Redmen Hall closed on March 22 only

NICE/NASTY/NICE--At the end of last week we had a couple of really nice summer-like days and folks were out in shorts and tank tops and mowing their lawns and really soaking up the nice weather. Then the weekend showed up, along with the "Pineapple Express" and we had some heavy rains and breezy condtions, but a quick trip to Longview on Sunday had us sitting in sunshine, while the trip home became darker and darker the further west we came and we got back into the wind and the rain. While thousands were without power in other nearby areas on Sunday night, we were happy to have it much calmer here with only a few blinks now and then. The work week began with thick, dense fog but when it lifted, we got to enjoy a very sunny Monday, which I wasn't expecting but nobody was complaing about, that's for sure!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating their birthdays from March 19-25 are Connie Bassi, Makenzie Anderson, Laurie Miller, Leroy Wika, Lance Souvenir, Nova McNally, Wade Parker, Cathy LaBerge, Jeri Webb Foster, Jordyn Wirkkala, Shelby Deaton, Kyli Hurley, Emily Tanksley, Sandy Quigley, Larry Firkus and Mathew Kyle. Enjoy your birthday celebrations everybody!

Belated birthday wishes go out to Ralph Kenner who celebrated his 90th birthday last Friday and enjoyed a nice gathering of friends and family at the home of his daughter, Susan (Kerry) Brown on Saturday. Also, Veryle West celebrated her birthday last week, so belated birthday wishes go out to her as well. Belated wishes to Margaret Burt who celebrated her 107th birthday last week. Wow!

Those celebrating anniversaries this week are Tyson and Sarah Clark, Mr. and Mrs. James McCoy, Mr. and Mrs. Brett Deaton, Mr. and Mrs. John Hannah, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Backman, Aron and Wendy Havens and Robby and Krista Fritzie. Enjoy your special days everybody!

SPRING IS HERE--Tomorrow, March 20, marks the first day of Spring, even though it's felt like it for several weeks already as daffodils, camelias and other flowers have already been blooming all over the place. It's always that time of year when people start planting and growing more things, and where better to shop than your local Skamokawa Nursery with its very knowledgeable owner, Danny Silverman, to help you plan your landscape! When considering planting bigger items, like bushes and trees, it's really imperative to remember that they grow, so leave ample space for them to do that which will not hinder your vision or any utilities that may be in and around your property.

CLASSMATES GATHER--Last Friday several members of the class of 1967 got together in Longview and had a nice gabfest, for about two and a half hours! It was made even more fun by the pictures and articles that Elaine Rolf brought from "back in the day" and we all got a lot of laughs and giggles over some of them. We were hoping to have the March birthday "kids" there but Melvin Brown and Sandy Quigley were unable to make it. Attending were Phil and LeeAnn Rolf, David and Kathy West, Keith and Karen Lawrence, Dale Jacobson, Pam Lazor, Nancy Brady and Kay Chamberlain. Next month we are going to meet at the Urban Saloon and Grill at 1202 Commerce, so we hope to see as many 67'ers as possible on April 10 at 1 p.m.

THIS SATURDAY--This Saturday seems to be a very busy day, as there is a Family Night Social at the J. A. Wendt Elementery multi-purpose room from 6 to 8 p.m., with free snacks and beverages, games and prizes and all kinds of family fun.

Over at the Norse Hall that evening, there will be Bingo for all you who love to win cash! It's also a good time to visit with your friends and neighbors, so show up at 5:30 p.m., and get ready to play those Bingo cards by 6 p.m.

If you happen to be heading over the hill to this Saturday evening, you might want to stop by the Grays River Valley Center and enjoy their Spaghetti feed that's going on March 21, from 5-8 p.m. However, they are only selling 100 tickets so if you want to be sure you get in, contact Trudy Fredrickson at 360-465-2960 right away and get those reserved. Each ticket is $12 and includes a full spaghetti & meatball dinner with bread, salad, dessert and a glass of wine. This is the third time that this fund raiser has taken place with proceeds going towards the GRVC.

SUNDAY AT REDMEN HALL--Due to the annual FOS meeting, Redmen Hall will be closed to the public this Sunday. This yearly membership meeting for the Friends of Skamokawa will be held March 22 from 2-4 p.m. They will hold their usual business meeting, with board members being voted on for various positions and then that will be followed by a talk by long time member, Irene Martin, with a social time with pies for dessert to wrap it all up. All members are urged to attend.

