Downriver Dispatches

Good morning. The air this morning has the scent of fall. September is always a good month. We're now transitioning into fall with school started and the Rod Run over. Now we can look to Halloween, hunting season, Thanksgiving, then Christmas. It all goes by so quickly. Let's take time to be with others, even by phone, or whatever ways we can. I love you, Aunt Hattie in Arizona, who loves the Sheriff's Report. Thanks for calling me!

Appelo Archives Deli has a new menu with many more lunch options. It also has the look and smell of a bakery because Ashley, the cook, is baking more and more. The Deli will now have specials on Fridays so stop by and look for yourself. There's plenty of room to have a table and visit with friends over breakfast or lunch, and pick up a loaf of Finnish bread. They are open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. And check out the latest books upstairs in the lending library.

Diane Gray's Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday at the Duck Inn from 1 to 4 p.m. Trudy Fredrickson, her sister, is planning a time to come together to remember her life and the joy she brought to her friends in Grays River and Naselle. It will be a casual gathering for us to share our stories about her and meet family who are visiting for the celebration. Come join us at the Duck Inn.

Photo of the Week: We have talked about Ken Johnson, new CEO at Wahkiakum West, and I assure you his wife, Heather, is just as interesting. I had a visit with her last week and enjoyed every minute. She is very much a "horse person" in the best sense. She has three horses, Freddie, Magik and Pasha. They are the light of her life. Driving to Naselle, you may have noticed her fine horses at a red barn a few houses before Harvey Johnson's shop. Heather is an active rider, taking her horses to the Fairgrounds arena regularly to ride and practice dressage. She is well schooled in all types of riding and is wanting to meet folks here who have horses and like to ride. She is active in trail riding, as well as beach riding. And she's a fun person to talk to. She has worked in education, as well as in the manufacturing industry for many years and has volunteered with an organization she loves, RAM (Remote Area Medical). So local horse folks, please contact her at hjohnson@wwest.net. This is a woman who is going to add much to our community. Please welcome her and if you love horses, hers are beautiful.

Life Flight: Speaking of rural medical services, remember that Life Flight Network saves lives in our area many times a year by flying out those in need of emergency care to Columbia Medical Hospital in Astoria or to Ocean Beach Hospital in Ilwaco or on to Portland. You can be a Life Flight member with an annual membership of $69 that covers every person in your household. The benefit of a membership includes: No out-of-pocket expenses for medically necessary emergency flights if flown by Life Flight Network. Life Flight Network works directly with your insurance company (if any) for their portion of the payment and the rest of the cost is covered by your membership that covers you, your spouse or domestic partner, and dependents you claim on your income tax return. Elderly and disabled family members living in the same household can also be covered. It's a good option to consider for all of us.

New Wellness Center in Naselle: Have you noticed the newly painted color for the Wellness Center? It's lovely and a good sign we're getting closer to having it open soon.

Grays River Diking/Enhancement District: From Poul Toftemark: "Brian Livingston, our third temporary commissioner, is now teaching apprentice plumbing in the afternoon-evenings, so can no longer attend our meetings. Frankly all three of us are disappointed in not being able to find younger volunteers making us one step closer to having no diking district. We need someone to step up, I'm 77 and won't be here forever. Thanks."

This is a good organization serving the whole Grays River watershed. Grays River has flooding issues and needs a responsible, committed board of commissioners to deal with them. If you are new to the area, this would be a good opportunity to get involved with one of our most important issues, flood control. You can contact Poul at (360) 465-2232 or attend their monthly meetings on the second Wednesday of the month at 5:15 at Johnson Park. The next one will be on October 13.

Contact me: If you are planning an event or wanting to let the greater community know some news, just email me at: kbertroch@wwest.net with your details and I'll get it in here for you.

Calendar:

Market at the Community Center in Naselle on September 18 is canceled due to lack of vendors.

Bingo at Johnson Park: Saturday, September 25 from 6 – 8 p.m. Plenty of food and prizes.

Covered Bridge Dinner Canceled: Carol Ervest sent out an email letting us know the dinner is canceled.

Chinook Heritage Sign Dedication - Nov. 6

Senior Lunches: CAP box lunches are available every Thursday at noon for pick up at Rosburg Hall. Menus for September include: Today (Thursday): Baked potato, chili and cheese, broccoli spears, cubed watermelon; Sept. 23: creamy tomato basil meatballs, spring vegetables, spinach strawberry salad, peach jello dessert; Sept. 30: chicken cacciatore, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, sliced melon. To order a lunch, call Denise at (360) 762-3111.

Word for the Week: Honor.