National Night Out on Puget Island Tuesday

END OF ANOTHER MONTH--We’ll wrap up July and begin August on Monday and I’m still not done with my pre-Springtime chores; yikes! Now that it's hotter, the summer chores haven’t been done either as it’s too hot for me to work outside, so I feel for all of you who have to do that. The dampness we got on Monday morning was actually quite refreshing, but the rest of the week is going to be dry and toasty, so here’s hoping you’ve been slathering on the sunscreen and keeping yourself hydrated. Remember to reapply sunscreen every couple of hours or more often if you’re sweating or you’ll get burned anyway. Skin cancer is no joke and one should avoid those sunburns as much as possible.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from July 27-August 2 are Tasha Stratton, Adam Fletcher, Kyler McKinley, Levi Helms, Robert Meyer Jr., Colt Moonen, Aaron Mahitka, Sheran Parker, Tabitha Anderson, Chris Sauer, Tyler Burdick, Ebby Blouin, Jackie Lea, Brantley Elliott, David Black, Zak Everman, Mackenzie Turgeon, Ryder Watkins, Jeff Lundborg, Ed Stevens, Jennifer Blain Cochran, Betty Huber, Jennifer Norris, Paula Olson, Hannah Davison Shank and Kay Chamberlain. Those celebrating anniversaries this week are Tim and Sharon Schmitz, Mike and Erla Crouse and Bill and Kay Chamberlain. Here’s to all of us who are celebrating special occasions this coming week. Belated birthday wishes to Naomi Meyer and Brian O’Connor who celebrated their special days this past Monday and who I accidently omitted from my column last week; sorry about that.

LIONS CLUB--Every year the Wahkiakum Lions Club offers their Community Birthday Calendars as a major fundraiser, and it’s where I get my birthday list from each week. If you have any additions or corrections that need to be done to this list, please contact a Lions Club member, such as Carol McClain 360-795-3337 or Renee Robert at 360-849-4003. They would like any new info as soon as possible and no later than the beginning of October so they can get those calendars done in time for Christmas. They make awesome Christmas gifts and support a good cause as well. Don’t forget their next fundraising event is at the fair, as they’ll run the bingo booth and would love to see you there!

CONGRATULATIONS--It was a grand evening out with family and friends this past weekend for Tessa Sechler, as she celebrated earning her Master of Science Degree in Sports Psychology, which was certainly a great achievement. The fact that she was also working full time only added to the determination of this young lady, so it was a really great accomplishment. Her folks, Pete and Katie Sechler, were so proud of her that they arranged a special dining experience for her in Seattle and it was a very big hit. This Grandma couldn’t attend, but we certainly want to say congratulations for a job well done, Tessa Jane!

THURSDAY AT THE GRANGE--If you’d like to meet and gab for a couple of hours and also get a bite to eat, don’t forget to come down to the Skamokawa Grange Hall from 10 to 12 on Thursdays and you can do just that. Many are saying we need places for the senior citizens to meet and I think this would be great for those that are still mobile enough to do so. Having a fully functioning senior center would be nice but we all know that this would cost money, so in the meantime, we hope folks will gather where they can.

THIS SATURDAY AT THE ‘O’--Don’t forget to head to Skamokawa and take part in the big “Beach Party” at our historic saloon, formerly known as the Oasis Tavern to many of us. The fun all begins at 5 p.m., July 29 and is an adult event. There will be some music, a food truck and beverages and a “beach in the back,” so bring your own fancy beach chair and enjoy “an evening at the beach” at the “O!”

SPECIAL SENIOR EVENT--A brand new event is taking place on August 5 for Seniors, called “Silver Senior Prom Night.” This will be held at the Hope Center in Cathlamet (320 S. Third St.) from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be music, games, pictures, light refreshments and beverages available. This is a “Come One, Come All” event, so whether you’re a couple, a single or just a couple of friends, now is your chance to go to the Prom and meet with folks your age. To RSVP or for more information, contact Marianne at: marianneburkholder@gmail.com. Please spread the word about this event and RSVP so they can get an idea of how many people are coming. This is fairly short notice so I have put it on Facebook as well. I hope they have a nice turn out!