NEXT WEEKEND--Redmen Hall is proud to announce a new exhibit featuring local students and their work, which ranges from art work to robotics. There will be demonstrations by students, with teachers there to answer questions on March 28 when the exhibit starts, and another demonstration day on April 18 featuring robotics and drones. The exhibit lasts until April 26, so we hope you can view all the various kinds of things the students are doing today and you will even be able to purchase some of their log and metal artwork. So come to the hall next Saturday and see these award winning projects done by our talented young people.

SYMPATHIES--One of our classmates, Dale Jacobson, who happened to be at the luncheon with us last Friday, shared the sad news that his Mother, Mary Jacobson, had passed away the day before. We were so sorry to hear this news and offered our sympathies to Dale and his family. His Mom was such a sweet person and she was the ultimate hostess whose etiquette skills were unrivaled and I was truly appreciative of some of her help in those matters years ago.

Also, sympathies to the family of Curly Cochran who passed away last week and whose services were held last Friday. We are just losing too many of our wonderful seniors lately.

DOING BETTER/GET BETTER--We were pretty dismayed to hear that Betty Koziel had to be taken to the hospital last week and wasn't feeling real well, so we were mighty happy to see her posts on Facebook which said she was feeling better, and obviously well enough to come home. Here's hoping she stays away from those ambulance rides! We were also happy to hear that Nova McNally was feeling better and we hope she has a wonderful birthday celebration this coming Sunday! We're also sending some "feel better soon" wishes to Jeanne Paulsen who took a tumble while trying to do a good deed, which we trust she'll do by using her cell phone first next time! We hope Starla Hanson is feeling better by the time this goes to print as she's been sick lately and that's certainly no fun!

FAIR BINGO/SALE--Time is flying by and it will soon be Easter, and you know what that means, "Easter Bingo!" With some great prizes coming in, according to Cheryl Backman, we hope you'll head up to the JA Wendt multi-purpose room on Friday evening, April 3 and get in on all the action. Naturally, there will be the games for hams and such along with raffle items and prizes, so bring your friends and have a fun time at Easter Bingo!

Also, the following day, April 4, there will be the monthly Flea Market at the Wahkiakum Fairgrounds, so those in charge of that hope to see you there.

EASTER EGG HUNT--Also on April 4, the annual Lions Club Easter Egg Hunt will take place at Skamokawa Vista Park. There are several different age categories and remember, don't be late, as when those kids get the word to "go get those eggs," they will have the grounds scoured clean in no time as they search for those treasured "prize eggs!" For more on this event, contact Carol McClain at 795-3337.

LIKE FISHING?--On that first weekend in April, there is also the "Hook the Hawk Salmon Derby" going on at the Elochoman Marina, so contact the Chamber for all the information on that event: 795-9996. There are great prizes involved here so if you like to fish, check this out!

All I can say is, if you're bored around here, you're not paying attention to all that is available for you to do, as I can't see an empty weekend anywhere, and it's only going to get busier as the summer approaches. If you're one of those people looking for something to do, call Shannon Gildea at the Chamber office and I'm sure she can give you some idea of where your volunteer hours can be used, and don't forget the Wahkiakum Fair is always in need of a helping hand as there are flower beds to tend to and painting to be done, etc. Call the fair office at 795-3480 and leave a message!

SURPRISE--Ralph and Peggy Pedersen had a nice surprise visit from their grandson, Sean Pedersen last Sunday, so they were tickled to see him, as beings he lives in Arizona, they don't get to visit with him too much. Sean was recently in England for a couple of weeks and he brought his latest technological device and showed them all the pictures he took of the sites, so they got to tour England from the convenience of their living room! Sean is the son of Peg and Ralph's oldest son, Tim Pedersen of Vancouver and Julie (Nepsund) Pedersen.

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY--I hope all of you enjoyed the "green" day this week with your traditional St. Paddy's Day meals and parades and such. In Seattle, the kids of Pete and Katie (Nollan) Sechler honored the memory of their Grandpa Fred Nollan by braving the pouring down rains and taking part in the annual St. Patrick's Day race that their Grandpa Fred had always taken part in, so kudos for them for keeping that tradition alive! Afterwards, it was time for a corned beef lunch for the crew that their Uncle Fred had prepared at his house and everyone had a wonderful time of course. Another Nollan granddaughter, Heidi (Nollan) and son, Dom were also there and the young man, who is just seven, also raced in his age bracket and won a prize for one of the best costumes of the day, so that was pretty neat too!