Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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Wahkiakum County commissioners handled business ranging from setback dike access to deferred action on an agreement to use the setback dike when they met Tuesday. Commissioners deferred action on a proposed memorandum of understanding with the US Fish and Wildlife Service for county access to the new setback dike on the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge. The memorandum spells out emergency access for county access--county vehicles would have access in emergency situations. However, use was to be governed by a US Army Corps of...
Members of the Cathlamet Town Council approved a $492,500 change order to haul away biosolids and delayed decisions on other issues when they met Monday. Approval of the change order will allow a contractor to haul bags of biosolids taken from the town's old sewage lagoons and haul them to a farm near Woodland where they will be spread on farmland as fertilizer. The decision came after a long presentation from Jamie Olivarez, regional biosolids coordinator for the state Department of Ecology, about biosolids law and treatment. With ecology prev...
by Rick Nelson What's the best way to fund public services such as the county fair, and Johnson Park? Wahkiakum County Commissioner Mike Backman is leading a group which is discussing a possible vote to increase the county levy to these and other services, and commissioners of Port District No. 2 weighed in at their Tuesday meeting. None of the port commissioners, Kayrene Gilbertsen, Lori Scott and Brian O'Connor, seemed to support the idea, but they had an idea of their own. Scott suggested port commissioners could contact Wahkiakum County's...
It's a small piece of property outside the dike on North Welcome Slough Road and dotted with gaps where the river has eroded the bank. It went through foreclosure, and when Wahkiakum County Treasurer Tammy Peterson tried to auction it last winter, there were no bidders. That's when the interest started. A private citizen offered to buy the property for the amount owing the county in back taxes and costs. The matter came before the board of commissioners last week, and Chair Mike Backman said he wanted to postpone action until he had consulted...
Wahkiakum County commissioners handled a variety of business items Tuesday, ranging from a regional transportation plan to dealing with federal agencies. Planning consultants Judith Donovan and Matt Buchanan from the Cowlitz/Wahkiakum Council of Governments presented a proposed update for a five-county regional transportation plan. The goal of the plan is to enhance all forms of transportation, including pedestrians and bicycles. The first goal is to explore methods to improve safety at intersections. The second goal calls for improvements for...
How to increase revenue and what to do with it turned into a hot topic at Tuesday's meeting of the Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners. Commissioner Mike Backman reported he wants to ask voters to approve a property tax levy to fund entities such as the county fair which have few revenue sources. Commissioner Blair Brady said he liked that idea. Commissioner Dan Cothren was absent and at a meeting in Olympia. Sheriff Mark Howie was at the meeting and commented that the idea had merit, but the county already has an unanticipated funding...
Wahkiakum County commissioners handled a variety of business when they met Tuesday, including: --Dian Cooper, executive director of the Cowlitz Family Health Center, reported that the center is recruiting for new providers for the Cathlamet clinic. Two nurse practitioners have left this year because of family reasons, and the clinic is now staffed by temporary practitioners while recruiting occurs. The clinic is running in the black, she added. --Public Works Director Pete Ringen reported that a memorandum of understanding with the Corps of...
Members of the Naselle Comet Track and Field Squad had a good trip to the state Class 1B Track and Field meet at Cheney last week and brought home six medals. To medal, athletes must place eighth or higher in an event. Ellie Chapman placed fifth in the 100m hurdles, 17.7, sixth in the 300m hurdles, 51.91, and third in the high jump, 4'10", to claim three medals. Savannah Zimmerman placed eighth in the pole vault, 7'6". Matt Carter placed third in the high jump at 6', and Connor See placed sixth in the triple jump, 39'11.5." Also competing for...
Just as it has been since 2009, there will be no raise for Wahkiakum County's elected officials this year. Citing unexpected sources of revenue, the county's elected officials on Tuesday asked the county board of commissioners to boost their salaries 15 percent to make up for the lack of pay increases they've had since the start of the Great Recession. The cost of living has seriously eroded their salaries' buying power, they said. Commissioner Dan Cothren supported the request and moved to approve it. However, Commissioners Mike Backman and...
The lineup of candidates for 2015 elections is set after regular and special filing periods this month. Two candidates filed last week in the special filing period for positions that drew no candidates in the regular filing period. They are: 1, Fire District 1 Commissioner Position 3, 6-Year Term, John Vik, and 2. Fire District 3 Commissioner Position 3, Linda Strong. Other filings are: Wahkiakum School District Board of Directors Director Position 2, 4-year term, Paula Culbertson. Director Position 3, 2-year unexpired term, Susan M. O'Connor...
Members of the Cathlamet town council discussed a variety of projects when they met May 18. The council did approve a 10 percent increase in fees for using the municipal swimming pool. Public Works Director Duncan Cruickshank, a former pool manager, said the increases were the first in at least four years. The increases will boost locker room only admission from $1 to $1.10; child and senior citizens from $2.50 to $2.75; adults, from $3 to $3.30, and families from $10 to $11. Other rates have similar increases. Engineers from Gibbs and Olsen...
Three Elochoman valley residents approached local governments this week to seek help in repairing a water line ruptured by a truck. They haven't had water since May 5, and they say they can't afford to make repairs. Land owner Steve Arness on Monday told the Cathlamet Town Council that the line ruptured under the Elochoman Valley Road when a concrete truck passed over. His daughter, Brianna Arness, and tenant Sarah Czarnecki were present. They noticed that the road bulged immediately, and when they approached, they saw water leaking through...
Wahkiakum County commissioners discussed timber revenue and the succession process for the county public works director. Representatives of the state Department of Natural Resources said the county could expect close to $800,000 this year from harvest of state-managed county trust timber. District Manager Steve Ogden reported that timber prices had dipped in the winter but started to increase recently, indicating the 2015 timber sale could generate higher revenue than earlier estimated. Ogden added that the 2016 timber sale has an estimated...
