Deadline to contact Ecology is Monday

I had the pleasure of finding my first trillium of the year on the hill behind my house, and also my first butterfly of the season. It must mean that spring is really on the way.

News from Naselle:

No school for Naselle-Grays River Valley students on March 19. Teachers will be working on curriculum improvement.

Sports for the week include Thursday, boy’s and girl’s varsity baseball/softball at Ilwaco starting at 4 p.m .; also on Thursday - high school track at South Bend starting at 3:30 p.m .; Friday, baseball at Warrenton starting at 4:30 p.m.

Naselle Timberland Library will host family story time on Tuesdays from noon-12:30 p.m., March 2 through March 30. Bring the kids and enjoy age appropriate stories and fun.

Other news from the Westend:

Johnson Park is jumping with activity this spring. The cafeteria is sporting a beautiful new coat of paint from top to bottom and awaits the mural being painted by Cassie Bolton. Cassie has worked extremely hard on this, her senior project, and has done an outstanding job. She raised the money for her project with a garage/bake sale.

The new Grays River Valley Library is open six days a week. Hours of operation are: Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m .; Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Library cards are free for everyone. Come on in, and check us out.

In the near future, we will be introducing a children’s program where grandparents, parents, high school students, and anyone else who wishes to can come in and read a favorite story to the kids. If you are interested please give me a call.

The Community Computer Center is being used often by many of our local folks and some visitors who have discovered us. They certainly appreciate being able to use our facility. Hours for the center are Tuesday and Thursday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Also on Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. a yoga class is open to those interested and is led by Jack Braman. In addition to yoga, a low impact aerobics class with Jeannie Braman is being contemplated using 60’s music. If you are interested in participating in the aerobics class please call 465-2544 for more information.

Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. the Johnson Park Art group meets and is always interested in new faces using whatever medium you are comfortable with for your art. For more info call Noreen Fitts.

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets in the exercise room on Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m.

Now that the park is up and running for several days a week, we will be looking for donations to make some repairs and do some much needed maintenance on the building. We need to replace the flooring in the hallways and cafeteria, as well as install some kind of a heating system in the hallways. If you can help, contact Timo Virkkala or Norm Bolton. If you wish to send a donation you can mail it to PO Box 15, Rosburg, WA 98643. This is your community center and the more people we can involve, the faster we can go forward.

The Grays River and Skamokawa Granges are teaming up for a spring dance and dessert social this Friday night from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the newly refurbished Skamokowa Grange Hall.

The Granges will host a refreshment and dessert table with homemade pies, cookie plates and beverages available.

Even if you don’t dance, the music is wonderful to listen to and you can partake of all the goodies available for a good cause—our granges!

In April, those of you who are property owners living within the boundaries of the Grays River Habitat Enhancement District and pay a fee to the District, will receive a ballot to elect the board of commissioners. Currently sitting on the board are Delvin L. Fredrickson, chairman, challenged by Kurt Steinke; Poul Toftemark, commissioner, challenged by Terri Satterlund and William Karwoski, commissioner, challenged by Karen Bertroch. It would appear that there is finally some interest in what is going on with our river and flooding. This is the first time an actual election has been held in recent memory. These positions are held by volunteers. Ballots will come out on April 9, and the election will take place on April 27.

A notice of Determination of Non-significance and application for coverage under the statewide general permit for bio-solids management was published in The Eagle on February 18. Most people don’t pay much attention to these publications but many questions have been asked of the PUD, the county commissioners, as well as the health department regarding application of treated human waste in the flood plain and upstream of an organic farm as well as near our county water system. If you wish to get more information regarding this permit, and to ask for a public meeting prior to the actual application of the biosolids, please contact, in writing, Mr. Kyle Dorsey, Department of Ecology—SWRO, 300 Desmond Dr. SE, PO Box 47775, Olympia, WA. 98504-7775. 360 407-6300 or e-mail: kdor@ecy.wa.gov.

You must contact Mr. Dorsey, in writing , prior to March 22, 2010 before 5 p.m. to ask for a public meeting. I understand that e-mails don’t seem to be getting through so snail mail seems to be the best option.

The Wednesday Senior Lunch Bunch that meets at Rosburg Hall will enjoy home made soup, hot rolls and dessert on the 24th.

Rosburg Senior Community Lunches sponsored by CAP are also served at the Rosburg Hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Menus for the coming week are as follows: Thursday, the 18th: ham calcannon with kale, carrots and onions, apricot halves and Irish soda bread; Tuesday, the 23rd: roast turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, melon and berries and chocolate mousse; Thursday, the 25th: pepper steak, fried rice, stir fry veggies, mandarin oranges and banana pudding.

Birthdays being celebrated this coming week include Bill Grimberg and Stephan Costello on the 18th; Devon Cash, Caitlin Smith, Chloe Zimmerman, Steve Forbes and Rebecca Mattson on the 19th; Ryan Rangila and Robert Rangila on the 20th; Savannah Zimmerman and Kathy Saari on the 21st; Dorothy McClain, Corey Sherik and Lisa Nelson-Fields on the 22nd; Evan Erickson and Paul Forbes on the 23rd; Phillip Raistakka, Kelly Welsh and Ryan Bjornsgard on the 24th. Wishing each of you a wonderful celebration.

I want to wish a belated Happy Birthday to my very special young friend Gibzyn Privett, who turned six years old on Sunday. He and I spent some quality time together while he and his family awaited the birth of his twin sisters Olivia and Emelia six months ago. He is a pretty cool “big brother” and he certainly likes his little sisters. Gibzyn also has two big brothers, Kai and Levi Leach. He is the son of Rudy and Yolaunda Privett of Rosburg, and the grandson of Raven Webb also of Rosburg. I wish you a wonderful year, Gibzyn.

I would also like to wish Delvin, my wonderful husband of 43 years as of the 23rd, a very Happy Anniversary. Let’s try for another 43, OK? Love you lots.