Bobcats begin visits after logging activity

Can you believe the sunshine we have been experiencing? Even though it’s frosty almost every morning, the night skies have been so clear and beautiful that you just want to sit and watch the stars, and during the day all you want to do is soak up the sun.

News from Naselle:

Sports calendar for the Naselle Comet teams this week: Thursday, the 23rd-JV boys basketball at North Beach at 4 p.m., Varsity boys basketball at North Beach at 5:45 p.m., and girls basketball at North Beach at 7 p.m .; middle school boys basketball with Valley in Naselle at 5:45 p.m .; Tuesday, the 28th-JV boys basketball at 4 p.m., girls basketball at 6 p.m. and Varsity boys basketball at 7:30 p.m. with MM Knight in Naselle; Wednesday, the 29th-boys basketball at Lacey at 5:45 p.m., girls basketball at Northwest Christian at 5:45 p.m., middle school boys basketball at South Bend at 5:45 p.m. Go Comets!

Valentine’s Day is coming, and with it, quite a few fundraising activities by local organizations. One of my favorites is the annual American Legion Auxiliary Smorgasbord and silent auction to be held in the Naselle High School Commons on Sunday, February 9th from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

They will be serving their usual fare of all you can eat salads, main dishes and their famous pies and cakes for dessert. Prices for the meal are as follows: Adults and teens-$10, pre-teens-$6 and under 6-$2.

The food is prepared and served by the ladies of the American Legion Post #111 of Deep River and all the proceeds benefit our vets, local scholarships and charities. Here is a delicious way to support a very generous organization.

Other news from the Westend:

The new hours for the Rosburg Store are Tuesday through Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and they are closed on Sunday and Monday. You can still get pizzas, burgers, deli sandwiches, etc., home made bread and fresh farm eggs as well.

You can check out the new computers for your online courses through LCC during the computer center's regular hours. If you have questions about taking college courses online or through distance learning please contact Randy Collver at the Grays River Valley Library/Community Computer Center 465-2310.

The Johnson Park Advisory Board would like to publicly thank, once again, Wahkiakum West Telephone Company for their generous annual donation to the park and center. Without their generosity and support it would be difficult to sustain some of our activities. It is so wonderful to have local businesses, such as the telephone company be actively involved in our efforts to make the park and center a hub for activities for everyone. Thank you again, Wahkiakum West Telephone Company and the Appelo family. We appreciate all you do.

Our 3 C’s*** Chowdown fundraiser went well last Sunday. Though we probably would have had a few more folks visit if it hadn’t been for a couple of incidental football games on television during the hours we were serving. There were quite a few people who decided to pop in and grab some soup and chili to go, though. Thank you to all the attendees for your generous donations toward our efforts with the new, more efficient gym lights. Hope to see you for this event again next January.

Thanks to Steve and Linda Ramsay for the delicious clam chowder and chicken noodle soup and to Penny Gregory for the awesome chili. You outdid yourselves with this yummy fare.

Watch for our next event at the Grays River Valley Center coming up in March.

The free Friday night movie in the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park this week is a kid friendly, animated sequel and begins at 7 p.m. Concessions are available. For more information, call 360 465-2310. Bring the family and enjoy a great evening.

Remember that we show movies for kids on the first and fourth Fridays of each month, so make plans to join us. If you have requests or suggestions for a movie, please don’t hesitate to let us know, and we will see if we can get it on the docket. We have our license to show free movies through a company called SWANK and they do have a few restrictions, but we would be happy to check out your suggestions.

I realize that it is early yet but you may want to get your tickets purchased for the annual Crab and Oyster Feed held at the Rosburg Hall every year, put on by the American Legion Deep River Post #111. There are only 200 tickets available and I know that folks come from everywhere to get in on this feed. Admission is $28 and includes the dance afterwards.

For more information or to purchase your tickets you can call Ken Elliot at 465-2274, Nick Nikkila at 465-2595 or Dale Rose at 465-2234.

The Rosburg Wednesday Senior Lunch Bunch meets at the Rosburg Hall each week for a delicious home cooked meal prepared and served by Pat Potter and her volunteer crew. Lunch is served at noon.

Senior lunches are also served at the Rosburg Hall on Thursdays and are sponsored by CAP. The menu for the coming week includes: Thursday, the 23rd-stuffed pork, vegetable paella and carrot/raisin salad; Thursday, the 30th-beef stew, spinach salad and mango chunks.

Happy Birthday to the following: Alan Gatens, Amber Eaton, Rita Rafferty, Sheldon Warden, Michelle Wirkkala, Sarah Dotson, Monte Givens, Andrea Kay Smith, Esther Gregg, Jill Keller, Paty Rose, Caitlin McGuire, Deanna Gjovik, Bruce Harkness, Dan Moravec, Jeff Reimann, Ron Stube, Bill Wood and Bill Littlefield. Here’s to a perfect day.

Happy Anniversary to Alfred and Carolyn Simukka. Wishing you many more celebrations.

I woke up the other morning at 4 a.m. to the sound of heavy equipment working to the east of us on the mountainside. It sounded like a freeway. I guess that someone is making preparations to do some logging, but I wasn’t prepared for the visits from the local bobcats (animal type) that have made their way onto our property and have decided this is an easy smorgasbord for a quick chicken dinner. So far I haven’t seen one but my sister said that she looked out her window and a young looking cat trotted off up the hill with one of my hens in its mouth. So far I have lost a rooster and two hens. Any suggestions out there to deter them? I’m assuming that the equipment and work going on in the woods has driven them down from the hills, onto our property, as we have never had a problem with them before.

Here’s a proud Mom doing a little bragging on a couple of her kids. The Smith Rock Brewing Company (owned by our daughter and son and their spouses), located in Redmond, Oregon is doing an incredible business since they opened a little more than a year ago. They are taking honors in their beer brewing and in their food offered in the pub. Within just a few weeks they will be up and running with their new upgraded brewing system at a larger facility, where they will be able to brew more of their own beers to serve at the pub. Since they opened, they have only had one of their own brews on tap at a time, but carry about a dozen other local beers on tap. This was a huge undertaking and it is looking quite successful for them. Makes us very proud. You can check them out on the web and on Facebook.