Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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Wahkiakum County saw a 71 percent voter turnout at this year’s election. Lee Tischer won 62 percent of the votes for County Commissioner #2. Running unopposed, Dan Cothren won 95 percent of votes. Running unopposed for Pacific and Wahkiakum County Superior Court Judge Position 1, Bernard Veljacic won 97 percent of votes for both counties. Robert L. Jungers ran unopposed for Wahkiakum Public Utility District Commissioner #2 and won 96 percent of Wahkiakum votes. Jim Walsh won 61 percent of votes in Wahkiakum County and 59 percent statewide f...
Season of Gloom When Mark and I were first considering moving to the Northwest, we had a lot of people ask us how we were going to do with all the rain. We honestly brushed it off without much thought. We had visited many times and we felt like we would be fine. Our first winter proved us wrong. Coming from Denver, Colorado, where the sun shines on average 300 days per year, we were not prepared for days upon days of rain and gloom. Seasonal depression has been a very real thing for both of us....
On Tuesday, the Wahkiakum County PUD Board of Commissioners began their meeting by unanimously approving the agenda, minutes and finances. PUD Manager Dan Kay updated the Board on the Puget Island Water System well drilling, the bid for which was approved by the Board in October to Schnieder Equipment, Inc. “This is exciting,” Kay said as he described the pre-construction meeting with Schnieder Equipment, “they’re going start next Monday.” Kay went on to reiterate that their process for water testing has been fully approved by the Departmen...
OFF AND ON. As this week begins, we had some showers and some sunshine after some foggy conditions this Sunday morning. While it’s not perfect, it’s better than the constant pounding rain that we have experienced recently. There is some dryness in the forecast for this week before the rain comes back on Sunday and I hope that holds true as I’m certain the ground around us is soaked already! Of course, with hurricanes and tornadoes blasting away in some of the other states, I suppose I should not complain at all. Our hearts go out to all of th...
The Cathlamet Town Council held a regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 4. During a public hearing on the 2025 preliminary budget, one citizen questioned the timing and allocation of proceeds from a timber harvest, which is expected to generate $170,000 to support the cumulative reserve fund. Another citizen raised concerns about annexation, which Mayor Olson confirmed cannot occur without property owner consent. The citizen also urged the council to prioritize town residents over tourists. Questions were also asked about 2025 water and sewer rate...
Basics of Building a Go-Bag Emergency Preparedness in Wahkiakum County By Shirley Rheault This is part 2 of a 4-part series Disasters can happen at any time and when it strikes it can take first responders days or possibly weeks to reach you. That's why you need to have an emergency plan. An emergency plan needs to cover what to do if you need to leave or stay where you are. Last week I went through the basic supplies to have on hand for sheltering in place. This article will cover the basics...
At the Wahkiakum County Commissioners meeting Tuesday Retired Sheriff Mark Howie was presented with the Marine Corps League's Eugene A. Bolstad Memorial law enforcement officer of the year award. Sheriff Howie took over the department after the suicide of Sheriff Jon Dearmore. During his acceptance Sheriff Howie mentioned his predecessor and the difficulties of managing the department after the death of Sheriff Dearmore. The Bolstad award is given annually to a law enforcement officer who has...
This is part 1 of a 4-part series. In a previous article about the possible imminent disasters that could occur in our county, the Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Office Emergency Management Coordinator, Austin Smith stressed that we should be at least "two weeks ready" and "make a plan." After witnessing the devastation in Florida and North Carolina from the ravages of hurricane Helene we can see clearly why this is important, not only for us and our family, but also to help the emergency response...
The Wahkiakum School District Board of Education held their regular October meeting on the 22nd. The board, school administration and a few guests were present for the meeting. The meeting opened with public comment from cheerleading coach, Kaitlin Kincaid. She came to address the board about the exciting opportunities the cheer team has in starting competitions this winter. “The team has grown significantly over the last few years, from four to over sixteen. The squad is ready for the next level and to shine in their own world as a...
On Sunday, November 3, from 2-4 p.m. John C. Hughes, author and Washington's Chief Historian will be presenting an oral history of the life and legacy of Julia Butler Hansen, the legendary Congresswoman from Cathlamet, at Little Island Creamery on Puget Island. The first major biography of Hansen, "Julia Butler Hansen, A trailblazing Washington Politician," was written by John C. Hughes. He met the newly-elected congresswoman in 1960 when he was a student at Grays Harbor College. Hughes had the...
SOGGY START. As I begin this column, it is definitely a gloomy, wet, and windy Sunday out here in West Valley. It was so bad for a while that our satellite reception was totally blocked out. At any rate, those who wanted the rain definitely got some but supposedly by Friday we may have a dry streak of three days so that would make it nice for the beginning of November. I still can’t believe October is over...yikes! Where is the time going? At any rate, it’s definitely time to winterize and get ready for the fun that usually accompanies the wet...
Do you have questions about Medicare? Would you like to learn about some of the resources available to Wahkiakum County residents? Do you need your flu or COVID vaccine? Stop by the annual Living Well in Wahkiakum event on Friday, November 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hope Center, 320 S. 3rd Street, in Cathlamet. Representatives from the Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities of Southwest Washington (AAADSW) and Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) will be available to answer questions about open enrollment and other matters...
