Volunteers needed in many places

NOT NICE--Last week ended with a whole lot of wind and rain and "King Tides" and sadly, the deaths of a couple of young children. Every year, people are warned about being on the beach and how "sneaker" waves can take you down in an instant. During King Tides, it is even more important to stay very clear of flat beaches and low lying areas, where waves will rush up with such speed and power, that there is no escaping them. Needless to say, we feel absolutely heart broken for those who lost their loved ones. Via multiple videos, there were also some who had very close calls after putting themselves in very precarious positions. Please do not fool around when it comes to the rivers and oceans around here, as they can be totally unforgiving!

SNOW--As this week begins, we saw some snow on KM Sunday night, which was mostly gone by Monday morning, and we had some snowflakes falling here in West Valley off and on Monday morning, so I'm guessing when temps get a little colder later on this week, we may have a bit more white stuff around the area. Be super careful, everybody as this is no time to be in a hurry, so please slow down. If you have to travel in it, be sure your car has cold weather emergency supplies in it, just in case, like extra blankets, caps and boots, flashlight, food and water, shovel, and maybe even some flares to name a few. Here's hoping you don't have to use them!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Jan. 16-22 are Theresa Kuljis, Bruce McClain, Elaine Robinson, Brittney Robbins Haddix, Randy Rodahl, Jonny Berry, Ashley Turner, Veronica Wallin, Shanna Havens, Christopher Danker, Bailey Danker, Linda Seaberg, Bill Olsen, Brandon Burdick, Kasey Tomlinson, Jessie Fritzie Collins, Teagan Miller, Tim Hanigan, Trystan Mendez, Elizabeth Frink, Reese Brown, Bernice Tover Ellison, Shane Pedersen and 67'ers Enid Martin Fountain who I failed to mention last week and whose birthday was this past Tuesday, and Don Marsyla who celebrates his big day on Sunday!

Those celebrating anniversaries this week are Mr. and Mrs. Bob Ohrberg, Michael and Nikki Danker, Kelly (Nettles) and Louis Recupero and Holly (Pedersen) and Chris Norton. Here's to some wonderful celebrations to all of you this coming week!

FREE MOVIE--Those who wish to see a free movie and enjoy some free popcorn to go with it, can head to the Community Center in Cathlamet this Friday night, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m., and it's a Documentary/History movie that is PG and suited for everyone. For more info on that movie, stop by the center at 101 Main Street.

MONTH AWAY--Valentine's Day is February 14, and it falls on a Friday this year, as do many other holidays, so that's going to be nice. Remember to support our local places by enjoying their dinner specials and "extras" as well.

CRAB FEED--The Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce will hold their big crab feed the day after Valentine's Day, and in case you haven't heard, it's now going to be at a different spot than usual, so you'll be going to 381 West Birnie Slough this year, where the Columbia River Ranch and Cattle Company is located to enjoy this 35th annual feed. Be sure to get your tickets early, which you can get at the Bank of the Pacific. There are three different seatings at 3, 5 and 7 p.m., so hopefully one of those will fit your time preference. You can always call the chamber at 360-795-9996 for more information. If you'd like to help them out, they are always looking for volunteers.

LOOKING FORWARD--Many folks are fairly new here, or maybe brand new, or have purchased property and homes here but just haven't moved in yet, so, to all those folks, we say, "Welcome to the neighborhood/Wahkiakum County." I can only hope that you are reading this paper and keeping abreast of all that is going on here. We have a multitude of great organizations that can always use a helping hand, so if you're wanting to fit in to your new community, I hope you'll think about checking out some of them and doing some volunteering, as many of our bigger events could certainly use a helping hand. Examples would be the Bald Eagle Day Festivities in July and the Wahkiakum County Fair in August, just to name a couple. This is a place where you can keep as busy as you want to, and some of us older folks are hoping some of you younger folks will step in and fill some of our shoes. We look forward to meeting some of you soon!

OUT OF THE PAST--This week, back in 1950, cold temperatures set records, as on January 18, it was minus one (-1) degree in the Longview/Kelso area. The below zero temperature had not been seen since 1930, when it hit -20 degrees; brr! The worst hit areas were in Vancouver where the ice storm there meant folks were without power for three full days. The winter blast took down all the telephone communication lines nearby and Astoria was isolated due to icy roads, falling trees and such. Thankfully, the amateur short wave radio folks were able to keep in touch with the outside world and keep them abreast of what was going on in their area. Everyone was glad when the weather warmed up and turned snowfall into rain and folks in the Cathlamet area at least, were able to get out and about once again. This according to my Grandma Elsie Everest's diary.

OUT OF WHACK--When you reach up to get a bowl off the second shelf in the kitchen and your back goes out, I have to tell you, it's not good! Talk about slowing a person down, making them feel old and realizing that neither sitting or standing or walking feel real good. Needless to say, this is going to be a short column as my brain cannot concentrate due to the discomfort. So, goodbye until next week, when I hope my lower back gets to feeling better, and hopefully, sooner than later!