Skamokawa news

WET BEGINNING. As I start this column on the very last day of June, it is quite wet out here in West Valley, while that's not ideal for those wanting to get their hay crop in, it is good for the fire danger. With the Fourth of July holiday coming up and all the fireworks being lit off, this wetness should help keep our area a bit greener and wetter and hopefully, we will not see any fires caused by fireworks. However, a big drying trend is coming they say and with temperatures up in the mid-80s it will be great to get that hay crop, camp, or travel in, so I'm sure that's going to make all those folks very happy. Here's to keeping safe this coming week as folks get out and about and enjoy this first holiday in July and a really warm weekend too!

SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays this coming week from Thursday, July 4 thru July 10 are Irene Martin, Jaiden Mahitka, Mallory Bosch, Patty Dursteler, David Shrum, George Exum, Lee Wages, Jordan Fritzie Collins, Justin Hoven, Adin Hoven Quintero, Melissa Robbins, Debbie Kuller, Mike Thomas, Autumn Cochran, Lachlan Lorenzo, Alex Bonds, Brianna Childers, Dean Takko, Nathan Chamberlain, Blaze Taylor, and Bryce Good. Those celebrating anniversaries are Greg and Cindy Lloyd, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Florek Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Gary Emery, Mr. and Mrs. Dana McClain, Mr. and Mrs. Dave Hendrickson, Carol Carver and George Exum, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Howarth, and Paul and MaryAnn Ehrensberger. Here's wishing all of you a wonderful day. (I mentioned those with celebrations on July 3 in last week's column) Enjoy your special days everybody!

INVITATION. Debbie Kuller is going to be celebrating her birthday on July 5 at Erickson Park (City Park in Cathlamet up on Columbia Street) and she wants all her friends to know they are welcome to stop by from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. I got this info too late for last week's edition of the paper, so it's short notice, but I did put it on Facebook, so hopefully some of you saw it there.

GREAT SEND OFF. Sheriff Mark Howie had a great send-off for his retirement party this past Saturday at the River Mile 28 Brewery and we hope he truly enjoys his coming days of "freedom" with his wife Debra. Law enforcement officers are under a lot of stress at all times, as the job is not an easy one and can be extremely dangerous as well, so we are glad that Mark can now take some time to just relax and enjoy these coming days after his retirement. Congratulations!

NICE SURPRISE. I had a nice surprise recently when Brad McNally brought over a clone of a rose that had once been a part of the Lamont mansion's front yard, so that was really neat. There is also a bush down in front of the Skamokawa Resort as I recall so it's neat to have a bit of "history" in my yard of such a wonderful place that sadly had to be taken down so that the current highway could be put in during the late 30's. Anyway, "thanks Brad"....that was a very nice gift and a great surprise!

COUNTING DOWN. Yes indeed, with the days flying by it won't be long before our Bald Eagle Days celebration will be taking place, so I hope you have your plans set for this annual event, which usually draws a great crowd as folks often plan their class and family reunions around it as well. It's a real fun time to wander down Cathlamet’s Main Street and see and visit with everybody. The main street parade and vendors will have downtown closed off to through traffic for several hours on July 20, so plan to take the back street behind town. Here's to hoping our weather will be nice and all the folks coming out to see the parade and enjoy the various food vendors and other things will be enjoyable. The fireworks show will take place after it gets dark. Check out the Chamber of Commerce website for all the information about the upcoming Bald Eagle Days event… fun!

MUSEUM IS OPEN. If you missed my earlier announcement, the Wahkiakum County Historical Society has opened our local museum at 65 River Street next to the PUD. The hours are from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday. They hope to see you there some weekend and they will be open during Bald Eagle Days as well, so stop on by.

SYMPATHIES. We have had several deaths in our area recently and we want to extend our sympathies to all of those who have lost loved ones. Skamokawa resident Mike Linn passed away not long ago and some will remember him from the days when he was in the Smoky Water Follies as he was a great entertainer: 1936-2024. Barbara Brewster recently passed away and her daughter, Connie Shrum (David), and her son, Jeff (Joni), held a Celebration of Life gathering for their mother this past week in Idaho. We were saddened by her passing as we had been good friends and letter-writing pals for many years, so we send our condolences to them and wish we could have been at the gathering that was held in her memory. We also heard that Kris Bergseng had left this ole’ Earth and we want to send all of his family members our sympathies as well. We also send our condolences to Ted Hendrickson’s family.

USUAL HAPPENINGS. If you haven't heard by now, we have a Street Market down by the Elochoman Slough Marina in Cathlamet, 500 2nd Street, every Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. If you are a vendor looking for a place to sell your wares, then contact the event manager at 360-849-9411 and get included in this weekly event. Also, the Cathlamet Senior Friendship Group meets every Wednesday from Noon to 3 PM at the Our Savior Lutheran Church on Puget Island. The monthly Flea Market and T-Building Sale at the county fairgrounds is held the second Saturday of the month from 9: a.m. to 4:00 p.m. so come on down and get a deal!

SKAMOKAWA VISTA PARK. For those of you who are new here, I do hope you'll come down to Skamokawa and visit the "Jewel" of our town the Skamokawa Vista Park which offers fantastic views of the Columbia River along with various campsites which vary from yurts to just camping sites to those with partial or full hook-ups (sewer and water), so if you want to do a little camping close to home, this would be the place to go. Of course, you can just come down and let the kids enjoy the playground area, which has slides and swings, etc. or you can play tennis or basketball there, you can go hiking along the trails toward the west end of the park, or just enjoy the gorgeous beach and the water. Life jackets should be a must as the deepness of the water can change quickly. Having the ships go by so close is also a real treat as rarely does one get to see them come by from such a distance and then so close up, it's awesome! However they do "pull out" the water from along the waterline which causes an undertow, so this is no time to be in the water. The park is a wonderful place to enjoy our magnificent Columbia River, but following the standard rules when playing near the river is a must.

NEW EXHIBIT. While you're down here in Skamokawa, head up to the River Life Interpretive Center located in the old Central School building, also known later as Redmen Hall, and check out their new creamery exhibit. The Gift/Book Shop has a lot of things that would be great to buy for Christmas gifts, it's never too early to start that holiday shopping. They are open weekends from Noon to 4:00 p.m. call 360-795-3007 for more info.As a reminder, the Friends of Skamokawa will have a fundraiser in the Fall to help raise funds for the hall, so maybe you'd like to help out and donate to their online auction. At any rate, its always nice to know about these events early so you can pick up a few things now and then and perhaps make a nice basket to auction off; with the time just flying by, it will be here before you know it! Your help in keeping this historic building in tip-top shape is important and all of your donations are deeply appreciated.