Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 781 - 805 of 2578
To The Eagle: Thank you, J.B. Bouchard, for the education on white privilege. I didn't have a clue. I had been going down to Jim Crow Creek for 30 years without a racist thought until someone in Olympia educated me that it's racist. No, sir, I have not experienced any of the scenarios that you mentioned, but I have been in Atlanta where I was treated like a second class citizen . . . I've been in some pretty bad neighborhoods where I felt very uncomfortable for being white. If I only knew about my white privilege then. I do feel privileged,...
To The Eagle: I have served on many boards and committees but I can say the County Planning Commission has been one of the best I have ever been a member of. So when I read that two of the commissioners resigned last week I was really sad, but not surprised because I too, was also very unhappy with how things went at our last meeting. There need to be changes and I will work with my fellow commissioners to discuss and make needed changes to bring order to how we do business in the future. I was one the commissioners that voted no on the PUD's...
To The Eagle: Of the 360,222 Union casualties who died in the Civil War, 16,000 lie cradled in the hallowed ground of Arlington National Cemetery. Each gravestone is a monument to a soldier who gave the last full measure of his devotion toward the preservation of the United States of America. The first veteran interred there was 21 year old Pvt. William Christman. On May 17, 1864, he was laid to rest beneath an arbor of Arlington mansion where Mary Lee, wife of turncoat Gen. Robert E. Lee, had enjoyed reading in warm weather, surrounded by the...
To The Eagle: Mucho stuff about Black Lives Matter in last week’s Eagle, but there’s more, or as the late newscaster Paul Harvey would put it, “the rest of the story.” Among the more amusing was Pelosi and Schumer donning colorful Kente cloth duds in support of BLM, oblivious to the fact that it came from the Ashanti tribe, who were leading suppliers of slaves to the Dutch and English slave trade for more than a century. Also entertaining was the story of Cheryl Selby, the mayor of Olympia, who supported and marched with BLM, so they rewarde...
To The Eagle: What is a maverick? A maverick is a rogue hero, willing to break away from the norms of doing things, to stand up for what is true and right. In WA state, so many of our legislators are happy to listen to and follow suit with identity politics, cave to peer pressure and pacify extremism that has lead WA state into complete chaos from taxes to education and even property rights. Our politicians hide away in their offices until they are forced in some way to make a public statement to discuss current statewide and nationwide events....
To The Eagle: I have heard Clint Bryson publicly speak twice and also had extended conversations with him twice. Clint Bryson is running for LD 19 position #1. Clint has demonstrated that his values in public office are very much in line with our county's values. One example happened just a year ago. Montesano, where Clint is a city council member, owns some 5,000 acres of timberland, which has always been open for public use in addition to being a source of sustainable timber revenue. When their forester came to the town council to ask that...
To The Eagle: After the last batch of letters to The Eagle, I was encouraged and prodded to write a rebuke of the name calling and fact missing letters. I was ready to do so, but instead I’ll quote something I’ve read many times: “Forgive them, they know not what they do (or say).” Instead, I will focus on some very serious problems I have watched happening under Trump. Science: When did Republicans, or so many of them, graduate from high school, taking science, presumably passing, then jumping on the Trump train of disregarding science...
To The Eagle: At last, a group of local volunteers has succeeded in forming a much-needed Wahkiakum Animal Advocates Group (WAAG). It is a non-profit organization whose mission is to prevent animal cruelty and abuse, to foster and re-home unwanted, abused, neglected, abandoned and stray animals, to help with animal care, and to facilitate the spaying and neutering of companion animals. WAAG members will sell goods at the Elochoman Farmers Market on Fridays to raise funds. For more information on this new organization, please contact Wendy...
To The Eagle: As a member of the Wahkiakum County Planning Commission, I assumed that when the commissioners voted down a permit that it was done, unless it was brought before us again with more discussion and information. Not so, with the Skamokawa Water Expansion project brought before us by the PUD. Following our rejection, our Wahkiakum County Commissioners unanimously approved it last Tuesday. There were valid concerns from the planning commissioners in the initial meeting and with no one in attendance to answer those questions it was...
To The Eagle: I must have misunderstood my role as a member of the planning commission and the role of individuals or companies coming before the commission for approval of their project. I reference the PUD Skamokawa project. The first meeting of the commission, to discuss and question content within the proposal, was fruitless as the author and person most likely with answers to commissioners’ questions, the manager of the PUD, could not be bothered to attend. One portion of the presentation submitted, was a technical memo from Cultural Resou...
To The Eagle: About Covid-19, in the USA; with the population of an estimated 330 million; over 2 million got the virus; 118 thousand died and over 873 thousand recovered. The numbers of our loved ones that died are not comforting; this shouldn’t be happening but it did. For coronavirus update, go to https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries. We still have much to learn about the virus but those with a high and mighty attitude telling us to get over it and wear the mask out of protection and respect for others does not swallow w...
Last week, word traveled by social media that people supporting the Black Lives Matter would hold "A March of Silence" on Friday afternoon, state wide. According to news reports, the event's purpose was to honor those lost to police brutality and institutionalized racism, with the silent part also to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. I and members of my staff were pleased to learn a group of Wahkiakum County citizens would join the statewide event. They gathered in front of the community center in Cathlamet, held signs and waved at...
