Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 1957 - 1981 of 2595
To The Eagle: The mayor says the Island is using 45% of the water produced by the town but paying only 18.3% of the revenue, advances the case that the Islanders are being unfairly subsidized by the mainlanders and states that the town is losing fifty cents per hundred cubic feet on the water they sell the Island. There are some tee-tiny problems with these figures. In 2012 the town sold 4.6 million cubic feet of water in town and outlying areas for which they received $68K. They sold the same amount, 4.6 million cubes, to Puget Island...
To The Eagle: T’was indeed a spectacular donnybrook at last week’s PUD meeting. Mayor Wehrfritz and Chairman Jungers are both skilled verbal swordsmen, and the other main players, Healy, Swart, Reid, Tramblie, Booth-Watts and Cruickshank were all articulate and impressive. The article in The Eagle made me sound like the prophetic leadoff speaker, but that’s off the mark. I had just sorta stumbled in to give my semi-annual catchment water/septic vs. sewer back-to-basics pitch with no idea that the OK Corral was in the offing. Both sides had a...
To The Eagle: I find it so sad to read that the city (Cathlamet) and the PUD (public utility district) cannot sit down and negotiate a new contract. Webster's defines negotiate, "To confer with another so as to come to terms or reach an agreement." The PUD needs to remember the city's water plant was built with tax payer funds and only has a true obligation to provide water to the city proper. The PUD has made the decision to supply water to Puget Island. However, the PUD wants to be able to buy water below cost from the city and mark it up by...
To The Eagle: The Star Program is for children up to and including the age of 17 whose families need a little extra help with Christmas gifts each year due to job loss or difficult circumstances. All names will be held confidential. Anyone wishing to help can pick up a star from the Star Trees at the Bank of America and Bank of the Pacific in Cathlamet, the Duck Inn Restaurant and Skamokawa Store or the Rosburg Store. Each star has the age, sex, and sizes for a local child along with two or three Christmas wishes. You may purchase one or more...
To The Eagle: The conflict over the Puget Island Water system between the city of Cathlamet and the Wahkiakum PUD is at a crises point. The posturing and bickering between both parties are only going to lead to hurting the rate payers on the systems. Over the eight years that I served on the Board of Commissioners of the Wahkiakum PUD (2002-2010), I witnessed multiple incidences between the management team and my fellow commissioners over the inability of the City of Cathlamet to be able to justify their actual costs in providing water to the...
To The Eagle: Is there a problem with the Town of Cathlamet’s long term water contract with the Wahkiakum Public Utility District #1? There is for the Town, and here’s why. The current contract (which expires in 2037) provides for the Town to sell 41% of the water it produces for 18% of the total revenue it receives. But there’s more. The contract requires the PUD to pay the Town for the Town’s defined cost of producing water plus ten percent. But the defined cost is less than the true cost of producing water, which includes interest on debt...
To The Eagle: The Lions food drive was a great success. It is more than driving a vehicle and picking up food. There were routes to assign to men and someone to go with them to pick up the food. We had a shortage of drivers due to hunting and a funeral later in the afternoon, but the good Lord helped us find some. The volunteers wore badges so people would know them. They unloaded the food at the food bank and the volunteers put the food on the shelves. Somewhere in between, there was pop and pizza to eat and we have food on the shelves. So...
To The Eagle: There is a fatal flaw in all money systems where money is created as debt with an interest charge attached. What is the flaw? The only money created is the amount of the principal; the money required to pay the interest is not created. Therefore each borrower, to be fair to all borrowers, should borrow even more money to pay the interest which also has an interest charge attached. This cycle goes on perpetually. Over time debt accumulates to an overwhelming amount. It can bury even nations as we are witnessing on the global...
To The Eagle: Thanks for the great story on our 1963 team. I must say, that I served in Wichita, Kansas. Many of my classmates and team mates from the 60s served in harm’s way in Southeast Asia. You are my heroes. God Bless the USA. Russ Durrah, Cathlamet...
Finding middle ground isn't always easy, as demonstrated by the sour negotiations between Wahkiakum PUD and the Town of Cathlamet over the contract for sale of water for the Puget Island Water System. The town wants to amend the contract, which can be opened every five years, to include costs not covered in the pact. These include a share of capital improvement costs. The negotiations have drug out 19 months, apparently because the PUD and town can't agree on what costs and numbers to consider. Now, we're at the point where PUD commissioners...
To The Eagle: We have some really big news coming for the public utility customers of the Town of Cathlamet. We anticipate that we will be diverting all waste water from the town up to our new treatment plant starting the week of November 4. The plant is functioning, and we will be in a 30 day proving period for the month of November. We will arrange tours of the facility for those who wish to learn more about what all the labor has been creating. Please let me know if you would like to look around at the new plant. For water customers, we had...
To the Eagle: News Flash: Puget Island will be building its own water treatment system. How do we know? Because PUD Commissioner Bob Jungers last Tuesday described the town council’s compromise proposal for a water deal using the tired rightwing cliché--a pig with lipstick. Thank you Mr. Jungers, the town council will take that as a “no.” Having negotiated with the PUD for the better part of two years, my impression is that they came to the table with two objectives: either coax the town into giving the PUD our water system, or break...
