County still divided by slide; ferry running

WILD WEEK!--The latter half of last week was really a rough one as not only did we get hit with some major flooding in our county, but we had a large landslide on KM once again, which, as you know by now, has shut down SR 4. The slide is approx. at MP 25, but the closure of the highway is between Mile posts 19 (Shannon Road on the Grays River side) through 26 (Mullen Road on the Skamokawa side), which are at the foot of KM on each side. With the volume of mud and debris and the unstable conditions, it's a real mess and as of this writing, our main link between the eastern part and western part of our county, is still closed.

I can only hope that by the time you read this, things have improved but with our current weather, I'm not so sure that even our latest update about the highway being reopened the first week in February is actually going to happen. We can just hope it does as it's amazing how many people use that highway to get to their jobs, make deliveries, like our mail, etc. Kudos to all those who are making trips all the way around the Oregon side to provide us with services!

RESCHEDULED--Due to all the above weather issues, the American Legion Deep River Post 111, had to postpone their Crab and Oyster Feed that had been set for last Saturday, Jan. 25, so that was disappointing but without a road for all of us "east siders" to get there and plenty of water still in the parking lot at the Rosburg Hall, it just couldn't be avoided. However, it has been rescheduled for Feb. 8, so let's hope this nasty weather lets up and the highway gets fixed and we'll all be enjoying a great meal and a real fun time down there on the eighth. Keep your fingers crossed!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Jan. 30-Feb. 5 are Kyle Gribskov, Courtney Zurick, Varsha Martin, Nicole Emery, Alyssa Montgomery, Grant Johnson, KC Garrison, Kathy Tarabochia, Betty Brons, Pam Moore, John Elfers Jr., Annette Elfer, Glen Holt, Alecia Mosteller, Terrie Eaton, Jessica Vik, Maddux Moore, Pamela Everest Priestly, Madilyn Feeman, Alexyss Baldwin and Troy Kyle.

A belated birthday wish goes out to Susanna Cooper, whose birthday was this past Monday, and somehow got overlooked; sorry about that, but I hope she had a great day!

Those celebrating their anniversaries this week are Jason and Jami Rainey and Mr. and Mrs. Dan Cothren. Enjoy your special days!

FRIDAY MOVIE--The last free movie of this month (Jan. 31) at the Community Center in Cathlamet, will be an adult drama, (R-rated movie) and as always, it starts at 7 p.m., and comes with free popcorn. You're free to bring in your own goodies as well. You can stop by the center at 101 Main Street, to find out the title.

NEW MONTH--Can you believe we're at the end of the first month of this new year and going into the second one already, so it seems like we're off to a quick start once again. I was hoping things would slow down a bit and we could all relish in some down time as the year began, but it's not really working out that way it seems, so I guess we just have to buckle up and hang on tight as we start flying through this coming year!

BINGO--Looks like bingo lovers have a couple of places to go to play this month, as this Saturday, Feb. 1, you can head to the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds in Skamokawa, and enjoy some fun games with your family and friends and maybe come home a big winner! The Fair Board is putting on this "Valentine Bingo" event, and there will be lots of raffles and prizes, and it's always fun to be the first to yell out "Bingo" and see what you won! The cards are three for $10 with the doors opening at 5 p.m., and the games beginning at 6 p.m. Come on down to the nicely heated Youth Building and enjoy a hotdog while you wait for the games to begin.

For you new folks, to get to the fairgrounds, come down SR 4 and turn onto East Valley Road at the east end of the Skamokawa Creek Bridge, (MP 29) then turn left onto Fairgrounds Road and just go a little ways and you'll see the fairgrounds, as well as the Skamokawa Grange Hall. The other entrance is behind the Skamokawa Fire Dept./County Shop but for bingo time, it's best to use the gate by the Grange hall.

The following week, Feb. 8, the Sons of Norway will host their monthly bingo games at the Norse Hall on Puget Island, the big white building located on SR 409 just north of the Puget Island Fire Hall. Doors open at 5:30, games are at 6, and cards are $5 each, with cash prizes being given to winners. Members of the Sons of Norway would love to see you there!

SUPER BOWL--The Super Bowl takes place this Sunday, Feb. 2. I don't know if you're rooting for the San Francisco 49'ers or the Kansas City Chiefs, but with the two young quarterbacks doing well this year, it should be a pretty good game. Beings both teams are basically more red and white than anything else, you can wear those colors and no one will really know who you're cheering for! If you want to get in on some fun on Super Bowl Sunday, head to our local lounge, the Duck Inn, where there will be prizes and drawings and giveaways and food and drink specials and a really good time! However, I will give you this little tidbit of info: I happen to know the proprietor is a 49'ers fan, just sayin'!

FLEA MARKET--Just another reminder of the monthly event at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds on the second Saturday of each month: The Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This coming month it will be held on Feb. 8, so come and check it out, as the Youth Building will once again be the place to be!

VALENTINE'S DAY--What big plans do you have for Valentine's Day? Here's hoping you treat your special someone to a wonderful evening out. You might want to start with a nice bouquet of flowers from Daisy Chain Floral in Cathlamet, as Nicole Emery does a wonderful job on her arrangements and her prices are great. She does deliveries as well, so that's always quite handy. If you need a box of candy, the Cathlamet Pharmacy has a great choice of goodies there. Looking for a dinner special? Look no further than our very own restaurant and lounge here in Skamokawa, but make sure you call and make reservations as it's bound to be a busy evening! The King Brothers will be in the lounge at 7 p.m. At any rate, there's many options open to you to make this day special, so I hope you'll be doing a little local shopping/dining and support those that have been so great at supporting us and our many fund raising events throughout the year!

SERVICES--For those of you who haven't heard, Bill Jeffries has passed away and his Celebration of Life Services will be held at the Rosburg Hall on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. We want to send our sympathies to his family and friends.

GET WELL WISHES--I hadn't heard that Marvin Davenport was still in the hospital until just recently, so I was sorry to hear that. However, he did just get to eat solid foods after 20 days, so that was definitely an improvement and we wish him continued progress as he recuperates!

Sending healing wishes to Glenn Palmer, husband of my cousin, Donna Healy Palmer, as he recently suffered a stroke but was able to get treated right away and is now recuperating at home. We wish him continued healing and the sincerest "get well" wishes!

Local Rick Foster wound up in the hospital and has had to undergo numerous testing and procedures and we are keeping our fingers crossed that he comes through all of his health issues in a positive way. Beings Rick was doing great one minute and not the next, he wanted to remind folks to live every minute to its fullest, as you just never know what's right around the corner. Take care, Rick; all your friends and family are thinking of you and hoping and praying for your recovery.

FOS--On March 6, 7 and 8, the Friends of Skamokawa will once again hold their annual "Antique and Vintage Fair" in the River Life Interpretive Center on the second floor of the historic Redmen Hall/Central School building in Skamokawa. Naturally, if you'd like to participate in this event, you are encouraged to contact the hall as soon as possible at 360-795-3007 and leave a message. The hall is currently closed for the winter, but there will be somebody checking for messages off and on. Be sure to leave your name and phone number and they'll get back to you.

When leaving a message, it helps to speak clearly and relatively slowly, as there's nothing worse than having to listen to a message 10 times because people rattle off their information too quickly!