Annual tea and luncheon Sunday

Finally, it appears like Spring might really be here. We are even seeing a little bit of sun now and then, and the daytime temperatures are above 40 degrees. Welcome, Spring!

News from Naselle:

Sports coming up this week for the Comets: Thursday, the 12th-middle school track at North Beach; Friday, the 13th- high school track at South Bend. Go Comets.

There will be a Naselle-Grays River Valley school board meeting on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, you can enjoy the elementary music program at Naselle School, featuring students in first through fourth grades at 7 p.m. Sounds like a wonderful way to spend a family evening.

Wednesday is also an in-service day so students will be released at 12:30 p.m.

The Friends of the Naselle Timberland Library have purchased a new “Kinect for Xbox 360” video gaming system for the library, thanks to a grant from WellSpring Community Network. Join in a launch party at the library and try out the new Kinect on May 20 from 4 to 8 p.m. Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Naselle Timberland Library.

People may drop by or make a reservation for a time during open hours to use the system.

For more information, please call the library at (360) 484-3877 or go to http://www.TRL.org. More information about WellSpring Community Network is at http://www.wellspringpacific.com. More information about Kinect is at http://www.xbox.com/en-US/kinect.

This month, Naselle Elementary School celebrated Earth Day. All the children in grades K-5 participated in the Earth Day Groceries Project, which brought our school and community together. Okies Select Market in Naselle donated grocery bags to the school for the children to decorate with an Earth Day theme. This turned into a contest as one bag from each grade was chosen as the best from each class and those bags were displayed at the store and the rest of the bags were used for their customers. The winners were: Brayden Colombo, Echo Cenci, Abigail Knopski, Bailey Rose, Sam Gustafson, and Emeri Wilson. Check out our young artists and take your groceries home in a unique Earth friendly container.

If you missed the wonderful performances last week, of “Beauty and the Beast” at the Naselle School, you have two more opportunities this week. The play will be performed on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and the final performance will be on Saturday at 7 p.m. I’m hoping to attend at least one of the final shows, and have been told that it was another wonderful performance by the Drama group at Naselle.

Other news from the Westend:

I had a note from a proud Mom this week and she had the pleasure of attending the graduation ceremony at Gonzaga this past weekend. On Saturday, at the McCarthey Athletic Center, Carol Ervest watched her daughter, Stephanie receive her Master of Arts in Leadership and Administration from the School of Education.

Carol says, “She is a teacher at the Kettle Falls High School—it has been a busy two years for her and I am very proud of her accomplishments!”

Put on your prettiest dress (if you want to, or just be comfortable in casual dress), and join the Grays River Friendship Circle for the 9th Annual Spring Tea and Luncheon this coming Sunday at the Rosburg Community Hall in Rosburg. The doors will open at noon, and the luncheon will begin at 12:30 p.m. Following the luncheon the attendees will enjoy a look back in time at a “Home Sweet Home” Photo Album, and see what it was like in pioneer times. If this program is anywhere near some of the past programs put on by this wonderful group, it will be more than worth your while to attend. For more information, call 360 465-2740 or 360 484-7749.

I hope you are in shape and ready to run. The 27th running of the Great White Tail Run is fast approaching. It will take place on May 21st at the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge in Skamokawa. Registration will be open for those who have not already registered at 8:30 a.m. and the race will begin at 10 a.m.

See the flyer for more details, or call 360 465-2275 or 360 795-3278.

This annual event is sponsored by and a fund raiser for the Wahkiakum County based 4-H programs and proceeds will be used to benefit these organizations. Enjoy a great run and donate to a great cause—our kids.

Another annual event is coming up and is also a fund raiser for “our kids.” The 11th Annual Dollars for Scholars and Sturgeon Derby/Barbecue will be held on June 4 at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds in Skamokawa. This event generates money for student scholarships at both Wahkiakum High School and Naselle High School and is sponsored by the Wahkiakum Dollars for Scholars Foundation and the Naselle-Grays River Valley Education Association.

For more information see the flyers and posters which have been distributed throughout the county and Naselle, or call Pat Kehrli at 360 840-4193.

David and Claudine Hammonds of Grays River have had a couple more happy events in their busy lives. Their daughter Melinda gave birth to another new grandchild, for them, this past week. This time a little girl named Alana May. She has two big brothers Ashley and Marcus. Congratulations to our whole family on this new little addition.

The Hammonds are also enjoying a visit from a nephew, Ken and his wife, Judy who are recently retired and doing a little traveling. They are from Alaska.

The book and bake sale that took place last weekend at Johnson Park netted quite a nice profit for the library/computer center consolidation. Thank you to all the great bakers who donated goods and to all the buyers who got to enjoy the goodies and books.

The Wednesday Senior Lunch Bunch that meets at Rosburg Hall will enjoy home made chicken casserole, veggies and dessert on the 18th, cooked and served by Pat Potter and her volunteer crew.

Seniors can also partake of more good nutritious meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays, also served at Rosburg Hall and sponsored by CAP. Their menus for the coming week include: Thursday, the 12th-Kahlua pork, potato macaroni salad, mango chunks, Caribbean veggies and haupia; Tuesday, the 17th-chicken Divan, Capri vegetables, spinach salad and strawberry rhubarb tart; Thursday, the 19th- Swedish meatballs, egg noodles with kale, orange barley salad and peach cobbler. Mary Saari and her volunteers will also be there to serve you.

Birthdays coming up this week include: Tina Laney, Brad Warra, Isabella Colombo, Paul Bjornsgard, Nikki Engelson, Gloria Tienhaara, Kaelee Dearmore, Lamar Wirkkala, Dave Welsh, Boyd Wirkkala, Randy Heriot, Corey Wood, McKenna Anderson, Aliisa Wirkkala, Kevin Durrah, Randy Eaton, Jeff Lee, Steve Ullakko, Steve Wirkkala and Loren Ross. Happy Birthday to each of you.

A special Happy Birthday to Carlton Appelo, our local photographer and historian. Carlton, I hope you enjoy the day to its fullest, and I wish you many, many more. You are such a personable fellow, and such a generous soul. You are appreciated every day for the things you do for all of the community. Happy Birthday.

Happy Anniversary to the following couples this week: Norman and Myrtle Anderson and Jody and Shellie Badger.

I hope all you Moms had a wonderful Mother’s Day. Mine was great. We headed to Redmond, Ore. on Friday for an annual fund raising dinner put on by the Redmond Learning and Childcare Center. Our daughter Danielle is the director of the center and they had an excellent turnout for the many auction and raffle prizes. I actually came home with two pictures that were done by the kids at the center.

Saturday was a workday and our daughter and I made several dump runs after cleaning up at their new property and home just outside of town, while my husband and son-in-law worked inside on electrical and appliance connections. Then we headed to Bend where we were treated to baby back ribs with all the trimmings and peach pie for dessert prepared by our son and daughter-in-law, Don and Natalie.

On Mother’s Day we got up to strawberry waffles prepared by son in law, Kevin. Then back to work cleaning carpets, painting and general cleaning in preparation to the move in. Lunchtime came as did homemade chicken, bacon, tomato alfredo with pasta and fresh bread prepared by our grand daughter, Marlee and her chef boyfriend, Scotty. After all the good food, it was back to work to get rid of the extra calories.

Monday morning we were able to move about half of the household stuff that they weren’t still using on a daily basis and then it was time to head home to continue our own house rebuild which is coming along fine, just slow. Too many decisions to make now that we are getting down to the finishing touches. I guess I just need to be patient.