Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 3144
Reclassification is complete, and beginning next fall, for the next four years, the Wahkiakum Mules will be a 1B school. Enrollment is a major factor in classification, and while numbers have declined over the years, Wahkiakum’s Athletic Director and boy’s basketball coach Rob Garrett points out that the district has always been at the bottom of the 2B classification, in which enrollment ranges from 105 to 224. Now Wahkiakum is at the top of 1B. Garrett sees nothing but positives. And for old...
Ryan Dale Torppa, 45, of Cathlamet, died in his sleep, at home, on Saturday, Jan. 6. He was born in Lonview in 1978 to Debra Rose and Thomas Torppa and grew up in the Rosburg-Naselle area. Ryan graduated from Naselle High School where he was active in football, basketball, and baseball. He attended Eastern Washington University briefly on a football scholarship before returning to Naselle and marrying Rebecka Fournier. Ryan and Becky had three children, Paige, Rylee, and Tommy. The family later settled in Shelton, where Ryan worked different...
This time of year is usually a slow time for news out this way. We are used to cancellations from storms and flooding, but today, there seems to be a lot happening. School There has been news at the Naselle-Grays River Valley School District almost every day. Since Lisa Nelson’s resignation, things are moving right along to find a new superintendent who we hope with be on board during the coming summer. Lisa will stay through the August. In her resignation letter, she set her last day as Aug. 30. Please make sure to read the article on the s...
In December the Naselle-Grays River Valley School Board made changes with new members coming aboard. Members voted to elect Robert Torppa as chair and Amy Hunt as vice-chair. At that meeting, the new chair announced he wanted to put into place two changes for board meetings: public comments would be held to three minutes; and minutes would be shortened to reflect the business decisions made by the board rather than records of everything said by audience as comments. The school board began moving in new directions with their first two meetings...
The Naselle-Grays River Valley School District will provide an informational meeting regarding the District’s upcoming proposal for the renewal of its Educational Programs Levy. This meeting is open to the public and will take place in the school library on Monday, January 29, at 6 p.m....
To The Eagle: The Naselle-Grays River Valley School District Board of Directors recently authorized the placement of a three-year Educational Programs Levy on the Feb. 13 ballot. This levy, which is a renewal of the existing tax, asks voters for a collection of $651,000 per year at an approximate rate of $1.27 per $1,000 of assessed valuation to help fund existing school programs and district operations. The current levy expires at the end of 2024. The renewal levy, if approved, would be collected in 2025-2027. This levy rate represents the...
Bob Torppa called this morning to report on a major waterline break during the night below Paul and Nikki Footh's home on Loop Road in Grays River. The line was likely a 4" pipe that had broken in the evening, around 8:30 p.m. Paul could hear it, so he walked down the hill and found it. A PUD of four came out very quickly, brought a small excavator and dug up the line in the hard ground, and fixed the break, finishing around 11:30 p.m. The leak caused a loss of from 1/3 to 2/3 of the water in...
THURSDAY Johnson Park Advisory Board 10:00 a.m. Johnson Park. West End Food Pantry, Johnson Park, 1- 5 p.m. Senior Citizen Luncheon, Noon, Hope Center 320 S 3rd St. Cathlamet. Senior Citizen Luncheon, Noon, Rosburg Hall, Rosburg. Community Library & Computer Center 12-5 p.m. Johnson Park, Rosburg SAIL Program, Exercise for Seniors, 12:45-1:45 p.m. Hope Ctr. 320 S. 3rd St. Cathlamet. Rosburg Community Club 7 p.m. Cathlamet Fire Department, 7 p.m. Skamokawa Fire Department, 7 p.m. Grays River Fire Department, 7:30 p.m. Puget Island Fire...
