Have a safe and happy Fourth of July

BIG HOLIDAY--It's the Fourth of July holiday! I trust you will enjoy this special day and with a little luck, we won't hear any reports of incidents due to wayward fireworks, like a grass fire or injury, as that will definitely turn your holiday fun into a nightmare. Here's hoping you have a great one, whatever you do. Happy Fourth of July, everybody!

NO EXCUSES--Depending on where you are, you may get to enjoy some rather warm/hot temperatures in the days ahead. Last year, 52 children died in hot cars, and already this year, there have been 15 deaths due to parents leaving their kids in their vehicles. I find this inexcusable. If you see a child that was forgotten in a hot car, please call 911 immediately! Then take a picture of the situation, note the time and if you feel it's absolutely crucial to rescue that child that very minute, well, you do what you think is best. But please, let's hope we don't hear one more story about a child left behind to die a miserable death.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from July 3-10 are Matt Helms lll, Irene Martin, Jaiden Mahitka, Patty Dursteler, Dave Hjaltalin, Debbie Kuller, Sandie York, George Exum, Jordon Fritzie Collins, Lee Wages, Tyler Heagy, Autumn Cochran, Cameron Cothren, Alex Bonds, Tony Carikker, Justin Hoven, Brad Towery, Jaxton Samuel Nicolazzi, Dean Takko, Steve Hart, David Shrum, Nathan Chamberlain, Bryce Good and 67'er David West.

Celebrating their anniversaries this week are Gary and Pam Emery, Hap and Dixie Anderson, Steve and Lori Smith, Lance and Heidi Souvenir, Carol Carver and George Exum, Mr. and Mrs. Al McClain, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Florek Jr. and Paul and MaryAnn Ehrensberger. Happy celebrating, everyone!

Belated anniversary wishes to Maury and Sharrel Mooers who celebrated their 46th anniversary this past Sunday.

LOOKING GOOD--If you haven't been to Skamokawa recently, then you haven't seen the freshly painted historic Redmen Hall/Central School building, and I have to tell you, it's looking real nice! The Friends of Skamokawa are happy that this was able to get done this year. In case you missed last week's paper, it was Gomes Construction that undertook this big job, and from what I can see, they did a great job! Be sure to check it out and come in and peruse the Gift/Book Shop and the exhibit upstairs. You can always contact the hall by calling 360-795-3007 or stopping by Thursday through Sunday, noon to four.

NICE TRIP--Recently, John and Mary Gustafson traveled to Alaska, first by sea, then on land via a train and then flew back home, so they got to really experience the "air, land and sea" travel scheme that travel agents are always talking about! Part of the reason the couple took this trip was because of John's connection to Alaska, as he was born in Fairbanks, so he got to visit places that he hadn't seen in years. Then later on in life, he had worked in Sitka, where he helped in the demolition of a cold storage plant that was burned out and needed to be completely torn down and removed. While there, he found an old anchor dating back to the time when Russia owned Alaska. So he donated that to the Sitka Museum but had never actually seen what they did with it, so he was pleased to finally be able to stop by and see the anchor once again, along with a nice plaque bearing his name as the one who found and donated it; very cool! It is truly treasured in the Sitka Museum.

ONWARD SHE GOES--It seems like Tessa Sechler just got to California to begin her internship, but time has flown by and she has already completed her stint with the Special Olympics organization. This means it was time for Dad, Pete, to pack her up and after a few days of traveling up the California coast and enjoying some of the sites along the way and some awesome food, the two made it back to Seattle in one piece. She has set her mind on getting a PHD in Clinical Psychology, which means going back to work so she can afford to go back to school. We wish her the best of luck and can hardly wait to call her Doctor Sechler!

KITES--I hope you were able to visit Sk. Vista Park this past Saturday, as it was a gorgeous day for flying a kite. Those who came to show off their fantastic flying creatures, treated us all to a terrific show. I got a kick out of the little purple dragon that appeared to be staked close to the ground, as nobody wants to lose their baby dragon on a windy day in a faraway place! Hopefully you got to enjoy an elephant ear from the EE cart and/or something from Patty Cake's trailer. They're planning a Fall Kite Festival so be sure to jot down September 21 on your calendar today!

SEE THE CARS?--A lot of folks were able to catch quite the "car show" this past Saturday, as lots of vehicles were traveling the highways and biways, as they took part in the Hemming's Motor News Great Race, presented by Hagerty. This race isn't a speed race but actually a rally with extreme instructions and things timed to the second and penalties for every second they are either early or late. The Great Race has been going on for 36 years, but this is the first time this event has started and finished on the west coast, they began in Riverside, CA and will wind up in Tacoma. Teams came from all over the United States, plus England, Canada, Australia and even Japan, in hopes of taking home some of the $150,000 in prize money!

SPEEDY RECOVERY--We want to give a shout out to Bernie Mendoza and wish her all the best as she recuperates from some knee surgery. We all know how much we need those legs to get around on, so we trust she'll be up and around in no time!

HELP OUT?--Lots of folks have been using social media to donate to various causes, and one of those causes is for the Balch family, due to health issues for Mike Balch. However, you can go directly to the Cathlamet branch of the Bank of the Pacific and ask to have your donation put in their "Balch Medical Fund" account. Your help would truly be appreciated.

CORRECTION--I recently talked about the big anniversary for the Wahkiakum County Museum, which I said was their 50th, when indeed, it was their 60th! The museum opened in June of 1959, so my apologies for the printed error, and my thanks to Joanne Marson who spotted my mistake and informed me about it.

COMING SOON--Don't forget that the monthly flea market will be at the Wahkiakum Co. fairgrounds July 13, along with another leg of the Silver Buckle Series. It will be time to head back here on July 19 for the bull riding event, which was a huge hit last year, and then of course, the huge, all day event in Cathlamet on July 20, when the Bald Eagle Day festivities take place. This is all coming up real soon, so get ready to have some fun!

TRAGIC--We were deeply saddened to hear about the tragic death of one of Skamokawa's own, as Reese Gullickson died from injuries in a motorcycle accident that took place this past Sunday. Reese was a super nice guy and we'd had many chats over the years. His "not so white" truck and his huge dog were easy to spot when they were at the store or post office, and it was always a pleasure to exchange all the latest news with him. We will miss his quick wit and friendly smile and we want to offer our sincerest sympathies to his surviving family members and dearest friends.