Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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To The Eagle: In response to Carol Weghdahl's insightful letter regarding our great fire department and emergency responders, I say "ditto." Maureen Zacker-Bockius Cathlamet...
To The Eagle: Cathlamet and Wahkiakum County are dependent and appreciative of its fire department (FD) and emergency medical service (EMS) volunteers; thank you all. These volunteers are absolutely necessary and vital for our safe and healthy community; we can’t do without you. We want our volunteers to advance both personally and professionally. Part of professional development is to learn from those in charge, the leaders and managers. Every citizen has a vested interest, morally and financially, in the ability of our elected officials to e...
If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Many people would like to apply that old saying to the Cathlamet Fire Department and Mayor George Wehrfritz's efforts to bring its management under his control. The department operates under an arrangement created in 1932. It put supervision of the department under the Cathlamet Commercial Club, which now operates as the Chamber of Commerce, with that supervision subject to approval by the town council. Over the years, the department grew to be a strong organization that operated largely on its own, with its...
To The Eagle: Several jokes in my repertoire, both straight and risque, start with Luigi coming ashore from Ellis Island with two bits in his pocket, filling a box with fruit and veggies for sale and graduating quickly to pushcart, then trucks, then warehouses and great wealth - an encapsulated summary of the American Dream. It's been an obsolete yarn for quite some time, since it's quite apparent that in today's reality, Luigi would need 16 licenses, five permits, union membership, and an environmental impact statement in place before acquirin...
To The Eagle: Recently Puget Island Landowners were mailed a letter and a valuation order for their parcel from the county Board of Equalization (BOE). I asked tor additional information to better understand what I had received. Colleen Haley, Clerk of the Board responded via e-mail with the property sales information I requested and an electronic copy of briefing materials the BOE had used to explain what they had done during the equalization process. The information is more useful and easier to understand than any information I have obtained...
Following is a proclamation from the Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners: Sunday, September 11, 2011 Patriot Day Whereas, US House of Representatives Joint Resolution 71 was approved by a vote of 470-0 on October 25, 2001. It requested that the president designate September 11 of each year as "Patriot Day," and Whereas, President George W. Bush signed the resolution into law on December 8, 2001. It is a discretionary day of remembrance. On September 4, 2002, President Bush used his authority created by the resolution and proclaimed Septembe...
To The Eagle: Thank you Dan and Calvin for helping load some stuff. Thank you, Trudy for dinner. Shame on those who stole the many items and really did you need to dump garbage everywhere just to steal the garbage cans? I spent my time caring about people, land and animals and it is distressing to see how I was treated. Really all you’d have to do was ask. I would have given but stealing is so wrong and hurtful. Raven Webb formerly of Rosburg...
To The Eagle: With temperatures at 85 degrees and rising, humidity above 80 percent, dressed in overalls, helmets and all manner of safety gear, the young men of the DNR crew couldn’t have worked harder or more efficiently if they had been professionals. I was informed this crew had only been together for three days yet the coordination and flow of the work this crew performed was seamless. The Mariner Lodge team work was directed by supervisor Tim Tienhaara whose years of experience served to expand each crew member's exposure to power and g...
First, it was exhausting for those involved, but the Third Annual Cathlamet Downhill Corral longboard festival provided a weekend of entertainment. Competition was more keen than ever. Longboarders came from Canada, the East Coast and all over The West to compete. They brought some of the big names in the sport, too, the pioneers who figured out how to do all those moves. Longboarding is what I call an alternative sport. It doesn't have a lot of money. Competitors love the thrill, and they learn by challenging themselves, meaning most of us wou...
To The Eagle: I am writing in response to the recent article regarding another allegation against the Cathlamet Fire Department by Cathlamet Mayor George Wehrfritz. For over 20 years, I have been a volunteer EMT and have always been proud to serve in an organization responsible for saving lives and property in Wahkiakum County. Beyond the approximately 500 calls a year is a long list of state and federal requirements and continual maintenance to be ready at a moment's notice to go into action. Volunteers spend countless hours each month in trai...
To The Eagle: Teresa Hicks of Skamokawa is the winner of our beautiful coffee and tea basket given away at the Wahkiakum County Fair. We wish to thank everyone who participated in the drawing and came by to share their many uplifting comments. The Wahkiakum County Republican Party...
To The Eagle: As a ratepayer to the Wahkiakum PUD, are you aware that a rate increase from the Bonneville Power Administration of 9.5 percent would not require a 9.5 percent increase in a ratepayers electric bill? In actuality, BPA cost of power to the PUD constitutes approximately 50 percent of the cost of delivering power to the ratepayers. If the PUD's budget for the next calendar year maintains the same operating costs as the prior calendar year, the rate increase would 50 percent of 9.5 or 4.75 percent. If one was to go one step further...
Newspapers like to get letters to the editor. They represent the diverse points of view in our community, and they're often informative. Writers will take on public officials, who by the nature of their elected position, are subject to criticism that goes beyond the limits normally given to private citizens. This week, we received three letters on Tuesday, one past deadline, criticizing Mayor George Wehrfritz and his handling of Cathlamet Fire Department business. Specifically, writers focused on a grant the department solicited from the...
