FOS seeks donations for online auction

STILL DRY--While we have had some morning clouds and it's been cooler in our area, compared to the areas east of us, it's still plenty dry out there, so I can only hope that the forecast for showers at the end of this week, actually materialize. As seen by our tree lined highways, our once very green trees are really looking very burned and while it was just the Cedar trees that looked bad at first, now it's the Fir, Hemlock and Spruce trees as well, so that's really alarming as I don't remember ever seeing them look this way. Needless to say, please be extremely cautious with anything you are doing that could cause a spark and set off a fire accidently, as right now, our area is scary dry and the potential for a nasty forest fire is all too real.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from August 5-11 are John Lloyd McClain, Brian McClain, Treasure Collupy, Marsha Helms, Jenny Benfit, Heidi Beyer, Jana Jacob, Jim Almer, Darlene Balch, Joe Florek Jr., Monte Robinson, Amy Gorley, Terry Bonny, Fred Johnson, Jennifer Miller, Beth Wence, Wendy Blix, Lorraine Lechner, Mike Backman, Lisa Watkins, Marjorie Williams, Jason Blain, Jenny Pedersen, Paydn Freeman, Sally Palmer, Jeff Nicol and Ashley Abel.

Those celebrating anniversaries this coming week are Don and Kitty Speranza, Bruce and Linda McClain, Winchester and Chelsea Greenup, Larry and Deb Holland, Gary and Lori Hamp, Steve and Janna Doumit, Mark and Tina Schubert, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Kuhl and Doug and Sunny Manary. May you all have wonderful celebrations this coming week.

ROAD WORK--If you were getting impatient waiting for the various work sites on SR 4, you had better be extra prepared for possibly longer wait times as the "real work" has begun now, (chip sealing) so, be sure to allow more time in your schedule to get from point A to point B.

BIT CONFUSED--There were some "say what?" comments this past weekend, as paint stripers from Cowlitz County worked in our area. I mean, our road is full of dips and bumps and patches and yet, we have nice lines of fresh paint going over the top of them. It sure would have been nice to have some of that much needed road work done first. Anyway, from this kid who grew up on Puget Island back in the day when we didn't even have center lines painted, this almost seems like a waste of time and money, but I'm guessing it keeps us in our own lanes on the road at night.

NEED INFO?--When one moves to a new area, there are lots of things to learn about it and if your new home has a local newspaper, I can tell you that one of the easiest ways to find out about what's going on in it, is to subscribe to that local paper. Sure, it's great to jump on Facebook and ask somebody questions, but often times, you may have to wait for an answer, or after a certain amount of people ask about the same thing repeatedly, nobody even bothers to respond, so hey, why not be pro-active and enjoy all the information you probably need right at home? Lots of folks like to use the internet for everything, but I'm one of those "coffee and a newspaper in hand" kind of people, so with stories about upcoming events, a calendar of events, multiple ads for things you might need, like plumbers and landscapers and such, you'd find it all right here. You might even learn some interesting history about our area while you're at it, and you'd be helping support a local business and we all know how important that is these days. At any rate, I do hope you'll contact this paper, The Wahkiakum County Eagle.

FERRY INFO--One of the things that you may need information about more frequently, is our local ferry, which crosses from Puget Island to Westport, OR. You can contact the Wahkiakum County Public Works office at 360-795-3301, but if you'd like to be notified more directly, all you need to do is go to Wahkiakum.regroup.com and enter your contact information and then you can get an email, voicemail or text, telling you about an emergency ferry shutdown. This also applies to roads that could get closed due to a slide or something. So, if that sort of information is needed by you for your daily commute, that may be the way to go.

TIME IS ZIPPING BY--With our county fair right around the corner and our school year beginning shortly after that, we will truly be into Fall before you know it!

However, we still need to concentrate on the present and that includes getting ready for our Wahkiakum County Fair which takes place Aug. 19-21. For those who want to enter things into the fair, please grab a fair book right away, and make sure you get those entries in prior to the fair so they get admitted. It all depends on what you are entering, as to which day and what time they are to be taken to the fairgrounds. You can come down early and get registered and get your tags filled out for your entries ahead of time, as that is often a big help to the Superintendents of each division. Please contact the fairgrounds with any questions 360-795-3480.

