Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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Top: Stephanie Leitz, left, was the emcee for a Wahkiakum Lions Club "Night Out Wahkiakum" holiday program which was streamed online last week and highlighted local talents like musicians Kyleen Austin and Andrew Emlen, right, and Robert Michael Pyle, who maintained his traditional reading of "The Night Before Christmas." Right: Cathlamet librarian Carol Blix read a story during Night Out Wahkiakum, and the Wahkiakum High School Dance Club performed a routine to a Christmas tune. Screenshots by...
Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services (WCHHS) has received a limited initial allotment of Moderna brand COVID-19 vaccine and is scheduling appointments for vaccinations. In Monday news release, WCHHS Director Chris Bischoff said department staff are uncertain how many more doses will be available and how soon they will arrive. For this reason, WCHHS is following federal Centers for Disease Control and Washington State Department of Health guidance on the prioritization of vaccine distribution. "We would like to invite those 75 and older to...
Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services (WHHS) has received a positive test result notification for one additional COVID-19 case in a Wahkiakum County resident, the department announced in a Tuesday morning news release. This brings Wahkiakum to a cumulative total of 54 cases. The person in question has no connection with schools or St. James Family Center. "We are working to identify anyone who may have an exposure risk because of contact with the individual," department Director Chris Bischoff said in the release. "Those people with close...
On Monday, the Cathlamet Town Council scheduled a special meeting for next Tuesday to discuss the feasibility of establishing outdoor dining on Main Street. Restaurant owners urged the council to consider the idea as a means of supporting struggling businesses amidst covid-19 restrictions. Also, Council Member David Olson announced the conditional award of $109,410 grant funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce Clean Energy Fund to install an electric vehicle charging station in the Butler lot. More information on the charging...
As of Tuesday, the total number of positive covid-19 cases in Wahkiakum County had risen to 50. The number of active cases is not being reported by Wahkiakum Health and Human Services at this time. According to the Washington Department of Health, one person is hospitalized and 925 tests have been conducted so far. Cowlitz County is reporting a total of 2,317 cases, with 1,037 considered active, and 22 deaths. There have been 545 cases reported in Pacific County, with 56 considered active, and...
Wahkiakum County commissioners breezed through business Tuesday in what was the last meeting of the year for the board and the last meeting as a member of the board for Mike Backman. Backman has served eight years on the board but lost his bid for a third term to Lee Tischer. Before adjourning the meeting, Commissioners Dan Cothren and Gene Strong presented Backman a plaque thanking him for his service. "It has been a pleasure working with you," Cothren said. "You do go the extra mile." "I echo Dan's comments," Strong said. "It has been a...
The Wahkiakum School District Board of Directors met last Thursday to hear reports and discuss a couple issues before the Christmas holiday. “We made it with kids from September 2 until today, and I know [we] feel excited about that,” K-8 Principal Nikki Reese told the board. “We may have had a few unsure days in the last few weeks, but at the same time we’ve kept our kids safe, we’ve kept our staff safe, and we’ve kept everybody at school. It’s not full time, and it’s not where we want to be,...
I hate to do this, especially in what should be a celebratory week, but this week, I'm going to toughen our standards for letters to the editor and refuse to print a letter that appears to be largely fiction. The writer repeats debunked claims that the US presidential election was rigged and goes from there. The electoral college has done its thing: Joe Biden, Jr., has been elected president and Kamala Harris vice-president. Lawsuits challenging election results have been thrown out of court for lack of merit and evidence. An article in this...
To The Eagle: Eagle Cliffs Distillery, maker of Exalt Vodka, will cease operations effective Dec. 31. We ceased production of our high quality potato vodka and will sell as much stock as possible. Interested consumers and liquor licensees may call the distillery for special offers through the end of the month. Consumers may continue to buy Exalt Vodka after Dec. 31 from both Cowlitz Co. liquor stores until supplies run out. One is located in the Triangle Shopping Mall, the other on Ocean Beach Highway across from Walmart. The distillery,...
To The Eagle: A recent letter was rife with silly misinformation soured by a preening arrogance, sneering at anyone who “has a problem” with those who refuse to wear a mask during this epidemic. That author’s proud declaration “I don’t know squat and I’m independent” speaks volumes. Here’s my opinion on why folks who refuse to wear face masks in public venues are indeed a problem for the rest of us. We are being urged to diligently wear facial coverings and maintain distance not merely because someone might cough in our face. Covid has prove...
To The Eagle: As a loyal reader of The Wahkiakum Eagle's Sheriff's Report, I am seeing an increase in incidences of people locking their keys in their vehicles then calling 911. On the face of it, this seems like a trivial misuse of emergency services during a time of global pandemic, but if you look more closely, you see the beginnings of a social movement. This bold act of environmental activism could quite possibly stem the rise of global sea levels and lessen our dependence on foreign goods and oil. As a symbol, the act is electrifying. No...
