Skamokawa News

DREARY BEGINNING. As this week begins, it's a dreary looking day here in Skamokawa, which began with heavy, damp fog, and after that lifted and went away, it just stayed gloomy and quite wet. It’s a good day to be inside watching racing or football. It looks like we will get a break for a few days, but by Friday, it will be "keep the boots handy" type of weather for multiple days. It looks like fall is here and lots of falling rain. Please keep those headlights on during these gloomy rainy days and remember to slow down a bit. Getting there in one piece a little later is better than not getting there at all. May we all be getting prepared for what may be a nasty winter, better to be ready now rather than sorry later.

SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays this last full week of October from Oct. 24 - 30 are: Valle Mae Ledtke, Terina Davis, Jake Schillios, Don Wages, Arwynn Haney, Bobby Ferguson, Tim Dickson, Melody Scott, Calvin Grasseth, George Essen, Elle Crouse, Christie Lou Davis, Joselyn Kuhl, Hayden Johnson, Tricia Farmen, Kim Dixon, Maddisen Clark and Jessica Palmer. Those who are celebrating anniversaries this week are: Greg and Lori Parke, Jason and Rochelle Wallin, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Bain, Mr. and Mrs. Travis Gibson, Wayne and Karen Bell, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Dixon, Mr. and Mrs. Kenny Anshutz and Ricky and Alecia Montgomery are celebrating their very first anniversary this week so that's always a special day...congrats to everyone! Enjoy!

BIG HALLOWEEN DOINGS. On Oct. 26 from 4-7 p.m. you can head down to the fairgrounds in Skamokawa for their annual Halloween Carnival and the "Trunk or Treat." Contact Patty at 360-795-3480 for more info. On Halloween Oct. 31 which is next Thursday there is a big "Halloween Trunk or Treat" event happening up at the Wahkiakum High School parking lot in Cathlamet which includes tricks, treats, and a parade. All this fun begins at 4:30 p.m and we won't know what the weather is going to be like that far out, we'll pray for dry weather!

NIGHT LIFE. As you can imagine, our local bars/eateries will be celebrating Halloween too and I see that they are celebrating this weekend, so whether you're in Cathlamet or Skamokawa, make sure you check out their activities. If you're coming to Skamokawa, you can join in the 13th Annual Halloween extravaganza at the Duck, complete with live music and lots of prizes for the best costumes and more. You know it's always fun for the big kids to enjoy Halloween too!

LAST WEEKEND. Well, we had some nice out of town guests last week at the WCHS museum, which is located at 65 River St. right by the PUD building in Cathlamet and it was fun to see them so interested in all the displays and artifacts that are there right now. They like talking and listening to all of our local stories from our years of living here and it's great to see them so appreciative of all the efforts that have been made to keep our local history preserved. However, this is the last weekend, Oct. 26 and 27, that you'll be able to come in at our regular time of 1-4 p.m. We do hope you'll come down and check out our local treasure this weekend before we close for the winter. However, I will add, if you have a special group that wanted to visit the museum at a different time, like during a family/class reunion, it may be possible to make arrangements with the curator to set that up for you. Like they say, “it never hurts to ask.” Contact Kari Kandoll at 360-849-4353 to request a special opening. Please help support our history and all the artifacts that have been donated over the years as our county museum needs the citizens of this county to support it. Please give generously if you can and mail your donation to: WCHS - 65 River St. Cathlamet, WA 98612. Don't forget, we could always use some new volunteers to help out. It's fun and interesting too, so don't be shy and give Kari a call. I hope to see you this weekend.

REMINDER. The graveside services for Maurice Mooers will be held here at the Fernhill Cemetery on Ingalls' Rd. in Skamokawa at 11 a.m. this Saturday Oct. 26. There will be no gathering after the service which will be led by Pastor Ken Evans. In lieu of flowers Maury's request was to donate to the Skamokawa Fire Dept. P. O. Box 145, Skamokawa, WA 98747.

GET WELL. I got a call from Jan Silvestri and we chatted about several things and she liked my last column and we yakked about the upcoming lefse making beginning next week, etc. but guess what? She was calling from the hospital. In spite of her winding up in the hospital much longer than she had planned, she is still on top of things and if you know "go, go, go Jan" well, you know she'll do as much as possible no matter where she is. Jan also wanted me to remind all the members of the Sons of Norway, Helgeland Lodge 2-30, that they will be having their monthly membership meeting to elect officers on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Norse Hall located at 444 SR 409 on Puget Island and all members are urged to attend. In the meantime, we do hope Jan is back home where she belongs and feeling much better. Take care Jan!

FRIENDS OF SKAMOKAWA. Well, have you written down the dates for the online auction that is being held by the FOS yet? I hope so, it starts Nov. 1 through Nov. 10. Don't miss out! There are always great items to bid on and your support helps keep the historic River Life Interpretive Center Central School Redmen Hall. Just go to their website and you can find all the information you need to take part in this yearly fundraiser. Remember that their Gift Shop/Book Store is open for business on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The River Life Interpretive Center on the second floor of the hall is there for you to check out as well. There are great history panels to read and river views from there. For more information call 360-795-3007.

SHOP WITH A COP. Don't forget to donate something and/or come and bid at the next "Shop with a Cop" fundraiser that will be held at the Duck Inn on Nov. 9. This is a chance for our local kids to have a very wonderful Christmas shopping experience with our officers. Contact Tracy McCallum at 253-350-1582 by Nov. 5, if you'd like to donate something for this very worthy cause. I'm always amazed at the generosity of our local folks who really step it up for causes like this, so we hope that once again you'll offer up something to bid on and then and bid like crazy on Nov. 9. There's nothing like a fun bidding war for those special items we all just have to have. I hope you call the Duck Inn at 360-795-6055 and reserve a spot as those tables fill up fast.

BLAST FROM THE PAST. Thirty years ago this week, it was a pretty miserable week weather-wise and it was so bad on Oct. 26, that they had to close the Astoria Bridge as 80 mph winds caused a big tanker to break loose and wedge itself on the bridge. Not good! In the Oct. 27 issue of The Eagle, there was sheer joy and jubilation featured in the Mules page, as the Mules got their first win of the season at their homecoming game against the Winlock Cardinals with a 6 to 0 score. Casey Hauff carried the football over the line. The Mules defense was effective as they only allowed 18 yards in the second half. Curt Moore, at the most crucial time in the game, gave the Cardinal quarterback an upside down view. The homecoming court consisted of Queen Brandi Knowles and the princesses: Freshman Stephanie Elliott, Sophomore Kaisa Laukkanen, Junior Erynn Williams, and Seniors Jamie Wolfe, and Shelley Millhollin. Escorts for the young ladies were Alex Aegerter for Queen Brandi, and Britt Boldt, Bobby Dean, Josh Bixler, and Marc Johnson for the princesses.

Those who had ties to our area that had recently passed away were ElRose Groves, Ingeborg Tover, John Ronning, and Pastor Hugh Miller. Of course, we all felt the loss of our longtime Skamokawa resident and Skamokawa columnist for the Wahkiakum County Eagle, Mary Ann Madden, who passed away on Oct. 30. Her passing meant that this writer, who filled in for her from time to time, was now "filling in" every week and still at it, thirty years later. My how time has flown by!!