Welcome to my new column, Westside Stories. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am Lisa Yeager. My husband Mark and I moved to Grays River in June of 2021 after purchasing the old Schmand dairy farm on North Hull Creek Road. We spent our first 2 years clearing years of overgrowth, metal, concrete, and loads of other debris left behind. Our original plan was to develop and build an RV Park, however, due to several setbacks, that venture is permanently on the back burner. On...
Jake Dailey and his three-man crew have spent the past two weeks swimming through dense thickets of young hemlock on the Ellsworth Creek Preserve. They call themselves the Rake Force, and their current mission - a pilot project with The Nature Conservancy - is to thin the stands from thousands of stems per acre to roughly 150 stems per acre. In spite of their name, which is a satirical play on comments then-President Donald Trump made in 2018 about the need to "rake" forests in order to reduce w...
Student health and wellness is a focus of attention at Wahkiakum High School and finding ways to help students advocate for themselves is at the forefront of the student care package from an academic setting. For the third year in a row the community came together to provide an education on healthy living and resources for students and what services are available to them at the Health and Wellness Fair hosted by the district on Tuesday, October 22. Twelve booths were on display for high school...
The Castle Rock Men’s Ensemble will perform a free concert at St. James Episcopal Church, 1134 Columbia St., at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. This is the 30th anniversary of the choir, with only two original members, Clarence Knutson, the conductor and Neal Johnson who had the idea of a gathering of men who love to sing. The ensemble has been performing at St. James for many years with a variety of types of music, religious, show tunes, popular songs and some surprises. Daylight savings time goes into effet so you can use the extra hour to hear a...
Our teacher features this week shares teachers' passions beyond the classroom and their committed to the district by waking up early to commute long distances from Longview and Rainier to serve our students. Katie Baker came to Wahkiakum amidst pandemic learning as a student teacher, then became a full-time substitute and has been in the fourth-grade classroom for three years. When she was growing up her teachers had a strong impact on her, specifically Nicole Wilson and Carrie Badger. She knew...
A sea of orange dots the store fronts and porches in the communities and farm fields throughout the state as the love of pumpkin mania has grown to a $16 million dollar a year industry for the state of Washington (2023, USDA). The agtourism sector has jumped to astounding levels, much due to the love of the fall pumpkin harvest connected to the upcoming holiday, Halloween. Families flood the fields to pick their favorite pumpkins to use as art projects for their little goblins and goons. The pumpkin is one of the most versatile plants one may...
It was a packed house at the Grays River Grange on Tuesday evening as candidates for several political offices presented their case to local residents why they feel they are the best person for the job. Doors opened an hour ahead of the start time. The Grange provided light refreshments as residents of Wahkiakum County and surrounding communities filtered into the historic building for a full evening. Candidates mingled with the crowd, shook hands, and answered questions. Long time Grange member and Grays River resident Bob Pyle, gave a rousing...
During the Town of Cathlamet Council meeting on October 21, Wahkiakum County Sheriff John Mason presented his report for the quarter based on the past year’s calls for service, specifically addressing Town activity. If there is a call placed as 911, no matter what, the Sheriff’s Department is going to respond. Based on his report, we live in a very safe community. Thank you to all in the Sheriff’s Department. The Mayor was absent for this meeting. There was regular business to approve an amendment to the cultural resources portion of the Water...
In the small city of Clatskanie, east of Astoria, there are four open positions for the City Council and only one candidate going into the November election. The one name on the ballot is incumbent City Councilor Jeff Horness. He is running unopposed to retain his seat — a seat he is all but assured to win. Across from the three other City Council positions on the ballot, including the mayor, there are just blank spaces where voters can write in a name. If they want to. As far as City Manager Greg Hinkelman knows, this situation is a first f...
At the the joint Wahkiakum County PUD Board of Commissioners and Town of Cathlamet Council Consolidation meeting, Erin Wilson of the PUD and Sarah Clark of the Town presented the Town's 2024 budget (excluding water and sewer utilities) to better understand what the budget would look like if the Consolidation were to happen. Erin Wilson stated that the PUD's bottom line is "do no harm" to the customer. Sarah Clarke stated that there is still work to be done to get a better snapshot of what the...
The Naselle-Grays River Valley School Board met for their monthly meeting on Oct. 15. All the Board of Directors, except for Lonnie Eaton, were present. The agenda was filled with several actions for discussion and approval related to personnel, resolutions, and policies. During the Public Comment portion a request was brought to the board from several parents, students, and representatives of the Naselle Sports Club to restart the wrestling program. The lengthy discusssion covered issues regarding the short time frame to be able to...
The Friends of Skamokawa will be hosting their 34th annual online auction, “River Life Holiday Auction Fundraiser” via https://friendsofskamokawa.org/auction. A QR Code is available for each auction item. The auction begins Nov 1 at 6 p.m. and goes through Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. Monetary donations are accepted online and by mail: Friends of Skamokawa, PO Box 67, Skamokawa, WA 98647. This year’s auction items include: vacation getaways, dinner reservations, service certificates, gift baskets, home décor, and more. Purchase your holiday gifts early!...
DREARY BEGINNING. As this week begins, it's a dreary looking day here in Skamokawa, which began with heavy, damp fog, and after that lifted and went away, it just stayed gloomy and quite wet. It’s a good day to be inside watching racing or football. It looks like we will get a break for a few days, but by Friday, it will be "keep the boots handy" type of weather for multiple days. It looks like fall is here and lots of falling rain. Please keep those headlights on during these gloomy rainy days and remember to slow down a bit. Getting there i...
