Deadliest Catch Stars at Grays Harbor Outdoor Expo

TV personalities from the Discovery Channel television series “Deadliest Catch” will star at the third-annual Grays Harbor Outdoor Adventure & Travel Expo this weekend at the Grays Harbor Fairgrounds.

“Edgar Hansen and Nick Mavar Jr., of the MV Northwestern, from the Deadliest Catch cable series will headline this year’s Expo just as new episodes return to the air,” said Rod Easton, Fair and Events Supervisor.

Edgar Hansen, is the deck boss of the Northwestern and younger brother of Capt. Sig Hansen.

Mavar has been a crewmember on the Northwestern for six years but in the summer he returns as captain of his family’s salmon boat, the Miss Colleen.

“Many local businesses throughout the county are highly involved in outdoor tourism, said Mike Bruner, Director of Grays Harbor Fairgrounds and Tourism. “This is a chance for outdoor enthusiasts to learn what is available in our county.”

Expo tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for youths aged 6 -13, with children 5 and under free. Hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday the 20th and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday the 21st.

Mary M Knight Elementary Receive Achievement Award

A total of 381 schools are receiving Washington Achievement Awards for 2012. This includes schools throughout the state. While the Twin Harbors have made the list in years past, the closest school to the Twin Harbors is Mary M Knight Elementary.

No Grays Harbor or Pacific County schools made the list for 2012.

In 2011, Harbor High and Hoquiam both were recognized and in 2009, Taholah received the award.

The Washington Achievement Awards, now in their fourth year, are sponsored by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education. Award winners are selected using the state’s Achievement Index and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Flexibility Waiver.

The award-winning schools will be honored during an award ceremony on April 30.

Schafer State Park Book Showcased in Aberdeen

Local authors Peter Schafer Reid and Barbara Seal Ogle will talk about their just-released book, “Schafer State Park” and show historical photos at the Aberdeen Timberland Library on Saturday, April 6 from 2 to 3 p.m.

The book includes more than 200 vintage images and history from pioneer days to the present in the Satsop River Valley. It was published in celebration of the Washington State Parks System’s 100th anniversary. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Schafer State Park, a US National Historic Site north of Elma, represents a unique example of 1930s craftsmanship from the Works Progress Administration and other emergency programs. It is also a window into the settlement of the Satsop River Valley including logging and lumber operations.

For more information, visit http://www.TRL.org.

Westport Winery Wins at Great Northwest Wine Competition

The inaugural Great Northwest Wine Competition concluded Sunday afternoon and the results show 2 wins for the Westport Winery.

The local winery came away with not only a gold medal for their “Shiver Me Timbers”, a Riesling that benefits Grays Harbor Habitat For Humanity, but also won Best Fruit for “Rapture of the Deep”, their cranberry wine benefiting the Driftwood Theater in Aberdeen.

Great Nortwest Wine said of “Rapture of the Deep”, “Sweet sparkling cranberries are what this carbonated wine is all about. The spitz of the dissolved carbon dioxide and the cranberry’s natural bite nicely offset the abundant sugar. Pair it with a picnic, a brunch or pour it over fruit on a warm, laid-back summer day.”

Both wines already have a list of awards they have won from competitions throughout the country. All wines in the competition were tasted blind by category.

Owners Blain and Kim Roberts are celebrating their 5th anniversary of business this weekend with barrel tasting, food sampling, and live music.

For more information, visit westportwinery.org.

EXPO and Bite of Grays Harbor This Weekend

Coming up this weekend is Greater Grays Harbor Inc’s annual EXPO at the Aberdeen High School.

EXPO is a trade show intended to connect local businesses with local customers. Callie White, Communications Director for Greater Grays Harbor, said “We know that people want to Shop the Harbor First, but sometimes aren’t sure what is available here. That is why we have over 100 booths in two gyms to showcase the range of services and products that are on offer right here”

Happening concurrently is the Bite of Grays Harbor, held in the commons area at the school, featuring food from restaurants around Grays Harbor. During both events there will also be local bands providing entertainment.