The next time you step into the Community Center in Cathlamet, you might be lucky enough to meet the new coordinator, Cecile Bamer. Bamer has already been involved in many projects in Wahkiakum, providing support for the Lions Club Helping Hands, or trying to revive a nonprofit in the midst of a pandemic. She's an active, physical person, who loves new challenges. "I love learning," Bamer said. "I love a vertical curve. I'm constantly in that space." Vertical curve, indeed. She is reticent to ta...
WET AND WINDY--As this weekend before Christmas winds down, we are having some very wet and windy conditions, so in other words, normal weather just before the Christmas holiday. It seems when we all want to do that last minute shopping, the weather is more like "stay at home" weather, which with Covid going around, is so fitting. However, there appears to be a few days of drier weather before the rain returns, which could mean some freezing, so let's hope folks don't get caught off guard by the dryness and forget about the possibility of some...
Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, meetings and events usually listed here have been canceled or changed to online participation until further notice. The Eagle was advised of the following events: Online Recovery Meeting, Lower Columbia River Refuge Recovery. Mondays 6:30 p.m. Zoom ID 960 8413 9102. Community Center, Mon. 9-12 & 1-5. Tues-Thurs. 9-1. Friday by appointment. Cathlamet Library T-F 2-5 p.m. Covid restrictions enforced....
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will offer two free days in January, when visitors to state parks will not need a Discover Pass for day-use visits. The first free day is Friday, Jan. 1, which gives visitors the opportunity to take part in a First Day Hike, a nationwide initiative that aims to get people outdoors New Year’s Day. To discourage the spread of COVID-19, rangers will not guide First Day Hikes this New Year’s Day. State Parks’ blog Adventure Awaits suggests several ideas for self-led First Day Hikes and activ...
Hunters who report their 2020 black bear, deer, elk, or turkey hunting results by Sunday, Jan. 10, will have the opportunity to win one of nine deer and elk incentive permits for fall 2021, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials said December 22. WDFW Game Division manager Anis Aoude said the department is offering the special permits, which will be awarded through a drawing this spring, as an incentive to encourage hunters to report their results as soon as possible. “Special hunts include five deer permits and four elk p...
Tourist Attractions for the Locals This may seem a bit redundant for some; however, in defense of the readers who have been bombarding me with questions about the area and what to look for as a learning experience as well as an educational one. This is also in response to the many new arrivals to the community (less than 10 years) who have also inquired as to the historical significance of many of the old buildings. This is a brief summarization of just three of what I consider the most...
December 13 — 1:09 a.m. An Elochoman Valley resident reported that several people with flashlights were looking around his truck. The group left on foot, heading towards Beaver Creek. 3:37 p.m. The Cathlamet ambulance aided an ailing Rosedale resident. 3:55 p.m. An East Sunny Sands resident reported a suspicious vehicle casing homes on the Island. The caller said that a friend was following the vehicle. A deputy stopped the driver of the suspicious vehicle and determined that nothing untoward was happening. 6:43 p.m. A caller reported a car i...
The Naselle-Grays River Valley School Board of Directors held its monthly meetings on Nov. 17 and Dec. 15. On Nov.17, the regular board meeting was preceded by a special workshop for the board to discuss the district’s upcoming ballot measure for renewal of its enrichment program and operations levy. At the workshop, the length of the levy proposal and amount were considered. Following the workshop, the board met for its regular meeting and approved a resolution to place a three-year proposal on the Feb. 9 ballot to collect $579,000 per y...
The FISH Center at Wahkiakum High School was finally completed this week, with the installation of a fire alarm system. The news is a bit anticlimactic, really, if one considers the whole story, because this has been a long time coming. How to tell you what this building means? This square, concrete block building, tucked without fashion into a location only made suitable because of easy access to water, sewer, and electricity. But this isn't about form. This is about function. The dual...
The Columbia River Reader (CRR) of Longview has compiled into a book a 33-episode series chronicling the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s journey of discovery. Author Michael Perry wrote the columns for the reader in time for the 200th anniversary of the1805-1806 expedition. They proved to be popular and were reprinted, and now, the Reader has put them together with embellishments, further reflections, commentary, photos and woodcut art by Debby Neely. Episode 1 describes President Thomas Jefferson's scheme to evade restrictions from Congress a...
The Town of Cathlamet has announced the conditional award of a $109,410 grant from state funding via the Washington State Department of Commerce Clean Energy Fund to install the only DCFC (Level 3) high power fast-charging electric vehicle charging unit in Wahkiakum County, adjacent to State Route 4 (connecting Longview to the Long Beach Peninsula) and abutting State Route 409 (Cathlamet Main Street), an important state highway connecting Washington to Oregon via the Oscar B toll vehicle ferry. The grant conditionally awarded to the town is...
Another Wahkiakum County resident has tested positive for covid-19, according to a press release on Sunday from Wahkiakum Health and Human Services, bringing the total to 53. The individual is symptomatic and in self-quarantine. There is no connection to Wahkiakum School District or St. James Family Center at this time. WHHS is working with the person to determine who might have risk of exposure, and will contact those people who have come in close contact. The risk of contracting covid-19 in Washington is increasing dramatically, according to...
