Hamilton new festival director

Hamilton, who was born and raised in Raymond (Class of RHS 1971), has volunteered to take over the event for Carole Halsan, who retired.

Hamilton said he needs volunteers and is in the process of forming committees.

“I’ve been involved with the festival since 1992,’ he said.

Hamilton has operated a karaoke company since 1985. He was stationed on East Coast in the Navy in Laurel, Maryland for 12 years before moving back to Raymond in 1990. He has performed shows in Tacoma, Olympia, Ocean Shores, Aberdeen and Hoquiam.

“I volunteered because I like to support the community,” Hamilton said. “I’ve been announcing the (Raymond) Christmas Parade for years (since 1995).

“My immediate goal is to stimulate the economy around here,” Hamilton said. “Locals don’t have a lot of excess income. I’ve seen the decline of the Raymond Festival for a long time.

“The festival is a way to showcase who we are and why we’re here,” Hamilton said. “I want to bring in more local vendors and people from the surrounding areas. We have some fantastic talent here. I’d like local bands to play.”

The Willapa Harbor Festival takes place August 1-4. Hamilton wants more things to take place on Sunday. He wants to utilize a shuttle bus and have the car show be part of the parade.

“Let’s do more on Sunday and I want to try to draw people from other cities,” Hamilton said. “I’d like to see different things going on. My biggest goal is to get volunteers involved.”

If you want to get involved, call Hamilton at 942-7006 or email him at cspdoug@yahoo.com