To The Eagle: Kathleen Hogan was our dear friend and one of the most patriotic citizens of this nation, along with her husband Jerry, her roller skate dancing partner for life. Kathleen was a thinker and superb commentator; her ability to listen and then summarize the gist of conversations was unique to say the least. Often times she would say, “Thank you,” when she heard you say something she had determined long before you said it. Her statements often rendered further debate obsolete. Kathleen’s ability to inspire others contradicted her o...
To The Eagle: My name is George Cameron and I have visited County Line Park for several years with my wife and family. I am an avid salmon fisherman and have a 28’ motorhome. County Line Park is very unique in the fact that one can park and relax in the sun literally feet from where you want to fish. Recently I’ve heard disturbing rumors about the park being sold to a private organization and that the wonderful park hosts, Bob and Arloa McLean, are being evicted with little notice. I have had the profound pleasure of knowing and dealing wit...
To The Eagle: Flattering as it is to be considered as a “write-in” candidate for a town council position, I have no interest in running for office. I am no eleventh hour candidate, and did not ask for any endorsements. No one asked for my permission before putting up a sign with my name on it. Frankly, I was embarassed. My only interest in the 2013 politics is to support Mike Balch for sheriff. Amid implied allegations of improprieties by our side of the campaign for sheriff, I wish to state that I, like the rest of the Mike Balch for She...
To The Eagle: Having recently returned from a 44-day RV trip involving six states and three provinces, what a thrill it was to open a faucet and draw a glass of water that was fit to drink. Paul Vik, Puget Island...
To The Eagle: Our community, far and wide, always helps us and is why we can distribute the food to those that need it the most. The need is growing and we want to help as much as possible, with your help. The Lions are having a food drive Saturday, November 9 beginning at 10 a.m. Please help by having your contribution ready for them. If you are missed, please call 795-3553 or 795-3497 and someone will pick it up. Or if it is more convenient for you, donations may be dropped off at the Food Bank located at 42 Elochoman Valley Road. Thank you...
To The Eagle: At the eleventh hour, a write-in candidate has emerged to challenge Cathlamet’s newest Council Member, Hannah Booth-Watts, in next month’s election. I encourage voters to retain Hannah to insure a strong, balanced Town Council. Hannah is an accountant by training. She understands finance, knows how to read a budget and grasps the importance of spending the town’s very limited resources effectively to deliver needed services. Since joining the council last April, she has played a lead role in improving financial oversight, and i...
To The Eagle: I have been asked to tone-down my aggressive attacks on our two elected judicial officials. While my fight must and will continue against these individuals, I address the forthcoming election of sheriff and offer my endorsement. As we all know, there must be a true and objective sense of cooperation between our police department and officers of the court. Officer Mike Balch has given 20-plus years of good service to the county and it appears many endorse and support him. However, in my opinion and with facts, and in his own...
To The Eagle: We have a campaign for sheriff that has drawn a great deal of attention in that we have a patrol-detective running against his boss. Sheriff Howie has over 23 years in law enforcement, 15 plus in a supervisory position status and many supervisory training schools. He was hired by Jon Dearmore for that very reason. The day Jon Dearmore passed, Undersheriff Howie took control of the department that was truly in disarray with the passing of the sheriff. This was accomplished without hesitation, even knowing that Jon was his best...
To The Eagle: Two candidates have distinguished themselves for the position of school board by showing attention to the difficult issues facing children today, speaking frankly and in detail about drugs, depression and leadership. Sadly these two candidates are running for sheriff. P.L.Carrico, Cathlamet...
To The Eagle: Twenty-five years ago the number one noxious weed was Canadian Thistle. Hundreds of gallons of herbicide were dumped out on fields in Wahkiakum County. Shortly after, we started to find dead goldfinches; their food is the thistle seed. Our honey bees took a big hit as the thistle blossoms are a source of nectar for them. Did the herbicide get rid of the thistle? Look around you, it’s everywhere. All that was done was to poison our environment. It’s not about weeds, it’s about money, large amounts of money available through governm...
To The Eagle: I am a retired postal worker. I have a lot of experience and knowledge concerning the white mail truck you have seen delivering mail in our area lately. I performed maintenance on these trucks and drove them for many miles. I was also a certified driving examiner/instructor for the postal service on these and other vehicles. These trucks were designed to last a very long time, hence their name, long life vehicle. They are constructed of light weight aluminum and were designed with only city delivery in mind. City delivery consists...
To The Eagle: In 1986 Jack Metcalf wrote a book titled, “The 200 Year Debate: Who Shall Issue The Nation’s Money?” He outlines the choices that throughout history, as now, have been 1) The government issues the nation’s money as a credit that is owed to no one and can circulate freely indefinitely; and 2) Banks issue the nation’s money as an interest bearing debt that can circulate until it is repaid and is then extinguished. Choice 2 has been used almost exclusively throughout our nation’s history. We have a well documented proven loser with...
To The Eagle: I am running for council position No. 1 because, although my husband and I are relative newcomers to Cathlamet, I love the immediate feeling of acceptance and welcome that greeted us here and the growing sense of belonging. I want to contribute to this atmosphere of inclusion. I want to be a voice of optimism in the community. Shortly after we arrived in Cathlamet, our insurance agent commented to us that every time he walks down Main Street on an errand, he has to allow an extra 20 minutes because he always meets someone he...
