The annual Willapa Festival takes place Saturday (8:00 a.m.) and Sunday (9:00 a.m.) at a new location - the Riverfront Park in historic downtown Raymond. At press time, Monday morning, there were at least 20 vendors signed on for the festival. The musical entertainment is primarily local talent providing an array of styles.
Some of Saturday's prime events include the Classic Car Show (at the far end of the field), music from several bands, the co-ed softball tournament, a silent auction and bake sale, the beer garden, and much more.
The Willapa Festival is co-chaired by Michelle Layman of Willapa Printing, Jeff Karnatz of Alder + Co, and Chrystle Nordin of Pacific Seafood, and will share the venue with the Northwest Carriage Museum, Willapa Seaport Museum and the newly opened Alder + Co.
"In year's past, the park was used solely for the classic car show," Layman said. "This year the groups look forward to building their events together."
After a couple of months of reprieve from the pandemic, COVID-19 cases are rising in Pacific County. Over the past 2 weeks, there have been some new hospitalizations, a death, and more cases.
COVID-19 Stats Update July 28, 2021
Cases
Hospitalizations
Deaths
When the COVID-19 lockdown happened last year, it threw a monkey wrench in Mission Creek Christian School's plans for their annual missionary trip to Peru. After a series of rescheduling and cancellations, the school finally went on their trip ... to Honduras.
"We did not go to our usual destination in Iquitos, Peru this year and we didn't do an international mission in 2020 due to COVID-19," Mission Creek Christion School Principal Mary Nell said. "We have missed an international mission only one other year since 2006. The border was closed in Peru at the time we could go so we went to Honduras instead."
On May 3, 2021 the school made its way to Honduras. They partnered with Pan American Health Services whose goal is to rehabilitate starving children.
After obtaining translators, the team started visiting local communities. The group witnessed families living in extreme poverty that is not commonly seen in the United States.
Pacific County Health and Human Services Department Director Katie Lindstrom took time out of her busy schedule to provide insight about a handful of questions from the Herald about COVID-19 vaccinations.
Herald: Are you satisfied with the number of people that have been vaccinated in north and south Pacific County?
Lindstrom: We are happy that half of 'all' residents have received the vaccine (57 percent of those over age 16). I would love to see that number increase. The goal would be for at least 70 percent of residents to be vaccinated if possible.
It is almost cattle sorting time at the Pacific County Fairgrounds in Menlo. This is the 6th annual cattle sorting practice and riders from all over Washington attend this event. If cows and horsemanship are your thing, then this is the event to come to. It is fun and open to the public for participation or spectating.
MENLO - This year's Pacific County Fair will probably be a little more low-key than in past years, largely because of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Pacific County Fair Manager Bill Monohon updated the Herald with the latest developments about the 2021 fair.
For anyone who missed the fun, the Tokeland 4th of July parade was held on Saturday, July 3rd.
The parade was organized by the Tokeland-North Cove Chamber of Commerce and welcomed around 1,200 onlookers. Bob Merrill was declared Grand Marshal and has chaired the parade efforts for over a decade.
There were only 40 officially registered participants, but about 150 people took part in the parade. Many long-time Tokeland residents said this year's parade was the biggest one yet.
MENLO - The 125th edition of the Pacific County Fair runs from August 26 through August 28 with gates open from 10 am to 9 pm at the fairgrounds in Menlo.
This year's fair is the 100th in the town of Menlo.
General admission prices are Adult (Daily 18 and over) $7; Senior Citizen (60 and over) $5; Students (1st-12th grades) $5; Preschoolers, Free; Nursing Home Residents, Free; Free Senior Citizen and Veterans Day at Fair is Friday August 25th; Free Kids Day at the fair (12 and under is Saturday, August 28th.
On a bright and sunny afternoon, the Joint Pacific County Housing Authority held a historic groundbreaking ceremony. On Thursday, June 24, 2021, at noon a small crowd gathered in the park beside the Raymond Fire Station on Third St. for the long-awaited groundbreaking of the Willapa Center.
The center is designed to be a 3-story affordable housing complex, Early Childhood Education Assistance Program site, and non-profit offices located in downtown Raymond.
This project is intended to take the place of the Willapa Hotel, which was lost in a fire on November 5, 1998. The new center will sit on the same site as the hotel did.
A new program designed to help students that have fallen behind in their educational progress has been implemented by Raymond School District.
Directing the program is Raymond HS Principal Dave Vetter in the new position as Raymond School District Secondary Intervention Teacher (SIT).
Vetter has been with the Raymond School District for 18 years. He started as a kindergarten teacher, spent four years teaching fourth graders, four years as the junior high English teacher, and the past nine years as the junior/senior high principal.
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