Gas stations galore back in the day

NICE BEGINNING--As this week began, we had some heavy fog but with the sun shining all above us, we knew it was going to turn out nice, so last Sunday was just terrific. Seeing that big ole ball of sunshine was great and it felt good as I stood in front of the window and soaked in a little vitamin D. With the rain and clouds we've been having lately, that was a nice treat. By nightfall, it was clear and nice out, albeit a bit nippy, as it got down in the 30s. On Monday, we saw a lot of soaker mist which came down most of the day and it was very dreary and miserable. Who knew that by Tuesday morning we would see a frozen world. If this means several dry days are coming our way, I'll take it!

CONCERT CANCELLED--The concert scheduled for the Pionier Church this Saturday evening with Andrew, Jeff and Ron had to be cancelled. Hopefully it will be rescheduled soon. If you've already gotten your ticket, you can take it back to the Bank of the Pacific and they will refund your money. Here's hoping the three talented young men will be back to entertain us before long. They are awesome!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Jan. 12-18 are Cindy Lloyd, Bill Mahitka, Peggy Wright, Melissa Pedersen, Gary Havens, Kara McNally, Roy LaBerge, Vanessa McClain, Jan Silvestri, Russ Durrah, Kim Webb, Jerod Moore, Elaine Robinson, Beryl Curtis, Trystan Mendez, Randy Rodahl, Kris Baldwin, Ty Finkas, Shane Pedersen and Holly (Pedersen) Norton.

Happy Anniversary wishes go out to Rob and Pat Ohrberg and Gary and Vickie Bergseng. Enjoy your special days, everyone!

GRANGERS CANCEL MEETING--Last Monday was supposed to be the first meeting of the new year for the Skamokawa Grangers but due to some members being gone, not feeling well and having guests, the meeting was cancelled. We hope to have everyone healthy and in the area at our next meeting on January 23, at which time we will plan to have a potluck a half hour prior to the 7 p.m. meeting.

The hall will be a busy place this year with the Paddle Center holding wilderness training classes at the end of April, and grange contests taking place in May, then the Wahkiakum Dollars for Scholars will host a car show on June 2, which is held in conjunction with the Sturgeon Derby in the fairgrounds, and then at the end of June, the three day musical revue, the Smoky Water Follies will return; two evening performances on the last Friday and Saturday of the month and a Sunday matinee on July 1. August may see another showing of the Irish dancers, or some reunion gatherings and by the second Saturday of September, we'll be back at the Friends of Skamokawa's annual wine tasting and auction and end the year with another free community spaghetti dinner on the second Saturday in December.

FAIR THEME--If you've got a great idea for this year's theme for the Wahkiakum County Fair, please email it to: wahkiakumfair@centurytel.net or call and leave a message at 795-3480.

LOSS--I heard from 67'er Greg Lloyd, that fellow classmate Richard West lost his brother Tom West last Sunday. The family lived here in Skamokawa at one time. We'd like to offer our sympathies to Richard and to his family on their loss.

MORE ON GAS STATIONS--I got a call from Mike Lawrence last week, former Rosedale resident, and he says he thinks he remembers a station of some type up at the corner of Jacobson Road and Columbia Street near where the sub-station is now. Anyone remember this? He thought it might have been owned by Walt Tibbs, but not sure. This could have been a repair shop, or some kind of service station and maybe not a gas station, but if anybody knows, I'd like to hear about it. Also, Ralph Rodahl had a gas station just down the road where the Episcopal Church is now, and it was a Richfield station I'm told that info came from both Mike and Wally Wright. Once the new highway went in, Ralph moved to the highway and that's where the Shell station is today. Also, does anybody have any information on the station along SR 4 by Abe Creek; many thought it was a Texaco station. Is that true? Anyone remember the owner? According to Wally, there was also a station at Nassa Point, I think we've all seen the old building there and this was operated by the Charles Thornton family I'm told. Anyone have the years that this was in operation? And what about the old station up by Bunker Hill? Some say it was a working station and others said they thought they built it but it never was a station. Anybody know any more details?

Back in the day, there were also two service stations in Skamokawa, where the Maddens had a Chevron station between the Duck Inn and the store and there was also another one across the street from the Methodist Church, which was an Exxon and both sold bulk oil as well I'm told, so there were a whole lot of gas stations in our area at one time when there were a lot less people and a lot less cars. Seems odd! Corrections or additions to the gas station saga? Call me up! 795-3425.

PETERSON HOUSE--I received a phone call from Floyd Green who told me that the house that fell down recently along West SR 4, MP 27, was his aunt and uncle's place, as Babe Peterson was his dad's sister. I was also told that while everyone considered Sherry their daughter, she was in fact the daughter of a younger son of the Green family and was raised by Howard and Babe, and went by the name of Sherry Green throughout her school years here. Floyd says that no one really knows where she is right now, so if you have any information on her whereabouts, give me a call. We've got a reunion coming up!

Someone asked whether they farmed or not, and Floyd said that he bucked many a bail of hay from their place back in the day! They also dealt with the canned milk industry back then as did many folks out this way, such as the MacDonalds and the Conrads, and Paul Carroll was one of those that was the delivery/pick up person around here. Always good to hear from folks who used to live out here, as I'm a newbie really, so I'm going totally going on what people tell me, which I find very interesting. If you have something to add, give me a call!

ALL SCHOOL REUNION--The field at the Wahkiakum High School will be full of "Mule Prints" when the "All School Mule Train Reunion" takes place on August 4. Susan Kuhn and others are working at putting all the details together, but more help is needed in getting the word out, getting ideas and spreading the word, so please tell all your friends to check out the reunion activities on Facebook and get signed up to receive all the news, or just go check it all out. This is a huge project and not each and every one of the former alumni can be called each time there is a meeting or an idea comes up, so we hope you've got a class list and each class has elected a person in charge and is seeing to it that their classmates are being notified about all the planned events. If you are a WA-KI-HI Alumni and have moved recently, please contact someone with your new information so you don't get left out. Many of us are still here, so please let us know where you are!

Sweatshirts and things are being considered; each class can decide if they want an extra class iron-on sticker on it and of course, we'd like to get a general idea of how many are coming so it's important to contact Susan Kuhn. E-mail her at: sjmcq1@yahoo.com or go to the FB All School Reunion page and find out the latest and contact her that way.

The next meeting will be in March, possibly the third Saturday, and will be held at the Julia Butler Hansen House. Each class is encouraged to plan their own gathering in the evening after the mid-day reunion at the school. Plans need to start being thought about now as places to go will be limited and places to stay will fill up fast.

A Mule Quilt is being made by Jan Dees, to be raffled off. We appreciate her doing that for this reunion, which is bound to be a lot of fun, with food, music and more. Stay tuned for more info on this and please help take part in it if possible!