Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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During its monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 9, the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce approved an amount of $35,000 to be invested in the production of Wahkiakum West's (WWest) future TV series "Columbia Coast." During the Feb. 12 Chamber meeting, WWest CEO Ken Johnson announced a pilot episode had already been filmed for the series and that he was in talks with a network to have a 13-episode season's worth of stories that would showcase Wahkiakum and Pacific Counties on the Washington side of...
To The Eagle, Last fall, I did a column lamenting the loss of local news coverage with the closure of the Columbia County Chronicle and Chief newspaper. As someone who spent over seven years working as a reporter, I’ve become all too familiar with the ups and downs of that industry. Almost every news outlet I ever worked for either changed owners or went out of business. Those unfortunate changes and realities eventually inspired me to seek a different career path, even though I absolutely loved what I was doing. I recently had the chance to s...
In partnership with Delphine Criscenzo from the Little Island Creamery, The Cathlamet Public Library is sponsoring the first ever Cathlamet Library Open Mic night. The event will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday April 25, at the Pioneer Community Center (125 Columbia St.). This event is a great opportunity for you to grab the microphone and read some poetry, the lyrics of a favorite song, tell a story, or maybe perform your own rhymey piece that you’ve always wanted to share. Library staff are encouraging folks to come, bring the kids, and read a...
I'm writing this on Monday, April 14. It's an absolutely gorgeous perfect morning. The sun is coming up. Anna's hummingbirds are at the feeder. Golden-crowned sparrows are up front. Mama English sparrow is working on her nest in a house I built. Now there's a good feeling. Birds bringing off broods in a house you built with your own two hands. That and picking apples (or cherries or peaches) from a tree you planted (what's it been) four years ago? It's the little things, my friends. The small...
NICE BEGINNING. As this week begins, it’s a sunny Sunday following a fairly chilly evening and a foggy start, but boy, is it nice to see the sunshine. Better yet, our forecast looks dry for the entire week, so now we’ll keep our fingers crossed that it stays this way. I know the folks organizing Easter Egg Hunts, as well as those dressing in their Sunday best to get to church, would love to see some lovely, dry, sunny days this coming weekend. It would also be great for those who enjoy being out in their yards and sprucing them up a bit, as,...
April 7 4:10 a.m. A caller on E SR4 near the west passing lanes called to report that a fallen tree was entirely blocking the eastbound lane. 7:17 a.m. The Cathlamet Emergency Services responded to assist an elderly Cathlamet resident who was experiencing pain in their arms. 1:41 p.m. A Cathlamet resident called to report seeing suspicious lights on in an abandoned neighboring residence. 4:53 p.m. The Puget Island Fire Department responded to reports of a power outage on W Sunny Sands Road on Puget Island; PUD was advised. 5:43 p.m....
Milford Wayne Free, lovingly known as Butch, passed away from lung cancer on March 24, 2025, in Seattle, Washington. He was 78. Born on August 10, 1946, in Bryan, Texas, to Eileen and Alson Free, Butch was raised in Cathlamet, Washington, alongside his brother Ron. The family first lived in Crown Zellerbach's Family Camp on the logging company's property along the Elochoman River, a setting that instilled in him a love of nature and a spirit of adventure. Butch himself described his childhood...
Clatskanie son, author and poet Raymond Carver once described a signal moment in his development when a stranger offered him a lens to a broader world. “I was just a pup then, but nothing can explain, or explain away, such a moment: the moment when the very thing I needed most in my life—call it a polestar—was casually, generously given to me,” wrote Carver. “Call it a Polestar” is the theme of the 2025 Raymond Carver Writing Festival, which will be held on May 3, 2025 in multiple locations around Clatskanie. The Festival runs from 10 a.m. – 8...
Employment Opportunity The Town of Cathlamet is now accepting applications for the position of Seasonal Lifeguard Manager. This is a part-time position at the hourly rate of $19.44 to $23.10 (DOE), plus paid sick leave at the rate of 1 hour for every 40 hours worked per WA state law. No other benefits are offered in this position. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and hold or obtain a CPR/AED/First Aid and Lifeguard Certification through required training. Applicants must be available to attend any required training when specified. Full...
Employment Opportunity The Town of Cathlamet is now accepting applications for the position of Utility/Maintenance Worker III (WTP Operator). This is a full-time position working 40 hours per week at the hourly rate of $32.63 – $38.79 (DOE), plus 8 hours of paid sick leave and vacation per month, two 8-hour floaters and eleven 8-hour paid holidays per year. Position also includes full family health benefits paid by the Town, including medical, dental, EAP, and employee life and disability with optional “buy-up” plans at full cost of emplo...
Over the past several months, Butler Street has been a source of discussion during sessions of Cathlamet's Town Council. With the street's water main being between 40 and 50 years old and, as noted by Cathlamet Treasurer Sarah Clark, "likely to fail," the question has arisen as to whether the Town should use money from a Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) grant to resurface Butler Street and whether or not some financial support may come for the replacement of the Butler Street Watermain....
HALF AND HALF. The first half of this past weekend was just gorgeous, and I heard a lot of lawnmowers going and trimmers trimming. It was truly a day to get out there and soak up some sunshine… awesome. Then, here comes Sunday, and it was the flip side of the day before: super wet and nasty. Definitely a day to cozy up and watch a bit of television. However, if the forecast holds true, we may have a decent three-day stretch of weather, but even if it’s just two, I’ll be thrilled. For now, it’s time to put away the yard tools and keep those u...
