Open mic night Friday at Skamokawa Grange

WEEKEND WEATHER--This past Saturday morning saw us dodging a little moisture but by afternoon, it was dry again. Sunday was truly a wonderful day, and by the looks of the traffic, half the people in the state were headed to the beach! They say we will have a heat spike by the time you read this. Depending on which weather station you listen to, there could be a chance of some light showers creeping in to the weekend forecast but I guess we'll have to wait and see what shows up.

STILL DRY--As of this writing, the burn ban in our county is still on, so please don't take any chances with any kind of product that could start a fire. Also, be very careful with things like welders or other things that could throw off a spark, like a dragging chain on the pavement. With things so dry, it wouldn't take much to endanger our forests or our homes, so here's to being extra cautious these days!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Aug. 29-Sept. 4 are Nanea Carroll, Quin Bassi, Judy Danielsen, Debbie Melton, Jim Robinson, Jamie Quigley, Vance Mosteller, Kathy McNally, Joe Turgeon, Terry Heagy, Travis Bain, Linda Cook, Donna Peterson Bernard, Bill Chamberlain and Sharon Buennagel's brother, Lew. Have terrific birthdays everybody!

Those celebrating anniversaries this week are John and Malisa Thompson, Steve and Ruth Doumit, Mike and Carrie Backman, Todd and Kristen Souvenir, Lee and Diane Tischer, Grant and Ashley Turner, Ryan and Erica Torppa and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Robinson. Enjoy your special anniversary celebrations!

CALENDARS--If you'd like your name added to the Lions Club calendar, be sure to notify a member soon so that your birthday or anniversary gets listed on the 2020 calendar; they make great gifts! Also, if you want something removed, or if you see a name that's in the wrong spot, be sure and let them know as they can't fix it unless they know. Carol McClain is one of those folks you can call here in Skamokawa, 360-795-3337 or Renee Robert on Puget Island, 360-849-4003.

ORDER BERRIES NOW!--You only have a few more days to order frozen berries from the Wah. Lions Club, as Sunday, Sept. 1, is the last day, so call 360-849-4003 right away and get a check over to Renee and she can get them ordered for you. There are four different kinds and prices; call her for all the details. Pick up is Sept. 7 and they will be taken to the delivery site that you chose on the order form. If you forget, the berries will be donated to charity, so I hope you have that date written down and you don't miss out on your berries!

NEW ADDITION--I've got a new couple to add to our anniversary listing, besides that of my grandson, Kyle Sechler to Suzy Ekstrom on Aug. 16, and that is of my cousin's daughter who just got married this past weekend. Congratulations to Libby and Bryan Bach on their recent nuptials in Irrigon, OR at Windmill Acres on Aug. 24. It was a beautiful setting and the bride was beaming with happiness! Libby (Elizabeth) is the oldest daughter of LuAnn Davison of Hermiston, OR and she was the daughter of my (late) Uncle Walter Pedersen, youngest child/son of Jonas Pedersen, so we've got more cousins and cousins-in-law to add to the family tree!

OPEN MIC--This Friday night, Aug. 30, there will be an Open Mic night at the Skamokawa Grange Hall and you're all welcome to come and take part in playing an instrument and singing a tune. Or you can just tap your toes to the music, as there's always some good tunes to get you movin' and groovin' so don't miss out on the entertainment! Doors open at 5:45 p.m., for sign-up and the line up will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a big jam session at the end of the evening. Don't forget, the coffee is always on and you're more than welcome to grab a cup. While this is a free event, a donation to help defray the light bill cost at the Grange is always appreciated. For more information, contact Jerry Ledtke at 360-795-3434.

FRIDAY MOVIE--Friday evening, Aug. 30, you can take in the free movie and popcorn deal at the Community Center. This week the movie is rated PG-13. For the actual title, stop by the center located at 101 Main Street.

QUICK RESPONSE--Thankfully, a person of interest has been identified in connection with the recent robbery at our local Skamokawa General Store, so for that we are all very happy. Kudos to those folks who recognized one of the individuals in the security camera footage from that night and came forward to the sheriff's office right away. Unfortunately, the young man in question has fled the area but if you know the whereabouts of Jacob Childers, age 18, who has been known to be driving a 2004 black Mustang with New Mexico plates, ADNS57, you are asked to please come forward with that information. Call 360-795-3242 which is the non-emergency number for our local sheriff's office.

SCHOOL STARTING--There will be lots of school activities going on soon, as school starts this next week, so watch for those kids going to and from school, make sure you stop behind all the school buses and do not pass them when they are stopped. Here's hoping all of our kids have a safe and happy upcoming school year. Go Warriors; Go Mules!

If you'd like to be a sponsor of any of the Mule teams, contact this paper and they'll give you all the low-down on how you can become one.

