Port 2 gears up for Christmas and a new year

Wahkiakum County Port 2 staff are gearing up for their annual Christmas light show, which will open Dec. 1 at Vista Park and continue through the end of the month.

The theme this year is penguins, Port 2 Assistant Manager Terina Davis said at their Board ofCommissioners’ meeting Tuesday.

“Staff has worked really hard on it,” she added. “We take a lot of pride in it.”

Port 1 Manager Sam Shogren said he has been on the road a lot in the last month, continuing to seek funding for improvements to port property and opportunities for the community the port serves.

Vista Park has been visited by three representatives of the Washington Public Port Association in recent weeks, something that hasn’t happened in decades, Shogren said. They talked about changing environmental regulations coming down from the state and what WPPA is working on for the next legislative session.

“It sounds like you’ve been really busy,” Commissioner Brian O’Connor said. “Good job.”

Commissioners approved new rates for 2024, a $1,030,843 budget for the coming year, and the one percent increase they are allowed each year. It added $794.84 to their levy, bringing the total of $80,279.23. The cost of the levy will be shared by tax payers in their district.