ARE YOU READY? I was hoping that the frigid, possibly snowy, forecast would have warmed up and all the warnings for the super cold temperatures would have gone away by now, but nope— forecasters are still saying temperatures are going to plummet by the time you read this and you may need to be chipping ice or shoveling snow or both. My plan is to stay put and stay warm and I hope all of you who actually have to be out and about in the cold weather will find a way to stay warm and safe. Please keep your vehicle loaded with all the supplies y...
Holiday Trauma. After the holidays, January can bring a pall onto our days. Death seems to land on holidays harder than the rest of the year. Rain, clouds and chills weigh heavily on us, bringing on a sadness that only sunshine can heal. The traumas of our lives, whether they came in our childhoods, adult or elder years, stay with us. They usually can't just be tossed off. Whether it's something that happened around loss, fear or pain, it lives in our bodies from as early as childhood, into our...
THURSDAY Johnson Park Advisory Board 10:00 a.m. Johnson Park. West End Food Pantry, Johnson Park, 1- 5 p.m. Senior Citizen Luncheon, Noon, Hope Center 320 S 3rd St. Cathlamet. Senior Citizen Luncheon, Noon, Rosburg Hall, Rosburg. Community Library & Computer Center 12-5 p.m. Johnson Park, Rosburg SAIL Program, Exercise for Seniors, 12:45-1:45 p.m. Hope Ctr. 320 S. 3rd St. Cathlamet. Cathlamet Fire Department, 7 p.m. Skamokawa Fire Department, 7 p.m. Grays River Fire Department, 7:30 p.m. Puget Island Fire Department, 7 p.m. District No. 4 Fire...
On the morning of Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, Naselle resident, Darlene Jane Warra Bjornsgard, passed away at the age of 79. Darlene was born in Raymond on March 9, 1944, to parents George and Helvie (Pollari) Warra. Darlene was raised in Naselle, attending the Naselle-Grays River Valley School District and graduating with the class of 1962. While Darlene was quick to note she "loved every job she ever had," she was most proud of co-founding Finn Ware with her sister in 1987. Darlene served people...
Letters to the editor are intended to encourage the expression of the residents of Wahkiakum County in a venue they trust. The letters are a place in the paper where anyone can have their say. We publish nearly every letter we receive. We hope that readers will write in to share their views on a wide array of topics impacting them here in Wahkiakum County and Naselle. In 2024, nearly all of us have access to free 24 hour national and international news coverage on our phones, tablets, and computers. The Eagle knows our readers look forward to r...
I have some fun news. A couple years ago Ken Johnson asked me to do some interviews of local folks, so I have done quite a few. I hope to do more this year because it would be great to have more videos available so the families can see these folks for years to come. You can now watch them at columbiacoasttv.com. Five interviews have been loaded to the website, so please check them out so you can hear more about these folks. It's so fun to see them now available to the public. A series of...
On Dec. 19, the Wahkiakum School District Board of Directors learned how a Career Connect Washington grant, which was just renewed for a second cycle, is benefiting students at the district and at Naselle/Grays River Valley School District thanks to 4-H and the Wahkiakum WSU Extension office. “We applied for and received another year’s worth of funding from Career Connect Washington,” Extension Director Carrie Backman said. “It was pretty stiff competition. I think that’s just a testament...
School board news At the last Naselle/Grays River school board meeting, Bob Torppa was elected Chair, and Amy Hunt, Vice-Chair. Both have had years of experience serving on the School Board. Deep River Church History "Clear memory of childhood is rare they say, but I am fortunate to remember some of the old things better than later happenings. Within my four-score years and nine, much water has passed under the many bridges I have crossed, and within this life-time of mine things have often...
To The Eagle: Factual and unbiased reporting has always been the foundation of responsible journalism. When political bias infiltrates the journalistic process, we end up with claims of “fake news” and a general distrust of what is being reported. In her recent column [from Oct. 26], Eagle reporter Karen Bertroch trampled across the boundaries of professional journalism into the territory of political activism. Clearly, in her column she is campaigning in favor of the upcoming levy for the Naselle-Grays River Valley School District. Stumping fo...
