Community events filling local calendars

Well, the evenings and mornings are saying it is fall, but the daytime hours are more like summer. I’m not sure if I like it or not. The leaves are falling almost before they change color. This kind of weather makes it nice for the Friday night football games though.

News from Naselle:

Sports calendar for the Naselle Comet teams this coming week: Thursday, the 24th-volleyball with Raymond in Naselle at 5 p.m., middle school football at South Bend at 6 p.m .; Friday, the 25th-football with Ocosta in Naselle at 7 p.m .; Monday, the 28th-volleyball with Ocosta in Naselle at 5 p.m .; Tuesday, the 29th-middle school football with Ocosta in Naselle at 6 p.m .; Wednesday, the 30th-volleyball at South Bend at 5 p.m .; Thursday, the 31st-football at South Bend at 7 p.m. Go Comets!

On Saturday, the Valley Bible Church will host a Harvest Party from 2-5 p.m. Enjoy activities and a delicious soup supper with some wonderful folks. For more information, please call Christina Miller at 465-2317.

A Christmas Bazaar will be held November 2 at the Naselle High School from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Browse the arts and crafts available for purchase and begin your holiday shopping, then take a break and enjoy some home made soup and bread with a great cup of espresso.

Save the date, November 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the annual Christmas Bazaar and Bake Sale held at the Naselle Lutheran Church located at 308 Knappton Road in Naselle.

This event will include fall and Christmas decor, a wide variety of gift items as well as their famous baked goods. John Indermark's latest book, Advent, A to Z will also be available to purchase. Several hot soups accompanied by breads and coffee will be offered starting at 11 a.m. for a free will donation. All proceeds will be dedicated to the Sunday school program furnishings and supplies and to the refurbishment of the pastor's new office.

Westend news

Don’t forget the flu shot clinic being held today (Thursday) in the Rosburg Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. sponsored by the Wahkiakum Health Department. For more information, please contact Gina at the Health Department 360 795-6207.

The congregation of Grays River United Methodist Church will host a luncheon to introduce Pastor Dean Anderson of Vancouver, who will become the new officiate. Please join the congregation and the community in welcoming Pastor Dean and his wife, Cheryl, to their new church by attending next Sunday for worship at 10 a.m. with a meal and refreshments immediately following the service in the social hall.

The Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park will host its 4th Annual All Hallows Eve on Thursday, the 31st. Bring the kids and enjoy a safe and definitely dry evening of Trick or Treating followed by a free Halloween movie after marching through the halls for treats. Trick or Treating will begin at 5 p.m. Popcorn and drinks will be available at the concession stand during the movie.

The Rosburg Community Club’s annual Holiday Bazaar will take place on November 2. The day long event features fun, food , lots of craft items, baked goods, etc., for sale by local vendors. The event is one of the main fundraisers of the year for RCC, and proceeds help to maintain the building, fund scholarships, and all the other community based contributions that this group is known for. For more information on this event or to rent a space for your wares, please call 465-2234.

The American Legion Fall breakfast is almost here again. It will take place on November 9 with all you can eat pancakes as usual, with sides of eggs cooked the way you like them, ham or sausage, juice, milk and coffee. A great way to start your day, and help out a wonderful community organization. The event will be held in the Deep River #111 American Legion Hall in Deep River.

“Living Well in Wahkiakum County” is a free informational event coming November 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park in Rosburg and is sponsored by Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services. Service organizations will be on hand with booths as well as a variety of community resources with representatives of those organizations available to answer questions. There will be information booths, presentations, giveaways, individual signups, and details to prepare you and your family for an emergency or disaster and much, much more.

Some of the partners and resources coming together for this day of information include Wahkiakum Health and Human Services, Area Agency on Aging, St. James Family Center/Charlotte House, Helping Hands Food Bank, Wahkiakum Department of Emergency Management, Social Security, DSHS, Wahkiakum County Sheriffs Department, Family Health Center, Washington Health Insurance Enrollment, Wahkiakum Food Bank, Lower Columbia CAP, Hunger Relief Task Force, Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park, Red Cross, SHIBA, etc. If you would like to become a part of this event by representing your organization, you can call Terrie Howell of Wahkiakum County Community Outreach 360-795-8630 and press option 2, for more information.

There are lots of activities going on at the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park every day, and it is so good to see the grounds and the building being used once again. It has been a dream of many to bring the building back to life, to see cars in the parking lot, and to hear the laughter of children and adults in the hallways. It is an ongoing project and is a labor of love for many of us. We are still in the midst of moving the activity center and sewing room to their new locations, so we have to apologize for any inconvenience to folks who would like to use those two rooms. It won’t be much longer.

The newly moved Grays River Valley Library and Community Computer Center is being used by quite a few more folks now as is the computer center. With the new open floor plan and comfy sofa and big cushy chair to sit and relax in, it may become a special spot for me to do a little reading and relaxing. Our hours are still being tweaked to try and be open at the times when other activities are going on, including the dance lessons, so parents and other kids will have a place to wait and have something to do. We would like to have a few more volunteers to help cover those extra hours. If you are interested in helping out, please call Randy and Ramona Collver, or 465-2310.

Our gym floor was redone last year by the Naselle School District, and we know how expensive it is to maintain these kinds of floors. We have noticed that a few scuffs and marks are showing up due to the use of street shoes being worn on the gym floor. If you or your kids are going to use the gym, we ask that you wear only gym shoes (not shoes that you have been wearing on the street), or remove your shoes before entering the gym.

A good suggestion, if you know you will be using the facility, is to bring a pair of gym shoes that you have thrown in your washer and will be using only when you are in the gym. We have lockers available outside the gym that you can keep your shoes in, when you are not using them.

The Free Friday Night Movie for this week at the Grays River Valley Center is a family friendly one called “John Carter.” Released in 2012, this sci-fi fantasy, adventure film is rated PG-13. A synopsis: War-weary, former military captain John Carter is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris. In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom (Mars) and its people rests in his hands.

On November 1, in keeping with Halloween week, we will show an older (1963, not rated) horror flick, “The Haunting.”

The Rosburg Wednesday Senior Lunch Bunch meets each week at the Rosburg Hall for a hot, home cooked meal prepared and served by Pat Potter and her volunteer crew. The menu for the 30th is taco soup with all the trimmings and dessert. Sounds like a great fall lunch to me. Lunch is served at noon.

Rosburg Senior Community Lunches, sponsored by CAP are also served at the above location on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Menus for the coming week: Thursday, the 24th-lasagna, Caesar salad, sliced oranges and garlic bread; Tuesday, the 29th-turkey pot roast, steamed potatoes, carrots and mushrooms and sliced oranges, Thursday, the 31st-pork chops with gravy, mashed potatoes, tossed salad and sliced peaches. Come join in the fun, have a good meal and visit with local friends.

Happy Birthday to the celebrants this week: Cassie Bolton Chandler, Trudy Heriot, Dan Todd, John Didion, Tori Legler, Mike Nortrup, Chad Andring, Tye Johnson, Peter Hunter, Judy Paavola, Clay Mullins, Lindsay Smith, Sharon Johnson-Ross, Kevin Maki, Kyle Olmstead and Lindsay Littau.

Wishing a very special Happy Anniversary to Wayne and Becky Erickson. Here’s to many more wonderful years of celebrations together for a wonderful couple.