Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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To The Eagle: The Washington Coast Restoration and Resiliency Initiative (WCRRI) provides valuable funds for salmon restoration projects in southwest Washington. Local restoration practitioners like the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce (CREST) rely on WCRRI to fund habitat restoration projects that restore essential habitat for juvenile salmonids, update and enhance aging infrastructure, create local jobs, improve our natural resources, and make southwest Washington a more vibrant place to live. CREST is currently developing two...
To The Eagle: I’ve been thinking about immigration a lot these days. Here I sit in my nice house on Sunday morning looking at the lovely view I have of ‘my’ valley, thinking about the Indians who lived here first. I think I’m an immigrant, too. I migrated from Indiana to West Virginia, to Texas, to Colorado and to Alaska, then to Seattle, then to Wahkiakum County. I had so many stories from other places that my neighbor, Bob Torppa, asked me one day where I was “really” from, but I didn’t know what to say. I thought about it and my best answe...
To The Eagle: In the perennial pursuit to promulgate a Progressive Utopian Paradise (PUP), Governor Cuomo of New York has signed into law legislation enabling third trimester abortion up to actual live birth and in some cases beyond, as one formless and grammarless defender put it, “into the fourth trimester.” Virginia has enacted equally egregious legislation, and several other states including California are marching in lockstep in that direction, and some of the Democrat Party’s rather bizarre collection of 2020 presidential wannabes have...
To The Eagle: Although the judge determined that there are no legal grounds for recalling three members of the town council for misfeasance regarding the purchase of the lot next to the Bank of the Pacific, the bad odor surrounding these good people persists. Why, when there is a shortfall in funds for desirable expenditures such as the town library, did these officials authorize the purchase of a contaminated property not needed by the town? Why did the negotiated purchase price exceed the appraised value by $28,000? Lastly, why did the...
To The Eagle: Puget Island Volunteers are participating this year in Doernbecher’s Children’s Hospital “Fill The Boot” on Saturday and Sunday January 26 and 27. Stop by and donate to a wonderful cause. Hope to see you there! Sherrill Bollen Puget Island Volunteer Firefighters...
Happy new year! Well the new year is getting started with a kick and the Sheriff's Office is abuzz with several new deputies! Two of our new recruits already lived in our county at the time of hire and all of them are excited and dedicated to protecting and serving this county with professionalism and honor, and all have a public servant's heart. Upon graduation from the academy we will be posting their photos, bios, and introducing them to the community. We are looking to fill one corrections/dispatch position and are going to have a local...
To The Eagle: Formally registered as the Cathlamet Pioneer Center, but known by many as the old Pioneer Church, the building that anchors the corner of Main and Columba Streets in Cathlamet was built in 1896. For more than a century it has served as a worship center, meeting hall, Senior Center, movie theater, wedding site, performing arts center and most notably, the visual icon of the Town of Cathlamet. It has literally weathered storms that required FEMA dollars to restore the building for use. With the assistance of grants, cash donations...
To The Eagle: The Fair Foundation will hold a Lasagna Dinner on Sunday, January 20 from 1 to 6 p.m., at the Rosburg Hall. There will also be a bake sale and silent auction during the dinner. This is the first of several events that will help raise funds for the second Challenge of Champions Pro Bull Riding Event scheduled for July 19 this year. The Fair Board received a grant and purchased seven sets of new bleachers for the fairgrounds. They will be ready for the Bull Riding and will ease the seating problem that we experienced last year. We...
To The Eagle: I was pleased to discover that the county will be providing some funding for Cathlamet Public Library in 2019. They have budgeted $3,000 for the town library and the same amount for Johnson Park's library room. The library board had voted for a greater increase for out-of-town library cards in December when it was told that there would be no county support, and had reconsidered for a lesser increase at the January meeting since our library is open less hours than similar size libraries with higher fees. The new county support,...
To The Eagle: We want to say thank you to all of the people of Wahkiakum County that participated in helping with the Star Program for the 2018 season; the Wahkiakum High School that each year helps us, the families that took stars and for the businesses that allowed us to place our trees. We also appreciate the monetary gifts that completed many emergency families’ needs. We wouldn’t be able to finish the program each year without this help. NovaLee Knopp, Director Wahkiakum County Star Program Not a Wahkiakum County funded age...
To The Eagle: Our Washington State Democratic Party will gather for its quarterly meeting January 25 through January 27, Friday - Sunday. That meeting will be held at Hotel Red Lion, 2300 Evergreen Parkway, Olympia, Washington. Contact: 360-943-4000; olympiasales@relion.com. Public is invited and welcome to attend, view and listen to our party’s proceedings. Public - Hosted by Island County Democrats. Sincerely, David Zabel Chair, The Wahkiakum Democrats...
To The Eagle: As librarian I must regretfully announce that it has become necessary to increase fees for out-of-town library cards at Cathlamet Public Library. Half of our patrons live outside the town limits, but the county has declined to add support for the library to their budget for 2018 or 2019. The Library Board of Trustees voted at their January 3rd meeting to raise the cost of an out-of-town children's card to $6, an adult card to $15, and a family card to $23. These fees are still below what other libraries of similar size but with...
