County-wide burn ban now in place

WEEKEND WEATHER--we had a mixed bag of weather this past weekend, as Friday was great but cooled downed quickly so we saw some wetness out here on Saturday and then it was pretty decent Sunday with a nice sunny day this past Monday, so not too bad. I do hope your garden is growing great, as I know mine seems to be sprouting right up there, along with the grass and the weeds of course, but then again, that off and on moisture keeps us green and keeps the water flowing so it's not a bad thing to me. Other than a little rain this Friday, it looks like a pretty nice week; enjoy!

BURN BAN--In case you missed seeing the notice, there is now a burn ban in effect, as it was put in place (yesterday) Wednesday, July 15, so I hope you got any yard debris picked up and safely burned already. It's really amazing how we think it's so wet out there but under our trees and bushes, it's often very dry and any dead fallen limbs, small branches and leaves can really add fuel to a fire if one were to get going, so here's hoping we don't have to deal with any careless folks out there that wind up setting our woods ablaze!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from July 16-22 are Jerry Ledtke, Bev Moonen, Rick Benfit, Luke Schmitz, Stuart Bosch, Don Wright, Randi Curtis, Marsha Cleveland, Pam Elliott, Denise Parker, Cameron Havens, Luke Schmitz, Kelsea Blix, Elisa Heagy, Ella Doiron, Larry Hendrickson, Steve L. Doumit, Skip Nortrup, Theresa Libby, Raedyn Grasseth, Lisa Hannah, Bob Roseberry, Chase Fritzie, Eric Ferguson, Kalei Meyers, Jensen Finkas and 67'er Sharon McKie.

After a voicemail left on my phone took a trip to outer space and back, I didn't get a message from Debra Moore Takko until after my last week's deadline, so here's a very belated Happy 70th Birthday wish to her hubby, Dean Takko, who got to enjoy some kayaking time on the river, along with a nice family dinner!

Happy Anniversary wishes for this coming week go out to Rick and Janet (Souvenir) Bryan, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Rutledge and Mr. and Mrs. Rocky Rose. Enjoy!

Belated anniversary wishes go out to Natalie (Emery) and Roger Wise who celebrated six years of married life this past Sunday.

If any of you want your name added to the Lions Club Calendar, please contact them right away as it won't be long and it will be time to get their additions added to the coming year's calendar. Also, you need to contact them if you need a listing removed or possibly changed due to an incorrect spelling or date. You can contact Carol McClain at 360-795-3337 and she can probably help you out.

CONGRATS--We want to send our heartiest congratulations to former resident, WA-KI-HI alumni and neighbor, Steve Mahitka, as we just learned that he will now be working at the Winlock High School as their new Agriculture teacher, as well as FFA Advisor. We know his folks, Bill and Linda Mahitka must be very proud of his accomplishment, so "Way to go Steve!"

GET WELL--Another former Wahkiakum H.S. alumni, Skip Irving, has just let me know that he is out of the hospital after a five day stay, after dealing with some serious rammifications from pneumonia. Unfortunately for him, I'm guessing he's going to hear "I told you so" for awhile, as his wife, Vicky, had been advising him to see a doctor earlier, but he waited, and wound up spending his 46th anniversary in the hospital. We are glad he is home but it seems he still has some issues and will be undergoing a bit of surgery, so we wish him a speedy recovery once he has that problem taken care of. And Skip, next time, listen to your wife!

SAYING GOOD-BYE--To those of you who knew former resident and WHS alum, Tony Malakowsky, I have been asked to let you know that his wife, Glenda, is having a Celebration of Life gathering this Saturday, July 18. This will take place at her home at 119 Sales Barn Road in Kelso and will be just an open event, lasting from 1-6 p.m. So, if you knew Tony or were one of his classmates at Wahkiakum High School, maybe you'd like to come by and pay your respects at this time.

HEALTH DEPT--Have you had any COVID-19 symptoms recently? Are you a resident of Wahkiakum County? If so, our local Health Department would like to hear from you and all you have to do is call 360-849-4041 and they'll have you answer a few questions. Here's to keeping our county residents safe by doing our part to stop the spread of this ever-changing virus.

GREAT PARTY--Blake Sechler certainly had a great birthday as not only did he enjoy a nice camping trip to Mt. Rainier, but he got treated to some nice gifts which would go along with his stand-up paddleboard, so those "dry bags - waterproof speakers" and things will come in very handy. However, the biggest surprise probably came when his family members opted to have a "dessert contest" and then of course, he got to share in all the desserts! I have to tell you, this bunch can really cook and when they are making cheesecakes in a wide variety of flavors with amazing presentations, it's usually a tough call when it comes to which one is the real winner. However, with scoring based on "taste, presentation and creativity" the winner wound up being the youngest in the family, as Luke Sechler really outdid himself! His white chocolate raspberry cheesecake with a "white chocolate lace stand-up back drop" with his brother's birthday numbers in solid white chocolate on it, was simply spectacular, and of course the ruffled cream edges with raspberries on top, was just the "frosting on the cake," cheesecake that is! Needless to say, Blake had a very nice 27th birthday.

OUT OF THE PAST--This week back in 1950, the week was pretty nice except for one brief bit of moisture during the night. As a matter of fact, that Friday, July 21, the area broke a record as July 21 was the hottest day of the year so far coming in at 88 degrees that day. On one of those "lovely mornings," the whole family came by the Everest household as well as Mrs. Holgate and the Kalks, so it was quite a group and a fun day visiting. It was also a good day as Grandma Elsie's sister, Jean, was able to come home from the hospital. It was terribly busy "on the board" (telephone) and with so many things going on, Marian Everest Healy stopped by and did up all her Mom's ironing, which was truly appreciated! Later on in the week, it was time for a movie break for Grandma Elsie, who enjoyed an afternoon out with Mary Mason. At the end of this week, Ellen Foster and Grandma E. opted to go and clean Mrs. Risk's room and laid down some nice area rugs, and then went over to Ozzie Wika's for coffee.

In 1960, this whole week was "warm, lovely, beautiful and hot" in the Seattle area, as the Everests spent the week there while Grandma Elsie's sister was in the hospital, just like she was 10 years prior, but this time she didn't get to come home quite yet. While they were in the area, the Everests took a water tour on Lake Washington on the boat called, "The Sightseer" with 180 other tourists. They went through the locks and around Puget Sound and saw a gorgeous sailboat from Tahiti just ahead of them in the locks, which they thought was just beautiful. In the evening hours, they visited with Jean in the hospital and were encouraged as she appeared to be feeling better by the end of the week. It was also this week that Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Doumit announced the engagement of their daughter, Mary Elizabeth, to John C. Thomas of Yakima. Mary was going to be teaching home economics at the Kalama High School in the fall. The couple were planning a December wedding. All this according to Grandma Elsie Everest's diaries.