(An incorrect link for the Zoom meeting was submitted in this letter. It has been corrected. --editor) To The Eagle: The Wahkiakum County Republican and Democratic Parties formed a joint Subcommittee for Debates/Forums. I was excited to serve on this committee and in January we began planning mass gatherings so Wahkiakum County residents could get to know political candidates and submit questions. That came to a screeching halt with Covid 19. And then Zoom arrived as a communication tool. I am pleased to announce that Wahkiakum County will...
To The Eagle: Letters to The Eagle in the June 11th issue were so earnestly and respectfully written, on a variety of issues that I feel that the writers, Mr. Schreiber, Mr. Skemp, Ms. Ling, Ms. Brightbill, Nicole Emery and Luke Bohn should be commended. Our sheriff, Mr. Howie, weighed in also in the same manner. I appreciate being able to live in a community with individuals who can speak their minds with passion asking for change. Jacquelyn Ostervold Puget Island...
To The Eagle: Writing strictly as a Cathlamet resident and independent voter, I felt it necessary to comment on the article in the June 4 Eagle labeled Life under Attack. The writer made many statements I do wholeheartedly agree with. I do find though that he succumbs to using the same vitriol regarding the Democratic party that many other embarrassed and desperate GOP supporters increasingly have to resort to. In particular, it’s ironic he infers Democrats are the party of “handouts.” It’s hard to square that circle after after a $22 billion...
To The Eagle: And now we are forced to witness another massive hysteria brought to us by our leftist media. The awful and destructive riots are meant to demoralize and terrorize our people. How they love to bring their lying and dispiriting ‘news’ to their audience. How they take pleasure in spewing their nasty and grim predictions of doom. Their non-stop contempt for their own country and traditions seems almost overwhelming to us who would be free of them. For those who live in the metropolises, it is getting to be unbearable. I ask what pol...
To The Eagle: There’s an old saw about the guy with excellent will power – could resist anything but temptation. Regardless of how the China Virus got started, the ChiCom government couldn’t resist the temptation to jockey around with travel policy, disinformation, and monopolistic medical supply practices to turn it into a worldwide pandemic. And then a few blue state governors and mayors couldn’t resist the temptation to turn it into a political football with querulous quarantines and economically disastrous lockdowns. By imperial decree, the...
To The Eagle: What is white privilege? Here is the explanation someone requested. We live in White America and sup daily at the banquet of white privilege. White privilege is not something that you choose — it exists. This social construct was in place before you and I were born. Accepting white privilege doesn’t mean you’re proud of it. It also doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. There are good people I’ve known my whole life that have done positive things for their communities, saying that they “love all races” or something to that effect. An...
To The Eagle: Please read the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, the answer to repair what divides the races is there in that brilliant caring man’s words. The Black Lives Matter movement lost much support when they accused anyone that said All Lives Matter is a racist and joined hands with ANTIFA Anarchists. BLM became irrelevant when the movement bonded with ANTIFA and other hate groups that never cared about lifting poor Black people out of poverty or seeing innocent Black children being denied the promise of America because they are forced t...
To The Eagle: Every cop in America should walk off the job for two weeks so we can see what they do, city, county, state and federal. Let's see what happens if they are not on duty and who is affected the most. It is not a good time to be in the business of "Protecting and Serving." It is sad that as in every work group there are bad people, those few bad cops deserve what they are getting, but the millions of good cops should not be punished. Thank you for your service, good cops and sorry you are being treated as you are. Steve Sharp Puget...
Student weighs in on possible pool closure To The Eagle: My name is Luke Bohn and I will be a senior at Wahkiakum High School next fall. I moved here from Portland, Oregon just last summer. I worked at the pool last year and it’s one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had here. I know it’s a difficult decision, but it would be very helpful to ask the right people. I’m glad the pool has another chance, but let me tell you why this shouldn’t even be a big discussion. The town council looked at the financial side of the situation, and I can...
For those interested in what your Cathlamet Town Council has been working on, in no particular order, here’s what’s been keeping us all busy: - securing overhead street banners promoting Cathlamet’s history and culture. - working in conjunction with Oregon and Washington state officials for both signage from Oregon to Cathlamet, and improved safety turning lanes for using the Puget Island Ferry. - securing grant funding to help pay for planned charging stations on the Butler Street property on Main St. - signing a 16-year lease with the Cemet...
To The Eagle: Most businesses I have frequented usually have signs posted announcing either “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service” or “We reserve the right to deny service to anyone.” Business owners have the right, within the limits of anti-discrimination laws, to deny service to the shoeless for sanitary reasons, I suppose, and troublesome customers for reasons of safety, one presumes. It is my opinion that certain businesses in Cathlamet whose physical layouts make social distancing difficult, need to post another notice, in the interest of public...
To The Eagle: The wrong that needs to be corrected is rather simple: For Blacks there is a different justice system, for them "they are guilty until proven innocent" and for us white folks it’s “innocent until proven guilty.” Think about it, and you will understand why the police act as they do and why our prisons are mostly occupied by blacks and browns. This must be changed or else nothing will change. Eric Skemp Puget Island...
To The Eagle: I believe in my heart and soul that all lives matter. If that makes me a racist to some morons I couldn't care less. I remember many years ago walking a peaceful protest line outside of a Woolworth Store in New York City because the store served Black customers at the lunch counter on paper plates and Whites on regular dishes. That was despicable in my eyes and I did my part to stop it. These days that kind of disgraceful action would not be tolerated by anyone of any color, my point being that there has been change for the...
