Skamokawa News

NOT NICE. Welcome to Fall, as in the “falling of lots of rain.” We currently have “lakes” around the area and standing water in the roadways, so please slow down and allow get where you are going safely. This is the time of year when rain can cause trees to uproot and rocks to fall, so drive cautiously. At any rate, this week looks wet with no breaks until Sunday, let’s hope things get better earlier as my “web feet” need drying out!

GET PREPARED. This is also the time of year to get your cars ready for winter and stock them with all the things you might need if you get stranded in your car. There are plenty of products available should you need to change a tire in the dark: reflection devices, lights, etc. It’s advisable to have a rain jacket, boots, and a pack of food and drinks. You never know what will happen and being prepared will help relieve the stress if you are ever stuck somewhere. One might not have everything you need but having some things with you is essential and possibly lifesaving. Better to have it and not need it, than to not have it and need it.

SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays this week from Nov. 21 thru 27 are Dan Silverman, Mike Brown, Kinsley Helms, Marshall Watkins, Kyle Parker Jr., Toni Below, Raymond Davis, Tari Peterson, Kayli Quigley, James Jacobson, Sharon Deaton, Kadi Allen, Rae Anne Wilson, Dana Montgomery, Lance Ek, Derek Rodriguez, Coltan Watters, Kelly Guest, Sarah Clark, Joe Teachman, Nancy Holt, Cole Claussen, Annie Pedersen, Hank Ferguson, Samantha Everest. On Thanksgiving Day, we have Robert Kyle, Nancy Good Garcia, Butch Owen, Linda Ostervold, and Penny Johnson. Those celebrating anniversaries are Mr. and Mrs. Scott Tomlinson, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Garrett, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Widman, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Sorenson, Mike and Melanie Stone, Jeff and Shelly Hedges, Virgil and Lisa Cothren and Mark and Sherry McCormack and on Thanksgiving, Mr. and Mrs. Bud Cowan. Enjoy your specials, everyone!

BIG SUCCESS. Despite being short-handed and having miserable weather to deal with, the Wahkiakum Lions Club brought in six thousand pounds of food in their annual Walk-n-Knock food drive this past Saturday. If you didn’t have a chance to donate, there is the food bank located out on the Elochoman where you can give. Kudos to all those who worked in those nasty, wet conditions and to all who donated... good job everybody!

SCANDINAVIAN GOODIES FOR SALE. The Sons of Norway will be at the Norse Hall this Saturday, Nov. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. selling lefse, sandbakkels, fattigaman, krumkake, and various other Scandinavian cookies, so stop on by and get some goodies for your upcoming holiday! You can always order some too and those on the list to contact are Susan Brown: at 360-751-9499 or Jan Silvestri: at 360-431-1705. The Norse Hall is located on Puget Island at 444 SR 409. Use the lower-level door.

BINGO SATURDAY NIGHT. This Saturday night, Nov. 23, it will be time for some turkey Bingo down here at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds in the Youth Building. You could win a turkey or a ham and the lucky winner at the end of the evening will win a complete turkey dinner! In the meantime, there are raffle tables to check out and a 50/50 raffle to take part in as well as refreshments to snack on. Come on down and support the fair this Saturday night.

DECK THE HALL. Beginning this Saturday and going until Dec. 15, the Redmen Hall will be open on the weekends from noon to 4 p.m. for your holiday shopping needs. Their decorated wreaths and centerpieces will be for sale along with a very nice array of things in the gift shop and book store. Show up to support the Friends of Skamokawa and the Hall.

S.O.N. CHRISTMAS PARTY DATE CHANGE. The Sons of Norway lodge members hope you’ll bring your family to the annual Kids Christmas Party at the Norse Hall, which has been changed to Sunday, Dec. 8 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Children in eighth grade and younger are invited to come meet Santa, enjoy some treats, and play some games like Bingo and Corn Hole. There will be cookie decorating and a surprise raffle as well. So head to the hall two Sundays from now and let the kids have some fun!

MUSICIANS PERFORM. The Skamokawa Swamp Opera ensemble will be performing in Cathlamet on Dec. 6 at the Cathlamet Pioneer Center beginning at 4 p.m., so we hope you can go and see them. The cost is ten dollars at the door. This is a fundraiser for the Pioneer Community Association, so please attend if possible. If you can’t make it but would still like to support this group and their work on this historic building, send a check to the PCA at P.O. Box 24, Cathlamet, WA 98612.

DECORATE THE TREE. The Pioneer Center wants your help to decorate their tree this year and they are inviting the community to make or buy an ornament and donate it to the center and cover the tree with lots of ornaments from the citizens in the area. They’d like you to attach a note saying who is donating the ornament and drop them off at the Cathlamet Public Library, Tuesday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. If you have any questions about this upcoming event, contact Suzanne Holmes at billsueholmes@msn.com or 360-430-3771. If you don’t have any God-given talents that would result in the making of a great ornament, why not head over to Ruth Doumits’ shop and buy one?

SEVENTH HOLIDAY BAZAAR. On Dec. 7 you can head back down here to the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds and the Youth Building where there will be lots of vendors and items to choose from as they celebrate year number seven of this holiday event. If you are a vendor and would like to take part in it, tables are ten dollars each. Call the office at 360-795-3480

SEEMS TOO SOON. It seems like the holidays have just exploded upon us and there are multiple things to do every weekend, but while we can’t be everywhere and do everything, I do hope you’ll try your best to support these local events as much as possible. Shopping locally helps us all, without our support what businesses we do have may not make it, and, right now, we need all of them to keep our towns alive.

If you are holding an event, I do hope you will advertise early and in this newspaper. Remember, the earlier and more often that you advertise the better your chances are of having a successful event good luck!