On Scene

In 2007, I started writing a monthly column in an attempt to keep you, our citizens, in touch with various avenues of information relating to the sheriff’s office. It was pretty well received, but within the last several years, the budget for our office was cut. Sheriff Bardsley has green-lighted me to write the “On Scene” column again, perhaps quarterly.

Just before the 2009 Wahkiakum County Fair, Stevan Morgain wrote a story for The Wahkiakum County Eagle about a program I was starting up using the Fatal Vision® goggles in conjunction with driving a go-cart to show people how easily you can be impaired by alcohol and or drugs. To recap, the go-cart and small trailer was purchased by the Wahkiakum Community Network in mid 2009, and I would like to thank Lia Sealund and Tammy Peterson for their forward thinking and help with this project. The design or focus was to travel to functions and do the impaired driving demonstration. This demonstration is designed for you people, 10 years of age and up. The course is designed by using orange traffic cones set up in a serpentine formation, a simulated left hand swooping turn, back through more serpentine cones, and finally stopping the go-cart between cones that would simulate a small garage. This course is very easy to do without the Fatal Vision® goggles. The engine on the go-cart has a remote shut off switch which I control in the event that a driver gets out of control, and I would simply shut down the engine. Helmets, eye protection, seatbelts had to be worn in order to participate, and drivers had to sign an injury waiver

On August 22, at the fair, I demonstrated the Fatal Vision® Driving Under the Influence (DUI) course for 35 young people and adults. I followed up the driving portion of the course with performing field sobriety tests (FST), and then determined, based on “bad” driving and “bad” field sobriety tests, if the driver was under the influence. This demonstration is a visual impairment only, goggles demo. This was the maiden voyage for this program. I’m happy to report that all 35 participates were considered DUI by myself and the audience. It was very apparent to all who observed the demo and tests that each driver was DUI. I only had to use the remote shut-off switch on a few drivers.

I want to thank the Wahkiakum Community Network for sponsoring, supporting and purchasing the go-cart and all of the necessary equipment. The Network also purchased the original Fatal Vision® goggles in 1996. I would also like to thank Correction Officer Vernon Barton for putting the go-cart together in short order and thank County Mechanic Mike Carroll for installing the remote shut-off switch system and getting the go-cart completely operational before the Fair started.

This week, October 4-10 is National 4-H Week, a week-long celebration of 4-H across the country. Today’s 4-H is a community of more than six million young people who participate in projects that enhance their leadership, citizenship and life skills, 540,000 volunteers and 3,500 Professionals.

4-H is the youth education program of Washington State University Extension. It’s for boys and girls who are ages eight to 18 by September 1 of the current year. 4-H even offers the Primary program for youth ages five to seven.

4-H is for kids in the country, kids in the city and kids everywhere in between to learn to ride a horse, bake a loaf of bread, or grow vegetables to train a dog, take photos, raise a rabbit, work with wood, or be a babysitter.

4-H welcomes both boys and girls of all races and religions. More boys and girls belong to 4-H than to any other youth group. It's the biggest youth group in the nation. At least 80 other countries also have 4-H.

4-H gives kids a chance to learn new things, develop new skills, travel to new places, make new friends and best of all have lots of fun.

4-H Clubs in Wahkiakum County are already having lots of fun. Join one of these clubs today and get into the 4-H action: Halters & Hands, KnK Kaualry, Sugar & Spice 4-H Club, The Farmers, The Ditzy Chicks, Sunny Sands Cowboys, Whiskers & Tails, Adventure Kids, Wahkiakum Critters,Twisted Whiskers, Clan Patterson, Moon Valley Rider and After School Tech Club.

Find out how you can join one of these 4-H clubs or start a new club in your community. Contact WSU Extension in Wahkiakum County: 25 River Street Suite E, Cathlamet, WA; phone: 360-795-3278, E-mail: cakennedy@wsu.edu.

Redmen Hall on SR-4 in Skamokawa will be presenting an exhibit of Skamokawa artists titled 'Smoke on the Waters' - Artists of Skamokawa. The exhibit will run from October 17 to November 22, with some of the exhibitors continuing until December 20 for the Redmen Hall Holiday Bazaar.

The Skamokawa Artists' exhibit will be an introduction for several people who will be displaying their work for the first time. It will also include several people who are well known artists in the community.

The exhibitors include Jolan Durrah showing peacock feathers, hand-spun mohair and alpaca hats, and her book on Borneo; Keith Hoofnagle with prints commemorating the National Parks commissioned by the National Park Service; Becky Ledtke with a selection of her popular jewelry; Mike Linn, an artist new to Skamokawa working in metal using blacksmithing techniques; Audrey Peterson with silk screen prayer flags and wildlife cards; Ray Pfenniger working in wood and metal; Kitty Speranza showing her rug hooking with demonstrations and completed items; Ginger and Sharon Schmitz with their handmade wooden utensils; Brenda Van Kanegan, another artist new to Skamokawa with her own designs of handmade dolls; and Teresa Videan, showing five of her stained glass pieces. Also two of Dori Hicks' new paintings of Skamokawa houses will be available for this exhibit .

Andrew Emlen and Sunrise Fletcher will be providing music for the opening and each will have some of their CD's for sale.

Any other Skamokawa artists who would like to be included in the exhibit, would be welcomed.

For more information, contact Jill Hatier of the exhibit committee for Redmen Hall at 795-8675.