Candidates for positions on fall election ballots concluded last Friday with these filings: Wahkiakum School District Board of Directors Director Position 2, 4-year term, Paula Culbertson. Director Position 3, 2-year unexpired term, Susan M. O'Connor and Derek A. West. Director Position 4, 4-year term, Dan Wilson. Town Of Cathlamet Councilman Position 1, 4-Year Term, Ryan Smith. Councilman Position 2, 4-Year Term, Richard (Dick) Swart. Cathlamet, Councilman Position 3, 4-Year Term, William (Bill) Talbott. Naselle-Grays River School District #...
Wahkiakum County commissioners on Tuesday authorized Assessor Bill Coons to hire an experienced appraiser to fill a vacancy on his staff. Appraiser Michelle Lobue is moving from the area, and Coons wanted to fill the position with a candidate with over 20 years appraising experience. Commissioners approved Coons's recommendation to hire the new person at a salary level that reflected that experience rather than requiring the person to start at the bottom of the salary schedule. The salary is covered by the budget, Coons said. Commissioners appr...
Candidates for positions on fall election ballots started filing for office on Monday. As of Tuesday noon, filings included: --Lee Tischer, Port District No. 2 board of commissioners; --Tom Blalock, Cemetery District No. 2 board of commissioners; --Brett Deaton, Port District 1 board of commissioners; --Paula Culbertson, Position 2, Wahkiakum School District board of directors, and --Susan M. O'Connor, Position 3, Wahkiakum School District board of directors. Other positions on the ballot include: Fire District # 1 Commissioner Position # 3,...
Wahkiakum County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Bigelow learned April 29 that the state supreme court has declined to hear his appeal of a court of appeals decision that would invalidate the county's biosolids ordinance. This means the state Department of Ecology prevails, and the county doesn't have the authority to prohibit the application of two of three classes of biosolids on land in the county. Responding to concerns from Westend residents about the application of Class B biosolids at a Grays River Valley farm, commissioners adopted an ordinanc...
In a special meeting last Thursday, the Cathlamet Town Council approves a contract change order that will replace Main Street streetlights with decorative lights. Approval of the $34,000 change order opens the door for a contractor to start installing the lights. Council members told consulting engineer Thomas Skillings they wanted the work done by the start of the Bald Eagle Festival in July. Public Works Director Duncan Cruickshank said that grant funding agencies should compensate the town for the change order. If the council had cancelled...
Wahkiakum County Commissioners handled a variety of business at their meeting Tuesday. The board rejected a request from Assessor Bill Coons to allow him to hire a commercial appraiser to replace a departing employee. Coons said the office needs a qualified residential and commercial appraiser, and he isn't qualified for commercial appraisals. Previous appraisers have had commercial appraisers, but that has been lost to employee turnover. The union contract places a commercial appraiser in pay class 6, but it has historically been pay class 7....
Puget Island resident Lee Tischer has announced he will run for election for the seat Kayrene Gilbertsen now holds on the board of commissioners of Wahkiakum County Port District 2. Gilbertsen has said she will not run for re-election. Tischer is a former member of the Wahkiakum School District board of directors. "I’ve decided that I’m going to run for the Port 2 commissioner position that Kayrene Gilbertsen has held," Tischer said. "I’m happy to see the improvements being made to Vista Park, County Line Park and Svensen Park boat launc...
Wahkiakum County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Bigelow learned Wednesday that the state supreme court has declined to hear his appeal of a court of appeals decision that would invalidate the county's biosolids ordinance. This means the state Department of Ecology prevails, and the county doesn't have the authority to prohibit the application of two of three classes of biosolids on land in the county. Responding to concerns from Westend residents about the application of Class B biosolids at a Grays River Valley farm, commissioners adopted an...
The Eagle and TEAM Electronics are pleased to announce the sixth annual photo contest, “A Day in The Life of Wahkiakum County and Naselle.” We invite Wahkiakum County and Naselle residents to shoot a photo this Saturday, May 2, 2015, in the Wahkiakum County and Naselle areas and enter on or before May 15, 2015, to participate. Three division winners will be selected and earn $50 prizes. Winners and honorable mention photos will be published in The Wahkiakum County Eagle’s special edition, The Focus on Wahkiakum, in early June. Divisions will...
Wahkiakum County commissioners breezed their way through a brief agenda Tuesday and had time to hear complaints from Puget Island residents about troubling thefts. Janet Thomas revisited the aftermath of a theft that occurred in February in which five people came into the barn where she kept valuable chickens. As they were taking the chickens, she tried to stop them and was beaten. One suspect has been arrested, but others remain at large as the sheriff's office continues its investigation. Thomas expressed frustration at the lack of arrests....
Filing for elected positions on the 2015 election ballots gets underway May 11-15. Candidates for positions in Wahiakum County file in the county auditor's office, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30-4 p.m. Candidates for the two Naselle/Grays River Valley School Board positions will file at the Pacific County auditor's office. All positions are non-partisan races. The positions and current office holders are: Fire District # 1 Commissioner Position # 3, 6-Year Term, Filing Fee $ 12, Fred Aegerter. Fire District # 2 Commissioner Position # 1, 6-Year...
It's not everyday that one outs oneself on national television. That's what Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner did last Friday on ABC News with Diane Sawyer. Jenner recounted how even as a youngster, he felt he was female in a male body, how he tried to deal with that reality, and how at age 65, he has decided to embrace it. "Yes, for all intents and purposes, I am a woman," he said. Because feelings of gender identity are deeply personal, people don't usually share them in public. It's very hard for individuals to reveal to family and friends...
