Changes ahead for Bald Eagle Days

Bald Eagle Days is five weeks away, and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Shannon Gildea is pretty excited and a little nervous about putting together an event she has never attended.

There wasn’t much turnout for the planning meetings, so she’s had to put much of the event together on her own. Still, she had the outline of past events, as well as board and chamber members to go to when she had questions.

This year's festival will look much the same as it has in the past, with a couple additions.

First, Gildea added a Family Geocaching Competition.

“It’s just a way to get people walking around the community and doing things as a family,” Gildea said. “Plus, who doesn’t like a treasure hunt?”

Participating families will pick up a passport book which will include instructions for the event. There will be several caches around town to find, and the passport book will show the location using longitude and latitude. At each stop, families will find a stamp to use in their passport. When the book is filled, they return it to the Chamber of Commerce where they will receive a ticket for a raffle. There will also be a list of caches that families can drive to for extra credit. Each of those caches will garner the family another ticket and entry into the raffle.

There are GPS and compass apps available for smart phones and other devices, according to Gildea, and people interested in geocaching can sign up for a free account at geocaching.com.

One of the Grand Prizes will be a Kindle Fire. Sponsors have also donated gift certificates and other items that are appropriate for families. It’s early and Gildea is hopeful that there will be more.

“We’re hoping geocachers will come to the community to participate in the event,” Gildea said, “but we also hope to inspire local residents to get involved. It gives you an excuse to explore and it’s a great way to find hidden treasures.”

Also new is the Reptile Road Show, which will be at the Community Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 18.

“I think kids will enjoy petting snakes and taking pictures with geckos,” Gildea said.

The theme for the 2015 Bald Eagle Days is The Mighty Mighty Columbia River. Gildea still has openings for vendors. For a good spot, contact Gildea soon.

Parade applications are available at eight places in Cathlamet and Skamokawa and will soon show up in an edition of The Wahkiakum County Eagle, according to Gildea. Completed applications should be turned in to Penny Paulsen at The Bank of the Pacific.

“The point of Bald Eagle Days is to celebrate our community and our county,” Gildea said.

The Chamber of Commerce needs volunteers for the event. To ask a question or volunteer, call 360-795-9996, email wchamber@cni.net or stop by the office in the Scarborough Building.