Downriver Dispatches

Taking Care: After being sick over the weekend, it's good to be up and moving and back to thinking about what's going on outside the house. News from Bonnie LaDoe made me sad this morning, though. She fell and broke her pelvis and her arm. She'll be at Adventist Health in Portland for quite awhile. She would love to hear from all of us, I'm sure.

OK, so let's talk about health. First, because each and every person in our area is just as important as every other person, please get vaccinated if you haven't already. Don't endanger folks who are vulnerable due to being ill or having serious health situations. Spread the love; get that shot!

Naselle Wellness Center and Ocean Beach Hospital: Our new Wellness Center is looking great! Thanks to Scott Johnson's good work, the septic portion of the project is finished. The heating and air conditioning work is almost done and cabinets are coming in this week. The project is on schedule and hopefully it will open by the end of August or a bit later.

Ocean Beach Hospital has added a dozen new, high-tech medical/surgical and intensive-care-unit (ICU) smart beds. The beds are designed with many advanced-care features to enhance the level of patient safety, comfort and care during a hospital stay. The beds' primary purpose is to protect against patient deterioration (a worsening of health), which can affect about one in six hospital patients. If a patient's deterioration goes unnoticed and is not promptly managed, it can lead to critical illness, the need for transfers to higher levels of care, cardiac arrest or other harmful events. The beds were funded by a $1.091 million bond placed through the Washington State Treasurer's office. The bond will also fund two new radiology rooms, new operating room sterilizers, a portable X-ray machine, and a bone density machine and ultrasound machine for use in the emergency department.

Photo of the Week: Carl Wirkkala and the Whistle Punk Band performed in Naselle last Saturday night with a barbecue beforehand. Jennifer Boggs reports that the BBQ was well attended. "It was so great to see folks gathering and visiting. Carl Wirkkala and the Whistlepunks played for a full house of one hundred! It was a great way to celebrate reopening our community center. The Finnish American Folk Festival and the Community Center Committee want to thank all who helped with serving the barbecue. We also appreciate Carl Wirkkala and the Whistlepunks and the generous community that came out to share in the fun!"

FAFF's first outdoor market was held on Saturday morning at the Community Center, with seven vendors, and was well attended. Vendors and visitors are looking forward to the next one August 21, from 9-1. We are still accepting vendors for August 21 and September 18. Contact Jennifer Boggs for more information at (360) 484-3679.

Wahkiakum Lions Club Frozen Berry Sales: The Lions Club has only frozen strawberries to offer this year because the other berries did not make it through the extreme heat in June. They are quick frozen and come in 10 pound containers. Order by August 23 and pick them up on August 28 at 10 a.m. Orders must be paid in advance. Make checks out to Wahkiakum Lions Club and send to PO Box, 214, Skamokawa, WA 98647. There are three pick-up points: Wahkiakum High School Parking Lot, Skamokawa Grange Parking Lot and the Rosburg Store Parking Lot. Berries not picked up will be donated to charity.

Grays River Grange Report: The Grange meets the second and fourth Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m at the Grange Hall near Duffy's. They are currently preparing for the spelling bee during the county fair. The bee will be held on August 21 at 1 p.m., in the Grange hall next to the fairgrounds. There are nice cash prizes for the students who win: First place is $75; second place is $50, and third place is $25. There are two separate groups, Grades 3-5, and Grades 6-8. Study Lists and Rules are posted on the Grays River Grange website: http://www.graysrivergrange.org. For more information, call (360) 214-9079. Sponsored in part by Rayonier Timberlands.

Senior Lunches: The CAP box lunch for today (Thursday) is beef & tater bake, sliced tomatoes, sliced apricots. For reservations, call Diane Hollenbeck at (362) 762-3111. You can pick up your box lunch at the Rosburg Hall at noon.

Appelo Archives Center "Skyfixer" poetry: A newsletter was recently printed with all sorts of ideas and news for coming events, workshops and more. Membership is very reasonable. You also get a discount when you buy some of their lovely Finnish gifts or books. Speaking of books, the center is now offering a book of poems by Gary V. Anderson, "Skyfixer," published in 2020. Gary lives in Portland but in his younger years lived locally, so some of you may remember him. "Skyfixer" is unique because after you've read the poems in English, they are all then translated into Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian. Gary Anderson has traveled all over Scandinavia and has a deep interest in Native American stories and myths poems. For a copy of the poetry book, "Skyfixer," call the Center at (360) 484-7103 or stop by.

Annual Loggers Reunion: The 2021 Annual Loggers Reunion is scheduled for August 21 at the Archives Center. It's a fun event for not only loggers and their families but for folks in the community to come as well. Meet both older loggers and younger ones, too, and hear their stories. Supporters for the Loggers Reunion include North Jetty Brewery, Cowlitz River Rigging and more are always welcome!

Covered Bridge Dinner: It's my understanding we will have a Covered Bridge Dinner this year. More info to come, hopefully next week.

Honoring Carol Penttila: A celebration of life will be held for Carol Penttila on August 28, 1 p.m., at the Naselle Community Event Center.

Words for the Week: County fair