Skamokawa Resort open house Friday

DAMP BEGINNING--As this work week begins, it's a bit on the damp side, but considering we had several nice, dry days last week, I guess we can't complain. With the calendar still saying Spring, showers are to be expected and they dampen those gardens, so that's a good thing.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from May 26 to June 1 are Keil C. Parker, Tim Rushing, Katherine York, Don Anderson, Mike Johnson, Nancy Corbin, Penny Bonds, Wesley McClain, Serene Snow-Carroll, Jeanne Paulsen, Benjamin McClain, Amy Knowles, Stephanie Prestegard, Barbi Bain, Gary Emery, Gale Luthi, Christina Lindsey, Arnie Good, Sharon Hart, Pearl Cortay, 67'er Linda Toste and daughter Lisa Sechler. Happy Birthday, everybody!

Happy Anniversary wishes this week go out to neighbors Bill and Linda Mahitka; here's to a wonderful celebration!

It has come to my attention that some names and dates on the birthday calendar are incorrect, so if you notice one of these errors, please contact a Lion's Club representative and let them know so they can correct it for next year.

THIS FRIDAY--Take a tour, enjoy some food and get in on some drawings at the Skamokawa Resort Open House tomorrow, (Friday) from 3 to 6 p.m. You can find out just why we are so happy to have this business open once again. You can now send your guests to this eye-catching spot by the Columbia River and they'll just love the upgraded rooms, the fresh Java coffee at the store in the morning and the colorful kayaks as they glide through the sloughs on a peaceful morning. Come and meet Don and Arlene Jester and their new management team and make them feel welcome to the neighborhood.

CALLING ALL PERFORMERS--It's time for the three day musical revue at the Skamokawa Grange Hall, which we call "The Follies." We're putting out a call for more dancers, singers and musicians. We could sure use your talent during this important fund raiser for the grange. You can strut your stuff, have fun and help keep the doors of the grange open for all the community events we currently hold there. Call Adele Swift at 795-8073 or Sunrise Fletcher at 795-8770 if you can dance, sing or play an instrument.

THE SHOW--The above mentioned show will be on June 24-26 with the first two shows at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10, which is a real bargain for all this talent, most of which is local. The melodrama this year is set in a logging camp. Call your neighbors, tell your friends and get your family members to come to the Skamokawa Grange Hall for a real musical treat. Tickets will be available at the Bank of the Pacific in both Cathlamet and Naselle soon. If you'd like to help out but can't make the show, you could send a donation to Skamokawa Grange #425 at PO Box 123, Skamokawa, WA 98647.

MEMORIAL WEEKEND--It's a big weekend and I hope you'll all drive carefully and make this a safe and sane three day weekend.

CAR SHOW--Coming on the heels of the Memorial Day weekend is our annual Car Show and Sturgeon Derby at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds on June 4. We hope to have a warm, sunny day. At this point, I'll just take dry; anything else is a bonus! Make your way to Skamokawa and enjoy all the music, food, and games and maybe win one of the fantastic raffle items or tables. There's more than ever before!

LOCAL GIRL IN PLAY--I was going through my emails from various agencies and came across the name Alice Whitaker in a play currently showing in various spots in Oregon and presented by the Liberty Theater in Astoria. I sent an email to Mark Whitaker, to verify that it was indeed his daughter, and lo and behold, it was! Alice plays a starring role and will be performing at the Clatsop Community College in Astoria on May 28 at 11 a.m. Next it will be on to the Coaster Theater on June 3 and 4 in Cannon Beach. Good luck to Alice, and congrats to Mark and Shannon for having such a talented daughter.

SAYS HELLO--Fred Aegerter recently returned from a trip down south where he took in the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans. While he was traveling to and fro, he opted to go and see a fellow WA-KI-HI classmate, Dick Snyder, who lives in Louisiana between Shrevesport and Alexandria. The two had quite a gabfest for 2½ hours as they tried to catch up on the last 25 years or so. Dick said he wanted to pass a hello to all his fellow classmates and friends in the Cathlamet area, and Fred thought calling me would be a good way to do that, so I'm more than happy to pass on the message from a fellow WA-KI-HI alumni!

LIONS CLUB--Buckets of berries will be available soon; fresh sliced, never frozen strawberries so, help support the Lions Club and buy some berries. A form should be coming out in a couple of weeks, so now's the time to put a few bucks away and get ready to enjoy those berries without all the work of picking them!

VISTA MARKET--Another meeting was held for those involved in the 30th anniversary doings for Skamokawa Vista Park, set for July 30, and it seems things are moving right along. Turning 30 on the 30th with a Vista Market is a great opportunity for locals to advertise their businesses, sell their products and have a good time with no set up costs. If everyone shows up as promised, then we're going to have a great variety of things to look at, to buy, and to eat. FFA boys will be flippin' burgers, and the Wahkiakum Historical Society will be offering root beer floats to go with those, or maybe you'd like some Howie's coffee if you'd rather, while the Fair Princesses sell baked goods for dessert. Of course, you may want to take one of Kathleen Morgain's tarts home for a bigger treat later on, along with the Speranzas' homemade bread and Carol Carver's jams and jellies. Do you want to do a little early Christmas shopping? This is the place, as there will be unique items like soaps, cards, wood work and jewelry for sale, all made in this area by very talented folks. Linda Elliott is bringing caps and T-shirts and other items to sell, with Sharrel Mooers having some collectibles right along side Marvin Miller's rocks and minerals, plus more, so there should be something for everybody.

Also going on that day will be the open house of the Skamokawa Landing, which highlights the new Inn at Skamokawa Landing, which owner Arnold Andersen has completely redone. It is gorgeous, so you'll want to come down and check that out as well.

Doing a little spring cleaning? Take your good, saleable items to the Skamokawa United Methodist Church for their rummage sale that day.

The list is long of things to do and see at this upcoming event, so we hope you've got July 30 marked on your calendar and you'll come to Skamokawa Vista Park and help celebrate their 30th year in operation.

NOT HAPPENING--For the first time in a long time, the granges of this area will not have a food booth at the Wahkiakum County Fair. This is a sad day, but with dwindling workers and those in charge having to step down due to health issues, it was deemed impossible to pull off this year. It is tough to abandon this long standing tradition, but folks are so busy these days, and so involved in many other aspects of the fair, or working two or more jobs, that getting people to commit to this huge undertaking just didn't happen this year. So, I'm saying good luck to those who take over the food booth and I hope you'll support them as you've supported us all these years. I'm going to miss seeing everybody at the booth, but the work, not so much! See you at the fair, August 18-20.