I heard someone say there wasn't much for kids to do here, which I find amazing, but if they get involved in school activities, whether it's sports or FFA or 4-H or some other club, like the popular robotics class, they can definitely keep very busy and they might even learn some important life skills, problem solving skills and a good work ethic as well. Don't like the clubs and activities currently offered? Start one! There's really no reason to be bored in Wahkiakum County unless you want to be.

REMINDER--The Dress a Girl monthly meetings will begin next Friday, Sept. 6 at the Community Center in Cathlamet at 1 p.m. If you can sew and would like to help provide a dress for someone, then this project is for you. The pattern and material will be provided. It's truly a great way to help others and put your talent to good use. Pearl Blackburn will be spearheading this endeavor.

WINE/AUCTION: COUPLE OF WEEKS--The annual Friends of Skamokawa's fund raiser, the "Cornucopia of Wines," will be held Sept. 14, so don't delay and get your tickets today. This event takes place at the Skamokawa Grange Hall at 18 Fairgrounds Road and will feature many different wines, and delicious foods, which usually includes local food items and of course, there are those wonderful bidding wars! It's always fun to come away with a good prize for a good price and hopefully make a few bucks for the continuing upkeep and maintenance of the historic Redmen Hall/Central School building. Tickets in advance are $15 for one and $25 for two, but they will be $20 at the door for one and $30 for two, so save yourself a few bucks and buy them today! Available in Cathlamet at the Bank of the Pacific or Daisy Chain Floral and in Skamokawa, you can get them at Redmen Hall or at the Skamokawa General Store.

COMING UP--Whether you come down for the monthly Flea Market during the day on Sept. 14 at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds, or the Wine Tasting event at the Grange Hall, be sure to come back here to Skamokawa on Sept. 21 and check out all the kites that will be flying at Vista Park. This event is always a fun one, as the array of colorful kites and all those characters of various shapes and sizes are really fun to watch flying high in the sky! While you're here, check out the new exhibit at Redmen Hall starting that day as well.

CLASS MET--On Thursday, Aug. 15, the Wahkiakum High School Class of 1958 got together at Teri's Restaurant in Longview, and did a bit of visiting and catching up with each other as they celebrated 61 years of WHS graduation anniversaries! According to Jerry and Karen Davis, there were 19 present including spouses, and those in attendance that were from that class were Mida Dodge Pederen, Karen Everman Davis, Morton Holland, Larry Hosley, Sandy Jacobson Extine, Betty Madden Johnson, Steve Ostling, Chuck Parker, John Pierson, Larry Riley and Frank Webb. Some of these class members headed to the Wahkiakum County Fair on Friday and enjoyed taking the fair in and seeing folks they knew there as well.

NICE PARTY--This past Sunday we were happy to celebrate a special birthday, as our dear friend, Sharon Buennagel's mother, Dolly Hartley, was celebrating her 90th birthday! Dolly got a bit of a surprise, as not only did she have all four of her kids there, but there was a whole group of family and friends joining them to help her celebrate her milestone birthday. It was a gorgeous day and the setting at Riverside Park in Lexington was absolutely fantastic. It was great to have Sharon come from Hawaii for the occasion and as always, she got her cooking skills put right to work as she cooked up a whole bunch of fresh salmon for everyone. Her brother-in-law, Mark McCormack, was at the other end of the table, preparing bacon wrapped pork loins, so between those two items, and a batch of chicken, a bunch of side dishes and snack items, there was plenty to eat and everyone did a good job of making it all disappear.

I have to say, it had been years since I'd been out at the Riverside Park facility, so things had changed quite a bit, but it truly is a gorgeous area. There is quite a long, winding road to get to the picnic/party sites, but with lots of tables to use, open green spaces to set up your food cover tents and for the younger kids to play, and nearby restrooms too, it was all very handy and on a sunny day, it's just perfect!

SAD TIMES--It was with a very heavy heart that we learned of the passing of one of our family members, as Jeremy Pedersen of Castle Rock, has left us all too soon. He was just 41. Jeremy was the oldest son of my nephew, Tim Pedersen, who is the son of the late Ralph and Peggy Pedersen. As of this date, the time for his service has yet to be determined.

ANOTHER LOSS--I was so sad to hear of the loss of another former Puget Islander, Robert Fritzie, 73, earlier this month. Rarely did we ever call him by his first name, as we all knew him as Fritzie, and with that ready smile and quick wit, he was well known and well liked. In his later high school days, he was driving a black GTO and well, who didn't like those 60's hot rods and Fritzie had one of the coolest! If you ever met him, you wouldn't have been able to forget him. We want to send our sincerest condolences to his entire family and his closest friends. He will be missed.