“There are a lot of reasons to come to the EXPO. You can see what is going on in the business community, you can try new things, you can find out what there is in your own backyard, and you can have fun doing it,” said White.

EXPO Grays Harbor and the Bite of Grays Harbor will be held from 9 am to 4 pm Saturday, March 16 at Aberdeen High School. Admission is free to the public.

For more information, or to sign up to have a booth at the event, call Angela at 532-1924.

Elton Bennett Silkscreens on Display in Olympia

Hoquiam artist Elton Bennett’s works will be on display this month in Olympia.

The silkscreen artwork of Elton Bennett, who died in 1974, will be shown at the Olympia Red Lion Inn on March 16th & 17th. Rare examples of the artist’s work are being presented by his daughter, Barbara Bennett Parsons.

Bennett lived in Hoquiam and spent his life exploring the waterways and mountains of the northwest. At the time of his death, the remaining artwork was placed in a trust. Barbara has spaced the release of these precious silkscreen originals through 4 decades. The bulk of the collection has been set aside for donation to museums.

The Olympia Red Lion Inn is located at 2300 Evergreen Park Drive SW.

For further information about the event, call Barbara Parsons at 360-532-3235 or email barbarapar@comcast.net.

Clay Walker Scheduled for Grays Harbor County Fair

The Grays Harbor County Commissioners authorized the Fair, Events and Tourism Manager to sign two contracts yesterday.

The first will bring Country Artist Clay Walker to the Pepsi Stage at the Grays Harbor County Fair on August 7th. The price to bring Walker into Grays Harbor is said to cost $40,000.

The second contract is one is with Horns and Hooks, LLC for TV marketing for $36,000. Horns and Hooks is a magazine that is currently published in Aberdeen and they are branching out to outdoor TV and will be producing a show that will be aired on Root Sports.

Hoquiam Eagle Scout to Focus on Tsunami Route

An Eagle Scout is preparing to begin his project in the City of Hoquiam. Tanner Strom will be working on the Tsunami Evacuation Route that is used by the students of Lincoln Elementary in Hoquiam.

The route is a trail that travels up the hill behind the school and some areas need to be cleared of brush while others need gravel to make muddy areas safer for all who might need to escape a Tsunami.

Strom says he also plans to clean up the garbage and place benches on the pathway to make it useable as a nature hike as well, and as a little added incentive, his dad says that he’ll get his drivers license when it is completed.

Historic Grays Harbor Newsreels Showcased

Historic newsreels about Grays Harbor will be shown locally in March.

On March 9, at the 7th St. Theatre there will be two screenings of a documentary film about the newsreels of C.D. Anderson who filmed in Grays Harbor during the 1920s.

These films were rescued by the UW Libraries and preserved over 5 years ago.

Over the last 12 months, a team has worked with various individuals and groups from Grays Harbor to produce a half an hour documentary film about the stories behind these early newsreels. This project has been a partnership with the 7th St. Theatre Association.

The Dean of the UW Libraries will be part of the program and other Libraries staff will be in attendance.

Pacific County Sheriff Hosting Community Meetings

The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office have scheduled a series of community meetings in March so that members of their office can visit directly with residents.

Sheriff Scott Johnson and other members of the office will be attending the meetings and you are encouraged to come and hear what is new with the Sheriff’s Office and participate in discussion on how they can better serve you. The meetings will start at 6:00 PM and last until 7:30 PM.

The dates and locations of the community meetings are as follows:

March 13th, 2013 at the Willapa Valley High School located at 22 Viking Way in Menlo.

March 14th, 2013 at the Tokeland Tribal Center located on Tokeland Road.

March 20th, 2013 at the Peninsula Senior Center located at 21603 SR 103 in Ocean Park.

March 21st, 2013 at the Naselle High School located at 793 SR 4 in Naselle.