Last evening many of us were on the roadside in Naselle watching the Christmas Light Parade. Disneyland could hardly provide more entertainment! We had horses, the high school band on a float playing Christmas music, fire trucks, tractors, 4x4's and a float with a Hawaiian theme. The parade lasted forty minutes; it was indeed a gift to us all. Christmas Letters Many may remember when Carlton Appelo sent out his annual Christmas letters. Here are samples from some of the Christmas letters he...
After receiving approval from port commissioners at their meeting last Thursday, Wahkiakum County Port 1 Manager Todd Souvenir will apply for grants to replace the aging pump out system at the marina, used to remove sewage waste from boats. Another grant could secure a secondary mobile pump out system to be used as back up or for vessels that could not access the primary station. “It’s a 25 percent match,” Souvenir said, “but we can use employee time and any work we do towards that match,...
Photo of the Week: Darlene Warra Bjornsgard. Just a few days ago, we lost a woman whose life impacted many. Darlene was hospitable, generous, and always family first. Here is a quote from Scott Johnson on Facebook that illustrates so well what this woman meant to all of us. He told a story that is an example of the love and care both Darlene and Paul have given to so many here. His message reflects how the community remembers Darlene with such respect and gratitude. "I will always remember that...
THURSDAY Westside Play & Learn Group, Valley Bible Church, 9:30-11 a.m. Johnson Park advisory board. 10:00 a.m. Great Rivers Behavioral Health Org. Board, 1217 Mellen St. Centralia WA 11:00 a.m. West End Food Pantry, Johnson Park, 1- 5 p.m. Senior Citizen Luncheon, Hope Center, Noon. Senior Citizen Luncheon, Rosburg Hall, Noon. Cathlamet Fire Department, 7 p.m. Skamokawa Fire Department, 7 p.m. Grays River Fire Department, 7:30 p.m. Puget Island Fire Department, 7 p.m. District No. 4 Fire Department, 7 p.m. Food Addicts Meeting, Hope Center, 3r...
Thought for the week: "The smallest stone can make a ripple on the water." As we get closer to Christmas Day, please take time to ponder these words. Your gifts aren't as important as you yourself are in a relationship. The little touches, the kind words of endearment, the look that says, "I'm here with you." These gestures mean so much. They are the best gifts. Photo of the Week: A stunning house in Seaside built by Apple Roofing of Rosburg/Altoona Pillar Rock. Over the past days, Christopher...
The Naselle/Grays River Valley school board added Robert Torppa and Natasha Crater to the board at their most recent meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Even though Torppa won the election, he applied for appointment and could therefore start in November instead of December when new Board members are sworn in. Crater was the only volunteer from the Parpala Road area who stepped forward to serve in the position Amy Chadwick filled before she resigned at the September meeting. The board now has members from all the school district’s areas. Prior to t...
THURSDAY Westside Play & Learn Group, Valley Bible Church, 9:30-11 a.m. Port District 1, 500 2nd St. Noon Eastside play and learn group, St James family center 1:30-3 p.m. West End Food Pantry, Johnson Park, 1- 5 p.m. Johnson Park Community Center Library & Computer Center noon—5 p.m. Senior Citizen Luncheon, Hope Center, Noon. Senior Citizen Luncheon, Rosburg Hall, Noon. Cathlamet Fire Department, 7 p.m. Skamokawa Fire Department, 7 p.m. Grays River Fire Department, 7:30 p.m. Puget Island Fire Department, 7 p.m. District No. 4 Fire D...
Votes were certified on Tuesday and results remained unchanged. Joe Baker held off challenger Michael Severson in the closest race. Appointed during the last term, Baker will continue his position on the Cathlamet Town Council with 91 votes to Severson’s 85. Patty Anderson held on to her seat on the Wahkiakum School District’s Board of Directors after besting challenger Kandice Merz, 935-434. Voters chose Brian Heston to replace outgoing Director Paula Culbertson on the Wahkiakum School Dis...