To The Eagle I want to make sure there is no confusion regarding the appeal rights of the Puget Island property owners relating to the new property valuations issued by the Board of Equalization. By now, all of the owners of property on Puget Island should have received their new property valuations issued by the county’s Board of Equalization. Regardless of whether an individual’s property valuation went up, down or stayed the same, property owners have the right to appeal that valuation to the Board of Equalization. If you are a Puget Isl...
To The Eagle: It appears that the "surge" is working. The shock troops that we sent to Washington D.C. last November to fight against President Obama's War on Prosperity managed to make some gains in the deficit and health care battles while keeping the tax monster under control. Not bad considering that our invading troops only nominally control one half of one of the three branches of the Empire. Most observers and tacticians agree that real significant gains will have to wait until next year when we can replace the chief executive and...
To The Eagle: In last week's Eagle, Trudy Fredrickson submitted a letter entitled Land Trust Not Our Friend. She was commenting on the Kandoll Road CLT project where they finally succeeded in forcing landowner Raven Webb to sell her property. I was also sad to see Raven leave. But this is only the beginning. In a recent county commissioners meeting, Mr. Dan Friesz of Columbia Land Trust admitted he was wrong on an issue regarding CLT's Indian Jack Slough, formally known as the Nelson Creek project. In 2010, he said that the project would have...
To The Eagle: Thank you, Cathlamet, Wahkiakum County and Port District #1! During Bald Eagle weekend, nearly 30 boats from the Portland Yacht Club (PYC) enjoyed the newly redone E dock and pavilion at the marina. Five of the classic "woodies" from PYC also participated in the Wooden Boat Show and we cheered as Don Peterson's tug "Hoot" was named Best of Show. Again this year, our members thoroughly enjoyed the parade, the food, the displays and the superb fireworks show but most of all we loved your hospitality. We'll be in Cathlamet again...
To The Eagle: I've been here at the Fort Harrison VA Hospital a week with an infected diabetic foot. Should be released today. I can't say enough good things about the care one gets here. It's not my first time here or in VA hospitals. I had a triple bypass at the Denver VA in 2005 and went to the Salt Lake City VA for my eyes three times. All my experiences have been good. I'm especially impressed with the staff, from the kitchen crew who bring the meals to the nurses and others on the floor, to the doctors I've seen this trip. All are outstan...
To the Eagle, This letter is a little hard to write, as I feel like I’m saying good bye to a dear friend and a true champion of property rights. I want to share my thoughts with her as well as The Eagle readers. This letter is written as my own opinion. Raven Webb has sold her property to the Columbia Land Trust, and will be leaving the area to a new home soon. As she said in her recent letter to the editor, she truly was not a “willing seller.” But what do you do when you don’t have the money to fight any longer against a group that always...
To The Eagle: I am writing to you so that I may publicly thank all who have helped with painting the horse barn and fixing the stalls at the fairgrounds. It was something that needed to be done and the horse people pulled together to get the work done. My thanks go out to Joni Matthews and her daughters Makaya and Makenzie. Also a member of her 4-H group, Jordan Smith, and her friend Robert Eaton. I would also like to thank Starsha and Shakesha Rose. A special thanks goes to Lois Wakefield, who put together wonderful lunches for us and is truly...
To The Eagle: The two food banks of Wahkiakum County are always in need of donations of food and personal hygiene items for families in need. When children and their parents step forth to fill a portion of that need, it is especially poignant. This summer, the Wahkiakum Interfaith Network sponsored Vacation Bible School collected and donated a huge supply of needed food and personal hygiene items for both of our local food banks. On behalf of the board of the Wahkiakum Helping Hand Food Bank, we thank the children and parents who understand...
To The Eagle: Property owners of Wahkiakum County, we must give credit when credit is due. The Board of Equalization held a meeting for the property owners on Puget Island, July 27. The meeting represented at least four months work for the board working against huge odds such as the State doing everything in their power to keep tax assessments as high as possible with total disregard to the true market value of the property. The previous appraiser used a bewildering and impossible grading system which led to many properties being very much...
To The Eagle: Last week's Eagle contained an obituary for Ken Terhaar which listed his extensive community involvement in the Longview area, but what was not included was the role he played in Wahkiakum County. I would like to make sure that local residents realize this and how important it was. For a number of years, Ken served on the board of the United Way of Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. In that capacity he was appointed to serve as the liaison between that organization and St. James Family Center, which has long been supported by it....
To The Eagle: For years LNG energy speculators promised us, “If we import foreign LNG it will diversify the supply and stabilize natural gas prices.” Now they claim, “If we export our generous supplies of domestic natural gas in the form of LNG it will stabilize prices.” Thanks to Ted Sickenger (Oregonian, July 17) for exposing this ultimate bait and switch scheme. If we allow these energy speculators to export away America’s energy future, you can kiss any form of economic recovery goodbye. In addition LNG terminals will destroy critical...
To The Eagle: I feel a portion of my duty as sheriff is to inform the citizens of the operational aspects of my office when I can. One part of the operation is vehicle management. We rent our vehicles from Public Works/County Roads Department and pay into a fund for equipment, repair, and replacement. Over a period of years and as mileage increases, a formula is used to calculate vehicle replacement. Typically, we try to replace cars with cars and SUVs with SUVs. However, I feel SUVs are more appropriate for patrol use in our county due to the...