HOPE CENTER INFO--Recently I mistakenly called the Hope Center a Senior Center, which it is not. However, they serve Senior Meals on Thursday, but you must call and RSVP by Wednesday so the folks in charge know how many people are coming because they have a restriction on the number they can serve. Call 360-762-3111 if you’d like to contact the person in charge of all the things going on at the Hope Center, like the exercise classes for seniors. Contact Julie Johnston at 360-795-8630 Ext. 260. The Hope Center is not open to the public at all times, and is run by mostly volunteers, so according to Julie, the Hope Center is operating via appointments only. The center hosts the lunches, the exercise class and more under the Health and Human Services umbrella in order to bring health to our county/community. Kudos to those who volunteer there in order to help with these Senior programs.

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS--This coming Tuesday, August 1, there will be a celebration of the 40th anniversary of “National Night Out” at the Puget Island Fire Hall, put on by the Puget Island Fire Dept. and Auxiliary from 6 to 8 that evening. The address is 475 SR 409. They will serve hot dogs, root beer floats, snow cones and will have some games too, so head that way on Tuesday evening for some fun and celebrate this milestone occasion! If you have any questions you could call Sherrill Bollen at 360-951-3985.

WAAG INFO--The Wahkiakum Animal Advocates Group has been very busy helping folks get their pets spayed and neutered. They say they handed out a lot of Financial Aid Applications for the Spay and Neuter program and if you picked one up, you need to return it by August 15. The surgical procedure must be done before September 30. You could also contact 360-504-6336 to see about getting an extra $20 off. If you’d like to make a donation to this very important group and cause, you can either drop off a donation at the Jabber Shack on Main Street in Cathlamet, or you can mail one to WAAG, P.O. Box 231, Cathlamet, WA 98612. Your help is deeply appreciated and we appreciate all those that formed this group and have made such a positive impact in our community.

SKAMOKAWA SCHOOL REUNION--For all of you who went to school in Skamokawa, you are being reminded once again that there will be a potluck reunion held at the upper level covered area at Skamokawa Vista Park at 1 p.m., on Friday, August 18. Please help spread the word so that all the school “kids” that went to the old, now gone, Skamokawa Grade School will come out and see their old school mates!

FAIR TIME COMETH--The Wahkiakum County Fair is just three weeks away, so if you want to enter anything in it, be sure to pick up that fair book and make plans to get your entry in on the correct day, as there are different entry days for different things. This is a great way to earn a few bucks and kids love entering things so they can make a little extra spending money of their own! Plus, it makes them feel good that they have something on display at the county fair; it’s fun, and it’s profitable! When making posters or displays, keep in mind the theme for this year, “Stirrup Some Fun” as posters, cards, drawings and photos often get a little extra credit when the theme of the fair is incorporated in one's work. This year's fair is being dedicated to Catherine Rainey who has been a long time supporter of this fair. We hope to see you at the fair, August 17, 18 or 19. It’s going to be great!

CALMED DOWN--Now that the bridge closure is over on the Lewis and Clark Bridge, it’s a relief to have less traffic on SR 4, so that’s been very nice. You never realize how many big rigs depend on the other bridge to deliver goods until you hear the constant rumble of the semis going by one's house. However, it’s still plenty busy with summer traffic headed to the beach, so it’s still a good idea to slow down, take a deep breath and just expect getting behind a truck and long trailer who is not going as fast as you’d like. Passing somebody to get there a few minutes earlier is not worth the risk of not getting there at all.

NOT A GOOD SIGHT--Many folks on Sunday were pretty horrified to see a fire begin and spread on the Oregon side above Wauna and with the wind blowing, it seemed to grow all too quickly. This fire was called the “Broken Gate Fire” and I think everyone was relieved to see our “sky pilots,” helicopters and plane, descend into the Columbia River and start dumping water on the fire in record time; whew! At the time of this writing, things appeared to be much better and under control and I hope by the time you read this, it’s completely out with no injuries to those who were involved in putting this fire out.

HOLDING AN EVENT?--For best results, it is really imperative for all those holding special events to have them planned well in advance. Getting people to your particular event really needs to have plenty of early promotion via multiple outlets. This local paper is a great place to advertise. Remember that we turn our articles in early, (Monday) but the paper doesn’t go out to locals until Thursday, and others further away might not get it until several days later, so your event may only have a few days notice. So, whenever possible, plan early, put out promotional stuff everywhere so that you reach as many people as possible. There’s no such thing as too much advertising!