THINKING OF THEM--We want to send some get well wishes to former residents, Tom and Cat Bighill, who are currently dealing with some health issues. Tom went into the hospital with one problem, but then wound up coming home with Covid, which then Cat got as well, so, we certainly hope they come through this latest health issue relatively easily. There's one thing for sure about this virus and that is that its symptoms can range from mild to miserable and then to life-threatening so caution is certainly advised. Here's hoping the Bighills are fine in no time.

WELL WISHES--We heard that former WHS alumni, Linda Ferguson Stiltz had to undergo some surgery, and she says she's recovering nicely, so that was good news. She really appreciated all the thoughts and prayers that had come her way and of course, we hope she continues to do well and is back to her old self after a week of kicking back and doing nothing.

DUAL SERVICE--On August 12, a dual memorial service will be held for Gary and Martha Backman who passed away on July 2 and July 10 respectively. They had been married since December of 1970 and had been life long residents of the county. The Celebration of Life service will take place at 11 a.m., at JA Wendt Elementary School and then after the graveside service at Greenwood Cemetery, everyone is invited to Puget Island for a luncheon that will be held at the Norse Hall.

ONLINE AUCTION--The Friends of Skamokawa will once again present their "A Cornucopia of Treasures" online auction, from October 9 to Oct. 16. This will be their 31st fund raising auction, but only their second online auction, as with the Covid virus around, it's just a much safer venue this way. They certainly hope that you'll not only be a willing participate when it comes time to be part of the bidding process, but they hope that you'll consider being a donor as well. There is always a wide array of things that people donate, from gift baskets, to handblown glass items, to photography and paintings, to gift cards and well, just about anything you can think of really!

FOS President, Pam Emery, would like to remind everyone that the mission (in part) of the FOS is to promote, support and create opportunities to enhance the well-being of the Skamokawa National Historic District. This is a non-profit organization so your donation is tax deductible and it's hoped that you'll be part of this ongoing fund raiser for the continued support of this wonderful building and this group.

Lori Cagle is the office manager at Central School/Redmen Hall and she is available from 10 to 2 on Tuesdays and Thursdays to answer any questions you may have. As far as I know, the hall is also open from 12 to 4 on Saturdays and Sundays. You can contact them at 360-795-3007 or via email at: fos1894@gmail.com.

FOLLOW UP NEWS--Awhile back I mentioned a dog grooming place going in on Puget Island, and I have a bit more info. According to their current posts, Willow Tree Dog Spa is not fully opened yet but it's possible to have some things done there now, like nails and deshedding for larger dogs but grooming can be done now with smaller dogs under 35 pounds. To find out more information about this business, contact them at 623-552-8261 or check out their Facebook page and message them from there. This business is located at 258 North Welcome Slough Road.

FAMILY GATHERS--It was a surprise to see a posting where Dave and Rhonda Heiner were sharing dinner in Longview recently with a multitude of family members, as the couple lives in California! However, according to Rhonda, it "just" took 17 hours to get here and surround themselves with those they love, so that was really great. Memories from these gatherings will be cherished by all that are lucky enough to take part in them.

OUT OF THE PAST--This week back in 1946, the week began with rain but then it not only got "nice" but then Aug. 8 & 9 were down right "hot" before cooling off and actually ending on a cloudy day. The Huttons hosted the meeting of the Business and Professional Women's Club that week. Big national news came when jet planes were sent from Hawaii to the United States on August 7 of that week. In spite of the current warmth, the arrival of a new oil stove for the Everests was exciting news. Not only was it time for the Rebekah Lodge to meet, but it was time for a big dance at the Elochoman Grange for fair queen candidate, Phyllis Foster. The Everests attended the doings with Ellen Foster and then came home with the Hughs; a nice time was had by all. The show playing that Saturday evening in town was "Confidential Agent." It seems there were earthquakes happening all over the Caribbean that week and along with a lot of other worldly events, Grandma Everest's comment of the week was, "The world is in a mess yet!" (I think we can all relate to that today as well!) All this according to my Grandma Elsie Everest's 1946 diary.