should contact those offices to learn how to file as office access is restricted because of covid-19 virus protection measures. The Wahkiakum County staff is working with the office of the Secretary of State to create an online registration process. "We will be available for candidates to file in person, essentially treating our front...
In a split vote, members of the Cathlamet Town Council on Monday agreed to proceed as lead agency in a grant application to install an electric vehicle (EV) charging station. Under the plan proposed by Council Member David Olson, the town would locate a Level 3 charging station in a park yet to be developed at the intersection of Main and Butler streets. Council Member Bill Wainwright, while saying he supports electric vehicles, questioned the value of the station to the town and its cost. He said he had conducted an informal poll of residents...
Wahkiakum County commissioners dealt with a variety of issues related to impact of the covid-19 virus when they met Tuesday via the internet. With about $250,000 state covid-19 relief funding coming to help cover pandemic response expenses, health department personnel presented a couple of requests for screening equipment for the courthouse and other county buildings. One was a scanning thermometer to take the body temperature of people as they filter through security lines. The cost to purchase and set up would be approximately $3,360,...
Filing for elected positions on the 2020 primary and general election ballots will run May 11-15. Candidates for local offices may file with their county auditor. Candidates should contact those offices to learn how to file as office access is restricted because of covid-19 virus protection measures. Elections for county-level offices were held in 2018. The 2020 ballot include races for US president, Congress, state legislature and a mixture of local offices. Candidates for District 19 legislative seats are already showing their colors. Rep....
Last Friday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced a four-phase plan to ease restrictions from the state's coronavirus stay-at-home order. While more activities are allowed starting Tuesday, May 5, the stay-at-home order would be extended through at least May 31. The first phase starting Tuesday allows retail curbside pickup, automobile sales and car washes by mid-May. Ten counties such as Wahkiakum with a low numbers of cases and deaths may be able to open parts of their economy sooner if...
A shorthanded Cathlamet Town Council authorized a lease of the Pioneer Cemetery and application for a grant to refurbish their grounds when they met in an online meeting Monday. The council also handled other business including approving a grant application for electronic vehicle charging stations, contracts for water main construction on Columbia Street, and discussions of finance and park and system maintenance needs. Council Members Paige Lake and Robert Stowe were excused from the meeting...
Wahkiakum County commissioners quickly handled business at their weekly meeting Tuesday, approving closure of Steamboat Slough Road and signing a letter to the governor asking for opening of certain business activities. The eastern end of Steamboat Slough Road will be closed from Monday, April 27, to May 18 for road work. A contractor will widen the road and make other improvements from SR 4 to the end along the Columbia River. In their letter to Governor Jay Inslee, commissioners asked that the list of essential services be modified to allow...
Several southwest Washington counties, including Wahkiakum County, implemented a ban on outdoor burning for land clearing, residential and silvicultural purposes. Wahkiakum County Public Works Director Chuck Beyer said Tuesday the ban will expire April 21. The ban could be lifted sooner if weather conditions improve, he added. The ban came after state and local agencies had responded to four separate fires on Sunday. One occurred on a logging site up the Elochoman Valley near Duck Creek. It burned 1.5 acres, according to reports. Crews from...
Wahkiakum County government should receive close to $1.3 million in revenue this year from the harvest of state-managed timber on county trust timberland, county officials learned Tuesday. Padriac Callahan, St. Helens District manager for the Washington Department of Natural Resources, said market conditions had resulted in higher revenue than the $1 million which the agency had estimated last fall. However, because of the covid-19 virus pandemic, markets are deteriorating, leaving future values unclear. The report came Tuesday at the online...
Testing people for covid-19 is one of the tools often mentioned to control the spread of the illness. On Tuesday, I posed some questions to Chris Bischoff, director of Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services, about testing effort in the county. Here is is response: Initial comment: One general thought as the state starts looking to ease restrictions, testing needs to be widely available to keep this from happening again and seeing another shutdown. The state should also make available antibody testing widely as well. Q. Who is being tested...
Several southwest Washington counties, including Wahkiakum County, implemented a ban on outdoor burning for land clearing, residential and silvicultural purposes. Wahkiakum County Public Works Director Chuck Beyer said Tuesday the ban will expire April 21. Then ban could be lifted sooner if weather conditions permit, he added. The ban came after state and local agencies had to responded to four separate fires on Sunday. One occurred on a logging site up the Elochoman Valley near Duck Creek. It burned 1.5 acres, according to reports. Crews from...
The Cathlamet Town Council learned about census, approved a park maintenance bid and contracts for water line work and dock restoration, and discussed spending in the time of corona virus at their three-hour-long Monday meeting. Speaking to council concerns that the town might be under counted, US Census representative Lorraine Ralston described census procedures. People are counted at residential units, she said, with responders asking how many people were in the unit on April 1. That isn’t a deadline, she said; the census is tasked with c...
Wahkiakum County commissioners aren't ready to recommend a halt on recreational hunting and fishing, the board said on Tuesday. The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife wants to know, said Chris Bischoff, director of Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services reported to commissioners at their weekly meeting. WDFW is gathering input on the idea from county health officers, he said, adding that he wanted to know the commissioners' feelings before responding. Halts or restrictions of hunting and fishing would be part of the continued...
A last minute understanding about US Census data collection has drawn concern from Cathlamet Town Council Member David Olson. Census day was yesterday (Wednesday) when people were to have responded to census questionnaires. Olson learned this week that many Cathlamet residents with post office mail boxes haven't received a census questionnaire. Further investigation Tuesday revealed census forms were mailed only to residential addresses with mail boxes and not to post office boxes. This drew Olson's concern on Tuesday, for census data is used...
So, we're in Week 2 of the covid-19 virus quarantine. School was out and is now back in session, but no students are at school. Non-essential businesses have closed; the governor's office issued a 14-page document for guidelines on deciding who is essential or not. Newspapers and other communication businesses are considered essential, and we continue to publish The Eagle. Like other businesses, we'll keep going till the money is gone, I say, somewhat facetiously. Like many, we're seeing an immediate drop in business. Like others, we bleach...
Editor's note: After this story was written, we received word from Wahkiakum County Treasurer Tammy Peterson that the Wahkiakum officials have extended the tax payment deadline to May 31. Please see separate article on this website for that information. ------------ With the April 30 deadline for paying property taxes this month, tenants, landlords and property owners may wonder how the economic impact of the covid-19 virus will affect them. Steve Sharp, a Puget Island resident and president of Sharp Property Management, Inc., posed that...
Commissioners Lee Tischer and Austin Burkhalter of Port District 2 met by the online program Zoom on Tuesday and charged through their agenda in a seven minute meeting. Action items included: --Commissioners adopted a resolution formally passing operation of County Line Park to Port District 1. Port 2 has managed the park for Wahkiakum County for several years, but commissioners of both port districts agreed Port 1 was better suited for management; the park lies within the boundaries of Port 1. --Commissioners adopted a resolution raising the...
