PUD energy audit to provide information

We’ve had just about everything imaginable this week, weather-wise. Lake Fred (our hayfield) is up, with ice around the edge and snow covering the rest of the field. The ducks are swimming around like it’s a normal routine for them.

The smelt must be coming in to the Grays River just west of Duffy’s Tavern, as I have counted as many as 22 bald eagles in the trees overlooking the river. The sea gulls are pretty happy in Gudmundsen’s field as well.

News from Naselle:

Sports scheduled for the Naselle-Grays River Valley School this week include: Thursday-track meet at Raymond at 3:30 p.m .; Monday-baseball and fastpitch at North Beach at 4:00 p.m .; Wednesday-baseball and fastpitch with Wahkiakum at 3:30 p.m. in Naselle and the middle school home track meet will also be held at the same location and time. Go Comets!

The Naselle-Grays River Valley School Board members will meet on Tuesday, at 6:30 p.m. The community is invited to attend these public meetings.

On Wednesday, students will be dismissed early, at 12:30 p.m. for teacher in-service.

Other news from the Westend:

For the people who signed up to become Red Cross volunteers at the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park, this is a reminder to attend the next orientation training on Friday at noon. The orientation will last approximately two hours. If you can’t make it, the orientation material will be available online. The meeting is open to anyone who may wish to become a volunteer in the event of a disaster situation. For more information, contact Cindy Lahti.

The Grays River Valley Library and Community Computer Center could use a few more volunteers. If you are interested in helping out please contact me or Randy Collver at 465-2597. The center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Johnson Park Advisory Board is looking for suggestions from the community for fund raising events to benefit Johnson Park. If you have suggestions and would like to handle/chair a fund raiser, please contact president Steve Ramsay at 465-2731 or me at 465-2960.

Johnson Park is not funded by monies from Wahkiakum County. The park is maintained by donations, park sponsorships and volunteers. Heating is provided in each room that is rented or utilized and the propane bills are paid by the individual rooms through donations or rent. This year the heating bills have been high due to all the cold weather and the price of propane, so it has become a struggle to maintain heat costs. If you would like to make a donation to the park to help defray some of the utility costs, please send it to Johnson Park, PO Box 15, Rosburg, WA 98643.

Wahkiakum PUD has provided the park with an energy audit from BPA, in the hope that there will be money available to upgrade insulation in the buildings, bring in up to date and more cost effective lighting and some means of heating the hallways. We may be eligible for testing alternative forms of power. Wouldn’t that be great? We hope to hear from them soon.

Do you know how to can fish? Would you like to learn? There will be an introduction to home pressure canning of fish in the newly approved kitchen of the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park in Rosburg on April 9 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. The class is limited to eight, and will be taught through the W. S. U. Master Preservation Program with the costs covered by a grant through Wahkiakum Marine Resource Committee. Those attending the class will learn through hands on experience how to do the process correctly and safely and will leave with a finished product. Other methods of seafood preservation information will also be available.

A pressure gauge check for your home canner will also be held on April 9 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the same location.

There is no cost for the workshop or gauge testing. For more information or to sign up for the workshop, please call Carol at 360-465-2275 or the W.S, U. Extension office at 360-795-3278.

The National Center for Constitutional Studies will present a day long seminar on the Making of America. The event will be held at the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park in Rosburg (old Rosburg School), from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 28. Seating is limited and pre-registration and payment is required. The cost is $30 per ticket and includes an interactive study guide, pocket constitution, coffee, tea, water, muffins, cookies and a box lunch provided with a soft drink.

For more information on this seminar or to purchase a seat, please call 503 640-8265 or 465-2960.

The Wednesday Senior Lunch Bunch that meets at Rosburg Hall will be treated to Pat Potter’s meat loaf, whipped spuds, gravy, veggies, hot rolls and dessert on the 21st and on the 28th they can bring their favorite dishes to share for a potluck. This is a great place to meet friends and neighbors for a good meal and some fun.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, lunches are also served at the above location and are sponsored by CAP. Menus for the coming week include Thursday, the 15th-baked ham, Colcannon with kale, diner blend veggies, apricot halves and caramel apple cake; Tuesday, the 20th-spaghetti with meat sauce, Caesar salad, garlic bread and berry cobbler; Thursday, the 22nd-beef chili, corn bread, Caribbean veggie blend, spinach salad and brownies.

Happy Birthday to Racheal Haataja, Anita Woods, Vivian Busse, Ryan Johnson, Cecile Smith, Robert Adair, Bob Bryant, Brynn Tarabochia, Mijia Alves, Jordan Smith, Bill Grimberg, Stephan Costello, Devon Cash, Caitlin Smith, Chloe Zimmerman, Steve Forbes, Rebecca Mattson, Ryan Rangila, Robert Rangila, Savannah Zimmerman and Kathy Saari. Have a great day.

Happy Anniversary to Gene and Peggy Dotson.

My uncle David Hammonds has been enjoying a visit from his son Davey, and his girlfriend Rhonda as well as his grandson, Clayton from Alaska. They were here for the weekend on their way to Florida for a short vacation and will return for a few more days at the end of this month. I guess they probably felt right at home here with all the snow. It was good to see them again.

I know many of our senior citizens belong to the senior group AARP. But do you also know that there is an alternative group (more on the conservative side) called the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), that offers many of the same advantages and products as AARP including auto and home insurance, Medicare supplements, long term care insurance and even travel discounts. Membership is comparative to AARP and a monthly magazine is provided with up to date information to members. You can check them out on the web at http://www.amac.us or call 1 888 AMAC-006.

AARP has given our seniors many options and opportunities for their later years and I’m not advocating this new option with AMAC, but it can’t hurt to check out the competition.