To The Eagle: Eric Skemp’s letter last week about Sheriff Howie demonstrates the fallacy of Initiative 1639. The statement “No sales of assault weapons to people less than 21 years old” is powerful. Folks who did not read the initiative, or who are not familiar with rifles see this and think “Assault Rifles, yes we should restrict those.” I-1639 defines any and all semiautomatic rifles as “Assault Rifles.” Of note, “Semiautomatic” means basically one pull of the trigger, one shot fired, release the trigger and squeeze it again, one shot fired....
To The Eagle: Just saw the latest news that there were over 40,000 deaths last year from guns, more than half were suicides. And this is not an epidemic? Clearly we have to do something to protect our population. Our county commissioners want to try to turn back the referendum that our state recently passed. What do they intend to accomplish with this effort? Is it a good idea just as we see that gun deaths have reached a 40 year high? At the same time as the commissioners tell us they should not make any effort to take steps to combat this...
To The Eagle: Some years ago I heard that there was a baseball player whose annual pay was more than the combined pay of all our U.S. congressmen and senators. At the time I thought that was a terrible comment on our nation’s value system. Now after observing the behavior of our senators and congressmen and many other federal employees for the last couple years, I don’t believe their combined pay should be as high as a second baseman’s. Gilbert Vik Cathlamet...
To The Eagle: I find Council Member Sue Cameron’s “set the record straight” letter to the editor laughable at best and filled with disingenuous “facts.” Her attempts to justify council actions are an insult to the citizens of Cathlamet. I will only comment upon those issues of which I have personal knowledge. Regarding a “Code of Conduct” in which Cameron accuses citizens who comment upon the council’s actions as “toxic, with public members offering unconstructive, inflammatory remarks and personal attacks on council members.” I spoke...
To The Eagle: Thanks so much to all the people who have helped with Cathlamet’s city beautification project this year. I really appreciate the hard work these folks have done, planning, planting, watering and redecorating. The Town of Cathlamet and all who pass through are treated to clean and tidy streets, freshly painted businesses, and best of all, big blue flower pots with gorgeous displays. It’s such a treat to drive through and take in the view of this sweet little village. I’m sure it’s been more inviting for visitors to stop and exp...
Reader Commentary by Bill Wainwright In last week’s Letter to the Editor, town Councilor Sue Cameron illustrates again how tone deaf and deceptive the many narratives issued by our town council have been. Mayor Dale Jacobson and majority of the council have pretty much disregarded the issues voiced by many of our tax paying town residents. It still looks like more of the same. In her letter, Cameron spins a series of half- truths and omissions to justify some of the council’s recent actions, primarily regarding the town’s finances and plann...
To The Eagle: I just recently read that Sheriff Howie has stated that he does not intend to enforce the message that the vote on I-1639 made on changing the gun laws in Washington. Frankly, I think voters are frustrated to do something to curtail the epidemic that guns, and especially assault weapons represent in our society. The referendum might not be perfect but it does move this issue forward. No sales of assault weapons to people less than 21 years old, background checks for every sale of a gun and locking up guns in the home. These are...
To The Eagle: Thank you to the voters for electing me to represent you as County Commissioner for District 3. It was a pleasure going door to door and meeting old friends and new people who have moved to the area since I retired as Sheriff. I also want to thank each of you that assisted me by having yard signs, encouraging words or assisting me in my campaign. I will do my best to represent all the citizens of Wahkiakum County. Thank You, Gene Strong County Commissioner Elect District #3...
To The Eagle: In this Christmas season, the decoration lights beam out over so many dark places in our area. It’s dark earlier and there aren’t many street lights, certainly not out where I live in Grays River. But the lights that are here come from homes where families are celebrating the holidays with house lights that guide us home, sometimes quite literally. When there’s rain water covering the fog lines at the side of the road, or fog that makes distances confusing, or snow that brings a different kind of shadow, it can be harder to see wh...
Reader Commentary by Sue Cameron Councilor, Town of Cathlamet I am writing this as an attempt to set the record straight about misconceptions--which seem to have a life of their own--regarding the Town of Cathlamet, especially as noted by Bill Wainwright in the Nov. 29 issue of The Eagle. Regarding John Morgan: John Morgan is a highly respected consultant to Oregon Cities and came recommended by Bill Fashing of the Cowlitz/Wahkiakum Council of Governments (COG). I never worked with him in Tillamook, but I have co-facilitated leadership programs...
To The Eagle: Thank you, residents of Wahkiakum County, for having allowed me to serve our community for the past 11 plus years. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve. Congratulations commissioner elect Strong. You have taught me that knocking on doors works, see you in four years. Rest assured that I will continue to serve our county's interests going forward. I will continue to fight for our future and offer any assistance that I can provide. This includes continuing to work on getting our timber legislation passed in Olympia as well...
To The Eagle: After reading Citizen Wainwright’s letter to the editor of 11/29/2018, I have concerns why our town council is contracting with an Oregon firm for training on how to make decisions, at a cost to us citizen taxpayers of $20,000 when such training is available to all Washington municipalities at no cost or little cost! Free training programs on how to govern and serve as good leaders are offered by the Association of Washington Cities through seminars, classroom, and online eLearning courses. All courses earn credits that can be a...
To The Eagle: There’s an effort afoot to start a local Toastmaster’s club – basically a group that meets weekly to have fun developing speaking skills ranging from technical to humorous, from sublime to ridiculous. The effort is spearheaded by Sue Cameron who has recruited help from a couple of experienced Toastmaster organizers to help us get started. There are about a dozen of us so far, and we need about twice that number to become a viable club. This is an invitation to come check it out and see if it is something you might have fun with....