March 31 9:46 a.m. The Cathlamet Ambulance responded to assist an elderly Puget Island resident who was having trouble breathing. 10:43 a.m. A driver on SR4 called to report that a vehicle was partially blocking the eastbound lane; it was sitting with its hood up and had two passengers in it west of the county line. 12:59 p.m. Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call for a camper to be removed from the Puget Island Boat Launch after the camper’s owner was told they could stay overnight, but the caller needed them to leave now. 9:14 p.m. A con...
Julie and I took grandsons Tristan (14) and Wyatt (10) to the Radar Lakes on Friday just to get away for a bit. The weather was gorgeous. State Route 4 was virtually empty. The 69-cent rack at Johnson's One Stop in Naselle had recently been restocked. Can you say "Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts?" The lakes were devoid of humans, and the trout were incredibly cooperative. Finish this with hot dogs roasted over a fire, not one but two salamander sightings, and nary a single full frontal dunking, all...
The volunteers at the Wahkiakum Autism Awareness charity are bursting with excitement as this year's walk promises to offer a unique and fun challenge, a one-mile race in full gear between local volunteer firefighters and sheriff deputies. Initiated by volunteer firefighter and EMT driver Paul Lawrence, the challenge will feature brave deputies Jermey Jordan and Lucas Getman from the Wahkiakum Sheriff's department, as well as Sheriff John Mason himself. These gentlemen have stepped forward to co...
The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) is a tremendous resource that provides library services by mail to identified Washington residents. Any Washington resident who is unable to read standard print due to blindness, visual impairment, deaf/blindness, physical disability (cannot hold a book or turn pages) or reading disability can be a WTBBL patron. All costs for materials, equipment and services are provided at no charge to a patron. Any facility which regularly serves people meeting the aforementioned requirements may apply...
On April 1 at approximately 1938 hours the Wahkiakum Sheriff’s Office was notified that a commercial vessel had located a deceased individual floating down river near the upstream end of the Cathlamet channel. Sheriff Mason and Deputy Getman responded in the patrol vessel and secured the decedent at approximately 2034 hours. The Cowlitz County coroner’s office met us at the Elochoman Marina and took custody of the remains. The following evening the general height and weight as well as several clothing articles were matched to a missing juv...
The "Super Truckin Sorts timber sale" is three miles east of Cathlamet, on state forest land - lands that counties acquired through tax foreclosures before deeding them over to the state for management. It comprises 100 acres of century-old hemlock and, should it survive a legal challenge from an environmental group, is projected to net just shy of $1.8 million for Wahkiakum County's general fund. The "Auger In timber sale" is two miles north of Pluvius on state trust land - federally granted...
Wahkiakum Youth Mentoring Program This week, as part of my ongoing series on the Department of Health and Human Services, I am highlighting the Youth Mentoring Program. The program's mission is to strengthen the connections that young people have with our local community by providing opportunities for adult support and community involvement, and its goal is to help develop healthy-minded, confident, and skilled young leaders. I recently met with program coordinators Terrie Howell and Diana Zimmerman, who shared their enthusiasm for the program...
BIG STORM? We received numerous warnings last week about a major storm approaching. As time went by, more updates came in saying it was going to hit us pretty hard. However, not much happened except for some loud thunder and lightning, but nothing too awful. Hooray! I scrambled around getting everything nailed down and put away, but that’s ok as it’s much better to be prepared for the worst and have nothing happen than to be caught unprepared and now all your things are scattered far and wide. Always err on the side of caution, and you wil...
March 24 11:13 a.m. Sheriff’s deputies attempted to perform a welfare check on a Cathlamet resident who’s family member had not been able to contact; the resident was not home when deputies arrived, but they had been seen by one of the officers the day before. 7:52 p.m. The Cathlamet Emergency Services responded to transport an elderly Skamokawa resident with breathing difficulties to the hospital. March 25 3:36 a.m. A Puget Island resident called to report that a suspicious person was stealing cans from the recycling receptacles at the Puget I...
All ages are welcome to participate in the April Spring Fling Reading Challenge. Simply drop in to the library, pick up and complete the reading challenge tracking sheet, and return it by Wednesday, April 30 to earn prizes. The more you read, the more you win. Applications for the Teen Internship may be picked up from and returned to the library Wednesday, April 9 through Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Interviews begin the following week and will be completed by Sunday, June 1. This Saturday, April 5,...
On Monday March 17 members of the Friends of Julia Butler Hansen (FJBH) visited the state capitol to pass out starts from cuttings of Maude Butler's 100-year-old climbing rose. In all they passed out 28 rose cuttings to legislators, senators, the governor and the lieutenant governor. This was done in coordination with several other exciting county events happening later this spring. For more information contact the Chamber, the Town, the Cathlamet Woman's Club, or the Friends of Julia Butler Han...
The Bubblehead team from Naselle won the SeaPerch Cathlamet Qualifying tournament last Friday in wet and cold conditions. In Seaperch, a team prepares an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle to move very fast through an obstacle course, and then to precisely move objects between underwater platforms. They also prepare written documentation of their engineering design process. The team that does the best in all three of those tasks qualifies to represent Washington State at the International...
Introducing Appelo Archive Center's new Director, Angela Metcalf It is a privilege to introduce Angela Metcalf as the new Executive Director of the Appelo Archives Center in Naselle. Angela grew up in Cathlamet and is an alumnus of Wahkiakum High School. She met her husband, Brandon, on a blind date, and after their marriage, she moved to Naselle 18 years ago. They have two daughters; their oldest attends Naselle School, while the youngest is being homeschooled by Angela. Her father was a...
