Johnson Park belongs to all

News from Naselle:

September already, and school begins again. It seems like summer just started, and now it’s time for new classes, fall sports and cooler weather once again. At least the nice daytime temperatures seem to be hanging around.

Today (Thursday) is the first day of school for the 2011/12 class year at the Naselle-Grays River Valley School District, and the sports teams have already had a few weeks of practice. Sports schedules for this week include: Friday, football at home with Ilwaco at 7 p.m .; Wednesday, volleyball at Knappa at 5:45 p.m. Go Comets!

There will be no school on Monday, in honor of Labor Day. Classes will commence on Tuesday, the 6th.

There will be a couple of things to keep folks busy in Naselle this weekend. First of all, the Appelo Archives Center will be holding their swap meet on September 2 and 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information you can check out the website at: http://www.appeloarchives.org/.

You can also check out the busy weekend planned at Fred’s Farm, also in Naselle. I am told that everyone knows where this farm is (it’s located on South Valley Road), and there will be something for everyone, including meals, music, how-to instructions, animals, and anything to do with farms and farm life. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Other news from the Westend:

Don’t forget the fund raising rummage sale being held this weekend for Kenzie Abbot and her companion dog Keesha who is being trained as a seizure alert dog. The event will take place at the home of Kenzie’s grandparents, Walt and Clara Berkshire, 111 Loop Road, in Grays River on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If you have gently used items that you would like to donate to the sale you can contact the Berkshires at 465-2436 or Kenzie’s parents, James and Lorinda Alexander at 795-0575.

You can also purchase Kenzie’s Heavenly Delights cookbook at the Rosburg Store and I’m sure there will be some available at the sale this weekend, for only $12. I have tried several of the great local recipes from the cookbook and it also makes a great gift for those hard to please folks. Let’s all give this young lady a hand, in her efforts to be more independent through the training of her companion dog, Keesha.

Watch your mailboxes for the latest copy of Old School the newsletter from Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park. You are probably tired of reading about how we need more volunteers—but we need more volunteers. The ones we already have are almost at the end of their ropes and are hoping for a little relief. It doesn’t take much to make us happy. An hour dust mopping the beautiful waxed floors in the hallways (at least five coats of wax put on by volunteers), emptying garbage cans in the bathrooms and checking for cleanliness, picking up papers and trash in the parking area, a couple of hours in the library/community computer center, basically anything you may see that needs to be taken care of, just do it and add your volunteer hours to the list in the library. You will be appreciated.

Another way you can help here is to put your thinking cap on and come up with a fund raising idea to help us pay the heating bills this winter. Bring your idea to the Advisory Board (meeting takes place on the second Wednesday of each month at 12:30 p.m. in the library), and then follow through with a plan to make it happen.

Would you like to teach a class in something you enjoy doing? Cooking a special dish, sewing, a reading group, photography, how to put together a PowerPoint project? Bring it up to the Board at their regular meeting, with your plan.

It is my understanding that a five week sewing class is planned within a couple of weeks. I will post the details in next week’s column.

The kitchen is nearing completion, and hopefully we will have an inspection by the health department in the very near future. We could use a couple of volunteers to get ready for that inspection, by some deep cleaning of the entire room and pantry. Contact Penny Gregory if you are interested.

The Community Computer Center and Grays River Valley Library seem to have found a good fit, and so far the users seem to be pretty happy with the consolidation. Our new hours are: Monday and Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 1: p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. If you are interested in a two hour shift, please give me a call.

Remember there are lots of other activities at Johnson Park and a yearly sponsorship gives you access to the building whenever you would like to play a little basketball in the gym, play a friendly game of pool, make use of the exercise equipment, or browse the free paperback aisles in the main hall if the building is otherwise not open to the public.

On Monday the card group meets for an afternoon of friendly pinochle games in the activity room (what used to be the computer center), and on Tuesdays and Thursdays the yoga group also meets in that same room. Thursdays the art group meets there. Mondays and Wednesdays the aerobics group will be back in session soon as well. TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets in the exercise room on Thursdays. And don’t forget the ball field for a friendly game of baseball. Check out the new nature trail just completed last week by the Naselle Youth Camp DNR crew from Mariner Lodge.

This is your park and your ideas have made it happen. Please use it to its full potential and let others know what is happening in our little corner of the world. Donations are gladly accepted, and are used to maintain the park and the building. We are not funded by the county or the state. We rent to private parties for special events at a nominal fee, and we have five rooms rented by the month and that income helps with basic costs, but doesn’t cover it all. Put your thinking caps on and help us with a fund raiser or two. It can be fun.

Now for a brief look at some future fun stuff. We plan to do another Halloween Party for the kids this year. If you are interested in helping with that please sign the sheet posted next to the library and let us know what you would like to help with. For those who do not celebrate Halloween, we plan to separate the trick or treating and Halloween portion of the evening to the upper hallways of the building and the rest of the building will be decorated with a fall harvest theme. We will once again provide some food, games and entertainment for everyone’s pleasure. More to come on that subject.

Please, make an effort to become part of this endeavor, your/our park and local center of activities is for everyone. It belongs to all of us, and should be maintained and utilized by all of us.

The Wednesday Senior Lunch Bunch that meets at the Rosburg Hall will enjoy a pot luck lunch on the 7th. Bring a dish and visit with friends and neighbors and finish it up with a great home made dessert. On the 14th the menu will be barbeque beef on rolls, Cole slaw, chips and dessert.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays lunches are also served at the above location and are sponsored by CAP. Great nutritious meals and wonderful company.

Birthdays being celebrated this coming week include Macey Weston, Sidney Rae Wirkkala, Ryan Erickson, Alex Bennett, Amy Revis, Lynn Laney, Hans Varila, Veino Denny, Kristin Gross, Skyler York, Bud Strange, Greg Friddle, Tom Zimmerman, Josiah Liberatore, Joseph Leamy, Paul Lindstrom, Whitney Cooper, Doug Sandell, Norilyn Pakenen, Abbie Smith and Eddie Mennen. Happy Birthday everyone.

Special Happy Birthday wishes and get well wishes also to Joyce Bolton of Rosburg. I hear she has been a little under the weather, so hoping she is back on her feet again soon, and we can see her happy face at the Rosburg Store. We miss ya.

Happy Anniversary to the following couples this week: Joe and Jeannine Helvey, Tim and Denise Lewis, Art and Vivian Busse, Travis and Michelle Pakenen and Steve and Rebecca Mattson. Wishing you many more.

Best wishes to Amber Hall and Cody Davis as they become husband and wife this weekend. Congratulations to a wonderful young couple.

Looks like we will have kids home again this weekend. Carl is here for most of the week and daughter and son in law from Redmond, Ore. will be here for the weekend.